Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy up-regulates PD-L1 in radioresistant colorectal cancer.

Background: Combining radiotherapy (RT) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a promising strategy that can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of ICIs. However, little is known about RT-induced changes in the expression of immune checkpoints, such as PD-L1, and their clinical implications in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate the association between responsiveness to RT and changes in PD-L1 expression in human CRC tissue and cell lines.

Enhancing the Performance and Stability of Li-CO Batteries Through LAGTP Solid Electrolyte and MWCNT/Ru Cathode Integration.

Li-CO batteries (LCBs) have emerged as promising solutions for energy storage, with the added benefit of contributing to carbon neutrality by capturing and utilizing CO during operation. In this study, a high-performance LCB was developed using a Ge-doped LiAlGeTi (PO) (LAGTP) solid electrolyte, which was synthesized via a solution-based method by doping Ge into NASICON-type LATP. The ionic conductivity of the LAGTP pellets was measured as 1.

Synergistic Configuration of Binary Rhodium Single Atoms in Carbon Nanofibers for High-Performance Alkaline Water Electrolyzer.

Electrochemical alkaline water electrolysis offers significant economic advantages; however, these benefits are hindered by the high kinetic energy barrier of the water dissociation step and the sluggish kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. Herein, the ensemble effect of binary types of Rh single atoms (Rh-N and Rh-O) on TiO-embedded carbon nanofiber (Rh-TiO/CNF) is reported, which serves as potent active sites for high-performance HER in anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE). Density functional theory (DFT) analyses support the experimental observations, highlighting the critical role of binary types of Rh single atoms facilitated by the TiO sites.

Analysis of microplastic behaviors in river-type lakes using a quasi-three-dimensional microplastic transport model.

Paldang Lake in South Korea is a river-type lake characterized by weak temperature stratification and a short water residence time. It exhibits complex flow structures resulting from the convergence of two major rivers, the North Han River (NHR) and the South Han River (SHR), and one small river, the Gyeongan Stream. Analyzing the spatio-temporal variations in microplastic (MP) concentration in Paldang Lake is important because of its significance as a water supply source for the metropolitan area.

Association of human papillomavirus 16 and 18 with ovarian cancer risk: Insights from a meta‑analysis.

Ovarian cancer (OC) presents a global health challenge, with well-documented genetic aspects. However, to the best of our knowledge, the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in OC remains unclear. The present meta-analysis assessed the prevalence of HPV in OC across 43 studies and included a comparative meta-analysis of 19 case-control studies to determine the association of HPV with OC risk.

Facile Size Tunable Skin-Adaptive Patch for Accelerating Wound Healing.

Owing to the moist and curved interfaces of skin wounds, enhancing the adhesiveness while maintaining delivery efficacy of biomolecules has drawn significant attention in advanced wound dressings. Despite tremendous trials to load biomolecules with sound adhesiveness, the complicated fabricating processes and abnormal allergic responses that are attributed to chemical moiety-based adhesives remain as major problems. To this end, in this study a one-step fabrication process is developed to manufacture microstructures with both a therapeutic (cylindrical structure for embossed structure human adipose-derived stem cell sheet, ESS) and an adhesive part (octopi-inspired structure of adhesive, OIA), which ESOIA is called.

Single-cell analysis of human PBMCs in healthy and type 2 diabetes populations: dysregulated immune networks in type 2 diabetes unveiled through single-cell profiling.

Abnormalities in glucose metabolism that precede the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D) activate immune cells, leading to elevated inflammatory factors and chronic inflammation. However, no single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies have characterized the properties and networks of individual immune cells in T2D. Here, we analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from non-diabetes and T2D patients by scRNA-seq.

CD150‑dependent activation of EBV‑transformed B cells induces the differentiation of peripheral blood monocytes via the secretion of multiple cytokines.

CD150, also termed signaling lymphocyte activation molecule family member 1, is a cell surface receptor expressed on T cells, B cells, dendritic cells (DCs) and some tumors. Stimulation of CD150 on immune cells induces cell proliferation and cytokine production. However, the function of CD150 in Epstein‑Barr virus (EBV)‑infected B cells is still not fully understood.

Transfer of High-Temperature-Sputtered BiFeO Thin Films onto Flexible Substrates Using α-MoO Layers.

Inducing external strains on highly oriented thin films transferred onto mechanically deformable substrates enables a drastic enhancement of their ferroelectric, magnetic, and electronic performances, which cannot be achieved in films on rigid single crystals. Herein, the growth and diffusion behaviors of BiFeO thin films grown at various temperatures is reported on α-MoO layers of different thicknesses using sputtering. When the BiFeO thin films are deposited at a high temperature, significant diffusion of Fe into α-MoO occurs, producing the FeMoO phase and suppressing the maintenance of the 2D structure of the α-MoO layers.

IgG4-Related Diseases Involving Bilateral Renal Pelvises Successfully Treated with Steroid Therapy.

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related diseases are very rare diseases and are difficult to diagnose and treat. Here, we report a rare condition, an IgG4-related disease involving the bilateral renal pelvises, which was successfully treated with steroid therapy. A 64-year-old female was admitted with left flank pain and hematuria.

Precise Serial Microregistration Enables Quantitative Microscopy Imaging Tracking of Human Skin Cells In Vivo.

We developed an automated microregistration method that enables repeated in vivo skin microscopy imaging of the same tissue microlocation and specific cells over a long period of days and weeks with unprecedented precision. Applying this method in conjunction with an in vivo multimodality multiphoton microscope, the behavior of human skin cells such as cell proliferation, melanin upward migration, blood flow dynamics, and epidermal thickness adaptation can be recorded over time, facilitating quantitative cellular dynamics analysis. We demonstrated the usefulness of this method in a skin biology study by successfully monitoring skin cellular responses for a period of two weeks following an acute exposure to ultraviolet light.

Impact of IL-1β on lung pathology caused by Mycobacterium abscessus infection and its association with IL-17 production.

Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB), a non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), causes chronic pulmonary inflammation in humans. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multi-protein complex that triggers IL-1β maturation and pyroptosis through the cleavage of caspase-1. In this study, we investigated the roles of NLRP3 and IL-1β in the host's defense against MAB.

Role of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Cervical Cancer: Integrating Classical Perspectives with Recent Technological Advances.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a pivotal role in the tumor microenvironment, influencing cancer progression and contributing to poor prognosis. However, in cervical cancer (CC), their significance and involvement are relatively less studied than in other gynecological cancers such as ovarian and endometrial cancer. This review aims to provide an overview of TAMs, covering their origins and phenotypes and their impact on CC progression, along with major TAM-targeted therapeutic approaches.

Additive roles of antiferromagnetically coupled elements in the magnetic proximity effect in the GdFeCo/Pt system.

Interfacial magnetic interactions between different elements are the origin of various spin-transport phenomena in multi-elemental magnetic systems. We investigate the coupling between the magnetic moments of the rare-earth, transition-metal, and heavy-metal elements across the interface in a GdFeCo/Pt thin film, an archetype system to investigate ferrimagnetic spintronics. The Pt magnetic moments induced by the antiferromagnetically aligned FeCo and Gd moments are measured using element-resolved x-ray measurements.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 in South Korea: a comprehensive analysis of cancer and comorbidity risks.

Background And Purpose: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder characterized by myotonia and progressive muscle weakness. Beyond the primary symptoms, there is growing concern regarding a higher incidence of certain comorbidities in DM1 patients, including cancer, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, and cataracts. This study was designed to examine the occurrence of these conditions among patients diagnosed with DM1 in South Korea, using data from the National Health Insurance Service database.

Five million years of Antarctic Circumpolar Current strength variability.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) represents the world's largest ocean-current system and affects global ocean circulation, climate and Antarctic ice-sheet stability. Today, ACC dynamics are controlled by atmospheric forcing, oceanic density gradients and eddy activity. Whereas palaeoceanographic reconstructions exhibit regional heterogeneity in ACC position and strength over Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles, the long-term evolution of the ACC is poorly known.

Imidazoanthraquinone Derivative as a Surface Passivator for Enhanced and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have been investigated for their potential to serve in next-generation perovskite solar cells (PSCs). While PSC technology is approaching commercialization, thermal and moisture stabilities remain a concern. Here, we describe the assembly of PSCs using an imidazoanthraquinone derivative (AQ) as a small organic additive to enhance the device performance and stability.

Rate of benign histology after resection of suspected renal cell carcinoma: multicenter comparison between Korea and the United States.

Background: In the United States, the rate of benign histology among resected renal tumors suspected to be malignant is increasing. We evaluated the rates in the Republic of Korea and assessed the racial effect using recent multi-institutional Korean-United States data.

Methods: We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of 11,529 patients (8,812 from The Republic of Korea and 2,717 from the United States) and compared the rates of benign histology between the two countries.

Surface triggered stabilization of metastable charge-ordered phase in SrTiO.

Charge ordering (CO), characterized by a periodic modulation of electron density and lattice distortion, has been a fundamental topic in condensed matter physics, serving as a potential platform for inducing novel functional properties. The charge-ordered phase is known to occur in a doped system with high d-electron occupancy, rather than low occupancy. Here, we report the realization of the charge-ordered phase in electron-doped (100) SrTiO epitaxial thin films that have the lowest d-electron occupancy i.