Small Methods
January 2025
The conventional carbonization process for synthesizing hard carbons (HCs) requires high-temperature furnace operations exceeding 1000 °C, leading to excessive energy consumption and lengthy processing times, which necessitates the exploration of more efficient synthesis methods. This study demonstrates the rapid preparation of HC anodes using intense pulsed light (IPL)-assisted photothermal carbonization without the prolonged and complex operations typical of traditional carbonization methods. A composite film of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is carbonized at high temperatures in less than 1 min.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExposure to particulate matter (PM) in the air harms human health. Most studies on particulate matter's (PM) effects have primarily focused on respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, IL-32θ, one of the IL-32 isoforms, has been demonstrated to modulate cancer development and inflammatory responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlood-brain barrier (BBB) disintegration is a key contributor to neuroinflammation; however, the biological processes governing BBB permeability under physiological conditions remain unclear. Here, we investigate the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in BBB disruption following peripheral inflammatory challenges. Repeated intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide administration causes NLRP3-dependent BBB permeabilization and myeloid cell infiltration into the brain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Early-onset dementia (EOD) and late-onset dementia (LOD) may have distinct modifiable risk-factor profiles.
Objective: To identify and compare factors associated with EOD and LOD using a nationwide cohort database.
Design: Nationwide two nested case-control studies.
Objective: To investigate baseline and change of pulmonary damage biomarkers (serum Krebs von den Lungen 6 [KL-6], human surfactant protein D [hSP-D], and matrix metalloproteinase 7 [MMP-7]) with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) progression.
Methods: In the Korean Rheumatoid Arthritis Interstitial Lung Disease (KORAIL) cohort, a prospective cohort, we enrolled patients with RA and ILD confirmed by chest computed tomography imaging and followed annually. ILD progression was defined as worsening in physiological and radiological domains of the 2022 American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, Japanese Respiratory Society, and Latin American Thoracic Society guideline for progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF).