Biophysical Consequences for Exposure of Model Cell Membranes to Perfluoroalkyl Substances.

There has been a rising concern about negative impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on human and environmental health, given the environmental persistence and bioaccumulation potential of PFAS. In this study, two exemplary PFAS, a long-chain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and a short-chain alternative perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), are investigated to assess their potential to modify bilayers of model membranes formed from 1,2-dioleoyl--glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). A comprehensive suite of experimental techniques, including water permeability assays, thermal phase behavior analysis (DSC), vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and ATR-FTIR), and evaluations of interfacial properties, reveals concentration-dependent perturbations to DOPC membranes.

MYC2 and MYC3 orchestrate pith lignification to defend Nicotiana attenuata stems against a stem-boring weevil.

Lignin is a key structural polymer that also serves as a potent defense against biotic stress. Herbivore-induced, jasmonate-dependent pith lignification in Nicotiana attenuata plays a crucial role in defense against the stem-borer Trichobaris mucorea. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying herbivore-induced lignification remain largely unknown.

Exploring Factors Related to Social Isolation Among Older Adults in the Predementia Stage Using Ecological Momentary Assessments and Actigraphy: Machine Learning Approach.

Background: As the global population ages, the economic burden of dementia continues to rise. Social isolation-which includes limited social interaction and feelings of loneliness-negatively affects cognitive function and is a significant risk factor for dementia. Individuals with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment represent predementia stages in which functional decline may still be reversible.

Real-Time Translation of Upper-Body Gestures to Virtual Avatars in Dissimilar Telepresence Environments.

In mixed reality (MR) avatar-mediated telepresence, avatar movement must be adjusted to convey the user's intent in a dissimilar space. This paper presents a novel neural network-based framework designed for translating upper-body gestures, which adjusts virtual avatar movements in dissimilar environments to accurately reflect the user's intended gestures in real-time. Our framework translates a wide range of upper-body gestures, including eye gaze, deictic gestures, free-form gestures, and the transitions between them.

A Comparative Longitudinal Study Analyzing Vaginal Microbiota Differences Between Term and Preterm Pregnancies in Korean Women.

: Preterm birth (PTB), defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, remains a significant public health concern due to its association with neonatal morbidity and mortality. Although studies have suggested that microbial factors in vaginal microbiota (VMB) influence PTB, longitudinal research on Korean women is limited. This study aimed to analyze VMB differences between term and preterm pregnancies in Korean women and their correlation with the cervical length (CL).

Project symphony: Composing a masterpiece in a science laboratory.

In the spirit of collaborative science, Prof. Sunghee Lee (Chemistry Professor at Iona University in New York, USA) embarked on her academic career with a vision to bring an interdisciplinary approach to undergraduate education. At a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution (PUI) such as Iona, she saw a unique opportunity to weave together teaching and research, creating a rich tapestry of learning experiences for students.

Electrophysiological Characterization of Monoolein-Fatty Acid Bilayers.

Understanding the evolution of protocells, primitive compartments that distinguish self from nonself, is crucial for exploring the origin of life. Fatty acids and monoglycerides have been proposed as key components of protocell membranes due to their ability to self-assemble into bilayers and vesicles capable of nutrient exchange. In this study, we investigate the electrophysiological properties of planar bilayers composed of monoglyceride and fatty acid mixtures, using a droplet interface bilayer system.

A Bioabsorbable Implant Seeded with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells for Adipose Regeneration.

Adipose tissue engineering requires effective strategies for regenerating adipose tissue, with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) being favored due to their robust self-renewal capacity and multipotent differentiation potential. In this study, the efficacy of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) mesh containing collagen sponge (CS), seeded with ASCs to promote adipose tissue formation, was investigated. PLLA-CS implants seeded with GFP-positive ASCs were inserted at high concentration (1 × 10 cells/implant, H-ASC) and low concentration (1 × 10 cells/implant, L-ASC), as were unseeded controls.

Adipogenesis of bioabsorbable implants under irradiation in a rodent model.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Partial mastectomy is an alternative to mastectomy in early-stage breast cancer to restore a poor quality of life (QOL). However, the aesthetic satisfaction with this procedure is inadequate.

Sleep efficiency in community-dwelling persons living with dementia: exploratory analysis using machine learning.

Study Objectives: Sleep disturbances lead to negative health outcomes and caregiver burden, particularly in community settings. This study aimed to investigate a predictive model for sleep efficiency and its associated features in older adults living with dementia in their own homes.

Methods: This was an exploratory, observational study.

Vaginal microbiota of pregnant women with and infections.

Background: The association between preterm birth and species such as and has been extensively investigated. In a clinical setting, conventional diagnostic methods for them involve culture methods for spp. and spp.

Changes in gut microbiome can be associated with abrupt seizure exacerbation in epilepsy patients.

Objective: Seizures can be triggered by a variety of endogenous or exogenous factors. We hypothesized that alterations in the gut microbiome may be a seizure precipitant and analyzed the composition and characteristics of the gut microbiome in epilepsy patients who experienced an abrupt seizure exacerbation without a clear seizure precipitant.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 25 adult patients with epilepsy and collected fecal samples on the admission and after seizure recovery for next-generation sequencing analysis.

Multidisciplinary nutritional support team and survival outcomes in patients with sepsis: a nationwide population-based cohort study in South Korea.

Background: The South Korean government implemented a multidisciplinary nutritional support team (NST) system to focus on the proper evaluation and supply of nutritional status in hospitalized patients who are at a higher risk of malnutrition.

Methods: This nationwide population-based cohort study included patients diagnosed with sepsis who were admitted to hospitals from 2016 to 2020. The NST should consist of four professional personnel (physicians, full-time nurses, full-time pharmacists, and full-time clinical dietitians).

The Role of Lipid Intrinsic Curvature in the Droplet Interface Bilayer.

Model bilayers are constructed from lipids having different intrinsic curvatures using the droplet interface bilayer (DIB) method, and their static physicochemical properties are determined. Geometrical and tensiometric measurements are used to derive the free energy of formation (ΔF) of a two-droplet DIB relative to a pair of isolated aqueous droplets, each decorated with a phospholipid monolayer. The lipid molecules employed have different headgroup sizes but identical hydrophobic tail structure, and each is characterized by an intrinsic curvature value () that increases in absolute value with decreasing size of headgroup.

Distribution of volatile organic compounds by distance from industrial complexes and potential health impact on the residents.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the air pollutants emitted from the petrochemical industry known to pose adverse health effects on workers. The database based on the third phase of The Environmental Health Study in the Korean National Industrial Complexes (EHSNIC) in Ulsan conducted from 2018 to 2021 was used. Subjects were divided into the exposed and control group according to the estimated pollution level and distances from the industrial complexes.

Concentration-Dependent Effects of Curcumin on Membrane Permeability and Structure.

Growing evidence suggests that many bioactive molecules can nonspecifically modulate the physicochemical properties of membranes and influence the action of embedded membrane proteins. This study investigates the interactions of curcumin with protein-free model membranes consisting of 1,2-dioleoyl--glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and DOPC with cholesterol (4/1 mol ratio). The focus is on the capability of curcumin to modify membrane barrier properties such as water permeability assayed through the droplet interface bilayer (DIB) model membrane.

Nontraditional Roles of Magnesium Ions in Modulating Sav2152: Insight from a Haloacid Dehalogenase-like Superfamily Phosphatase from .

Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) infection has rapidly spread through various routes. A genomic analysis of clinical MRSA samples revealed an unknown protein, Sav2152, predicted to be a haloacid dehalogenase (HAD)-like hydrolase, making it a potential candidate for a novel drug target. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of Sav2152, which consists of a C2-type cap domain and a core domain.

Effects of noise exposure on stress hormone changes during task performance in young Korean men: quasi-experimental study.

Numerous studies have suggested that noise exposure might be associated with changes in stress hormone levels. However, quantitative evidence for these effects in humans is rare and remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of exposure to noise and its different levels on stress hormone changes in task performance.

Radiation dose estimation with multiple artificial neural networks in dicentric chromosome assay.

Purpose: The dicentric chromosome assay (DCA), often referred to as the 'gold standard' in radiation dose estimation, exhibits significant challenges as a consequence of its labor-intensive nature and dependency on expert knowledge. Existing automated technologies face limitations in accurately identifying dicentric chromosomes (DCs), resulting in decreased precision for radiation dose estimation. Furthermore, in the process of identifying DCs through automatic or semi-automatic methods, the resulting distribution could demonstrate under-dispersion or over-dispersion, which results in significant deviations from the Poisson distribution.

Drug-loaded adhesive microparticles for biofilm prevention on oral surfaces.

The oral cavity, a warm and moist environment, is prone to the proliferation of microorganisms like (), which forms robust biofilms on biotic and abiotic surfaces, leading to challenging infections. These biofilms are resistant to conventional treatments due to their resilience against antimicrobials and immune responses. The dynamic nature of the oral cavity, including the salivary flow and varying surface properties, complicates the delivery of therapeutic agents.

Differential Effects of Soy Isoflavones on the Biophysical Properties of Model Membranes.

The effects that the main soy isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, have upon the biophysical properties of a model lipid bilayer composed of 1,2-dioleoyl--glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) or DOPC with cholesterol (4 to 1 mol ratio) have been investigated by transbilayer water permeability, differential scanning calorimetry, and confocal Raman microspectroscopy. Genistein is found to increase water permeability, decrease phase transition temperature, reduce enthalpy of transition, and induce packing disorder in the DOPC membrane with an increasing concentration. On the contrary, daidzein decreases water permeability and shows negligible impact on thermodynamic parameters and packing disorder at comparable concentrations.

Visual Guidance for User Placement in Avatar-Mediated Telepresence Between Dissimilar Spaces.

Rapid advances in technology gradually realize immersive mixed-reality (MR) telepresence between distant spaces. This paper presents a novel visual guidance system for avatar-mediated telepresence, directing users to optimal placements that facilitate the clear transfer of gaze and pointing contexts through remote avatars in dissimilar spaces, where the spatial relationship between the remote avatar and the interaction targets may differ from that of the local user. Representing the spatial relationship between the user/avatar and interaction targets with angle-based interaction features, we assign recommendation scores of sampled local placements as their maximum feature similarity with remote placements.

Implementation of a multidisciplinary nutritional support team and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Background & Aims: The South Korean government established the multidisciplinary nutritional support teams (NST) system for enhancing the evaluation and adequate supply of nutritional support to patients at high risk of malnutrition. However, the impact of the NST on clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate whether NST implementation affects survival outcomes in patients with COVID-19 requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission.