The Epstein-Barr-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell lines, LCL, which express antigens, are potential antigen-presenting cells (APCs) for the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro. However, ...transfecting LCL with subsequent selection by antibiotics is notoriously difficult because the plating efficiencies of LCL are reported to be 1% or less. Therefore, this study investigated the optimal conditions for increasing the transduction efficiency of a recombinant adenovirus to LCL for use as a source of APCs. The transduction efficiencies were < 13% (SD +/- 2.13) at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100, while it was increased to 28% (SD +/- 9.43) at an MOI of 1000. Moreover, its efficiencies to LCL that expressed the coxsackie adenovirus receptor were increased to 60% (SD +/- 6.35) at an MOI of 1000, and were further increased to 70% (SD +/- 4.56) when combined with the centrifugal method. The cationic liposome or anionic polymer had no effect on the transduction efficiency when compared to that of the centrifugal method. These results may be used as a convenient source of target cells for a CTL assay and/or autologous APCs for the induction of the in vitro CTL responses that are specific to viral and tumor antigens.
Given the complexity of managing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a multidisciplinary approach (MDT) is recommended to optimize management of HCC patients. However, evidence suggesting that MDT ...improves patient outcome is limited.
We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients newly-diagnosed with HCC between 2005 and 2013 (n = 6,619). The overall survival (OS) rates between the patients who were and were not managed via MDT were compared in the entire cohort (n = 6,619), and in the exactly matched cohort (n = 1,396).
In the entire cohort, the 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in the patients who were managed via MDT compared to that of the patients who were not (71.2% vs. 49.4%, P < 0.001), with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.47 (95% confidence interval CI; 0.41-0.53). In the exactly matched cohort, the 5-year survival rate was higher in patients who were managed via MDT (71.4% vs. 58.7%, P < 0.001; HR 95% CI = 0.67 0.56-0.80). The survival benefit of MDT management was observed in most pre-defined subgroups, and was especially significant in patients with poor liver function (ALBI grade 2 or 3), intermediate or advanced tumor stage (BCLC stage B or C), or high alphafetoprotein levels (≥200 ng/ml).
MDT management was associated with improved overall survival in HCC patients, indicating that MDT management can be a valuable option to improve outcome of HCC patients. This warrants prospective evaluations.
Controlling the crystallinity and surface morphology of perovskite layers by methods such as solvent engineering
and methylammonium chloride addition
is an effective strategy for achieving ...high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. In particular, it is essential to deposit α-formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI
) perovskite thin films with few defects due to their excellent crystallinity and large grain size. Here we report the controlled crystallization of perovskite thin films with the combination of alkylammonium chlorides (RACl) added to FAPbI
. The δ-phase to α-phase transition of FAPbI
and the crystallization process and surface morphology of the perovskite thin films coated with RACl under various conditions were investigated through in situ grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. RACl added to the precursor solution was believed to be easily volatilized during coating and annealing owing to dissociation into RA
and HCl with deprotonation of RA
induced by RA⋯H
-Cl
binding to PbI
in FAPbI
. Thus, the type and amount of RACl determined the δ-phase to α-phase transition rate, crystallinity, preferred orientation and surface morphology of the final α-FAPbI
. The resulting perovskite thin layers facilitated the fabrication of perovskite solar cells with a power-conversion efficiency of 26.08% (certified 25.73%) under standard illumination.
An electrochemical immunosensor employs antibodies as capture and detection means to produce electrical charges for the quantitative analysis of target molecules. This sensor type can be utilized as ...a miniaturized device for the detection of point-of-care testing (POCT). Achieving high-performance analysis regarding sensitivity has been one of the key issues with developing this type of biosensor system. Many modern nanotechnology efforts allowed for the development of innovative electrochemical biosensors with high sensitivity by employing various nanomaterials that facilitate the electron transfer and carrying capacity of signal tracers in combination with surface modification and bioconjugation techniques. In this review, we introduce novel nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotube, graphene, indium tin oxide, nanowire and metallic nanoparticles) in order to construct a high-performance electrode. Also, we describe how to increase the number of signal tracers by employing nanomaterials as carriers and making the polymeric enzyme complex associated with redox cycling for signal amplification. The pros and cons of each method are considered throughout this review. We expect that these reviewed strategies for signal enhancement will be applied to the next versions of lateral-flow paper chromatography and microfluidic immunosensor, which are considered the most practical POCT biosensor platforms.
A recyclable catalytic system for ionic polymerization under ambient conditions is still undoubtedly a challenging issue that needs to be addressed for industrial production. In this study, a ...metal-free cationic ring-opening polymerization of glycidol (GD) using tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C
6
F
5
)
3
, BCF) as a catalyst affords a well-controlled branched cyclic polyglycidol (BC-PGD) structure and a recycling polymerization process was achieved using unpurified reagents and ambient conditions. Although homogeneous catalysts cannot usually be readily recycled during polymerization, the growing PGD chains in nonpolar solvents induces self-precipitation in catalyst solutions with increasing molecular weight and hydrophilicity, causing a phase separation of PGD with a uniform molecular weight distribution. Specifically, the recycling polymerization process is successfully performed by repeating the simple sequence of decantation and addition of the unpurified monomer. The unique structure of the obtained PGDs was confirmed by
1
H NMR, inverse-gated
13
C NMR analyses, SEC, and MALDI-ToF-MS. Based on the green and recyclable BCF-catalyzed cationic ring-opening polymerization, more intriguing examples with simple and well-reproducible polymerization techniques are anticipated for challenging industrial applications.
We developed a recyclable catalytic system for the metal-free cationic polymerization under ambient conditions, which provides mild and environmentally friendly polymerization condition as well as unique polymer topology.
The prevalence of obesity and associated metabolic disorders, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, is rapidly becoming a severe global health problem. Recent reports have suggested that the ...alteration of the gut ecosystem through the consumption of probiotics and fermented foods, such as yogurt and Kimchi, can significantly impact obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2D)-related biomarkers. In this study, we screened over 400 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that were isolated from fermented foods to identify potent anti-obesogenic and diabetic probiotics in vitro. Of the strains tested,
Ln4 (Ln4), which was obtained from napa cabbage kimchi, significantly reduced lipid accumulation and stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Oral administration of Ln4 reduced weight gain and epididymal fat mass in mice fed on a high-fat diet (HFD). Total plasma triglyceride level was significantly lower in mice that were treated Ln4 as compared with mice fed HFD. The protein levels of adipokines such as C-reactive protein (CRP), insulin-like growth factor binding proteins-3 (IGFBP-3), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) decreased in white adipose tissues of Ln4-treated mice. Furthermore, these mice exhibited a significant reduction of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and the improvement of glucose tolerance (OGTT) and insulin response (ITT) following Ln4 administration. This was associated with changes in several hepatic gene expressions (increased mRNA levels of IRS2, Akt2, AMPK, LPL, and reduced CD36) that regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Taken together, these results indicate that in vitro and in vivo Ln4 treatment attenuates diet-induced obesity and T2D biomarkers, highlighting the potential of Ln4 as a therapeutic probiotic agent for metabolic disorders.
Summary
Background
Anti‐viral therapy is not indicated for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the immune‐tolerant phase.
Aims
To investigate the cumulative incidence of phase change and ...hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and independent predictors for phase change in patients with CHB in immune‐tolerant phase.
Methods
In total, 946 patients in immune‐tolerant phase, defined as hepatitis B e antigen positivity, HBV‐DNA >20 000 IU/mL and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤40 IU/L, between 1989 and 2017 were enrolled from eight institutes.
Results
The mean age of study population (429 men and 517 women) was 36.7 years. The mean ALT and HBV‐DNA levels were 24.6 IU/L and 8.50 log10 IU/mL, respectively. Of the study population, 476 (50.3%) patients remained in immune‐tolerant phase throughout the study period (median: 63.6 months). The cumulative incidence rates of phase change and HCC at 10 years were 70.7% and 1.7%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that HBV‐DNA level >107 IU/mL was associated independently with a reduced risk of phase change (hazard ratio HR = 0.734, P = 0.008), whereas a high ALT level, above the cut‐off recommended in the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines (34 IU/L for men and 30 IU/L for women), was associated independently with a greater risk of phase change (HR = 1.885, P < 0.001).
Conclusions
The criterion of HBV‐DNA level > 107 IU/mL may be useful to define immune‐tolerant phase. In addition, an extremely low risk of HCC development was observed in patients with CHB in immune‐tolerant phase.
The genotype-phenotype correlation of the X-linked Alport syndrome (XLAS) has been well elucidated in males, whereas it remains unclear in females. In this multicenter retrospective study, we ...analyzed the genotype-phenotype correlation in 216 Korean patients (male:female = 130:86) with XLAS between 2000 and 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to their genotypes: the non-truncating group, the abnormal splicing group, and the truncating group. In male patients, approximately 60% developed kidney failure at the median age of 25.0 years, and kidney survival showed significant differences between the non-truncating and truncating groups (P < 0.001, hazard ratio (HR) 2.8) and splicing and truncating groups (P = 0.002, HR 3.1). Sensorineural hearing loss was detected in 65.1% of male patients, while hearing survival periods showed a highly significant difference between the non-truncating and truncating groups (P < 0.001, HR 5.1). In female patients, approximately 20% developed kidney failure at the median age of 50.2 years. The kidney survival was significantly different between the non-truncating and truncating groups (P = 0.006, HR 5.7). Our findings support the presence of genotype-phenotype correlation not only in male patients but also in female patients with XLAS.
The characteristics, that is, morphology, size distribution, alloy phase and microstructure of U
3
Si and U
3
Si
2
powders, solidified rapidly by a centrifugal atomization, were investigated. The ...atomized powders consist of spherical particles with a relatively narrow size distribution independent of the alloy composition. The particle size distribution can be controlled by adjusting the atomization parameters such as feeding rates of the melt and revolution speeds of the disk. The major phases of atomized U
3
Si and U
3
Si
2
powders are α-U and U
3
Si
2
and U
3
Si
2
, respectively. The atomized U
3
Si powder has a dendritic structure of very fine and non-faceted U
3
Si
2
precipitates with less fibric and eutectic U
3
Si
2
structure. The microstructure of U
3
Si
2
powder shows a cellular structure with fine U
3
Si
2
grains and finely dispersed silicon-rich precipitates. The time for complete peritectoid reaction of the atomized U
3
Si particles and the resulting grain size are greatly reduced, due to the refinement of primary U
3
Si
2
precipitates.
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