Thermoelectric properties of graphene incorporated thermoelectric materials

Thermoelectric materials, which can change the waste heat into the usable electricity, are interested in various field of applications such as vehicle, ship, power plane, and so on. To enhance the thermoelectric properties, high electrical conductivity, high Seebeck coefficient, and low thermal conductivity should be conducted, however, the trade-off relation between electronic property and thermal property in terms of carrier concentration could be the bottle-neck on the enhancement of thermoelectric properties of the materials. In this presentation, we discuss with the graphene incorporation in the conventional thermoelectric materials, which could lead to independently control electric and thermal properties

Inhibition of elongin C promotes longevity and protein homeostasis via HIF-1 in C.elegans.

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Comparison of the Efficacy of Glimepiride, Metformin, and Rosiglitazone Monotherapy in Korean Drug-Naïve Type 2 Diabetic Patients: The Practical Evidence of Antidiabetic Monotherapy Study

BackgroundAlthough many anti-diabetic drugs have been used to control hyperglycemia for decades, the efficacy of commonly-used oral glucose-lowering agents in Korean type 2 diabetic patients has yet to be clearly demonstrated.MethodsWe evaluated the efficacy of glimepiride, metformin, and rosiglitazone as initial treatment for drug-naïve type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a 48-week, double-blind, randomized controlled study that included 349 Korean patients. Our primary goal was to determine the change in HbA1c levels from baseline to end point. Our secondary goal was to evaluate changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, body weight, frequency of adverse events, and the proportion of participants achieving target HbA1c levels.ResultsHbA1c levels decreased from 7.8% to 6.9% in the glimepiride group (P<0.001), from 7.9% to 7.0% in the metformin group (P<0.001), and from 7.8% to 7.0% (P<0.001) in the rosiglitazone group. Glimepiride and rosiglitazone significantly increased body weight and metformin reduced body weight during the study period. Symptomatic hypoglycemia was more frequent in the glimepiride group and diarrhea was more frequent in the metformin group.ConclusionThe efficacy of glimepiride, metformin, and rosiglitazone as antidiabetic monotherapies in drug-naïve Korean type 2 diabetic patients was similar in the three groups, with no statistical difference. This study is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of commonly-used oral hypoglycemic agents in Korean type 2 diabetic patients. An additional subgroup analysis is recommended to obtain more detailed information

Clinically Conserved Genomic Subtypes of Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is a lethal disease characterized by genomic and clinical heterogeneity. By integrating 8 previously established genomic signatures for GAC subtypes, we identified 6 clinically and molecularly distinct genomic consensus subtypes (CGSs). CGS1 have the poorest prognosis, very high stem cell characteristics, and high IGF1 expression, but low genomic alterations. CGS2 is enriched with canonical epithelial gene expression. CGS3 and CGS4 have high copy number alterations and low immune reactivity. However, CGS3 and CGS4 differ in that CGS3 has high HER2 activation, while CGS4 has high SALL4 and KRAS activation. CGS5 has the high mutation burden and moderately high immune reactivity that are characteristic of microsatellite instable tumors. Most CGS6 tumors are positive for Epstein Barr virus and show extremely high levels of methylation and high immune reactivity. In a systematic analysis of genomic and proteomic data, we estimated the potential response rate of each consensus subtype to standard and experimental treatments such as radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Interestingly, CGS3 was significantly associated with a benefit from chemoradiation therapy owing to its high basal level of ferroptosis. In addition, we also identified potential therapeutic targets for each consensus subtype. Thus, the consensus subtypes produced a robust classification and provide for additional characterizations for subtype-based customized interventions

Effect of pioglitazone on serum concentrations of osteoprotegerin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) acts as an important regulatory molecule in atherosclerosis. Recent studies report that thiazolidinediones could affect OPG expression. We investigated the relationship between OPG and inflammatory cytokines and the effects of pioglitazone (a PPARγ (PPARG) agonist) versus metformin on serum OPG levels in type 2 diabetic patients. DESIGN AND METHODS: Sixty-seven type 2 diabetic patients were included in this study. They were assigned to pioglitazone (15 mg/day, n=34) or metformin (1000 mg/day, n=33) during 24 weeks. Various anthropometric and metabolic parameters, OPG, interleukin 6 (IL6), C-reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), were measured at baseline and at 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Serum OPG levels correlated significantly with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbAlc, HOMA-IR, IL6, and CRP, and inversely correlated with adiponectin after adjusting for age (P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that FPG, HbAlc, and adioponectin were independently correlated with OPG level. After 6 months of treatment, the reduction in FPG and HbAlc levels was similar between the two groups. Pioglitazone treatment significantly increased body mass index (P<0.05) and waist circumference (P<0.05) and decreased triglycerides (P<0.05) and HOMA-IR (P<0.01). The adiponectin concentration was increased (P<0.05), and OPG and CRP levels were decreased in the pioglitazone group (P<0.05), but were unchanged in the metformin group. The changes in serum OPG in the pioglitazone group showed significant correlation with changes in FPG, HbAlc, and adiponectin. CONCLUSIONS: In type 2 diabetic patients, pioglitazone decreases OPG levels, and this decrease in OPG levels might be associated with the increase in adiponectin.ope

The Effect of Passive Smoking on Asthma Symptoms, Atopy, and Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Schoolchildren

Passive smoking is a major cause of respiratory morbidity, and is associated with increased bronchial responsiveness in children. To evaluate the effect of smoking by a parent on asthma symptoms, atopy, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 503 schoolchildren that involved questionnaires, spirometry, allergy testing, and a bronchial challenge test. If the PC20 methacholine was less than 16 mg/mL, the subject was considered to have AHR. The prevalence of a parent who smoked was 68.7%. The prevalence of AHR was 45.0%. The sensitization rate to common inhalant allergens was 32.6%. Nasal symptoms such as rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal itching, and nasal obstruction were present in 42.7%. Asthma symptoms such as cough and wheezing were present in 55.4%. The asthma symptoms were significantly more prevalent in children who had a parent who smoked than in those whose parents did not. The nasal symptoms, atopy, and AHR did not differ according to whether a parent smoked. In a multiple logistic regression model, the asthma symptoms and atopy were independently associated with AHR, when adjusted for confounding variables. Passive smoking contributed to asthma symptoms in schoolchildren and was not an independent risk factor of airway hyperresponsiveness in an epidemiological survey

Upregulation of Glutamate Receptors in Rat Cerebral Cortex with Neuronal Migration Disorders

Neuronal migration disorders (NMDs) constitute the main pathologic substrate of medically intractable epilepsy in human. This study is designed to investigate the changes in expression of glutamate receptor subtypes on radiation-induced NMD in rats. The lesion was produced by intrauterine irradiation (240 cGy) on E17 rats, and then 10 weeks old rats were used for the study. The pathologic and immunohistochemical findings for glutamate receptor subunit proteins on NMD cortex were correlated with development of behavioral seizures and EEG abnormality. Spontaneous seizures uncommonly occurred in NMD rats (5%); however, clinical stages of seizures were significantly increased in NMD rats by an administration of kainic acid. Brains taken from irradiated rats revealed gross and histopathologic features of NMD. Focal cortical dysplasia was identified by histopathology and immunohistochemistry with neurofilament protein (NF-M/H). Significantly strong NR1 and NR2A/B immunoreactivities were demonstrated in cytomegalic and heterotopic neurons of NMD rats. The results of the present study indicate that epileptogenesis of NMD might be caused by upregulation of glutamate receptor expression in dysplastic neurons of the rat cerebral cortex with NMDs