Glycocalyx-Mimicking Nanoparticles with Differential Organ Selectivity for Drug Delivery and Therapy.

Organ-selective drug delivery is expected to maximize the efficacy of various therapeutic modalities while minimizing their systemic toxicity. Lipid nanoparticles and polymersomes can direct the organ-selective delivery of mRNAs or gene editing machineries, but their delivery is limited to mostly liver, spleen, and lung. A platform that enables delivery to these and other target organs is urgently needed. Here, a library of glycocalyx-mimicking nanoparticles (GlyNPs) comprising five randomly combined sugar moieties is generated, and direct in vivo library screening is used to identify GlyNPs with preferential biodistribution in liver, spleen, lung, kidneys, heart, and brain. Each organ-targeting GlyNP hit show cellular tropism within the organ. Liver, kidney, and spleen-targeting GlyNP hits equipped with therapeutics effectively can alleviate the symptoms of acetaminophen-induced liver injury, cisplatin-induced kidney injury, and immune thrombocytopenia in mice, respectively. Furthermore, the differential organ targeting of GlyNP hits is influenced not by the protein corona but by the sugar moieties displayed on their surface. It is envisioned that the GlyNP-based platform may enable the organ- and cell-targeted delivery of therapeutic cargoes.

RSS Model Improvement Considering Road Conditions for the Application of a Variable Focus Function Camera.

The automobile industry has developed dramatically in recent years, the supply of vehicles has also increased, and thus it has become deeply established in everyday life. Recently, as the supply of vehicles with autonomous driving functions increases, the safety of vehicles is also an emerging issue. Various car-following models for the safe driving of vehicles have long been studied by various people, and recently, a Responsibility-Sensitive Safety (RSS) model has been proposed by Mobileye. However, in existing car-following models or the RSS model, the safe distance between vehicles is presented using only vehicle speed and acceleration information, so there is a limitation in that it cannot respond to changes in road conditions due to the weather. In this paper, in order to ensure safety when the RSS model is applied to a variable focus function camera, an improved RSS model is presented in consideration of the changes in road conditions due to changes in weather, and a safety distance is derived based on the proposed model.

Effect of solution pH, precursor ratio, agitation and temperature on Ni-Mo and Ni-Mo-O electrodeposits from ammonium citrate baths.

The induced co-electrodeposition of Ni and Mo is a complex process, where metallic Ni-Mo alloys and Ni-Mo-O composites can originate from the complete and partial reduction of Mo respectively. By adjusting electrolyte compositions and electrodeposition parameters, various metallic, metal/oxide composite, and oxide thin films of Ni-Mo and Ni-Mo-O were electrodeposited from ammonium citrate baths. Ni-ammonia complexes, which play a critical role in promoting the deposition of metallic Ni-Mo alloys, were enhanced at alkaline pH (i.e., 8-10) and lower temperature (i.e., 25-45°C). Moreover, the electrochemical reduction of Ni is under mass transfer limitation, so the deposited Mo content decreased with increasing agitation. On the other hand, higher Mo content can be achieved by relatively higher citrate concentration and larger Mo-to-Ni precursor molar ratio. However, a critical molar ratio of metal precursor resulted in transition from alloy to composite due to Ni inducing the reduction of Mo.

Effects of NH4 +/citrate complexing agent ratio on Ni-Mo and Ni-Mo-O electrodeposits from ammonium citrate baths.

To understand the effect of complexing agents (i.e., ammonium and citrate) in nickel-molybdenum electrodeposition, calculation of the concentration of various Ni and Mo species as a function of pH and initial concentration of metal ions and complexing agents was performed. In addition, linear sweep voltammetry and Hull cell experiments were systematically investigated to understand the effect of current density and ammonium-to-citrate ratio to film compositions, morphology, and crystallinity. The results indicated that Ni(NH3)3 2+ played a critical role in induced co-deposition mechanism of Ni-Mo alloys, which involved the reduced Ni and absorbed H atoms. Microstructure analysis of deposits indicated that the transition from smooth laminarly grown amorphous Ni-Mo-O composites to columnar and nanocrystalline metallic Ni-Mo alloys with a globular structure as the ammonium-to-citrate molar ratio increases. The highest Mo content of alloys was as high as 19 at%, and up to 70 at% O was present in the composites.

Randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two types of sandblasted with large-grit and acid-etched surface implants with different surface roughness.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two types of sandblasted with large-grit and acid-etched (SLA) surface implants with different surface roughness. Patients and. Methods: This study was conducted based on a clinical record review of 55 patients (mean age, 53.00 years). A total of 80 SLA surface implants was placed. Among the 80 implants, 38 implants placed in 29 subjects had surface roughness (Ra) of 3.09 µm (test group, TG), while the other 42 implants placed in 31 subjects had a surface roughness (Ra) of 2.50 µm (control group, CG). A comparison was made of implant primary/ secondary stability; success and survival rates; marginal bone loss; and soft tissue assessment including probing pocket depth (PPD), plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) between the groups at 1 year after implant placement. Results: Among the implants that were initially registered, 1 from the TG and 4 from the CG dropped out, leaving 37 implants in the TG and 38 implants in the CG to be traced and analyzed. Although 1 TG case showed unstable primary stability, all cases showed stable secondary stability. Success and survival rates at 1 year after implant placement were 100% in both groups. Marginal bone loss was 0.07 mm and 0.00 mm for the TG and CG, respectively, but the difference was not significant. Among the several parameters for evaluation of soft tissue, the TG showed lower PI at 1 year after implant placement (TG=0.00, CG=0.29; P=0.0004), while the remaining categories showed no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: This study shows that the two types of SLA implants with different surface roughness have no difference in efficacy or safety. Therefore, both of the implants can be used safely and with promising outcomes.

Long-term evaluation of the prognosis of super hydrophilic surface treated CA implants: a retrospective clinical study.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the long-term clinical efficacy of the CA implants (Osstem Implant, Busan, Korea), calcium-modified surfaced treated implants on acid-etched surfaces sandblasted with alumina. METHODS: From January 2013 to December 2015, 258 implants of 120 patients placed between 2013 and 2015 were retrospectively studied. Using medical records and periapical radiographs, sex, age, location, fixture width and length of placed implants, presence or absence of bone graft, types of bone substitutes and membrane used for bone grafting, primary and secondary stability, initial and delayed complications, and marginal bone loss were investigated. The success rate and survival rate of the implants in each group were analyzed retrospectively based on the criteria suggested by Albrektsson et al. RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2015, with a follow-up longer than 5 years, 258 implants with an average diameter of 4.63 mm (3.5-5.5 mm) and an average length of 9.94 mm (7.0-13.0 mm) were placed in a total of 120 patients (61 males and 59 females) with a mean age of 63.7 years for an average of 62 months of observation period. The survival rate was 97.3%, the success rate was 94.2%, and the average final marginal bone loss was 0.074 mm. CONCLUSION: The CA implants manufactured with the improved surface treatment method exhibited a survival rate of 97.3% and a success rate of 94.2% over an average observation period of 62 months. The implants were not affected by most factors and had very high survival and success rates over a long period of observation. In particular, the stability of the implant was excellent, with no cases of failed implants in delayed placement after bone grafting and a healing period.

On the Development of Autonomous Vehicle Safety Distance by an RSS Model Based on a Variable Focus Function Camera.

Today, a lot of research on autonomous driving technology is being conducted, and various vehicles with autonomous driving functions, such as ACC (adaptive cruise control) are being released. The autonomous vehicle recognizes obstacles ahead by the fusion of data from various sensors, such as lidar and radar sensors, including camera sensors. As the number of vehicles equipped with such autonomous driving functions increases, securing safety and reliability is a big issue. Recently, Mobileye proposed the RSS (responsibility-sensitive safety) model, which is a white box mathematical model, to secure the safety of autonomous vehicles and clarify responsibility in the case of an accident. In this paper, a method of applying the RSS model to a variable focus function camera that can cover the recognition range of a lidar sensor and a radar sensor with a single camera sensor is considered. The variables of the RSS model suitable for the variable focus function camera were defined, the variable values were determined, and the safe distances for each velocity were derived by applying the determined variable values. In addition, as a result of considering the time required to obtain the data, and the time required to change the focal length of the camera, it was confirmed that the response time obtained using the derived safe distance was a valid result.

The long-term evaluation of the prognosis of implants with acid-etched surfaces sandblasted with alumina: a retrospective clinical study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical stability of implants with acid-etched surfaces sandblasted with alumina using retrospective analyses of the survival rate, success rate, primary and secondary stability, complications, and marginal bone loss of the implants. METHODS: Patients who had implants placed (TS III SA, SS II SA, SS III SA, and U III SA) with SA surfaces from Osstem (Osstem Implant Co., Busan, Korea) at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, from January 2008 to December 2010 were selected for the study. Patients' medical records and radiographs (panorama, periapical view) were retrospectively analyzed to investigate sex, age, location of implantation, diameter, and length of the implants, initial and secondary stability, presence of bone grafting, types of bone grafting and membranes, early and delayed complications, marginal bone loss, and implant survival rate. RESULTS: Ninety-six implants were placed in 45 patients. Five implants were removed during the follow-up period for a total survival rate of 94.8%. There were 14 cases of complications, including 6 cases of early complications and 8 cases of delayed complications. All five implants that failed to survive were included in the early complications. The survival of implants was significantly associated with the occurrence of complications and the absorption of bone greater than 1 mm within 1 year after prosthetic completion. In addition, the absorption of bone greater than 1 mm within 1 year after prosthetic completion was significantly associated with the occurrence of complications, primary stability, and implant placement method. Five cases that failed to survive were all included in the early complications criteria such as infection, failure of initial osseointegration, and early exposure of the fixture. CONCLUSIONS: Of the 96 cases, 5 implants failed resulting in a 94.8% survival rate. The failed implants were all cases of early complications such as infection, failure of initial osseointegration, and early exposure of the fixtures. Peri-implantitis was mostly addressed through conservative and/or surgical treatment and resulted in very low prosthetic complications. Therefore, if preventive measures are taken to minimize initial complications, the results can be very stable.

High-Performance Sb/Sb2 O3 Anode Materials Using a Polypyrrole Nanowire Network for Na-Ion Batteries.

Three-dimensional porous Sb/Sb2 O3 anode materials are successfully fabricated using a simple electrodeposition method with a polypyrrole nanowire network. The Sb/Sb2 O3 -PPy electrode exhibits excellent cycle performance and outstanding rate capabilities; the charge capacity is sustained at 512.01 mAh g(-1) over 100 cycles, and 56.7% of the charge capacity at a current density of 66 mA g(-1) is retained at 3300 mA g(-1) . The improved electrochemical performance of the Sb/Sb2 O3 -PPy electrode is attributed not only to the use of a highly porous polypyrrole nanowire network as a substrate but also to the buffer effects of the Sb2 O3 matrix on the volume expansion of Sb. Ex situ scanning electron microscopy observation confirms that the Sb/Sb2 O3 -PPy electrode sustains a strong bond between the nanodeposits and polypyrrole nanowires even after 100 cycles, which maintains good electrical contact of Sb/Sb2 O3 with the current collector without loss of the active materials.

Carbon Nanotube/Magnesium Composite as a Hydrogen Source.

Hydrogen produced using the steam reforming process contains sulfur and carbon monoxide that are harmful to the Pt catalyst in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, CO-free hydrogen can be generated from the hydrolysis of either Al in strongly alkaline water or Mg in neutral water with chlorides such as sea water. The hydrogen generation rate from the hydrolysis of Mg is extremely slow and linearly proportional to the corrosion rate of Mg in chloride water. In this work, we fabricated a carbon nanotube (CNT)--reinforced Mg--matrix composite by Spark Plasma Sintering as a fast hydrogen generation source for a PEMFC. The CNTs distributed in the Mg matrix act as numerous local cathodes, and hence cause severe galvanic corrosion between the Mg-matrix anode and CNT-cathode in NaCl solution. It was found that the hydrogen generation rate from the hydrolysis of the 5 vol.% CNT/Mg composite is 3300 times faster than that of the Mg without CNTs due primarily to the galvanic corrosion effect.

Alopecia Neoplastica due to Gastric Adenocarcinoma Metastasis to the Scalp, Presenting as Alopecia: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Alopecia neoplastica is defined as hair loss secondary to a visceral malignancy that has metastasized to the scalp. The scalp is a relatively common site of cutaneous metastasis, usually presenting as a single or multiple firm scalp nodules. Alopecia neoplastica is a well-recognized but rare presentation, and its pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Atrophy of the hair follicles due to tumor invasion of the scalp plays a role in the development of alopecia. Herein, we describe a 33-year-old woman with gastric adenocarcinoma who developed alopecia neoplastica while receiving cancer chemotherapy. Scalp biopsy revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma cells interspersed between collagen bundles and around hair follicles. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the tumor cells originated from the primary gastric adenocarcinoma. Therefore, she was diagnosed with alopecia neoplastica due to gastric adenocarcinoma. The findings from this report may be helpful for understanding the mechanism of alopecia neoplastica.

Analysis of the temporal change in biophysical parameters after fractional laser treatments using reflectance confocal microscopy.

BACKGROUND: Fractional photothermolysis is a popular treatment option for photorejuvenation. Previous literature studies have demonstrated the clinical effectiveness of fractional photothermolysis on cutaneous photoaging; however, the associated changes in biophysical properties of the skin following fractional photothermolysis have not been fully elucidated. This study was conducted to investigate the temporal changes in biophysical parameters after fractional laser treatment on Asian skin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven female subjects underwent a single treatment with an erbium glass fractional laser. Skin roughness, elasticity, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), dermal thickness were evaluated before and immediately after treatment and 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after treatment. The changes in the dermal papilla were analyzed using a reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). RESULTS: Skin roughness showed the greatest improvement at the first week and net elasticity was most improved at the second week. TEWL and the percentage of melanized and active dermal papillae (DP) were mostly increased for 3 days. At 4 weeks after treatment, the number of total dermal papillae showed a significant increase compared with pretreatment. CONCLUSION: This is the first study of the characterization and quantification of dermal papilla reflecting the dermal repair process after fractional photothermolysis through an RCM.