Hydrogenated Borophene Shows Catalytic Activity as Solid Acid

Hydrogen boride (HB) or hydrogenated borophene sheets are recently realized two-dimensional materials that are composed of only two light elements, boron and hydrogen. However, their catalytic activity has not been experimentally analyzed. Herein, we report the catalytic activity of HB sheets in ethanol reforming. HB sheets catalyze the conversion of ethanol to ethylene and water above 493 K with high selectivity, independent of the contact time, and with an apparent activation energy of 102.8 ± 5.5 kJ/mol. Hence, we identify that HB sheets act as solid-acid catalysts

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

Development of a toileting performance assessment test for patients in the early stroke phase

<p><b>Purpose:</b> The study aimed to develop a toileting performance assessment test to measure the toileting performance ability of patients in the early phase after stroke.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> In this study, 214 stroke patients were enrolled. Cronbach’s <i>α</i>, Spearman’s rank correlations (<i>ρ</i> values) with the toileting-related items of the functional independence measure and Barthel Index, interrater reliability (weighted <i>κ</i>), and responsiveness (standardized response mean) were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic and the area under the curves were utilized to determine the cutoff scores for the significance of the independence of toilet ability with the functional independence measure and Barthel Index.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Cronbach’s <i>α</i> was ≥0.90. The <i>p</i> values between toileting performance assessment test and Barthel Index and between toileting performance assessment test and functional independence measure were 0.88 and 0.86, respectively. The weighted <i>κ</i> for each item was ≥0.61. The standardized response means were 0.81 for the functional independence measure, 0.70 for the Barthel Index, and 0.93 for the toileting performance assessment test. Cutoff scores of the toileting performance assessment test were 18 points.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> The toileting performance assessment test has acceptable psychometric properties and proved useful in assessing toileting performance ability of patients in the early phase after stroke.Implications for rehabilitation</p><p>Toileting performance assessment test demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, and it can be useful for assessing the toileting ability of patients in the early phase after stroke.</p><p>Toileting performance assessment test should provide information that leads to lowered risk of falls while toileting, and the information gathered can assist patients in achieving early toileting independence after stroke.</p><p>As the development of toileting performance assessment test excluded patients with cognitive disabilities, the item for cognitive function should be developed as well.</p><p></p> <p>Toileting performance assessment test demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, and it can be useful for assessing the toileting ability of patients in the early phase after stroke.</p> <p>Toileting performance assessment test should provide information that leads to lowered risk of falls while toileting, and the information gathered can assist patients in achieving early toileting independence after stroke.</p> <p>As the development of toileting performance assessment test excluded patients with cognitive disabilities, the item for cognitive function should be developed as well.</p

Study protocol for single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial to clarify the preventive efficacy of electrical stimulation for muscle atrophy after trauma

Abstract Background Management of trauma involves long-term bed rest even when muscle strength in the lower extremities is preserved. Prolonged bed rest reduces muscle mass and causes muscle atrophy. A recent study reported the efficacy of rehabilitation using electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) for muscle strength maintenance in intensive care unit patients with disturbance of consciousness. However, despite the expected benefits of EMS in maintaining muscle strength, little is known about its efficacy in trauma patients. Methods/design A single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial of 40 patients with pelvic fracture to test the effectiveness of 14 days of EMS. The primary outcome will be change in cross-sectional area of the thigh muscle between pre and post intervention, as measured on computed tomography images. We will analyze the primary endpoint by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and analyze the secondary endpoints in an exploratory manner. Conclusion If our hypothesis is confirmed, this study will provide evidence that the use of EMS can be effective in preventing muscle atrophy. Trial registration UMIN registration number: UMIN000030190. Registered on 1 December 2017