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Background & Aim: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a heterogeneous disorder that affects the kidney structure and function. This study investigated the effect of the interaction between genetic factors and dietary pattern on kidney dysfunction in Korean adults. Methods: Baseline data were obtained from the Ansan and Ansung Study of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study involving 8230 participants aged 40–69 years. Kidney dysfunction was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 90 mL/minute/1.73 m2. Genomic DNAs genotyped on the Affymetrix® Genome-Wide Human SNP array 5.0 were isolated from peripheral blood. A genome-wide association study using a generalized linear model was performed on 1,590,162 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To select significant SNPs, the threshold criterion was set at P-value < 5 × 10−8. Linkage disequilibrium clumping was performed based on the R2 value, and 94 SNPs had a significant effect. Participants were divided into two groups based on their generic risk score (GRS): the low-GR group had GRS > 0, while the high-GR group had GRS ≤ 0. Results: Three distinct dietary patterns were extracted, namely, the "prudent pattern," "flour-based and animal food pattern," and "white rice pattern," to analyze the effect of dietary pattern on kidney function. In the "flour-based and animal food pattern," higher pattern scores were associated with a higher prevalence of kidney dysfunction in both the low and high GR groups (P for trend < 0.0001 in the low-, high-GR groups of model 1; 0.0050 and 0.0065 in the low-, high-GR groups of model 2, respectively). Conclusions: The results highlight a significant association between the 'flour-based and animal food pattern' and higher kidney dysfunction prevalence in individuals with both low and high GR. These findings suggest that personalized nutritional interventions based on GR profiles may become the basis for presenting GR-based individual dietary patterns for kidney dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the structural, dynamical, and rheological behaviors of theta chains according to the solution type and the molecular architecture, using extensive bead-rod Brownian simulations, and compare them with the corresponding pure ring chain. Through detailed analysis of the properties of theta chains in each solution system, we found that theta chains have their own chain structure for each solution system and, accordingly, a characteristic dynamical behavior in each solution. For example, due to the absence of intra and intermolecular interactions in the free-draining solution system, the theta chain can have a fully stretched structure and can rotate like a conventional linear chain. On the other hand, due to the presence of intra and intramolecular interactions in the dilute solution system, the theta chain can have a spread (or extended) chain configuration that is aligned parallel to the flow-vorticity plane under shear flow, resulting in a two dimensional (2D) planar sheet-like chain structure. Thus, the theta chain alternates between the 2D planar sheet structure and the folded sheet structure during the chain rotation and tumbling cycle. We also found that the structural, dynamical, and rheological properties of the theta chains are highly dependent on the existence of a bridged linear part of the theta chain irrespective of the solution type. Since the bridged part of the theta chain physically prevents chain extension induced by a strong shear flow, the theta chains tend to have a less deformed chain structure than the corresponding pure ring chain. Depending on the length of the branched part of the theta chain, the rotation and tumbling behavior of the theta chain are greatly modified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cattle are domestic animals that have been nourishing humans for thousands of years. Milk from cattle represents a key source of high-quality protein, fat, and other nutrients. The nutritional value of milk and dairy products is closely associated with the fat content, providing up to 30% of the total fat consumed in the human diet. The fat content in cattle milk represents a major concern for the scientific community due to its association with human health. The relationship between milk fat content and diacylglycerol o-acyltransferase 1 gene (DGAT1) is well described in literature. Several studies demonstrated the difference in fat contents and other milk production traits in a wide range of cattle breeds, to be associated with missense non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of the DGAT1 gene. As a result, an nsSNPs analysis is crucial for unraveling the DGAT1 structural and conformational dynamics linked to milk fat content. DGAT1-nsSNPs are yet to be studied in terms of their structural and functional impact. Therefore, state-of-the-art computational and structural genomic methods were used to analyze five selected variants (W128R, W214R, C215G, P245R, and W459G), along with the wild type DGAT1. Significant structural and conformational changes in the variants were observed. We illustrate how single amino acid substitutions affect DGAT1 function, how this contributes to our understanding of the molecular basis of variations in DGAT1, and ultimately its impact in improving fat quality in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of thermo-responsive polymer film is fabricated by the immobilization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) to the pore-selectively carboxyl group functionalized honeycomb-patterned porous polystyrene film. To check the smartness of the film to the temperature change, the thermo-responsive release of rhodamine B (RB) above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) (~32.5 °C) of the PNIPAAm was studied together with the change in morphology of the pore surface by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermo-responsive release was monitored by the UV–vis absorbance at a fixed wavelength of λmax of RB ~553 nm. The absorbance of λmax in the equilibrium state significantly increased with the increase in temperature above the LCST of PNIPAAm. The result of the SEM image showed a higher rugged surface morphology with a temperature above the LCST which indicates that the change in the pore surface from the coil to globule state supports the thermo-responsive swell and de-swelling state of PNIPAAm. Temperature-dependent RB release kinetics was performed at 25–40 °C. The result showed pseudo-first-order kinetics by the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. The transport exponent (n) is higher than 1 as ~6.66 above the LCST region which is indicating the temperature responsive release by the change in PNIPAAm morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We analyzed the long-term efficacy of simultaneous transurethral resection (TUR) and therapeutic hydrodistention in patients with ulcerative interstitial cystitis (IC) who did not experience recurrence on long-term follow-up. Methods: We studied 132 female patients (mean age = 56.45 ± 11.56 years) who underwent TUR followed by hydrodistention to treat ulcerative IC between January 2010 and January 2017, and who were available for follow-up, for more than 36 months (mean = 52.3 ± 10.51 months). Of the 132 patients, those who did not suffer recurrence within 36 months after surgery were allocated to group I and those who had a recurrence within the same period were assigned to group II. Preoperative factors, including age, were compared between the groups. In group I, improvements in pain and voiding symptoms were recorded using a 10-point visual analog pain scale (VAS) and a 3-day micturition chart. A global response assessment (GRA) was used to evaluate patient satisfaction. Results: In group II, the maximum functional bladder capacity (FBC) was smaller, and voiding frequency was higher, than in group I. Follow-up of patients in group I for more than 3 years showed that pain decreased after surgery. The 10-point VAS scores were 9.68 before surgery, and 1.54, 0.93, 0.55, and 0.46 at 1, 6, 12, and 36 months after surgery (p < 0.001), respectively. Maximum FBCs were 174.82 mL before surgery and 237.14, 250.71, and 254.46 mL at 1, 12, and 36 months after surgery (p < 0.001), respectively; thus, FBC increased after surgery. Urination frequency decreased significantly after surgery; the number of daily urinations was 12.77 before surgery, and 9.88, 9.21, and 9.25 at 1, 12, and 36 months after surgery (p < 0.001), respectively. Overall patient satisfaction improved after surgery; the GRA scores were 2.39, 2.71, and 2.8 points at 1, 12, and 36 months after surgery (p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Upon simultaneous performance of TUR and therapeutic hydrodistention in patients with ulcerative IC, 49.2% showed favorable outcomes for 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estrous cycle is a complex process regulated by several hormones. To understand the dynamic changes in gene expression that takes place in the swine endometrium during the estrous cycle relative to the day of estrus onset, we performed RNA-sequencing analysis on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, resulting in the identification of 4495 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; Q ≤ 0.05 and |log2FC| ≥ 1) at various phases in the estrous cycle. These DEGs were integrated into multiple gene co-expression networks based on different fold changes and correlation coefficient (R2) thresholds and a suitable network, which included 899 genes (|log2FC| ≥ 2 and R2 ≥ 0.99), was identified for downstream analyses based on the biological relevance of the Gene Ontology (GO) terms enriched. The genes in this network were partitioned into 6 clusters based on the expression pattern. Several GO terms including cell cycle, apoptosis, hormone signaling, and lipid biosynthetic process were found to be enriched. Furthermore, we found 15 significant KEGG pathways, including cell adhesion molecules, cytokine-cytokine receptor signaling, steroid biosynthesis, and estrogen signaling pathways. We identified several genes and GO terms to be stage-specific. Moreover, the identified genes and pathways extend our understanding of porcine endometrial regulation during estrous cycle and will serve as a good resource for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 α (PPARGC1A) is a transcriptional coactivator that is involved in a variety of biological processes including muscle fiber type composition. Here, we identified two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; *2690T>C and *2864T>C) and one insertion/deletion in the 3′ untranslated region of porcine PPARGC1A. These SNPs were genotyped by direct sequencing in a total of 439 pigs representing three different pig breeds (Berkshire, n = 156; Yorkshire, n = 163; Landrace, n = 120). We evaluated the effects of diplotypes of individual PPARGC1A 3′UTR SNPs on muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality traits. The *2690T>C polymorphism was significantly associated with the percentage of type I and IIb fibers for both muscle fiber number and area composition ( P < 0.05), and also showed a significant association with muscle pH, a parameter of meat quality ( P = 0.0188). The *2864T>C polymorphism was also associated with meat quality traits including muscle pH ( P = 0.0071), drip loss ( P = 0.0006), and lightness ( P = 0.0702), but showed no significant association with muscle fiber characteristics. Interestingly, each SNP affected PPARGC1A expression significantly at the protein level but not at the mRNA level, thereby accounting for phenotypic variability among genotypes. Taken together, our data suggest that the *2690T>C and *2864T>C polymorphisms can be used as genetic markers for selection toward improved meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding groundwater flow and chemical transport is crucial for operating underground storage caverns. Groundwater flow in the study area is mainly affected by cavern operating conditions, and groundwater chemistry in the study area is modified by disinfection activities for removing possible biological clogging and by mixing with cement pore water. It is significant to discern these two effects because wells affected by the disinfection activities, in particular, may have hydrological connections with water curtains in which disinfectant water was injected to remove the biological clogging. Concentration of tritium (H) and helium isotopes (He), and groundwater chemical compositions were used to confirm that there are hydrological connectivities between the water curtain and the well. Groundwater along the fault areas contains low total dissolved solid (TDS) and high H, suggesting that the faults may act as fast flow conduits, which is not inconsistent with previous studies. Certain diagnostic conditions (high concentrations of Na, Cl and TDS and high pH) are presumed by the effect of disinfection activity, indicating that there are hydrological connections between the water curtain and the wells. This hypothesis is valid in YK2U and YK2L, but is not in YK12L, implying a closed system or an immobile water to explain the isotopic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The porcine adenylate kinase 3-like 1 ( AK3L1) gene is considered as a potential candidate gene among the encoded isoforms of adenylate kinase for meat quality based on the functional role of the AK3L1 gene in energy metabolism via high-energy phosphoryl transfer reaction. The genomic position of the AK3L1 gene is located in the QTL region, which codes for traits of meat quality. We characterized the genomic structure of the porcine AK3L1 gene and found polymorphisms in the 5′ regulatory region. Typical transcription factor binding sites, such as the TATA box and initiator sequence, were not found. However, the AK3L1 gene had two different transcription start points with different transcripts from Exon 1a and 1b isoforms within the high G+C content region without changing the translation initiation site. The SNPs around two alternative transcription start points in the porcine AK3L1 gene were significantly associated with the following traits of meat quality: back fat thickness (SNP1, P < 0.01), IMF (SNP5, P < 0.06), muscle pH (SNP4, P < 0.05), meat color (SNP1, P < 0.03), and drip loss (SNP1, 2, 4, and 5, P < 0.04). We suggest that SNPs of the AK3L1 gene can induce variation in meat formation and may be potential markers for the quality of pig meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of global hydraulic conductivity and mechanical stiffness tensors for variably saturated true anisotropic intact rock matrices, joints, joint sets, and jointed rock masses is formulated to expand the fully coupled poroelastic governing equations presented by Kim (2004) for groundwater flow and solid skeleton deformation in porous geologic media to those for fractured and fractured porous geologic media. The global hydraulic conductivity tensors are derived from the local hydraulic conductivity tensors using coordinate transformation on the basis of the generalized Darcy’s law. The global mechanical stiffness tensors are then derived from the local or global mechanical compliance tensors using coordinate transformation on the basis of the generalized Hooke’s law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of constitutive equations is presented to evaluate the changes in the saturated hydraulic properties (i.e., porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity) which result from the mechanical deformation of porous geologic media. The constitutive equation for the deformation-dependent porosity is derived from the relationship between the porosity and the volumetric strain considering both solid skeleton and solid constituent (solid grain) to be compressible while the latter is less compressible. The constitutive equation for the deformation-dependent saturated hydraulic conductivity is then obtained by substituting the constitutive equation for the deformation-dependent porosity into the Kozeny-Carman equation assuming that the mechanical deformation of porous geologic media does not alter the shape of the pores since the individual solid grains are relatively incompressible compared with the solid skeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The governing equation for solid skeleton deformation in a variably saturated true anisotropic porous geologic medium is derived from the macroscopic momentum balance equation for variably saturated solid skeleton. The governing equation for groundwater flow in a deforming variably saturated true anisotropic porous geologic medium is then derived from the macroscopic mass balance equations for water and solid constituent. Finally, these two governing equations constitute a set of fully coupled poroelastic governing equations for groundwater flow and solid skeleton deformation in variably saturated true anisotropic porous geologic media with appropriate constitutive mathematical equations, which are available from the literature, for the changes in the unsaturated hydraulic properties (i.e., degree of water saturation and relative hydraulic conductivity) by unsaturated water flow and the changes in the saturated hydraulic properties (i.e., porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity tensor) by solid skeleton deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-situ rock stress measurement is performed to estimate the state of stress at the Torigata open-pit limestone mine in Japan using the compact conica-ended borehole overcoring (CCBO) technique. The significance of the state of in-situ rock stress to evaluate the stability analysis of rock slope is then discussed. The CCBO technique was applied to the two horizontal boreholes, Borehole BH-1 at location I and Borehole BH-2 at location II. As a result of in-situ rock stress measured from the two horizontal boreholes using the CCBO technique, the maximum horizontal principal stress is in the NNE-SSW direction at present. The measured average vertical normal stress (−6.50 MPa) for Boreholes BH-1 and BH-2 is in good agreement with the estimated average overburden stress (−6.60 MPa). The horizontal normal stresses σxx (−5.10 MPa) and σyy (−6.00 MPa) are 78.5–92.3% of the vertical normal stress σzz (−6.50 MPa) suggesting that large horizontal stresses exist in Mount Torigata. The ratio of the horizontal normal stress to the vertical normal stress is relatively large at the measured location. Accordingly, for an appropriate evaluation of the mining-induced rock slope stability, not only the vertical stress components but also the horizontal stress components component should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of back and forward analyses is carried out to evaluate the states of regional and local in-situ rock stresses and the mining-induced rock slope stability using a three-dimensional finite element model and the state of local in-situ rock stress measured by the compact conical-ended borehole overcoring (CCBO) technique. The directions of the horizontal principal regional tectonic stresses obtained by the back analysis are in good agreement with those of the horizontal principal local in-situ rock stress measured by the CCBO technique. The magnitudes of the horizontal regional tectonic stress are more compressive than those of the horizontal local in-situ rock stress. This presumably results from the fact that the horizontal regional stress due to the gravity is not considered in the back-analyzed horizontal regional tectonic stress while it is included in the local in-situ rock stress measured by the CCBO technique. The local stress obtained by the forward analysis is also in good agreement with the horizontal local in-situ rock stress measured by the CCBO technique, and the magnitudes of the vertical normal stress increase more rapidly than those of the horizontal normal stresses with depth. The ratio of the horizontal normal stress to the vertical normal stress is largest at the current excavation level and decreases with depth. This suggests that the stress field within the mining-induced rock slope is affected by the horizontal components of the local in-situ rock stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater in a mid-western coastal aquifer system, Korea have been investigated to identify the salinization process. The spatial distributions of the groundwater components are well consistent with the groundwater flow pattern that follows topography in the study area. The groundwater at many locations in the study area is not suitable for drinking water because of its high salinity, which is mainly caused by seawater intrusion. The chemical composition of the groundwater is characterized by high chloride concentration and high variations in cation concentrations due to the cation exchange reaction between aquifer minerals and seawater components. The similar distributions of chemical components between rainy and dry seasons suggest that the groundwater flow system is almost in a steady state condition. The groundwater is classified into Ca(HCO3)2, CaCl2, and NaCl types based on its hydrogeochemical characteristics. The groundwater from the alluvial aquifer shows higher salinity in the rainy season than the dry season while the groundwater in the bedrock aquifer shows lower salinity year-round. Isotope data and factor analysis also indicate that the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater are not only influenced by seawater intrusion but also by agricultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the poroelastic governing equations, generalized analytical solutions are developed for consolidation that results from instantaneous uniform loading on laterally infinite porous media. Depending on the drainage condition, two different cases are considered in deriving the analytical solutions. The first case is a single-drainage column from which the water drains only through the top surface during consolidation. The second case is a double-drainage column from which the water drains through both top and bottom surfaces during consolidation. The formulation of the analytical solutions is simple and generated without resorting to computationally demanding numerical schemes. The closed-form analytical solutions obtained are more general than Terzaghi’s and Biot’s analytical solutions. These analytical solutions can also be used as tools to validate poroelastic numerical models for simulating groundwater flow in deforming porous geologic media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a patient who underwent total vaginal hysterectomy for urinary incontinence 8 years previously with a sling operation using transobturator tape (TOT). She was admitted to our hospital after complaints of vaginal discharge, foul odor, and bleeding, left thigh pain, and edema. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) revealed a fistula tract from the vagina or urethra with remnant sling tape. We removed the remnant tape using intraoperative ultrasonography. This case exemplifies the rare occurrence of a vaginal fistula extending to the obturator, adductor, and pectineus muscles combined with myositis after TOT placement. It is important that urogynecologists recognize that TOT procedures may result in complications accompanied by common recurrent vaginal symptoms, such as vaginal odor and spotting, which can be identified by MRI or CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jeju horse, indigenous to the Jeju Island in Korea may have originated from Mongolian horses. Adaptations to the local harsh environment have conferred Jeju horse with unique traits such as small-sized body, stocky head, and shorter limbs. These characteristics have not been studied previously at the genomic level. Therefore, we sequenced and compared the genome of 41 horses belonging to 6 breeds. We identified numerous breed-specific non-synonymous SNPs and loss-of-function mutants. Demographic and admixture analyses showed that, though Jeju horse is genetically the closest to the Mongolian breeds, its genetic ancestry is independent of that of the Mongolian breeds. Genome wide selection signature analysis revealed that genes such as LCORL, MSTN, HMGA2, ZFAT, LASP1, PDK4, and ACTN2, were positively selected in the Jeju horse. RNAseq analysis showed that several of these genes were also differentially expressed in Jeju horse compared to Thoroughbred horse. Comparative muscle fiber analysis showed that, the type I muscle fibre content was substantially higher in Jeju horse compared to Thoroughbred horse. Our results provide insights about the selection of complex phenotypic traits in the small-sized Jeju horse and the novel SNPs identified will aid in designing high-density SNP chip for studying other native horse breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a 42-year-old female patient with a history of dysuria and vaginal discharge after a routine total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) to treat a myoma, and who developed a supratrigonal vesicovaginal fistula (VVF). The diagnosis was confirmed after performing pelvic examination, cystoscopy, computed tomography (CT). A vaginal repair of the VVF was also performed and was preceded by insertion of a guidewire into the fistula in the upper vagina and into the bladder.