Publications by authors named "Ken Lee"

The cumulated π system of a nonsymmetric allene contains three distinct unsaturated carbons that imbue it with unique reactivity toward radicals as compared to its alkene and alkyne counterparts. Despite the synthetic potential of these versatile building blocks, electrochemical transformations of allenes have been historically underexplored. Myriad strategies for easy access to allenes, coupled with the resurgence of interest in sustainable oxidative transformations of hydrocarbons, prompted our efforts to conduct an in-depth investigation of a rare example of an electrochemical TEMPO-mediated allene dioxygenation.

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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited disease of the sarcomere resulting in excessive cardiac contractility. The first-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor, mavacamten, improves symptoms in obstructive HCM. Here we present aficamten, a selective small-molecule inhibitor of cardiac myosin that diminishes ATPase activity by strongly slowing phosphate release, stabilizing a weak actin-binding state.

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The hollow fiber filter is the primary cell-retention device used in high-density perfusion cell culture and often used in an alternating tangential flow (ATF) configuration. The limited commercially available diaphragm pumps for ATF prevent utilization of vertical space when scaling beyond 500 L. Stacking hollow fiber filters coupled with viscous cell culture imposes vacuum pressure exceeding facility capabilities.

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Some synthetic dyes are fraudulently added into spices to appeal visually to consumers. Food regulations in several countries, including the United States, Australia, Japan and the European Union, strictly prohibit the use of unauthorised synthetic dyes in food. Nevertheless, illegal practices persist, where spices contaminated with potentially carcinogenic dyes have been documented, posing potential health risks to consumers.

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Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG-S) is a relatively new neuromodulation technique that has shown promising results in the treatment of chronic pain conditions. We present a case of a difficult lead extraction during the explantation of a DRG-S device. The lead was unable to be removed despite multiple attempts until a sheath and stylet were used to facilitate extraction.

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Over the past two decades, the introduction of bioorthogonal reactions has transformed the ways in which chemoselective labeling, isolation, imaging, and drug delivery are carried out in a complex biological milieu. A key feature of a good bioorthogonal probe is the ease with which it can be attached to a target compound through bioconjugation. This paper describes the expansion of the utility of a class of unique S-, N-, and O-containing heterocyclooctynes (SNO-OCTs), which show chemoselective reactivity with type I and type II dipoles and divergent reactivities in response to electronic tuning of the alkyne.

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The biopharmaceutical industry is replacing fed-batch with perfusion processes to take advantage of reduced capital and operational costs due to the operation at high cell densities (HCD) and improved productivities. HCDs are achieved by cell retention and continuous medium exchange, which is often based on the cell-specific perfusion rate (CSPR). To obtain a cost-productive process the perfusion rate must be determined for each process individually.

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The promise of continuous processing to increase yields and improve product quality of biopharmaceuticals while decreasing the manufacturing footprint is transformative. Developing and optimizing perfusion operations requires screening various parameters, which is expensive and time-consuming when using benchtop bioreactors. Scale-down models (SDMs) are the most feasible option for high-throughput data generation and condition screening.

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As the need for higher volumetric productivity in biomanufacturing grows, biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing in a perfusion cell culture process, most commonly one that uses a hollow fiber filter as the cell retention device. A current challenge with using hollow fiber filters is fouling of the membrane, which reduces product sieving and can increase transmembrane pressure (TMP) past process limitations. In this work, the impact of hollow fiber filter geometries on product sieving and hydraulic membrane resistance profiles is evaluated in a tangential flow filtration (TFF) perfusion system.

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In this study, an advanced ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for quantifying ethoxyquin (EQ). The approach employed a distinctive antioxidant added extraction step designed to prevent ethoxyquin decomposition and maintain analytical precision. This method effectively determines residue levels of EQ in eggs, processed egg products, poultry muscle, salmon, and liquid milk.

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Chronic infection and inflammation shapes the airway microbiome in bronchiectasis. Utilizing whole-genome shotgun metagenomics to analyze the airway resistome provides insight into interplay between microbes, resistance genes, and clinical outcomes. To apply whole-genome shotgun metagenomics to the airway microbiome in bronchiectasis to highlight a diverse pool of antimicrobial resistance genes: the "resistome," the clinical significance of which remains unclear.

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The production of green hydrogen through photocatalytic water splitting is crucial for a sustainable hydrogen economy and chemical manufacturing. However, current approaches suffer from slow hydrogen production (<70 μmol ⋅ g  ⋅ h ) due to the sluggish four-electrons oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and limited catalyst activity. Herein, we achieve efficient photocatalytic water splitting by exploiting a multifunctional interface between a nano-photocatalyst and metal-organic framework (MOF) layer.

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Background: The perioperative period is an important "teachable moment" where smoking interventions may be particularly effective. We aim to explore the effectiveness of intensive perioperative smoking cessation programs not just on short term, but long term smoking abstinence as well.

Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published between 1 Jan 2007 and 15 May 2022.

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Despite the reported prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in older adults, it is not yet established whether multivitamin/multimineral (MV/MM) supplements improve blood micronutrient status in individuals over the age of 65. Therefore, a cohort of 35 healthy men (>67 years) was recruited for an MV/MM supplementation trial. The primary endpoint was, as an indicator of micronutrient status, changes in blood micronutrient biomarkers from baseline to at least six months of supplementation with MV/MM or placebo.

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V-set and immunoglobulin domain-containing 4 (VSIG4) is a complement receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily that is specifically expressed on tissue resident macrophages, and its many reported functions and binding partners suggest a complex role in immune function. VSIG4 is reported to have a role in immune surveillance as well as in modulating diverse disease phenotypes such as infections, autoimmune conditions, and cancer. However, the mechanism(s) governing VSIG4's complex, context-dependent role in immune regulation remains elusive.

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The development of practical synthetic protocols integrating novel technologies may enable rapid and broad exploration of chemical space in medicinal chemistry campaigns. Cross-electrophile coupling (XEC) allows the diversification of an aromatic core with alkyl halides to increase the sp character. Herein, we apply two alternative approaches via either photo- or electro-catalyzed XEC and showcase their complementarity to access novel tedizolid analogs.

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Objective: There are many models to predict extracapsular extension (ECE) in patients with prostate cancer. We aimed to externally validate several models in a Japanese cohort.

Methods: We included patients treated with robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

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Purpose: Conditional survival represents the probability of subsequent survival given that patients have already survived a certain length of time. Several models predict biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy. However, none of them include postoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by airflow limitation and infective exacerbations, however, in-vitro model systems for the study of host-pathogen interaction at the individual level are lacking. Here, we describe the establishment of nasopharyngeal and bronchial organoids from healthy individuals and COPD that recapitulate disease at the individual level. In contrast to healthy organoids, goblet cell hyperplasia and reduced ciliary beat frequency were observed in COPD organoids, hallmark features of the disease.

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Objectives: To investigate the impact of extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) on urinary incontinence (UI) at early post-surgery robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Methods: Patients who underwent RARP without cavernous nerve sparing were included between 2014 and 2019. Patient data were obtained prospectively.

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Introduction: Enzalutamide is approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Adverse effects (e.g.

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Although many patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) may achieve a complete response to frontline chemoimmunotherapy, patients with relapsed/refractory disease typically have poor outcomes. Odronextamab, a CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody that provides "signal 1" through the activation of the T cell receptor/CD3 complex, has exhibited early, promising activity for patients with highly refractory DLBCL in phase 1 trials. However, not all patients achieve complete responses, and many relapse, thus representing a high unmet medical need.

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Aminoglycosides (AGs) represent a large group of pseudoglycoside natural products, in which several different sugar moieties are harnessed to an aminocyclitol core. AGs constitute a major class of antibiotics that target the prokaryotic ribosome of many problematic pathogens. Hundreds of AGs have been isolated to date, with 1,3-diaminocyclohexanetriol, known as 2-deoxystreptamine (2-DOS), being the most abundant aglycon core.

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Independent reinforcement learning algorithms have no theoretical guarantees for finding the best policy in multi-agent settings. However, in practice, prior works have reported good performance with independent algorithms in some domains and bad performance in others. Moreover, a comprehensive study of the strengths and weaknesses of independent algorithms is lacking in the literature.

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