Mitral Loop Cerclage Annuloplasty for Secondary Mitral Regurgitation

Park, Y.H.,Chon, M.K.,Lederman, R.J.,Sung, S.C.,Je, H.G.,Choo, K.S.,Lee, S.H.,Shin, E.S.,Kim, J.S.,Hwang, K.W.,Lee, S.Y.,Chun, K.J.,Kim, C.M.,Kim, J.H. Elsevier 2017 JACC. Cardiovascular interventions Vol.10 No.6

<P>OBJECTIVES This is an early feasibility clinical test of mitral loop cerclage annuloplasty to treat secondary mitral valve regurgitation. BACKGROUND Secondary mitral regurgitation is characterized by cardiomyopathy, mitral annular enlargement, and leaflet traction contributing to malcoaptation. Transcatheter mitral loop cerclage applies circumferential compression to the mitral annulus by creating a loop through the coronary sinus across the interventricular septum, protecting entrapped coronary arteries from compression, and interactive annular reduction under echocardiographic guidance. This is the first human test of mitral loop annuloplasty. METHODS Five subjects with severe symptomatic secondary mitral regurgitation underwent mitral loop cerclage, with echocardiographic and computed tomography follow-up over 6 months. RESULTS Mitral loop cerclage was successful in 4 of 5 subjects and aborted in 1 of the 5 because of unsuitable septal coronary vein anatomy. Immediately and over 6 months, measures of both mitral valve regurgitation (effective orifice area and regurgitation fraction) and chamber dimensions (left atrial and left ventricular volumes) were reduced progressively and ejection fractions increased. Two with persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation spontaneously reverted to sinus rhythm during follow-up. One subject experienced a small myocardial infarction from an unrecognized small branch coronary occlusion. Another, experiencing cardiogenic shock at baseline, died of intractable heart failure after 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS In this first human test, mitral loop cerclage annuloplasty was successful in 4 of 5 attempts, caused reverse remodeling (reduction in secondary mitral regurgitation and heart chamber volumes), and suggested electrical remodeling (reversion of atrial fibrillation). Further evaluation is warranted. (C) 2017 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved.</P>

Orbital hybridization mechanism for the enhanced photoluminescence in edge-functionalized sp² carbon clusters

Kang, B.,Choi, Y.,Kim, B.S.,Youn, I.S.,Lee, G. Pergamon Press ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2016 Carbon Vol.109 No.-

<P>Using the first principles methods, we performed systematic study on the effect of edge-functional groups on the electronic energy levels and the optical properties of sp(2) carbon clusters. It is found that the intrinsic pi and pi* orbitals are weakly altered by oxygen-bearing functional groups, but it is significantly disrupted by pyrrolic groups. Thereby the oscillator strength of the lowest-energy transition is found to be much stronger for the pyrrolic group functionalized cluster than for the carboxyl group. From our results being consistent with the experimental reports, we suggest that the photoluminescence enhancement is caused by a perturbation of the intrinsic, frontier molecular orbitals by edge groups. (C) 2016 Elsevier. Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

Position-selective metal oxide nano-structures using graphene catalyst for gas sensors

Lee, Aram,Park, Jinheon,Choi, Kyoung Soon,Lee, Jouhahn,Yoo, Ilhan,Cho, In Sun,Ahn, Byungmin,Seo, Hyungtak,Choi, Jae-Young,Yu, Hak Ki Elsevier 2017 Carbon Vol.125 No.-

<P>The thermal transport growth of various metal oxide (MOx) nanostructures using graphene as a catalytic layer was studied. Graphene was synthesized by Cu-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition and transferred onto a SiO2-covered Si substrate using bubble transfer methods. Due to the catalytic activity of the atomic-thick carbon layer, control of the position of the MOx nanostructures as well as the growth parameters, such as nucleation density and growth rate, could be achieved. The position-selective and density-controlled MOx nanostructures were evaluated for hydrogen gas sensor applications, where different responses were obtained with hydrogen molecules. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

A finite element model for estimating the techno-economic performance of the building-integrated photovoltaic blind

Park, Hyo Seon,Koo, Choongwan,Hong, Taehoon,Oh, Jeongyoon,Jeong, Kwangbok Elsevier 2016 APPLIED ENERGY Vol.179 No.-

<P>This study aims to develop the four-node-based finite element model for estimating the techno-economic performance of the building-integrated photovoltaic blind (FEM4-nodeEIPB), which can be used by decision-maker in the early design phase. In developing the proposed model, this study uses various research methodologies such as energy simulation, finite element method, life cycle cost analysis, policy analysis, and visual basic application. Compared to the simulation results, the mean absolute percentage error of the proposed model was determined to be 4.54%, showing that the prediction accuracy of the proposed model was found to be excellent. Furthermore, the practical application was conducted for the 'S' elementary school facility in South Korea, which allows potential readers to easily and clearly understand the operating mechanism of the proposed model as well as its usability and extendability. The proposed model can be used to conduct the detailed analysis of the techno-economic performance of the BIPB by the type of utilization plan and to determine the optimal strategy for maximizing the value of the investment. Furthermore, the proposed research framework can be extended to any other technology, industry, and country in the global environment. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

Modified transfer path analysis considering transmissibility functions for accurate estimation of vibration source

Kim, B.L.,Jung, J.Y.,Oh, I.K. Elsevier [etc.] 2017 Journal of Sound and Vibration Vol.398 No.-

<P>In this study, we developed a modified transfer path analysis (MTPA) method to more accurately estimate the operational force of the main vibration source in a complicated system subjected to multiple vibration sources, base excitation and several disturbances. In the proposed method, transmissibility functions are adopted to compensate the disturbances due to base excitation or to reject transferred forces from other vibration sources. The MTPA method was verified numerically using a simple beam model and was practically applied to estimate vibration forces of a compressor in an outdoor air conditioner unit. Present results show that the MTPA method is feasible for predicting the pure operation forces of the compressor in an outdoor air conditioner unit regardless of the vibration sources due to a rotating fan and base excitations. The proposed MTPA method has very important advantages that it can be used to more accurately estimates the operational force of the main vibration source, properly rejecting other vibration sources and disturbances. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

Triethylammonium acetate ionic liquid assisted one-pot synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones and evaluation of their antioxidant and antibacterial activities

Attri, P.,Bhatia, R.,Gaur, J.,Arora, B.,Gupta, A.,Kumar, N.,Choi, E.H. Elsevier ; King Saud University 2017 Arabian journal of chemistry Vol.10 No.2

<P>A mild and efficient catalytic method has been developed to synthesize 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones in high yield by one-pot three component Biginelli condensation in the presence of triethylammonium acetate (TEAA) which acts as catalyst/reaction medium. Further, we have studied the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of these synthesized 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones. All the synthesized compounds reveal the significant antioxidant properties, these properties have been studied using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assays. In addition, to this, these compounds also show the good antibacterial activity against four human pathogenic bacteria. (C) 2014 King Saud University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.</P>

Fe-based multifunctional nanoparticles with various physicochemical properties

Kwon, J.,Mao, X.,Lee, J. Elsevier 2017 CURRENT APPLIED PHYSICS Vol.17 No.8

<P>Over the past few decades, many studies have assessed Fe-based nanoparticles because of their high earth abundance, inexpensive precursors, unique optical properties, electromagnetic nature, biocompatibility, and interactivity with cells. By controlling the composition of a composite, the morphology, size, physical properties, and related functionalities, the synthesized nanomaterials can be altered for specific applications. This review introduces several methods for synthesizing iron-based binary/ternary chalcogenides, iron-based bimetallic materials, and iron-based magnetoplasmonic materials with a range of properties. Furthermore, assembled nanostructures make it possible for us to use these building blocks for broader and customized applications depending on their controlled arrangement. This will facilitate the potential application of iron-based functional materials in spintronics, biomedicine, electronics, and catalysis. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.</P>

<i>Schisandra chinensis</i> berry extract protects against steatosis by inhibiting histone acetylation in oleic acid–treated HepG2 cells and in the livers of diet-induced obese mice

Chung, Min-Yu,Shin, Eun Ju,Choi, Hyo-Kyoung,Kim, Sung Hee,Sung, Mi Jeong,Park, Jae Ho,Hwang, Jin-Taek Elsevier 2017 Nutrition research Vol.46 No.-

<P>We hypothesized that hepatic steatosis could be mitigated by the hypolipidemic activity of Schisandra chinensis berry ethanol extract (SCE) via the inhibition of histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity. HepG2 cells treated with oleic acid (OA) in the presence of SCE exhibited reduced OA-induced lipid accumulation, which was likely mediated by reductions in SREBP-lc expression. SCE attenuated the acetylation of total lysine and H3K9 that was otherwise increased by OA. Male obese mice fed with either a low-fat diet or Western diet exhibited reduced body and liver weights when supplemented with 1% SCE. The SCE-mediated attenuation of hepatic lipid accumulation was accompanied by a decrease in the expression of lipogenic genes. SCE also attenuated the expression of acetylated lysine and non-acetylated forms of H3K9 acetylation in the livers of these mice. Taken together, these results suggest that SCE has potential for further development as a novel therapeutic agent for the prevention of steatosis. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</P>

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of Eu³⁺-activated NaYF₄ nanocrystals and their Judd-Ofelt analysis, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties

Du, P.,Yu, J.S. Elsevier 2017 CURRENT APPLIED PHYSICS Vol.17 No.12

<P>The Eu3+-activated NaYF4 nanocrystals were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal technique. The resultant compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern, transmission electron microscope images and photoluminescence (PL)/cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra. Under near-ultraviolet light excitation, the characteristic emissions of Eu3+ ions were detected in the prepared nanocrystals and the red emission at 615 nm originating from the D-5(0) -> F-7(2) transition dominated in the emission spectrum. The luminescent spectrum revealed that the Eu3+ ions populated the low symmetry sites in NaYF4 lattices. Furthermore, a theoretical calculation based on the Judd-Ofelt theory was performed to evaluate the intensity parameters to further explore the local structure environment surrounding Eu3+ ions in NaYF4 lattices. The temperature-dependent PL emission spectra were recorded to study the thermal stability of the resultant nanocrystals and the activation energy was determined to be 0.149 eV. Ultimately, the CL properties of the final products as a function of accelerating voltage and filament current were investigated. These results revealed that the synthesized nanocrystals are a promising candidate for white light-emitting diodes and field emission displays as red-emitting phosphors. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>

A NBD-based highly sensitive and selective colorimetric chemosensor for Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺

Lee, S.Y.,Kim, C. Elsevier 2017 INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS Vol.77 No.-

<P>A new colorimetric chemosensor 1, containing the 7-nitrobenzo-2-oxo-1,3-diazolyl (NBD) moiety and the phenol one connected through Schiff-base linkage, has been synthesized. Sensor 1 showed remarkable color changes from pink to orange and pale brown, respectively, upon selective binding to Ni2+ and Cu2+ that can be identified by the naked-eye. The binding modes of sensor 1 to Ni2+ and Cu2+ were determined to be 1:1 stoichiometries using a Job plot and ESI-mass analysis. The sensor 1 showed high sensitivity toward Ni2+ and Cu2+ with the detection limits of 0.481.1M and 0.26 WI, respectively. The recognition properties of the sensor 1 toward Ni2+ and Cu2 were explained by using photophysical experiments and theoretical calculations. Practically, sensor 1 functioned as a visible test strip for Ni2+ and Cu2+. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>