Role of Keratin-10 in Tumor Progression and Radioresistance of Laryngeal Cancer Cells.

Background/aim: Advanced laryngeal cancer is challenging to treat, and overall survival rates are low. The high rate of disease recurrence contributes significantly to poor outcomes. This study investigated the role of keratin-10 (KRT10), identified through RNA sequencing as a potential target molecule in laryngeal cancer, in the tumor progression and radioresistance of laryngeal cancer cells.

A novel 11β-HSD1 inhibitor ameliorates liver fibrosis by inhibiting the notch signaling pathway and increasing NK cell population.

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) regulates hepatic glucose output and is implicated in liver fibrosis. We aimed to investigate the anti-fibrotic effect of a novel 11β-HSD1 inhibitor in a thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis mouse model. Mice were administered TAA for 19 weeks and treated with 11β-HSD1 inhibitor for the last 9 weeks.

Ultrasensitive Flexible NO Sensors with Remote-Controllable ADC-Electropolymerized Conducting Polymers on Plastic.

Alternating- and direct-current (ADC) bipolar electropolymerization (EP) offers an efficient and scalable approach for the lateral synthesis of conjugated macromolecules, enabling the simultaneous polymerization and deposition of large conducting polymer films with intriguing fractal-like ramified topographies onto arbitrary insulating substrates under remote control. In this study, we presented the remote synthesis of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT):anion sensing films on a plastic substrate, aimed at their use in flexible nitrogen dioxide (NO) gas sensors. Notably, the PEDOT:ClO films exhibited excellent gas-sensing characteristics, with a sensitivity of 54.

MicroRNA-129-3p Suppresses Tumor Progression and Chemoradioresistance in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

(1) Background: MicroRNA-129 (miR-129) participates in tumor progression and chemoresistance in various cancer types. In this study, the role of miR-129-3p, the main mature form of miR-129, in tumor progression and chemoradiotherapy resistance in head and neck cancer was evaluated. (2) Methods: RT-PCR, western blotting, cell proliferation assays, cell apoptosis assays, and cell invasion and migration assays were used.

"Popping the Ion-Basket": Enhancing Thermoelectric Performance of Conjugated Polymers by Blending with Latently Dissociable Perovskite Quantum Dots.

A novel additive method to boost the Seebeck coefficient of doped conjugated polymers without a significant loss in electrical conductivity is demonstrated. Perovskite (CsPbBr) quantum dots (QDs) passivated by ligands with long alkyl chains are mixed with a conjugated polymer in a solution phase to form polymer-QD blend films. Solution sequential doping of the blend film with AuCl solution not only doped the conjugated polymer but also decomposed the QDs, resulting in a doped conjugated polymer film embedded with separated ions dissociated from the QDs.

Spatiotemporal characterization of water diffusion anomalies in saline solutions using machine learning force field.

Understanding water behavior in salt solutions remains a notable challenge in computational chemistry. Conventional force fields have shown limitations in accurately representing water's properties across different salt types (chaotropes and kosmotropes) and concentrations, demonstrating the need for better methods. Machine learning force field applications in computational chemistry, especially through deep potential molecular dynamics (DPMD), offer a promising alternative that closely aligns with the accuracy of first-principles methods.

Advanced Bearing-Fault Diagnosis and Classification Using Mel-Scalograms and FOX-Optimized ANN.

Accurate and reliable bearing-fault diagnosis is important for ensuring the efficiency and safety of industrial machinery. This paper presents a novel method for bearing-fault diagnosis using Mel-transformed scalograms obtained from vibrational signals (VS). The signals are windowed and pass through a Mel filter bank, converting them into a Mel spectrum.

Amplifying mutational profiling of extracellular vesicle mRNA with SCOPE.

Sequencing of messenger RNA (mRNA) found in extracellular vesicles (EVs) in liquid biopsies can provide clinical information such as somatic mutations, resistance profiles and tumor recurrence. Despite this, EV mRNA remains underused due to its low abundance in liquid biopsies, and large sample volumes or specialized techniques for analysis are required. Here we introduce Self-amplified and CRISPR-aided Operation to Profile EVs (SCOPE), a platform for EV mRNA detection.

Linking excess entropy and acentric factor in spherical fluids.

Introduced by Pitzer in 1955, the acentric factor (ω) has been used to evaluate a molecule's deviation from the corresponding state principle. Pitzer devised ω based on a concept called perfect liquid (or centric fluid), a hypothetical species perfectly adhering to this principle. However, its physical significance remains unclear.

Disposable electrochemical sensors based on reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline/poly(alizarin red S)-modified integrated carbon electrodes for the detection of ciprofloxacin in milk.

An electrochemical sensor based on an electroactive nanocomposite was designed for the first time consisting of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO), polyaniline (PANI), and poly(alizarin red S) (PARS) for ciprofloxacin (CIPF) detection. The ERGO/PANI/PARS-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was constructed through a three-step electrochemical protocol and characterized using FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy, FESEM, CV, LSV, and EIS. The new electrochemical CIPF sensor demonstrated a low detection limit of 0.

Overcoming the age-dependent SARS-CoV-2 vaccine response through hybrid immunity: analysis of humoral and cellular immunity with mass cytometry profiling.

Background: Age-dependent immune responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations and breakthrough infections (BIs) in young and middle-aged individuals are unclear.

Methods: This nationwide multicenter prospective cohort study analyzed immune responses in participants of the ChAdOx1 (ChAd)-ChAd-mRNA vaccine group using cytometry by time-of-flight, anti-spike protein antibody (Sab) and anti-nucleocapsid antibody (Nab) titers, plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release assays at various time points.

Results: We evaluated 347 participants with an average age of 38.

The impact of G-CSF on mouse immune cells in alcoholic liver disease, focusing on variations in T cells and their subsets.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) significantly affects immune cell function and leads to immunological dysregulation. This study explored the potential of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mitigate the negative effects of alcohol on immune cells in a mouse model of ALD. To investigate the capacity of G-CSF, ALD was induced using a 17-day alcohol-enriched diet, followed by a single G-CSF dose prior to sampling.

Alleviation of Menopausal Symptoms by Yam (Dioscorea japonica Thunb.) and Gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. Et Zucc.) Extracts in Ovariectomized Mice.

Scope: The decline in estrogen during menopause contributes to a variety of menopausal symptoms, for which hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been extensively applied. Regarding side effects and limited effectiveness of HRT for specific individuals, there is a growing interest in safe alternatives such as phytoestrogens which are structurally analogous to estrogens. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of yam and gromwell extracts, rich in bioactive compounds, and the synergistic effect of extracts on symptoms induced by estrogen deficiency in ovariectomized (OVX) mice.

Phenotypic Landscape of Immune Cells in Sepsis: Insights from High-Dimensional Mass Cytometry.

Understanding the sepsis-induced immunological response can be facilitated by identifying phenotypic changes in immune cells at the single-cell level. Mass cytometry, a novel multiparametric single-cell analysis technique, offers considerable benefits in characterizing sepsis-induced phenotypic changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Here, we analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 sepsis patients and 10 healthy donors using mass cytometry and employing 23 markers.

Radiologic Assessment of Knee Phenotypes Based on the Coronal Plane Alignment of the Knee Classification in a Korean Population.

Background: The Coronal Plane Alignment of the Knee (CPAK) classification system has been developed as a comprehensive system that describes 9 coronal plane phenotypes based on constitutional limb alignment and joint line obliquity (JLO). Due to the characteristics of Asian populations, which show more varus and wider distribution in lower limb alignment than other populations, modification of the boundaries of the arithmetic hip-knee-ankle angle (aHKA) and JLO should be considered. The purpose of this study was to determine the knee phenotype in a Korean population based on the original CPAK and modified CPAK classification systems.

In vitro Fertilization Outcomes of Frozen-thawed Embryo Transfer with Hatched Blastocysts versus with Hatching Blastocysts.

This study aimed to elucidate the effect of hatching status on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles. Frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles performed at a single fertility center between 2016 and 2021 were retrospectively assessed. Analyses were restricted to 6,821 frozen-thawed blastocyst transfers in women aged 24-47 years.

One-Shot Remote Integration of Macromolecular Synaptic Elements on a Chip for Ultrathin Flexible Neural Network System.

The field of biomimetic electronics that mimic synaptic functions has expanded significantly to overcome the limitations of the von Neumann bottleneck. However, the scaling down of the technology has led to an increasingly intricate manufacturing process. To address the issue, this work presents a one-shot integrable electropolymerization (OSIEP) method with remote controllability for the deposition of synaptic elements on a chip by exploiting bipolar electrochemistry.

Kirkwood-Buff Analysis of Binary and Ternary Systems Consisting of Alcohols (Methanol, Ethanol, 1-Propanol, and 2-Propanol), Water, and -Hexane to Understand the Formation of Surfactant-Free Microemulsions.

Surfactant-free microemulsion (SFME) represents a class of fluid mixtures that can form microheterogeneous structures without detergents, offering an environmentally benign alternative to traditional microemulsions. However, the formation mechanism is still elusive. This work applies the Kirkwood-Buff theory to mixtures of alcohols, water, and -hexane to elucidate the SFME formation mechanism.

Controlling Fluorination Density of Soluble Polyimide Gate Dielectrics and its Influence on Organic Crystal Growth and Device Operational Stability.

Fluorinated polyimides (PIs) are among the most promising candidates for gate dielectric materials in organic electronic devices because of their solution processability and outstanding chemical, mechanical, and thermal stabilities. Additionally, fluorine (F) substitution improves the electrical properties of PI thin films, such as enhanced dielectric properties and reduced surface trap densities. However, the relationship between the fluorination density of PIs and crystal growth modes of vacuum-deposited conjugated molecules on PI thin films, which is directly related to the lateral charge transport along the PI-organic semiconductor interface, has not been systematically studied.

Ethanol Extract Ameliorates Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury by Affecting Metabolic Pathways.

is a microalga with a nutritionally favorable polyunsaturated fatty acid profile. In the present study, ethanol extract (MNE) was administered to chronic-binge alcohol-fed mice and alcohol-treated HepG2 cells, and its hepatoprotective effects and underlying mechanisms were investigated. MNE administration reduced triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), and liver injury markers, including aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT), in the serum of chronic-binge alcohol-fed mice.

Association between heat and hospital admissions in people with disabilities in South Korea: a nationwide, case-crossover study.

Background: Despite extensive findings on the hazardous impacts of environmental heat exposure, little is known about the effect on people with disabilities. This study aimed to estimate the association between environmental heat exposure and emergency department admissions for people with disabilities compared with people without disabilities.

Methods: In this nationwide, case-crossover study, we linked data on emergency department admissions (cases) for any cause in the warm season in South Korea from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-National Sample Cohort database (a nationally representative database of 1 million systematically sampled beneficiaries covering all ages) from Jan 1, 2002, to Dec 31, 2019, and short-term daily mean temperature exposure (measured via Google Earth Engine at a 9 km spatial grid, aggregated to district).

Automated machine learning in nanotoxicity assessment: A comparative study of predictive model performance.

Computational modeling has earned significant interest as an alternative to animal testing of toxicity assessment. However, the process of selecting an appropriate algorithm and fine-tuning hyperparameters for the developing of optimized models takes considerable time, expertise, and an intensive search. The recent emergence of automated machine learning (autoML) approaches, available as user-friendly platforms, has proven beneficial for individuals with limited knowledge in ML-based predictive model development.