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The recent discovery of blue fluorophores with high quantum yields based on pyridone structures inspired the development of new low‐molecular‐weight fluorophores with bright emissions at tunable wavelengths, which are highly attractive for various applications. In this study, we propose a rational design strategy for 2‐pyridone‐based fluorophores with bright emissions at long wavelengths. With a detailed understanding of the positional substitution effects on each carbon atom of the 2‐pyridone core, we developed a bright blue fluorophore (λabs=377 nm; λem=433 nm; ϵ=13,200 M−1 cm−1; ϕF=88 %) through C3‐aryl and C4‐ester substitutions followed by cyclization. Furthermore, by applying the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) principle, we invented a bright green fluorophore through C3‐ and C4‐diester and C6‐aryl substitutions. The ICT fluorophore based on the pyridone structure shows large molar absorptivity (ϵ=20,100 M−1 cm−1), longer emission wavelength (λem=539 nm), high emission quantum yield (ϕF=74 %), and large Stokes shift (Δv=5720 cm−1), which are comparable to those of practical fluorescent probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer, of which non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for ~85% of cases, remains a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality and morbidity worldwide. Tumor suppressor p53 is a master regulator of diverse cellular processes and is a therapeutic target in cancer. However, many aspects of its transcriptional regulation are still not well defined. WD repeat containing antisense to TP53α (Wrap53α) a newly identified natural antisense transcript of p53, can regulate p53 expression following DNA damage. The present study determined the methylation status of the Wrap53α promoter in primary lung tissues using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and evaluated its associations with clinicopathological features and survival in patients with NSCLC. The Wrap53α promoter was methylated in 12 (8.2%) of 146 malignant tissues. Its methylation was associated with the downregulation of its transcription and was frequently detected in patients with stages II–IIIA (P=0.03), and p53 mutation-negative cases (P=0.08). Methylation of Wrap53α promoter was associated with worse overall survival of total patients with a borderline significance [adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR)=2.44, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=0.98–6.04, P=0.05]. Notably, Wrap53α promoter methylation significantly associated with poor overall survival in p53 mutation-negative patients (log-rank P=0.01, adjusted HR=2.92, 95% CI=1.00–8.60, P=0.05), but not in patients with p53 mutations. The results of the present study suggest that Wrap53α may serve a role in the pathogenesis of a subset of lung cancer, and its methylation may be considered to be a prognostic marker for surgically resected NSCLC patients. However, further studies with a larger sample size are required to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality due to high incidence and poor survival rates, irrespective of global variations in its biology and treatment. Changes in DNA methylation are frequent in cancer and constitute an important mechanism in tumorigenesis. Normal mucosa of esophagus-specific 1 (NMES1) is expressed in epithelial tissue and is believed to be a tumor suppressor gene. The present study investigated the methylation status of the NMES1 promoter in 178 cases of primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by pyrosequencing and evaluated the prognostic value of this methylation. NMES1 methylation-positive tumors above the background threshold for non-malignant tissue were found in 15 cases (8.4%) and were detected exclusively in malignant tissues. In addition, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that methylation-positive patients experienced worse overall survival rate (OSR) compared with methylation-negative patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-5.69; P=0.02). Notably, within the methylation-positive group, patients with strong methylation tended to experience worse OSR compared with those with weak methylation (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.45 vs. 3.05; Ptrend=0.02). These findings suggest that NMES1 may serve an important role in lung cancer pathogenesis, and its methylation could be considered a prognostic marker for NSCLC. Further studies with large numbers of samples are required to confirm this conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of labyrinthine hemorrhage as a cause of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Methods: MRI scans of 59 patients with SSNHL were retrospectively analyzed and compared to clinical features and audiometry data. MR images included pre-enhanced T1-weighted, 3D FLAIR volume isometric turbo spin-echo acquisition (VISTA), post-enhanced T1-weighted and 4-h-delayed enhanced FLAIR VISTA, and 3D thin-section proton density-weighted images. Results: High labyrinth signals were seen on pre-enhanced T1-weighted and 3D FLAIR VISTA images with no enhancement for 6 of 59 (10.2%) patients with SSNHL. In these six patients with presumed inner-ear hemorrhage, high signal intensity was seen in the endolymphatic and perilymphatic portions of the labyrinth on T1-weighted and 3D FLAIR VISTA images. In patients with SSNHL with nonhemorrhagic causes such as vestibular schwannoma or labyrinthitis, high signal or labyrinthine enhancement was seen only in the perilymphatic portion of the labyrinth on pre- or post-enhanced 3D FLAIR VISTA images. Conclusions: MRI using pre-enhanced T1-weighted, 3D FLAIR VISTA, and post-enhanced T1-weighted, 4-h delayed enhanced FLAIR VISTA images is able to identify labyrinthine hemorrhage as the cause of SSNHL. High signals in both the endolymphatic and perilymphatic portions of the labyrinth on pre- or post-enhanced 3D FLAIR VISTA images without enhancement indicate labyrinthine hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are defined as alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence, which create a substantial public health problem worldwide. To date, no therapeutic can effectively solve these problems. They are complex diseases characterized by both genetic and environmental factors. DNA methylation can act as a downstream effector of environmental signals and account for multi-factorial nature of the disease. Global DNA methylation of peripheral blood cells has recently been proposed as a potential biomarker for disease risk.Aluelements host one-quarter of CpG dinucelotides in the genome to function as proxies for global DNA methylation. In this study, we evaluated theAlumethylation in the peripheral blood DNA of healthy volunteers and AUD patients using the pyrosequencing technology. TheAlumethylation level is significantly higher in AUD compared to healthy controls (23.4 ± 1.6 versus 22.1 ± 1.0,t = 7.83,p < 0.0001). Moreover, significant correlation was found betweenAlumethylation and alcohol use disorders identification test score (r = 0.250,p < 0.0001), alcohol problem (r = 0.294,p < 0.0001), and life position (r = –0.205,p = 0.0005). Overall, these novel findings indicate that alcohol-related increase inAlumethylation might play a complex role in the etiology and pathogenesis of AUD. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A metering roundabout where traffic is controlled by traffic lights with phase times influenced by queue detector occupancy might be the solution to enhance performance when there are unbalanced traffic flows at roundabouts. There have, however, been minimal studies on how the distance of the queue detector from the stop line affects signal phase time durations and the queuing lengths. This research, therefore, seeks to develop a Cuckoo Search/Local search Algorithm using parameters such as arrival volumes, conflicting volumes, detector distance and phase time to investigate the relationship of signal setting, detector location and queuing formulations. Also, some additional statistical tests were performed for the fitness of the data. In order to conduct solid model calibrations and validations, model output data was compared against the AIMSUN model. The results from the analyses demonstrated that the queue detector distance can affect phase time durations and vehicle queuing lengths on the controlling approach as well as queuing lengths on the metered approach. This study showed that, based on the study for the Old Belair Road roundabout, the total queue length (controlling + metered) will be minimized from 689 to 499 m by the proposed methods when the detector is relocated at 210 m from the roundabout stop line, giving longer phase green times and resulting in decreased intersection queuing lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to examine the changes in a biological community in the South Sea of Korea that is caused by the installation of an artificial upwelling structure during the summer season when the forming of the stratification is the strongest, the researchers evaluate the water's temperature and nutrients, the standing crops and species diversity of phytoplankton and zooplankton, and the benthic organisms. The forming depth of Maximum Thermocline of Water Column (MTWC) is elevated after installing an artificial upwelling structure. Also, instead of showing a clear stratification where the concentration of nutrients increases as the depth of the sea increases, the distribution of nutrients after installing an artificial upwelling structure has changed, showing a lower degree of stratification by causing the mixing of the water mass. Compared to 2005, when the artificial upwelling structure was first introduced, the standing crop of phytoplankton and zooplankton has increased by 58.2 and 30.0 times in 2008, thus showing a tendency to increase as the size of the artificial upwelling structure becomes bigger. Also, the species diversity index of phytoplankton and zooplankton has increased and the size of the artificial upwelling structure has become greater. When the environment underwater around the artificial upwelling structure was examined in 2008, the underwater environment, arthropods such asBalanus albicostatus, mollusks such asPatinopecten yessoensisandBatillus cornutus, echinoderms such asAsterina pectiniferaandComanthus japonica, chordates such asHalocynthia roretzi, and fishes such asSebastes inermisandOplegnathus fasciatuswere found, thus forming a benthic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A single-chip sensor system-on-a-chip (SoC) that implements radio for 2.4 GHz, complete digital baseband physical layer (PHY), 10-bit sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter and dedicated sensor calibration hardware for industrial sensing systems has been proposed and integrated in a 0.18-µm CMOS technology. The transceiver's building block includes a low-noise amplifier, mixer, channel filter, receiver signal-strength indicator, frequency synthesizer, voltage-controlled oscillator, and power amplifier. In addition, the digital building block consists of offset quadrature phase-shift keying (OQPSK) modulation, demodulation, carrier frequency offset compensation, auto-gain control, digital MAC function, sensor calibration hardware and embedded 8-bit microcontroller. The digital MAC function supports cyclic redundancy check (CRC), inter-symbol timing check, MAC frame control, and automatic retransmission. The embedded sensor signal processing block consists of calibration coefficient calculator, sensing data calibration mapper and sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter with digital decimation filter. The sensitivity of the overall receiver and the error vector magnitude (EVM) of the overall transmitter are -99 dBm and 18.14%, respectively. The proposed calibration scheme has a reduction of errors by about 45.4% compared with the improved progressive polynomial calibration (PPC) method and the maximum current consumption of the SoC is 16 mA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a 66-year-old woman with a posterior circulation stroke that occurred after bronchial artery embolization (BAE) due to post-tuberculous bronchiectasis. Stroke is a rare complication of BAE and is usually thought to be caused by inadvertent embolization via a bronchial artery-pulmonary vein shunt. However, the possibility of thromboembolic stroke should be considered, because of the patient's possible underlying anatomical variations or atherothrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lead oxide glass frits are used widely in the electronics industry for low-temperature firing. On the other hand, one of the low-sintering and low-melting lead-free glass systems available, the bismate glass system, is considered to be an alternative to lead oxide glass. In order to extend the applications of Bi2O3 glasses, this study examined the thermophysical properties of low-melting Bi2O3–B2O3–ZnO–BaO–Al2O3–SiO2 glass frits with various ZnO/B2O3 ratios. The fundamental thermal properties, such as glass transition temperature and softening point, were examined by differential thermal analysis and a glass softening point determination system. The wetting angles, viscosities and surface tension of the various bismate glasses on an alumina substrate were measured using hot-stage microscopy and the sessile drop method. These thermophysical properties will be helpful in understanding the work of adhesion and the liquid spread kinetics of glass frits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and is usually associated with late diagnosis and poor prognosis. Tumor-acquired methylation of the promoter CpG islands (CGIs) is an important mechanism for silencing tumor suppressor genes. The checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2) is a tumor suppressor that plays a crucial role in regulating cell-cycle checkpoints and apoptosis following DNA damage. The methylation statuses of two CGIs, distal and proximal, of human CHK2 gene were determined in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) using a nested methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing. The methylation of distal CHK2 CGI was found in 39 (28.1%) of the 139 NSCLCs. Its frequency was significantly more frequent in squamous cell carcinomas than in adenocarcinomas (40.0% vs 19.0%, p =0.006) and was also higher in ever-smokers than in never-smokers with a borderline significance (31.7% vs 17.1%, p =0.071). RT-PCR analysis showed that the distal CGI methylation correlated with CHK2 mRNA expression. However, the methylation of the proximal CHK2 CGI is not specific to tumors and not related to gene expression. These results suggest that the down-regulation of CHK2 gene via distal CGI methylation may play a role in the pathogenesis of NSCLC, particularly squamous cell carcinoma. However, further studies with large numbers of patients are needed to confirm our findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: ADAMTS1 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motifs) is an extracellular matrix metalloproteinase with protease activity and antiangiogenic activity. It has been suggested that ADAMTS1 plays an important role in tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, we examined ADAMTS1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and we also evaluated whether the loss of ADAMTS1 expression is due to aberrant methylation of the gene. In addition, we examined the relationship between ADAMTS1 methylation and clinicopathologic features in NSCLC patients. ADAMTS1 expression was examined using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the methylation status of the gene was evaluated by methylation-specific PCR in NSCLC cell lines (n=10) and primary NSCLC tumors (n=98). Down-regulation of ADAMTS1 was observed in 30% (3/10) of the NSCLC cell lines, and this down-regulation was found to be concordant with aberrant methylation of the gene. Furthermore, ADAMTS1 expression was restored after treatment with the demethylating agent, 5-Aza-2’-deoxycytidine, in cell lines that lacked ADAMTS1 expression. Aberrant methylation of the gene was observed in 31.6% (31 of 98) of the NSCLC tumors, while it was found in only 7.1% (7/98) of the corresponding nonmalignant tissues. Methylation in NSCLC tumors was not correlated with the clinicopathologic features of the patients, such as age, gender, and histology and pathologic staging of the tumor. Taken together, these results suggest that aberrant methylation of ADAMTS1 frequently occurs in NSCLCs and that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of NSCLC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: We performed this study to investigate the aberrant methylation profile of the cancer-related genes in Korean non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that previously exhibited high frequencies of methylation in Western populations. The aberrant promoter methylation of eight genes (GSTP1, p16, FHIT, APC, RASSF1A, hMLH1, hMSH2, AGT) was determined by MSP in 99 surgically resected NSCLCs and their corresponding nonmalignant lung tissues. Methylation in the tumor samples was detected at 15% for GSTP1, 22% for p16, 34% for FHIT1, 48% for APC, 40% for RASSF1A, 18% for hMLH1, 8% for hMSH2 and 21% for AGT, whereas it occurred at lower frequencies in the corresponding nonmalignant lung tissues, particularly in the p16 (1%) and RASSF1A (1%) genes. These results suggest that the methylation profiles of NSCLCs in a Korean population are similar to those in Western populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work, we present an extended gate field effect transistor (EGFET)-based biosensor integrated with a silicon micro-fluidic channel for the electronic detection of streptavidin–biotin protein complexes. The connection between the EGFET and microfluidic system could be achieved with the proposed device, as it offers isolation between the device and solution, compatibility with the integrated circuit (IC) technology and, is applicable to the micro total analysis system (μ-TAS). The device was fabricated on the basis of semiconductor IC fabrication and micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology. Au was used as the extended gate metal to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with thiol. The bindings of the SAM, streptavidin and biotin were detected by measuring the electrical characteristics of the FET device. We also verified the interactions among the SAM, streptavidin, and biotin by using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of the bio-layers formed on the Au electrode were taken in a solution in order to determine the presence of protein biomolecules with the proposed configuration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We have fabricated an field effect transistor (FET)-type DNA charge sensor based on 0.5 μm standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology which can detect the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probe’s immobilization and information on hybridization by sensing the variation of drain current due to DNA charge and investigated its electrical characteristics. FET-type charge sensor for detecting DNA sequence is a semiconductor sensor measuring the change of electric charge caused by DNA probe’s immobilization on the gate metal, based on the field effect mechanism of MOSFET. It was fabricated in p-channel (P) MOSFET-type because the phosphate groups present in DNA have a negative charge and this charge determines the effective gate potential of PMOSFET. Gold (Au) which has a chemical affinity with thiol was used as the gate metal in order to immobilize DNA. The gate potential is determined by the electric charge which DNA possesses. Variation of the drain current versus time was measured. The drain current increased when thiol DNA and target DNA were injected into the solution, because of the field effect due to the electrical charge of DNA molecules. The experimental validity was verified by the results of mass changes detected using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) under the same measurement condition. Therefore it is confirmed that DNA sequence can be detected by measuring the variation of the drain current due to the variation of DNA charge and the proposed FET-type DNA charge sensor might be useful in the development for DNA chips. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The hyperexcitability and ectopic spontaneous discharge (ESD) of primary sensory neurons may be important for the generation or maintenance of neuropathic pain. To investigate the relationship between the electrical abnormalities of injured neurons and voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel gene expression, the expression of the Kv channel α genes in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was monitored by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. Electrophoresis of the RT-PCR products showed the presence of several Kv α transcript types with various levels of basal expression in lumbar 4, 5, and 6 DRGs. The Kv 1.2, 1.4, 2.2, 4.2, and 4.3 mRNA levels in the ipsilateral DRG were 63–73% of the contralateral sides of the same animal at 3 days and 34–63% at 7 days following CCI. In addition, Kv 1.1 mRNA levels declined to about 72% of the contralateral level at 7 days. No significant changes in Kv 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, and 4.1 mRNA levels were detectable in the ipsilateral DRG at both days. These results suggest that the downregulation of Kv channel α gene expression in the DRG following CCI may result in the reduction of K+ current and contribute to neuronal excitability and ESD generation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Airborne particulate matter (PM), a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, is a major public health concern due to its adverse health effects. Understanding the biological action of PM is of particular importance in the improvement of public health. Differential methylation of repetitive elements (RE) by PM might have severe consequences for the structural integrity of the genome and on transcriptional activity, thereby affecting human health. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inhaled and non-inhaled PM (PM2.5, PM10, and PM10-PAH) exposure on DNA methylation. We quantitatively measured the methylation content of Alu and LINE1 in PM-treated normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) and normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) by using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing. Results: All PMs exposure significantly lowered Alu and LINE1 methylation in both cells than in mock-treated controls. Hypomethylation was more prominent in PM10-PAH exposed-NHBE and PM10 exposed-NHEK. Alu and LINE1 methylation change exhibited different sensitivity according to the subfamily evolutionary ages, with stronger effects on the oldest L1-M and Alu J in NHBE, and oldest L1-M and youngest Alu S in NHEK. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the differential susceptibility of PM-induced hypomethylation of Alu and LINE1 depends upon RE evolutionary age and PM type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is a two-dimensional (2D) surface with a programmable structure and is composed of many arrays. The arrays are used to supervise electromagnetic wave propagation by altering the electric and magnetic properties of the 2D surface. IRS can influentially convert wireless channels to very effectively enhance spectral efficiency (SE) and communication performance in wireless systems. However, proper channel information is necessary to realize the IRS anticipated gains. The conventional technique has been taken into consideration in recent attempts to fix this issue, which is straightforward but not ideal. A deep learning model which is called the long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) model can tackle this issue due to its good learning capability and it plays a vital role in enhancing SE. Bi-LSTM can collect data from both forward and backward directions simultaneously to provide improved prediction accuracy. Because of the tremendous benefits of the Bi-LSTM model, in this paper, an IRS-assisted Bi-LSTM model-based multi-user multiple input single output downlink system is proposed for SE improvement. A Wiener filter is used to determine the optimal phase of each IRS element. In the simulation results, the proposed system is compared with other DL models and methods for the SE performance evaluation. The model exhibits satisfactory SE performance with a different signal-to-noise ratio compared to other schemes in the online phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is one of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies for increasing the effectiveness of wireless systems. Deep learning (DL) is a promising method that can enhance system efficacy using powerful tools in RIS-based environments. However, the lack of extensive training of the DL model results in the reduced prediction of feature information and performance failure. Hence, to address the issues, in this paper, a combined DL-based optimal decoding model is proposed to improve the transmission error rate and enhance the overall efficiency of the RIS-assisted multiple-input multiple-output communication system. The proposed DL model is comprised of a 1-dimensional convolutional neural network (1-D CNN) and a gated recurrent unit (GRU) module where the 1-D CNN model is employed for the extraction of features from the received signal with further process over the configuration of different layers. Thereafter, the processed data are used by the GRU module for successively retrieving the transmission signal with a minimal error rate and accelerating the convergence rate. It is initially trained offline using created OFDM data sets, after which it is used online to track the channel and extract the transmitted data. The simulation results show that the proposed network performs better than the other technique that was previously used in terms of bit error rate and symbol error rate. The outcomes of the model demonstrate the suitability of the proposed model for use with the next-generation wireless communication system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaverse is emerging as a next-generation internet paradigm that will enhance human interaction and connectivity. Digital twinning, a fundamental strategy used in the metaverse, allows for the virtualization of real-world items, people, actions, and settings. A virtual world called the metaverse is built on a variety of technologies. Wireless communication is an important part of these technologies. In particular, wireless 6G communication can be essential for the growth of the metaverse. In line with the goal of achieving higher rates in the next-generation wireless network for the metaverse, in this paper, a novel conceptualization of intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted multiple-input single output-based wireless communication in physical world environments is proposed. More specifically, this paper proposes that in the physical world, the IRS-assisted communication between a communication network and users can be reflected in the metaverse through the virtual world (such as digital avatars and the virtual environment). In the simulations, the bit-error rate and spectral efficiency of the receiver terminal were performed and calculated in the metaverse engine for future consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a power plant that uses seawater as a coolant, a debris filter (DF) is required to remove foreign substances from the seawater, and differential pressure leads to a decrease in the coolant flow rate, leading to a decrease in the power generation efficiency. In this study, an analysis was performed for the cases wherein the initial flow velocity conditions of the DF used in the condenser tube cleaning system (CTCS) were 1.5 m/s, 2.0 m/s, and 2.5 m/s using Ansys Fluent 2021, and the flow characteristics were identified. The flow and differential pressure characteristics of a CTCS with an installed DF were considered in a comparative analysis of the velocity, pressure, and turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) distributions. The results confirmed that a vortex was generated in the pipe with the DF, apparently due to the collision of the flow with the bracket of the DF. As the flow rate increased, the range of the vortex increased, causing a loss in flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite therapeutic advances, lung cancer prognosis remains poor. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the 3p21 region is well documented in lung cancer, but the specific causative genes have not been identified. Materials and Methods: Here, we aimed to examine the clinical impact of miR‐135a, located in the 3p21 region, in lung cancer. miR‐135a expression was assessed using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. LOH was analyzed at microsatellite loci D3S1076 and D3S1478, and promoter methylation status was determined by pyrosequencing of resected samples of primary non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) was evaluated in lung cancer cells H1299 by luciferase report assays after treatment with miR‐135a mimics. Results: miR‐135a was significantly downregulated in squamous cell cancer (SCC) tumor tissues compared to normal tissues (p = 0.001). Low miR‐135a expression was more frequent in patients with SCC (p = 2.9 × 10−4) and smokers (p = 0.01). LOH and hypermethylation were detected in 27.8% (37/133) and 17.3% (23/133) of the tumors, respectively. Overall, 36.8% (49/133) of the NSCLC cases harbored either miR‐135a LOH or promoter hypermethylation. The frequencies of LOH and hypermethylation were significantly associated with SCCs (p = 2 × 10−4) and late‐stage (p = 0.04), respectively. MiR‐135a inhibited the relative luciferase activity of psiCHECK2‐TERT‐3'UTR. Conclusion: These results suggest that miR‐135a may act as a tumor suppressor to play an important role in lung cancer carcinogenesis, which will provide a new insight into the translational value of miR‐135a. Further large‐scale studies are required to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a major health hazard worldwide and is a key factor in lung cancer, which remains the most common type of malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. DNA methylation is a critical mechanism underlying the detrimental effects of PM, however, the molecular link between PM exposure and lung cancer remains to be elucidated. N-α-acetyltransferase 10 (NAA10) is involved in the cell cycle, migration, apoptosis, differentiation, and proliferation. In order to investigate the role of NAA10 in PM-induced pathogenesis processes leading to lung cancer, we determined the expression and methylation of NAA10 in normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells treated with PM10, PM10-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and PM2.5 and evaluated the prognostic value of the NAA10 methylation status in lung cancer patients. Exposure to all PM types significantly increased the expression of NAA10 mRNA and decreased the methylation of the NAA10 promoter in NHBE cells compared with the mock-treated control. NAA10 hypomethylation was observed in 9.3% (13/140) of lung cancer tissue samples and correlated with NAA10 transcriptional upregulation. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that NAA10 hypomethylation was associated with decreased survival of patients with lung cancer. Therefore, these results suggest that PM-induced hypomethylation of the NAA10 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer and may be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for lung cancer progression. Further studies with large numbers of patients are warranted to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible light communication (VLC) has contributed new unused spectrum in addition to the traditional radio frequency communication and can play a significant role in wireless communication. The adaptation of VLC technology enhances wireless connectivity both in indoor and outdoor environments. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication has been an efficient technique for increasing wireless communications system capacity and performance. With the advantages of MIMO techniques, VLC can achieve an additional degree of freedom. In this paper, we systematically perform a survey of the existing work based on MIMO VLC. We categorize the types of different MIMO techniques, and a brief description is given. Different problem-solving approaches are given in the subsequent sections. In addition, machine learning approaches are also discussed in sufficient detail. Finally, we identify the future study direction for MIMO-based communication in VLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood vessels are three-dimensional (3D) in structure and precisely connected. Conventional histological methods are unsuitable for their analysis because of the destruction of functionally important topological 3D vascular structures. Tissue optical clearing techniques enable extensive volume imaging and data analysis without destroying tissue. This study therefore applied a tissue clearing technique to acquire high-resolution 3D images of rat brain vasculature using light-sheet and confocal microscopies. Rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion for 45 min followed by 24 h reperfusion with lectin injected directly into the heart for vascular staining. For acquiring 3D images of rat brain vasculature, 3-mm-thick brain slices were reconstructed using tissue clearing and light-sheet microscopy. Subsequently, after 3D rendering, the fitting of blood vessels to a filament model was used for analysis. The results revealed a significant reduction in vessel diameter and density in the ischemic region compared to those in contralesional non-ischemic regions. Immunostaining of 0.5-mm-thick brain slices revealed considerable neuronal loss and increased astrocyte fluorescence intensity in the ipsilateral region. Thus, these methods can provide more accurate data by broadening the scope of the analyzed regions of interest for examining the 3D cerebrovascular system and neuronal changes occurring in various brain disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The syntheses of new 2,3-disubstituted 4-chloro-1-hydroxyindoles were described. The conjugate nitro ketoester was reacted with various thiol and alcohol nucleophiles by the action of stannous chloride dihydrate through the unique processes of reduction of nitro group, intramolecular condensation, and addition of nucleophiles in one pot, to provide multisubstituted 1-hydroxyindoles. The reactions with thiol nucleophiles provided better results than those with alcohols, and, in particular, secondary and tertiary thiols provided best yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a low-cost highperformance H.264/AVC SVC decoder with multi-symbol prediction context-based adaptive variable length coding (CAVLC) for advanced T-DMB receiver. Proposed multisymbol prediction CAVLC mainly consists of a simple arithmetic operation unit with reduced look-up tables and a leading zero detector. We also propose a multi-symbol run_before decoder and it decodes more than 2.5 symbols in a cycle. Gate count of a H.264/AVC SVC decoder is about 1,300K gates when synthesized with 0.18um CMOS process and it can be operated at 120MHz clock frequency. For the verification of a H.264/AVC SVC decoder chip, prototype mobile movie player systems have been implemented using a 7 inch LCD and USB controller1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network enabled digital technology increases the connectivity of consumer devices within the home for the purpose of remote control and monitoring of network enabled devices. Such dynamic control scheme for multiple legacy IR controllable digital consumer electronics appliances increases power consumption and system complexity. In this paper, we present a wireless sensor node SoC with a profiled power management unit for reducing active power consumption of a battery operated interactive home remote controller. The profiled power management unit decides the behavior of the power management service and the classes of operating hardware blocks which is used to control power state and hardware reset management for a wireless sensor node SoC. A profile includes the consumer devices classes, activity property values, and methods for changing a pending power state and an immediate power state. Proposed wireless sensor node SoC consists of an 8- bit embedded microcontroller with 64 Kbytes in-system programmable flash memory, hardwired media access control (MAC), RF transceiver and digital baseband. We fabricate a wireless sensor node SoC using 0.18 um CMOS technology and organize a wireless sensor network for home automation. These results show that it reduces active power consumption about 18% and it can be successfully applied in wireless sensor networks for further interactive home automation system1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the fastest growing next generation consumer products is a robot technology industry and it is rapidly forming a huge market. A depth extraction is one of the key techniques to adopt a home assistant robot for avoiding obstacles and looking for a transfer route. However, a home assistant robot mounted stereo vision systems produce unpredictable changes in video sequences when the robot is walking and needs hard computation to produce an accurate estimation. In this paper, we propose hardware based realtime stereo depth extraction method for an intelligent home assistant robot. For fast adaption of the external environment, we present depth map extraction algorithm by using preprocessing, parallel prediction searching employing median filter. Experimental results show that the proposed method reduces the processing time and the energy consumption compared to the conventional methods. This implementation is suitable for adaptive real-time depth extraction that is compatible with current robot applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Growth hormone (GH) plays a relevant role in modulation of insulin action and body composition. GH has important effects in energy partitioning, leading to decreased fat stores in adipose tissue and increased lean mass. We have found relevant changes in genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and oxidation in liver of mice with altered GH action, however, little is known about the effects of GH action in hepatic lipid composition. We investigated the metabolic effects of GH on lipid composition in liver of mouse models with altered GH action: 1) dwarf lit/lit mice, with isolated GH deficiency, and their GH-sufficient lit/+ littermates; 2) giant transgenic bovine GH (bGH), a model of GH excess, and their wild-type littermates. All mice were male, 3 months of age, fed with regular mouse diets. Phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG), and cholesterol esters (CE) were analyzed by gas chromatography by the Lipid, Lipoprotein and Atherosclerosis Core of the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers. We found that lit/lit mice, in spite of their obesity, showed no histologic signs of liver steatosis. Consistent with this, there were no differences in the amount of TG, PL, or the combined (TG + PL + CE) lipid fractions. 16-carbon monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were increased in TG, and 18-carbon MUFAs were increased in PL and CE. A potential explanation for this increase in MUFAs is an increase in stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), the ram-limiting enzyme in biosynthesis of MUFAs. Consistent with this, we have observed increased SCD1 mRNA levels in lit/lit mice. bGH mice, that are lean, showed a small increase in total (TG + PL + CE) lipid content. This modest increase may be related to decreased lipid oxidation in liver. Consistent with this, we have observed reduced mRNA levels of PPARα, a key regulator of lipid oxidation. 16-carbon MUFAs were lower in bGH mice in TG, PL and CE; 18-carbon MUFAs were decreased in PL. 18-carbon SFA stearate was increased in TG and PL. A possible explanation for the observed changes in MUFAs in bGH mice is decreased SCD activity. We observed reduced mRNA levels of SCD1 in bGH mice liver, and consistently reduced mRNA levels of SREBP-1c, which is involved in up-regulation of SCD1. Arachidonate is a precursor of prostaglandins and lenkotrienes, potent mediators of inflammation. bGH mice showed a marked increase in arachidonate in all lipid fractions. In conclusion, GH action, mainly GH excess, leads to profound changes in lipid composition in liver, mostly in MUFAs and arachidonate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. It is characterized by different pathways of carcinogenesis and is a heterogeneous disease with diverse molecular landscapes that reflect histopathological and clinical information. Changes in the DNA methylation status of colon epithelial cells have been identified as critical components in CRC development and appear to be emerging biomarkers for the early detection and prognosis of CRC. OBJECTIVE: To explore the underlying disease mechanisms and identify more effective biomarkers of CRC. METHODS: We compared the levels and frequencies of DNA methylation in 11 genes (Alu, APC, DAPK, MGMT, MLH1, MINT1, MINT2, MINT31, p16, RGS6, and TFPI2) in colorectal cancer and its precursor adenomatous polyp with normal tissue of healthy subjects using pyrosequencing and then evaluated the clinical value of these genes. RESULTS: Aberrant methylation of Alu, MGMT, MINT2, and TFPI2 genes was progressively accumulated during the normal-adenoma-carcinoma progression. Additionally, CGI methylation occurred either as an adenoma-associated event for APC, MLH1, MINT1, MINT31, p16, and RGS6 or a tumor-associated event for DAPK. Moreover, relatively high levels and frequencies of DAPK, MGMT, and TFPI2 methylation were detected in the peritumoral nonmalignant mucosa of cancer patients in a field-cancerization manner, as compared to normal mucosa from healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: This study identified several biomarkers associated with the initiation and progression of CRC. As novel findings, they may have important clinical implications for CRC diagnostic and prognostic applications. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Thyroid lobectomy is now preferred over total thyroidectomy to preserve thyroid function and reduce complications in patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). One inevitable consequence of thyroidectomy includes hypothyroidism. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for hypothyroidism and thyroid hormone replacement after hemithyroidectomy in patients with PTC. Methods: We retrospectively studied 353 patients with PTC who underwent hemithyroidectomy with or without central neck dissection from January 2012 to January 2019. We excluded patients who had hypo- or hyperthyroidism preoperatively and those who underwent total or subtotal thyroidectomy. We analyzed various risk factors related to postoperative hypothyroidism and thyroid hormone supplementation. Results: Of the patients, 54.7% showed hypothyroidism after hemithyroidectomy (n=193 with n=157, subclinical hypothyroidism; n=36, overt hypothyroidism). Ninety-one percent of postoperative hypothyroidism cases developed within 7 months postoperatively. Eventually, 43.1% (n=152) of patients received levothyroxine after hemithyroidectomy. Preoperative high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level and low free thyroxine (fT4) level were significantly associated with postoperative hypothyroidism and the need for thyroid hormone supplementation postoperatively. Conclusion: Preoperative TSH and fT4 levels are predictive risk factors of hypothyroidism and need for supplementation of levothyroxine after hemithyroidectomy in patients with PTC. Finally, approximately 43% of patients need levothyroxine supplementation after hemithyroidectomy, and individual preoperative counseling is necessary for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypothermic protection against ischemic stroke has been reported by many studies. Hypothermia is supposed to mitigate the effects of deleterious genes and proteins and promote the activity of protective genes and proteins in the ischemic brain. Metallothionein (MT)-1/2 is thought to be a crucial factor for metal homeostasis, immune function, and apoptosis. This protein was found to exert protective effects in models of brain injury as well. In the present study, we investigated the effect of hypothermia on MT expression and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cultured bEnd.3 brain endothelial cells were exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD+R). Reverse transcription PCR and western blot analyses were performed to measure the expression of MT, transcription factors, and methylation regulating factors. Transcription factor binding assays were also performed. Methylation profiles of the promoter area were obtained with pyrosequencing. Results: Hypothermia protected bEnd.3 cells from OGD+R. When the cells were exposed to OGD+R, MT expression was induced. Hypothermia augmented MT levels. While OGD+R-induced MT expression was mainly associated with metal regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF-1), MT expression promoted by hypothermia was primarily mediated by the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Significantly increased STAT3 phosphorylation at Ser727 was observed with hypothermia, and JSI-124, a STAT-3 inhibitor, suppressed MT expression. The DNA demethylating drug 5-aza-20-deoxycytidine (5-Aza) enhanced MT expression. Some of the CpG sites in the promoter MT=> it should be "the CpG sites in the MT promoter" showed different methylation profiles and some methylation regulating factors had different expressional profiles in the presence of OGD+R and hypothermia. Conclusions: We demonstrated that hypothermia is a potent inducer of MT gene transcription in brain endothelial cells, and enhanced MT expression might contribute to protection against ischemia. MT gene expression is induced by hypothermia mainly through the STAT3 pathway. DNA methylation may contribute to MT gene regulation under ischemic or hypothermic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is known as a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway, which plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis. However, aberrant expression and the role of DKK1 in human cancers remain controversial. To estimate the role of DKK1 and its prognostic potential in lung cancer, promoter methylation of DKK1 was evaluated in 139 primary non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) by methylation-specific PCR and its association with clinical and prognostic parameters. DKK1 hypermethylation was detected in 48.9% of neoplastic lung tissues and was significantly more frequent in stage I than the more advanced stages II-IIIA (P=0.04). Additionally, patients with DKK1 methylation had a better overall survival than those with no methylation under univariate analysis. When stratified by clinicopathologic features, DKK1 methylation was significantly associated with a favorable survival in a subset of patients. The current findings suggested that DKK1 promoter methylation may be a tumor-associated event in the early stage of NSCLC and could also be useful prognostic indicator for NSCLC. Further work may clarify the molecular basis of DKK1 action in progression of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A high-performance glucose sensor capable of continuous monitoring has been developed. The sensor is based on an enzyme immobilization technique using electropolymerization of a non-conducting poly(p-aminophenol) (pAP) film on a plasma-deposited platinum electrode, followed by the introduction of a hydrophilic polyurethane (HPU) membrane mixed with polyvinyl alcohol/vinyl butyral copolymer (PVAB) as an outer membrane. Use of non-conducting polymer films for immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) results in the creation of a uniform film surface well suited for high enzyme loading. The biocompatible HPU membrane blended with optimized amount of amphiphilic PVAB membrane on the enzyme layer displays excellent characteristics that result in extended linear range, prevent sensor fouling and effectively eliminate interferences from sample solutions. The physical properties of mixed outer membranes, such as O2 and glucose permeability, were also tested. The optimized glucose sensor capable of continuous monitoring was found to have good sensitivity, a wide response range and fast response time (<5s). The lifetime of the sensor in a buffer solution was over 20 days, while the lifetime in human serum was about 3 days. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

2-Oxo-3,23-isopropylidene-asiatate (AS2006A), a wound-healing asiatate derivative, exerts anti-inflammatory effect. Macrophages produce cytokines that recruit other inflammatory cells and are responsible for the diverse effects of inflammation. In the present study, we comparatively evaluated the cytotoxicity of AS2006A to Raw264.7, H4IIE and L-929 cells as part of the studies on its anti-inflammatory effect. Among the cells examined, AS2006A was selectively cytotoxic to Raw264.7 cells, a macrophage cell line. AS2006A increased the number of cells positively stained with TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and upregulated the expression of the genes implicated with apoptosis, which included caspase-8, c-myc, iNOS, mdm2, NF-κB1, I-κBα and NF-κB p105 genes, as assessed by the membrane DNA array technique. The expression of the genes related with cell cycle control was not changed. Thus, the primary targets of AS2006A in macrophages might include the genes implicated with apoptosis. Immunoblot analysis revealed that AS2006A caused the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm in macrophages. Caspase-3 activity and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage were both increased by AS2006A in macrophages, indicating that AS2006A induced apoptosis. Viability of macrophages activated by lipopolysaccharide and their NO production were also decreased by AS2006A in a concentration-dependent manner. These results demonstrated that AS2006A selectively induces apoptosis of macrophages with cytochrome c release, caspase 3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and that cytotoxicity of AS2006A to macrophages may contribute to anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The role of Class-F fly ash in the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions and the removal mechanism were quantitatively investigated. The relative contributions of precipitation and adsorption with various pH conditions showed that precipitation was predominant under alkaline conditions, whereas adsorption was effective under acidic conditions. The precipitation accounted for 79% of the total phosphate removal without adjusting the pH of the solution. This result suggests that the phosphate was predominantly removed by precipitation with fly ash, and that adsorption on hydroxylated oxides may have contributed to the removal of phosphate. The precipitate was revealed to be calcium hydrogen phosphate (CaHPO4) from X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. The adsorption process was expressed well by the Freundlich isotherm and phosphate adsorption by fly ash is favorable (n = 1.308). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a visual ranking system by combining the parenchymal perfusion deficits (PPD) and hyperintense vessel signals (HVS) on arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging. This study aimed to assess the performance of this ranking system by correlating with subtypes classified based on dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) imaging for evaluating the perfusion disturbance observed in patients with ischemic stroke. 32 patients with acute or subacute infarcts detected by DSC imaging were reviewed. Each patient's brain was divided into 12 areas. ASL ranks were defined by the presence (+) or absence (-) of PPD/HVS as follows; I:–/–, II:–/+, III: +/+, and IV: +/–. DSC imaging findings were categorized based on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and time to peak (TTP) as normal (normal CBF/TTP), mismatched (normal CBF/delayed TTP), and matched (decreased CBF/delayed TTP). Two reviewers rated perfusion abnormalities in the total of 384 areas. The four ASL ranks correlated well with the DSC subtypes (Spearman's r = 0.82). The performance of ASL ranking system was excellent as indicated by the area under the curve value of 0.94 using either matched or mismatched DSC subtype as the gold standard and 0.97 using only the matched DSC subtype as the gold standard. The two methods were in good-to-excellent agreement (maximum κ-values, 0.86). Inter-observer agreement was excellent (κ-value, 0.98). Although the number of patients was small and the number of dropouts was high, our proposed, ASL-based visual ranking system represented by PPD and HVS provides good, graded estimates of perfusion disturbance that agree well with those obtained by DSC perfusion imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge for implantable medical systems is the inclusion or reliable delivery of electrical power. We use ultrasound to deliver mechanical energy through skin and liquids and demonstrate a thin implantable vibrating triboelectric generator able to effectively harvest it. The ultrasound can induce micrometer-scale displacement of a polymer thin membrane to generate electrical energy through contact electrification. We recharge a lithium-ion battery at a rate of 166 microcoulombs per second in water. The voltage and current generated ex vivo by ultrasound energy transfer reached 2.4 volts and 156 microamps under porcine tissue. These findings show that a capacitive triboelectric electret is the first technology able to compete with piezoelectricity to harvest ultrasound in vivo and to power medical implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ipragliflozin vs placebo as add‐on therapy to metformin and sitagliptin in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, multi‐centre, phase III study was conducted in Korea in 2015 to 2017. Patients were randomized to receive either ipragliflozin 50 mg/day or placebo once daily for 24 weeks in addition to metformin and sitagliptin. The primary endpoint was the change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline to end of treatment (EOT). Results: In total, 143 patients were randomized and 139 were included in efficacy analyses (ipragliflozin: 73, placebo: 66). Baseline mean (SD) HbA1c levels were 7.90 (0.69)% for ipragliflozin add‐on and 7.92 (0.79)% for placebo. The corresponding mean (SD) changes from baseline to EOT were −0.79 (0.59)% and 0.03 (0.84)%, respectively, in favour of ipragliflozin (adjusted mean difference −0.83% [95% CI −1.07 to −0.59]; P < .0001). More ipragliflozin‐treated patients than placebo‐treated patients achieved HbA1c target levels of <7.0% (44.4% vs 12.1%) and < 6.5% (12.5% vs 1.5%) at EOT (P < .05 for both). Fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, body weight and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance decreased significantly at EOT, in favour of ipragliflozin (adjusted mean difference −1.64 mmol/L, −1.50 μU/mL, −1.72 kg, and −0.99, respectively; P < .05 for all). Adverse event rates were similar between groups (ipragliflozin: 51.4%; placebo: 50.0%). No previously unreported safety concerns were noted. Conclusions: Ipragliflozin as add‐on to metformin and sitagliptin significantly improved glycaemic variables and demonstrated a good safety profile in Korean patients with inadequately controlled T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most approaches for moving object detection (MOD) based on computer vision are limited to stationary camera environments. In advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), however, ego-motion is added to image frames owing to the use of a moving camera. This results in mixed motion in the image frames and makes it difficult to classify target objects and background. In this paper, we propose an efficient MOD algorithm that can cope with moving camera environments. In addition, we present a hardware design and implementation results for the real-time processing of the proposed algorithm. The proposed moving object detector was designed using hardware description language (HDL) and its real-time performance was evaluated using an FPGA based test system. Experimental results demonstrate that our design achieves better detection performance than existing MOD systems. The proposed moving object detector was implemented with 13.2K logic slices, 104 DSP48s, and 163 BRAM and can support real-time processing of 30 fps at an operating frequency of 200 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Nakashita, S.; Woo, H.; Kim, K.; Kim, K.; Lee, I.-C.; Kim, D.-S., and Hibino, T., 2018. Influence of Kuroshio path on Salinity distribution in Seto Inland Sea. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 21–25. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This study analyzes residual current and salinity distribution in Seto Inland Sea induced by Kuroshio Path variation. The salinity ranged 30 - 34 PSU and it decreased by approximately 1 - 2 PSU at near center of Bisanseto during non-meandering period. Sea level height variations at both boundary of Seto Inland Sea which induces residual current mainly depends on distance between boundaries and Kuroshio Path because of higher sea level hight at Kuroshio path than than that at northern part of Kuroshio path approximately 1 m. Westward residual flow during the non-meandering period (year 1997) was estimated to be faster than that during the meandering period with maximum relative velocity of 4.5 cm/sec. Decrease of salinity at near center of Bisanseto is due to the westward movement of the river water plume from the eastern Bisanseto. From the results obtained above, it is concluded that location of low salinity water at Bisanseto is mainly depends on the residual current due to variation of Kuroshio Path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), despite their considerably low levels in humans, are an increasing concern for the general populations given their various adverse health problems, including metabolic and carcinogenic effects. DNA methylation deregulation is thought to be a key mechanism in the development of human chronic diseases including cancer. Methods: In an attempt to identify biomarkers monitoring low-dose exposure and hazard, we explored whether organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may influence the methylation of tumour suppressor gene E-cadherin (CDH1) using peripheral blood cells from 364 healthy Korean subjects. Results: CDH1 methylation was observed in 78.3% of study subjects. Serum concentrations of OCPs or PCBs compounds were higher in CDH1 methylation-positive subjects than in methylation-negative ones. After adjusting for various covariates, the odds ratio of CDH1 methylation of the summary measure of PCBs were 1.0, 2.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.2-5.3), 3.6 (1.6-8.1), 3.6 (1.4-8.6), and 2.5 (1.1-5.7) across quintiles of PCBs (Ptrend = 0.01). The values of OCPs were 1.0, 0.9, 1.2, 2.4 (1.0-5.9), and 1.7 (Ptrend = 0.05). Conclusions: In this exploratory study with a small sample, CDH1 methylation might be served as the epigenetic biomarker associated with POPs exposure and adverse health effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nakashita, S.; Woo, H.; Kim, K.; Kim, K.; Lee, I.-C.; Kim, D.-S., and Hibino, T., 2018. Influence of Kuroshio path on Salinity distribution in Seto Inland Sea. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 21–25. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This study analyzes residual current and salinity distribution in Seto Inland Sea induced by Kuroshio Path variation. The salinity ranged 30 - 34 PSU and it decreased by approximately 1 - 2 PSU at near center of Bisanseto during non-meandering period. Sea level height variations at both boundary of Seto Inland Sea which induces residual current mainly depends on distance between boundaries and Kuroshio Path because of higher sea level hight at Kuroshio path than than that at northern part of Kuroshio path approximately 1 m. Westward residual flow during the non-meandering period (year 1997) was estimated to be faster than that during the meandering period with maximum relative velocity of 4.5 cm/sec. Decrease of salinity at near center of Bisanseto is due to the westward movement of the river water plume from the eastern Bisanseto. From the results obtained above, it is concluded that location of low salinity water at Bisanseto is mainly depends on the residual current due to variation of Kuroshio Path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis was previously thought to be a disease that primarily involves lipid accumulation in the arterial wall. In this report, we investigated the effect of Viola mandshurica W. Becker ( V. mandshurica) water extract on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE) mice. The administration of V. mandshurica to high-fat diet-fed mice reduced body weight, liver weight, and serum levels of lipids (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides), glucose, alanine transaminase, and aspartate transaminase. Histopathologic analyses of the aorta and liver revealed that V. mandshurica attenuated atherosclerotic lesions and reduced lipid accumulation, inflammatory responses and fatty acid synthesis. V. mandshurica also increased phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), thereby reducing acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in liver tissue and inhibiting sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c). V. mandshurica reduced protein expression levels of adhesion molecules (intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin) as well as ACC, fatty acid synthase, and SREBP-1c. In addition, quantitative analysis of V. mandshurica by high-performance liquid chromatography revealed the presence of esculetin and scopoletin. Esculetin and scopoletin reduced adhesion molecules in human aortic smooth muscle cells. Our results indicate that the anti-atherosclerotic effects of V. mandshurica may be associated with activation of the AMPK pathway. Therefore, AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of SREBP-1c by V. mandshurica may be an effective therapeutic strategy for combatting atherosclerosis and hepatic steatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated MAB-07, was isolated from the gut of a red snow crab. The novel strain grew optimally at 20 °C, pH 7.0-8.0, and in the presence of 3% (w/v) NaCl. A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the strain MAB-07 belongs to the type strains of species of the genus Lacinutrix. Strain MAB-07 exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 95.5-97.8% with the type strains of species of the genus Lacinutrix. The predominant cellular fatty acids of strain MAB-07 were iso-C G (27.5%) and iso-C (21.7%). The major respiratory quinine was identified as MK-6. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids, and two unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G + C content was determined to be 33.3%, and its DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of L. venerupis, L. mariniflava, L. jangbogonensis, L. algicola, and Olleya aquimaris were 28-32%. Based on the data from this polyphasic taxonomic study, strain MAB-07 is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Lacinutrix, for which the name L. chionocetis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MAB-07 (=KCTC 42767 = JCM 30988). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major progress in tritium research in the Republic of Korea began when Korea became responsible for ITER tritium Storage and Delivery System (SDS) procurement package which is part of the ITER Fuel Cycle. To deliver the tritium SDS package, a variety of research institutes, universities and industry have respectively taken roles and responsibilities in developing technologies that have led to significant progress. This paper presents the current work and status of tritium related technological research and development (R&D) in Korea and introduces future R&D plans in the area of fuel cycle systems for fusion power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The oncologic outcome of robotic thyroidectomy is not yet well established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the recurrence rate after robotic thyroidectomy in comparison with conventional thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods: We analyzed 896 patients with PTC who either underwent robotic (212 patients using a gasless unilateral axillary or an axillo-breast approach) or conventional cervical thyroidectomy (684 patients) with/without central neck dissection between October 2008 and February 2014. We excluded patients who underwent concomitant lateral neck dissection or completion thyroidectomy, and cases with T4 tumor, tumor lager than 4 cm, other types of thyroid cancer, recurrent cancer, and distant metastasis. A propensity score matching analysis was done with ten covariates including age, gender, body mass index, tumor size, multifocality, bilaterality, extrathyroidal extension, type of thyroidectomy, extent of central neck dissection, and RAI ablation to reduce selection bias.Results: In baseline data, the male ratio and the mean age were lower in the robotic group. Stage, multifocality, and bilaterality were higher in the conventional group. The rate of total thyroidectomy was higher in the conventional group. The two matched groups of each 185 patients were produced and well balanced by propensity score matching. In the comparison of propensity score matched groups, operative time was longer in the robotic group (P < 0.001), and postoperative complications did not differ between the two groups, except for transient hypoparathyroidism and formation of seroma. The recurrence rate did not differ between the two groups after a mean follow-up of 43.6 months (0.5 and 1.1 % in the robotic and conventional groups, respectively, P = 0.375).Conclusion: The oncologic outcome of robotic thyroidectomy in 5-year experience is comparable to that of conventional thyroidectomy in selected patients with PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are highly lipid soluble and are an increasing concern for general populations given their various adverse health effects, including obesity-related metabolic dysfunction. DNA methylation can act as a downstream effector for the biological effects of environmental exposures, but whether PAHs influence DNA methylation is unclear. To test for possible adverse effects of PAHs on adipose tissue (AT), we determined the promoter methylation status of 12 genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism ( CS, GLUT4, IR, IRS1, IRS2, LIPIN1, MCAD, PCK1, PCK2, PPARGC1 Β , SDHA, and SREBP1 ) in visceral AT of Korean women by using methylation-specific PCR (MSP). IRS2 methylation alone was significantly associated with concentrations of individual PAH chemicals. When the PAH summary measure was used, the odds ratios of IRS2 hypermethylation across quartile of the PAH summary measure were 1, 1.7, 2.0, and 11.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.5–84.0) after adjusting for age and BMI (P trend=0.02). The strength of association between PAH summary measure and IRS2 hypermethylation was as similar as that of BMI. Collectively, these results suggested that lipophilic PAHs might be contributing factors to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance through methylation-mediated suppression of the IRS2 gene. However, further studies with large sample size are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoter hypermethylation of the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) DNA repair gene is important during carcinogenesis. We explored whether organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were associated with hypermethylation of the MGMT gene promoter in peripheral leukocytes among 368 Koreans without cancer. Hypermethylation decreased as OCPs increased (Ptrend = 0.02), while PCB concentrations showed an inverted U-shaped association (Pquadratic < 0.01). The prevalence of MGMT promoter hypermethylation was highest within the 2nd quintile of the PCB summary score (28.4%), while it was only 2.7% in the upper 10% score. Chronic exposure to these chemicals may affect methylation of the MGMT promoter, with possibly non-monotonic dose response relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]