A heparin-mimicking polymer conjugate stabilizes basic fibroblast growth factor.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a protein that plays a crucial role in diverse cellular functions, from wound healing to bone regeneration. However, a major obstacle to the widespread application of bFGF is its inherent instability during storage and delivery. Here, we describe the stabilization of bFGF by covalent conjugation with a heparin-mimicking polymer, a copolymer consisting of styrene sulfonate units and methyl methacrylate units bearing poly(ethylene glycol) side chains. The bFGF conjugate of this polymer retained bioactivity after synthesis and was stable to a variety of environmentally and therapeutically relevant stressors--such as heat, mild and harsh acidic conditions, storage and proteolytic degradation--unlike native bFGF. Following the application of stress, the conjugate was also significantly more active than the control conjugate system in which the styrene sulfonate units were omitted from the polymer structure. This research has important implications for the clinical use of bFGF and for the stabilization of heparin-binding growth factors in general

Distribution of Abdominal Obesity and Fitness Level in Overweight and Obese Korean Adults

Background. Abdominal obesity and its relative distribution are known to differ in association with metabolic characteristics and cardiorespiratory fitness. This study aimed to determine an association between fitness level and abdominal adiposity in overweight and obese adults. Methods. 228 overweight and obese individuals were classified as either cardiorespiratory unfit or fit based on their recovery heart rate. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), the visceral-to-subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio (VAT/SAT ratio), and cardiometabolic characteristics were analyzed to examine the relationship between recovery heart rate and abdominal adiposity components. Results. After adjustments for age and sex, significant relationships of recovery heart rate and VAT, SAT, and VAT/SAT ratio were found; however, SAT was not significantly associated after further adjustment for body mass index (BMI) (r=0.045, P=0.499), whereas VAT (r=0.232, P<0.001) and VAT/SAT ratio (r=0.214, P=0.001) remained associated. Through stepwise multiple regression analyses after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, lifestyle factors, mean blood pressure, fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, lipid profiles, and hsCRP, recovery heart rate was identified as an independent variable associated with VAT (β=0.204, P<0.001) and VAT/SAT ratio (β=0.163, P=0.008) but not with SAT (β=0.097, P=0.111). Conclusions. Cardiorespiratory fitness level is independently associated with VAT and the VAT/SAT ratio but not with SAT in overweight and obese adults

NEW MEMBERS OF THE PERTUSARIALES (ASCOMYCOTA) PROVED BY COMBINED PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS

New genus Marfl oraea for the “Variolaria” amara-group as well as new members of the genera Dibaeis and Ochrolechia proved by results of the combined phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ITS1/ITS2 portion of ribosomal nrDNA and 12S SSU mtDNA sequences are described and compared with closely related taxa. Fift een new combinations are proposed, i.e. Dibaeis yurii, Marfl oraea albescens, M. amara, M. aspergilla, M. corallina, M. corallophora, M. erythrella, M. excludens, M. mammosa, M. ophthalmiza, M. panyrga, M. pulvinata, M. scaberula, M. subventosa and Ochrolechia dactylina. Dibaeis yurii is recorded for the fi rst time from South Korea

Inflammatory cloacogenic polyps in children: diagnostic yield of rectal retroflexion during colonoscopy

Abstract Background and aims Inflammatory cloacogenic polyps (ICPs) are inflammatory lesions occurring around the anal transitional zone. These are rare in the pediatric population, and most reported cases are found in adults. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of rectal retroflexion (RR) during colonoscopy in detecting ICPs in children. Methods A total of 1837 colonoscopies were performed in 1278 children between September 2003 and August 2020 at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. The laboratory test results and colonoscopic and histopathological findings were retrospectively reviewed. ICP was detected using the RR and was diagnosed based on the histologic findings of the polyp. Results A total of 69 patients were diagnosed with juvenile polyps (n = 62) or ICP (n = 7), with the latter being detected through RR. All children with ICP were diagnosed from 2013 onwards when RR during colonoscopy came to be routinely performed in our medical center. The patients with ICP were older at diagnosis and more associated with a family history of colorectal polyps than JP. Stool occult blood and the polyps endoscopic characteristics, such as number, location, volume, and shape, significantly varied between the two groups. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference in the polypectomy method. During the long-term follow-up, there was no recurrence of ICP. Conclusions Due to their location at the anorectal junction, ICPs may be overlooked during colonoscopy, leading to misdiagnosis. Therefore, a retroflexion view during colonoscopy may help detect ICPs in pediatric patients, especially those presenting with hematochezia

Reduction of circulating innate lymphoid cell progenitors results in impaired cytokine production by innate lymphoid cells in patients with lupus nephritis

Abstract Background Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play an essential role in maintaining homeostasis; however, they can also cause chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease. This study aimed to identify the role of ILCs in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN). Methods The percentage of ILCs within the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) population and urine of patients with LN (n = 16), healthy controls (HC; n = 8), and disease controls (ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV; n = 6), IgA nephropathy (IgAN; n = 9), and other glomerular diseases (n = 5)) was determined by flow cytometry analysis. In addition, ILCs were sorted and cultured with plasma from LN patients or HC to elucidate whether the reduced population of CD117+ ILCs observed in LN was due to changes in the ILC progenitor population. Results The percentage of total ILCs and CD117+ ILCs in LN was significantly lower than that in HC. The percentage of cytokine-secreting ILCs was also lower in LN; however, when the disease stabilized, cytokine production was restored to levels similar to those in HC. The increase in the number of exhausted ILCs (cells unable to secrete cytokines) correlated positively with disease activity. When CD117+ ILCs were cultured with LN plasma, the number of CD117+ ILCs fell, but that of other ILC subsets increased. Conclusions The percentage of CD117+ ILCs and the capacity of ILCs to secrete cytokines fell as LN severity increased, suggesting that an inflammatory environment of LN induces persistent differentiation and exhaustion of ILCs

30 inch Roll-Based Production of High-Quality Graphene Films for Flexible Transparent Electrodes

We report that 30-inch scale multiple roll-to-roll transfer and wet chemical doping considerably enhance the electrical properties of the graphene films grown on roll-type Cu substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The resulting graphene films shows a sheet resistance as low as ~30 Ohm/sq at ~90 % transparency which is superior to commercial transparent electrodes such as indium tin oxides (ITO). The monolayer of graphene shows sheet resistances as low as ~125 Ohm/sq with 97.4% optical transmittance and half-integer quantum Hall effect, indicating the high-quality of these graphene films. As a practical application, we also fabricated a touch screen panel device based on the graphene transparent electrodes, showing extraordinary mechanical and electrical performances

Magnolin targeting of ERK1/2 inhibits cell proliferation and colony growth by induction of cellular senescence in ovarian cancer cells

Ras/Raf/MEKs/ERKs and PI3 K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways have key roles in cancer development and growth processes, as well as in cancer malignance and chemoresistance. In this study, we screened the therapeutic potential of magnolin using 15 human cancer cell lines and combined magnolin sensitivity with the CCLE mutaome analysis for relevant mutation information. The results showed that magnolin efficacy on cell proliferation inhibition were lower in TOV‐112D ovarian cancer cells than that in SKOV3 cells by G1 and G2/M cell cycle phase accumulation. Notably, magnolin suppressed colony growth of TOV‐112D cells in soft agar, whereas colony growth of SKOV3 cells in soft agar was not affected by magnolin treatment. Interestingly, phospho‐protein profiles in the MAPK and PI3 K signaling pathways indicated that SKOV3 cells showed marked increase of Akt phosphorylation at Thr308 and Ser473 and very weak ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels by EGF stimulation. The phospho‐protein profiles in TOV‐112D cells were the opposite of those of SKOV3 cells. Importantly, magnolin treatment suppressed phosphorylation of RSKs in TOV‐112D, but not in SKOV3 cells. Moreover, magnolin increased SA‐β‐galactosidase‐positive cells in a dose‐dependent manner in TOV‐112D cells, but not in SKOV3 cells. Notably, oral administration of Shin‐Yi fraction 1, which contained magnolin approximately 53%, suppressed TOV‐112D cell growth in athymic nude mice by induction of p16Ink4a and p27Kip1. Taken together, targeting of ERK1 and ERK2 is suitable for the treatment of ovarian cancer cells that do not harbor the constitutive active P13 K mutation and the loss‐of‐function mutations of the p16 and/or p53 tumor suppressor proteins

Distribution of Abdominal Obesity and Fitness Level in Overweight and Obese Korean Adults

Background. Abdominal obesity and its relative distribution are known to differ in association with metabolic characteristics and cardiorespiratory fitness. This study aimed to determine an association between fitness level and abdominal adiposity in overweight and obese adults. Methods. 228 overweight and obese individuals were classified as either cardiorespiratory unfit or fit based on their recovery heart rate. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), the visceral-to-subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio (VAT/SAT ratio), and cardiometabolic characteristics were analyzed to examine the relationship between recovery heart rate and abdominal adiposity components. Results. After adjustments for age and sex, significant relationships of recovery heart rate and VAT, SAT, and VAT/SAT ratio were found; however, SAT was not significantly associated after further adjustment for body mass index (BMI) ( = 0.045, = 0.499), whereas VAT ( = 0.232, &lt; 0.001) and VAT/SAT ratio ( = 0.214, = 0.001) remained associated. Through stepwise multiple regression analyses after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, lifestyle factors, mean blood pressure, fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, lipid profiles, and hsCRP, recovery heart rate was identified as an independent variable associated with VAT ( = 0.204, &lt; 0.001) and VAT/SAT ratio ( = 0.163, = 0.008) but not with SAT ( = 0.097, = 0.111). Conclusions. Cardiorespiratory fitness level is independently associated with VAT and the VAT/SAT ratio but not with SAT in overweight and obese adults

Observation of the in-plane magnetic field-induced phase transitions in FeSe

We investigate the thermodynamic properties of FeSe under the in-plane magnetic fields using torque magnetometry, specific heat, magnetocaloric measurements. Below the upper critical field Hc2, we observed the field-induced anomalies at H1 ~ 15 T and H2 ~ 22 T near H//ab and below a characteristic temperature T* ~ 2 K. The transition magnetic fields H1 and H2 exhibit negligible dependence on both temperature and field orientation. This contrasts with the strong temperature and angle dependence of Hc2, suggesting that these anomalies are attributed to the field-induced phase transitions, originating from the inherent spin-density-wave instability of quasiparticles near the superconducting gap minima or possible Flude-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in the highly spin-polarized Fermi surfaces. Our observations imply that FeSe, an atypical multiband superconductor with extremely small Fermi energies, represents a unique model system for stabilizing unusual superconducting orders beyond the Pauli limit.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitte

Global Directional Control of a Slender Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77142/1/AIAA-20475-500.pd