Air-stable n-type operation of Gd-contacted carbon nanotube field effect transistors

We report air-stable n -type operations of the single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (SWNT-FETs) fabricated with Gd electrodes. Unlike previously reported n -type SWNT-FETs, our devices maintained their n -type operation characteristics in ambient atmosphere for more than two months. The shallow Gd films with a thickness below 20 nm are corroded by environmental oxygen, whereas the well-contacted Gd-SWNT interfaces underneath the thick Gd layers are protected from contaminations by air molecules. Theoretical studies based on the first-principles electronic structure calculations confirm that Gd layers have an excellent binding affinity to the SWNTs.open8

The occurrence of coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease based on C-reactive protein levels: a retrospective cohort study

Background This study aimed to assess the occurrence of coronary artery lesions (CAL) in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) according to serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Methods This retrospective analysis was based on the nationwide survey of KD conducted in the Republic of Korea between 2015 and 2017. We enrolled 9131 patients and defined low (< 3 mg/dL) and high (≥3 mg/dL) CRP groups. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, z-scores, and scores based on the Japanese criteria for CAL were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify CAL risk factors. Results The low CRP group accounted for 23% of patients. The mean age at diagnosis was higher in high CRP group compared to the low CRP group (34.4 ± 24.9 vs 31.7 ± 24.8 months, p < 0.001). Fever duration before treatment was not significantly different between the two groups (5.1 ± 1.7 days vs. 5.2 ± 2.1 days; p = 0.206). A non-response to intravenous immunoglobulin treatment was found in 1377 patients (20.1%) and 225 patients (11.7%) in the high and low CRP groups, respectively (p < 0.001). CAL were found in 12.9 and 18.3% of the high and low CRP patients, respectively (p < 0.001), based on z-scores; and in 9.9 and 12.5%, respectively (p = 0.001), based on the Japanese criteria in the acute phase. The giant coronary artery aneurysm occurrence ratio was similar between groups (p = 1.0). Conclusions CAL occurred in patients with both high and low CRP. Therefore, patients with KD should be carefully monitored regardless of their CRP levels

Release from sheep-grazing appears to put some heart back into upland vegetation:A comparison of nutritional properties of plant species in long-term grazing experiments

Rewilding or wilding is a popularised means for enhancing the conservation value of marginal land. In the British uplands, it will involve a reduction, or complete removal, of livestock grazing (sheep), based on the belief that grazing has reduced plant species diversity, the ‘Wet Desert’ hypothesis. The hope is that if livestock is removed, diversity will recover. If true, we hypothesise that the species extirpated/reduced by grazing and then recover on its removal would more nutritious compared to those that persisted. We test this hypothesis at Moor House National Nature Reserve (North‐Pennines), where seven sets of paired plots were established between 1953 and 1967 to compare ungrazed/sheep‐grazed vegetation. Within these plot‐pairs, we compared leaf properties of seven focal species that occurred only, or were present in much greater abundance, in the absence of grazing to those of 10 common species that were common in both grazed and ungrazed vegetation. Each sample was analysed for macro‐nutrients, micro‐nutrients, digestibility, palatability and decomposability. We ranked the species with respect to 22 variables based on effect size derived from Generalised Linear Modelling (GLM) and compared species using a Principal Components Analysis. We also assessed changes in abundance of the focal species through time using GLMs. Our results support the ‘Wet Desert’ hypothesis, that is, that long‐term sheep grazing has selectively removed/reduced species like our focal ones and on recovery, they were more nutritious (macro‐nutrients, some micro‐nutrients) palatable, digestible and decomposable than common species. Measured changes in abundance of the focal species suggest that their recovery will take 10–20 years in blanket bog and 60 years in high‐altitude grasslands. Collectively, these results suggest that sheep grazing has brought about biotic homogenization, and its removal in (re)wilding schemes will reverse this process eventually! The ‘white woolly maggots’ have eaten at least part of the heart out of the highlands/uplands, and it will take some time for recovery

INHIBITORY EFFECT OF EMODIN ON RAW 264.7 ACTIVATED WITH DOUBLE STRANDED RNA ANALOGUE POLY I:C

Background: Emodin (3-methyl-1, 6, 8-trihydroxyanthraquinone) is a compound which can be found in Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR). PMR is the root of Polygonum multiflorum. PMR is used to treat dizziness, spermatorrhea, sores, and scrofula as well as chronic malaria traditionally in China and Korea. The anti-tumor property of emodin was already reported. However, anti-viral activity of emodin on macrophages are not fully reported. Materials and Methods: Effects of emodin on RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages induced by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA, were evaluated. Results: Emodin restored the cell viability in poly I:C-induced RAW 264.7 at concentrations of up to 50 μM. Emodin significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, GM-CSF, G-CSF, M-CSF, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MIP-2, RANTES, and IP-10 as well as calcium release and mRNA expression of signal transducer and activated transcription 1 (STAT1) in poly I:C-induced RAW 264.7 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study shows the inhibitory effect of emodin on poly I:C-induced RAW 264.7 via calcium-STAT pathway

Changes in the Prevalence of Childhood Asthma in Seoul from 1995 to 2008 and Its Risk Factors

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of asthma and determine its risk factors in elementary school students in Seoul. METHODS: A modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was used to survey 4,731 elementary school students from five areas in Seoul between April and October, 2008. RESULTS: In elementary school children, the lifetime and recent 12-month prevalence of wheezing were 11.7% and 5.6%, respectively. The lifetime prevalence of asthma diagnosis was 7.9%, and the recent 12-month prevalence of asthma treatment was 2.7%. Male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-2.66), history of atopic dermatitis (AD) (aOR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.98-3.84), history of allergic rhinitis (AR) (aOR, 3.71; 95% CI, 2.61-5.26), history of bronchiolitis before 2 years of age (aOR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.39-3.07), use of antibiotics during infancy for >3 days (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.35-2.62), parental history of asthma (aOR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.52-5.27), exposure to household molds during infancy (aOR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.18-2.89), and the development or aggravation of asthma symptoms within 6 months after moving to a new house (aOR, 11.76; 95% CI, 5.35-25.86) were the independent risk factors for wheezing within 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of wheezing and asthma in elementary school students in 2008 was similar to that in the past decade. Male sex, history of AD, history of AR, history of bronchiolitis before 2 years of age, parental asthma, use of antibiotics during infancy, exposure to molds in the house during infancy, and development or aggravation of asthma symptoms within 6 months after moving to a new house, could be risk factors for wheezing within 12 months.ope

Enterovirus 71-associated hand, foot and mouth diseases with neurologic symptoms, a university hospital experience in Korea, 2009

PurposeHand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness in children, which is usually mild and self-limiting. However, in recent epidemics of HFMD in Asia, enterovirus 71 (EV71) has been recognized as a causative agent with severe neurological symptoms with or without cardiopulmonary involvement. HFMD was epidemic in Korea in the spring of 2009. Severe cases with complications including death have been reported. The clinical characteristics in children with neurologic manifestations of EV71 were studied in Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital.MethodsExaminations for EV71 were performed from the stools, respiratory secretion or CSF of children who presented neurologic symptoms associated with HFMD by realtime PCR. Clinical and radiologic data of the patients were collected and analyzed.ResultsEV71 was isolated from the stool of 16 patients but not from respiratory secretion or CSF. Among the 16 patients, meningitis (n=10) was the most common manifestation, followed by Guillain-Barré syndrome (n=3), meningoencephalitis (n=2), poliomyelitis-like paralytic disease (n=1), and myoclonus (n=1). Gene analysis showed that most of them were caused by EV71 subgenotype C4a, which was prevalent in China in 2008.ConclusionBecause EV71 causes severe complications and death in children, a surveillance system to predict upcoming outbreaks should be established and maintained and adequate public health measures are needed to control disease

Multicenter retrospective analysis of 581 patients with primary intestinal non-hodgkin lymphoma from the Consortium for Improving Survival of Lymphoma (CISL)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary intestinal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous disease with regard to anatomic and histologic distribution. Thus, analyses focusing on primary intestinal NHL with large number of patients are warranted.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively analyzed 581 patients from 16 hospitals in Korea for primary intestinal NHL in this retrospective analysis. We compared clinical features and treatment outcomes according to the anatomic site of involvement and histologic subtypes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>B-cell lymphoma (n = 504, 86.7%) was more frequent than T-cell lymphoma (n = 77, 13.3%). Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common subtype (n = 386, 66.4%), and extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) was the second most common subtype (n = 61, 10.5%). B-cell lymphoma mainly presented as localized disease (Lugano stage I/II) while T-cell lymphomas involved multiple intestinal sites. Thus, T-cell lymphoma had more unfavourable characteristics such as advanced stage at diagnosis, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was significantly lower than B-cell lymphoma (28% versus 71%, P < 0.001). B symptoms were relatively uncommon (20.7%), and bone marrow invasion was a rare event (7.4%). The ileocecal region was the most commonly involved site (39.8%), followed by the small (27.9%) and large intestines (21.5%). Patients underwent surgery showed better OS than patients did not (5-year OS rate 77% versus 57%, P < 0.001). However, this beneficial effect of surgery was only statistically significant in patients with B-cell lymphomas (P < 0.001) not in T-cell lymphomas (P = 0.460). The comparison of survival based on the anatomic site of involvement showed that ileocecal regions had a better 5-year overall survival rate (72%) than other sites in consistent with that ileocecal region had higher proportion of patients with DLBCL who underwent surgery. Age > 60 years, performance status ≥ 2, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase, Lugano stage IV, presence of B symptoms, and T-cell phenotype were independent prognostic factors for survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The survival of patients with ileocecal region involvement was better than that of patients with involvement at other sites, which might be related to histologic distribution, the proportion of tumor stage, and need for surgical resection.</p

The effect of perinatal anxiety on bronchiolitis is influenced by polymorphisms in ROS-related genes

Exposure to perinatal anxiety affects disease susceptibility in offspring but studies on the association between perinatal anxiety and gene polymorphisms are lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the interaction between perinatal anxiety and polymorphisms in antioxidant defense and innate immunity genes on the development of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) during early infancy. Trait anxiety levels in 440 women were assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory during late gestation. The occurrence of RTIs, including bronchiolitis, during the first year of life was assessed by parent-reported doctor diagnosis. Polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferase P-1 (GSTP1, rs1695) and CD14 (rs2569190) were genotyped using the TaqMan assay. Copy number variations of GSTT1 were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Exposure to high levels of perinatal anxiety increased the risk of bronchiolitis in the first year of life (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.80), in particular among children with the AG + GG genotype of GSTP1 or the GSTT1 null genotype (aOR 3.36 and 2.79). In infants with the TC + CC genotype of CD14, high levels of perinatal anxiety were associated with an increased risk of upper RTI, lower RTI, and bronchiolitis (aOR 2.51, 4.60, and 4.31, respectively). Perinatal maternal anxiety levels affect the occurrence of bronchiolitis in offspring. The effect of perinatal anxiety on the occurrence of bronchiolitis during infancy was influenced by genetic polymorphisms in antioxidant defense and innate immunity genes