Controlled Crystal Growth of All-Inorganic CsPbIBr via Sequential Vacuum Deposition for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Vacuum deposition of perovskites is a promising method for scale-up fabrication and uniform film growth. However, improvements in the photovoltaic performance of perovskites are limited by the fabrication of perovskite films, which are not optimized for high device efficiency in the vacuum evaporation process. Herein, we fabricate CsPbIBr perovskite with high crystallinity and larger grain size by controlling the deposition sequence between PbI and CsBr.

Improved photovoltaic performance and stability of perovskite solar cells by adoption of an n-type zwitterionic cathode interlayer.

Recently, inverted perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) have witnessed significant advancements; however, their long-term stability remains a challenge because of the oxidation of silver cathodes to form AgI by mobile iodides. To overcome this problem, we propose the integration of an electron-deficient naphthalene diimide-based zwitterion (NDI-ZI) as the cathode interlayer. Compared to the physical ion-blocking layer, it effectively captures ions by forming ionic bonds electrostatic Coulombic interaction to suppress the migration of iodide and Ag ions.

Data-driven autonomous operation of VOCs removal system.

Removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air has been an important issue in many industrial fields. Traditionally, the operation of VOCs removal systems has relied on fixed operating conditions determined by domain experts based on their expertise and intuition. In practice, this manual operation cannot respond immediately to changes in the system environment.

Improving chemical reaction yield prediction using pre-trained graph neural networks.

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have proven to be effective in the prediction of chemical reaction yields. However, their performance tends to deteriorate when they are trained using an insufficient training dataset in terms of quantity or diversity. A promising solution to alleviate this issue is to pre-train a GNN on a large-scale molecular database.

Retention Time Prediction through Learning from a Small Training Data Set with a Pretrained Graph Neural Network.

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have shown remarkable performance in predicting the retention time (RT) for small molecules. However, the training data set for a particular target chromatographic system tends to exhibit scarcity, which poses a challenge because the experimental process for measuring RT is costly. To address this challenge, transfer learning has been used to leverage an abundant training data set from a related source task.

Scalable graph neural network for NMR chemical shift prediction.

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have been proven effective in the fast and accurate prediction of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts of a molecule. Existing methods, despite their effectiveness, suffer from high space complexity and are therefore limited to relatively small molecules. In this work, we propose a scalable GNN for NMR chemical shift prediction.

JAK2 regulates paclitaxel resistance in triple negative breast cancers.

We investigated the molecular mechanisms of paclitaxel resistance in TNBC using seven patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and TNBC cell lines. Among the seven PDX models, four models showed resistance to paclitaxel. Dysregulation of JAK/STAT pathways and JAK2 copy number gains were observed in the four paclitaxel-resistant PDX tumors.

Impact of Exercise on the Presence of Urinary Ketones Based on Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data, 2014-2015.

Background: Ketone bodies are a well-known metabolite from the utilization of fatty acids in the fasting state. Some studies have demonstrated the metabolic benefits of urinary ketones in a specific population in whom ketone bodies were detected. However, other studies described the influence of associated factors on the presence of urinary ketone bodies.

A Self-Healing Nanofiber-Based Self-Responsive Time-Temperature Indicator for Securing a Cold-Supply Chain.

Perishable foods at undesired temperatures can generate foodborne illnesses that present significant societal costs. To certify refrigeration succession in a food-supply chain, a flexible, easy-to-interpret, damage-tolerant, and sensitive time-temperature indicator (TTI) that uses a self-healing nanofiber mat is devised. This mat is opaque when refrigerated due to nanofiber-induced light scattering, but becomes irreversibly transparent at room temperature through self-healing-induced interfibrillar fusion leading to the appearance of a warning sign.

Soy-Leaf Extract Exerts Atheroprotective Effects via Modulation of Krüppel-Like Factor 2 and Adhesion Molecules.

Soy-leaf extracts exert their cardioprotective effects by inducing endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the arteries, and they favorably modulate the serum lipid profile. In this study, we investigated the atheroprotective effects of an ethanol extract of soy leaf (ESL) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed low-density lipoprotein receptor deficient (LDLR-/-) mice. ESL induced the expression of Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), an endothelial transcription factor, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and suppressed the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) through moderate inflammatory signal activation, not only in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-stimulated HUVECs but also in 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC)-stimulated HUVECs.

ACE Reduces Metabolic Abnormalities in a High-Fat Diet Mouse Model.

The medicinal plants Artemisia iwayomogi (A. iwayomogi) and Curcuma longa (C. longa) radix have been used to treat metabolic abnormalities in traditional Korean medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TKM and TCM).

Ethyl acetate fraction of Amomum xanthioides improves bile duct ligation-induced liver fibrosis of rat model via modulation of pro-fibrogenic cytokines.

We investigated anti-hepatofibrotic effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Ammomum xanthoides (EFAX) using bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced hepatic fibrosis in a rat model. Male SD rats (6 weeks old) underwent BDL followed by 15 days of orall administration of EFAX (12.5, 25 or 50 mg/kg) or ursodeoxycholic acid (25 mg/kg).

Synergistic effects of Artemisia iwayomogi and Curcuma longa radix on high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia in a mouse model.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The medicinal plants Artemisia iwayomogi and Curcuma longa radix are both used to treat hyperlipidemia in traditional Korean and Chinese medicine.

Aim Of The Study: To evaluate the anti-hyperlipidemic effects of the 30% ethanol extracts of A. iwayomogi (AI), C.

Anti-fatigue effect of Myelophil in a chronic forced exercise mouse model.

This study was performed to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of Myelophil. ICR male mice (10 weeks old) were forced to run for 1 hour, 5 days/week for 4 weeks. Each running session was followed by administration of distilled water, Myelophil (50 or 100 mg/kg), or ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg) 1h later.

Comparison of TGF-β, PDGF, and CTGF in hepatic fibrosis models using DMN, CCl4, and TAA.

Three chemotoxins including dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and thioacetamide (TAA) are commonly used in hepatofibrotic models. We aimed to draw characteristics of histopathology and pro-fibrogenic cytokines including TGF-β, PDGF and CTGF among three models. Rats were divided into six groups and intra-peritoneally injected with DMN (10 mg/kg, for three weeks, three consecutive days weekly), CCl4 (1.

Hippocampal memory enhancing activity of pine needle extract against scopolamine-induced amnesia in a mouse model.

We evaluated the neuropharmacological effects of 30% ethanolic pine needle extract (PNE) on memory impairment caused by scopolamine injection in mice hippocampus. Mice were orally pretreated with PNE (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) or tacrine (10 mg/kg) for 7 days, and scopolamine (2 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally, 30 min before the Morris water maze task on first day. To evaluate memory function, the Morris water maze task was performed for 5 days consecutively.

Anti-Obesity Effects of Soy Leaf via Regulation of Adipogenic Transcription Factors and Fat Oxidation in Diet-Induced Obese Mice and 3T3-L1 Adipocytes.

The anti-obesity effects of extracts from soy leaves (SLE) cultivated for 8 weeks (8W) or 16 weeks (16W) were investigated in diet-induced obese mice. The effects of kaempferol, an aglycone of the kaempferol glycosides that are the major component of 8W-SLE, and coumestrol, the major component of 16W-SLE, were also investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), 8W-SLE (HFD+8W-SLE 50 mg kg(-1) day(-1)), 16W-SLE (HFD+16W-SLE 50 mg kg(-1) day(-1)), and Garcinia cambogia extracts (GE) (HFD+GE 50 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) groups.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Terminalia chebula against t-BHP-Induced Acute Liver Injury in C57/BL6 Mice.

We aimed to identify the hepatoprotective effects of Terminalia chebula water extract (TCW) and its corresponding pharmacological actions using C57/BL6 mice model of tert-butylhydroperoxide-(t-BHP-) induced acute liver injury. Mice were orally administered with TCW (0, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg) or gallic acid (100 mg/kg) for 5 days before t-BHP (2.5 mM/kg) injection.

Chunggan extract, a traditional herbal formula, ameliorated alcohol-induced hepatic injury in rat model.

Aim: To evaluate protective effects of Chunggan extract (CGX), a traditional herbal formula, under 4 wk of alcohol consumption-induced liver injury.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley Rats were orally administered 30% ethanol daily for 4 wk with or without CGX. The pharmaceutical properties were assessed through liver enzymes, histopathology, fibrogenic cytokines, and alcohol metabolism in hepatic tissues as well as by in vitro experiment using HSC-T6 cells.

Reliability and validity of Leicester Cough Questionnaire Korean version.

The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is a self-administered questionnaire developed in England and validated for reliability. We developed a Korean translation of this questionnaire by applying a sequential forward and backward translation approach. The purpose of this study is to validate the Korean version of the LCQ (LCQ-K) in Korean patients with chronic cough.

Repeated sense of hunger leads to the development of visceral obesity and metabolic syndrome in a mouse model.

Obesity-related disorders, especially metabolic syndrome, contribute to 2.8 million deaths each year worldwide, with significantly increasing morbidity. Eating at regular times and proper food quantity are crucial for maintaining a healthy status.

Ethanolic extract of Astragali radix and Salviae radix prohibits oxidative brain injury by psycho-emotional stress in whisker removal rat model.

Myelophil, an ethanolic extract of Astragali Radix and Salviae Radix, has been clinically used to treat chronic fatigue and stress related disorders in South Korea. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of Myelophil on a whisker removal-induced psycho-emotional stress model. SD rats were subjected to whisker removal after oral administration of Myelophil or ascorbic acid for consecutive 4 days.

Ethanol extract of Astragali Radix and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Myelophil, exerts anti-amnesic effect in a mouse model of scopolamine-induced memory deficits.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Myelophil, a combination of extracts taken from Astragali Radix and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of chronic fatigue-associated disorders. Here we examined the ability of Myelophil to alleviate memory impairment in a mouse model. We aimed to investigate whether Myelophil has the pharmacological effects on memory deficits associated with brain dysfunctions using an animal model.

Anti-melanoma activity of Cynanchi atrati Radix is mediated by regulation of NF-kappa B activity and pro-apoptotic proteins.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cynanchi atrati Radix has been traditionally prescribed for patients with inflammatory fever or chronic tumoral disorders. Melanoma is one of the most devastating cancer types, in which overexpression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) enables the cancer to survive without apoptosis. To identify a potential anti-melanoma candidate, we evaluated the apoptotic activity of an ethanol extract of Cynanchi atrati Radix (CAE) on melanoma and its underlying mechanisms.

Anti-atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia effects of herbal mixture, Artemisia iwayomogi Kitamura and Curcuma longa Linne, in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Ethnopharmacolgical Relevance: Artemisiaiwayomogi Kitamura and Curcuma longa Linne. (ACE) has been popularly used to treat atherosclerosis as well as hyperlipidemia in the Asian countries.

Objective: Antiatherosclerotic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects of ACE were evaluated at protein and gene expression level by using apoE(-/-) mice.