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Under various cellular stress conditions, including exposure to toxic chemicals, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), including Ras GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 1 (G3BP1), aggregate and form stress granule complexes, which serve as hallmarks of cellular stress. The existing methods for analyzing stress granule assembly have limitations in the rapid detection of dynamic cellular stress and ignore the effects of constitutively overexpressed RBP on cellular stress and stress-related processes. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, we established a G3BP1-GFP reporter in a human lung epithelial cell line using CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in as an alternative system for stress granule analysis. We showed that the G3BP1-GFP reporter system responds to stress conditions and forms a stress granule complex similar to that of native G3BP1. Furthermore, we validated the stress granule response of an established cell line under exposure to various household chemicals. Overall, this novel G3BP1-GFP reporter human lung cell system is capable of monitoring stress granule dynamics in real time and can be used for assessing the lung toxicity of various substances in vitro.

The effects of different types of balls on spark plasma sintering (SPS) characteristics of high energy ball milled Ti-48wt% Al-4wt% Nd powders were investigated. After ball milling with STS balls and zirconia balls at 800 rpm for 3 h in argon atmosphere, both powders showed shape factors of about 0.8, but their average powder sizes differed respectively at approximately 11 µm and 5 µm. From XRD results, only the peaks of pure Ti, Al and Nd were detected in both powders. The obtained Ti-Al-Nd powders were consolidated by SPS technique at 1373 K for 15 min under a pressure of 50 MPa in vacuum, resulting in high density over 99%. EDS and XRD analyses indicated the formation of binary phases such as TiAl3, TiAl, Ti3Al5, and NdAl3 after SPS in both cases of STS and zirconia balls, while the ternary Ti-Al-Nd phase was detected only in the case of zirconia balls. The size of second phases was slightly smaller in the case of zirconia balls. The microhardness of the sample was 790 Hv with zirconia balls and 540 Hv with STS balls.

High-strength concrete (HSC) uses binders and microfillers with ultrafine particles, such as silica fume. The resulting dense internal hydration structure rapidly decreases HSC humidity, causing shrinkage cracks and affecting internal hydration. Herein, the hydration degree inside high-strength cement composites (HSCCs) was examined using waste glass beads (WGBs) as lightweight aggregates (LWAs). Moreover, unreacted hydrate reduction and hydrate formation tendencies were investigated. WGBs with particle sizes within 2.00–6.00 mm were added at ratios of 5%, 10%, and 20% after pre-wetting. The increased number of hydrates inside the specimens were examined under steam curing (80 °C) and room temperature curing (25 °C). The strength decreased as the WGB content increased. Thermogravimetric, X-ray diffraction, and Si nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed that the hydration degree of Si inside HSCCs changed when the content of pre-wetted LWAs changed. A visual inspection of the specimen cross-section and scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM–EDS) analysis revealed the moisture trapped inside WGB pores and the hydration tendency. Under steam curing and room temperature curing, the paste contained different amounts of hydrates, depending on WGB content. Moreover, water-absorbed WGBs were continuously desorbed through SEM–EDS, and hydrates were present in WGB pores.

Background: Compared to the general population, diabetic patients experience more frequent episodes of gastrointestinal (GI) motility dysfunction, owing to the disruption of functional innervations. DA-9701 is a new prokinetic agent formulated from the extracts of Pharbitidis semen and Corydalis tuber. Aim: To investigate the effect of DA-9701 on GI motility in an animal model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Methods: Diabetes was induced in mice by intraperitoneal injection of STZ (40 mg/kg of body weight in 0.1 M citrate buffer) for 3 days. Diabetic mice were divided into four groups and administered DA-9701 in different doses (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) or placebo for 2 weeks. Intestinal transit was assessed using charcoal meal movement. GI isometric contraction was measured by applying an isometric force transducer on a circular muscle strip of the antrum, ileum, and proximal colon of sacrificed mice. Gastric emptying rate was evaluated by measuring the dye percentage remaining in the stomach relative to the total dye amount recovered in a standardization group of mice. Results: Body weight and antral and small intestinal motility were less in diabetic mice than in control mice, and colonic motility was similar in both. DA-9701 showed a dose-dependent increase in the amplitude of spontaneous phasic contractions in the antrum, ileum, and colon in diabetic mice without influencing body weight or blood glucose levels. The degree of improvement was comparable between diabetic and control mice. Intestinal transit was significantly more delayed in diabetic mice than in controls (43 ± 7% vs. 67 ± 8%, p < 0.05); however, DA-9701 restored the delayed intestinal transit more effectively compared to placebo (75% vs. 50%). The gastric emptying rate was significantly more delayed in diabetic mice than in controls (43 ± 10% vs. 62 ± 12%, p < 0.05), and was improved by DA-9701 in a dose-dependent manner (50%, 55%, and 60% in mice treated with 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg of DA-9701, respectively, vs. 43% in placebo-treated and 60% in control mice). Conclusions: DA-9701 improved GI contractility without affecting blood sugar and body weight in diabetic mice. DA-9701 could improve the decreased GI motility and clinical symptoms in progressive diabetic patients.

Background: Marriages between divorced and never-married individuals indicate a society's openness to divorce and have implications for children's well-being. Few studies have examined the association between spouses' marital histories, its educational variation, and the trends therein outside of the United States. Objective: Little is known about trends in assortative mating by marital history in more traditional societies, where stigma against divorce often remains. This study examined the changing patterns of assortative mating by marital history in South Korea across 25 single-year marriage cohorts, 1993-2017. Methods: Calculating the odds ratios from two-by-two marriage tables classifying spouses' marital histories and also applying individual-level logistic regression models to 7,451,399 marriages formed from 1993 to 2017, we investigated trends in the association between spouses' marital histories. We further explored heterogeneity in the strength of the association between spouses' marital histories and its trends over time by spouses' educational combinations. Results: The association between spouses' marital histories has declined over time across all educational groups. However, crossing boundaries of marital history is most difficult in marriages where the man and woman are both college-educated and is easiest in marriages where the man and woman are both non-college-educated. Contribution: We document the trends in marital history homogamy (which has not received much attention in the literature) in Korea, with distinctive contexts of divorce and remarriage. Presenting educational patterns in the association between spouses' marital histories is another contribution.

Construction safety climates can reflect organizational safety behavior and commitment, employees’ safety perceptions and attitudes, and the supervisory and support environments. Maintaining a healthy safety climate can help prevent workers from fatal accidents and illnesses. To enhance the safety climate and, consequently, improve safety performance at a construction site, it is very important to analyze the elements that affect the safety climate and are significant for different types of construction work organizations. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to develop a multi-spectra perception model to investigate which factors were considered critical from four key perspectives: managers, superintendents, skilled laborers, and general helpers. To achieve this goal, a survey questionnaire was conducted to collect empirical data from one commercial building construction project. Based on a stepwise regression analysis, it was revealed that the most significant factors enhancing the safety climate are: from the managers’ perspective, a combination of improvement in the support environment and reduction in work pressure; for superintendents and skilled laborers, increasing worker competence; and for general laborers, increasing worker involvement. This research contributes to a better understanding of the significant factors and provides a measure for each important role in enhancing the safety climate at a job site.

Lightweight concrete has been adopted to prefabricated elements such as facades, staircases and wall systems in housing projects. Many research have been carried out on production of lightweight panels without using ordinary portland cement. The objective of this experimental study was to develop construction materials applicable to lightweight wall system by using ground granulated blast furnace slag and paper ash, which are industrial by-products. Specifically, we carried out an experimental research on the properties of a lightweight matrix that could have application to lightweight wall systems without involving any use of Portland cement that emits massive amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) from chemical process and burning fuel; the major culprit behind global warming. In this study, we used NaOH alkaline activator to achieve the strength of a ground granulated blast furnace slag-based matrix without using general Portland cement. As a result, the mechanism was uncovered as to how NaOH alkaline activator led to the generation of hydrogen gas through reaction with the unreacted Si of paper ash. In addition, we found that construction materials applicable to lightweight wall systems could be manufactured by using ground granulated blast furnace slag and paper ash, industrial by-products.

In microscale photogrammetry, the confocal microscopic imaging technique has been the dominant trend. Unlike the confocal imaging mostly for transparent objects, we propose a novel method to construct a 3D shape in microscale for various micro-sized solid objects in a broad spectrµm of applications. Recently, the structure from motion (SfM) demonstrated reliable 3D reconstruction capability for macroscale objects. In this paper, we discuss the results of a novel micro-surface reconstruction method using the Structure from Motion in microscale. The proposed micro SfM technique utilizes the photometric stereovision via microscopic photogrammetry. The main challenges lie in the scanning methodology, ambient light control, and light conditioning for microscale object photography. Experimental results of the microscale SfM, as well as the modeling accuracy analysis of a reconstructed micro-object, are shared in the paper.

The advanced solid phase crystallization (SPC) method using the SiGe/Si bi-layer structure is proposed to obtain high-mobility poly-Si thin-film transistors in next generation vertical NAND (VNAND) devices. During the SPC process, the top SiGe thin film acts as a selective nucleation layer to induce surface nucleation and equiaxial microstructure. Subsequently, this SiGe thin film microstructure is propagated to the underlying Si thin film by epitaxy-like growth. The initial nucleation at the SiGe surface was clearly observed by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) when heating up to 600 °C. The equiaxial microstructures of both SiGe nucleation and Si channel layers were shown in the crystallized bi-layer plan-view TEM measurements. Based on these experimental results, the large-grained and less-defective Si microstructure is expected to form near the channel region of each VNAND cell transistor, which may improve the electrical characteristics.

Despite the known physiological effects of Allium hookeri Thwaites (A. hookeri) on metabolism, the effects of ingestion of the extract on hematological parameters and exercise capacity are largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis that water extracts of A. hookeri root (WEAH) would improve hematological parameters and promote exercise capacity. The intake of WEAH-containing feed significantly reduced the weight of white adipose tissue and the amount of total cholesterol in the blood, but it did not affect the body weight of mice. WEAH intake enhanced the muscular endurance of mice in treadmill endurance tests. The crosssectional areas of muscle fibers in the gastrocnemius muscle of the WEAH-fed mice were larger than those in the control mice. WEAH promoted myoblast myogenesis by increasing the expression of the myogenic protein myosin heavy chain 3 and myotube formation. Taken together, our results suggest that A. hookeri may be valuable in the development of preventive and therapeutic medicines for sarcopenia as well as in providing basic knowledge of muscular functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]