Harnessing Persistent Photocurrent in a 2D Semiconductor-Polymer Hybrid Structure: Electron Trapping and Fermi Level Modulation for Optoelectronic Memory.

Recently, 2D semiconductor-based optoelectronic memory has been explored to overcome the limitations of conventional von Neumann architectures by integrating optical sensing and data storage into one device. Persistent photocurrent (PPC), essential for optoelectronic memory, originates from charge carrier trapping according to the Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) model in 2D semiconductors. The quasi-Fermi level position influences the activation of charge-trapping sites. However, the correlation between quasi-Fermi level modulations and PPC in 2D semiconductors has not been extensively studied. In this study, we demonstrate optoelectronic memory based on a 2D semiconductor-polymer hybrid structure and confirm that the underlying mechanism is charge trapping, as the SRH model explains. Under light illumination, electrons transfer from polyvinylpyrrolidone to p-type tungsten diselenide, resulting in high-level injection and majority carrier-type transitions. The quasi-Fermi level shifts upward with increasing temperature, improving PPC and enabling optoelectronic memory at 433 K. Our findings offer valuable insights into optimizing 2D semiconductor-based optoelectronic memory.

Comparative efficacy and safety of subcutaneous infliximab and vedolizumab in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis included in randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: While indirect comparison of infliximab (IFX) and vedolizumab (VDZ) in adults with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) shows that IFX has better effectiveness during induction, and comparable efficacy during maintenance treatment, comparative data specific to subcutaneous (SC) IFX (i.e., CT-P13 SC) versus VDZ are limited. AIM: Pooled analysis of randomised studies to compare efficacy and safety with IFX SC and VDZ in moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: Parallel-group, randomised studies evaluating IFX SC and VDZ in patients with moderate-to-severe CD or UC were identified. Eligible studies reported ≥ 1 prespecified outcome of interest at Week 6 (reflecting treatment during the induction phase) and/or at 1 year (Weeks 50-54; reflecting treatment during the maintenance phase). Prespecified efficacy and safety outcomes considered in this pooled analysis included the proportions of patients achieving disease-specific clinical responses, clinical remission, or discontinuing due to lack of efficacy, and the proportions of patients experiencing adverse events (AEs), serious AEs, infections, serious infections, or discontinuing due to AEs. Data from multiple studies or study arms were extracted and pooled using a random-effect model; comparative analyses were performed separately for patients with CD and UC. RESULTS: We identified three eligible CD trials and four eligible UC trials that assigned over 1200 participants per disease cohort to either IFX SC or VDZ. In patients with CD, intravenous induction therapy with IFX demonstrated better efficacy (non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) compared with VDZ; during the maintenance phase, IFX SC showed numerically better efficacy (overlapping 95% CIs) than VDZ. A lower proportion of IFX SC-treated patients discontinued therapy due to lack of efficacy over 1 year. In patients with UC, efficacy profiles were similar with IFX SC and VDZ during the induction and maintenance phases, and a lower proportion of IFX SC-treated patients discontinued therapy due to lack of efficacy over 1 year. In both cohorts, safety profiles for IFX SC and VDZ were generally comparable during 1 year. CONCLUSION: IFX SC demonstrated better efficacy than VDZ in patients with CD, and similar efficacy to VDZ in patients with UC; 1-year safety was comparable with IFX SC and VDZ.

Targeting FLT3-TAZ signaling to suppress drug resistance in blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Although the development of BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) rendered chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) a manageable condition, acquisition of drug resistance during blast phase (BP) progression remains a critical challenge. Here, we reposition FLT3, one of the most frequently mutated drivers of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target of BP-CML. METHODS: We generated FLT3 expressing BCR::ABL1 TKI-resistant CML cells and enrolled phase-specific CML patient cohort to obtain unpaired and paired serial specimens and verify the role of FLT3 signaling in BP-CML patients. We performed multi-omics approaches in animal and patient studies to demonstrate the clinical feasibility of FLT3 as a viable target of BP-CML by establishing the (1) molecular mechanisms of FLT3-driven drug resistance, (2) diagnostic methods of FLT3 protein expression and localization, (3) association between FLT3 signaling and CML prognosis, and (4) therapeutic strategies to tackle FLT3+ CML patients. RESULTS: We reposition the significance of FLT3 in the acquisition of drug resistance in BP-CML, thereby, newly classify a FLT3+ BP-CML subgroup. Mechanistically, FLT3 expression in CML cells activated the FLT3-JAK-STAT3-TAZ-TEAD-CD36 signaling pathway, which conferred resistance to a wide range of BCR::ABL1 TKIs that was independent of recurrent BCR::ABL1 mutations. Notably, FLT3+ BP-CML patients had significantly less favorable prognosis than FLT3- patients. Remarkably, we demonstrate that repurposing FLT3 inhibitors combined with BCR::ABL1 targeted therapies or the single treatment with ponatinib alone can overcome drug resistance and promote BP-CML cell death in patient-derived FLT3+ BCR::ABL1 cells and mouse xenograft models. CONCLUSION: Here, we reposition FLT3 as a critical determinant of CML progression via FLT3-JAK-STAT3-TAZ-TEAD-CD36 signaling pathway that promotes TKI resistance and predicts worse prognosis in BP-CML patients. Our findings open novel therapeutic opportunities that exploit the undescribed link between distinct types of malignancies.

Efficacy of subcutaneous vs intravenous infliximab in rheumatoid arthritis: a post-hoc analysis of a randomized phase III trial.

OBJECTIVES: The primary endpoint of the pivotal phase III study of infliximab (IFX) s.c. demonstrated non-inferiority of s.c. to i.v. IFX, based on 28-joint DAS-CRP (DAS28-CRP) improvement at week (W) 22 (NCT03147248). This post-hoc analysis investigated whether numerical differences in efficacy outcomes at W30/54 were statistically significant, using conservative imputation methods. METHODS: Patients with active RA and inadequate response to MTX received IFX i.v. 3 mg/kg at W0 and W2 (induction) and were randomized (1:1) to IFX s.c. 120 mg every 2 weeks or i.v. 3 mg/kg every 8 weeks thereafter (maintenance). Patients randomized to IFX i.v. switched to IFX s.c. from W30-54. This post-hoc analysis compared efficacy outcomes for s.c. and i.v. groups pre-switch (W30) and post-switch (W54) using last observation carried forward (LOCF) and non-responder imputation (NRI) methods. RESULTS: Of 343 randomized patients, 165 (IFX s.c.) and 174 (IFX i.v.) were analysed. At W30, significantly improved outcomes were identified with s.c. vs i.v. IFX for DAS28-CRP/DAS28-ESR/Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI)/Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) scores (LOCF); ACR/good EULAR responses, DAS28-CRP/Boolean remission, and DAS28-CRP/DAS28-ESR/CDAI/SDAI low disease activity and remission (LOCF and/or NRI); and minimal clinically important difference in HAQ score (LOCF and NRI). After switching to IFX s.c. from IFX i.v., fewer significant between-group differences were identified at W54. CONCLUSION: IFX s.c. showed improved efficacy at W30 compared with IFX i.v., and the reduced between-group difference in efficacy outcomes at W54 after switching supports the results suggesting benefits of IFX s.c. compared with IFX i.v. at W30. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClincialTrials.gov, http://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03147248, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03147248.

Comparative efficacy and safety of infliximab and vedolizumab therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There are limited comparative data for infliximab and vedolizumab in inflammatory bowel disease patients. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of infliximab and vedolizumab in adult patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. RESULTS: We identified six eligible Crohn's disease and seven eligible ulcerative colitis trials that randomised over 1900 participants per disease cohort to infliximab or vedolizumab. In the Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis cohorts, infliximab yielded better efficacy than vedolizumab for all analysed outcomes (CDAI-70, CDAI-100 responses, and clinical remission for Crohn's disease and clinical response and clinical remission for ulcerative colitis) during the induction phase, with non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals. In the maintenance phase, similar proportions of infliximab- or vedolizumab-treated patients achieved clinical response, clinical remission, or mucosal healing in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. For the safety outcomes, rates of adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations due to adverse events were similar in infliximab- and vedolizumab-treated patients in both diseases. The infection rate was higher in infliximab for Crohn's disease and higher in vedolizumab when treating patients with ulcerative colitis. There was no difference between the treatments in the proportions of patients who reported serious infections in both indications. CONCLUSIONS: Indirect comparison of infliximab and vedolizumab trials in adult patients with moderate-to severe Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis demonstrated that infliximab has better efficacy in the induction phase and comparable efficacy during the maintenance phase and overall safety profile compared to vedolizumab.

Effect of folic acid supplementation on proliferation and apoptosis in bovine mammary epithelial (MAC-T) cells.

Folic acid (FA) is known to be an important micronutrient in humans; however, information regarding the effect of FA supplementation on bovine mammary epithelial (BME) cells is insufficient. FA supplementation is reported to increase milk production in dairy cows, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. This study examined the effects of FA supplementation on the proliferation and apoptosis of a BME cell line (MAC-T). MAC-T cells were treated with various concentrations (deficient in FA (DF) < 0.01 ng/mL; low-level FA (LF) 3.1 ng/mL; normal FA (NF) 15.4 ng/mL; and high-level FA (HF) 30.8 ng/mL) based on serum folate (10-20 ng/mL) in milking cows. HF treatment significantly increased the proliferation of MAC-T cells. Cellular apoptosis was observed mainly in the DF group. The number of apoptotic cells in DF media was significantly higher than that in NF media. The bcl-2/bax mRNA expression ratio was significantly increased in the HF group compared to that in the DF group. FA supplementation significantly increased the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax protein levels in MAC-T cells. FA supplementation increases proliferation and decreases apoptosis in these cells. This study might provide information regarding the molecular mechanism through which FA supplementation is associated with increased milk yield.

Tailoring Solution-Processable Li Argyrodites Li6+xP1-xMxS5I (M = Ge, Sn) and Their Microstructural Evolution Revealed by Cryo-TEM for All-Solid-State Batteries.

Owing to their high Li+ conductivities, mechanical sinterability, and solution processability, sulfide Li argyrodites have attracted much attention as enablers in the development of high-performance all-solid-state batteries with practicability. However, solution-processable Li argyrodites have been developed only for a composition of Li6PS5X (X = Cl, Br, I) with insufficiently high Li+ conductivities (∼10-4 S cm-1). Herein, we report the highest Li+ conductivity of 0.54 mS cm-1 at 30 °C (Li6.5P0.5Ge0.5S5I) for solution-processable iodine-based Li argyrodites. A comparative investigation of three iodine-based argyrodites of unsubstituted and Ge- and Sn-substituted solution-processed Li6PS5I with varied heat-treatment temperature elucidates the effect of microstructural evolution on Li+ conductivity. Notably, local nanostructures consisting of argyrodite nanocrystallites in solution-processed Li6.5P0.5Ge0.5S5I have been directly captured by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, which is a first for sulfide solid electrolyte materials. Specifically, the promising electrochemical performances of all-solid-state batteries at 30 °C employing LiCoO2 electrodes tailored by the infiltration of Li6.5P0.5Ge0.5S5I-ethanol solutions are successfully demonstrated.

Prevalence, Antibiotic-Resistance, and Virulence Characteristics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Restaurant Fish Tanks in Seoul, South Korea.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a marine bacterium that causes foodborne diarrhea. Many seafood restaurants keep live fish and shellfish in fish tanks for use in raw seafood dishes; thus, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antibiotic-resistance, and virulence characteristics exhibited by V. parahaemolyticus detected in restaurant fish-tank water samples collected in Seoul, South Korea. Fish-tank water samples were collected from 69 restaurants in Seoul, and screened for the presence of V. parahaemolyticus via both a commercial detection kit, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the toxR gene. Antibiotic susceptibility and virulence determinants of V. parahaemolyticus isolates were evaluated and identified using standard disk-diffusion and RT-PCR methods, respectively. Thirty-five (50.7%) of the 69 analyzed water samples were found to be contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus. Those isolates were most often resistant to ampicillin (51.4% of isolates), followed by amikacin and tetracycline (11.4%), and ceftazidime (8.6%). Thirty (85.7%) out of the 35 isolates carried all four cytotoxicity-inducing type III secretion system 1 (T3SS1) genes [specifically, 34 (97.1%), 33 (94.3%), 35 (100%), and 32 (91.4%) isolates carried genes encoding the VP1670, VP1686, VP1689, and VP1694 T3SS1 proteins, respectively]. The type VI secretion systems (T6SS1 and T6SS2) genes were also detected in 11 (31.4%) and 27 (77.1%) isolates, respectively. However, virulence determinants such as the hemolysin (tdh and trh), urease (ureC), T3SS2α, or T3SS2ß genes that are known to be associated with enterotoxicity were not detected in all isolates. Although some known major virulence genes were not detected in the V. parahaemolyticus isolates, the results of this study indicate that restaurant fish tanks are a potential source of antibiotic-resistant V. parahaemolyticus. The presented data support the need for strict guidelines to regulate the maintenance of restaurant fish tanks to prevent antibiotic-resistant foodborne vibriosis.

Prevalence, toxin-typing, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens from retail meats in Seoul, Korea.

Clostridium perfringens is a ubiquitous, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium. It can contaminate many types of retail meat products and cause food poisoning by producing enterotoxins in the small intestines of humans and domestic animals. We investigated the prevalence, toxin-encoding gene profile, and antimicrobial resistance of C. perfringens in beef, chicken, and pork meat purchased from retail markets in Seoul, Korea. C. perfringens was detected according to the International Organization for Standardization 7937, with some modifications, and confirmed using the Vitek 2 system. In total, 38 C. perfringens strains were isolated from 200 meat samples (38/200, 19%; thirty-three from chicken, and five from beef). Among the six toxins evaluated, including alpha, beta, epsilon, iota, enterotoxin (encoded in the cpe gene), and netB, only the cpa gene was detected in all isolates by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The antimicrobial resistance of the isolates was evaluated using the agar dilution method and resistance to ampicillin (12/38, 31.6%), tetracycline (38/38, 100%), chloramphenicol (26/38, 68.4%), metronidazole (13/38, 34.2%), and imipenem (27/38, 71%) was observed. Interestingly, 30 of the 38 isolates (78.9%) were multiple-drug resistant, showing resistance to more than three different antimicrobial classes.

Effects of wild or mutated inoculants on rye silage and its rumen fermentation indices.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to confirm the effects of new inoculants producing-antifungal or esterase substances on rye silage and its rumen fermentation indices by comparing wild with mutated types. METHODS: Rye harvested at dough stage was ensiled into 3 L mini bucket silo (1 kg) for 90 d in triplicate following: distilled water at 20 µL/g (CON); Lactobacillus brevis 100D8 (AT) and its inactivation of antifungal genes (AT-m) at 1.2×105 cfu/g, respectively; and Leuconostoc holzapfelii 5H4 (FD) and its inactivation of esterase genes (FD-est) at 1.0×105 cfu/g, respectively. After silo opened, silage was sub-sampled for the analysis of ensiling quality and its rumen fermentation indices. RESULTS: Among the wild type inoculants (CON vs AT vs FD), FD inoculant had higher (p<0.05) in vitro digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber, the total degradable fraction, and total volatile fatty acid in rumen, while AT inoculant had higher (p<0.05) lactate, acetate, and lactic acid bacteria in silage. Silage pH and the potentially degradable fraction in rumen increased (p<0.05) by inactivation of antifungal activity (AT vs AT-m), but lactate, acetate, and lactic acid bacteria of silage decreased (p<0.05). In silage, acetate increased (p<0.05) by inactivation of esterase activity (FD vs FD-est) with decreases (p<0.05) of pH, ammonia-N, lactate, and yeast. Moreover, inactivation of esterase activity clearly decreased (p<0.05) in vitro digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber, the total degradable fraction, and total volatile fatty acid in the rumen. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that FD inoculant confirmed esterase activity on rye silage harvested at dough stage, while AT inoculant could not be confirmed with antifungal activity due to the absence of mold in all silages.

Modern perspectives on the health benefits of kefir in next generation sequencing era: Improvement of the host gut microbiota.

Kefir is a natural complex fermented milk product containing more than 50 species of probiotic bacteria and yeast, and has been demonstrated to have multiple properties conferring health benefits, including antiobesity, anti-hepatic steatosis, antioxidative, antiallergenic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering, constipation-alleviating, and antimicrobial properties. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of these benefits, we here review research on the effect of kefir (and kefir microorganisms) consumption to modulate the host gut microbiota. Owing to its excellent gastrointestinal resistance and colonization ability and wide ranges of microbial interaction, kefir has shown significant and wide-spectrum modulatory effects on the host gut microbiota. In particular, as a bacteria- and yeast-containing food, kefir can modulate both the gut microbiota and mycobiota. Since the association of this modulation with health benefit has only been addressed in a small number of recent studies thus far, further studies are needed to determine the precise mechanisms of the beneficial effects of kefir in relation to the modulation of the gut microbiota and mycobiota. Gaining this insight will surely help to take full advantage of this unique probiotic food.

Modulation of the intestinal microbiota of dogs by kefir as a functional dairy product.

Kefir is a traditional dairy product with multiple probiotic characteristics derived from its associated microorganisms, including more than 50 species of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. For centuries, many people have produced kefir for human consumption; its consumption and potential role as a probiotic supplement in companion animals have never been tested. The present study explored the potential application of kefir as a probiotic supplement for dogs. Kefir was orally administered to healthy adult dogs (n = 6) for 2 wk. On d 0 and 14 (before and after kefir consumption, respectively), gut microbiota was analyzed comprehensively using quantitative PCR and 16S rDNA amplicon-based community analysis using fresh fecal samples. The 16S rDNA amplicon-based community analysis showed that the relative abundance of the phylum Fusobacteria was significantly decreased after kefir consumption. Furthermore, the relative abundance of the families Prevotellaceae, Selenomonadaceae, and Sutterellaceae increased significantly, whereas that of the families Clostridiaceae, Fusobacteriaceae, and Ruminococcaceae decreased significantly. The quantitative PCR assay showed that kefir consumption significantly increased the population of lactic acid bacteria and the lactic acid bacteria:Enterobacteriaceae ratio and significantly decreased the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio. In summary, 2-wk kefir administration successfully modified the gut microbiota without causing any clinically evident adverse effects. Therefore, kefir could be further developed as a novel probiotic food supplement for dogs to improve the quality of life of dogs.

Comparison of Direct Syringe Filtration and Membrane Filtration for the Selective Isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from Ready-to-Eat Sprouts.

Culture method using enrichment broth and selective agar is one of the most common isolation methods for detecting Campylobacter jejuni from food. However, the overgrowth of competing bacteria in enrichment culture complicates the selective isolation of C. jejuni. In this study, we compared an enrichment/plating method for the isolation of C. jejuni from sprout samples with an enrichment/plating method with syringe or membrane filtration when transferring enriched broths to plates. Four types of sprout samples were artificially contaminated with various levels of C. jejuni and incubated in 100 mL of Bolton broth for 48 h. Enrichment broths were either directly transferred onto modified charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate agar or filtered through membrane or with a syringe. A significantly higher (p < 0.05) isolation rate of Campylobacter positives was obtained with both filtration methods (58-61%) than with the method without filtration (10%). Membrane filtrations yielded 61%, whereas syringe yielded 58% positives. In most cases of unfiltered samples (98%), high competing flora covered most of the plate, making differentiation and picking of suspicious colonies difficult. However, less plates were contaminated with competing flora in both filtration methods. Only 5% of plates were contaminated in the syringe filtration method, whereas no competing flora was observed in membrane filtration (0%).

Temperature and microbial changes of corn silage during aerobic exposure.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to estimate the temperature and microbial changes of corn silages during aerobic exposure. METHODS: Kwangpyeongok (KW) and Pioneer 1543 (PI) corn hybrids were harvested at 29.7% of dry matter and chopped to 3 to 5 cm lengths. Homo (Lactobacillus plantarum; LP) or hetero (Lactobacillus buchneri; LB) fermentative inoculants at 1.2×105 colony forming unit/g of fresh forage was applied to the chopped corn forage which was then ensiled in quadruplicate with a 2×2 (hybrid×inoculant) treatment arrangement for 100 days. After the silo was opened, silage was sub-sampled for analysis of chemical compositions, in vitro digestibility, and fermentation indices. The fresh silage was continued to determine aerobic exposure qualities by recorded temperature and microbial changes. RESULTS: The KW silages had higher (p<0.01) in vitro digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber than those of PI silages. Silages applied with LB had higher (p<0.001) acetate concentration, but lower (p<0.01) lactate concentration and lactate to acetate ratio than those of LP silages. The interaction effect among hybrid and inoculant was detected in acetate production (p = 0.008), aerobic stability (p = 0.006), and lactic acid bacteria count (p = 0.048). The yeast was lower (p = 0.018) in LB silages than that in LP silages. During the aerobic exposure, PI silages showed higher (p<0.05) temperature and mold than KW silages, while LP silages had higher (p<0.05) lactic acid bacteria and yeast than LB silages. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the changes of silage temperature during aerobic exposure seems mainly affected by mold growth, while applied LB only enhanced aerobic stability of PI silages.

Diagnostic accuracy of low-dose versus ultra-low-dose CT for lumbar disc disease and facet joint osteoarthritis in patients with low back pain with MRI correlation.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the image quality, radiation dose, and diagnostic performance between low-dose (LD) and ultra-low-dose (ULD) lumbar-spine (L-spine) CT with iterative reconstruction (IR) for patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). METHODS: In total, 260 patients with chronic LBP who underwent L-spine CT between November 2015 and September 2016 were prospectively enrolled. Of these, 143 underwent LD-CT with IR and 117 underwent ULD-CT with IR. The patients were divided according to their body mass index (BMI) into BMI1 (<22.9 kg/m2), BMI2 (23.0-24.9 kg/m2), and BMI3 (≥25 kg/m2) groups. Two blinded radiologists independently evaluated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), qualitative image quality, and final diagnoses (lumbar disc disease and facet joint osteoarthritis). L-spine MRIs interpreted by consensus were used as the reference standard. All data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: ULD protocol showed significantly lower SNR for all patients (p < 0.001) except the vertebral bodies and lower qualitative image quality for BMI3 patients (p ≤ 0.033). There was no statistically significant difference between ULD (sensitivity, 95.1-98.1%; specificity, 92.5-98.7%; accuracy, 94.6-98.0%) and LD protocols (sensitivity, 95.6-100%; specificity, 95.5-98.9%; accuracy, 97.4-98.1%), (all p≥0.1) in the BMI1 and BMI2; while dose was 60-68% lower with the ULD protocol. Interobserver agreements were excellent or good with regard to image quality and final diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: For the BM1 and BMI2 groups, ULD-CT provided an acceptable image quality and exhibited a diagnostic accuracy similar to that of LD-CT. These findings suggest that it is a useful diagnostic tool for patients with chronic LBP who exhibit a BMI of <25 kg/m2.

Infiltration of Solution-Processable Solid Electrolytes into Conventional Li-Ion-Battery Electrodes for All-Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries.

Bulk-type all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASLBs) have the potential to be superior to conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in terms of safety and energy density. Sulfide SE materials are key to the development of bulk-type ASLBs because of their high ionic conductivity (max of ∼10-2 S cm-1) and deformability. However, the severe reactivity of sulfide materials toward common polar solvents and the particulate nature of these electrolytes pose serious complications for the wet-slurry process used to fabricate ASLB electrodes, such as the availability of solvent and polymeric binders and the formation of ionic contacts and networks. In this work, we report a new scalable fabrication protocol for ASLB electrodes using conventional composite LIB electrodes and homogeneous SE solutions (Li6PS5Cl (LPSCl) in ethanol or 0.4LiI-0.6Li4SnS4 in methanol). The liquefied LPSCl is infiltrated into the tortuous porous structures of LIB electrodes and solidified, providing intimate ionic contacts and favorable ionic percolation. The LPSCl-infiltrated LiCoO2 and graphite electrodes show high reversible capacities (141 and 364 mA h g-1) at 0.14 mA cm-2 (0.1 C) and 30 °C, which are not only superior to those for conventional dry-mixed and slurry-mixed ASLB electrodes but also comparable to those for liquid electrolyte cells. Good electrochemical performance of ASLBs employing the LPSCl-infiltrated LiCoO2 and graphite electrodes at 100 °C is also presented, highlighting the excellent thermal stability and safety of ASLBs.

Effect of microbial inoculants on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet potato vine silage.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of homo or hetero fermentative inoculants on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet potato vine (SPV) silage containing Italian ryegrass hay as moisture absorbent. METHODS: The SPV was harvested at 15% dry matter, mixed with Italian ryegrass hay at 1:1 ratio on a fresh weight basis, and chopped to 3 to 5 cm length. After then, the chopped forage mixture was ensiled into 20-L mini silos in quadruplicate for 7, 48, and 100 days after application of microbial inoculants at 1.2×105 colony forming units (cfu)/g of forage following: no inoculant (CON), Lactobacillus plantarum as a homo fermentative (LP), Lactobacillus buchneri as a hetero fermentative (LB), and mixture of LP and LB at 1:1 ratio as a combo fermentative (MIX). RESULTS: The LP and MIX silages had lowest pH (p<0.001) on 7 and 48 days, while MIX and CON silages had greatest lactate concentrations (p<0.05) on 7 and 48 days, respectively. Acetate concentrations were highest (p<0.01) in LB and MIX silages on 7 days, and in LB silage on 48 days, while lactate to acetate ratios were lowest (p<0.001) in LB silages. The chemical compositions and nutrient digestibility of silage ensiled for 100 days was not affected by inoculants. On 100 days of ensiling, LB silage had lowest (p<0.01) lactate concentration and lactate to acetate ratio, but highest acetate concentration. Aerobic stability was highest (p<0.001) in LB silage followed in MIX silage. On contrast, LB silage had lowest (p<0.05) lactic acid bacteria and mold. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that application of LB solely had a better effect on aerobic stability than not only LP, but also MIX. However, LP application did not show beneficial effects from the viewpoints of fermentation quality and aerobic stability compared to CON.

Do we need a change in ED diagnostic strategy for adult acute epiglottitis?

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of qualitative and quantitative radiographic parameters for diagnosing adult acute epiglottitis, and identify the prevalence and risk factors of false-negative neck radiography-based diagnosis of acute epiglottitis. METHODS: An emergency physician and a radiologist independently reviewed neck radiographs of 91 patients with laryngoscopy-confirmed acute epiglottitis and 91 control subjects between March 2010 and June 2016 for qualitative and quantitative radiographic parameters of acute epiglottitis, and concluded a diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic performance of radiographic parameters, while independent risk factors of false-negative diagnosis were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Inter-observer agreement was also calculated. RESULTS: All radiographic parameters showed good diagnostic performance with sensitivities and specificities of 33.0-80.2% and 64.8-100%, respectively. Epiglottis width (EW)>6.3mm showed the highest diagnostic performance (area under the ROC curve [AUC]: 0.867, sensitivity: 75.8%, specificity: 97.8%). Interobserver agreement for all radiographic parameters was excellent (range: 0.893-0.991). The lateral neck radiography-based false-negative diagnosis rate was 31.9%, and previous oral antibiotic usage was an independent risk factor of false-negative results. CONCLUSION: EW>6.3mm showed the best diagnostic accuracy, facilitating a neck radiograph-based diagnosis of acute epiglottitis. However, false-negative results on neck radiograph are quite common and previous oral antibiotic usage is a risk factor. Based on the knowledge of the usefulness and risk factors of false-negative results of neck radiography, diagnostic process for acute epiglottitis using neck radiography need to be changed.

Evaluation of Selective-Enrichment and Chromogenic Media for Salmonella Detection in Raw Shell Egg Contents with a Low Microbial Load.

The current study was conducted to evaluate the ability to recover Salmonella from shell egg contents by culture methods. A total of 4,000 eggs were obtained from a grading and packing center located in the Gyeonggi Province of South Korea, and 200 samples were created by pooling 20 broken eggs. The pooled samples were held at room temperature for 4 d before a 25-mL aliquot of each pool was added to 225 mL of modified trypticase soy broth (mTSB) and incubated at 35°C for 24 ± 2 h. A loopful of the culture was streaked onto chromogenic Druggan-Forsythe-Iversen (DFI) agar and incubated at 36 ± 1°C for 18-24 h. In addition, 1 mL and/or 0.1 mL of the mTSB cultures were added to 10 mL of Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate with novobiocin (MKTTn) or Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) broth, and they were incubated for 24 ± 2 h at 35 ± 2°C or 42 ± 0.2°C, respectively. A loopful from these cultures was streaked onto Brilliant Green (BG), xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD), and bismuth sulfite (BS) agar plates, respectively. Directly streaking onto DFI agar revealed the presence of Salmonella in 14 out of the 200 pooled samples (7%); whereas the combination of RV medium and BG, XLD, and BS agar detected the pathogen in only 9 (4.5%), 7 (3.5%), and 3 (1.5%) of the pooled samples, respectively. When MKTTn broth was used, Salmonella was detected in 7 (3.5%), 2 (1%), and 0 (0%) of the samples when streaked onto BG, XLD, and BS agar, respectively. The results indicate that direct plating onto DFI agar without enrichment was the most suitable among the methods evaluated in this study for detecting Salmonella in raw shell egg contents with a low microbial load.

A Single-Step Enrichment Medium for Nonchromogenic Isolation of Healthy and Cold-Injured Salmonella spp. from Fresh Vegetables.

Culture-based detection of nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. in foods requires at least four working days; therefore, new detection methods that shorten the test time are needed. In this study, we developed a novel single-step Salmonella enrichment broth, SSE-1, and compared its detection capability with that of commercial single-step ONE broth-Salmonella (OBS) medium and a conventional two-step enrichment method using buffered peptone water and Rappaport-Vassiliadis soy broth (BPW-RVS). Minimally processed lettuce samples were artificially inoculated with low levels of healthy and cold-injured Salmonella Enteritidis (100 or 101 colony-forming unit/25 g), incubated in OBS, BPW-RVS, and SSE-1 broths, and streaked on xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD) agar. Salmonella recoverability was significantly higher in BPW-RVS (79.2%) and SSE-1 (83.3%) compared to OBS (39.3%) (p < 0.05). Our data suggest that the SSE-1 single-step enrichment broth could completely replace two-step enrichment with reduced enrichment time from 48 to 24 h, performing better than commercial single-step enrichment medium in the conventional nonchromogenic Salmonella detection, thus saving time, labor, and cost.