Nanoparticle superlattice with a C14 Frank-Kasper structure formed by highly monodisperse one-size gold nanoparticles in suspension.

Synthesizing nanoparticle superlattices (NPSLs) with different symmetries is of great interest due to their impact on the collective emergent properties and potential applications. While several parameters have been identified as determinants for forming different symmetries of NPSLs, the high core dispersity, softness, and ligand interpenetration were proposed to drive the formation of the C14 Frank-Kasper (C14) structure like MgZn-type. Here, we report that the C14 phase can be formed in highly monodisperse one-size spherical nanoparticles (NPs) by controlling the interplay among their softness and ligand grafting density.

Interparticle Ligand Exchange Kinetics Revealed by Time-Resolved SANS.

Interparticle ligand exchange can occur during the formation of nanoparticle superlattices (NPSLs), affecting the symmetry of the NPSLs. Here, we report time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (TR-SANS) measurements of the interparticle exchange kinetics of thiolate ligands among gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at different temperatures. To track the ligand exchange among AuNPs, two groups of AuNPs were functionalized with hydrogenated and deuterated dodecanethiol, respectively, and then mixed in a solvent mixture of toluene and deuterated toluene for shell contrast.

Esterification-Induced Spontaneous Deposition of Nanoparticle Monolayers on Substrates with Percolation Network Morphology.

Nanoparticle monolayers (NPMLs) exhibit unique collective properties that are highly desirable for applications in sensors, catalysts, and optics. However, their practical use is often hindered by structural instability, especially when they are exposed to solvents. In this study, we developed a method for the spontaneous deposition of gold nanoparticle monolayers (AuNPMLs) on silicon substrates via covalent bonding interactions that provides excellent structural stability in solvents with varying polarities.

Nanoparticle Superlattices Driven by Linker-Mediated Covalent Bonding Interaction.

The stability of the nanoparticle superlattice (NPSL) is essential for realizing its broad spectrum of potential applications. Here, we report a linker-mediated covalent bonding interaction method for the synthesis of highly stable NPSLs. Adipic acid is used as a linker molecule which connects two Au NPs functionalized with 6-mercaptohexanol through esterification reactions in the presence of HSO.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Yukwool-tang for major depressive disorder in women: A randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel trial.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) occurs more often in women than that in men due to various complex causes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Yukwool-tang (YWT) for MDD in women.

Methods: A total of 72 patients diagnosed with MDD and Korean version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (K-HDRS) ≥ 14 points were randomly assigned to the YWT or placebo group, and 1 bottle (30 mg) of No-S solution and placebo was administered to the YWT and placebo groups, respectively, orally thrice a day for 8 weeks.

Expanded Orientation of Urban Public Health Policy in the Climate Change Era: Response to and Prevention of Heat Wave in Paris and Seoul: A Brief Review.

The policies of response to and prevention of heat waves in France in 2003 and in South Korea in 2018 were compared and reviewed to see how public health policy orientation was being expanded in connection with urban and social policies. The statistics of the patients with heat illness and resulted death in France in 2003 and South Korea in 2018 were analyzed. The results and limitations of the French and Korean responses to heat waves were compared and discussed.

Clinical Characteristics of Macrolide-Refractory Pneumonia in Korean Children: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

is a major causative pathogen of community-acquired pneumonia in children, and the treatment of choice is macrolides. There is an increasing trend in reports of refractory clinical responses despite macrolide treatment due to the emergence of macrolide-resistant . Early discrimination of macrolide-refractory pneumonia (MrMP) from macrolide-sensitive pneumonia (MSMP) is vital; however, testing for macrolide susceptibility at the time of admission is not feasible.

Comparative finite element analysis of mandibular posterior single zirconia and titanium implants: a 3-dimensional finite element analysis.

Purpose: Zirconia has exceptional biocompatibility and good mechanical properties in clinical situations. However, finite element analysis (FEA) studies on the biomechanical stability of two-piece zirconia implant systems are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of the two-piece zirconia and titanium implants using FEA.

Spontaneous Formation of Highly Stable Nanoparticle Supercrystals Driven by a Covalent Bonding Interaction.

Nanoparticle supercrystals (NPSCs) are of great interest as materials with emergent properties. Different types of intermolecular forces, such as van der Waals interaction and hydrogen bonding, are present in the NPSCs fabricated to date. However, the limited structural stability of such NPSCs that results from the weakness of these intermolecular forces is a challenge.

Preparation of Hot-Melt Extruded Dosage Form for Enhancing Drugs Absorption Based on Computational Simulation.

The aim of this study was to control the dissolution rate and permeability of cilostazol. To enhance the dissolution rate of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology was applied to prepare a solid dispersion (SD). To control permeability in the gastrointestinal tract regardless of food intake, the HME process was optimized based on physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) simulation.

Electromagnetic and optical responses of a composite material comprising individual single-walled carbon-nanotubes with a polymer coating.

The composites and thin films comprising individual single-walled carbon nanotubes with a polymer coating (p-CNTs) have been prepared and their electromagnetic responses have been studied in a wide range from low-frequency (25-10 Hz) up to the infrared region. In spite of the high volume fraction of the nanotubes (up to 3.3%), the polymer coating prevents direct p-CNT contacts and the formation of the percolation network in those composites, so that p-CNTs interact only via the electromagnetic coupling.

Annual and seasonal patterns in etiologies of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia due to respiratory viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae requiring hospitalization in South Korea.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading worldwide causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. Its disease burden varies by age and etiology and is time dependent. We aimed to investigate the annual and seasonal patterns in etiologies of pediatric CAP requiring hospitalization.

Anisotropic interaction driven surface modulation on spray-dried microgranules.

Rapid evaporation of solvent from spray colloidal droplets induces directed self-assembly among the nanoparticles, eventually interlocking them into correlated granular structures. In this work, it is demonstrated that anisotropy in colloidal interparticle interaction plays a key role in governing the surface topology of spray-dried granules. Colloidal dispersion comprised of spherical nanosilica (NS) and cylindrical carbon nanotubes (CNT) was chosen as a model system in this regard.

Multifunctional effects of a modification of SLA titanium implant surface with strontium-containing nanostructures on immunoinflammatory and osteogenic cell function.

This study investigated the effects of surface modification of clinically available sandblasted/acid-etched (SLA) titanium oral implants with strontium (Sr)-containing nanostructures on both early immunoinflammatory macrophage cell functions and osteogenic stem cell functions. The goal was to provide insight for future surface engineering of titanium implants with multifunctional effects, that is, tissue healing capacity at both the nonosteogenic cell centered initial stage and the subsequent osteogenic cell-governed later stage-osseointegration process. The Sr-containing nanostructure was prepared in on the SLA-type implant surface by wet chemical treatment.

Porous Silica-Coated Gold Sponges with High Thermal and Catalytic Stability.

A method to fabricate porous silica-coated Au sponges that show high thermal and catalytic stability has been developed for the first time. The method involves dense surface functionalization of Au sponges (made by self-assembly of Au nanoparticles) with thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) (SH-PEG), which provides binding and condensation sites for silica precursors. The silica coating thickness can be controlled by using SH-PEG of different molecular weights.

Spontaneous hybrids of graphene and carbon nanotube arrays at the liquid-gas interface for Li-ion battery anodes.

We demonstrate that hybrid structures of graphene and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are precisely controlled at the liquid-gas interface. The functionalized SWNT Langmuir monolayers anchor single-layer graphene nanosheets (GNSs) suspended in water via Coulomb interaction at the interface. This GNS/SWNT hybrid multilayer electrode can be a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries, offering high specific capacity, outstanding power capability, and excellent cyclability.

In Vitro-In Vivo Correlation Using In Silico Modeling of Physiological Properties, Metabolites, and Intestinal Metabolism.

Background: Recently, pharmaceutical research has focused on in vitro-in vivo correlation as a novel challenge, and in silico modeling has been an important component. As in silico models are highly representative of practical use, regulatory agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency have recognized and utilized in silico modeling as a useful tool; this allows pharmaceutical organizations to use Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for decision-making, which may aid the financial efficiency of a clinical trial. However, some studies have shown differences of up to approximately 40% in pharmacokinetic parameters such as area under the curve or maximum serum concentration between observed and simulated data.

Green Synthesis of High-Purity Mesoporous Gold Sponges Using Self-Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles Induced by Thiolated Poly(ethylene glycol).

A facile and green synthesis method for mesoporous gold sponges has been developed, which involves a simple mixing of a very small amount of thiolated-poly(ethylene glycol) (SH-PEG) and citrate-covered gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in aqueous solution at room temperature. While SH-PEG molecules have been widely used as biocompatible hydrophilic capping agents for Au NPs for stable dispersion in aqueous solution, here they are used as destabilizing agents. When SH-PEG molecules are mixed with citrate-covered Au NPs at the molar ratio ranging from 3 to 20 (SH-PEG/Au NP), mesoporous gold sponges with randomly interconnected 3D network structures are formed within 2 to 3 h.

Selective distributions of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes in a polymeric reverse hexagonal phase.

We have investigated the distributions of individually isolated and hydrophilically functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (p-SWNTs) in the Pluronic L121-water system at the reverse hexagonal phase using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and contrast-matched small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. As the p-SWNT-L121-water system is transitioned from the lamellar phase to the reverse hexagonal phase with temperature, p-SWNTs which were selectively distributed in the polar layers of the lamellar structure become selectively distributed in the cylindrical polar cores of the reverse hexagonal structure, forming a hexagonal array of p-SWNTs. This was clearly confirmed by the contrast-matched SANS measurements.

Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from cooling towers, public baths, hospitals, and fountains in Seoul, Korea, from 2010 to 2012.

Legionnaire's disease is associated with a high mortality rate. The authors collected 3,495 water samples in Seoul, Korea, between 2010 and 2012 from public facilities (cooling towers, public baths, hospitals, and decorative fountains), which are considered the major habitats of Legionella pneumophila. In all, 527 (15.

Highly ordered and highly aligned two-dimensional binary superlattice of a SWNT/cylindrical-micellar system.

We report a highly ordered intercalated hexagonal binary superlattice of hydrophilically functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (p-SWNTs) and surfactant (C12 E5 ) cylindrical micelles. When p-SWNTs (with a diameter slightly larger than that of the C12 E5 cylinders) were added to the hexagonally packed C12 E5 cylindrical-micellar system, p-SWNTs positioned themselves in such a way that the free-volume entropies for both p-SWNTs and C12 E5 cylinders were maximized, thus resulting in the intercalated hexagonal binary superlattice. In this binary superlattice, a hexagonal array of p-SWNTs is embedded in a honeycomb lattice of C12 E5 cylinders.

No detection of severe Fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus from ixodid ticks collected in seoul.

Larvae, nymphs, and adult stages of 3 species of ixodid ticks were collected by tick drag methods in Seoul during June-October 2013, and their infection status with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was examined using RT-PCR. During the period, 732 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 62 Haemaphysalis flava, and 2 Ixodes nipponensis specimens were collected. Among the specimens of H.

Prevalence of human astrovirus in patients with acute gastroenteritis.

The prevalence of human astroviruses was tested in patients with acute gastroenteritis by using conventional duplex reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and electrophoresis. Diarrheal fecal samples were collected from 9,597 patients at local hospitals in Seoul. The prevalence of astroviruses was 1.