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We proposed a deep learning method using a convolutional neural network on time-series (TS) images to detect and differentiate affected body parts in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and freezing of gait (FOG) during 360° turning tasks. The 360° turning task was performed by 90 participants (60 people with PD [30 freezers and 30 nonfreezers] and 30 age-matched older adults (controls) at their preferred speed. The position and acceleration underwent preprocessing. The analysis was expanded from temporal to visual data using TS imaging methods. According to the PD vs. controls classification, the right lower third of the lateral shank (RTIB) on the least affected side (LAS) and the right calcaneus (RHEE) on the LAS were the most relevant body segments in the position and acceleration TS images. The RHEE marker exhibited the highest accuracy in the acceleration TS images. The identified markers for the classification of freezers vs. nonfreezers vs. controls were the left lateral humeral epicondyle (LELB) on the more affected side and the left posterior superior iliac spine (LPSI). The LPSI marker in the acceleration TS images displayed the highest accuracy. This approach could be a useful supplementary tool for determining PD severity and FOG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneity of Parkinson’s disease (PD) presents considerable challenges for accurate diagnosis, particularly during early-stage disease, when the symptoms may be extremely subtle. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of a convolutional neural network (CNN) technique based on the 6-min walk test (6MWT) measured using wearable sensors to distinguish patients with early-stage PD (n = 78) from healthy controls (n = 50). The participants wore six sensors, and performed the 6MWT. The time-series data were converted into new images. The results revealed that the gyroscopic vertical component of the lumbar spine displayed the highest classification accuracy of 83.5%, followed by those of the thoracic spine (83.1%) and right thigh (79.5%) segment. These findings suggest that the 6MWT and CNN models may facilitate earlier diagnosis and monitoring of PD symptoms, enabling clinicians to provide timely treatment during the critical transition from normal to pathologic gait patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The derivation of 17-fringe and 19-fringe phase-reconstruction algorithms that can suppress the first order nonlinear intensity modulation during wavelength modulating is presented. We visualize the proposed algorithms in the frequency domain in connection with the Fourier representation to discuss the properties of the algorithms. The 19-fringe algorithm yields the smallest phase error compared to the conventional algorithms. Lastly, we assess the surface of the transparent fused silica plate using the wavelength-modulating Fizeau interferometer and the 19-fringe algorithm. From the experiment results, it is indicated that the accuracy of the surface assessment for the fused silica plate is 4.0 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spartina alterniflora Loisel, widely recognized as an aggressive invader of estuaries and salt marshes worldwide, was recently reported in Korean waters as rapidly invading intertidal mudflats, growing in circular patches. For more effective control management of the invasive cordgrass, we developed a modified ignition logistic model based on the satellite imageries to estimate the settlement time of the first individual stand and the doubling period of the patch spread in the early colonization state. The present model is designed for estimating the starting time and the doubling period of the patch spread at the growth stage, which is a salient feature different from other logistic models. The importance of estimating the starting time of the invasion may lie in figuring out what ecological changes occurred at that time. A Monte-Carlo simulation is combined with our model to obtain reliable predictions against the noisy data. As a result of applying the model to the Northwest Pacific invading tidal flats of Korea, China, and Japan, it turns out that the doubling periods of the patch spread are generally shorter and similar to each other, which range from 0.6 to 2.1 years. This is probably attributed to the genetically hybridized populations of Spartina alterniflora invading this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, research incorporating the benefits of deep learning in the application of cancer cell classification and analysis has been actively conducted. In this paper, we investigated examples of binary-class classification and multi-class classification of cancer cell image data of commonly occurring types of cancer worldwide, such as cervical cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer, using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) models. For instance, some studies explored the utilization of transfer learning, leveraging a pre-trained CNN model is used as a starting point for additional training on a specific cancer cell dataset. Cancer cells have irregular and abnormal growth, making accurate classification challenging. The application of deep learning techniques, such as CNN, for cancer cell classification has been able to solve these complex analysis problems and enable fast cancer cell classification results, leading to early detection of cancer. Indeed, most of the studies in this paper achieved high performance using CNN models, and this approach enables faster and more accurate confirmation of cancer cell classification results, leading to early detection of cancer. This shows the current trend of applying deep learning in the application of cancer cell classification and demonstrates the significant potential of deep learning to contribute to cancer research. Overall, we provide an overview of the current trend of applying deep learning in the field of cancer cell classification and expect that deep learning will open the way for more effective cancer diagnosis and treatment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the influence of contralateral anterior circulation on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of intracranial arteries, by comparing the CFD values of flow velocities in unilateral anterior circulation with the measured values from phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (PC-MRA). Methods: We analyzed 21 unilateral anterior circulation models without proximal stenosis from 15 patients who performed both time-of-flight MRA (TOF-MRA) and PC-MRA. CFD was performed with the inflow boundary condition of a pulsatile flow of the internal carotid artery (ICA) obtained from PC-MRA. The outflow boundary condition was given as atmospheric pressure. Simulated flow velocities of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA) from CFD were compared with the measured values from PC-MRA. Results: The velocities of MCA were shown to be more accurately simulated on CFD than those of ACA (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.773 and 0.282, respectively). In four models with severe stenosis or occlusion of the contralateral ICA, the CFD values of ACA velocities were significantly lower (< 50%) than those measured with PC-MRA. ACA velocities were relatively accurately simulated in the models including similar diameters of both ACAs. Conclusion: It may be necessary to consider the flow condition of the contralateral anterior circulation in CFD of intracranial arteries, especially in the ACA. Relevance statement: Incorporating the flow conditions of the contralateral circulation is of clinical importance for an accurate prediction of a rupture risk in Acom aneurysms as the bidirectional flow and accurate velocity of both ACAs can significantly impact the CFD results. Key points: • CFD simulations using unilateral vascular models were relatively accurate for MCA. • Contralateral ICA steno-occlusion resulted in an underestimation of CFD velocity in ACA. • Contralateral flow may need to be considered in CFD simulations of ACA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphipathic α-helical peptides (AHPs) have shown potential as a therapeutic approach against multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity by disrupting bacterial membranes. However, their nonspecific interactions with membranes often result in cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. Previous studies have shown that a PxxP motif near the middle of cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptides contributes to potent and selective antibacterial activity. In this study, we compared KL18 with KL-PxxP to examine the effects of the central PxxP motif in AHPs on their structure, antibiotic activity, and mode of action. In a membrane-mimetic environment, we observed that KL18 had a much higher helical content compared to KL-PxxP. In aqueous buffer, KL18 adopted a highly ordered α-helical conformation, while KL-PxxP exhibited a disordered conformation. We found that KL-PxxP exhibited 4–16 times higher antibacterial activity than KL18 and significantly reduced the hemolytic activity. These findings suggest that the dynamic conformational behaviors caused by the central PxxP motif conferred the antibacterial selectivity of AHPs. Additionally, KL-PxxP showed strong binding to anionic liposomes and weak binding to zwitterionic liposomes, explaining its selectivity for bacteria over mammalian cells. Despite having a low ability to dissipate the bacterial membrane potential, KL-PxxP translocated efficiently across lipid membranes. Therefore, we propose that the central PxxP motif in AHPs provides dynamic conformational behavior in aqueous and membrane-mimetic environments, enhances binding to anionic membranes, and facilitates translocation across lipid bilayers, resulting in improved antibacterial potency and selectivity. Understanding the unique structural characteristics and functional roles of the PxxP motif in the antimicrobial mechanism of action holds great potential for advancing the development of novel peptide antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a crucial component of the natural defense system that the host employs to protect itself against invading pathogens. PMAP-23, a cathelicidin-derived AMP, has potent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Our earlier studies led us to hypothesize that PMAP-23 adopts a dynamic helix–hinge–helix structure, initially attaching to membrane surfaces through the N-helix and subsequently inserting the C-helix into the lipid bilayer. Here, we rationally designed PMAP-NC with increased amphipathicity and hydrophobicity in the N- and C-helix, respectively, based on the hypothesis of the interaction of PMAP-23 with membranes. Compared to the parental PMAP-23, PMAP-NC showed two–eightfold improved bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains with fast killing kinetics. Fluorescence studies demonstrated that PMAP-NC largely disrupted membrane integrity, indicating that efficiency and kinetics of bacterial killing are associated with the membrane permeabilization. Interestingly, PMAP-NC exhibited much better anticancer activity against tumor cells than PMAP-23 but displayed low hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes. Collectively, our findings suggest that PMAP-NC, with the structural arrangement of an amphipathic helix–hinge–hydrophobic helix that plays a critical role in rapid and efficient membrane permeabilization, can be an attractive candidate for novel antimicrobial and/or anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dokdo is located 215 km away from the Korean Peninsula and is not affected by anthropogenic impacts. In this area, barren grounds developed between the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Korean government has measured the average urchin density from 1 to 10 sampling stations around Dokdo during 2006–2020 and has been conducting urchin removal projects annually since 2015 all around the bottom of Dokdo within depths of 5–20 m. Here, we implemented an additive decomposition method for time series analysis of the collected data. The timeline was divided into two periods: sample data period for predicting the urchin density (2006–2016) and intervention period (2016–2020). A trend model was estimated from the de-seasonalized data of the prediction period. Subsequently, forecasts were compared with the corresponding observations of the intervention period. While the forecasts reflected the spread of barren grounds and sea urchins, the actual urchin density during the intervention period decreased. On comparing the macroalgal coverage between the springs of 2017 and 2020, the samples with coverage less than 20% decreased from 50% in 2017 to 0% in 2020, while those with 21–40% coverage increased from 30% in 2017 to 90% in 2020. These changes confirmed the effect of urchin removal, and, based on this and other studies, an effective threshold of urchin density/biomass of two individuals and 140–150 g/m2 was suggested as the target criterion. The study proved the urchin removal as an effective solution to recover macroalgal beds in Dokdo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New energy absorption devices have been developed for use in net-type debris flow protection systems. The capacity of the anchors in the system needs careful analysis because the anchors play a significant role in transmitting energy from the impacting debris to the ground. In this paper, an effective method is proposed for estimating the anchor capacity based on increasing energy levels and the effect of brake frames in the system. For this purpose, four test cases based on varying impact energy levels were developed and full-scale impact tests were performed. The maximum deformations and tensile forces developed in the system were recorded and analyzed. Thereafter, the performance of the net protection system in the presence and absence of brake frames was numerically analyzed using ABAQUS software, and the stress distribution in various system components was investigated. Based on the results of the full-scale impact tests and numerical analysis, a relationship between the total anchor capacity and impact energy level was established by considering the workability of the U-clips. This study demonstrates that approximately 40% reduced anchor capacity can be safely used for impact energy levels ranging from 50 to 200 kJ when brake frames are used in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BP100 is a short cationic antimicrobial peptide (AMP) designed using a combinatorial chemistry approach based on the cecropin A-melittin hybrid. It displays potent antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria and low toxicity toward eukaryotic cells. To develop a short AMP with potent cell selectivity, antibiofilm and anti-inflammatory activities, we designed a newly BP100 analog, BP100-W, in which Leu-3 at the hydrophobic face of BP100 was replaced by Trp. BP100-W possessed better cell selectivity, with a 1.7-fold higher therapeutic index than BP100. BP100-W displayed more effective synergistic activity when combined with several antibiotics, such as chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and oxacillin, compared to BP-100. BP100-W also exhibited stronger antibiofilm activity than BP100 in inhibiting biofilm formation by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA) and eradicating the preformed biofilms of MDRPA. Moreover, unlike BP100, BP100-W significantly suppressed the production and expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as the tumor necrosis factor-α and nitric oxide. Boron-dipyrromethene-TR-cadaverine displacement assay demonstrated that the inhibitory activity of BP100-W on LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells may be due to increased direct interaction with LPS. Our results suggest that BP100-W exhibits potential for future use as an antimicrobial, antibiofilm and anti-inflammatory agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridizing two known antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a simple and effective strategy for designing antimicrobial agents with enhanced cell selectivity against bacterial cells. Here, we generated a hybrid peptide Lf-KR in which LfcinB6 and KR-12-a4 were linked with a Pro hinge to obtain a novel AMP with potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm activities. Lf-KR exerted superior cell selectivity for bacterial cells over sheep red blood cells. Lf-KR showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities (MIC: 4–8 μM) against tested 12 bacterial strains and retained its antimicrobial activity in the presence of salts at physiological concentrations. Membrane depolarization and dye leakage assays showed that the enhanced antimicrobial activity of Lf-KR was due to increased permeabilization and depolarization of microbial membranes. Lf-KR significantly inhibited the expression and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor‐α) in LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. In addition, Lf-KR showed a powerful eradication effect on preformed multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA) biofilms. We confirmed using confocal laser scanning microscopy that a large portion of the preformed MDRPA biofilm structure was perturbed by the addition of Lf-KR. Collectively, our results suggest that Lf-KR can be an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm candidate as a pharmaceutical agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides have an extended and/or unstructured conformation in aqueous solutions but fold into ordered conformations, such as the α-helical structure, when interacting with cellular membranes. These structural transitions can be directly correlated to their antimicrobial activity and its underlying mechanisms. SMAP-18, the N-terminal segment (residues 1–18) of sheep cathelicidin (SMAP-29), is known to kill microorganisms by translocating across membranes and interacting with their nucleic acids. The amino acid sequence of SMAP-18 contains three Gly residues (at positions 2, 7, and 13) that significantly affect the flexibility of its peptide structure. This study investigated the role of Gly residues in the structure, membrane interaction, membrane translocation, and antimicrobial mechanisms of SMAP-18. Five analogs were designed and synthesized through Gly → Ala substitution (i.e., G2A, G7A, G13A, G7,13A, and G2,7,13A); these substitutions altered the helical content of SMAP-18 peptides. We found that G7,13A and G2,7,13A changed their mode of action, with circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance studies revealing that these analogs changed the structure of SMAP-18 from a random coil to an α-helical structure. The results of this experiment suggest that the Gly residues at positions 7 and 13 in SMAP-18 are the structural and functional determinants that control its three-dimensional structure, strain-specific activity, and antimicrobial mechanism of action. These results provide valuable information for the design of novel peptide-based antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Diffusion model for initial colonization of Spartina patches on Korean tidal flats" published in the journal Biological Invasions. The correction addresses an error in Table 7 of the article, where the country name 'China' was mistakenly listed in the wrong row. The corrected table provides a summary of the invasion and spreading of Spartina alterniflora in different regions, including the coverage of the marsh, introduction time, and doubling period. The original article has been corrected, and the publisher remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, a new finite element model updating (FEMU) method is proposed based on mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) to deal with model-form uncertainty in FE models. Depending on modelers' preference and experience, various FE models can be constructed for a specific structure in practice. However, no one can guarantee that a specific model representation is always best (Model-form uncertainty). Conventional method should perform model updating for each FE model independently and select a best one among them, so that it becomes computationally intensive with many candidate FE models. To handle model-form uncertainty, this study formulates FEMU as the MINLP problem. The proposed method assigns an integer variable for model choice, while continuous real variables are used for the updating parameters. With this formulation, the optimization algorithm can explore both model and parameter space simultaneously to deal with the model-form uncertainty in FE models. Firstly, three numerical experiments were explored to evaluate the performance of the proposed method by considering possible situations in reality as follows: (1) a true FE model exists in model space with an admissible FE model; (2) only admissible FE model exists in model space; and (3) no true and admissible FE models exist in model space. Then, the proposed method was experimentally validated through a real bridge. The results show that the proposed method can find a best FE model with optimal estimates of the updating parameters with much less computational efforts against the conventional FEMU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens in biofilm-associated chronic infections. S. aureus living within biofilms evades the host immune response and is more resistant to antibiotics than planktonic bacteria. In this study, we generated S. aureus with low and high levels of biofilm formation using the rbf (regulator of biofilm formation) gene and performed a BioTimer assay to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of various types of antibiotics. We showed that biofilm formation by S. aureus had a greater effect on MBC than MIC, probably due to the different growth modes between planktonic and biofilm bacteria. Importantly, we found that the MBC for biofilm S. aureus was much higher than that for planktonic cells, but there was little difference in MBC between low and high levels of biofilm formation. These results suggest that once the biofilm is formed, the bactericidal activity of antibiotics is significantly reduced, regardless of the degree of S. aureus biofilm formation. We propose that S. aureus strains with varying degrees of biofilm formation may be useful for evaluating the anti-biofilm activity of antimicrobial agents and understanding antibiotic resistance mechanisms by biofilm development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of machine tool spindle vibration is becoming prevalent as high-speed machining and lightweight design are being actively applied in the machining process. As the required machining accuracy increases, the machine tool spindle vibration generated in ultra-precision machining is the main cause of the deterioration of the machining quality. In this study, a TiC-SKH51 metal-matrix composite was used to suppress the machine tool spindle vibration. A vibration characteristic test was conducted to obtain the dynamic characteristics of the TiC-SKH51 and other testing materials. By comparing the results of the vibration characteristic test, the reliability of the finite element analysis software was confirmed. Then, dynamic and static analyses were performed to obtain the dynamic and static characteristics of the machine tool spindle model. The analysis results show that the TiC-SKH51 machine tool spindle can directly suppress the generation of spindle vibrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of optimal cutoff points has been questioned in many cluster analyses. Here, we aimed to determine a percent similarity cutoff value that can be generally applied to macrobenthic community classification. Biological datasets were collected from the Chokchon tidal flat in Incheon, Korea, in July 1994, and from the subtidal, soft-bottom areas of the Korean coast of the Yellow Sea between 2006 and 2008. For the tidal flat, R 0 , a similarity at zero distance apart (indicating an identical community), and R 0 / 2 , a cutoff similarity indicating that half of the community is different, were estimated based on the linear relationship between similarity and inter-sample distance. The subtidal area R 0 was estimated as a representative value of similarities among replicates within a station. The R 0 / 2 for the tidal flat and subtidal areas were determined to be 29 and 28%, respectively. The validity of this classification method using the similarity cutoff values and similarity profile analysis (SIMPROF) was verified using independent macrobenthos and environmental datasets from 54 tidal flats. BIO-ENV analysis determined that mean grain size, sorting, and acid-volatile sulfide were selected as the best determinants of community distribution, and these were compared among biological groups derived from both classification methods. The former was found to have higher classification performance and ability to assemble homogeneous groups. We discussed the sources of variation in similarity and the necessity of allowing researchers to choose an appropriate one within a range. Considering the confidence intervals, we suggest a cutoff value range between 26 and 30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase-shifting fringe analysis using wavelength tuning has been widely applied to interferometric surface measurements of optical flats. However, when measuring the silicon wafer that has the highly reflective surface, the correlated error between the second harmonic component and phase-shift miscalibration can be a significant error in the phase distribution. In this study, a novel design method to derive a phase-extraction algorithm is proposed for the suppression of the correlated error. A new 11-frame algorithm was developed using the Blackman sampling window. The 11-frame algorithm was visualized on the frequency space and complex plane, and its compensation capability was confirmed by numerical error analysis comparing with other algorithms. Finally, the silicon wafer surface was profiled by applying the 11-frame algorithm and Fizeau interferometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that selectively permeabilize bacterial membranes are promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Dimerization of AMP is considered an attractive strategy to enhance antimicrobial and membrane-lytic activity, but it also increases undesired hemolytic and cytotoxic activity. Here, we prepared Lys-linked homodimers of membrane-permeabilizing magainin II and cell-penetrating buforin II. Dimerization did not significantly alter conformational behavior, but it had a substantial impact on antimicrobial properties. We found that while the magainin II dimer showed increased antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects, the buforin II dimer conferred much greater antibacterial potency without exhibiting cytotoxic activity. Interestingly, the buforin II dimer was highly effective against several antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates. Membrane permeabilization experiments indicated that the magainin II dimer rapidly disrupted both anionic and zwitterionic membranes, whereas the buforin II dimer selectively disrupted anionic membranes. Like the monomeric form, the buforin II dimer was efficiently translocated across lipid bilayers. Therefore, our results suggest that the dimerization of cell-penetrating buforin II not only disrupts the bacterial membrane, but also translocates it across the membrane to target intracellular components, resulting in effective antimicrobial activity. We propose that dimerization of intracellular targeting AMPs may present a superior strategy for therapeutic control of pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase-shifting fringe analysis using wavelength scanning has been broadly applied to the interferometric profiling of the thickness variation of glass plates. However, the nonlinear phase shifting can cause bias error during wavelength scanning. In this study, the bias error in the calculated phase was formulated by Taylor series expansion. Using the formulation, a novel 15-sample algorithm of a partially negative window was derived to enable compensation for the bias phase error. The new 15-sample algorithm was visualized by the algorithm polynomial on the complex plane and Fourier description in the frequency domain. The bias error suppression capability of the developed algorithm was examined by using the numerical simulation. Finally, the proposed algorithm was used in conjunction with a large-aperture Fizeau interferometer to examine the thickness variation of a glass parallel plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prime editing enables the introduction of virtually any small-sized genetic change without requiring donor DNA or double-strand breaks. However, evaluation of prime editing efficiency requires time-consuming experiments, and the factors that affect efficiency have not been extensively investigated. In this study, we performed high-throughput evaluation of prime editor 2 (PE2) activities in human cells using 54,836 pairs of prime editing guide RNAs (pegRNAs) and their target sequences. The resulting data sets allowed us to identify factors affecting PE2 efficiency and to develop three computational models to predict pegRNA efficiency. For a given target sequence, the computational models predict efficiencies of pegRNAs with different lengths of primer binding sites and reverse transcriptase templates for edits of various types and positions. Testing the accuracy of the predictions using test data sets that were not used for training, we found Spearman's correlations between 0.47 and 0.81. Our computational models and information about factors affecting PE2 efficiency will facilitate practical application of prime editing. Prime editing is optimized by a method to choose the most efficient guide RNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Albumin, the most abundant and long-lived serum protein, exhibits novel features as a carrier that can greatly enhance the pharmacological action of therapeutic payloads. Besides passive trafficking by enhanced permeability and retention effect, albumin has been shown to accumulate within the tumor environment or inflamed tissues by receptor-mediated active transport, lending itself to being a promising scaffold for targeted drug delivery. Albumin has recently been found to be a scavenger for amyloid-β with the potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases. The hydrophobic binding pockets, conjugatable thiol residue, and surface-exposed N- and C-termini in albumin inherently serve as useful spots for carrying various kinds of peptidyl and non-peptidyl drugs. Beyond its long-standing role as a half-life extender, albumin is emerging as a versatile drug carrier to aid numerous therapeutic agents that have poor pharmacokinetics, targetability, solubility, and instability in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) variants have been developed to improve an enzyme's specificity or to alter or broaden its protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) compatibility, but selecting the optimal variant for a given target sequence and application remains difficult. To build computational models to predict the sequence-specific activity of 13 SpCas9 variants, we first assessed their cleavage efficiency at 26,891 target sequences. We found that, of the 256 possible four-nucleotide NNNN sequences, 156 can be used as a PAM by at least one of the SpCas9 variants. For the high-fidelity variants, overall activity could be ranked as SpCas9 ≥ Sniper-Cas9 > eSpCas9(1.1) > SpCas9-HF1 > HypaCas9 ≈ xCas9 >> evoCas9, whereas their overall specificities could be ranked as evoCas9 >> HypaCas9 ≥ SpCas9-HF1 ≈ eSpCas9(1.1) > xCas9 > Sniper-Cas9 > SpCas9. Using these data, we developed 16 deep-learning-based computational models that accurately predict the activity of these variants at any target sequence. Deep-learning models predict the Cas9 variant with optimal activity and specificity for any target sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Base editors, including adenine base editors (ABEs)1 and cytosine base editors (CBEs)2,3, are widely used to induce point mutations. However, determining whether a specific nucleotide in its genomic context can be edited requires time-consuming experiments. Furthermore, when the editable window contains multiple target nucleotides, various genotypic products can be generated. To develop computational tools to predict base-editing efficiency and outcome product frequencies, we first evaluated the efficiencies of an ABE and a CBE and the outcome product frequencies at 13,504 and 14,157 target sequences, respectively, in human cells. We found that there were only modest asymmetric correlations between the activities of the base editors and Cas9 at the same targets. Using deep-learning-based computational modeling, we built tools to predict the efficiencies and outcome frequencies of ABE- and CBE-directed editing at any target sequence, with Pearson correlations ranging from 0.50 to 0.95. These tools and results will facilitate modeling and therapeutic correction of genetic diseases by base editing. The activity of adenine or cytosine base editors at specific target nucleotides is predicted computationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory disease that results in bone destruction around dental implants. A preclinical study using beagle models is frequently performed prior to clinical application in dentistry. Previously, we proposed an immediate peri-implantitis experimental model with a shorter experimental duration and less expense than the conventional experimental model. However, the differences in the regenerative outcomes between the immediate and conventional models were not fully revealed. In this study, we aimed to compare the regenerative outcomes between both models when ex vivo BMP2 gene therapy using autologous periodontal ligament stem cells (B2/PDLSCs) was applied to peri-implantitis defects. The results showed that the defect depths were significantly different between both models. New bone formation occurred in both models, but there were significant differences between the models. More than 70% of the defects were filled with newly formed bone in the conventional model, whereas 30–40% of the defects were filled in the immediate model. However, after adjustment for the differences in the defect depths between the models, the statistically significant differences in the regenerative outcomes between the models were lost. In conclusion, the inferior regenerative outcome of an immediate peri-implantitis model at B2/PDLSCs transplantation resulted from the defect depths, not the model itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a learning rule based on a back-propagation (BP) algorithm that can be applied to a hardware-based deep neural network using electronic devices that exhibit discrete and limited conductance characteristics. This adaptive learning rule, which enables forward, backward propagation, as well as weight updates in hardware, is helpful during the implementation of power-efficient and high-speed deep neural networks. In simulations using a three-layer perceptron network, we evaluate the learning performance according to various conductance responses of electronic synapse devices and weight-updating methods. It is shown that the learning accuracy is comparable to that obtained when using a software-based BP algorithm when the electronic synapse device has a linear conductance response with a high dynamic range. Furthermore, the proposed unidirectional weight-updating method is suitable for electronic synapse devices which have nonlinear and finite conductance responses. Because this weight-updating method can compensate the demerit of asymmetric weight updates, we can obtain better accuracy compared to other methods. This adaptive learning rule, which can be applied to full hardware implementation, can also compensate the degradation of learning accuracy due to the probable device-to-device variation in an actual electronic synapse device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Saliva is a bodily fluid transuded from gingival crevice fluid and blood and contains many proteins. Proteins in saliva have been studied as markers for periodontal diseases. Mass spectrometric analysis is applied to investigate biomarker proteins that are related to periodontitis. Material and methods: Saliva samples were collected from 207 participants including 36 pairs matched for age, sex, and smoking who joined Yangpyeong health cohort. Periodontitis was defined by 2005 5th European guideline. Shotgun proteomics was applied to detect proteins from saliva samples. Principal component analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis for canonical pathway and protein pathway were applied. Protein-protein interaction was also applied. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to verify the candidate protein markers among another matched participants (n = 80). Results: Shotgun proteomics indicated that salivary S100A8 and S100A9 were candidate biomarkers for periodontitis. ELISA confirmed that both salivary S100A8 and S100A9 were higher in those with periodontitis compared to those without periodontitis (paired-t test, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our proteomics data showed that S100A8 and S100A9 in saliva could be candidate biomarkers for periodontitis. The rapid-test-kit using salivary S100A8 and S100A9 will be a practical tool for reducing the risk of periodontitis and promotion of periodontal health. Clinical relevance: A rapid-test-kit using salivary biomarkers, S100A8 and S100A9, could be utilized by clinicians and individuals for screening periodontitis, which might reduce the morbidity of periodontitis and promote periodontal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Reference b Hyo-Jung Shin, "Antibiotics effective in biofilm-developed Staphylococcus aureus screened using Bio-Timer method and synergistic effect of rifampin and erythromycin on biofilm matrix", Master's Thesis, Department of Bio new drug development, Graduate School of Chosun University, Gwangju, South Korea, 2009. Hyo-Jung Shin and Sungtae Yang have contributed equally to this work B Correction to: J Anal Sci Technol (2021) 12:41 b https://doi.org/10.1186/s40543-021-00294-2 Following the publication of the original article [[1]], the authors would like to add a reference and update the acknowledgements section. [Extracted from the article]

Recent studies have suggested that increased oxidative stress is a potential etiology in Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we investigated whether acupuncture regulates antioxidants in the striatum (ST) of a PD mouse model. Male C57BL/6 mice were administered 30 mg/kg of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) intraperitoneally once a day for 5 days and given acupuncture stimulation at SI3 or GB34 (Yanglingquan) was for 12 consecutive days. Dopaminergic neuronal survival in the nigrostriatal pathway and DJ-1 expression in the ST was evaluated by immunostaining, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the ST was by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MPTP administration induced dopaminergic neuronal death in the nigrostriatal pathway, which was suppressed by acupuncture stimulation at GB34. MPTP administration also suppressed DJ-1 expression and SOD and CAT activities in the ST, which were restored by acupuncture stimulation at GB34. These results indicate that the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture stimulation is due to regulation of the antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the potential alleviating effects of acupuncture on maternal separation (MS)-induced changes in plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine levels of rat pups. Methods: On postnatal day 15, rat pups were randomly assigned to 4 groups ( n=6 per group) using a random number table: normal, MS, MS with acupuncture stimulation at Shenmen (HT 7) acupoint (MS+HT 7), and MS with acupuncture stimulation at Chengshan (BL 57) acupoint (MS+BL 57) groups. Rat pups in the normal group were housed with their mothers under standard conditions; those in the MS, MS+HT 7 and MS+BL 57 groups were maternally separated and individually maintained. Acupuncture stimulation was performed at HT 7 or BL 57 acupoints once a day for 7 consecutive days. A tail suspension test was performed to measure immobility time of rats and the plasma was collected on postnatal day 21, then levels of corticosterone (CORT), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in plasma were measured. Results: Compared with the normal group, the immobility time and the plasma levels of CORT, IL-1β, IL-6 and GDNF in the MS group were significantly increased ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the MS group, the immobility time and the plasma levels of CORT, IL-1β, IL-6 and GDNF were significantly reduced in the MS+HT 7 group ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, the immobility time and plasma levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the MS+HT 7 group were significantly lower than those in the MS+BL 57 group ( P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture stimulation at HT 7 can alleviate the behavioral impairment and changes of the cytokines by MS, indicating that acupuncture can help to relieve MS-induced depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes the conceptual design of an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering terminal that would play a critical role in the LNG supply chain for LNG-fueled ship propulsion. The principal functions of the LNG bunkering terminal include importing LNG from LNG carriers, storing it temporarily, and exporting the stored LNG to LNG bunkering shuttles or LNG-fueled ships. One of the critical issues facing cargo operation from a safety point of view is the treatment of boil-off gas (BOG) generated from several sources in the storage systems of the bunkering terminal. Several methods of handling BOG seem feasible. The employment of a pressure vessel with a re-liquefaction system is considered the most effective and safe alternative. As a case study, a conceptual design of Busan Port is carried out by analyzing the statistics of visiting ships, estimating the required LNG consumption, determining the hull structure, and anticipating the design cases. The results obtained include the number of target LNG-fueled ships and LNG bunkering shuttles, LNG demand, capacity, and type of hull structure for the bunkering terminal. To estimate the process specifications and equipment features of the topside system, the BOG generated from several sources is calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ethanol sclerotherapy has shown favorable short-term efficacy in managing head and neck arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which is well known for high recurrence rate after treatment. The purpose of this study was to report immediate treatment results and long-term follow-up results of ethanol sclerotherapy in patients with head and neck AVMs. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 45 patients with head and neck AVMs treated between April 1997 and December 2013 by using ethanol sclerotherapy with or without adjunctive surgery. The degree of AVM eradication was analyzed, and complications per treatment session were recorded. Long-term treatment effectiveness was assessed with clinical and imaging follow-up. Results: In total, 132 sclerotherapies were performed in the 45 patients, with a total angiographic eradication rate of 17.8 % ( n = 8). Partial resolution was achieved in 34 patients, and three patients showed no response. Mean follow-up period was 56.6 months (range, 13-144 months). The long-term recurrence rate was 11.1 % (5/45), and all recurrences occurred more than 3 years after the treatment with interval disease-controlled period. The major complication rate was 3.8 % (5/132), and 34 minor complications (25.8 %) occurred. Conclusions: Ethanol sclerotherapy is effective for achieving long-term durable cure of head and neck AVMs. In patients with non-curable disease, it is also effective for symptom palliation and long-term disease control. However, given recurrence after interval disease-controlled period, long-term follow-up should be required to detect recurrence in patients with any residual lesion after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their attractive high-temperature properties, multiphase Mo-Si-B alloys in the Mo-rich Mo-Si-B ternary system have been identified for high-temperature applications. The ternary intermetallic T (MoSiB) phase is a central feature of the phase equilibria within this ternary system. Experimental stability analyses of the T phase shows its broad homogeneous composition ranges that can yield a constitutional defect structure such as vacancies for Mo-rich compositions and antisite defects for Mo-lean compositions. Previous thermodynamic model did not conform to the defect structures as reported in experiments, and thus subsequently a new sublattice thermodynamic model for the T phase is initiated in this study. To support the new sublattice thermodynamic model, ab initio calculations were implemented to compute formation energy data. The calculated formation energy data explain a source for broad compositional homogeneity range of T structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this talk, I will discuss the intrinsic differences between a compact multiquark state and a normal hadron or a hadronic molecule. Using the coalescence model, I will then show that these intrinsic differences lead to appreciable differences in the yields of these particles from a heavy ion collision depending on their assumed internal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth kinetics of an intermetallic compound (IMC) layer formed between Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu (SAC) solders and Cu-Zn alloy substrates was investigated for samples aged at different temperatures. Scallop-shaped CuSn formed after soldering by dipping Cu or Cu-10 wt.%Zn wires into the molten solder at 260°C. Isothermal aging was performed at 120°C, 150°C, and 180°C for up to 2000 h. During the aging process, the morphology of CuSn changed to a planar type in both specimens. Typical bilayer of CuSn and CuSn and numerous microvoids were formed at the SAC/Cu interfaces after aging, while CuSn and microvoids were not observed at the SAC/Cu-Zn interfaces. IMC growth on the Cu substrate was controlled by volume diffusion in all conditions. In contrast, IMC growth on Cu-Zn specimens was controlled by interfacial reaction for a short aging time and volume diffusion kinetics for a long aging time. The growth rate of IMCs on Cu-Zn substrates was much slower due to the larger activation energy and the lower layer growth coefficient for the growth of Cu-Sn IMCs. This effect was more prominent at higher aging temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to determine whether spinal cholinergic systems mediate the relieving effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on cold and warm allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. For neuropathic surgery, the right superior caudal trunk was resected at the level between the S1 and S2 spinal nerves innervating the tail. Two weeks after the injury, the intrathecal (i.t.) catheter was implanted. Five days after the catheterization, the rats were injected with atropine (non-selective muscarinic antagonist, 30 μg), mecamylamine (non-selective nicotinic antagonist, 50 μg), pirenzepine (M1 muscarinic antagonist, 10 μg), methoctramine (M2 antagonist, 10 μg) or 4-diphenylacetoxy- N-methylpiperidine methiodide (4-DAMP) (M3 antagonist, 10 μg). Ten minutes after the injection, EA was applied to the ST36 acupoint for 30 min. The cold and warm allodynia were assessed by the tail immersion test [i.e., immersing the tail in cold (4°C) or warm (40°C) water and measuring the latency of an abrupt tail movement] before and after the treatments. The i.t. atropine, but not mecamylamine, blocked the relieving effects of EA on cold and warm allodynia. Furthermore, i.t. pirenzepine attenuated the antiallodynic effects of EA, whereas methoctramine and 4-DAMP did not. These results suggest that spinal muscarinic receptors, especially M1 subtype, mediate the EA-induced antiallodynia in neuropathic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion couples based on Mo2B and Mo5Si3 were used to determine the diffusion kinetics of T2 phase development and the relative diffusivities controlling the kinetics. Annealing the Mo2B/Mo5Si3 diffusion couple above 1600 °C yielded an initial diffusion path sequence of Mo2B/T2/Mo3Si/Mo5Si3, which was subsequently transformed to Mo2B/T2/(Mo3Si+Mo5Si3)/Mo5Si3 by shrinkage of the Mo3Si phase upon long-term annealing. The T2 phase developed from Mo2B and during the growth of the T2 phase, Si and B atom movements were driven by the Si concentration gradient. The activation energy for Si interdiffusion in the T2 phase was evaluated to be 355 kJ/mole compared with about 300 kJ/mole for Mo5Si3 in both Mo/Si and MoSi2/T2 diffusion couples. The larger activation energy is mainly responsible for the 103 lower diffusivity for Si in the T2 phase compared with Mo5Si3. The relatively slow diffusion in the T2 phase is consistent with the enhanced creep resistance exhibited by T2 phase microstructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ni/amorphous SiC (a-SiC) multilayered sample was prepared by ion-beam sputtering and was used as a model system to study the stability of metal contacts with a-SiC against interface reactions. The diffusion of Ni into the a-SiC layer as well as Si and C into the Ni layer takes place concurrently during the annealing process. An intermediate NiSi phase was identified in the Ni solution layer because of diffusion of Si and C resulting from the decomposition of a-SiC. A phase selection diagram has been developed that accounts for nucleation of the NiSi phase from the Ni solution layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]