Scalable CIGS Solar Cells Employing a New Device Design of Nontoxic Buffer Layer and Microgrid Electrode.

The efficiency of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells that use transparent conductive oxide (TCO) as the top electrode decreases significantly as the device area increases owing to the poor electrical properties of TCO. Therefore, high-efficiency, large-area CIGS solar cells require the development of a novel top electrode with high transmittance and conductivity. In this study, a microgrid/TCO hybrid electrode is designed to minimize the optical and resistive losses that may occur in the top electrode of a CIGS solar cell. In addition, the buffer layer of the CIGS solar cells is changed from the conventional CdS buffer to a dry-processed wide-band gap ZnMgO (ZMO) buffer, resulting in increased device efficiency by minimizing parasitic absorption in the short-wavelength region. By optimizing the combination of ZMO buffer and the microgrid/TCO hybrid electrode, a device efficiency of up to 20.5% (with antireflection layers) is achieved over a small device area of 5 mm × 5 mm (total area). Moreover, CIGS solar cells with an increased device area of up to 20 mm × 70 mm (total area) exhibit an efficiency of up to 19.7% (with antireflection layers) when a microgrid/TCO hybrid electrode is applied. Thus, this study demonstrates the potential for high-efficiency, large-area CIGS solar cells with novel microgrid electrodes.

Correction: Associations between Social Isolation Index and changes in grip strength, gait speed, bone mineral density (BMD), and self-reported incident fractures among older adults: Results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292788.].

Associations between Osteosarcopenia and Falls, Fractures, and Frailty in Older Adults: Results From the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

OBJECTIVE: To explore if older adults with osteosarcopenia are at a greater risk of falls, fractures, frailty, and worsening life satisfaction and activities of daily living (ADL) compared to those with normal bone mineral density (BMD) and without sarcopenia. DESIGN: The baseline and 3-year follow-up of a longitudinal study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older in Canada. METHODS: Caucasian participants 65 years or older that completed the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) 2015 baseline interview, physical measurements and 3-year follow-up were included. Osteopenia/osteoporosis was defined as BMD T score below -1 SD according to the World Health Organization, and sarcopenia was defined as low grip strength and/or low gait speed according to the Sarcopenia Definition Outcomes Consortium. Osteosarcopenia was defined as the coexistence of osteopenia/osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Self-reported incident falls and fractures in the last 12 months before the 3-year follow-up were measured. Frailty was assessed through the Rockwood Frailty Index (FI); life satisfaction through the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS); and ADL through the Older American Resources and Services modules. Multivariable logistic and linear regression, including subgroup analyses by sex, were conducted. RESULTS: The sample of 8888 participants (49.1% females) had a mean age (SD) of 72.7 (5.6) years. At baseline, neither osteopenia/osteoporosis nor sarcopenia (reference group) was present in 30.1%, sarcopenia only in 18.4%, osteopenia/osteoporosis only in 29.2%, and osteosarcopenia in 22.3%. Osteosarcopenia was significantly associated with incident falls and fractures in males [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.90, 95% CI 1.15, 3.14, and aOR 2.60, 95% CI 1.14, 5.91, respectively] compared to males without osteopenia/osteoporosis or sarcopenia. Participants with osteosarcopenia had worsening ADL of 0.110 (estimated ß coefficient 0.110, 95% CI 0.029, 0.192) and a decrease in their SWLS by 0.660 (estimated ß coefficient -0.660, 95% CI -1.133, -0.187), compared to those without. Osteosarcopenia was not associated with frailty for both males and females. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Osteosarcopenia was associated with self-reported incident falls and fractures in males and worse life satisfaction and ADL for all participants. Assessing and identifying osteosarcopenia is essential for preventing falls and fractures. Furthermore, it improves life satisfaction and ADL.

Application of Bifacial Semitransparent CuInSe2 Absorber to the Bottom Cell in Bifacial Semitransparent Perovskite/CuInSe2 Tandem Solar Cell for Albedo Environment.

Although various types of bifacial solar cells exist, few studies have been conducted on bifacial semitransparent CuInSe2 solar cells (BS-CISe SCs) despite the attractive potential in power generation from both sides in an albedo environment. The optimized BS-CISe SCs with 300 and 800 nm-thick absorber via a streamlined single-stage co-evaporation process exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.32% and 10.6%, respectively. When double-sided total 2.0 sun illumination is assumed in an albedo environment, the bifacial power generation densities (BPGD) of them increases to 9.41% and 13.9%. Four-terminal bifacial semitransparent tandem solar cells (4T-BST SCs) are fabricated to increase the BPGD by mechanically stacking a BS-perovskite (PVK) top cell on top of a BS-CISe bottom cell with the 300 and 800 nm-thick absorber layers. When summed up, the best top and bottom cell PCEs of the 4T-BST SC with 300 and 800 nm-thick BS-CISe SC are 18.8% and 21.1%, respectively. However, the practical BPGD values of the 4T-BST SC under total 2 sun illumination are interestingly 23.4% and 24.4%, respectively. This is because the BS-CISe bottom cell's thickness affects how much rear-side illumination is transmitted to the BS-PVK top cell, increasing its current density and BPGD.

State home and community-based services expenditures and unmet care needs in the United States: Has everyone benefitted equally?

OBJECTIVE: To test whether the impacts of Medicaid's Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) expenditures have been equitable. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: This is a secondary data analysis. We linked annual data on state-level Medicaid HCBS expenditures with individual data from U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 2006-2016). STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated the association between state-level HCBS expenditure quartiles and the risk of experiencing challenges in basic or instrumental activities of daily living (I/ADLs) without assistance (unmet needs for care). We fitted generalized estimating equations (GEE) with a Poisson distribution, log link function, and an unstructured covariance matrix. We controlled demographics, time, and place-based fixed effects and estimated models stratified by race and ethnicity, gender, and urbanicity. We tested the robustness of results with negative controls. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Our analytic sample included HRS Medicaid beneficiaries, aged 55+, who had difficulty with ≥1 I/ADL (n = 2607 unique respondents contributing 4719 person-wave observations). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Among adults with IADL difficulty, higher quartiles of HCBS expenditure (vs. the lowest quartile) were associated with a lower overall prevalence of unmet needs for care (e.g., Prevalence Ratio [PR], Q4 vs. Q1: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.98). This protective association was concentrated among non-Hispanic white respondents (Q4 vs. Q1: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73-0.93); estimates were imprecise for Hispanic individuals and largely null for non-Hispanic Black participants. We found no evidence of heterogeneity by gender or urbanicity. Negative control robustness checks indicated that higher quartiles of HCBS expenditure were not associated with (1) the risk of reporting I/ADL difficulty among 55+ Medicaid beneficiaries, and (2) the risk of unmet care needs among non-Medicaid beneficiaries. CONCLUSION: The returns to higher state-level HCBS expenditures under Medicaid for older adults with I/ADL disability do not appear to have been equitable by race and ethnicity.

Associations between Social Isolation Index and changes in grip strength, gait speed, bone mineral density (BMD), and self-reported incident fractures among older adults: Results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

BACKGROUND: The aim is to investigate whether social isolation and loneliness are associated with changes in grip strength, gait speed, BMD, and fractures. METHODS: Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Comprehensive Cohort participants aged 65 years and older at baseline (2012-2015) who completed the three-year follow-up interview (2015-2018) were included in this analysis (n = 11,344). Social isolation and loneliness were measured using the CLSA social isolation index (CLSA-SII, range 0-10). We calculated absolute and percent change in grip strength (kg) and gait speed (m/s) and annualized absolute (g/cm2) and percent change in femoral neck and total hip BMD during the three-year follow-up. Self-reported incident fractures of all skeletal sites in the previous 12 months were measured at three-year follow-up. Multivariable analyses were conducted. Odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) are reported. RESULTS: The mean age (standard deviation [SD]) was 72.9 (5.6) years and 49.9% were female. The mean (SD) of CLSA-SII at baseline was 3.5 (1.4). Mean absolute and percentage change (SD) in grip strength (kg) and gait speed (m/s) were -1.33 (4.60), -3.02% (16.65), and -0.05 (0.17), -3.06% (19.28) during the three-year follow-up, respectively. Mean annualized absolute (g/cm2) and percentage change (SD) in femoral neck and total hip BMD were -0.004 (0.010), -0.47% (1.43) and -0.005 (0.009), -0.57% (1.09), respectively. 345 (3.1%) participants had incident fractures. As CLSA-SII increased (per one unit change), participants had 1.13 (adjusted OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.27) times greater odds for incident fractures. The interaction term between the CLSA-SII and centre for epidemiology studies depression 9 scale (CES-D 9) for self-reported incident fractures was shown (interaction OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04). CONCLUSIONS: Socially isolated and lonely older adults were more likely to have had incident fractures, but social isolation was not associated with the three-year changes in grip strength, gait speed, or BMD.

Requirements for anti-aquaporin 5 autoantibody production in a mouse model.

Several oral bacteria, including Prevotella melaninogenica (Pm), have aquaporin (AQP) proteins homologous to human AQP5, a major water channel protein targeted in Sjogren's syndrome. This study aimed to understand the antigenic characteristics that induce autoantibodies against an AQP5 "E" epitope (AQP5E) in a mouse model using C57BL/6 mice. Immunization with a PmE-L peptide derived from Pm AQP, which contains amino acid mismatches both at the B- and T-cell epitopes, efficiently induced anti-AQP5E autoantibodies accompanied by increased germinal center (GC) B and follicular helper T cells in the draining lymph nodes. However, PmE, a peptide lacking a T-cell epitope, and AQP5E-L, an AQP5-derived self-peptide, hardly induced either anti-AQP5E autoantibodies or GC responses. Surprisingly, OTII-AQP5E, a peptide that replaced the self T-cell epitope of AQP5E-L with an ovalbumin-derived foreign T-cell epitope, was not any better than AQP5E-L in the induction of anti-AQP5E autoantibodies and GC response, despite the substantial expansion of CD4+ T cells and production of anti-OTII-AQP5E antibodies. The complex of biotinylated PmE-L peptide and highly immunogenic streptavidin (SA) induced a strong extrafollicular B-cell response skewed toward the expansion of SA-specific B cells. However, the expansion of AQP5E-specific GC B cells was limited, resulting in the inefficient induction of anti-AQP5E autoantibodies. Collectively, our results have demonstrated that anti-AQP5E autoantibody production is only allowed when foreign B- and T-cell epitopes drive a strong GC response of AQP5E-specific B cells for affinity maturation. This study helps explain why cross-reactive anti-AQP5 autoantibodies are not produced during the immune response to Pm in most healthy people.

Unpacking the Broad Landscape of Intraoperative Stressors for Clinical Personnel: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.

Purpose: The main goals of this mixed-methods systematic review are to identify what types of intraoperative stressors for operating room personnel have been reported in collected studies and examine the characteristics of each intraoperative stressor. Methods: With a systematic literature search, we retrieved empirical studies examining intraoperative stress published between 2010 and 2020. To synthesize findings, we applied two approaches. First, a textual narrative synthesis was employed to summarize key study information of the selected studies by focusing on surgical platforms and study participants. Second, a thematic synthesis was employed to identify and characterize intraoperative stressors and their subtypes. Results: Ninety-four studies were included in the review. Regarding the surgical platforms, the selected studies mainly focused on minimally invasive surgery and few studies examined issues around robotic surgery. Most studies examined intra-operative stress from surgeons' perspectives but rarely considered other clinical personnel such as nurses and anesthetists. Among seven identified stressors, technical factors were the most frequently examined followed by individual, operating room environmental, interpersonal, temporal, patient, and organizational factors. Conclusion: By presenting stressors as multifaceted elements affecting collaboration and interaction between multidisciplinary team members in the operating room, we discuss the potential interactions between stressors which should be further investigated to build a safe and efficient environment for operating room personnel.

Association Among Cognition, Frailty, and Falls and Self-Reported Incident Fractures: Results From the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

Cognition, frailty, and falls have been examined independently as potential correlates of fracture risk, but not simultaneously. Our objective was to explore the association between cognition, frailty, and falls and self-reported incident fractures to determine if these factors show significant independent associations or interactions. We included participants who completed the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) 2012-2015 baseline comprehensive assessment, did not experience any self-reported fractures in the year prior to cohort recruitment, and completed the follow-up questionnaire at year 3 (n = 26,982). We compared all baseline cognitive measures available in the CLSA, the Rockwood Frailty Index (FI), and presence of self-reported falls in the past 12 months in those with versus without self-reported incident fractures in year 3 of follow-up. We used multivariable logistic regression adjusted for covariates and examined two-way interactions between cognition, frailty, and prior falls. CLSA specified analytic weights were applied. The mean ± standard error (SE) age of participants was 59.5 ± 0.1 years and 52.2% were female. A total of 715 participants (2.7%) self-reported incident fractures at 3-year follow-up. Participants who experienced incident fractures had similar baseline cognition scores (mean ± SE; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test [RAVLT]: Immediate recall 6.1 ± 0.1 versus 5.9 ± 0.0; standardized difference [d] 0.124); higher FI scores (mean ± SE; FI 0.134 ± 0.005 versus 0.116 ± 0.001; d 0.193), and a greater percentage had fallen in the past 12 months (weighted n [%] 518 [7.2] versus 919 [3.5]; d 0.165). FI (each increment of 0.08) was associated with a significantly increased risk of self-reported incident fractures in participants of all ages and those aged 65 years or older (adjusted odd ratio [OR] 1.24, 95% confidence limit [CL] 1.10-1.40; adjusted OR 1.44, 95% CL 1.11-1.52, respectively). The adjusted odds for self-reported incident fractures in participants of all ages was also significantly associated with falls in the past 12 months prior to baseline (adjusted OR 1.83; 95% CL 1.13-2.97), but not in those aged 65 years or older. No interactions between cognition, frailty, and prior falls were found. However, considering the relatively young age of our cohort, it may be appropriate to make strong inferences in individuals older than 65 years of age. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Methods and Measures for Mental Stress Assessment in Surgery: A Systematic Review of 20 Years of Literature.

Real-time mental stress monitoring from surgeons and surgical staff in operating rooms may reduce surgical injuries, improve performance and quality of medical care, and accelerate implementation of stress-management strategies. Motivated by the increase in usage of objective and subjective metrics for cognitive monitoring and by the gap in reviews of experimental design setups and data analytics, a systematic review of 71 studies on mental stress and workload measurement in surgical settings, published in 2001-2020, is presented. Almost 61% of selected papers used both objective and subjective measures, followed by 25% that only administered subjective tools - mostly consisting of validated instruments and customized surveys. An overall increase in the total number of publications on intraoperative stress assessment was observed from mid-2010 s along with a momentum in the use of both subjective and real-time objective measures. Cardiac activity, including heart-rate variability metrics, stress hormones, and eye-tracking metrics were the most frequently and electroencephalography (EEG) was the least frequently used objective measures. Around 40% of selected papers collected at least two objective measures, 41% used wearable devices, 23% performed synchronization and annotation, and 76% conducted baseline or multi-point data acquisition. Furthermore, 93% used a variety of statistical techniques, 14% applied regression models, and only one study released a public, anonymized dataset. This review of data modalities, experimental setups, and analysis techniques for intraoperative stress monitoring highlights the initiatives of surgical data science and motivates research on computational techniques for mental and surgical skills assessment and cognition-guided surgery.

Dendropanax trifidus Sap-Mediated Suppression of Obese Mouse Body Weight and the Metabolic Changes Related with Estrogen Receptor Alpha and AMPK-ACC Pathways in Muscle Cells.

Dendropanax trifidus (DT) is a medicinal herb native to East Asia, which has been used extensively for its therapeutic properties in traditional medicine. In this study, we examined the effects of DT sap on the regulation of body weight and muscle metabolism in mice. Obese model db/db mice were administered daily with DT sap or vehicle control over a 6-week period. The effects of DT sap on muscle metabolism were studied in C2C12 muscle cells, where glycolytic and mitochondrial respiration rates were monitored. As AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a master regulator of metabolism and plays an important function as an energy sensor in muscle tissue, signaling pathways related with AMPK were also examined. We found that DT sap inhibited body weight increase in db/db, db/+, and +/+ mice over a 6-week period, while DT sap-treated muscle cells showed increased muscle metabolism and also increased phosphorylation of AMPK and Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (ACC). Finally, we found that DT sap, which is enriched in estrogen in our previous study, significantly activates estrogen alpha receptor in a concentration-dependent manner, which can drive the activation of AMPK signaling and may be related to the muscle metabolism and weight changes observed here.

An update of the prevalence of osteoporosis, fracture risk factors, and medication use among community-dwelling older adults: results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

The prevalence of self-reported and DXA-confirmed osteoporosis was 7.8% (males 2.2%; females 12.7%), and 3.6% (males 1.2%; females 5.9%), respectively. We found that most community-dwelling older adults at high fracture risk are not taking osteoporosis medication, particularly males. There is a major opportunity for improved primary fracture prevention in the community. PURPOSE: To provide an up-to-date prevalence estimate of osteoporosis, fracture risk factors, fracture risk, and the proportion of older Canadians at high fracture risk who are not taking an osteoporosis medication. METHODS: We included Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) participants: a community-dwelling cohort aged 45 to 85 years who completed the baseline (2015) comprehensive interview and had dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans (N = 30,097). We describe the age- and sex-stratified prevalence of (1) self-reported osteoporosis; (2) DXA-confirmed osteoporosis; (3) fracture risk factors and people who are at high risk (FRAX® major osteoporotic fracture probability ≥ 20%); and (4) people who are at high fracture risk not taking osteoporosis medications. Sampling weights, as defined by the CLSA, were applied. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 70.0 (SD 10.3). Overall, 7.8% had self-reported osteoporosis (males 2.2%; females 12.7%) while 3.6% had DXA-confirmed osteoporosis (males 1.2%; females 5.9%), and 2.8% were at high fracture risk (males 0.3%; females 5.1%). Of people who had osteoporosis and were at high risk, 77.3% were not taking an osteoporosis medication (males 92.3%; females 76.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an up-to-date prevalence estimate of osteoporosis for community-dwelling older Canadians. We found that most community-dwelling older adults at high fracture risk are not taking an osteoporosis medication, particularly males. There is a major opportunity for improved primary fracture prevention in the community.

The effects of Korean Red Ginseng-derived components on oligodendrocyte lineage cells: Distinct facilitatory roles of the non-saponin and saponin fractions, and Rb1, in proliferation, differentiation and myelination.

BACKGROUND: Abnormalities of myelin, which increases the efficiency of action potential conduction, are found in neurological disorders. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) demonstrates therapeutic efficacy against some of these conditions, however effects on oligodendrocyte (OL)s are not well known. Here, we examined the effects of KRG-derived components on development and protection of OL-lineage cells. METHODS: Primary OL precursor cell (OPC) cultures were prepared from neonatal mouse cortex. The protective efficacies of the KRG components were examined against inhibitors of mitochondrial respiratory chain activity. For in vivo function of Rb1 on myelination, after 10 days of oral gavage into adult male mice, forebrains were collected. OPC proliferation were assessed by BrdU incorporation, and differentiation and myelination were examined by qPCR, western blot and immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: The non-saponin promoted OPC proliferation, while the saponin promoted differentiation. Both processes were mediated by AKT and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. KRG extract, the saponin and non-saponin protected OPCs against oxidative stress, and both KRG extract and the saponin significantly increased the expression of the antioxidant enzyme. Among 11 major ginsenosides tested, Rb1 significantly increased OL membrane size in vitro. Moreover, Rb1 significantly increased myelin formation in adult mouse brain. CONCLUSION: All KRG components prevented OPC deaths under oxidative stress. While non-saponin promoted proliferation, saponin fraction increased differentiation and OL membrane size. Furthermore, among all the tested ginsenosides, Rb1 showed the biggest increase in the membrane size and significantly enhanced myelination in vivo. These results imply therapeutic potentials of KRG and Rb1 for myelin-related disorders.

In Vivo Hypoglycemic Effects, Potential Mechanisms and LC-MS/MS Analysis of Dendropanax Trifidus Sap Extract.

Extracts of medicinal plants have been widely used to benefit human health. Dendropanax morbiferus (DM) has been well-studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, while Dendropanax trifidus (DT) is a lesser-known ecotype phylogenetically similar to DM, which has received significantly less attention. Studies thus far have primarily focused on leaf and bark extracts of DM, and not much is yet known about the properties of either DM or DT sap. Therefore, here we performed in vivo toxicity and efficacy studies, in order to assess the biological effects of DT sap. To establish a safe dosage range, single dose or two-week daily administrations of various concentrations were performed for ICR mice. Measurements of survival ratio, body/organ weight, blood chemistry, histochemistry and Western blots were performed. A concentration of ≤0.5 mg/g DT sap was found to be safe for long-term administration. Interestingly, DT sap significantly reduced blood glucose in female mice. In addition, increasing concentrations of DT sap decreased phosphorylated (p) insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1(ser1101)/IRS-1 in liver tissues, while increasing pAMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/AMPK in both the liver and spleen. To analyze its components, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry of DT sap was performed in comparison with Acer saccharum (AS) sap. Components such as estradiol, trenbolone, farnesol, dienogest, 2-hydroxyestradiol and linoleic acid were found to be highly enriched in DT sap compared to AS sap. Our results indicate DT sap exhibits hypoglycemic effects, which may be due to the abundance of the bioactive components.

Induction of Anti-Aquaporin 5 Autoantibody Production by Immunization with a Peptide Derived from the Aquaporin of Prevotella melaninogenica Leads to Reduced Salivary Flow in Mice.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes. The glandular dysfunction in SS involves not only T cell-mediated destruction of the glands but also autoantibodies against the type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor or aquaporin 5 (AQP5) that interfere with the secretion process. Studies on the breakage of tolerance and induction of autoantibodies to these autoantigens could benefit SS patients. To break tolerance, we utilized a PmE-L peptide derived from the AQP5-homologous aquaporin of Prevotella melaninogenica (PmAqp) that contained both a B cell "E" epitope and a T cell epitope. Repeated subcutaneous immunization of C57BL/6 mice with the PmE-L peptide efficiently induced the production of Abs against the "E" epitope of mouse/human AQP5 (AQP5E), and we aimed to characterize the antigen specificity, the sequences of AQP5E-specific B cell receptors, and salivary gland phenotypes of these mice. Sera containing anti-AQP5E IgG not only stained mouse Aqp5 expressed in the submandibular glands but also detected PmApq and PmE-L by immunoblotting, suggesting molecular mimicry. Characterization of the AQP5E-specific autoantibodies selected from the screening of phage display Ab libraries and mapping of the B cell receptor repertoires revealed that the AQP5E-specific B cells acquired the ability to bind to the Ag through cumulative somatic hypermutation. Importantly, animals with anti-AQP5E Abs had decreased salivary flow rates without immune cell infiltration into the salivary glands. This model will be useful for investigating the role of anti-AQP5 autoantibodies in glandular dysfunction in SS and testing new therapeutics targeting autoantibody production.

Gene signatures associated with barrier dysfunction and infection in oral lichen planus identified by analysis of transcriptomic data.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is one of the most prevalent oral mucosal diseases, but there is no cure for OLP yet. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the role of barrier dysfunction and infection in OLP pathogenesis through analysis of transcriptome datasets available in public databases. Two transcriptome datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and analyzed as whole and as partial sets after removing outliers. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) upregulated in the dataset of OLP versus healthy epithelium were significantly enriched in epidermal development, keratinocyte differentiation, keratinization, responses to bacterial infection, and innate immune response. In contrast, the upregulated DEGs in the dataset of the mucosa predominantly reflected chemotaxis of immune cells and inflammatory/immune responses. Forty-three DEGs overlapping in the two datasets were identified after removing outliers from each dataset. The overlapping DEGs included genes associated with hyperkeratosis (upregulated LCE3E and TMEM45A), wound healing (upregulated KRT17, IL36G, TNC, and TGFBI), barrier defects (downregulated FRAS1 and BCL11A), and response to infection (upregulated IL36G, ADAP2, DFNA5, RFTN1, LITAF, and TMEM173). Immunohistochemical examination of IL-36γ, a protein encoded by one of the DEGs IL36G, in control (n = 7) and OLP (n = 25) tissues confirmed the increased expression of IL-36γ in OLP. Collectively, we identified gene signatures associated with hyperkeratosis, wound healing, barrier defects, and response to infection in OLP. IL-36γ, a cytokine involved in both wound repair and antimicrobial defense, may be a possible therapeutic target in OLP.

Observation of Vacuum-Induced Collective Quantum Beats.

We demonstrate collectively enhanced vacuum-induced quantum beat dynamics from a three-level V-type atomic system. Exciting a dilute atomic gas of magneto-optically trapped ^{85}Rb atoms with a weak drive resonant on one of the transitions, we observe the forward-scattered field after a sudden shut-off of the laser. The subsequent radiative dynamics, measured for various optical depths of the atomic cloud, exhibits superradiant decay rates, as well as collectively enhanced quantum beats. Our work is also the first experimental illustration of quantum beats arising from atoms initially prepared in a single excited level as a result of the vacuum-induced coupling between excited levels.

Management of social isolation and loneliness in community-dwelling older adults: protocol for a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Social isolation and loneliness in older adults are significant public health issues. Various interventions such as exercise programmes or social activities are used in the management of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Network meta-analysis (NMA) provides effect estimates for all comparisons by considering the relative efficacy of multiple intervention alternatives. Therefore, this study will determine the comparative efficacy of intervention to alleviate social isolation and loneliness of older adults in community dwelling by comparing direct and indirect interventions through systematic review and NMA. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will include all relevant randomised controlled trials for interventions of social isolation and loneliness in older adults written in English without any limitation of publication date through electronic databases: MEDLINE via OVID, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PsycINFO and CINAHL. Independent teams of reviewers will screen trial eligibility, collect data, identify duplication and assess risk of bias, by using the Cochrane revised risk of bias tool. The interventions for the management of social isolation and loneliness will be included. The primary outcome is social isolation. The secondary outcomes are loneliness and health-related quality of life. We will conduct an NMA through a Bayesian hierarchical model, by testing assumption (ie, transitivity) for NMA. We will also estimate the ranking probabilities for all interventions at each possible rank for each intervention. For estimation of each intervention efficacy, we will assess the certainty and credibility using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval will not be obtained for this systematic review as it will be conducted with published papers. The review results will be presented at a field-specific conference and published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020155789.

Genomic characterization of four Escherichia coli strains isolated from oral lichen planus biopsies.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic T cell-mediated inflammatory disease that affects the mucus membrane of the oral cavity. We previously proposed a potential role of intracellular bacteria detected within OLP lesions in the pathogenesis of OLP and isolated four Escherichia coli strains from OLP tissues that were phylogenetically close to K-12 MG1655 strain. We sequenced the genomes of the four OLP-isolated E. coli strains and generated 6.71 Gbp of Illumina MiSeq data (166-195x coverage per strain). The size of the assembled draft genomes was 4.69 Mbp, with a GC content of 50.7%, in which 4360 to 4367 protein-coding sequences per strain were annotated. We also identified 368 virulence factors and 53 antibiotic resistance genes. Comparative genomics revealed that the OLP-isolated strains shared more pangenome orthologous groups with pathogenic strains than did the K-12 MG1655 strain, a derivative of K-12 strain isolated from human feces. Although the OLP-isolated strains did not have the major virulence factors (VFs) of the pathogenic strains, a number of VFs involved in adherence/invasion, colonization, or systemic infection were identified. The genomic characteristics of E. coli first isolated from the oral cavity would benefit future investigations on the pathogenic potential of these bacteria.