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A Study on the Success Factors of Local Agricultural Shopping Mall 'Saiso' - From a platform sustainability perspective
No full textSince 2020, online sales of agri-food products have increased significantly, with public shopping malls showing notable differences in performance depending on the administrative and operational capabilities of local governments. This study aims to derive practical and policy implications by analyzing the case of Gyeongsangbuk-dos Saiso, a local government-run agricultural platform that has demonstrated stable and continuous growth. The research identifies three major strategies that contributed to Saisos success. First, the integration and centralized operation of municipal and county-level shopping malls enabled economies of scale and expanded support for local farms. Second, the delegation of operations to a specially established local government corporation allowed for flexible and proactive execution of business activities such as live commerce, promotional campaigns, and global market entry. Third, Saisos open market-type logistics structure, characterized by low commission fees and increased bargaining power with delivery service providers, helped reduce logistics costs. These findings suggest that continued platform integration and strategic policy support from local governments are essential for the sustainable growth of public agri-food platforms. Farmers and local producers, in turn, should focus on improving product and service quality. This study is significant in that it analyzes a real-world success case, providing valuable insights that have been underrepresented in existing research.N
TROPION-Breast05: a randomized phase III study of Dato-DXd with or without durvalumab versus chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab in patients with PD-L1-high locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
No full textBackground: Standard of care (SoC) for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (combined positive score >= 10) is chemotherapy plus anti-PD-(L)1 inhibitors; however, prognosis and survival for most patients is poor. Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd), a novel antibody-drug conjugate comprising a humanized anti-TROP2 IgG1 monoclonal antibody conjugated to a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor payload via a plasma-stable, cleavable, tetrapeptide-based linker, has shown preliminary activity as mono or combination therapy in advanced/metastatic TNBC.Objectives: TROPION-Breast05 is an ongoing randomized, open-label, multicenter phase III study. The primary objective is to demonstrate the superiority of Dato-DXd in combination with durvalumab (an anti-PD-L1 antibody) versus SoC treatment in patients with PD-L1-high locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic TNBC.Methods and design: Patients (>= 18 years) will be randomized 1:1 to receive Dato-DXd (6 mg/kg intravenously (IV) every 3 weeks (Q3W)) plus durvalumab (1120 mg IV Q3W) or investigator's choice of chemotherapy (ICC; paclitaxel, nab-paclitaxel, or gemcitabine plus carboplatin) plus pembrolizumab (200 mg IV Q3W). In selected countries, patients will also be randomized (1:1:1) to a third arm of Dato-DXd monotherapy. The primary study endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) per blinded independent central review (Dato-DXd plus durvalumab arm vs ICC plus pembrolizumab arm). Overall survival is a key secondary endpoint; other secondary endpoints include PFS (investigator-assessed), objective response rate, duration of response, clinical benefit rate at Week 24 (all assessed in the Dato-DXd plus durvalumab arm vs ICC plus pembrolizumab arm), patient-reported outcomes, and safety.Ethics: The study is approved by independent ethics committees or institutional review boards at each study site. All patients will provide written informed consent.Discussion: TROPION-Breast05 will assess the potential role of Dato-DXd with or without durvalumab in patients with PD-L1-high advanced or metastatic TNBC. The findings of this trial could lead to a new treatment option for these patients.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06103864 (Date of registration: 27 October 2023).N
Elucidating contact-limited temperature dependence of charge transport in 2D tin halide perovskite field-effect transistors
No full textTwo-dimensional (2D) tin halide perovskites are gaining attention for their potential in high-performance field-effect transistors (FETs) due to their ease of processibility and high mobility. However, their complex charge transport mechanism remains poorly understood with no definitive transport models established. While temperature-dependent mobility analysis is a proven method for constructing accurate charge transport models in a given material system, systematic temperature dependence studies in prototypical 2D tin perovskites, PEA2SnI4, have been rarely reported. Here, we investigate the temperature-dependent transport properties of PEA2SnI4 in FETs, employing contact resistance analyses to decouple intrinsic channel mobility from contact resistance contributions. Our results reveal that the extracted mobility values are significantly contact-limited, particularly at lower temperatures, leading to substantial deviations in apparent mobility trends. By correcting for contact resistance, we establish that the intrinsic mobility of PEA2SnI4 remains nearly temperature-independent from 100 K to 300 K. Our results clearly address the critical need to account for contact effects in determining carrier mobility of perovskite materials within the community, offering a refined framework for accurately evaluating and enhancing the performance of perovskite-based electronic devices.Y
Hexagonal metal complex based mechanically robust transparent ultrathin gold μECoG for electro-optical neural interfaces
No full textTransparent electro-optical neural interfacing technologies offer simultaneous high-spatial-resolution microscopic imaging, and high-temporal-resolution electrical recording and stimulation. However, fabricating transparent, flexible, and mechanically robust neural electrodes with high electrochemical performance remains challenging. In this study, we fabricated transparent (72.7% at 570 nm), mechanically robust (0.05% resistance change after 50k bending cycles) ultrathin Au microelectrodes for micro-electrocorticography (mu ECoG) using a hexadentate metal-polymer ligand bonding with an EDTA/PSS seed layer. These transparent mu ECoG arrays, fabricated with biocompatible gold, exhibit excellent electrochemical properties (0.73 Omega<middle dot>cm2) for neural recording and stimulation with long-term stability. We recorded brain surface waves in vivo, maintaining a low baseline noise and a high signal-to-noise ratio during acute and two-week recordings. In addition, we successfully performed optogenetic modulation without light-induced artifacts at 7.32 mW/mm2 laser power density. This approach shows great potential for scalable, implantable neural electrodes and wearable optoelectronic devices in digital healthcare systems.N
Future projection of East Asian atmospheric rivers in high-resolution climate models
No full textAtmospheric rivers (ARs) play a critical role in extreme precipitation in East Asia during the East Asian summer monsoon. While ARs are projected to increase in a warming climate, their regional changes in East Asia remain unclear partly due to the use of relatively coarse models. This study investigates future changes in East Asian ARs using high-resolution climate model simulations. The results show a robust increase in AR frequency and associated precipitation in East Asia in the near future (2025-2050). ARs are also projected to become more intense and persistent with a considerable increase in extreme precipitation, although the quantitative change slightly differs depending on the AR detection algorithms. Such changes are primarily driven by thermodynamic processes, with dynamic processes playing a secondary role. However, the dynamic processes, especially low-frequency circulation changes, contribute significantly to the inter-model spread, determining the uncertainty in the future projections of East Asian ARs. This finding helps to better understand future changes in AR and associated extreme precipitation in East Asia.Y
Exploring treatment effects and fluid resuscitation strategies in septic shock: a deep learning-based causal inference approach
No full textSeptic shock exhibits diverse etiologies and patient characteristics, necessitating tailored fluid management. We aimed to compare resuscitation strategies using normal saline, Ringer's lactate, and albumin, and to determine which patient factors are associated with improved outcomes. We analyzed septic shock patients from the MIMIC-IV database, categorizing them by the fluid administered: normal saline, Ringer's lactate, albumin, or their combinations. A deep learning-based causal inference model estimated treatment effects on in-hospital mortality and kidney outcomes (defined as a doubling of creatinine or the initiation of kidney replacement therapy). Multivariable logistic regression was then applied to the individual treatment effects to identify patient characteristics linked to better outcomes for Ringer's lactate and additional albumin infusion compared to normal saline alone. Among 13,527 patients, 17.8% experienced in-hospital mortality and 16.2% developed kidney injury. Ringer's lactate reduced mortality by 2.33% and kidney injury by 1.41% compared to normal saline. Adding albumin to normal saline further reduced mortality by 1.20% and kidney outcomes by 0.71%. The combination of Ringer's lactate and albumin provided the greatest benefit (mortality: -3.07%, kidney injury: -3.00%). Patients with high SOFA scores, low albumin, or high lactate levels benefited more from normal saline, whereas those with low eGFR or on vasopressors were less likely to benefit from albumin. Ringer's lactate, particularly when combined with albumin, is superior to normal saline in reducing mortality and kidney injury in septic shock patients, underscoring the need for personalized fluid management based on patient-specific factors.Y
Unconventional domain tessellations in moiré-of-moiré lattices
No full textImposing incommensurable periodicity on the periodic atomic lattice can lead to complex structural phases consisting of locally periodic structure bounded by topological defects1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7-8. Twisted trilayer graphene (TTG) is an ideal material platform to study the interplay between different atomic periodicities, which can be tuned by twist angles between the layers, leading to moir & eacute;-of-moir & eacute; lattices9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25-26. Interlayer and intralayer interactions between two interfaces in TTG transform this moir & eacute;-of-moir & eacute; lattice into an intricate network of domain structures at small twist angles, which can harbour exotic electronic behaviours9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25-26. Here we report a complete structural phase diagram of TTG with atomic-scale lattice reconstruction. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with a new interatomic potential simulation27,28, we show several large-scale moir & eacute; lattices, including triangular, kagome and a corner-shared hexagram-shaped domain pattern. Each domain is bounded by a 2D network of domain-wall lattices. In the limit of small twist angles, two competing structural orders-rhombohedral and Bernal stackings-with a slight energy difference cause unconventional lattice reconstruction with spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) and nematic instability, highlighting the importance of long-range interlayer interactions across entire van der Waals layers. The diverse tessellation of distinct domains, whose topological network can be tuned by the adjustment of the twist angles, establishes TTG as a platform for exploring the interplay between emerging quantum properties and controllable nontrivial lattices.N
Impact of Rituximab on COVID-19 in Immunocompromised Patients: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Korea
No full textBackground Anti-CD20 therapy has been associated with severe pneumonia in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of anti-CD20 therapy on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and COVID-19-related outcomes using a nationwide cohort.Methods We used the K-CoV-N database, integrating the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the National Health Insurance Service. Adults (>= 19 years) diagnosed with conditions warranting anti-CD20 therapy from January 2020 to December 2021 were included. Patients initiating rituximab (RTX) during the study period were defined as RTX users, whereas RTX nonusers were selected through propensity score matching. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between RTX use and SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as COVID-19-related outcomes.Results Among 1 548 038 patients requiring anti-CD20 therapy, 1 457 171 were vaccinated and 90 867 were unvaccinated. In the vaccinated group, RTX use was not significantly associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], .82-3.72; P = .149) but was linked to higher hospitalization for COVID-19 (aOR 2.64; 95% CI, 1.14-6.10; P = .024) and intensive care unit admission (aOR 10.89; 95% CI, 1.44-82.46; P = .021). In the unvaccinated group, RTX use showed no statistically significant associations with severe COVID-19 outcomes.Conclusions Using a nationwide dataset, this study found that RTX use is associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes in vaccinated individuals. Despite rising vaccination rates, clinicians should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of anti-CD20 therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a nationwide dataset, the impact of anti-CD20 therapy on COVID-19-related outcomes was analyzed. Rituximab use increases the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes in vaccinated individuals. Clinicians should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of anti-CD20 therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.N
Bifunctional trimethylsilyl-modified fluorinated ester additive for LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase in lithium metal batteries
No full textLithium metal batteries are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems due to their high energy density. However, challenges such as lithium dendrite growth and poor cycling stability limit their practical application. Recent efforts focus on electrolyte additives to stabilize interphases and improve battery performance. In this study, we investigate the effect of a bifunctional additive, trimethylsilyl 2,2difluoro-2-(fluorosulfonyl)acetate (TDFA), on lithium metal batteries, with a focus on its role in promoting uniform lithium deposition and enhancing interfacial stability. Surface analysis shows that the additive forms a LiF-rich solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, which is chemically stable and mechanically robust. Li/Li symmetric cells demonstrate that TDFA significantly reduces nucleation overpotential, suppresses dendrite formation, and extends cycling life over 500 h at 1 mA cm-2 for 1 mAh cm-2. In Li/LFP cells, TDFA improves capacity retention to 89.4 % after 300 cycles, with reduced polarization and enhanced rate performance. Additionally, XPS depth profiling confirms an F-rich cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) layer that mitigates crack formation on cathode and enhances cell durability. These findings suggest TDFA could play a critical role in advancing lithium metal batteries, offering enhanced electrochemical performance and long-term stability through improved SEI and CEI layer formation.N
Graphene Quantum Dots as Antifibrotic Therapy for Kidney Disease
No full textGraphene quantum dots (GQDs) have received much attention for their biomedical applications, such as bioimaging and drug delivery. Additionally, they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We used GQDs to treat renal fibrosis and confirmed their ability to protect renal cells from excessive oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. Tubulointerstitial fibrosis was induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in 7- to 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. GQDs were administered by intravenous injection to mimic clinical treatment. The levels of oxidative stress, ROS production, apoptosis and proinflammatory cytokines and the activity of the TGF beta 1/Smad pathway were evaluated after treatment with GQDs. In vitro, rhTGF-beta 1 was used to induce fibrosis in primary kidney tubule epithelial cells. GQDs alleviated fibrosis and morphological changes after UUO induction. At the mRNA and protein levels, GQDs significantly reduced the expression of fibrotic markers and proinflammatory cytokines, decreased ROS production and TGF-beta 1 expression, and affected Smad-dependent signaling pathways. In vitro, GQDs inhibited rhTGF-beta 1-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in primary kidney tubule epithelial cells and reduced apoptosis and ROS accumulation. This study revealed the role of GQDs in kidney fibrosis: GQDs effectively attenuated major fibrogenesis events by inhibiting ROS accumulation and the vicious cycle of the ROS and TGF-beta 1/Smad signaling pathways, as well as alleviating cell apoptosis and inflammation. Thus, GQDs may be a therapeutic option for chronic kidney disease progression.N