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Background: Programmed cell death 6 (PDCD6) is known to be involved in apoptosis and tumorigenesis. Given the reported association with urinary cancer susceptibility through SNP analysis, we further analyzed the entire genomic structure of PDCD6. Methods: Three VNTR regions (MS1-MS3) were identified through the analysis of the genomic structure of PDCD6. To investigate the association between these VNTR regions and urinary cancer susceptibility, genomic DNA was extracted from 413 cancer-free male controls, 267 bladder cancer patients, and 331 prostate cancer patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to analyze the PDCD6-MS regions. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the association between specific genotypes and cancer risk. In addition, the effect of specific VNTRs on PDCD6 expression was also confirmed using a reporter vector. Results: Among the three VNTR regions, MS1 and MS2 exhibited monomorphism, while the MS3 region represented polymorphism, with its transmission to subsequent generations through meiosis substantiating its utility as a DNA typing marker. In a case–control study, the presence of rare alleles within PDCD6-MS3 exhibited significant associations with both bladder cancer (OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.33–4.95, P = 0.019) and prostate cancer (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.03–4.36, P = 0.038). Furthermore, through luciferase assays, we validated the impact of the MS3 region on modulating PDCD6 expression. Conclusions: This study suggests that the PDCD6-MS3 region could serve as a prognostic marker for urinary cancers, specifically bladder cancer and prostate cancer. Moreover, the subdued influence exerted by PDCD6-MS3 on the expression of PDCD6 offers another insight concerning the progression of urinary cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in immunotherapy for cancer due to their natural ability to target and destroy cancer cells. However, current methods to visualize NK cells' activity against tumors in live organisms are limited. We introduce an imaging method that non-invasively tracks NK cell activation by cancer cells through the STAT1 protein. To achieve this, we modified NK cells to include a specific genetic sequence that binds to STAT1 when activated. These engineered NK cells (GAS-NK) demonstrate their functionality through various biological tests and analysis. Observations of changes in cancer environments and patient-derived cancer organoid models further confirm the effectiveness of this approach. Our method provides a way to monitor NK cell activity, which could improve the prediction and effectiveness of NK cell-based cancer therapies, contributing to advances in cancer treatment. Imaging technique reveals STAT1-mediated activation of engineered NK cells, offering a novel method to monitor antitumor activity and enhance the effectiveness of NK cell-based cancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of antihypertensive medication on risks of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) among patients diagnosed with hypertension (HTN). A total of 5,195 patients, who were diagnosed with HTN between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2015, and subsequently diagnosed with OAG, were selected for analysis. For each OAG patient, 5 non-glaucomatous, hypertensive controls were matched (n = 25,975) in hypertension diagnosis date, residential area, insurance type and economic status. Antihypertensive medications were stratified into 5 types: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), β-blockers and diuretics. Relative risks were calculated. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, lifestyle, comorbidities, blood pressure (BP), follow-up duration, and use of other types of antihypertensive drugs, ARB and CCB were found to slightly increase OAG risks (RR 1.1087 (95% CI 1.0293–1.1942); 1.0694 (1.0077–1.1349), respectively). Combinations of ARB with diuretics (1.0893 (1.0349–1.1466)) and CCB (1.0548 (1.0122–1.0991)) also increased OAG risks. The risks for OAG were found to increase by antihypertensive medication use, but the effects appeared to be small. Further studies are necessary to identify the associations of increased BP, medication and therapeutic effect with OAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of tar during biomass gasification is a common phenomenon. Tar is a heavy hydrocarbon material that must be controlled; otherwise, it can damage the gasification process. Thus, the knowledge related to tar composition is crucial for the proper design of the syngas cleaning unit of a gasification process. Several studies have been conducted on tar sampling and analysis by using the cold solvent trapping (CST) method to date. However, these studies have not focused on the specific sampling parameters such as flow rate, total flow for producer gas sampling, and sampling time. Therefore, in this study, biomass gasification was conducted on a lab-scale fixed-bed gasification process using empty fruit bunch (EFB) to assess the effect of different sampling conditions on tar composition and quality. Besides, the applicability of energy conversion from EFB in form of syngas was also assessed in this study. The results showed that gasification efficiencies in this process were similar to typical gasification processes, with cold gas efficiency of about 60% and carbon conversion efficiency of about 50%. Regardless of the sampling conditions, benzene was found to be the main composition of tar generated by EFB gasification with an average concentration of 88 vol.%. Therefore, it is suggested that the syngas cleaning unit should be designed by focusing on benzene control. Moreover, it can be proposed that for reliable tar sampling results, the sampling time should be at least 20 min, the flow rate should be at least 2 L/min, and the total flow should be a minimum of 60L. However, these suggested values are not perfect and can vary depending on site conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of mercury (Hg) species during thermal cogeneration was analyzed in a 10 MWh solid refuse fuel (SRF) utility boiler using a selective non-catalytic reduction unit, semi-dry reactor, and fabric filter with activated carbon injection for air pollution control from the facility. The annual Hg inflow into this facility is 24.2 (from 9.2 to 33.3) kg. The Hg species in flue-gas at inlet and outlet of the air pollution control devices (APCDs) were observed to be a mixture of 14.4 µg-Hg/Sm3 of particulate mercury, 2.6 µg-Hg/Sm3 of oxidized mercury, and 15.6 µg-Hg/Sm3 of elemental mercury and another mixture of 0.0 of particulate mercury, 0.3 of oxidized mercury, and 11.0 of elemental mercury, respectively. Elemental mercury was the major component in the combustion residue. In the emission assessment, the mass distribution of Hg of fly ash, bottom ash, and stack emission was determined as 67% (16.2 kg/yr), 2.0% (0.47 kg/yr) and 31% (7.5 kg/yr), respectively. Although elemental mercury was captured by APCDs configuration, it is best to chemically capture the air-emission mercury. Evaluation of Hg stability was tested for the fly ash by sequential extraction procedure method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This population-based, retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between glaucoma surgery and all-cause and cause-specific mortality among Korean elderly patients with glaucoma. A total of 16210 elderly patients (aged ≥ 60 years) diagnosed with glaucoma between 2003 and 2012 were included, and their insurance data were analyzed. The participants were categorized into a glaucoma surgery cohort (n = 487), which included individuals who had diagnostic codes for open angle glaucoma (OAG) or angle closure glaucoma (ACG) and codes for glaucoma surgery, and a glaucoma diagnosis cohort (n = 15,723), which included patients who had codes for OAG and ACG but not for glaucoma surgery. Sociodemographic factors, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, and ocular comorbidities were included as covariates. Cox regression models were used to assess the association between glaucoma surgery and mortality. The incidence of all-cause mortality was 34.76/1,000 person-years and 27.88/1,000 person-years in the glaucoma surgery and diagnosis groups, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality associated with glaucoma surgery was 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.62, P = 0.014). The adjusted HR for mortality due to a neurologic cause was significant (HR = 2.66, 95% CI 1.18–6.00, P = 0.018). The adjusted HRs for mortality due to cancer (HR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.07–3.83, P = 0.029) and accident or trauma (HR = 4.00, 95% CI 1.55–10.34, P = 0.004) associated with glaucoma surgery for ACG were significant as well. Glaucoma surgery was associated with an increase of mortality in elderly patients with glaucoma. In particular, the risk of mortality associated with glaucoma surgery due to neurologic causes was significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the correlation between pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) parameters for diagnosis in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Forty-nine normal individuals (49 eyes) and 60 patients with NTG (60 eyes) were enrolled. OCTA and PERG parameters, such as macular vessel density (VD) and the amplitude of N35–P50 and P50–N95, were measured. Correlation analyses were performed between the parameters, and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to identify their diagnostic ability for NTG. Macular VD and the amplitude of N35–P50 and P50–N95 showed significant differences between the normal individuals and patients with NTG. Correlation between P50 and N95 amplitude and macular VD was significant in the normal and early glaucoma groups. Macular VD showed a higher AUC value (0.730) than that of P50–N95 amplitude (0.645) in the early glaucoma group. In the moderate to severe glaucoma group, the AUC value of the amplitude of P50–N95 (0.907) was higher than that of macular VD (0.876). The results indicate that PERG and OCTA parameters may identify glaucoma in its early stage, based on the severity of glaucomatous damage in patients with NTG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delftia sp. K82 is a soil bacterium capable of utilizing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including aniline, as its sole carbon and nitrogen source. In this study, the genome analysis of Delftia sp. K82 was completed and the genome data (6117 protein-coding genes and 62 RNA genes) were utilized for proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of Delftia sp. K82 cultured in aniline culture medium. Using these multi-omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics), complete gene clusters for aniline biodegradation pathways were identified and transcriptomic or proteomic sets specifically induced in aniline culture conditions were elucidated. These data provide multi-layered information on the metabolic characteristics of Delftia sp. K82. The findings suggest that multi-omics approaches are useful analytical tools for the elucidation of the metabolic diversity of soil bacteria and for the identification of novel metabolic enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate factors associated with macular vessel density and to analyze their effects according to glaucoma stage. Study design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 72 healthy eyes and 147 open-angle glaucomatous eyes were studied. All eyes underwent optical coherence tomography and visual field examinations. Clinical variables were compared according to the glaucoma stage. Relationships between macular vessel density (mVD) and other variables were analyzed using linear regression and segmented analyses. Results: Age (P = 0.010) and signal strength (P < 0.001) were associated with macular vessel density in healthy eyes. In glaucomatous eyes, age, signal strength, ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness, and mean deviation (MD) correlated with macular vessel density (all P ≤ 0.005). When analyzed by glaucoma stage, age correlated with macular vessel density in early (P = 0.017 and all P ≤ 0.012, respectively) and moderate (P = 0.002 and all P ≤ 0.001, respectively) glaucoma. Conversely, GCIPL thickness was associated with macular vessel density (P = 0.004). According to segmented analysis between MD and mVD, the MD value at the change point for mVD was −17.92 dB, which was much lower than that for GCIPL thickness (−5.83 dB). Conclusion: Signal strength was the most significant factor associated with macular vessel density in healthy and glaucomatous eyes. Other than signal strength, factors associated with macular vessel density of glaucomatous eyes vary according to the glaucoma stage. The segmented analysis suggests that mVD could be better than GCIPL thickness in predicting MD changes in moderate-to-advanced glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors associated with progressive retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) thinning of open-angle glaucoma(OAG) in patients whose intraocular pressure(IOP) was maintained low with medical treatment. Based on a retrospective review of medical records, OAG patients with ≥60 months of follow-up and mean IOP below 15 mmHg were recruited. All eyes underwent IOP measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometer(GAT), standard automated perimetry(SAP), and cirrus optical coherence tomography(cirrus OCT) at 6 month or 1 year intervals. RNFL thinning was assessed using the Guided Progression Analysis(GPA) software. Forty-one eyes of 41 patients (mean age 54.9 ± 13.5) were followed up for 77.8 ± 7.8 months. GPA detected 20 eyes (48.8%) with progressive RNFL thinning(−1.5 ± 0.5 um/year), who were subsequently classified as the 'rapid progression group.' Those whose rate of change in RNFL thickness was slower than −1.00 µm/year was classified as the 'slow progression group' (n = 21, −0.0 ± 0.4 um/year, P < 0.001). Mean IOP after initiating therapy was 13.2 ± 1.1 mmHg in the rapid progression group and 13.1 ± 1.3 mmHg in the slow progression group (P = 0.300; 14.8 ± 10.0% vs. 19.6 ± 12.4% reduction, P = 0.155). Disc hemorrhage was found to more frequently occur in the rapid progression group (P = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with disc hemorrhage were at a higher risk for progressive RNFL thinning in OAG (OR 37.529 95% CI 2.915–483.140) after adjusting for baseline co-variates (P = 0.005). In conclusion, disc hemorrhage is associated with progressive RNFL thinning in OAG with well-maintained IOP. Factors other than IOP appear to also play a role in OAG progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gasification experiments for sawdust were conducted using a fixed bed reactor at 900 °C by varying the secondary oxidant injection ratio to determine the optimal conditions for tar removal along with the enhancement of gasification efficiency. Secondary oxidant was injected as an oxidant at the top zone of the gasifier in varying ratios of 10-30% of the total amount of oxidant. This method was based on the primary method of tar removal and gasification efficiency improvement by thermal cracking of tar. Various gasification performance parameters were evaluated and tar content was estimated by measuring the fluctuation of weight of the activated carbon filter. The results showed that the concentration of tar in the producer gas decreased by injecting the secondary oxidant, even though syngas yield decreased. The recycling potential of the char produced in the gasification experiments was also assessed with the purpose of utilizing char as an adsorbent by determining its surface area and pore volume. The results demonstrated that the char produced from the gasification experiment had similar quality to that of the activated carbon used in this experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1 is a Gram-negative halophilic marine bacterium able to utilize several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo[a]pyrene. In this study, using transmission electron microscopy, we confirmed that N. pentaromativorans US6-1 produces outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). N. pentaromativorans OMVs (hereafter OMV) are spherical in shape, and the average diameter of OMV is 25-70 nm. Proteomic analysis revealed that outer membrane proteins and periplasmic proteins of N. pentaromativorans are the major protein components of OMV. Comparative proteomic analysis with the membrane-associated protein fraction and correlation analysis demonstrated that the outer membrane proteins of OMV originated from the membrane- associated protein fraction. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to characterize OMV purified from halophilic marine bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuronally expressed Shc adaptor homolog SCK1/SHC2 gene contains an unusually high number of minisatellites. In humans, twelve different minisatellite sequences are located in introns of SCK1/SHC2 and ten of them are highly polymorphic. Here we used primers developed for humans to screen ten intronic loci of SCK1/SHC2 in chimpanzee and gorilla, and undertook a comprehensive analysis of the genomic sequence to address the evolutionary events driving these variable repeats. All ten loci amplified in chimpanzee and gorilla contained hypervariable and low-variability minisatellites. The human polymorphic locus TR1 was monomorphic in chimpanzee and gorilla, but we detected polymorphic alleles in these apes for the human monomorphic TR7 locus. When we examined the repeat size among these hominoids, there was no consistent variation by length from humans to great apes. In spite of the inconsistent evolutionary dynamics in repeat length variation, exon 16 was highly conserved between humans and great apes. These results suggest that non-coding intronic minisatellites do not show a consistent evolutionary paradigm but evolved with different patterns among each minisatellite locus. These findings provide important insight for minisatellite conservation during hominoid evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CHO (Chinese Hamster ovary) cells are widely used for biotechnology and biomedical purposes, and now the EST library database of CHO cells is built. Based on this, the construction of the hamster genome library is under exertion. Though the transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning method is accounted as an innovative cloning technology without the construction of the genome library in human and mouse, there has been no trial to isolate the genomic fragment from hamster genome by TAR cloning. In this study, approximately 31 kb of hamster genomic fragment was isolated from the normal human/hamster mono-chromosomal somatic cell line (UV5HL9-5B) using universal hooks of rodent repeats sequence of B1 and B2 by TAR cloning. This fragment was analyzed by bioinformatics tools related to the genome alignment for the similarity analysis among rodent and primate, and was classified into rodents by phylogenetic analysis. One putative gene was found in this region which has homology with the human c14orf4 gene. A zinc finger protein domain was found in the translated hamster ORF. Therefore, we suggest that TAR cloning technique can be applied in CHO cells using mouse genomic information, and it can lead to the establishment of the hamster genome database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of mucin genes has identified the presence of several features that may represent important functional domains in mucin glycoproteins. In the central region of each mucin, there are a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR; minisatellites). However, their genomic levels are unclear because of complex genomic properties. We report here the distribution of VNTR and polymorphic analysis of MUC8. We searched for VNTR of MUC8 using the Tandem Repeat Finder program and found nine VNTR motif. Six ( MUC8 MS1∼MS6) among the nine VNTRs were evaluated in this study. Each VNTR in MUC8 region was analyzed in genomic DNA obtained from 200 unrelated individuals and multi-generational families. All VNTRs ( MUC8 MS1, -MS2, -MS3, -MS4,-MS5 and -MS6) were genotyped as polymorphic. The degree of polymorphism within the MUC8-MS5 showed the highest heterozygosity ( h = 0.786) in the MUC8 region. In order to perform a segregation analysis of the VNTRs in MUC8, we analyzed genomic DNA obtained from two generations of five families and from three generations of two families. Six of the polymorphic VNTRs were transmitted through meiosis following a Mendelian inheritance, which suggests that polymorphic VNTRs could be useful markers for paternity mapping and DNA fingerprinting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of Gram-positive pathogen that causes invasive pneumococcal disease. Nowadays, many S. pneumoniae strains are resistant to commonly used antibiotics such as β-lactams and macrolides. 3-Acyl-2-phenylamino-1,4-dihydroquinolin-4-one (APDQ) derivatives are known as novel chemicals having anti-pneumococcal activity against S. pneumoniae. The underlying mechanism of the anti-pneumococcal activity of this inhibitor remains unknown. Therefore, we tried to find the anti-pneumococcal mechanism of APDQ230122, one of the APDQ derivatives active against S. pneumoniae. We performed transcriptomic analysis (RNA-Seq) and proteomic analysis (LC–MS/MS analysis) to get differentially expressed genes (DEG) and differentially expressed proteins (DEP) of S. pneumoniae 521 treated with sub-inhibitory concentrations of APDQ230122 and elucidated the comprehensive expression changes of genes and proteins using multi-omics analysis. As a result, genes or proteins of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and DNA replication were significantly down-regulated. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that the structure of peptidoglycan was damaged by APDQ230122 in a chemical concentration-dependent manner. Therefore, we suggest peptidoglycan biosynthesis is a major target of APDQ230122. Multi-omics analysis can provide us useful information to elucidate anti-pneumococcal activity of APDQ230122. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a nomogram to predict the progression of glaucoma by fundus photography in patients with disc hemorrhage. Retrospective review of the medical records of patients with disc hemorrhage, which was detected during follow up with open angle glaucoma, from January 2010 to March 2018. Patients were divided into glaucoma progression (n = 52) or non-progression (n = 38) groups. We assessed proximal location and morphology of disc hemorrhage; relationship to retinal nerve fiber layer defects with disc hemorrhage; and angular extent of disc hemorrhage, between groups using fundus photography. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to select prognostic factors, and we constructed a nomogram to predict glaucoma progression. The number of disc hemorrhage at the border of retinal nerve fiber layer defects (P = 0.001) and peripapillary disc hemorrhage (P = 0.008) were significantly higher in the progression group. We used angular extent; location of disc hemorrhage with retinal nerve fiber layer defects; and proximal location of disc hemorrhage to construct the nomogram. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.847. We created the nomogram using fundus photography in patients showing disc hemorrhage as a novel and accurate screening method to predict glaucoma progression and aid clinicians to decide on the best treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of image quality fluctuations on the repeatability of thickness measurements of the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre (PP-RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform (GC-IPL) layers using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Three consecutive OCT scans each were performed on 56 healthy subject. Finally, 168 SS-OCT results were analysed. Based on the tertile values of the mean absolute difference of image quality score, all subjects were divided into the following three groups—low-(LIQD), moderate-(MIQD), and high-(HIQD) image quality score difference groups. A linear mixed model and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used for analyses. Despite high ICC values (> 0.9), several sectors showed significant differences in the ICC values in intergroup comparisons. For LIQD-HIQD and MIQD-HIQD, most PP-RNFL sectors showed significant differences. For GC-IPL sectors, the LIQD-HIQD comparison showed significant differences in the temporosuperior (p = 0.012), inferior (p <.001), and temporoinferior (p = 0.042) sectors. Significant differences existed in the average GC-IPL (p = 0.009), nasoinferior (p = 0.035), and inferior GC-IPL sectors (p <.001) for MIQD-HIQD comparison. With higher image quality fluctuations, the repeatability of SS-OCT decreased in several sectors, which are considered clinically relevant in evaluating glaucoma status. Therefore, maintaining high-quality image status is essential to enhance the reliability of SS-OCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]