A pan-N-formylmethionine-specific antibody as a tool for analyzing Nα-terminal formylation.

Formylmethionine (fMet) plays crucial roles across bacterial and eukaryotic systems, contributing to protein translation, degradation, complex formation, stress adaptation, disease progression, and immune response. However, detecting fMet-bearing (fMet-) peptides and proteins has remained challenging due to the lack of effective anti-pan-fMet antibodies. We developed a polyclonal pan-fMet-specific antibody using a single antigen peptide, fMet-Gly-Ser-Gly-Cys pentapeptide, and a mixed antigen peptide, fMet-Xaa-Cys (Xaa, any of the 20 amino acids) tripeptides, as the immunogen.

Enhanced Reliability of Ultra-Scaled Interconnects Using Interlayer-Doped Aligned Carbon Nanotube-Metal Composites.

The continuous scaling of electronic devices, coupled with the recent rise of 3D stacked circuits and packaging technology, presents ongoing challenges for today's metal-based interconnects. This study introduces a metal-interlayer-carbon composite as a high-performance alternative to conventional copper-based interconnects, effectively addressing the prevalent issues of increased electrical resistivity and electromigration in scaled-down technology nodes. Initially, the study explores the use of alternative CMOS-compatible metals such as Ruthenium (Ru) and Palladium (Pd), which exhibit better reliability and less electromigration in miniaturized environments compared to copper (Cu).

Anti-melanogenic effects of Medicago sativa seed extracts on melanocytes.

Objective: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a prominent herbal treatment among Asian countries and its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have already been generally elucidated. Excessive melanin synthesis is one of the major troubles in the cosmetics industry, thus such research has been extensively described. Here, we investigated the anti-melanogenic effects and molecular mechanisms of two types of alfalfa extracts: alfalfa ethanol precipitate (AEP) and alfalfa ethanol supernatant (AES).

Effects of Chlorella protothecoides-derived polydeoxyribonucleotides on skin regeneration and wound healing.

The skin acts as a crucial barrier and, upon injury, initiates complex wound-healing processes involving various cell types. Polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRNs) are well-known for their efficacy in enhancing skin regeneration and wound healing. This study sought to investigate the effectiveness of PDRNs derived from Chlorella protothecoides, a sustainable and scalable microalgal source, in promoting skin regeneration and wound healing.

Bacterial Diversity in the Different Ecological Niches Related to the Yonghwasil Pond (Republic of Korea).

The bacteriome profile was studied in freshwater ecosystems within the Yonghwasil pond, situated at the National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, central western Korea. Six samples from water, mud, and soil niches were assessed, specifically from lake water, bottom mud (sediment), and root-soil samples of Bulrush, wild rice, Reed, and Korean Willow. Notably, the phylum exhibited an upward trend moving from water to mud to soil samples, whereas showed a contrasting decrease.

Formyl-methionine-mediated eukaryotic ribosome quality control pathway for cold adaptation.

Protein synthesis in the eukaryotic cytosol can start using both conventional methionine and formyl-methionine (fMet). However, a mechanism, if such exists, for detecting and regulating the incorporation of fMet (instead of Met) during translation, thereby preventing cellular toxicity of nascent fMet-bearing (fMet-) polypeptides, remains unknown. Here, we describe the fMet-mediated ribosome quality control (fMet-RQC) pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Addressing interconnect challenges for enhanced computing performance.

The advancement in semiconductor technology through the integration of more devices on a chip has reached a point where device scaling alone is no longer an efficient way to improve the device performance. One issue lies in the interconnects connecting the transistors, in which the resistivity of metals increases exponentially as their dimensions are scaled down to match those of the transistors. As a result, the total signal processing delay is dominated by the resistance-capacitance (RC) delay from the interconnects rather than the delay from the transistors' switching speed.

Mechanisms underlying dilated cardiomyopathy associated with FKBP12 deficiency.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a highly prevalent and genetically heterogeneous condition that results in decreased contractility and impaired cardiac function. The FK506-binding protein FKBP12 has been implicated in regulating the ryanodine receptor in skeletal muscle, but its role in cardiac muscle remains unclear. To define the effect of FKBP12 in cardiac function, we generated conditional mouse models of FKBP12 deficiency.

Vegetation Succession for 12 Years in a Pond Created Restoratively.

The Najeoer Pond was created in a rice paddy as a part of a plan to build the National Institute of Ecology. To induce the establishment of various plants, the maximum depth of the pond was 2.0 m, and diverse depths were created with a gentle slope on the pond bed.

Anti-Melanogenic Activity of Undecylprodigiosin, a Red Pigment Isolated from a Marine sp. SNA-077.

Bioassay and HPLC-UV guided fractionations of the crude extract of marine-derived sp. SNA-077 have led to the isolation of a red pigment, undecylprodigiosin . The chemical structure of undecylprodigiosin was revealed by the interpretation of NMR and mass spectroscopic (MS) data.

Optimizing Ultrathin 2D Transistors for Monolithic 3D Integration: A Study on Directly Grown Nanocrystalline Interconnects and Buried Contacts.

The potential of monolithic 3D integration technology is largely dependent on the enhancement of interconnect characteristics which can lead to thinner stacks, better heat dissipation, and reduced signal delays. Carbon materials such as graphene, characterized by sp2 hybridized carbons, are promising candidates for future interconnects due to their exceptional electrical, thermal conductivity and resistance to electromigration. However, a significant challenge lies in achieving low contact resistance between extremely thin semiconductor channels and graphitic materials.

2,4,6-Triphenyl-1-hexene, an Anti-Melanogenic Compound from Marine-Derived sp. APmarine135.

Although melanin protects against ultraviolet radiation, its overproduction causes freckles and senile lentigines. Recently, various biological effects of metabolites derived from marine microorganisms have been highlighted due to their potential for biological and pharmacological applications. In this study, we discovered the anti-melanogenic effect of sp.

Antiphotoaging effects of solvent fractions isolated from larvae extract.

Skin aging is affected by a variety of factors, including ultraviolet rays, oxidative stress, medications, smoking, and genetics. Among them, photo-aging accounts for about 80% of skin aging. The present study was evaluated to verify the potential of larvae which has recently been attracting attention as an edible insect, as an anti-aging substance.

Spiral-Driven Vertical Conductivity in Nanocrystalline Graphene.

The structure of graphene grown in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is sensitive to the growth condition, particularly the substrate. The conventional growth of high-quality graphene via the Cu-catalyzed cracking of hydrocarbon species has been extensively studied; however, the direct growth on noncatalytic substrates, for practical applications of graphene such as current Si technologies, remains unexplored. In this study, nanocrystalline graphene (nc-G) spirals are produced on noncatalytic substrates by inductively coupled plasma CVD.

Speg interactions that regulate the stability of excitation-contraction coupling protein complexes in triads and dyads.

Here we show that striated muscle preferentially expressed protein kinase α (Spegα) maintains cardiac function in hearts with Spegβ deficiency. Speg is required for stability of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) complexes and interacts with esterase D (Esd), Cardiomyopathy-Associated Protein 5 (Cmya5), and Fibronectin Type III and SPRY Domain Containing 2 (Fsd2) in cardiac and skeletal muscle. Mice with a sequence encoding a V5/HA tag inserted into the first exon of the Speg gene (HA-Speg mice) display a >90% decrease in Spegβ but Spegα is expressed at ~50% of normal levels.

Marchf6 E3 ubiquitin ligase critically regulates endoplasmic reticulum stress, ferroptosis, and metabolic homeostasis in POMC neurons.

The metabolic prohormone pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is generally translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for entry into the secretory pathway. Patients with mutations within the signal peptide (SP) of POMC or its adjoining segment develop metabolic disorders. However, the existence, metabolic fate, and functional outcomes of cytosol-retained POMC remain unclear.

Distribution, Effect, and Control of Exotic Plants in Republic of Korea.

This study was carried out to clarify the spatial distribution of exotic plants at national, regional, and local levels, as well as their ecological impacts, and to prepare a strategy to reduce the impacts in Republic of Korea. This study was attempted at the national, regional, and local levels throughout Republic of Korea. Compositae occupied the highest percentage among invading exotic plants in Republic of Korea.

Randomised clinical trial: Safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of zastaprazan (JP-1366), a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, in healthy subjects.

Background: Zastaprazan (JP-1366) is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker with favourable preclinical safety and efficacy profile being developed for the treatment of acid-related diseases.

Aims: To investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of zastaprazan.

Methods: A randomised, open-label, placebo- and active-controlled, single and multiple ascending dose clinical trial was conducted in healthy Korean male subjects.

SNA077, an Extract of Marine sp., Inhibits Melanogenesis by Downregulating Melanogenic Proteins via Inactivation of cAMP/PKA/CREB Signaling.

Excess melanin in skin is known to be the main cause of hyper-pigmentary skin diseases such as freckles and lentigo. This study aimed to evaluate the depigmenting efficacy of an extract from the marine microorganism strain, sp. SNA077.

Amorphous Carbon Films for Electronic Applications.

While various crystalline carbon allotropes, including graphene, have been actively investigated, amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films have received relatively little attention. The a-C is a disordered form of carbon bonding with a broad range of the CC bond length and bond angle. Although accurate structural analysis and theoretical approaches are still insufficient, reproducible structure-property relationships have been accumulated.

Succession of the Abandoned Rice Fields Restores the Riparian Forest.

The vegetation changes in the abandoned rice fields with different abandonment histories were analyzed across the country of South Korea. The successional process was confirmed by changes in vegetation profiles and species composition. The vegetation profile showed the process of starting with grassland, passing through the shrub stage, and turning into a tree-dominated forest.

Variants in ASPH cause exertional heat illness and are associated with malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.

Exertional heat illness (EHI) and malignant hyperthermia (MH) are life threatening conditions associated with muscle breakdown in the setting of triggering factors including volatile anesthetics, exercise, and high environmental temperature. To identify new genetic variants that predispose to EHI and/or MH, we performed genomic sequencing on a cohort with EHI/MH and/or abnormal caffeine-halothane contracture test. In five individuals, we identified rare, pathogenic heterozygous variants in ASPH, a gene encoding junctin, a regulator of excitation-contraction coupling.

N-Terminal Modifications of Ubiquitin via Methionine Excision, Deamination, and Arginylation Expand the Ubiquitin Code.

Ubiquitin (Ub) is post-translationally modified by Ub itself or Ub-like proteins, phosphorylation, and acetylation, among others, which elicits a variety of Ub topologies and cellular functions. However, N-terminal (Nt) modifications of Ub remain unknown, except the linear head-to-tail ubiquitylation via Nt-Met. Here, using the yeast and an Nt-arginylated Ub-specific antibody, we found that the detectable level of Ub undergoes Nt-Met excision, Nt-deamination, and Nt-arginylation.