Clinicogenomic characteristics and synthetic lethal implications of germline homologous recombination-deficient hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: We performed an in-depth examination of pathogenic germline variants (PGVs) and somatic variants in DNA damage response (DDR) genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to explore their clinical and genomic impacts. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We used a merged whole-exome or RNA sequencing data set derived from in-house ( n = 230) and The Cancer Genome Atlas ( n = 362) databases of multiethnic HCC samples. We also evaluated synthetic lethal approaches targeting mutations in homologous recombination (HR) genes using HCC cells selected from five genomic databases of cancer cell lines. A total of 110 PGVs in DDR pathways in 96 patients were selected. Of the PGV carriers, 44 were HR-altered and found to be independently associated with poorer disease-free survival after hepatectomy. The most frequently altered HR gene in both germline and somatic tissues was POLQ , and this variant was detected in 22.7% (10/44) and 23.8% (5/21) of all the corresponding carriers, respectively. PGVs in HR were significantly associated with upregulation of proliferation and replication-related genes and familial risk of HCC. Samples harboring PGVs in HR with loss of heterozygosity were most strongly correlated with the genomic footprints of deficient HR, such as mutation burden and denovoSig2 (analogous to Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer [COSMIC] 3), and poor outcome. Pharmacologic experiments with HCC cells defective in BRCA2 or POLQ suggested that tumors with this phenotype are synthetic lethal with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that germline HR defects in HCC tend to confer a poor prognosis and result in distinctive genomic scarring. Tests of the clinical benefits of HR-directed treatments in the affected patients are needed.

A Grading System-Guided Approach to the Severely Contracted Nose.

PURPOSE: Capsular contracture is a rare but serious complication of silicone implant-based augmentation rhinoplasty. When severe, the contracture can affect all layers of the nose, causing significant scarring and disfigurement. There is currently no standardized method of evaluating contracted noses and a paucity of literature on the treatment of severe contracture. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a comprehensive grading system and treatment approach for patients with nasal contracture secondary to silicone implant-based rhinoplasty. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis on patients who presented with nasal contracture from 2012 to 2021. All preoperative photographs were evaluated by two plastic surgeons, twice at 1-month intervals. The proposed grading system comprised: normal (grade I), mild contracture with detectable implant (grade II), moderate contracture with skin thinning (grade III), severe contracture with short nose deformity (grade IV), and destructive contracture with scarring of the dorsal skin (grade Va), or columella deficiency (grade Vb). Inter- and intraobserver agreement was assessed using the kappa value to determine the reliability of the system. RESULTS: Based on 87 patients, interobserver agreement was substantial for both evaluation time points (k = 0.701 and 0.723). Intraobserver agreement was excellent for evaluator 1 (k = 0.822) and substantial for evaluator 2 (k = 0.699). CONCLUSIONS: Using this grading system, we propose a graduated treatment algorithm for contracted noses. Most notable is our use of radial forearm free or forehead flaps to reconstruct the columella in grade Vb patients. By combining reconstructive and aesthetic principles, this treatment approach provides an effective and elegant solution for the management of the severely contracted nose. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Comprehensive characterization of viral integrations and genomic aberrations in HBV-infected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the epidemiological association between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) and HBV infection, little is known about the relevant oncogenic effects. We sought to identify the landscape and mechanism of HBV integration, along with the genomic architecture of HBV-infected iCCA (HBV-iCCA) tumors. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We profiled a cohort of 108 HBV-iCCAs using whole-genome sequencing, deep sequencing, and RNA sequencing, together with preconstructed data sets of HBV-infected HCC (HBV-HCC; n = 167) and combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (HBV-cHCC/CCA; n = 59), and conventional (n = 154) and fluke-related iCCAs (n = 16). Platforms based on primary iCCA cell lines to evaluate the functional effects of chimeric transcripts were also used. We found that HBV had inserted at multiple sites in the iCCA genomes in 45 (41.7%) of the tumors. Recurrent viral integration breakpoints were found at nine different sites. The most common insertional hotspot (7 tumors) was in the TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) promoter, where insertions and mutations (11 tumors) were mutually exclusive, and were accompanied by promoter hyperactivity. Recurrent HBV integration events (5 tumors) were also detected in FAT2 (FAT atypical cadherin 2), and were associated with enrichment of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes. A distinctive intergenic insertion (chr9p21.3), between DMRTA1 (DMRT like family A1) and LINC01239 (long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1239), had oncogenic effects through activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/4EBP/S6K pathway. Regarding the mutational profiles of primary liver cancers, the overall landscape of HBV-iCCA was closer to that of nonviral conventional iCCA, than to HBV-HCC and HBV-cHCC/CCA. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide insight into the behavior of iCCAs driven by various pathogenic mechanisms involving HBV integration events and associated genomic aberrations. This knowledge should be of use in managing HBV carriers.

Comprehensive characteristics of somatic mutations in the normal tissues of patients with cancer and existence of somatic mutant clones linked to cancer development.

BACKGROUND: Somatic mutations are a major driver of cancer development and many have now been identified in various cancer types, but the comprehensive somatic mutation status of the normal tissues matched to tumours has not been revealed. METHOD: We analysed the somatic mutations of whole exome sequencing data in 392 patient tumour and normal tissue pairs based on the corresponding blood samples across 10 tumour types. RESULTS: Many of the mutations involved in oncogenic pathways such as PI3K, NOTCH and TP53, were identified in the normal tissues. The ageing-related mutational signature was the most prominent contributing signature found and the mutations in the normal tissues were frequently in genes involved in late replication time (p<0.0001). Variants were rarely overlapping across tissue types but shared variants between normal and matched tumour tissue were present. These shared variants were frequently pathogenic when compared with non-shared variants (p=0.001) and showed a higher variant-allele-fraction (p<0.0001). Normal tissue-specific mutated genes were frequently non-cancer-associated (p=0.009). PIK3CA mutations were identified in 6 normal tissues and were harboured by all of the matched cancer tissues. Multiple types of PIK3CA mutations were found in normal breast and matched cancer tissues. The PIK3CA mutations exclusively present in normal tissue may indicate clonal expansions unrelated to the tumour. In addition, PIK3CA mutation was appeared that they arose before the occurrence of the allelic imbalance. CONCLUSION: Our current results suggest that somatic mutant clones exist in normal tissues and that their clonal expansion could be linked to cancer development.

Reconstruction of Mandibular Contour Defect Using Patient-Specific Titanium Implant Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting Method.

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical accuracy and postoperative stability of patient-specific titanium implants (PSTIs) manufactured by the selective laser melting method and applied for mandibular contour reconstruction. For 2 patients who showed asymmetry of the mandibular angle after mandibuloplasty, including angle reduction, reconstructive surgeries of the mandibular contour defects were performed using PSTI. Patient-specific titanium implant was three-dimensional designed using a mirror image similar to the shape of the contralateral side, and 3 screw holes were formed, avoiding the inferior alveolar nerve. Patient-specific titanium implant was applied intraorally, and screw fixation was performed via a transbuccal approach. Surgical accuracy and postoperative stability were evaluated by comparing preoperative three-dimensional design with immediate postoperative computed tomography (CT), and immediate postoperative CT with postoperative 6-month CT, respectively. Both patients were satisfied with the surgical results, and no complications were observed. Surgical accuracy was defined as a mean Hausdorff distance <0.4mm, and postoperative stability was defined as a mean Hausdorff distance <0.3mm. Our results suggest that PSTI by the selective laser melting method for augmentation of the mandibular border is useful as an additional cosmetic surgery.

Accurate Mandible Reconstruction by Mixed Reality, 3D Printing, and Robotic-Assisted Navigation Integration.

ABSTRACT: Mandibular reconstruction is one of the most complex procedures concerning the patient's postoperative facial shape and occlusion condition. In this study, the authors integrated mixed reality, three-dimensional (3D) printing, and robotic-assisted navigation technology to complete the mandibular reconstruction in a novel and more accurate way. Mixed reality can visualize the significant anatomical structures of the operative area, but only be used in simulated operation by now. Three-dimensional printing surgical guide plate makes it easy to separate tissue, while imprecision often occurs due to the potential of displacement and deformation. In recent years, most robotic-assisted navigation surgery technology can only achieve precise position by 2D view on the screen but not realistic 3D navigation. in this study, the integrated 3 technologies were used in mandibular reconstruction. Preoperative imaging examination was performed, and the data were imported into the digital workstation before operation. First, the original data was edited and optimized to reconstruct the digital model and formulate the surgical plan. Then MR was used to output the visualized project and matched the 3D reconstruction model in reality. The 3D plate was printed for surgical guidance. Last, robotic-assisted navigation was used to guide and position the vascularized fibula autograft and the immediate dental implantation. In conclusion, the authors integrated the 3 technologies and constructed a new digital surgical procedure to improve surgical accuracy and simplify the procedure comparing with traditional surgery.

Efficient User-Serving Scheme in the User-Centric Cell-Free Massive MIMO System.

A cell-free massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system is an attractive network model that is in the spotlight in 5G and future communication systems. Despite numerous advantages, the cell-free massive MIMO system has a problem in that it is difficult to operate in reality due to its vast amount of calculation. The user-centric cell-free massive MIMO model has a more feasible and scalable benefit than the cell-free massive MIMO model. However, this model has the disadvantage that as the number of users in the area increases, there are users who do not receive the service. In this paper, the proposed scheme creates connections for unserved users under a user-centric scheme without additional access point (AP) installation and disconnection for existing users. A downlink user-centric cell-free massive MIMO system model in which the APs are connected to the central processing unit (CPU) and the APs and users are geographically distributed is considered. First, the downlink spectral efficiency formula is derived and applied to the user-centric cell-free massive MIMO system. Then, the proposed scheme and power control algorithm are applied to the derived formula. The simulation results show that the unserved users within the area disappear by using the proposed scheme, while the bit error rate (BER) performance and sum rate improve compared to the existing scheme. In addition, it is shown that the proposed scheme works well even with a very large number of users in the area, and a significant service performance improvement for the worst 10% of users and the overall improvement of per-user throughput for the bottom 70% of users are ensured.

Machine Learning for Intelligent-Reflecting-Surface-Based Wireless Communication towards 6G: A Review.

An intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is a programmable device that can be used to control electromagnetic waves propagation by changing the electric and magnetic properties of its surface. Therefore, IRS is considered a smart technology for the sixth generation (6G) of communication networks. In addition, machine learning (ML) techniques are now widely adopted in wireless communication as the computation power of devices has increased. As it is an emerging topic, we provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art on ML, especially on deep learning (DL)-based IRS-enhanced communication. We focus on their operating principles, channel estimation (CE), and the applications of machine learning to IRS-enhanced wireless networks. In addition, we systematically survey existing designs for IRS-enhanced wireless networks. Furthermore, we identify major issues and research opportunities associated with the integration of IRS and other emerging technologies for applications to next-generation wireless communication.

Community-Based Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial of Behavioral Activation for Patients with Depressive Disorders.

Behavioral activation (BA) is a beneficial and relatively cost-effective treatment option for depression. This study utilized a pragmatic randomized controlled research design to investigate whether BA, as compared with treatment as usual (TAU), led to superior treatment effects, when delivered in community mental health settings by retrained community mental health professionals. Patients with depressive disorders (n = 64) were randomly assigned to a 10-session BA (n = 31) or TAU (n = 33) group. The depressive symptoms and behavioral engagement were assessed at the baseline, post-treatment, and a six-month follow-up. Results showed that, as compared to the TAU group, the BA group had: (1) a reduction in depression severity, as evidenced by large effect sizes and greater response rates, and (2) an increase in behavioral engagement. However, the post-treatment gains were not maintained at the six-month follow-up. The implications and limitations of the study are also discussed (KCT0004098, June 27, 2019, retrospectively registered).

Characterization of early postzygotic somatic mutations through multi-organ analysis.

Mosaicisms caused by postzygotic mutational events are of increasing interest because of their potential association with various human diseases. Postzygotic somatic mutations have not been well characterized however in terms of their developmental lineage in humans. We conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and targeted deep sequencing in 15 organs across three developmental lineages from a single male fetus with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) of 21 weeks gestational age. This fetus had no detectable neurological abnormalities at autopsy but germline mutations in the PKHD1 gene were identified that may have been associated with the PKD. Eight early embryonic mosaic variants with no alteration of protein function were detected. These variants were thought to have occurred at the two or four cell stages after fertilization with a mutational pattern involving frequent C>T and T>C transitions. In our current analyses, no tendency toward organ-specific mutation occurrences was found as the eight variants were detected in all 15 organs. However different allele fractions of these variants were found in different organs, suggesting a tissue-specific asymmetric growth of cells that reflected the developmental germ layer of each organ. This indicated that somatic mutation occurrences, even in early embryogenesis, can affect specific organ development or disease. Our current analyses demonstrate that multi-organ analysis is helpful for understanding genomic mosaicism. Our results also provide insights into the biological role of mosaicism in embryonic development and disease.

Prognostic Molecular Indices of Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Implications of S100P for Early Recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Although hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) often recur in patients undergoing hepatectomy, there are no reliable biomarkers of this undesirable event. Recent RNA-based efforts have developed valuable genetic indices prognostic of cancer outcomes. We aimed to identify molecular predictors of early recurrence after resection of HCC, and reveal the genomolecular structure of the resected tumors. METHOD: Based on the transcriptomic and genomic datasets of 206 HCC samples surgically resected in the Asan Medical Center (AMC), we performed a differential gene expression analysis to identify quantitative markers associated with early recurrence and used the unsupervised clustering method to classify genomolecular subtypes. RESULTS: Differential gene expression profiling revealed that S100P was the highest-ranked overexpressed gene in HCCs that recurred within 2 years of surgery. This trend was reproduced in immunohistochemical studies of the original cohort and an independent AMC cohort. S100P expression also independently predicted HCC-specific mortality post-resection (adjusted hazard ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.19; p = 0.042). Validation in a Chinese cohort and in in vitro experiments confirmed the prognostic value of S100P in HCC. We further identified five discrete molecular subtypes of HCC; a subtype with stem cell features ('AMC-C4') was associated with the worst prognosis, both in our series and another two Asian datasets, and S100P was most strongly upregulated in that subtype. CONCLUSION: We identified a promising prognostic biomolecule, S100P, associated with early recurrence after HCC resection, and established the genomolecular architecture of tumors affecting clinical outcomes, particularly in Asian patients. These new insights into molecular mediators should contribute to effective care for affected patients.

Clinicopathological and molecular characterization of chromophobe hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chromophobe hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a newly included subtype of HCC in the 5th edition of the WHO classification with distinctive histological features (chromophobic cytoplasm with anaplastic nuclei and pseudocyst formation) and is strongly associated with the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) phenotype. However, the clinicopathologic characterization and molecular features of chromophobe HCC are unknown. METHODS: To comprehensively characterize chromophobe HCC, whole exome sequencing, copy number variation, and transcriptomic analyses were performed in 224 surgically resected HCC cases. Additionally, telomere-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to assess ALT. These genomic profiles and ALT status were compared with clinicopathological features among subtypes of HCC, particularly chromophobe HCC and conventional HCC. RESULTS: Chromophobe HCC was observed in 10.3% (23/224) cases and, compared to conventional HCC, was more frequent in females (P = .023). The overall and recurrence-free survival outcomes were similar between patients with chromophobe HCC and conventional HCC. However, chromophobe HCC displayed significantly more upregulated genes involving cell cycle progression and DNA repair. Additionally, ALT was significantly enriched in chromophobe HCC (87%; 20/23) compared to conventional HCC (2.2%, 4/178; P < .001). Somatic mutations in ALT-associated genes, including ATRX, SMARCAL1, FANCG, FANCM, SP100, TSPYL5, and RAD52 were more frequent in chromophobe HCC (30.4%, 7/23 cases) compared to conventional HCC (11.8%, 21/178 cases; P = .024). CONCLUSIONS: Chromophobe HCC is a unique subtype of HCC with a prevalence of ~10%. Compared to conventional HCC, chromophobe HCC is associated with female predominance and ALT, although overall and recurrence-free outcomes are similar to conventional HCC.

Immunogenomic landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma with immune cell stroma and EBV-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The immunogenomic characteristics of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) with immune cell stroma (HCC-IS), defined histologically, have not been clarified. We investigated the clinical and molecular features of HCC-IS and the prognostic impact of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. METHODS: We evaluated 219 patients with conventional HCC (C-HCC) and 47 with HCC-IS using in situ hybridization for EBV, immunohistochemistry, multiplex immunofluorescence staining, and whole exome and transcriptome sequencing. Human leukocyte antigen types were also extracted from the sequencing data. Genomic and prognostic parameters were compared between HCC-IS and C-HCC. RESULTS: CD8 T cell infiltration was more frequent in HCC-IS than C-HCC (mean fraction/sample, 22.6% vs. 8.9%, false discovery rate q <0.001), as was EBV positivity in CD20-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (74.5% vs. 4.6%, p <0.001). CTNNB1 mutations were not identified in any HCC-IS, while they were present in 24.1% of C-HCC (p = 0.016). Inhibitory and stimulatory immune modulators were expressed at similar levels in HCC-IS and EBV-positive C-HCC. Global hypermethylation, and expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in TILs, and PD-L1 in tumors, were also associated with HCC-IS (p <0.001), whereas human leukocyte antigen type did not differ according to HCC type or EBV positivity. HCC-IS was an independent factor for favorable recurrence-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.23; p = 0.002). However, a subgroup of tumors with a high density of EBV-positive TILs had poorer recurrence-free (aHR 25.48; p <0.001) and overall (aHR 9.6; p = 0.003) survival, and significant enrichment of CD8 T cell exhaustion signatures (q = 0.0296). CONCLUSIONS: HCC-IS is a distinct HCC subtype associated with a good prognosis and frequent EBV-positive TILs. However, paradoxically, a high density of EBV-positive TILs in tumors is associated with inferior prognostic outcomes. Patients with HCC-IS could be candidates for immunotherapy. LAY SUMMARY: Hepatocellular carcinomas with histologic evidence of abundant immune cell infiltration are characterized by frequent activation of Epstein-Barr virus in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and less aggressive clinical behavior. However, a high density of Epstein-Barr virus-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is associated with inferior prognostic outcomes, possibly as a result of immune escape due to significant CD8 T cell exhaustion.

Roseithermus sacchariphilus gen. nov., sp. nov. and proposal of Salisaetaceae fam. nov., representing new family in the order Rhodothermales.

A novel bacterium with cells that were pinkish-cream-coloured, aerobic, rod-shaped, 0.62-1.00 µm wide and 2.3-3.3 µm long, designated as strain MEBiC09517T, was isolated from Buksung-Po, a small port in Incheon, Republic of Korea. Strain MEBiC09517T had low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to validly reported strains; among them, Rubrivirgaprofundi SAORIC-476T displayed highest sequence similarity (89.9 %). Nevertheless, the novel strain shared a phylogenetic line with members of the genus Rhodothermus, not the genus Rubrivirga. Optimum growth conditions of strain MEBiC09517T were at 50-55 °C, pH 7 and in 2.0-4.0 % salt concentration. Strain MEBiC09517T was found to be an obligate marine bacterium that requires KCl, MgCl2 and CaCl2 as well as NaCl for growth. A phosphatidylethanolamine, a diphosphatidylglycerol, three glycolipids and four unidentified lipids were the strain's predominant polar lipid components. The fatty acid of the cell wall mainly consisted of carbons with 16 or 18 chain lengths such as C16 : 0, C18 : 0, C18 : 1 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c). The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The DNA G+C content is 68.65 mol%. Strain MEBiC09517T differs from genera of the order Rhodothermales in terms of fatty acid composition, growth conditions, and range of carbon source utilization. Based on phylogenetic analysis using the strain's 16S rRNA gene sequence and results of physiological tests, strain MEBiC09517T (KCCM=43267T, JCM=32374T) is proposed as Roseithermus sacchariphilus gen. nov., sp. nov. Additionally, the novel family Salisaetaceae fam. nov. based on phylogenetic analysis and physiological characteristics is suggested.

Marinirhabdus citrea sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from a seaweed.

A gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped (1.3-1.9×0.3-0.5 µm) and non-motile marine bacterium, designated MEBiC09412T, was isolated from seaweed collected at Yeonggwang County, South Korea. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that strain MEBiC09412T shared high sequence similarity with Marinirhabdus gelatinilytica NH83T (95.4 %). Growth was observed at 17-38 °C (optimum 30 °C), at pH 4.0-8.5 (optimum pH 7.0) and with 0.5-6.0 % (w/v; optimum 2.5 %) NaCl. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 (27.4 %), iso-C15 : 1 G (9.6 %), anteiso-C15 : 0 (14.6 %), iso-C16 : 0 (6.2 %), iso-C17 : 0 3OH (13.2 %) and summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c; 7.4 %). The DNA G+C content was determined to be 43.1 mol%, while the major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6. Several phenotypic characteristics such as indole production, the oxidizing patterns of several carbohydrtaes (of glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, mannose etc.) and organic acids, and the enzyme activities of α-chymotrypsin and α-glucosidase differentiated strain MEBiC09412T from M. gelatinilytica NH83T. On the basis of this polyphasic taxonomic data, strain MEBiC09412T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Marinirhabduswith the suggested name Marinirhabdus citrea sp. nov. The type strain is MEBiC09412T (=KCCM 43216T=JCM 31588T).

Cytokine Response to Diet and Exercise Affects Atheromatous Matrix Metalloproteinase-2/9 Activity in Mice.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to identify the principal circulating factors that modulate atheromatous matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in response to diet and exercise.Methods and Results:Apolipoprotein-E knock-out (ApoE-/-) mice (n=56) with pre-existing plaque, fed either a Western diet (WD) or normal diet (ND), underwent either 10 weeks of treadmill exercise or had no treatment. Atheromatous MMP activity was visualized using molecular imaging with a MMP-2/9 activatable near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probe. Exercise did not significantly reduce body weight, visceral fat, and plaque size in either WD-fed animals or ND-fed animals. However, atheromatous MMP-activity was different; ND animals that did or did not exercise had similarly low MMP activities, WD animals that did not exercise had high MMP activity, and WD animals that did exercise had reduced levels of MMP activity, close to the levels of ND animals. Factor analysis and path analysis showed that soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1 was directly positively correlated to atheromatous MMP activity. Adiponectin was indirectly negatively related to atheromatous MMP activity by way of sVCAM-1. Resistin was indirectly positively related to atheromatous MMP activity by way of sVCAM-1. Visceral fat amount was indirectly positively associated with atheromatous MMP activity, by way of adiponectin reduction and resistin elevation. MMP-2/9 imaging of additional mice (n=18) supported the diet/exercise-related anti-atherosclerotic roles for sVCAM-1. CONCLUSIONS: Diet and exercise affect atheromatous MMP activity by modulating the systemic inflammatory milieu, with sVCAM-1, resistin, and adiponectin closely interacting with each other and with visceral fat.

Analysis of wide color gamut of green/red bilayered freestanding phosphor film-capped white LEDs for LCD backlight.

In this study, we propose green/red bilayered freestanding phosphor film-capped white light-emitting diodes (W-LEDs) using InGaN blue LEDs and narrowband red and green phosphors to realize a wide color gamut in a liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight system. The narrowband K2SiF6:Mn4+ (KSF) red and SrGa2S4:Eu2+ (SGS) green phosphors are synthesized using a facile etching synthetic process and flux-aided solid state reaction under a H2S atmosphere, respectively, and the freestanding phosphor films are fabricated using a delamination method with water-soluble polymer, polystyrene sulfonic acid, PEDOT/PSS, and interlayered phosphor film. Various phosphor concentrations of green/red bilayered freestanding phosphor film-capped W-LEDs exhibit a correlated color temperature (CCT) and luminous efficacy range of 11,390 K ~6,540 K and 99 lm/W ~124 lm/W, respectively, with an applied current of 60 mA. The W-LED with green (12.5 wt%)/red (40 wt%) bilayered phosphor film, which exhibited luminous efficacy of 105 lm/W at the CCT of 8,330 K, is selected and the color gamut of the bare LED and phosphor RG and the filtered RGB triangle is calculated to be more than ~95% and ~86.4%, respectively, relative to the NTSC in the 1931 CIE color coordinates space.

Improved performance of dye-sensitized solar cells using dual-function TiO(2) nanowire photoelectrode.

A unique, hierarchically structured, aggregated TiO(2) nanowire (A-TiO(2)-nw) is prepared by solvothermal synthesis and used as a dual-functioning photoelectrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The A-TiO(2)-nw shows improved light scattering compared to conventional TiO(2) nanoparticles (TiO(2)-np) and dramatically enhanced dye adsorption compared to conventional scattering particles (CSP). The A-TiO(2)-nw is used as a scattering layer for bilayer photoelectrodes (TiO(2)-np/A-TiO(2)-nw) in DSSCs to compare the cell performance to that of devices using state-of-the-art photoelectrode architectures (TiO(2)-np/CSP). The DSSCs fabricated using bilayers of TiO(2)-np/A-TiO(2)-nw show improved power conversion efficiency (9.1%) and current density (14.88 mA cm(-2)) compared to those using single-layer TiO(2)-np (7.6% and 11.84 mA cm(-2)) or TiO(2)-np/CSP bilayer structures (8.7% and 13.81 mA cm(-2)). The unique contribution of the A-TiO(2)-nw layers to the device performance is confirmed by studying the incident photon-to-current efficiency. The enhanced external quantum efficiencies at approximately 520 nm and 650 nm clearly reveal the dual functionality of A-TiO(2)-nw. These unique properties of A-TiO(2)-nw may be applied in other devices utilizing light-scattering n-type semiconductor.

Pseudomaricurvus alcaniphilus sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from tidal flat sediment and emended descriptions of the genus Pseudomaricurvus, Pseudomaricurvus alkylphenolicus Iwaki et al. 2014 and Maricurvus nonylphenolicus Iwaki et al. 2012.

A novel Gram-reaction-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic and motile strain, designated MEBiC06469T, was isolated from tidal flat sediment of the Taean province, South Korea. Strain MEBiC06469T produced ivory-coloured colonies on marine agar 2216 medium and could degrade carboxymethyl-cellulose. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, the closest relative was Pseudomaricurvus alkylphenolicus KU41GT with 96.5 % similarity. The isolate was catalase-positive but oxidase-negative. Growth was observed at 16-38 °C (optimum, 32 °C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.5) and in the presence of 0.0-8.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.5 %). The only isoprenoid quinone was Q-8.The dominant fatty acids were summed feature 3 (comprised of C15 : 0 2-OH and/or C16 : 1ω7c; 20.4 %) and C17 : 1ω8c (30.9 %), summed feature 8 (comprised of C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c; 9.5 %), C16 : 0 (9.0 %), C15 : 1ω8c (5.3 %), and C11 : 0 3-OH (5.2 %). Based on these phenotypic properties and phylogenetic data, strain MEBiC06469T should be classified as a novel species within the genus Pseudomaricurvus for which the name Pseudomaricurvus alcaniphilus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MEBiC06469T ( = KCCM 42976T = JCM 18313T). Emended descriptions of the genus Pseudomaricurvus, Pseudomaricurvus alkylphenolicusIwaki et al. 2014, and Maricurvus nonylphenolicusIwaki et al. 2012 are also provided.