Controls on spatial heterogeneity in dinoflagellate cyst distribution in recent sediments off West Antarctica.

Here we present the study of 48 new dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from the west Antarctic shelf sediments on a wide longitudinal scale, with a greater representation of ice-proximal sites, and provide a comprehensive overview of their distributional patterns and multiple environmental forcing factors. We find a strong spatial heterogeneity in the dinoflagellate cyst distribution patterns; 1) the northern Antarctic Peninsula region is dominated by Islandinium? minutum, Selenopemphix antarctica and Brigantedinium spp. in association with meltwater-induced stratification and high diatom productivity, 2) the Bellingshausen-Amundsen Seas is dominated by Gymnodinium microreticulatum and Selenopemphix sp.

Reduction of lymphotoxin beta receptor induces cellular senescence via the MDMX-p53 pathway.

The lymphotoxin β receptor (LTβR), a key activator of non-canonical NF-κB signaling, is expressed in various cells, including cancer cells. Although high expression of LTβR has been associated with poor patient prognosis and drug resistance, conflicting evidence suggested that LTβR induces apoptosis. To investigate the functional role of LTβR in tumors, we performed LTβR knockdown in cancer cells.

Association of Meat Attachment with Intention to Reduce Meat Consumption Among Young Adults: Moderating Role of Environmental Attitude.

Sustainability discussions are increasingly highlighting the environmental and health impacts of meat production and consumption. The study aimed to analyze how meat attachment influences the intention to reduce meat consumption among young adults, considering the moderating role of environmental attitude. An online survey was conducted from 27 April to 1 May 2022, among young Korean adults in their 20s, and 1478 responses were collected.

Qualitative and Quantitative Metabolite Comparison of Grain, Persimmon, and Apple Vinegars with Antioxidant Activities.

Fermented vinegars have been highlighted globally for their health benefits. The benefits can differ according to the type of vinegar; therefore, we investigated the differences of 15 grain (GV), 10 persimmon (PV), and 14 apple vinegars (AV) using integrated non-targeted and targeted metabolome analyses. We profiled non-volatile and volatile metabolites using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS), ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry, and headspace-solid-phase microextraction-GC-TOF-MS.

Human Recellularization for Xenoantigen-Free Decellularized Cardiac Xenografts.

Removal of major xenoantigens of the Galα1-3Gal (α-Gal) epitope and the nonhuman sialic acid -glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) is essential to eliminate xenoimmunogenicity and optimize recellularization for cardiac xenografts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of α-galactosidase for removal of α-Gal xenoantigen and peptide -glycosidase F (PNGase-F) for removal of non-α-Gal xenoantigen combined with optimal decellularization, and the potential of recellularization was assessed with coculturing human mesenchymal stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells for major xenoantigen-free cardiac xenografts. We investigated the biomechanical properties and efficacy for xenoantigen removal with expression of carbohydrate-binding lectins in porcine pericardia decellularized and treated with α-galactosidase and PNGase-F.

Disparities in the incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders among people with and without disabilities in south Korea: A national database study.

Background: Numerous epidemiological studies on psychotic disorders have been conducted, however, most were from an etiological perspective, used small sample sizes, or focused on a limited number of disabilities. Few studies have investigated all types of disabilities over a long observation period, and none have included the entire adult population of a country. To explore potential differences in the incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders between patients with and without disabilities, we conducted a serial cross-sectional study.

Cohort profile update: the Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (KCPS-II) Biobank.

Chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease have a substantial impact on mortality and global disease burden. The Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (KCPS-II) biobank was established to investigate these chronic diseases, with a particular focus on metabolic risk factors. Recently, genetic information reflecting diverse ancestries has been incorporated to support a precision medicine approach.

ATG7 in innate immune cells is required for host defense against nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infections.

Infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria, such as Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacteroides abscessus, are becoming increasingly prevalent, and rising antibiotic resistance poses a significant clinical challenge. However, the mechanisms by which the host defense system controls these infections remain poorly understood. Here we show that the autophagy-related protein ATG7 in innate immune cells plays an essential role in controlling nontuberculous mycobacterial infection and protecting lung tissue from pathological inflammation.

Diagnosis of unilateral vocal fold paralysis using auto-diagnostic deep learning model.

Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is a condition characterized by impaired vocal fold mobility, typically diagnosed using laryngeal videoendoscopy. While deep learning (DL) models using static images have been explored for UVFP detection, they often lack the ability to assess vocal fold dynamics. We developed an auto-diagnostic DL system for UVFP using both image-based and video-based models.

Hemistepsin A induces apoptosis by modulating the reactive oxygen species-dependent PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in human lung carcinoma A549 cells.

Hemistepsin A is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from plants of the family. Recently, this compound was reported to be a bioactive compound that is beneficial for numerous health problems without side effects; however, its effect on lung cancer cells has not yet been studied. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of hemistepsin A in human lung carcinoma A549 cells.

People with disabilities are at risk of osteoporotic fractures: a population-based study in South Korea.

Background: Osteoporotic fractures are a major public concern as a serious, fatal condition. We aimed to investigate the differences in the incidence and types of osteoporotic fractures between people with and without disabilities, including both mental and physical disabilities.

Methods: This is a serial cross-sectional study using the National Disability Registration and National Health Insurance claims data.

Comparison of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)-related apoptosis factors between preterm and full-term rats.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in the degree of apoptosis and the pathways leading to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) between preterm and full-term rat pups. To achieve this goal, we investigated the pathogenesis of NEC. premature Sprague‒Dawley (SD) rat pups delivered by cesarean section at a gestational age of 21 days (preterm group), as well as full-term SD rat pups four days after birth (full-term group).

Honokiol induces paraptosis-like cell death through mitochondrial ROS-dependent endoplasmic reticulum stress in hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B cells.

Unlabelled: Honokiol, a lignan found in Magnolia plant species, exerts diverse pharmacological effects, and induces apoptosis in several cancer cell lines, including human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study aimed to investigate whether it could induce paraptosis-like cell death, a type of non-canonical programmed cell death characterized by vacuolation and dysfunction of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in HCC Hep3B cells. Our results showed that honokiol significantly induced cytotoxicity and autophagy, both of which were associated with cytoplasmic vacuolation.

Inactivation of the Reactive Oxygen Species-Dependent PI3K/Akt/Mtor Signaling Pathway by Phloroglucinol Contributes to Cytotoxicity in Hep3B Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Background/aims: Phloroglucinol is a phenolic derivative isolated from brown algae and reportedly has the potential to induce apoptosis in cancer cells, but its mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the complete anticancer mechanism of phloroglucinol in Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.

Methods: We investigated whether phloroglucinol inhibits the proliferation of Hep3B cells by inducing DNA damage and apoptosis, and conducted a study on the mechanism involved.

Nutritional quality evaluation of plant-based elementary school meals in Seoul.

Background/objectives: This study aimed to assess the nutritional quality of plant-based school meals by comparing plant-based and regular menus in Seoul's elementary schools.

Materials/methods: Nutrient information for plant-based and regular menus (Monday-Friday) was collected from school websites during a designated week in June 2023 when plant-based meals were offered. The analysis included 1,526 menus (321 plant-based, 1,205 regular) from 313 of 608 schools.

Exploring the Intention to Adopt a Plant-Based Diet Among Young Korean Adults in Their 20s: Focusing on Barriers and Benefits.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the determinants influencing participants' intention to adopt a plant-based diet, focusing on the perceived barriers and benefits. Furthermore, gender differences in those determinants were analyzed.

Design: An online survey from April 27, 2022, to May 1, 2022.

Small but significant: Prognostic value of the small duct type in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological features, prognostic relevance, and classification accuracy of histological subtypes-the small duct type and the large duct type-in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) based on the WHO 5th edition criteria. A retrospective analysis was conducted on iCCA cases classified into the small duct type and the large duct type. Key pathological variables were identified using logistic regression and used to develop a random forest classification model.

Association of trigger thumb with congenital malformations and developmental milestones among children in a nationwide birth cohort.

Despite extensive research on pediatric trigger thumb, nationwide data on patient characteristics, coexisting birth defects, and development remain limited. This cohort study, using Korean National Health Insurance data, analyzed 1.9 million births (2009-2012) followed to age 6.

Maternal Factors and Breastfeeding Practices Associated With Stunting Among Indonesian Children Aged 6 to 23 Months.

Child stunting in Indonesia remains a major public health issue, affecting physical and cognitive development. This study examined the impact of maternal factors (sociodemographic characteristics and pregnancy history) and breastfeeding practices on stunting in children aged 6 to 23 months, using data from the 2022 Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI) of 87 722 children. Chi-square tests were employed to examine relationships between the study variables and child stunting.

An area and power efficient ternary serial adder using phase composite ZnO stack channel FETs.

Multi-valued logic is the subject of ongoing investigation owing to its potential to reduce the complexity of logic circuits and interconnect lengths, thereby reducing system power consumption. In this work, ternary stack channel field-effect transistors (SCFETs) are used as unit devices to realize multi-valued logic. The thickness of each ZnO layer in the SCFET is modulated to obtain the device parameters to control the intermediate-state range and saturation current.

Effects of fluoxetine on the gene expression of hippocampus and gap inhibition in noise-induced hearing loss rats.

Objective: Fluoxetine was reported to restore critical period-like neural plasticity via alleviating perineuronal nets (PNNs). This study aimed to investigate the effect of fluoxetine on auditory processing and PNNs in auditory cortex and hippocampus.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed 2-20 kHz, 115 dB sound pressure level noise for 3 h per day from postnatal day 1-3 to postnatal day 21.

Human giant GTPase GVIN1 forms an antimicrobial coatomer around the intracellular bacterial pathogen .

Several human pathogens exploit the kinetic forces generated by polymerizing actin to power their intracellular motility. Human cell-autonomous immune responses activated by the cytokine interferon-gamma (IFNγ) interfere with such microbial actin-based motility, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly defined. Here, we identify the IFNγ-inducible human giant GTPases GVIN1 as a novel host defense protein that blocks the bacterial pathogen from high-jacking the host's actin polymerization machinery.

Propagation of senescent phenotypes by extracellular HMGB1 is dependent on its redox state.

Background & Purpose: Cellular senescence spreads systemically through blood circulation, but its mechanisms remain unclear. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a multifunctional senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factor, exists in various redox states. Here, we investigate the role of redox-sensitive HMGB1 (ReHMGB1) in driving paracrine and systemic senescence.