| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 2. |
- Hu, Xiangzhao, et al.
(author)
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Boosting Industrial-Level CO2 Electroreduction of N-Doped Carbon Nanofibers with Confined Tin-Nitrogen Active Sites via Accelerating Proton Transport Kinetics
- 2023
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In: Advanced Functional Materials. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 1616-301X .- 1616-3028. ; 33:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The development of highly efficient robust electrocatalysts with low overpotential and industrial-level current density is of great significance for CO2 electroreduction (CO2ER), however the low proton transport rate during the CO2ER remains a challenge. Herein, a porous N-doped carbon nanofiber confined with tin-nitrogen sites (Sn/NCNFs) catalyst is developed, which is prepared through an integrated electrospinning and pyrolysis strategy. The optimized Sn/NCNFs catalyst exhibits an outstanding CO2ER activity with the maximum CO FE of 96.5%, low onset potential of −0.3 V, and small Tafel slope of 68.8 mV dec−1. In a flow cell, an industrial-level CO partial current density of 100.6 mA cm−2 is achieved. In situ spectroscopic analysis unveil the isolated Sn-N site acted as active center for accelerating water dissociation and subsequent proton transport process, thus promoting the formation of intermediate *COOH in the rate-determining step for CO2ER. Theoretical calculations validate pyrrolic N atom adjacent to the Sn-N active species assisted reducing the energy barrier for *COOH formation, thus boosting the CO2ER kinetics. A Zn-CO2 battery is designed with the cathode of Sn/NCNFs, which delivers a maximum power density of 1.38 mW cm−2 and long-term stability.
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| 3. |
- Kanoni, Stavroula, et al.
(author)
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Implicating genes, pleiotropy, and sexual dimorphism at blood lipid loci through multi-ancestry meta-analysis.
- 2022
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In: Genome biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1474-760X .- 1465-6906 .- 1474-7596. ; 23:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic variants within nearly 1000 loci are known to contribute to modulation of blood lipid levels. However, the biological pathways underlying these associations are frequently unknown, limiting understanding of these findings and hindering downstream translational efforts such as drug target discovery.To expand our understanding of the underlying biological pathways and mechanisms controlling blood lipid levels, we leverage a large multi-ancestry meta-analysis (N=1,654,960) of blood lipids to prioritize putative causal genes for 2286 lipid associations using six gene prediction approaches. Using phenome-wide association (PheWAS) scans, we identify relationships of genetically predicted lipid levels to other diseases and conditions. We confirm known pleiotropic associations with cardiovascular phenotypes and determine novel associations, notably with cholelithiasis risk. We perform sex-stratified GWAS meta-analysis of lipid levels and show that 3-5% of autosomal lipid-associated loci demonstrate sex-biased effects. Finally, we report 21 novel lipid loci identified on the X chromosome. Many of the sex-biased autosomal and X chromosome lipid loci show pleiotropic associations with sex hormones, emphasizing the role of hormone regulation in lipid metabolism.Taken together, our findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms through which associated variants lead to altered lipid levels and potentially cardiovascular disease risk.
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| 4. |
- Kim, Hyeong Seok, et al.
(author)
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Development, validation, and comparison of a nomogram based on radiologic findings for predicting malignancy in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas : An international multicenter study
- 2021
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In: Journal of hepato-biliary-pancreatic sciences. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1868-6974 .- 1868-6982.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Although we previously proposed a nomogram to predict malignancy in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) and validated it in an external cohort, its application is challenging without data on tumor markers. Moreover, existing nomograms have not been compared. This study aimed to develop a nomogram based on radiologic findings and to compare its performance with previously proposed American and Korean/Japanese nomograms.METHODS: We recruited 3708 patients who underwent surgical resection at 31 tertiary institutions in eight countries, and patients with main pancreatic duct >10 mm were excluded. To construct the nomogram, 2606 patients were randomly allocated 1:1 into training and internal validation sets, and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was calculated using 10-fold cross validation by exhaustive search. This nomogram was then validated and compared to the American and Korean/Japanese nomograms using 1102 patients.RESULTS: Among the 2606 patients, 90 had main-duct type, 900 had branch-duct type, and 1616 had mixed-type IPMN. Pathologic results revealed 1628 low-grade dysplasia, 476 high-grade dysplasia, and 502 invasive carcinoma. Location, cyst size, duct dilatation, and mural nodule were selected to construct the nomogram. AUC of this nomogram was higher than the American nomogram (0.691 vs 0.664, P = .014) and comparable with the Korean/Japanese nomogram (0.659 vs 0.653, P = .255).CONCLUSIONS: A novel nomogram based on radiologic findings of IPMN is competitive for predicting risk of malignancy. This nomogram would be clinically helpful in circumstances where tumor markers are not available. The nomogram is freely available at http://statgen.snu.ac.kr/software/nomogramIPMN.
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| 5. |
- Fenstermacher, M.E., et al.
(author)
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DIII-D research advancing the physics basis for optimizing the tokamak approach to fusion energy
- 2022
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 62:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- DIII-D physics research addresses critical challenges for the operation of ITER and the next generation of fusion energy devices. This is done through a focus on innovations to provide solutions for high performance long pulse operation, coupled with fundamental plasma physics understanding and model validation, to drive scenario development by integrating high performance core and boundary plasmas. Substantial increases in off-axis current drive efficiency from an innovative top launch system for EC power, and in pressure broadening for Alfven eigenmode control from a co-/counter-I p steerable off-axis neutral beam, all improve the prospects for optimization of future long pulse/steady state high performance tokamak operation. Fundamental studies into the modes that drive the evolution of the pedestal pressure profile and electron vs ion heat flux validate predictive models of pedestal recovery after ELMs. Understanding the physics mechanisms of ELM control and density pumpout by 3D magnetic perturbation fields leads to confident predictions for ITER and future devices. Validated modeling of high-Z shattered pellet injection for disruption mitigation, runaway electron dissipation, and techniques for disruption prediction and avoidance including machine learning, give confidence in handling disruptivity for future devices. For the non-nuclear phase of ITER, two actuators are identified to lower the L-H threshold power in hydrogen plasmas. With this physics understanding and suite of capabilities, a high poloidal beta optimized-core scenario with an internal transport barrier that projects nearly to Q = 10 in ITER at ∼8 MA was coupled to a detached divertor, and a near super H-mode optimized-pedestal scenario with co-I p beam injection was coupled to a radiative divertor. The hybrid core scenario was achieved directly, without the need for anomalous current diffusion, using off-axis current drive actuators. Also, a controller to assess proximity to stability limits and regulate β N in the ITER baseline scenario, based on plasma response to probing 3D fields, was demonstrated. Finally, innovative tokamak operation using a negative triangularity shape showed many attractive features for future pilot plant operation.
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| 6. |
- Kang, Sung-Yoon, et al.
(author)
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Open The association between specific IgE antibodies to component allergens and allergic symptoms on dog and cat exposure among Korean pet exhibition participants
- 2022
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In: World Allergy Organization Journal. - : Elsevier. - 1939-4551. ; 15:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Component resolved diagnostics (CRD) in dog and cat allergy is not sufficiently investigated, especially regarding new components such as Can f 4, Can f 6, and Fel d 7. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential role of CRD with new components in predicting allergic symptoms on dog and cat exposure.Methods: Among 552 Korean adults who participated in a pet exhibition and completed questionnaires regarding exposure to dog or cat and allergic symptoms, 522 were venipunctured for measurement of IgE and IgG4 antibody concentration against dog and cat dander extract and underwent skin prick test (SPT). In 238 individuals who were sensitized for both dog and cat dander extract, the dog IgE components (Can f 1-6) and the cat components (Fel d 1/2/4/7) were analyzed.Results: An increasing number of sensitizing components was associated with the likelihood of having any allergic symptoms (P < 0.001 for dog and P < 0.01 for cat), and those of asthma (P < 0.01 for dog and P < 0.05 for cat) and rhinoconjunctivitis (P < 0.001 for dog and P < 0.05 for cat). Pairwise correlation of IgE levels was r = 0.56 (P < 0.001) for Can f 6 and Fel d 4, r = 0.74 (P < 0.001) for Can f 1 and Fel d 7 and r = 0.84 (P < 0.001) for Can f 3 and Fel d 2.Conclusions: Polysensitization to dog and cat allergen components is associated with high likelihood of having allergic symptoms during exposure to dogs and cats. Cross-reactivity between dog and cat allergen components is also identified. CRD has a potential in fine-tuning prediction for allergic symptoms on dog and cat exposure.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Ni, Yuan Qi, et al.
(author)
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Infant-phase reddening by surface Fe-peak elements in a normal type Ia supernova
- 2022
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In: Nature Astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-3366. ; 6:5, s. 568-576
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Type Ia supernovae are thermonuclear explosions of white dwarf stars. They play a central role in the chemical evolution of the Universe and are an important measure of cosmological distances. However, outstanding questions remain about their origins. Despite extensive efforts to obtain natal information from their earliest signals, observations have thus far failed to identify how the majority of them explode. Here, we present infant-phase detections of SN 2018aoz from a very low brightness of −10.5 AB absolute magnitude, revealing a hitherto unseen plateau in the B band that results in a rapid redward colour evolution between 1.0 and 12.4 hours after the estimated epoch of first light. The missing B-band flux is best explained by line-blanket absorption from Fe-peak elements in the outer 1% of the ejected mass. The observed B − V colour evolution of the supernova also matches the prediction from an over-density of Fe-peak elements in the same outer 1% of the ejected mass, whereas bluer colours are expected from a purely monotonic distribution of Fe-peak elements. The presence of excess nucleosynthetic material in the extreme outer layers of the ejecta points to enhanced surface nuclear burning or extended subsonic mixing processes in some normal type Ia SN explosions.
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| 10. |
- Ni, Yuan Qi, et al.
(author)
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The Origin and Evolution of the Normal Type Ia SN 2018aoz with Infant-phase Reddening and Excess Emission
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 946:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- SN 2018aoz is a Type Ia SN with a B-band plateau and excess emission in infant-phase light curves ≲1 day after the first light, evidencing an over-density of surface iron-peak elements as shown in our previous study. Here, we advance the constraints on the nature and origin of SN 2018aoz based on its evolution until the nebular phase. Near-peak spectroscopic features show that the SN is intermediate between two subtypes of normal Type Ia: core normal and broad line. The excess emission may be attributable to the radioactive decay of surface iron-peak elements as well as the interaction of ejecta with either the binary companion or a small torus of circumstellar material. Nebular-phase limits on Hα and He i favor a white dwarf companion, consistent with the small companion size constrained by the low early SN luminosity, while the absence of [O I] and He i disfavors a violent merger of the progenitor. Of the two main explosion mechanisms proposed to explain the distribution of surface iron-peak elements in SN 2018aoz, the asymmetric Chandrasekhar-mass explosion is less consistent with the progenitor constraints and the observed blueshifts of nebular-phase [Fe II] and [Ni II]. The helium-shell double-detonation explosion is compatible with the observed lack of C spectral features, but current 1D models are incompatible with the infant-phase excess emission, Bmax–Vmax color, and weak strength of nebular-phase [Ca II]. Although the explosion processes of SN 2018aoz still need to be more precisely understood, the same processes could produce a significant fraction of Type Ia SNe that appear to be normal after ∼1 day.
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| 11. |
- Ogasawara, Hirohito, et al.
(author)
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X-ray free electron laser studies of electron and phonon dynamics of graphene adsorbed on copper
- 2023
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In: Physical Review Materials. - 2475-9953. ; 7:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report optical pumping and x-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory free electron laser that probes the electron dynamics of a graphene monolayer adsorbed on copper in the femtosecond regime. By analyzing the results with ab initio theory we infer that the excitation of graphene is dominated by indirect excitation from hot electron-hole pairs created in the copper by the optical laser pulse. However, once the excitation is created in graphene, its decay follows a similar path as in many previous studies of graphene adsorbed on semiconductors, i.e., rapid excitation of strongly coupled optical phonons and eventual thermalization. It is likely that the lifetime of the hot electron-hole pairs in copper governs the lifetime of the electronic excitation of the graphene.
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| 12. |
- Zhang, Dan-Yang, et al.
(author)
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Highly Conductive Topologically Chiral Molecular Knots as Efficient Spin Filters
- 2023
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In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 145:49, s. 26791-26798
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Knot-like structures were found to have interesting magnetic properties in condensed matter physics. Herein, we report on topologically chiral molecular knots as efficient spintronic chiral material. The discovery of the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect opens the possibility of manipulating the spin orientation with soft materials at room temperature and eliminating the need for a ferromagnetic electrode. In the chiral molecular trefoil knot, there are no stereogenic carbon atoms, and chirality results from the spatial arrangements of crossings in the trefoil knot structures. The molecules show a very high spin polarization of nearly 90%, a conductivity that is higher by about 2 orders of magnitude compared with that of other chiral small molecules, and enhanced thermal stability. A plausible explanation for these special properties is provided, combined with model calculations, that supports the role of electron-electron interaction in these systems.
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| 13. |
- Ali, Sharib, et al.
(author)
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Assessing generalisability of deep learning-based polyp detection and segmentation methods through a computer vision challenge
- 2024
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In: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. - 2045-2322. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Polyps are well-known cancer precursors identified by colonoscopy. However, variability in their size, appearance, and location makes the detection of polyps challenging. Moreover, colonoscopy surveillance and removal of polyps are highly operator-dependent procedures and occur in a highly complex organ topology. There exists a high missed detection rate and incomplete removal of colonic polyps. To assist in clinical procedures and reduce missed rates, automated methods for detecting and segmenting polyps using machine learning have been achieved in past years. However, the major drawback in most of these methods is their ability to generalise to out-of-sample unseen datasets from different centres, populations, modalities, and acquisition systems. To test this hypothesis rigorously, we, together with expert gastroenterologists, curated a multi-centre and multi-population dataset acquired from six different colonoscopy systems and challenged the computational expert teams to develop robust automated detection and segmentation methods in a crowd-sourcing Endoscopic computer vision challenge. This work put forward rigorous generalisability tests and assesses the usability of devised deep learning methods in dynamic and actual clinical colonoscopy procedures. We analyse the results of four top performing teams for the detection task and five top performing teams for the segmentation task. Our analyses demonstrate that the top-ranking teams concentrated mainly on accuracy over the real-time performance required for clinical applicability. We further dissect the devised methods and provide an experiment-based hypothesis that reveals the need for improved generalisability to tackle diversity present in multi-centre datasets and routine clinical procedures.
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| 14. |
- Ching, Tao-Chung, et al.
(author)
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The JCMT BISTRO-2 Survey: Magnetic Fields of the Massive DR21 Filament
- 2022
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 941:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present 850 mu m dust polarization observations of the massive DR21 filament from the B-fields In STar-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) survey, using the POL-2 polarimeter and the SCUBA-2 camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We detect ordered magnetic fields perpendicular to the parsec-scale ridge of the DR21 main filament. In the subfilaments, the magnetic fields are mainly parallel to the filamentary structures and smoothly connect to the magnetic fields of the main filament. We compare the POL-2 and Planck dust polarization observations to study the magnetic field structures of the DR21 filament on 0.1-10 pc scales. The magnetic fields revealed in the Planck data are well-aligned with those of the POL-2 data, indicating a smooth variation of magnetic fields from large to small scales. The plane-of-sky magnetic field strengths derived from angular dispersion functions of dust polarization are 0.6-1.0 mG in the DR21 filament and similar to 0.1 mG in the surrounding ambient gas. The mass-to-flux ratios are found to be magnetically supercritical in the filament and slightly subcritical to nearly critical in the ambient gas. The alignment between column density structures and magnetic fields changes from random alignment in the low-density ambient gas probed by Planck to mostly perpendicular in the high-density main filament probed by James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. The magnetic field structures of the DR21 filament are in agreement with MHD simulations of a strongly magnetized medium, suggesting that magnetic fields play an important role in shaping the DR21 main filament and subfilaments.
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| 15. |
- Choi, Hangnyoung, et al.
(author)
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Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for irritability in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis with the GRADE assessment
- 2024
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In: Molecular Autism. - : BMC. - 2040-2392. ; 15:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundNumerous interventions for irritability in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been investigated. We aimed to appraise the magnitude of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for irritability in ASD without any restrictions in terms of eligible interventions.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science until April 15, 2023. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a parallel design that examined the efficacy of interventions for the treatment of irritability in patients of any age with ASD without any restrictions in terms of eligible interventions. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis by pooling effect sizes as Hedges' g. We classified assessed interventions as follows: pharmacological monotherapy, risperidone plus adjuvant therapy versus risperidone monotherapy, non-pharmacological intervention, and dietary intervention. We utilized the Cochrane tool to evaluate the risk of bias in each study and the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence for each meta-analyzed intervention.ResultsOut of 5640 references, we identified 60 eligible articles with 45 different kinds of interventions, including 3531 participants, of which 80.9% were males (mean age [SD] = 8.79 [3.85]). For pharmacological monotherapy, risperidone (Hedges' g - 0.857, 95% CI - 1.263 to - 0.451, certainty of evidence: high) and aripiprazole (Hedges' g - 0.559, 95% CI - 0.767 to - 0.351, certainty of evidence: high) outperformed placebo. Among the non-pharmacological interventions, parent training (Hedges' g - 0.893, 95% CI - 1.184 to - 0.602, certainty of evidence: moderate) showed a significant result. None of the meta-analyzed interventions yielded significant effects among risperidone + adjuvant therapy and dietary supplementation. However, several novel molecules in augmentation to risperidone outperformed risperidone monotherapy, yet from one RCT each.LimitationsFirst, various tools have been utilized to measure the irritability in ASD, which may contribute to the heterogeneity of the outcomes. Second, meta-analyses for each intervention included only a small number of studies and participants.ConclusionsOnly risperidone, aripiprazole among pharmacological interventions, and parent training among non-pharmacological interventions can be recommended for irritability in ASD. As an augmentation to risperidone, several novel treatments show promising effects, but further RCTs are needed to replicate findings.Trial registration PROSPERO, CRD42021243965.ConclusionsOnly risperidone, aripiprazole among pharmacological interventions, and parent training among non-pharmacological interventions can be recommended for irritability in ASD. As an augmentation to risperidone, several novel treatments show promising effects, but further RCTs are needed to replicate findings.Trial registration PROSPERO, CRD42021243965.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Han, Jian, et al.
(author)
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A novel bio-based water reducer for concrete application : Facile process and techno-economic analysis of xylonate bioproduction from lignocellulosic residues
- 2024
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - 0959-6526. ; 460
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The xylonate was bioproduced directly from lignocellulosic residues, and the application properties of crude xylonate powder were investigated with a promising potential as a bio-based concrete water reducer. The overall integrated process was evaluated on the view of mass balance and techno-economic analysis using Aspen Plus modeling. 56 g/L of calcium xylonate (XA-Ca) can be obtained within 8 h from acidic corncob hydrolysate (ACH) at a 100 % yield with the whole-cell catalysis of Gluconobacter oxydans. At the addition of 0.2 wt% in the dry concrete content, XA-Ca powder and sodium xylonate powder prepared from pure xylose and ACH could reduce water used in concrete by 15 %, 14 %, 13 %, and 13 %, respectively. XA-Ca from ACH led to a 33% increase in concrete compressive strength and a 24% increase in concrete flexural strength at day 7 compared to the blank group. The techno-economic analysis showed the minimum XA-Ca powder price to be $ 0.806/kg which can be economically feasible. This study provides a practical and economical process prototype for the industrial concrete water reducer application of novel bio-based xylonate produced from lignocellulosic residues.
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| 21. |
- Inker, Lesley A., et al.
(author)
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New creatinine- and cystatin C-based equations to estimate GFR without race
- 2021
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In: New England Journal of Medicine. - 0028-4793. ; 385:19, s. 1737-1749
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Current equations for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) that use serum creatinine or cystatin C incorporate age, sex, and race to estimate measured GFR. However, race in eGFR equations is a social and not a biologic construct.Methods: We developed new eGFR equations without race using data from two development data sets: 10 studies (8254 participants, 31.5% Black) for serum creatinine and 13 studies (5352 participants, 39.7% Black) for both serum creatinine and cystatin C. In a validation data set of 12 studies (4050 participants, 14.3% Black), we compared the accuracy of new eGFR equations to measured GFR. We projected the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and GFR stages in a sample of U.S. adults, using current and new equations.Results: In the validation data set, the current creatinine equation that uses age, sex, and race overestimated measured GFR in Blacks (median, 3.7 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8 to 5.4) and to a lesser degree in non-Blacks (median, 0.5 ml per minute per 1.73 m2; 95% CI, 0.0 to 0.9). When the adjustment for Black race was omitted from the current eGFR equation, measured GFR in Blacks was underestimated (median, 7.1 ml per minute per 1.73 m2; 95% CI, 5.9 to 8.8). A new equation using age and sex and omitting race underestimated measured GFR in Blacks (median, 3.6 ml per minute per 1.73 m2; 95% CI, 1.8 to 5.5) and overestimated measured GFR in non-Blacks (median, 3.9 ml per minute per 1.73 m2; 95% CI, 3.4 to 4.4). For all equations, 85% or more of the eGFRs for Blacks and non-Blacks were within 30% of measured GFR. New creatinine-cystatin C equations without race were more accurate than new creatinine equations, with smaller differences between race groups. As compared with the current creatinine equation, the new creatinine equations, but not the new creatinine-cystatin C equations, increased population estimates of CKD prevalence among Blacks and yielded similar or lower prevalence among non-Blacks.Conclusions: New eGFR equations that incorporate creatinine and cystatin C but omit race are more accurate and led to smaller differences between Black participants and non-Black participants than new equations without race with either creatinine or cystatin C alone.
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| 22. |
- Ishigaki, Kazuyoshi, et al.
(author)
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Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses identify novel genetic mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis
- 2022
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Nature. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 54:11, s. 1640-1651
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly heritable complex disease with unknown etiology. Multi-ancestry genetic research of RA promises to improve power to detect genetic signals, fine-mapping resolution and performances of polygenic risk scores (PRS). Here, we present a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of RA, which includes 276,020 samples from five ancestral groups. We conducted a multi-ancestry meta-analysis and identified 124 loci (P < 5 × 10−8), of which 34 are novel. Candidate genes at the novel loci suggest essential roles of the immune system (for example, TNIP2 and TNFRSF11A) and joint tissues (for example, WISP1) in RA etiology. Multi-ancestry fine-mapping identified putatively causal variants with biological insights (for example, LEF1). Moreover, PRS based on multi-ancestry GWAS outperformed PRS based on single-ancestry GWAS and had comparable performance between populations of European and East Asian ancestries. Our study provides several insights into the etiology of RA and improves the genetic predictability of RA.
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| 23. |
- Kant Bhatia, Shashi, et al.
(author)
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An overview on microalgal-bacterial granular consortia for resource recovery and wastewater treatment
- 2022
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In: Bioresource Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0960-8524 .- 1873-2976. ; 351
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Excessive generation of wastewater is a matter of concern around the globe. Wastewater treatment utilizing a microalgae-mediated process is considered an eco-friendly and sustainable method of wastewater treatment. However, low biomass productivity, costly harvesting process, and energy extensive cultivation process are the major bottleneck. The use of the microalgal-bacteria granular consortia (MBGC) process is economic and requires less energy. For efficient utilization of MBGC, knowledge of its structure, composition and interaction are important. Various microscopic, molecular and metabolomics techniques play a significant role in understating consortia structure and interaction between partners. Microalgal-bacteria granular consortia structure is affected by various cultivation parameters like pH, temperature, light intensity, salinity, and the presence of other pollutants in wastewater. In this article, a critical evaluation of recent literature was carried out to develop an understanding related to interaction behavior that can help to engineer consortia having efficient nutrient removal capacity with reduced energy consumption.
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| 24. |
- Karoly, Janik, et al.
(author)
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The JCMT BISTRO Survey: Studying the Complex Magnetic Field of L43
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 952:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present observations of polarized dust emission at 850 mu m from the L43 molecular cloud, which sits in the Ophiuchus cloud complex. The data were taken using SCUBA-2/POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as a part of the BISTRO large program. L43 is a dense (N-H2 similar to 10(22) - 10(23) cm(-2)) complex molecular cloud with a submillimeter-bright starless core and two protostellar sources. There appears to be an evolutionary gradient along the isolated filament that L43 is embedded within, with the most evolved source closest to the Sco OB2 association. One of the protostars drives a CO outflow that has created a cavity to the southeast. We see a magnetic field that appears to be aligned with the cavity walls of the outflow, suggesting interaction with the outflow. We also find a magnetic field strength of up to similar to 160 +/- 30 mu G in the main starless core and up to similar to 90 +/- 40 mu G in the more diffuse, extended region. These field strengths give magnetically super- and subcritical values, respectively, and both are found to be roughly trans-Alfvenic. We also present a new method of data reduction for these denser but fainter objects like starless cores.
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| 25. |
- Li, Qifan, et al.
(author)
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A Highly Conductive n-Type Conjugated Polymer Synthesized in Water
- 2024
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In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a benchmark hole-transporting (p-type) polymer that finds applications in diverse electronic devices. Most of its success is due to its facile synthesis in water, exceptional processability from aqueous solutions, and outstanding electrical performance in ambient. Applications in fields like (opto-)electronics, bioelectronics, and energy harvesting/storage devices often necessitate the complementary use of both p-type and n-type (electron-transporting) materials. However, the availability of n-type materials amenable to water-based polymerization and processing remains limited. Herein, we present a novel synthesis method enabling direct polymerization in water, yielding a highly conductive, water-processable n-type conjugated polymer, namely, poly[(2,2 '-(2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-phenylene)diacetic acid)-stat-3,7-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b ']difuran-2,6-dione] (PDADF), with remarkable electrical conductivity as high as 66 S cm(-1), ranking among the highest for n-type polymers processed using green solvents. The new n-type polymer PDADF also exhibits outstanding stability, maintaining 90% of its initial conductivity after 146 days of storage in air. Our synthetic approach, along with the novel polymer it yields, promises significant advancements for the sustainable development of organic electronic materials and devices.
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| 26. |
- Liu, Tiefeng, et al.
(author)
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Ground-state electron transfer in all-polymer donor:acceptor blends enables aqueous processing of water-insoluble conjugated polymers
- 2023
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In: Nature Communications. - : NATURE PORTFOLIO. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Water-based conductive inks are vital for the sustainable manufacturing and widespread adoption of organic electronic devices. Traditional methods to produce waterborne conductive polymers involve modifying their backbone with hydrophilic side chains or using surfactants to form and stabilize aqueous nanoparticle dispersions. However, these chemical approaches are not always feasible and can lead to poor material/device performance. Here, we demonstrate that ground-state electron transfer (GSET) between donor and acceptor polymers allows the processing of water-insoluble polymers from water. This approach enables macromolecular charge-transfer salts with 10,000x higher electrical conductivities than pristine polymers, low work function, and excellent thermal/solvent stability. These waterborne conductive films have technological implications for realizing high-performance organic solar cells, with efficiency and stability superior to conventional metal oxide electron transport layers, and organic electrochemical neurons with biorealistic firing frequency. Our findings demonstrate that GSET offers a promising avenue to develop water-based conductive inks for various applications in organic electronics. Chemical approaches to improve aqueous dispersions of conjugated polymers are limited by the feasibility of modifying the backbone or lead to poor performance. Here, Liu et al. show that ground-state electron transfer in donor:acceptor blends aids aqueous dispersion, for high conductivity and solubility.
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| 27. |
- Ma, Xiaoping, et al.
(author)
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Application of Ti Microalloying in a Thin-Slab-Cast Medium-Carbon Steel
- 2021
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In: Iron & Steel Technology. - : Association for Iron and Steel Technology. - 1547-0423. ; 18:7, s. 178-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Addition of 0.035 wt.% Ti into a steel with 0.23 wt.% C and 1.3 wt.% Mn was designed to produce steels for axle housing application. The production of 11-mm-thick coils was carried out in a Direction Strip Production Complex strip mill. The present studies focus on structureproperties correlation of the steels as-rolled and after normalizing at 750°C. The precipitation, partial dissolution and re-precipitation behavior of TiC along with microstructure refinement in as-rolled steel and after normalizing are analyzed using electron microscopes. The results lay the foundation for application of Ti microalloying in heat-treated medium-carbon steels.
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| 28. |
- Park, Jaeyu, et al.
(author)
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National trends in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis prevalence in South Korea, 1998-2021
- 2023
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In: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PORTFOLIO. - 2045-2322. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Studies on the trends in the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) are limited, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyze the temporal trend of RA and OA in South Korean adults from 1998 to 2021, including the COVID-19 pandemic period. The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data on adults aged >= 19 years were analyzed to investigate the prevalence of RA and OA from 1998 to 2021. The prevalence trends were compared by the years, and beta(diff) (beta difference) was calculated. Odds ratios (ORs) were computed for each disease to examine changes in disease prevalence before and during the pandemic in order to determine the impact of the pandemic on disease prevalence. Among 163,221 Korean adults, the prevalence of RA and OA showed a steady decrease from 2005 (RA: from 1.91% in 2005-2007 to 1.55% in 2016-2019 and OA: from 9.75% in 2005-2007 to 8.27% in 2016-2019), but there was a slight increased after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (RA: from 1.23% in 2020 to 1.36% in 2021 and OA: from 8.04% in 2020 to 8.27% in 2021). Vulnerable groups, including participants aged >= 60 years (versus 19-60 years, ratio of ORs: 1.222; 95% CI 1.011-1.477), urban residents (ratio of ORs: 1.289; 95% CI 1.007-1.650), and participants with higher education level (ratio of ORs: 1.360; 95% CI 1.119-1.653) showed higher ORs of OA, whereas no particularly vulnerable population was observed for RA. Our findings provide an insight into the long-term trends of RA and OA among adult population and highlight a novel perspective on the impact of COVID-19 on disease prevalence.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Wang, Yang, et al.
(author)
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Prognostic value of the extent of lymphadenectomy for esophageal cancer-specific survival among T1 patients
- 2021
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In: BMC Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2407. ; 21:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Clinically, there are no clear guidelines on the extent of lymphadenectomy in patients with T1 esophageal cancer. Studying the minimum number of lymph nodes for resection may increase cancer-specific survival.Methods: Patients who underwent esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy at T1 stage were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (United States, 1998–2014). Maximally selected rank and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine three variables: the number of lymph nodes examined, the number of negative lymph nodes and the lymph node ratio.Results: Approximately 18% had lymph node metastases, where the median values were 10, 10 and 0 for the number of lymph nodes examined, the number of negative lymph nodes and the lymph node ratio, respectively. All three examined variables were statistically associated with cancer-specific survival probability. Dividing patients into two groups shows a clear difference in cancer-specific survival compared to four or five groups for all three variables: there was a 29% decrease in the risk of death with the number of lymph nodes examined ≥14 vs < 14 (hazard ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.57–0.89), a 35% decrease in the risk of death with the number of negative lymph nodes ≥13 vs < 13 (hazard ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.52–0.81), and an increase of 1.21 times in the risk of death (hazard ratio 2.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.76–2.77) for the lymph node ratio > 0.05 vs ≤ 0.05.Conclusions: The extent of lymph node dissection is associated with cancer-specific survival, and the minimum number of lymph nodes that need to be removed is 14. The number of negative lymph nodes and the lymph node ratio also have prognostic value after lymphadenectomy among T1 stage patients.
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| 31. |
- Wu, Hanyan, et al.
(author)
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Stable organic electrochemical neurons based on p-type and n-type ladder polymers
- 2023
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In: Materials Horizons. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2051-6347 .- 2051-6355. ; :10, s. 4213-4223
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are a rapidly advancing technology that plays a crucial role in the development of next-generation bioelectronic devices. Recent advances in p-type/n-type organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) have enabled power-efficient complementary OECT technologies for various applications, such as chemical/biological sensing, large-scale logic gates, and neuromorphic computing. However, ensuring long-term operational stability remains a significant challenge that hinders their widespread adoption. While p-type OMIECs are generally more stable than n-type OMIECs, they still face limitations, especially during prolonged operations. Here, we demonstrate that simple methylation of the pyrrole-benzothiazine-based (PBBT) ladder polymer backbone results in stable and high-performance p-type OECTs. The methylated PBBT (PBBT-Me) exhibits a 25-fold increase in OECT mobility and an impressive 36-fold increase in & mu;C* (mobility x volumetric capacitance) compared to the non-methylated PBBT-H polymer. Combining the newly developed PBBT-Me with the ladder n-type poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL), we developed complementary inverters with a record-high DC gain of 194 V V-1 and excellent stability. These state-of-the-art complementary inverters were used to demonstrate leaky integrate-and-fire type organic electrochemical neurons (LIF-OECNs) capable of biologically relevant firing frequencies of about 2 Hz and of operating continuously for up to 6.5 h. This achievement represents a significant improvement over previous results and holds great potential for developing stable bioelectronic circuits capable of in-sensor computing.
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| 32. |
- Xie, Liang, et al.
(author)
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Low-bandgap nonfullerene acceptor based on thieno[3,2-b]indole core for highly efficient binary and ternary organic solar cells
- 2022
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In: Chemical Engineering Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 1385-8947 .- 1873-3212. ; 427
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A low-bandgap nonfullerene acceptor (NFA) TIT-2FIC based on thieno[3,2-b]indole-thiophenes core has been developed. Compared with the analogue NFAs DTC(4Ph)-4FIC and IT-4F, TIT-2FIC exhibited remarkably red-shifted absorption, and up-shifted HOMO energy level. In addition, TIT-2FIC showed interesting universal miscibility with the donors nonfluorinated PBDB-T and fluorinated PM6, therefore the corresponding organic solar cells achieved promising power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 11.80% and 13.00%, respectively, which are higher compared to the counterpart IT-4F based cells. Furthermore, the ternary PM6:TIT-2FIC:Y6 cell pronounced a high PCE of 17.22%, being significantly improved from that of 16.04% for the binary PM6:Y6 cell. Similar improvement in PCEs from 13.41% to 14.46% was also observed in the ternary PM6:TIT-2FIC:IT-4F cell with TIT-2FIC as the third component. These results indicated that TIT-2FIC is universally applicable as an acceptor with nonfluorinated or fluorinated polymer donor materials in both binary and ternary cells.
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| 33. |
- Xie, Zi Kang, et al.
(author)
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Electron scale coherent structure as micro accelerator in the Earth's magnetosheath
- 2024
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 15:1, s. 886-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Turbulent energy dissipation is a fundamental process in plasma physics that has not been settled. It is generally believed that the turbulent energy is dissipated at electron scales leading to electron energization in magnetized plasmas. Here, we propose a micro accelerator which could transform electrons from isotropic distribution to trapped, and then to stream (Strahl) distribution. From the MMS observations of an electron-scale coherent structure in the dayside magnetosheath, we identify an electron flux enhancement region in this structure collocated with an increase of magnetic field strength, which is also closely associated with a non-zero parallel electric field. We propose a trapping model considering a field-aligned electric potential together with the mirror force. The results are consistent with the observed electron fluxes from ~50 eV to ~200 eV. It further demonstrates that bidirectional electron jets can be formed by the hourglass-like magnetic configuration of the structure.
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| 34. |
- Yang, Xiaorong, et al.
(author)
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Global burden for dengue and the evolving pattern in the past 30 years
- 2021
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In: Journal of Travel Medicine. - : Oxford University Press. - 1195-1982 .- 1708-8305. ; 28:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Dengue is the most prevalent and rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease. We present the global, regional and national burden of dengue from 1990 to 2019 based on the findings from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019).Methods: Based upon GBD 2019 dengue data on age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized death rate (ASDR) and age-standardized disability-Adjusted life years (DALYs) rate, this study estimates and presents annual percentage change (EAPC) to quantify trends over time to assess potential correlates of increased dengue activity, such as global travel and warming.Results: Globally from 1990 to 2019, dengue incident cases, deaths and DALYs gradually increased. Those under 5 years of age, once accounting for the largest portion of deaths and DALYs in 1990, were eclipsed by those who were 15-49 years old in 2019. Age standardized incidence [ASIR: EAPC: 3.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.90-3.43], death (ASDR: EAPC: 5.42, 95% CI: 2.64-8.28) and DALY rates (EAPC: 2.31, 95% CI: 2.00-2.62) accelerated most among high-middle and high sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. South-East Asia and South Asia had most of the dengue incident cases, deaths and DALYs, but East Asia had the fastest rise in ASIR (EAPC: 4.57, 95% CI: 4.31, 4.82), while Tropical Latin America led in ASDR (EAPC: 11.32, 95% CI: 9.11, 13.58) and age-standardized DALYs rate (EAPC: 4.13, 95% CI: 2.98, 5.29). SDI showed consistent bell-shaped relationship with ASIR, ASDR and age-standardized DALYs rate. Global land-ocean temperature index and air passenger travel metrics were found to be remarkably positively correlated with dengue burden.Conclusions: The burden of dengue has become heavier from 1990 to 2019, amidst the three decades of urbanization, warming climates and increased human mobility in much of the world. South-East Asia and South Asia remain as regions of concern, especially in conjunction with the Americas' swift rise in dengue burden.
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