Donor–acceptor random copolymers incorporating 1,3‐bis(thiophen‐2‐yl)‐5,7‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)benzo1,2‐c:4,5‐c′dithiophene‐4,8‐dione (BDD) and ...4,8‐bis(5‐(2‐ethylhexyl)thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo1,2‐b:4,5‐b′dithiophene (BDT‐Th) are developed. Nonfullerene solar cells introducing the random copolymer PBDB‐T73 (BDT‐Th:BDD=7:3) and 3,9‐bis(2‐methylene‐(3‐(1,1‐dicyanomethylene)‐indanone))‐5,5,11,11‐tetrakis(4‐hexylphenyl)‐dithieno2,3‐d:2′,3′‐d′‐s‐indaceno1,2‐b:5,6‐b′dithiophene are found to exhibit efficiency of 11.14%, which is superior to that of the PBDB‐T alternating copolymer (10.02%). The PBDB‐T73 device exhibits high performance due to low bimolecular charge recombination and good charge transport balance even though none of the treatments that are usually necessary for improving crystalline properties of active layers are performed; in contrast, the PBDB‐T device requires thermal annealing in order to enhance the polymer's crystallinity and obtain improved fill factor and Jsc values. It is demonstrated that efficient charge transport occurs in the PBDB‐T73 blend despite relatively low crystallinity of the polymer. The percolating network structure of the large mixed phase in the PBDB‐T73 blend has an important role in its efficient charge transport. Moreover, due to the low‐temperature processability of PBDB‐T73, flexible PBDB‐T73 solar cell devices prepared on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates exhibit high photovoltaic performance, 10.02%, whereas the efficiency of PBDB‐T‐based flexible devices (7.2%) is significantly lower due to damage to the active layer on indium tin oxide (ITO)/PET that results from thermal annealing.
Donor–acceptor‐type random copolymers are developed and nonfullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs) introducing the resulting polymer achieve a high efficiency of 11.14%. Furthermore, the corresponding flexible PSC using a random copolymer PBDB‐T73 shows a high efficiency of 10.02% due to low‐temperature processability of the polymer.
Abstract
Guided bone regeneration aided by the application of occlusive membranes is a promising therapy for diverse inflammatory periodontal diseases. Symbiosis, homeostasis between the host ...microbiome and cells, occurs in the oral environment under normal, but not pathologic, conditions. Here, we develop a symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane by mimicking the tooth enamel growth or multiple nucleation biomineralization processes. We perform human saliva and in vivo canine experiments to confirm that the symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane induces a symbiotic healing environment. Moreover, we show that the membrane exhibits tractability and enzymatic stability, maintaining the healing space during the entire guided bone regeneration therapy period. We apply the symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane to treat inflammatory-challenged cases in vivo, namely, the open and closed healing of canine premolars with severe periodontitis. We find that the membrane promotes symbiosis, prevents negative inflammatory responses, and improves cellular integration. Finally, we show that guided bone regeneration therapy with the symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane achieves fast healing of gingival soft tissue and alveolar bone.
Although metastable crystal structures have received much attention owing to their utilization in various fields, their phase‐transition to a thermodynamic structure has attracted comparably little ...interest. In the case of nanoscale crystals, such an exothermic phase‐transition releases high energy within a confined surface area and reconstructs surface atomic arrangement in a short time. Thus, this high‐energy nanosurface may create novel crystal structures when some elements are supplied. In this work, the creation of a ruthenium carbide (RuCX, X < 1) phase on the surface of the Ru nanocrystal is discovered during phase‐transition from cubic‐close‐packed to hexagonal‐close‐packed structure. When the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is tested in alkaline media, the RuCX exhibits a much lower overpotential and good stability relative to the counterpart Ru‐based catalysts and the state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C catalyst. Density functional theory calculations predict that the local heterogeneity of the outermost RuCX surface promotes the bifunctional HER mechanism by providing catalytic sites for both H adsorption and facile water dissociation.
Crystal phase‐transition of Ru/C from cubic‐close‐packing to hexagonal‐close‐packing creates a ruthenium carbide (RuCX, X < 1) nanosurface on Ru nanocrystal. The as‐created RuCX nanosurface presents a highly active and stable performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. Density functional theory calculations predict the RuCX sites as bifunctional configurations for improving alkaline HER kinetics.
Herein we evaluate the effect of nanodiamond (ND) incorporation on the mechanical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposite. Three quantities of ND (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt.%) were ...tested against the control and zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO). Flexural strength and elastic modulus were measured using a three-point bending test, surface hardness was evaluated using the Vickers hardness test, and surface roughness was evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), while fungal adhesion and viability were studied using Candida albicans. Samples were also analyzed for biofilm thickness and biomass in a saliva-derived biofilm model. All groups of ND-PMMA nanocomposites had significantly greater mean flexural strengths and statistically improved elastic modulus, compared to the control and ZrO groups (P < 0.001). The Vickers hardness values significantly increased compared to the control group (P < 0.001) with 0.3% and 0.5% ND. ND addition also gave significant reduction in fungal adhesion and viability (P < 0.001) compared to the control group. Finally, salivary biofilm formation was markedly reduced compared to the ZrO group. Hence, the incorporation of 0.1–0.5 wt.% ND with auto- polymerized PMMA resin significantly improved the flexural strength, elastic modulus, and surface hardness, and provided considerable fungal resistance.
Virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation has been reported to have beneficial effects on upper extremity function in stroke survivors; however, there is limited information about its effects on ...distal upper extremity function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of VR-based rehabilitation combined with standard occupational therapy on distal upper extremity function and HRQoL, and compare the findings to those of amount-matched conventional rehabilitation in stroke survivors.
The present study was a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. The study included 46 stroke survivors who were randomized to a Smart Glove (SG) group or a conventional intervention (CON) group. In both groups, the interventions were targeted to the distal upper extremity and standard occupational therapy was administered. The primary outcome was the change in the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FM) scores, and the secondary outcomes were the changes in the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test (JTT), Purdue pegboard test, and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) version 3.0 scores. The outcomes were assessed before the intervention, in the middle of the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention.
The improvements in the FM (FM-total, FM-prox, and FM-dist), JTT (JTT-total and JTT-gross), and SIS (composite and overall SIS, SIS-social participation, and SIS-mobility) scores were significantly greater in the SG group than in the CON group.
VR-based rehabilitation combined with standard occupational therapy might be more effective than amount-matched conventional rehabilitation for improving distal upper extremity function and HRQoL.
This study is registered under the title "Effects of Novel Game Rehabilitation System on Upper Extremity Function of Patients With Stroke" and can be located in https://clinicaltrials.gov with the study identifier NCT02029651 .
This study was carried out to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from Omegisool and to evaluate the probiotic properties of the isolates. Omegisool is a traditionally fermented millet alcoholic ...beverage from the Jeju district in Korea. The in vitro tests to evaluate the probiotic potential of the isolated bacteria included survival in acid and bile salt conditions, adhesion capacity to HT-29 cells, resistance to 5 antibiotics, and antioxidant activity. By their biochemical assays and analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences, seven strains isolated from Omegisool were identified as 5 Lactobacillus (Lb) species (Lb. pentosus SW02, Lb. plantarum subsp. plantarum SW03, Lb. sakei subsp. sakei SW04, Lb. plantarum subsp. plantarum SW06, Lb. plantarum subsp. plantarum SW07) and 2 Pediococcus (P) species (Pediococcus pentosaceus SW01, Pediococcus acidilactici SW05). Most of the isolates survived exposure to pH 2 for 3 h and 0.3% bile salts for 24 h or 48 h. The isolates exhibited strong abilities to adhere to HT-29 cells. Six strains were γ-hemolytic. The isolates also demonstrated DPPH radical scavenging activity in the range of 22.0–56.3%. These preliminary in vitro tests indicate that LAB isolated from Omegisool have the potential use as probiotic preparations for fermentation industry.
•Lactobacillus and Pediococcus strains were isolated from Omegisool, a Korean traditionally fermented alcoholic beverage.•Probiotic properties of LAB isolates were evaluated.•Most isolates had a strong resistance to simulated gastric juice and bile salts conditions.•Pediococcus strains showed the higest adhesion ability in HT-29 cell lines.•Lb. SW03 and P. acidilactici SW05 would be good candidates for probiotic preparations in food industry.
End-effector (EE) and exoskeleton (Exo) robots have not been directly compared previously. The present study aimed to directly compare EE and Exo robots in chronic stroke patients with ...moderate-to-severe upper limb impairment. This single-blinded, randomised controlled trial included 38 patients with stroke who were admitted to the rehabilitation hospital. The patients were equally divided into EE and Exo groups. Baseline characteristics, including sex, age, stroke type, brain lesion side (left/right), stroke duration, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA)-Upper Extremity score, and Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) score, were assessed. Additionally, impairment level (FMA, motor status score), activity (WMFT), and participation (stroke impact scale SIS) were evaluated. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups. After the intervention, improvements were significantly better in the EE group with regard to activity and participation (WMFT-Functional ability rating scale, WMFT-Time, and SIS-Participation). There was no intervention-related adverse event. The EE robot intervention is better than the Exo robot intervention with regard to activity and participation among chronic stroke patients with moderate-to-severe upper limb impairment. Further research is needed to confirm this novel finding.
Science fiction movies and novels frequently address the problem of climate change. This is because the climate crisis results in turbulence in our material condition of existence and ways of ...thinking. The climate crisis has been described as “a landscape and a discourse, a vibrant composition of corporeal elements and of socio-political narratives” (Iovino 317–18). To explore the complicated, multifaceted climate crisis in a way that goes beyond the distinctions between nature-culture or material-semiotic, it is necessary to define the word “climate.” Its etymological meaning comes from the ancient Greek word klima, which means “inclination.” This term implies that the climate can be affected by human and nonhuman actors: “‘Climate’ in the broad sense of the relation between human beings and the material conditions of their lives” (Latour, Down to Earth 1). One must face the changes in our physical climate: the rise in sea levels, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and extreme weather. This turbulence results from networks of heterogenous components: temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, and precipitation; the ocean and ice; and human factors. In this sense, climate change is a problem of how humans make connections with nonhuman actors. Climate is not a predetermined substance, but an effect of entanglement and interaction among heterogeneous components. Bong Joon-ho's film, Snowpiercer (2013), begins by depicting a dystopian future caused by climate change. It reveals the limits of climate geo-engineering and criticizes the formation of hierarchical bodies in this era of climate change. The film borrows elements from Soylent Green (1973), Logan's Run (1976), Logan's World (Nolan, 1977), and The Matrix (1999) in the sense that these science fiction works also deal with a low-resource, future dystopia and social control. Soylent Green addresses the regulation of food, Logan's Run deals with population control by setting the age of death, Logan's World focuses on the depletion of resources, and The Matrix elaborates on the exploitation of human bodies as sources of energy for the machines. In the same vein, Snowpiercer shares several features with these previous science fiction works, such as the mystery ingredients in the supply of protein in Soylent Green and the protein blocks in Snowpiercer, which produce the effect of shock and panic when their source is revealed. However, Snowpiercer is innovative in its depiction of this extreme situation in a very confined space, the Snowpiercer train, as opposed to a whole city as in Logan's Run, Logan's World, and Soylent Green. This limited space aggravates the effect of the segregation of bodies. Furthermore, Bong Joon-ho's film ends with the possibility of a modality of co-existence between human corporeality, as represented by Yona and Timmy, and nonhuman materiality, as represented by the polar bear and the new exterior environment they can explore as well as the new climate conditions they must adapt to. In this sense, this film is not a simple dystopian story: its open conclusion points toward an alternate future that dependent on respect for nonhuman agency. To overcome the error made by Yona and Timmy's predecessors, these children try to construct a new relationship with nonhumans that neither reduces them to a resource nor makes them an object of exploitation.
There is a consensus that cancer care should go beyond physical care as cancer patients and their family caregivers experience psychological burden, financial difficulty, as well as social relation ...issues. The current study aimed to investigate the moderating impact of social support on depression and anxiety of cancer patients and their family caregivers.
Gastric cancer patients and their family caregivers who visited a university medical center in Seoul were approached for participation in the study. Fifty-two pairs of adult patients and caregivers participated in the study. Along with demographic information and the physical condition of the patients, such as pre-operation cancer stage and the type of gastrectomy, social support, depression, and anxiety were measured for patients and caregivers, respectively.
In the first round of analysis, patients' depression was associated with age, while patients' anxiety was related to income. On the other hand, caregivers' depression was not associated with patients' health and living arrangement. In the second round of analysis to examine the moderating effect of social support, patients' income and social support were related to depression and anxiety, but the interaction of income and social support was only observed for anxiety. For caregivers, no interaction effects were found. Social support decreased the negative effects of low income status on the patients.
While the income of the families with cancer cannot be adjusted in the short-term, their experience of social support can be managed by a proper support system. Diverse implications in medical settings are discussed.
Despite the diverse genetic mutations in head and neck cancer, the chemotherapy outcome for this cancer has not improved for decades. It is urgent to select prognostic factors and therapeutic targets ...for oropharyngeal cancer to establish precision medicine. Recent studies have identified PSMD1 as a potential prognostic marker in several cancers. We aimed to assess the prognostic significance of PSMD1 expression in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients using immunohistochemistry.
We studied 64 individuals with OPSCC tissue from surgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between April 2008 and August 2017. Immunostaining analysis was conducted on the tissue microarray (TMA) sections (4 μm) for p16 and PSMD1. H-score, which scale from 0 to 300, was calculated from each nucleus, cytoplasm, and cellular expression. Clinicopathological data were compared with Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, and logistic regression. Survival data until 2021 were achieved from national statistical office of Korea. Kaplan-Meier method and cox-regression model were used for disease-specific survival (DSS) analysis.
H-score of 90 in nucleus was appropriate cutoff value for 'High PSMD1 expression' in OPSCC. Tonsil was more frequent location in low PSMD1 group (42/52, 80.8%) than in high PSMD1 group (4/12, 33.3%; P = .002). Early-stage tumor was more frequent in in low PSMD1 group (45/52, 86.5%) than in high PSMD1 group (6/12, 50%; P = .005). HPV was more positive in low PSMD1 group (43/52, 82.7%) than in high PSMD1 group (5/12, 41.7%; P = .016). Patients with PSMD1 high expression showed poorer DSS than in patients with PSMD1 low expression (P = .006 in log rank test). In multivariate analysis, PSMD1 expression, pathologic T staging, and specimen age were found to be associated with DSS (P = .011, P = .025, P = .029, respectively).
In our study, we established PSMD1 as a negative prognostic factor in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, indicating its potential as a target for targeted therapy and paving the way for future in vitro studies on drug repositioning.
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