In Gram‐negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential component of the asymmetric outer membrane (OM). LptE is an OM lipoprotein that forms a complex with the β‐barrel OM protein, LptD. ...Incorporation of LPS into the OM outer leaflet is essential for bacterial viability, and mediated by the LptD/E complex. The genome of Campylobacter jejuni, a major foodborne pathogen, contains over 20 putative lipoproteins including Cj1090c. Here, we report the crystal structure of Cj1090c at 2.4 Å resolution, revealing structural evidence for LptE in C. jejuni. The analysis of this crystal structure, along with the genomic context, allows us to propose the C. jejuni LPS transport system for the first time, and permits for discussion of the features of the LptD/E complex of C. jejuni.
Flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) is novel capacitive deionization (CDI) technology that exhibits continuous deionization and a high desalting efficiency. A flow-electrode with high ...capacitance and low resistance is required for achieving an efficient FCDI system with low energy consumption. For developing high-performance flow-electrode, studies should be conducted considering porous materials, conductive additives, and electrolytes constituting the flow-electrode. Here, we evaluated the desalting performances of flow-electrodes with spherical activated carbon and aqueous electrolytes containing various concentrations of NaCl in the FCDI unit cell for confirming the effect of salt concentration on the electrolyte of a flow-electrode on desalting efficiency. We verified the necessity of a moderate amount of salt in the flow-electrode for compensating for the reduction in the performance of the flow-electrode, attributed to the resistance of water used as the electrolyte. Simultaneously, we confirmed the potential use of salt water with a high salt concentration, such as seawater, as an aqueous electrolyte for the flow-electrode.
Abstract
Background
This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the frequency of impairments in daily activities due to the overuse of the Internet, gaming, or smartphones (IGS) and ...sociodemographic characteristics, social relationships (including family) & activities, psychosocial characteristics, health status, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Korean adults.
Methods
Secondary data from the 2017 Community Health Survey, a large-scale sample survey conducted yearly in South Korea, were analyzed for 190,066 adults over 19 years of age. Three categories were created for impairment groups due to IGS overuse: No Impairment, Mild Impairment, and Moderate-to-Severe groups. And between-group differences were examined using a one-way ANOVA for health status measured with the EQ-5D-3 L and chi-square tests for all categorical dependent variables, which included sociodemographic characteristics, social relationships & activities, and psychosocial factors. The association between frequencies of daily activity impairments due to IGS overuse and the dependent variables were examined using a multivariate logistic regression analysis and a linear regression model.
Results
Approximately 21,345 (11.23%) of the 190,066 participants reported experiencing impairments in daily activities due to IGS overuse at least once in the previous year and the impairments were more severe in males than females. Participants experiencing impairments in daily activities contacted their friends a significantly higher number of times (4 times or more per month) and engaged in leisure activities more frequently (more than once per month) than those without impairments. There was also a significant positive relationship between IGS overuse and stress, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Among participants aged 19–64, impairments in daily activities due to IGS overuse were associated with a lower HRQoL. Conversely, for those aged 65 and over, mild and moderate-to-severe impairments due to IGS overuse were associated with a significantly higher HRQoL.
Conclusions
Increased impairments in daily activities due to IGS overuse may negatively affect mental health. However, among older adults, the frequency of such impairments was positively associated with HRQoL. This finding could be considered to apply interventions with Internet usage or ICT devices for older adults to enhance their quality of life.
High-performance tube-supported standard oil synthetic zeolite-13 (SSZ-13) membranes were prepared using low-temperature ozone calcination and modularized in different-sized permeation cells. The ...hydrophobic SSZ-13 membrane exhibited robust, marked CO2/N2 separation performances at a H2O vapor partial pressure of 10 kPa at 50 °C (CO2 permeance of 1.3 × 10−7 mol∙m−2 s−1∙Pa−1 and CO2/N2 separation factor (SF) of ca. 31.5). However, these intrinsic values were obtained at high feed flow rates, where the optimal recovery of CO2 molecules cannot be obtained. Thus, we correlated membrane (permeance and SF) and feed stream (Reynolds number) properties, finding that convective mass transfer from feed to outer membrane surface (Sherwood number) was described by the Reynolds number and cell dimensions. This further accounted for the CO2 molar flux and CO2/N2 SF. Based on this, we proposed critical parameters (comprising total feed flow rate and pressure, and characteristic module dimension) to describe the representative module properties of the recovery, purity, and process efficiency (PE) for CO2. Finally, the PE of the membrane unit was improved in double-stage configuration, yielding noticeable improvements in CO2 purity and PE at the slight expense of CO2 recovery. Crucially, the process-based module properties were well understood and predicted using the feed stream properties.
Display omitted
•Low-temperature ozone calcination led to high-quality CHA zeolite membranes.•Separation performances from membrane and module perspectives were correlated.•Feed properties accounted for permeance and separation factor (membrane properties).•Feed properties accounted for recovery, purity, and efficiency (module properties).•CO2 separation efficiency was predictable and improved by combining two modules.
Cinnamon essential oil (CEO) has antibacterial properties, but its ability to suppress the formation of multi-species oral biofilms has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluated the ...antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsion (CEON) against oral biofilms formed using a microcosm biofilm model. The biofilms were formed on bovine enamel specimens over a 7-day period, during which all specimens were treated with one of three solutions: 5% CEON (n = 35), 0.5% cocamidopropyl betaine (n = 35), or 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX; n = 35). Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities were determined by the red/green ratios (R/G values) of 7-day-old mature biofilms photographed with quantitative light-induced fluorescence-digital, the number of aciduric bacterial colony-forming units (CFUs) within each biofilm, and the absorbance of bacterial suspensions. One-way and repeated-measures analysis of variance were performed to compare differences among the three solutions. R/G values were lowest in the 0.12% CHX group, but not significantly differ from the 5% CEON group. The number of CFUs and absorbance were lowest in the 5% CEON group. This study showed that nanoemulsified CEO inhibited the maturation of multi-species oral biofilms and the growth of oral microorganisms in biofilms, including aciduric bacteria that cause dental caries.
A new all-aqueous process of the dissolution/regeneration of cellulose was developed. Cellulose was completely dissolved in the 54–60 wt% lithium bromide aqueous solutions in the temperature range of ...110–130 °C within a dissolution time of 1 h. Then, the cellulose was directly regenerated from the solution by cooling down to approximately 70 °C and removing the salts with water, yielding a translucent gel. The cellulose gel was not significantly chemically decomposed even though some decrease of the degree of polymerization occurred during the dissolution/regeneration of cellulose. The X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that the dissolution/regeneration of cellulose induced a crystalline structural change from cellulose I to cellulose II, confirming the complete loss of the original cellulose structure. The cellulose gel had highly porous three-dimensional networks composed of fairly long cellulose fibrils interconnected with one another. The dissolution/regeneration of cellulose in aqueous lithium bromide solutions offers new and important options for cellulose-based materials.
Amorphous soft magnetic powder is one of the most favorable materials for power applications working in the MHz range. In order to induce high permeability, DC bias characteristics, and low core loss ...in the working frequency range, the core must achieve high packing density. Sub-micro-sized α-Fe powder has been applied to inductors because of its high saturation magnetization and low intra-particle eddy-current loss. In this study, we investigated the magnetic properties of amorphous Fe alloy/sub-micro-sized α-Fe powder composites. We prepared composites as a bimodal toroid core with various mixing ratios of amorphous Fe alloy and sub-micro α-Fe, whose average particle sizes are approximately 35
μ
m and 3.3
μ
m, respectively. As the amounts of sub-micro α-Fe contents increase, the packing ratio and density of the core maximize at the cores, which have a sub-micro α-Fe content of 30 wt.%. The measurement results of the magnetic relative permeability (
μ
) and quality (
Q
) at 1 MHz revealed similar behaviors with the packing ratio and density; both
μ
and
Q
are a maximum of 35.5 and 47 in the core with 30 wt.% sub-micro α-Fe contents. The total evaluated core-loss (
P
cv
) under a driven magnetic flux 200 mT in the MHz range gradually decreased as the sub-micro α-Fe content increased up to 30 wt.%, and the minimum core-loss was 562.2 mW/cm
3
at 1 MHz. Based on the experimental results, the improved magnetic performance of the core can be obtained not only by the intrinsic properties of material but also by the microstructure of the core body.
Rhythm control strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can bring many clinical benefits. However, there is still uncertainty regarding selection of the optimal rhythm control strategy ...for persistent AF. Chronicity, substrate alteration, and underlying bradyarrhythmias could influence the clinical outcomes. Current guidelines do not provide a distinct recommendation for electrical cardioversion (ECV) in patients with AF with a slow ventricular response (SVR). We present two cases of sudden cardiac arrest due to sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation after ECV of persistent AF with SVR.
TATA-binding protein associated factor 15 (TAF15) is involved in the pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although TAF15 accumulates as cytoplasmic ...aggregates in neurons and the clearance of aggregates may be a therapeutic strategy for ALS, the underlying mechanisms of TAF15 in ALS remain poorly understood. Recently, we found that glutathione transferase omega 2 (GstO2) expression level is significantly reduced in the brain tissue of TAF15-expressing flies. In this study, we demonstrated that GstO2 overexpression in TAF15-induced flies rescues the locomotive activity and neuromuscular junctional defects. Furthermore, TAF15 levels in both cytoplasm and nuclear fractions significantly decreased in the heads of GstO2 co-expressing flies. GstO2-co-overexpression in neurons caused a marked decrease in intracellular reactive oxygen species generation in TAF15-induced flies. Our findings demonstrated that GstO2 was a pathogenic regulator of TAF15-associated proteinopathies. They help expand our understanding of TAF15-associated ALS pathogenesis.
In an increasingly multicultural society, cultural competence and transcultural self-efficacy of public health nurses is important for providing culturally congruent care for client from diverse ...cultural background. To improv this, it is needed tailored and effective educational program based on the cultural competence educational needs. This study investigated the moderating effect of cultural competence educational needs on the relationship between transcultural self-efficacy and cultural competence.
This cross-sectional study recruited 217 public health nurses in Korea using convenience sampling from August 2018 to January 2019. A direct questionnaire was used to collect data. Study variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and the Hayes PROCESS macro (Model 1) moderation model.
The mean scores for transcultural self-efficacy, cultural competence educational needs, and cultural competence were 62.33 ± 11.08, 58.19 ± 15.08, and 97.96 ± 17.09, respectively. Transcultural self-efficacy and cultural competence educational needs were positively associated with cultural competence. In the tested model, cultural competence educational needs had a conditional moderating effect on the relationship between transcultural self-efficacy and cultural competence. The positive association between transcultural self-efficacy and cultural competence was significant at low, medium, and high levels of cultural competence educational needs and stronger for those with high needs.
Cultural competence educational needs may be an important determinant of cultural competence among public health nurses. To effectively increase cultural competence, transcultural self-efficacy should be increased by education programs tailored by cultural competence educational needs.
PDF
