High Mobility Transistors and Flexible Optical Synapses Enabled by Wafer-Scale Chemical Transformation of Pt-Based 2D Layers.

Electronic devices employing two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layers as semiconducting channels often exhibit limited performance (e.g., low carrier mobility), in part, due to their high contact resistances caused by interfacing non-vdW three-dimensional (3D) metal electrodes. Herein, we report that this intrinsic contact issue can be efficiently mitigated by forming the 2D/2D in-plane junctions of 2D semiconductor channels seamlessly interfaced with 2D metal electrodes. For this, we demonstrated the selectively patterned conversion of semiconducting 2D PtSe2 (channels) to metallic 2D PtTe2 (electrodes) layers by employing a wafer-scale low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. We investigated a variety of field-effect transistors (FETs) employing wafer-scale CVD-2D PtSe2/2D PtTe2 heterolayers and identified that silicon dioxide (SiO2) top-gated FETs exhibited an extremely high hole mobility of ∼120 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room temperature, significantly surpassing performances with previous wafer-scale 2D PtSe2-based FETs. The low-temperature nature of the CVD method further allowed for the direct fabrication of wafer-scale arrays of 2D PtSe2/2D PtTe2 heterolayers on polyamide (PI) substrates, which intrinsically displayed optical pulse-induced artificial synaptic behaviors. This study is believed to vastly broaden the applicability of 2D TMD layers for next-generation, high-performance electronic devices with unconventional functionalities.

A combined extract containing Schisandra chinensis (SCE) reduced hepatic triglyceride accumulation in rats fed a high-sucrose diet.

Excessive hepatic lipid accumulation is closely linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndromes. We hypothesized that a combined extract containing Schisandra chinensis (SCE) could alleviate hepatic lipid accumulation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-sucrose diet (HSD) were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 6): normal diet (ND), HSD (60% kcal from sucrose), and HSD + SCE (HSD with 2.44% SCE). Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry revealed that SCE contains chlorogenic acid (5.514 ± 0.009 mg/g) and schisandrin (0.179 ± 0.002 mg/g) as bioactive components. SCE did not alter the body weight, fat mass, lean mass, or glucose levels. Strikingly, SCE effectively reduced the plasma triglyceride (TG) and hepatic TG levels compared to the HSD group. Adiposity reduction is due to decreased activity of hepatic de novo lipogenic enzymes. These results indicated that SCE has nutraceutical potential for the prevention and treatment of hepatic steatosis. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01464-1.

Development of performance indicators by the Delphi study for foodservice operations in senior welfare centers: application of the balanced scorecard.

With the rapid growth of the elderly population, the number of elderly welfare centers has expanded significantly. However, the current regulations and standards for foodservice management in these centers are inadequate. To address this issue, this study aimed to develop objective and integrated performance indicators based on the Balanced Scorecard for foodservice programs in elderly welfare centers. To evaluate the validity and reliability of the performance indicators, two Delphi studies were conducted in April 2017. The Delphi survey included the evaluation of strategic goals, financial perspective, customer perspective, learning and growth perspective, and the internal process perspective. The degree of consensus among experts was assessed using Kendall's W-test. As a result of the study, the study ultimately identified 33 performance indicators from 12 strategic goals in four perspectives, which could be used as an efficient tool to evaluate, supplement, and improve foodservice in elderly welfare centers. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01468-x.

Efficient biotransformation of naringenin to naringenin α-glucoside, a novel α-glucosidase inhibitor, by amylosucrase from Deinococcus wulumuquiensis.

Amylosucrase (ASase) efficiently biosynthesizes α-glucoside using flavonoids as acceptor molecules and sucrose as a donor molecule. Here, ASase from Deinococcus wulumuqiensis (DwAS) biosynthesized more naringenin α-glucoside (NαG) with sucrose and naringenin as donor and acceptor molecules, respectively, than other ASases from Deinococcus sp. The biotransformation rate of DwAS to NαG was 21.3% compared to 7.1-16.2% for other ASases. Docking simulations showed that the active site of DwAS was more accessible to naringenin than those of others. The 217th valine in DwAS corresponded to the 221st isoleucine in Deinococcus geothermalis AS (DgAS), and the isoleucine possibly prevented naringenin from accessing the active site. The DwAS-V217I mutant had a significantly lower biosynthetic rate of NαG than DwAS. The kcat/Km value of DwAS with naringenin as the donor was significantly higher than that of DgAS and DwAS-V217I. In addition, NαG inhibited human intestinal α-glucosidase more efficiently than naringenin.

The Role of Sargahydroquinoic Acid and Sargachromenol in the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Sargassum yezoense.

The anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanol extract of Sargassum yezoense and its fractions were investigated in this study. The ethanol extract exhibited a strong anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and effectively suppressed the M1 polarization of murine bone-marrow-derived macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharides and IFN-γ (interferon-gamma). Through a liquid-liquid extraction process, five fractions (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and aqueous) were acquired. Among these fractions, the chloroform fraction (SYCF) was found to contain the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, along with two primary meroterpenoids, sargahydroquinoic acid (SHQA) and sargachromenol (SCM), and exhibit significant antioxidant capacity. It also demonstrated a robust anti-inflammatory effect. A direct comparison was conducted to assess the relative contribution of SHQA and SCM to the anti-inflammatory properties of SYCF. The concentrations of SHQA and SCM tested were determined based on their relative abundance in SYCF. SHQA contributed to a significant portion of the anti-inflammatory property of SYCF, while SCM played a limited role. These findings not only highlight the potential of the chloroform-ethanol fractionation approach for concentrating meroterpenoids in S. yezoense but also demonstrate that SHQA and other bioactive compounds work additively or synergistically to produce the potent anti-inflammatory effect of SYCF.

Gα12 and endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated pyroptosis in a single cycle of dextran sulfate-induced mouse colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis involves complex inflammatory events and cell death. Although IBD involves mainly necrosis in the digestive tract, pyroptosis has also been recognized. Nonetheless, the underlying basis is elusive. Gα12/13 overexpression may affect endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This study examined how Gα12/13 and ER stress affect pyroptosis using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis models. Gα12/13 levels were increased in the distal and proximal colons of mice exposed to a single cycle of DSS, as accompanied by increases of IRE1α, ATF6, and p-PERK. Moreover, Il-6, Il-1ß, Ym1, and Arg1 mRNA levels were increased with caspase-1 and IL-1ß activation, supportive of pyroptosis. In the distal colon, RIPK1/3 levels were enhanced to a greater degree, confirming necroptosis. By contrast, the mice subjected to three cycles of DSS treatments showed decreases of Gα12/13, as accompanied by IRE1α and ATF6 suppression, but increases of RIPK1/3 and c-Cas3. AZ2 treatment, which inhibited Gα12, has an anti-pyroptotic effect against a single cycle of colitis. These results show that a single cycle of DSS-induced colitis may cause ER stress-induced pyroptosis as mediated by Gα12 overexpression in addition to necroptosis, but three cycles model induces only necroptosis, and that AZ2 may have an anti-pyroptotic effect.

Development of occupation-based exposure matrix of lead for Korean workers: challenges and opportunities.

OBJECTIVES: Industry- and occupation-based carcinogen exposure matrices play a pivotal role in preventing occupational cancer. While the Korean CARcinogen EXposure (K-CAREX) has been developed in recent years to assess exposure prevalence and intensity by industry, the feasibility of constructing an occupation-based exposure matrix remains unexplored. Hence, the objective of this study is to explore the potential of combining the nationwide work environment measurement database (WEMD) and the special health examination database (SHED) to develop a comprehensive occupation-based exposure matrix. METHODS: The WEMD provides information on airborne lead measurements, including industry codes, but it does not include data related to occupations. In contrast, the SHED contains information on both occupation and blood lead levels. By integrating these 2 databases, we attempted to assess airborne lead exposure levels by occupation. Additionally, we performed a rank correlation analysis to compare the airborne exposure levels with corresponding blood lead levels according to occupation. RESULTS: A total of 35 425 workers who both wore air samplers for lead and underwent special health examinations for lead were extracted between 2019 and 2021. An occupation-based exposure matrix was developed to evaluate the intensity of lead exposure across a range of occupations, encompassing 51 minor occupations and 70-unit occupations. Rank correlation analyses showed strong positive correlations between airborne lead and blood lead measurements according to occupation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study findings suggest that combining 2 nationwide surveillance databases can be an effective approach for creating an occupation-based exposure matrix. However, our results also highlight several limitations that need to be addressed in future studies to improve the accuracy and reliability of such matrices.

Current technologies for heavy metal removal from food and environmental resources.

Exposure to heavy metals in water and food poses a significant threat to human well-being, necessitating the efficient removal of these contaminants. The process of urban development exacerbates heavy metal pollution, thereby increasing risks to both human health and ecosystems. Heavy metals have the capacity to enter the food chain, undergo bioaccumulation and magnify, ultimately resulting in adverse effects on human health. Therefore, implementing effective pollution control measures and adopting sustainable practices are crucial for mitigating exposure and associated health risks. Various innovative approaches, including adsorption, ion exchange, and electrochemical technology, are currently being actively investigated to cope with the issue of heavy metal contamination. These innovative methods offer benefits such as efficient recycling, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. In this review, we summarize recent advances for removing heavy metals from water, soil and food, providing valuable guidance for environmental engineers and researchers seeking to address contamination challenges.

Prostate cancer in workers exposed to night-shift work: two cases recognized by the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee.

Background: In 2019, the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the carcinogenicity of night-shift work and reported that there is limited evidence that night-shift work is carcinogenic for the development of prostate cancer. Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that 2 cases of prostate cancer were occupational diseases related to the night-shift work. Here, we report the 2 cases of prostate cancer in night-shift workers which were first concluded as occupational diseases by the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee. Case presentation: Patient A: A 61-year-old man worked as a city bus driver for approximately 17 years, from 2002 to 2019, and was exposed to night-shift work during this period. In March 2017, the patient was diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer through core-needle biopsy after experiencing stinging pain lasting for 2 months. Patient B: A 56-year-old man worked as an electrician and an automated equipment operator in a cement manufacturing plant for 35 years from 1976 to 2013 and was exposed to night-shift work during this period. In 2013, the patient was diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer through core needle biopsy at a university hospital because of dysuria that lasted for 6 months. Conclusions: The 2 workers were diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer after working night shifts for 17 and 35 years respectively. Additionally, previous studies have reported that high-grade prostate cancer has a stronger relationship with night-shift work than low or medium-grade prostate cancer. Therefore, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that night-shift work in these 2 patients contributed to the development of their prostate cancer.