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Hybrid nanoparticles with cell membrane and amphiphilic peptide was developed for gene delivery into the lungs of acute lung injury animal models.

Background and objective: Artificial environments have been known to negatively affect neuropsychological activities. Healthcare workers who are under high psychological and physiological stress often spend long hours at a time. Recently, many studies have been conducted to reveal the healing effects of natural environments, but few studies have been conducted on healthcare workers. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of green walls in medical facilities on the hemodynamics of the prefrontal cortex in healthcare workers.Methods: Eleven healthy adults working in a medical institution participated in the experiment, in which they rested for 10 minutes in a room with green walls and in a control room. To compare the physiological and psychological changes between the green wall room and the control room, we used various measurements, such as near-infrared spectroscopy in the prefrontal area (NIRS), heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure (BP), and pulse rate (PR). Psychological tests were also conducted using the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS), and the Zucherman Inventory of Personal Reaction Scale (ZIPERS).Results: The oxyhemoglobin concentration in the frontal lobe significantly decreased on both the left and right sides in the green wall room compared to the control room. Green walls significantly activated the parasympathetic nervous system and inhibited the sympathetic nervous system compared to the control room. In addition, psychological reactions increased positive emotions and decreased negative emotions.Conclusion: Green walls in medical facilities could be an effective way to promote physiological relaxation and health by reducing physiological hemodynamics in the prefrontal cortex evoked by psychological stress in healthcare workers. This study implies that green walls can be used as an effective means of stress reduction and relaxation.

Background and objective: With modern lifestyles and the increasing severity of stress-related diseases, the availability and accessibility of the natural environment are critical. Botanical gardens in an urban area can provide opportunities for city dwellers to experience nature and enjoy stress-reducing activities. This study focused on the health-related effects of botanical gardens by investigating prefrontal cortical activity and changes in psychological states.Methods: The experiment was conducted in a national botanical garden located in the city of Sejong, and in an urban area of a contrasting city. Nine healthy adult males participated in the field experiment. Subjects were instructed to 'see and feel' the landscape in a sitting position for 10 minutes, both in the botanical garden and in the city center. The health effects of botanical gardens were verified using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), including changes in cerebral blood flow, and Profile of Mood State (POMS) and Perceived Restoration Scale (PRS).Results: Our findings showed that the oxyhemoglobin concentrations in the left prefrontal cortex were considerably lower in the botanical garden (-0.057 ± 0.003 µM) than in the city center (0.162 ± 0.002 µM, p < .001). Significantly positive psychological responses to the garden environment were found in the analysis of POMS and PRS, compared to the urban setting. These findings may indicate that a botanical garden can reduce negative psychological symptoms and physiological stress levels in adult males.Conclusion: Our study proves that botanical gardens have the environmental characteristics of restorative and therapeutic spaces. The findings indicated that urban gardens could be considered as health-improving environments by reducing the physio-psychological stress levels of urban dwellers.

We investigated the effect of the acetylcholine muscarinic receptor inhibitor benztropine on voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channels in rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells. Benztropine inhibited Kv currents in a concentration-dependent manner, with an apparent IC50 value of 6.11 ± 0.80 μM and Hill coefficient of 0.62 ± 0.03. Benztropine shifted the steady-state activation curves toward a more positive potential, and the steady-state inactivation curves toward a more negative potential, suggesting that benztropine inhibited Kv channels by affecting the channel voltage sensor. Train pulse (1 or 2 Hz)-induced Kv currents were effectively reduced by the benztropine treatment. Furthermore, recovery time constants of Kv current inactivation increased significantly in response to benztropine. These results suggest that benztropine inhibited vascular Kv channels in a use (state)-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of benztropine was canceled by pretreatment with the Kv 1.5 inhibitor, but there was no obvious change after pretreatment with Kv 2.1 or Kv7 inhibitors. In conclusion, benztropine inhibited the Kv current in a concentration- and use (state)-dependent manner. Inhibition of the Kv channels by benztropine primarily involved the Kv1.5 subtype. Restrictions are required when using benztropine to patients with vascular disease.

Background and objective With an increasing interest in health-related issues in urban environments, there has been growing attention to the relationship between green space and psychological states of residents in apartment complexes. This study investigated resident perceptions of green space and their stress responses in an apartment complex. Methods The psychological stress responses that arose during residents’ observation of two types of environments―an indoor living room and an outdoor green space―were investigated through a field experiment. Sixteen healthy adult females in child care participated in the within-group comparison study. The semantic differential (SD) method was used to examine environmental perception, and three psychological tests were administered to quantify stress responses to the two environments: the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Revised Perceived Restorativeness Scale (RPRS), and the Zuckerman Inventory of Personal Reactions Scale (ZIPERS). Results Feeling of pleasure, familiarity, and beauty showed significantly higher scores in outdoor green space than indoor space. In the POMS analysis, significantly more positive mood states were found in outdoor green space than indoor space. The ZIPERS and RPRS data showed that outdoor green space was more suitable for fatigue recovery because it relieved negative emotions and psychological stress to a greater degree than indoor space. Conclusion This field study suggested that green spaces have the potential to reduce psychological stress and restore psychological well-being in female residents. Despite limited exposure to the green space in the apartment complex, improved mood states and positive health-related effects were observed among the participants.

Background: For gendered innovations to be streamlined in health research, researchers need tools to measure gender variables quantitatively. Because gender is a sociocultural concept which varies by culture, it is important to check feasibility of using tools developed in western countries before using them in Korea. The objective of this study is to conduct a pilot study for adapting a questionnaire measuring gender variables from the literature for the Korean population.Methods: The research was conducted in two steps: 1) modification of questionnaire by an expert group, and 2) an on-line survey of 3,000 adults, in three age groups, balanced in sex. The questionnaire was composed of 7 gender variables with 2 to 6 items, constituting a total of 24 5-point Likert scale items. Gender variable scores were calculated as the average of Z-scores of items pertaining to each variable.Results: Participants were 45.6% men, 43.9% women, and 10.5% other gender. Scores of five gender variables-caregiver tension, work tension, independence, emotional intelligence, and discrimination-were significantly different among sex and gender groups. Among gender variables, work strain, caregiver strain, and discrimination had notable influences on health status and health-related behaviors among survey participants.Conclusions: Several gender variables were related to health status and health behaviors in Korean adults. This is the first attempt in Korea to quantify gender characteristics to be used for health research. Further studies are needed to verify the questionnaire and methods developed in this study for use with diagnosed disease outcomes.

Background: Glomerular diseases encompass a group of kidney diseases that may share common gene expression pathways. We aimed to analyze glomerular-specific gene expression profiles across various glomerular diseases. Methods: We performed spatial transcriptomic profiling using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded kidney biopsy specimens of controls and patients with five types of glomerular diseases using the GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler. We identified common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across glomerular diseases and performed Gene Ontology (GO) annotation by using the ToppGene suite. Results: A total of 35 DEGs were consistently downregulated in glomeruli across the disease compared to the control, while none of the DEGs were consistently upregulated. Twelve of 35 downregulated DEGs, including the two hub genes FOS and JUN, were annotated with molecular function GO terms related to DNA-binding transcription factor activity. Other notable DEGs consistently downregulated and annotated in the pathway analysis included NR4A3, KLF9, EGR1, and ATF3. The annotated biological process GO terms included response to lipid-related (17/35 DEGs), response to steroid hormone (12/35 DEGs), or cell cycle regulation (10/35 DEGs). Conclusions: Identifying common DEGs by spatial transcriptomic analysis provides insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of glomerular diseases and may lead to novel assessment or therapeutic strategies.

Phytochrome B (phyB) is a plant photoreceptor that forms a membraneless organelle called a photobody. However, its constituents are not fully known. Here, we isolated phyB photobodies from Arabidopsis leaves using fluorescence-activated particle sorting and analyzed their components. We found that a photobody comprises ~1,500 phyB dimers along with other proteins that could be classified into two groups: The first includes proteins that directly interact with phyB and localize to the photobody when expressed in protoplasts, while the second includes proteins that interact with the first group proteins and require co-expression of a first-group protein to localize to the photobody. As an example of the second group, TOPLESS interacts with PHOTOPERIODIC CONTROL OF HYPOCOTYL 1 (PCH1) and localizes to the photobody when co-expressed with PCH1. Together, our results support that phyB photobodies include not only phyB and its primary interacting proteins but also its secondary interacting proteins.

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of single-cell spatial biology, yet available assays for spatial transcriptomics have limited gene recovery or low spatial resolution. Here we introduce CytoSPACE, an optimization method for mapping individual cells from a single-cell RNA sequencing atlas to spatial expression profiles. Across diverse platforms and tissue types, we show that CytoSPACE outperforms previous methods with respect to noise tolerance and accuracy, enabling tissue cartography at single-cell resolution.

Pickling salt, also known as curing salt, is a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium nitrite, which is used for color agent and a means to facilitate food preservation. Recently, online purchase of pure sodium nitrite has been restricted, and pickling salts have been used as replacements in cases of suicidal nitrite intoxication. From November 2020 to December 2021, there were four autopsy cases of nitrite poisoning caused by pickling salt, and 10 autopsy cases of nitrite poisoning by pure sodium nitrite. Due to the low nitrite concentration in pickling salts, serum nitrite and nitrate concentration, and methemoglobin levels were relatively low in pickling salts cases. Especially, low methemoglobin levels may cause confusion in the postmortem diagnosis of fatal nitrite intoxication, so caution is required.

Background: Postoperative pain occurring after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is difficult to control because of extensive surgical injuries and long incisions. We assessed whether the addition of a four-quadrant transabdominal plane (4Q-TAP) block could help in analgesic control.Methods: Seventy-two patients scheduled to undergo elective CRS with HIPEC and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) were enrolled. The patients received 4Q-TAP blocks in a 10 ml mixture of 2% lidocaine and 0.75% ropivacaine per site (4Q-TAP group, n = 36) or normal saline (control group, n = 33). Oxycodone in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and pethidine or tramadol in the ward were used as rescue analgesics. The primary outcome was less than 3 times of rescue analgesic administration (%) in the ward for 5 postoperative days. Secondary endpoints included oxycodone requirement in PACU, fentanyl doses of IV PCA, morphine milligram equivalent (MME) of total opioid use, hospital stay, and postoperative complications. Results: During 5 postoperative days, there was no difference in pain scores and total rescue analgesic administration between two groups. However, the use of oxycodone in PACU (P = 0.011), fentanyl requirement in IV PCA (P = 0.029), and MME/kg of total opioid use (median, 2.35 vs. 3.21 mg/kg, P = 0.009) were significantly smaller in the 4Q-TAP group. Hospital stay and incidence of postoperative morbidity were similar in both groups. Conclusions: The 4Q-TAP block enhanced multimodal analgesia and decreased opioid requirements in patients with CRS with HIPEC, but did not change postoperative recovery outcomes.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an inflammatory disease of the lungs. Curcumin (Cur) shows protective effects in ALI animal models. However, Cur is a hydrophobic drug and its administration into the lungs is inefficient due to its low bioavailability. In this study, glycyrrhizic acid (GA) micelles were produced and evaluated as a carrier of Cur for treatment of ALI. Cur-loaded GA (GA-Cur) nanoparticles were produced using an oil-in-water emulsion/solvent evaporation method. The size and surface charge of the GA-Cur nanoparticles were 159 nm and -23 mV, respectively. In lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW264.7 cells, the GA-Cur nanoparticles decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels more efficiently than GA, Cur, or a simple mixture of GA and Cur (GA + Cur). This suggests that the GA-Cur nanoparticles improved the therapeutic efficiency by enhanced delivery of GA and Cur. GA-Cur inhibited the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κb and induced endogenous heme oxygenase-1 more efficiently than the other treatments. Furthermore, an

Background: Cardiomyopathy, which is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous pathological condition, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Genetic diagnosis of cardiomyopathy enables accurate phenotypic classification and optimum patient management and counseling. This study investigated the genetic spectrum of cardiomyopathy and its correlation with the clinical course of the disease. Methods: The samples of 72 Korean patients with cardiomyopathy (43 males and 29 females) were subjected to whole-exome sequencing (WES). The familial information and clinical characteristics of the patients were reviewed and analyzed according to their genotypes. Results: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy was detected in 41 (56.9%), 25 (34.7%), 4 (5.6%), and 2 (2.8%) patients, respectively. WES analysis revealed positive results in 29 (40.3%) patients. Subsequent familial testing identified nine additional familial cases. Among DCM cases, 15 (36.6%) patients exhibited positive results, with TTNvariations being the most common alteration, followed by LMNA and MYH7 variations. Meanwhile, among HCM cases, 13 (52%) patients exhibited positive results with MYH7 variations being the most common alteration. In six patients with positive results, extracardiac surveillance was warranted based on disease information. The incidence of worse outcomes, such as mortality and life-threatening arrhythmic events, in patients with DCM harboring LMNA variants, was higher than that in patients with DCM harboring TTN or MYH7 variants. Conclusions: Diverse genotypes were identified in a substantial proportion of patients with cardiomyopathy. Genetic diagnosis enables personalized disease surveillance and management.

Objectives: This study aimed to help the understanding of children’s temperament and parenting behavior by examining how the temperament and parenting of 3-year-olds affect the vocabulary development of 7-year-old children entering school age.Methods: The study group consisted of a total of four groups based on the scores of the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (REVT; Kim et al., 2009). The dataset was obtained through the Panel Study on Korean Children.Results: 1) There was no statistically significant difference between the four groups in the distribution pattern of children’s temperament type, however there was a statistically significant difference between the four groups in the distribution pattern by parenting behavior type. 2) In Group 1, there was a significant positive correlation between vocabulary at 7 years of age and parenting behavior of 3 years olds. In addition, Group 2 and 4, which showed a delay in vocabulary at the age of 7 years, showed that the emotional temperament of 3-year-old children was correlated with their 7-year-old vocabulary. 3) In Group 1, It was found that the emotional (negative) and sociality of children at the age of 3 significantly explained the vocabulary ability at the age of 7 by mediating the parent’s didactic parenting behavior.Conclusion: This study confirmed that the vocabulary prediction model of Group 1, which showed normal vocabulary development in both 3-year-olds and 7-year-olds, was statistically significant.

Maxillofacial surgery may cause severe complications in perioperative airway management. We report a case of failed airway management in a patient who underwent segmental mandibulectomy, radical neck dissection, and reconstruction with a free flap. The patient was extubated approximately 36 hours after surgery. Approximately 7 hours after extubation, the patient complained of dyspnoea, and respiratory failure followed. Bag-mask ventilation, direct laryngoscopy, video laryngoscopy, and supraglottic airway access were ineffective. The surgical airway was secured with an emergency tracheostomy while performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, the patient experienced permanent hypoxic brain damage. The airway of patients with oral cancer may be compromised postoperatively due to surgical trauma and bulky flap reconstruction. Patients should be closely monitored during the postoperative period to prevent airway failure. Early diagnosis and airway management before airway failure occurs are important. Medical staff should be aware of airway management algorithms, be trained to perform difficult airway management, and have the required equipment readily available.

Background and objective With increasing land use intensity in urban areas, apartment buildings have been recognized as a typical type of urban residence. In this study, the impacts of different views through a window on health-related responses were investigated using psychological and physiological parameters. Methods Photos of three different types of views taken on low (2–12 m), middle (28–35 m), and high (over 54 m) floors of dense apartment building areas were used as visual stimuli. Twenty-two healthy adults participated in the indoor experiment. Semantic differential methods and profile of mood states were used as psychological tools. Autonomic nervous activity was evaluated using blood pressures, pulse rate and heart rate variability (HRV). Results Analytic data showed different characteristics of psychological and physiological outcomes in three different apartment views. In the analysis of psychological parameters, significantly negative responses to the views on middle floors were found in the subscales of tension-anxiety and anger-hostility, compared to low floors. Significantly positive scores in the subscale of vigor were found on low floors with abundance of vegetation and high floors with a view of the sky. A significantly increased value of HF was found on low floors (2,294.96 ± 169.79), compared to the middle(1,553.45 ± 84.66) and high (1,523.02 ± 70.49) floors. Despite the high scores in openness and vigor, high floor views showed significantly higher LF/HF values (1.83 ± 0.09), the indicator of the sympathetic nervous system, than low (1.30 ± 0.07) and middle floor views (1.34 ± 0.06), which might be related to the unconscious fear of heights. Conclusion Views from different heights in an apartment building can affect the psychological states of residents. Green space through the window may have a positive health outcome by reducing physiological stress.

BackgroundMesangial proliferation is a key pathologic feature of diagnosis and also a risk factor for progression in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). We aimed to investigate the gene expression profiles of IgAN glomerulus according to the presence of mesangial proliferation.MethodsWe performed spatial-specific transcriptomic profiling for formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded kidney biopsy tissues using the GeoMX Digital Spatial Profiler. A total of 3 glomeruli with direct pathologic classification for each case were profiled, including 12 cases (4 M1-IgAN, 4 M0-IgAN, and 4 donor controls). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed between the groups with gene ontology (GO) term annotation.ResultsIn the result which successfully enriched glom-specific genes, M1-IgAN were distinctively separated from controls (77 upregulated and 55 downregulated DEGs), while certain DEGs were identified between M1-IgAN and M0-IgAN cases (24 upregulated and 8 downregulated DEGs) or between M0 and controls (1 upregulated and 16 downregulated DEGs). The upregulated DEG that was consistent in M1-IgAN and M0-IgAN cases was TCF21 which is known as early podocyte injury marker while the DEGs uniformly downregulated in IgAN cases included ATF3, EGR1, DUSP1, FOS, JUNB, KLF2, KLF4, NR4A1, RHOB, and ZFP36. Glomeruli from M1-IgAN cases were significantly enriched for cell surface/adhesion molecules and the gene expressions that consist vascular development or extracellular matrix.ConclusionWe found certain transcriptomic differences according to the histologic changes in IgAN which was present even in the early stage of the disease. Spatial transcriptomic analysis may contribute to dissecting structure-specific pathogenesis and molecular changes in IgAN.Significance StatementImmunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis with distinct pathologic features of mesangial proliferation with IgA deposition. The authors used spatial transcriptomic analysis to investigate the gene expression profiles from glomeruli with direct pathology annotation. The analysis revealed notable differentially expressed genes in IgAN with and without mesangial proliferation including early podocyte changes, expressions of cell adhesion molecules, alteration in transcription factor pathway, vascular development and extracellular matrix production. The current spatial transcriptomic analysis suggests notable gene expression profiles that may contribute to pathogenesis and progression of IgAN.

The computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) for chest X-rays was developed more than 50 years ago. However, there are still unmet needs for its versatile use in our medical fields. We planned this study to develop a multipotent CAD model suitable for general use including in primary care areas. We planned this study to solve the problem by using computed tomography (CT) scan with its one-to-one matched chest X-ray dataset. The data was extracted and preprocessed by pulmonology experts by using the bounding boxes to locate lesions of interest. For detecting multiple lesions, multi-object detection by faster R-CNN and by RetinaNet was adopted and compared. A total of twelve diagnostic labels were defined as the followings: pleural effusion, atelectasis, pulmonary nodule, cardiomegaly, consolidation, emphysema, pneumothorax, chemo-port, bronchial wall thickening, reticular opacity, pleural thickening, and bronchiectasis. The Faster R-CNN model showed higher overall sensitivity than RetinaNet, nevertheless the values of specificity were opposite. Some values such as cardiomegaly and chemo-port showed excellent sensitivity (100.0%, both). Others showed that the unique results such as bronchial wall thickening, reticular opacity, and pleural thickening can be described in the chest area. As far as we know, this is the first study to develop an object detection model for chest X-rays based on chest area defined by CT scans in one-to-one matched manner, preprocessed and conducted by a group of experts in pulmonology. Our model can be a potential tool for detecting the whole chest area with multiple diagnoses from a simple X-ray that is routinely taken in most clinics and hospitals on daily basis.

Optimal child feeding practices contribute to reducing child undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Minimum dietary diversity (MDD) is a key indicator of complementary feeding quality for children aged 6-23 months. We aimed to examine the gender-common and gender-specific factors associated with the failure to meet MDD in eight Asia Pacific countries.The study used data of children aged 6-23 months from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in Afghanistan (n = 8410), Bangladesh (n = 2371), Nepal (n = 1478), Pakistan (n = 3490), Cambodia (n = 2182), Indonesia (n = 5133), Myanmar (n = 1379), and Timor-Leste (n = 2115). A total of 41 household, maternal, and child-level variables were examined for association with MDD using univariate and multivariable logistic regressions. All analyses accounted for the survey design and sampling weights.Being aged 6-11 months, not receiving Vitamin A supplementation, low maternal education, belonging to a low wealth quintile, and having two or more young children in the household were factors related to the failure to meet MDD among both male and female children. Mothers' not watching TV or not being exposed to media at least once a week, delivery at home, young age, and engagement to non-agricultural work were only significant risk factors among female children. Non-professional delivery assistance, unsafe disposal of children's stool, tolerant attitudes towards domestic violence, and rural residence were significant factors only among male children.It is possible that male and female children in the region may consume food in various ways, because the factors for meeting MDD are not the same for different genders of children. It is advised to enhance dietary diversity in child nutrition programmes through gender-specific activities.

We investigated the vasodilatory effect of omarigliptin, an oral antidiabetic drug in the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor class, and its related mechanisms using phenylephrine (Phe)-induced pre-contracted aortic rings. Omarigliptin dilated aortic rings pre-constricted with Phe in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with the voltage-dependent K

Metomidate and etomidate belong to the non-barbiturate imidazole family of sedative-hypnotics and elicit little analgesic action when used alone. Metomidate, in particular, has little analgesic activity in humans and is, therefore, used for veterinary purposes. In 2019, a Korean woman in her twenties was found unconscious in a motel bath and eventually died. Etomidate, alprazolam, escitalopram, and metomidate were detected in the postmortem specimens. To our knowledge, this is the first case of human metomidate abuse reported in the Republic of Korea. In this research, a simple and reliable method was developed for the analysis of metomidate and etomidate in human blood samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Blood samples were deproteinized with acetonitrile, filtered, and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Linear calibration curves were obtained with six concentrations ranging from 1 to 50 ng/ml for metomidate and 10 to 500 ng/ml for etomidate. The method was validated by assessing the selectivity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy, matrix effect, and stability and successfully applied to the analysis of metomidate and etomidate in human blood samples. In a postmortem case, the concentrations of metomidate and etomidate were found to be 8 and 110 ng/ml in femoral blood and 6 and 210 ng/ml in cardiac blood, respectively.

Background Skin prick tests are widely used to diagnose allergic sensitization. The influence of obesity on the skin prick test result has not been clearly established, even though the association between allergic disease and obesity is relatively well known. Objective To determine whether a change in body mass index (BMI) contributes to skin reactivity to histamine and allergens in a skin prick test, we performed a 2-year follow-up study on Korean children. Methods Skin prick tests for common aeroallergens were performed on elementary school students from Jeju Island, Korea. BMI was calculated using weight and height after measuring both, and demographic characteristics were surveyed. The same tests were repeated after 2 years. Results The sensitization rate increased during the 2 years between tests and the children’s mean BMI also increased, along with their age. The wheal sizes induced by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, Japanese cedar, and histamine were significantly increased during 2 years; however, only the histamine reaction associated with increased BMI had statistical significance. Furthermore, other variables—including the number of sensitized allergens—were not related to histamine skin reactivity. Conclusion Histamine skin reactivity increased in children over time and some allergens showed increased specific reactions; however, BMI gain is a specific predictor of histamine reactivity. Further studies are needed to elucidate the clinical significance of these changes.

Background Olanzapine, an FDA-approved atypical antipsychotic, is widely used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In this study, the inhibitory effect of olanzapine on voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channels in rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells was investigated. Methods Electrophysiological recordings were performed in freshly isolated coronary arterial smooth muscle cells. Results Olanzapine inhibited the Kv channels in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 7.76 ± 1.80 µM and a Hill coefficient of 0.82 ± 0.09. Although olanzapine did not change the steady-state activation curve, it shifted the inactivation curve to a more negative potential, suggesting that it inhibited Kv currents by affecting the voltage sensor of the Kv channel. Application of 1 or 2 Hz train pulses did not affect the olanzapine-induced inhibition of Kv channels, suggesting that its effect on Kv channels occurs in a use (state)-independent manner. Pretreatment with DPO-1 (Kv1.5 subtype inhibitor) reduced the olanzapine-induced inhibition of Kv currents. In addition, pretreatment with guangxitoxin (Kv2.1 subtype inhibitor) and linopirdine (Kv7 subtype inhibitor) partially decreased the degree of Kv current inhibition. Olanzapine induced membrane depolarization. Conclusion From these results, we suggest that olanzapine inhibits the Kv channels in a concentration-dependent, but state-independent, manner by affecting the gating properties of Kv channels. The primary Kv channel target of olanzapine is the Kv1.5 subtype.

Fesoterodine, an antimuscarinic drug, is widely used to treat overactive bladder syndrome. However, there is little information about its effects on vascular K

We report an EN2-specific (Kd = 8.26 nM) aptamer, and a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked oligonucleotide assay (ELONA) for rapid and sensitive colorimetric detection of bladder and prostate cancer biomarker EN2 in urine. The assay relies on an aptamer-mediated hybridization chain reaction (HCR) to generate DNA nanostructures that bind to EN2 and simultaneously amplify signals. The assay can be performed within 2.5 h, and has a limit of detection of 0.34 nM in buffer and 2.69 nM in artificial urine. Moreover, this assay showed high specificity as it did not detect other urinary proteins, including biomarkers of other cancers. The proposed ELONA is inexpensive, highly reproducible, and has great chemical stability, so it may enable development of a simple, sensitive and accurate diagnostic tool to detect bladder and prostate cancers early.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease closely related to cardiovascular disease. The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor teneligliptin is used to treat DM and has recently been shown to have a cardiovascular protective effect against diseases such as hypertension and heart failure. The present study demonstrates the vasodilatory effect of teneligliptin using aortic rings pre-contracted with phenylephrine. Teneligliptin induced a vasodilatory effect in a dose-dependent manner, with and without endothelium. In addition, pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME and small-conductance Ca

Electronic fibres have been considered one of the desired device platforms due to their dimensional compatibility with fabrics by weaving with yarns. However, a precise connecting process between each electronic fibre is essential to configure the desired electronic circuits or systems. Here, we present an integrated electronic fibre platform by fabricating electronic devices onto a one-dimensional microfibre substrate. Electronic components such as transistors, inverters, ring oscillators, and thermocouples are integrated together onto the outer surface of a fibre substrate with precise semiconductor and electrode patterns. Our results show that electronic components can be integrated on a single fibre with reliable operation. We evaluate the electronic properties of the chip on the fibre as a multifunctional electronic textile platform by testing their switching and data processing, as well as sensing or transducing units for detecting optical/thermal signals. The demonstration of the electronic fibre suggests significant proof of concepts for the realization of high performance with wearable electronic textile systems.

Purpose of review An estimated four to 11% of reported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases occurs in healthcare personnel (HCP). HCP are at high risk of acquiring and transmitting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) given their close contact with individuals with recognized and unrecognized COVID-19. We summarize the literature to date describing the epidemiology, identifying risk factors associated with COVID-19, and analyzing clinical characteristics and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCP. Recent findings The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCP ranges from 0.7 to 45%. Although there is heterogeneity in the seroprevalence rate reported in the literature, HCP may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection from exposure to patients with COVID-19. The literature supports that this can be minimized with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, proper hand hygiene, appropriate PPE use, and other infection prevention measures. In addition, infections in HCP are commonly acquired in the community as well as in nonclinical care settings including break rooms or work rooms. Summary While much focus has been on minimizing patient-to-HCP transmission of SARS-CoV-2, additional efforts are needed to prevent exposures in nonclinical care settings and in the community.

Neddylation is a posttranslational modification in which NEDD8 is conjugated to a target substrate by cellular processes similar to those involved in ubiquitination. Recent studies have identified PSD-95 and cofilin as substrates for neddylation in the brain and have shown that neddylation modulates the maturation and stability of dendritic spines in developing neurons. However, the precise substrates and functional consequences of neddylation at presynaptic terminals remain elusive. Here, we provide evidence that the mGlu7 receptor is a target of neddylation in heterologous cells and rat primary cultured neurons. We found that mGlu7 neddylation is reduced by agonist treatment and is required for the clustering of mGlu7 in the presynaptic active zone. In addition, we observed that neddylation is not required for the endocytosis of mGlu7, but it facilitates the ubiquitination of mGlu7 and stabilizes mGlu7 protein expression. Finally, we demonstrate that neddylation is necessary for the maturation of excitatory presynaptic terminals, providing a key role for neddylation in synaptic function., Nervous system: Nerve cell development New insights into the role of a regulatory protein in nerve development and activity in the brain will increase understanding of the maturation of nerve cells and the pathology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Young Ho Suh and colleagues at Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea studied cultured rat nerve cells to investigate a process called neddylation, mediated by the protein NEDD8. Neddylation occurs when NEDD8 is attached to other proteins in a manner that regulates the cell proliferation, but details of neddylation’s effects have been elusive in nerve cells. The authors have now identified a specific receptor protein in nerve cell membranes as a target for neddylation. This process seems to be required for the maturation and activity of nerve endings called pre-synapses, which release neurotransmitters to send signals to other nerve cells.