Super-Toughness Carbon Nanotube Yarns by Bio-Inspired Nano-Coiling Engineering.

Lightweight structural materials are commonly used as effective fillers for advanced composites with high toughness. This study focused on enhancing the toughness of direct-spun carbon nanotube yarns (CNTYs) by controlling the micro-textural structure using a water-gap-based direct spinning. Drawing inspiration from the structural features of natural spider silk fibroin, characterized by an α-helix in the amorphous region and ß-sheet in the crystalline region, multiscale bundles within CNTYs are reorganized into a unique nano-coil-like structure. This nano-coiled structure facilitated the efficient dissipation of external mechanical loads through densification with the rearrangement of multiscale bundles, improving specific strength and strain. The resulting CNTYs exhibited exceptional mechanical properties with toughness reaching 250 J g-1, making them promising alternatives to commercially available fibers in lightweight, high-toughness applications. These findings highlight the significance of nano-coiling engineering for emulating bio-inspired micro-textural structures, achieving remarkable enhancement in the toughness of CNTYs.

Long-term skeletodental changes with early and late treatment using modified C-palatal plates in hyperdivergent Class II adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To compare skeletodental changes between early and late treatment groups using modified C-palatal plates (MCPP) and long-term retention outcomes in hyperdivergent Class II adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one hyperdivergent Class II patients were divided into four groups according to treatment modality and treatment timing: group 1, early treatment with MCPP (n = 16; 9.9 ± 0.9 years); group 2, late treatment with MCPP (n = 19; 12.3 ± 0.8 years); group 3, early treatment with headgear (HG; n = 18; 9.6 ± 0.8 years); and group 4, late treatment with HG (n = 18; 12.1 ± 1.2 years). Lateral cephalograms were taken and skeletal and dental variables were measured. For statistical analysis, paired t-tests, independent t-tests, and multiple regression were performed. RESULTS: The early MCPP group showed a more significant decrease in mandibular plane angle than the late MCPP group did, and vertical control was more efficient in the early group than in the late group. In the MCPP groups, both FMA and SN-GoGn were increased with late treatment but decreased with early treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P < .01). The early-treatment MCPP group had a significant decrease in SN-GoGn of 0.6° compared with an increase of 1.7° in the early treatment HG group (P < .01). Posttreatment stability of both the early and late MCPP groups was maintained in long-term retention. CONCLUSIONS: Early MCPP showed more significant vertical control than late MCPP. However, there was no difference in long-term stability between early and late groups.

Evaluating the Correlation between Ptosis Improvement and Immediate Postoperative Lagophthalmos following Blepharoptosis Surgery under General Anesthesia in Pediatric Patients.

Background: The objective of this study is to establish a potential correlation between postoperative improvement in upper eyelid ptosis, measured by the marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1), and the immediate postoperative degrees of lagophthalmos (IPDL). The established correlation is then used to assess whether IPDL can be used as a reliable indicator of successful treatment of eyelid ptosis. Methods: This retrospective study involved 19 patients, aged 1 to 11, with a total of 28 eyes affected by ptosis, who underwent surgery under general anesthesia at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022. We monitored the MRD1 of the patients for over six months postoperatively and measured the IPDL. Results: After ptosis correction surgery, no statistically significant correlation was observed between the improvement in MRD1 and IPDL. Furthermore, the degree of postoperative eyelid ptosis improvement was found to vary and was not consistently sustained, attributable to a range of factors. Conclusions: Our study did not establish a statistically significant correlation between IPDL and ptosis improvement as measured by MRD1. Further research is needed to draw definitive conclusions about their correlation.

A functional genomic framework to elucidate novel causal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease genes.

Background & Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver pathology in western countries, with serious public health consequences. Efforts to identify causal genes for NAFLD have been hampered by the relative paucity of human data from gold-standard magnetic resonance quantification of hepatic fat. To overcome insufficient sample size, genome-wide association studies using NAFLD surrogate phenotypes have been used, but only a small number of loci have been identified to date. In this study, we combined GWAS of NAFLD composite surrogate phenotypes with genetic colocalization studies followed by functional in vitro screens to identify bona fide causal genes for NAFLD. Approach & Results: We used the UK Biobank to explore the associations of our novel NAFLD score, and genetic colocalization to prioritize putative causal genes for in vitro validation. We created a functional genomic framework to study NAFLD genes in vitro using CRISPRi. Our data identify VKORC1, TNKS, LYPLAL1 and GPAM as regulators of lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and suggest the involvement of VKORC1 in the lipid storage related to the development of NAFLD. Conclusions: Complementary genetic and genomic approaches are useful for the identification of NAFLD genes. Our data supports VKORC1 as a bona fide NAFLD gene. We have established a functional genomic framework to study at scale putative novel NAFLD genes from human genetic association studies.

Genome-Wide Genetic Associations Prioritize Evaluation of Causal Mechanisms of Atherosclerotic Disease Risk.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this review is to discuss the implementation of genome-wide association studies to identify causal mechanisms of vascular disease risk. APPROACH AND RESULTS: The history of genome-wide association studies is described, the use of imputation and the creation of consortia to conduct meta-analyses with sufficient power to arrive at consistent associated loci for vascular disease. Genomic methods are described that allow the identification of causal variants and causal genes and how they impact the disease process. The power of single-cell analyses to promote genome-wide association studies of causal gene function is described. CONCLUSIONS: Genome-wide association studies represent a paradigm shift in the study of cardiovascular disease, providing identification of genes, cellular phenotypes, and disease pathways that empower the future of targeted drug development.

Developing STEM Career Identities among Latinx Youths: Collaborative Design, Evaluations, and Adaptations during COVID-19.

In response to the low representation of Latinx adults in STEM occupations, this community-based participatory action research study aims to increase the number of middle school youths developing STEM career identities and entering high school with the intention to pursue STEM careers. The students were provided with summer and after-school activities focusing on network science and career development curricula. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design and career narratives, this study examined the changes in STEM and career self-efficacy, as well as career identity. The results show improvements in self-efficacy, an increased number of youths with intentions of pursuing future STEM career opportunities, and deeper reflections on their talents and skills after program participation. This paper also describes the program development and implementation in detail, as well as the adaptations that resulted from COVID-19, for scholars and educators designing similar programs. This study provides promising evidence for the quality of STEM and career development lessons in supporting the emergence of a STEM career identity and self-efficacy.

A single-cell CRISPRi platform for characterizing candidate genes relevant to metabolic disorders in human adipocytes.

CROP-Seq combines gene silencing using CRISPR interference with single-cell RNA sequencing. Here, we applied CROP-Seq to study adipogenesis and adipocyte biology. Human preadipocyte SGBS cell line expressing KRAB-dCas9 was transduced with a sgRNA library. Following selection, individual cells were captured using microfluidics at different timepoints during adipogenesis. Bioinformatic analysis of transcriptomic data was used to determine the knockdown effects, the dysregulated pathways, and to predict cellular phenotypes. Single-cell transcriptomes recapitulated adipogenesis states. For all targets, over 400 differentially expressed genes were identified at least at one timepoint. As a validation of our approach, the knockdown of PPARG and CEBPB (which encode key proadipogenic transcription factors) resulted in the inhibition of adipogenesis. Gene set enrichment analysis generated hypotheses regarding the molecular function of novel genes. MAFF knockdown led to downregulation of transcriptional response to proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α in preadipocytes and to decreased CXCL-16 and IL-6 secretion. TIPARP knockdown resulted in increased expression of adipogenesis markers. In summary, this powerful, hypothesis-free tool can identify novel regulators of adipogenesis, preadipocyte, and adipocyte function associated with metabolic disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Genomics efforts led to the identification of many genomic loci that are associated with metabolic traits, many of which are tied to adipose tissue function. However, determination of the causal genes, and their mechanism of action in metabolism, is a time-consuming process. Here, we use an approach to determine the transcriptional outcome of candidate gene knockdown for multiple genes at the same time in a human cell model of adipogenesis.

Single-cell transcriptome dataset of human and mouse in vitro adipogenesis models.

Adipogenesis is a process in which fat-specific progenitor cells (preadipocytes) differentiate into adipocytes that carry out the key metabolic functions of the adipose tissue, including glucose uptake, energy storage, and adipokine secretion. Several cell lines are routinely used to study the molecular regulation of adipogenesis, in particular the immortalized mouse 3T3-L1 line and the primary human Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS) line. However, the cell-to-cell variability of transcriptional changes prior to and during adipogenesis in these models is not well understood. Here, we present a single-cell RNA-Sequencing (scRNA-Seq) dataset collected before and during adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 and SGBS cells. To minimize the effects of experimental variation, we mixed 3T3-L1 and SGBS cells and used computational analysis to demultiplex transcriptomes of mouse and human cells. In both models, adipogenesis results in the appearance of three cell clusters, corresponding to preadipocytes, early and mature adipocytes. These data provide a groundwork for comparative studies on these widely used in vitro models of human and mouse adipogenesis, and on cell-to-cell variability during this process.

Single-cell transcriptome dataset of human and mouse in vitro adipogenesis models.

Adipogenesis is a process in which fat-specific progenitor cells (preadipocytes) differentiate into adipocytes that carry out the key metabolic functions of the adipose tissue, including glucose uptake, energy storage, and adipokine secretion. Several cell lines are routinely used to study the molecular regulation of adipogenesis, in particular the immortalized mouse 3T3-L1 line and the primary human Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS) line. However, the cell-to-cell variability of transcriptional changes prior to and during adipogenesis in these models is not well understood. Here, we present a single-cell RNA-Sequencing (scRNA-Seq) dataset collected before and during adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 and SGBS cells. To minimize the effects of experimental variation, we mixed 3T3-L1 and SGBS cells and used computational analysis to demultiplex transcriptomes of mouse and human cells. In both models, adipogenesis results in the appearance of three cell clusters, corresponding to preadipocytes, early and mature adipocytes. These data provide a groundwork for comparative studies on human and mouse adipogenesis, as well as on cell-to-cell variability in gene expression during this process.

Selective Interbundle Cross-Linking for Lightweight and Superstrong Carbon Nanotube Yarns.

In this study, a range of carbon nanotube yarn (CNTY) architectures was examined and controlled by chemical modification to gain a deeper understanding of CNTY load-bearing systems and produce lightweight and superstrong CNTYs. The architecture of CNTY, which has polymer layers surrounding a compact bundle without hampering the original state of the CNTs in the bundle, is a favorable design for further chemical cross-linking and for enhancing the load-transfer efficiency, as confirmed by in situ Raman spectroscopy under a stress load. The resulting CNTY exhibited excellent mechanical performance that exceeded the specific strength of the benchmark, high-performance fibers. This exceptional strength of the CNTY makes it a promising candidate for the cable of a space elevator traveling from the Earth to the International Space Station given its strength of 4.35 GPa/(g cm-3), which can withstand the self-weight of a 440 km cable.

Superstrong Carbon Nanotube Yarns by Developing Multiscale Bundle Structures on the Direct Spin-Line without Post-Treatment.

Super strong fibers, such as carbon or aramid fibers, have long been used as effective fillers for advanced composites. In this study, the highest tensile strength of 5.5 N tex-1 for carbon nanotube yarns (CNTYs) is achieved by controlling the micro-textural structure through a facile and eco-friendly bundle engineering process in direct spinning without any post-treatment. Inspired by the strengthening mechanism of the hierarchical fibrillary structure of natural cellulose fiber, this study develops multiscale bundle structures in CNTYs whereby secondary bundles, ≈200 nm in thickness, evolve from the assembly of elementary bundles, 30 nm in thickness, without any damage, which is a basic load-bearing element in CNTY. The excellent mechanical performance of these CNTYs makes them promising substitutes for the benchmark, lightweight, and super strong commercial fibers used for energy-saving structural materials. These findings address how the tensile strength of CNTY can be improved without additional post-treatment in the spinning process if the development of the aforementioned secondary bundles and the corresponding orientations are properly engineered.

Teratogenicity of D-allulose.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether D-allulose has teratogenic effects on rats. A prenatal developmental toxicity test was conducted in SD rats in compliance with modified OECD guidelines test number 414, prenatal developmental toxicity study. Pregnant female rats received repeated doses of 1250, 2500, or 5000 mg/kg body weight D-allulose, or a vehicle control by gavage on GD 6-15. On GD 20, one day prior to the expected day of delivery, pregnant rats were weighed and anesthetized, and laparotomized to remove the uterine and its content were weighed. Fetuses were examined macroscopically for any soft tissue and skeletal changes. The evaluation indicators included general sign observation, body weight, food consumption, animal death, corpora lutea, numbers of embryonic or fetal deaths, and viable fetuses including live birth rate, fetal resorption rate, and stillbirth rate, as well as sex, body weights, and skeletal and soft tissue alterations of fetuses. No treatment-related abnormalities were observed in prenatal developmental toxicity and fetal malformation parameters, indicating that D-allulose had no teratogenic effects on pregnant rats and fetuses. From the findings of this prenatal developmental toxicity study, the NOAEL of D-allulose was estimated to be 5000 mg/kg/day in pregnant SD rats.

G protein-coupled receptor 151 regulates glucose metabolism and hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Human genetics has been instrumental in identification of genetic variants linked to type 2 diabetes. Recently a rare, putative loss-of-function mutation in the orphan G-protein coupled receptor 151 (GPR151) was found to be associated with lower odds ratio for type 2 diabetes, but the mechanism behind this association has remained elusive. Here we show that Gpr151 is a fasting- and glucagon-responsive hepatic gene which regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis. Gpr151 ablation in mice leads to suppression of hepatic gluconeogenesis genes and reduced hepatic glucose production in response to pyruvate. Importantly, the restoration of hepatic Gpr151 levels in the Gpr151 knockout mice reverses the reduced hepatic glucose production. In this work, we establish a previously unknown role of Gpr151 in the liver that provides an explanation to the lowered type 2 diabetes risk in individuals with nonsynonymous mutations in GPR151.

Electromagnetic Wave Absorbing, Thermal-Conductive Flexible Membrane with Shape-Modulated FeCo Nanobelts.

Electromagnetic wave (EMW)-absorbing materials, manufactured with composites of magnetic particles, are essential for maintaining a high complex permeability and modulated permittivity for impedance matching. However, commonly available EMW-absorbing materials are unsatisfactory owing to their low complex permeability in the high-frequency band. Herein, we report a thin, flexible EMW-absorbing membrane comprising shape-modulated FeCo nanobelts/boron nitride nanoparticles, which enables enhanced complex permeability in the S, C, and X bands (2-12 GHz). The boron nitride nanoparticles that are introduced to the FeCo nanobelts demonstrate control of the complex permittivity, leading to an effective impedance matching close to 1, consequently resulting in a high reflection loss value of -42.2 dB at 12.0 GHz with only 1.6 mm thickness. In addition, the incorporation of boron nitride nanoparticles improves the thermal conductivity for the heat dissipation of the absorbed electromagnetic wave energy. Overall, the comprehensive study of nanomaterial preparation and shape modulation technologies can lead to the fabrication of an excellent EMW-absorbing flexible composite membrane.

Wireless Kitchen Fire Prevention System Using Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Gas Sensor for Smart Home.

This paper presents a wireless kitchen fire prevention system that can detect and notify the fire risk caused by gas stoves. The proposed system consists of two modules. The sensor module detects the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) near the gas stove and transmits the monitoring results wirelessly. The alarm module, which is placed in other places, receives the data and reminds the user of the stove status. The sensor module uses a cost-efficient electrochemical CO2 sensor and embeds an in situ algorithm that determines the status of the gas stove based on the measured CO2 concentration. For the wireless communication between the modules, on-off keying (OOK) is employed, thereby achieving a longer battery lifetime of the alarm module, low cost, and simple implementation. To increase the lifetime further, a wake-up function based on passive infrared (PIR) sensing is employed in the alarm module. Our system can successfully detect the on state of the stove within 40 s and the off state within 200 s. Thanks to the low-power implementation, in situ algorithm, and wake-up function, the alarm module's expected battery lifetime is extended to about two months.

Molecular evidence for natural hybridization between Rumex crispus and R. obtusifolius (Polygonaceae) in Korea.

Interspecific hybridization has been suggested to occur frequently in Rumex (Polygonaceae). Several hypothesized combinations of parental species of hybrids based on their intermediate morphology have been suggested in the genus, but few of them have been phylogenetically tested. We analyzed nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequence data of a putative natural hybrid between Rumex crispus and Rumex obtusifolius from Korea to confirm its hybrid status and to determine the maternal parent. Analysis of the nuclear DNA pgiC region revealed that R. crispus and R. obtusifolius have contributed to the nuclear genome of the putative hybrids. The haplotype distribution pattern inferred from the combined sequence data set of five chloroplast DNA regions (matK, rbcL-accD IGS, trnK-rps16 IGS, ycf6-psbM IGS and psbA-trnH IGS) indicated bidirectional hybridization events between R. crispus and R. obtusifolius. This paper provides the first molecular evidence for interspecific hybridization between R. crispus and R. obtusifolius. In addition, our findings strongly suggested that Korean populations of Rumex japonicus have a hybrid origin, and R. crispus may represent one of the parental taxa.

Anticancer activity of IRAK-4 inhibitors against canine lymphoid malignancies.

The interleukin-1 receptor-related kinase 4 (IRAK4), downstream of myd88, plays an essential role in hyperactive TLR signalling seen in some B-cell lymphomas. In particular, efficient IRAK4 inhibitors of activated B-cell subtype of human diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are being developed. However, the anticancer effect of IRAK-4 inhibitors in veterinary medicine has not been elucidated. It is therefore explored in this study involving the GL-1 and CL-1 canine lymphoma cell lines in vitro. MyD88 expression was analysed using polymerase chain reaction. GL-1 and CL-1 cells were subjected to concentration- and time-dependent treatment with an IRAK-4 inhibitor and assessed for viability, TLR signalling association and apoptosis using a cell counting Kit-8 assay, Western blotting and flow cytometry. The GL-1 and CL-1 cells exhibited enhanced MyD88 expression, however, canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (cPBMCs) did not. The IRAK-4 inhibitor reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, significantly reduced the phosphorylation of molecules associated with TLR signalling at IC50 such as IRAK1, IRAK4, NF-κB and STAT3, and induced apoptosis in GL-1 and CL-1 cells. The anticancer effect of the IRAK-4 inhibitor on canine lymphoma cells is mediated by apoptosis via downregulation of TLR signalling.

Different Algicidal Modes of the Two Bacteria Aeromonas bestiarum HYD0802-MK36 and Pseudomonas syringae KACC10292T against Harmful Cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa.

Blooms of harmful cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa lead to an adverse effect on freshwater ecosystems, and thus extensive studies on the control of this cyanobacteria's blooms have been conducted. Throughout this study, we have found that the two bacteria Aeromonas bestiarum HYD0802-MK36 and Pseudomonas syringae KACC10292T are capable of killing M. aeruginosa. Interestingly, these two bacteria showed different algicidal modes. Based on an algicidal range test using 15 algal species (target and non-target species), HYD0802-MK36 specifically attacked only target cyanobacteria M. aeruginosa, whereas the algicidal activity of KACC10292T appeared in a relatively broad algicidal range. HYD0802-MK36, as a direct attacker, killed M. aeruginosa cells when direct cell (bacterium)-to-cell (cyanobacteria) contact happens. KACC10292T, as an indirect attacker, released algicidal substance which is located in cytoplasm. Interestingly, algicidal activity of KACC10292T was enhanced according to co-cultivation with the host cyanobacteria, suggesting that quantity of algicidal substance released from this bacterium might be increased via interaction with the host cyanobacteria.