Korea4K: whole genome sequences of 4,157 Koreans with 107 phenotypes derived from extensive health check-ups.

Background: Phenome-wide association studies (PheWASs) have been conducted on Asian populations, including Koreans, but many were based on chip or exome genotyping data. Such studies have limitations regarding whole genome-wide association analysis, making it crucial to have genome-to-phenome association information with the largest possible whole genome and matched phenome data to conduct further population-genome studies and develop health care services based on population genomics.

Results: Here, we present 4,157 whole genome sequences (Korea4K) coupled with 107 health check-up parameters as the largest genomic resource of the Korean Genome Project.

Cell Surface Modification-Mediated Primary Intestinal Epithelial Cell Culture Platforms for Assessing Host-Microbiota Interactions.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) play a crucial role in regulating the symbiotic relationship between the host and the gut microbiota, thereby allowing them to modulate barrier function, mucus production, and aberrant inflammation. Despite their importance, establishing an effective ex vivo culture method for supporting the prolonged survival and function of primary IECs remains challenging. Here, we aim to develop a novel strategy to support the long-term survival and function of primary IECs in response to gut microbiota by employing mild reduction of disulfides on the IEC surface proteins with tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine.

Observation of a new type of self-generated current in magnetized plasmas.

A tokamak, a torus-shaped nuclear fusion device, needs an electric current in the plasma to produce magnetic field in the poloidal direction for confining fusion plasmas. Plasma current is conventionally generated by electromagnetic induction. However, for a steady-state fusion reactor, minimizing the inductive current is essential to extend the tokamak operating duration.

Bacteriophage and endolysin engineering for biocontrol of food pathogens/pathogens in the food: recent advances and future trends.

Despite advances in modern technologies, various foodborne outbreaks have continuously threatened the food safety. The overuse of and abuse/misuse of antibiotics have escalated this threat due to the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. Therefore, the development of new methodologies for controlling microbial contamination is extremely important to ensure the food safety.

Structure and Function of the Autolysin SagA in the Type IV Secretion System of .

A recent genetic study with revealed the secretion activator gene A (SagA) as an autolysin component creating pores in the peptidoglycan (PGN) layer for the type IV secretion system (T4SS) and peptidoglycan hydrolase inhibitor A (PhiA) as an inhibitor of SagA. In this study, we determined the crystal structures of both SagA and PhiA. Notably, the SagA structure contained a PGN fragment in a space between the N- and C-terminal domains, showing the substrate-dependent hinge motion of the domains.

Development of Advanced Chimeric Endolysin to Control Multidrug-Resistant through Domain Shuffling.

The increase in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) with strong biofilm-forming capacity poses a serious public health concern. Endolysins derived from bacteriophages are a promising solution for antibiotic resistance problems. However, some natural staphylococcal endolysins have several shortcomings, such as low solubility and high sequence homology among domains.

Anti-fibrotic activity of a rho-kinase inhibitor restores outflow function and intraocular pressure homeostasis.

Glucocorticoids are widely used as an ophthalmic medication. A common, sight-threatening adverse event of glucocorticoid usage is ocular hypertension, caused by dysfunction of the conventional outflow pathway. We report that netarsudil, a rho-kinase inhibitor, decreased glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension in patients whose intraocular pressures were poorly controlled by standard medications.

In vivo estimation of murine iris stiffness using finite element modeling.

The iris plays an important role in certain types of glaucoma, including primary angle-closure glaucoma and pigmentary glaucoma. Iris mechanics are also important in influencing trabecular meshwork deformation in response to intraocular pressure changes in some animal species. Although mice are widely used to study ocular disease, including glaucoma, the in vivo biomechanical properties of the murine iris are unknown.

In vivo estimation of optic nerve sheath stiffness using noninvasive MRI measurements and finite element modeling.

The optic nerve sheath (ONS) is biomechanically important. It is acted on by tension due to ocular movements, and by fluid shifts and/or alterations in intracranial pressure (ICP) in human disease, specifically in pathologies leading to intracranial hypertension. It has also been hypothesized that the ONS is acted on by altered ICP in astronauts exposed chronically to microgravity.

Alcohol/Illicit Substance Use in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes.

Background: The objective of the current study is to determine how alcohol and illicit substance use contributes to motorcycle crash fatalities by examining the relationship between toxicology levels found postmortem and the behavior of riders and passengers in fatal motorcycle crashes.

Materials And Methods: All motorcycle fatalities in Miami-Dade County, FL, from 2009 to 2014 were reviewed using the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's toxicology reports and the corresponding crash reports.

Results: Positive alcohol/illicit substance detection was found in 44% of our population of 227 fatalities.

Integral role for lysyl oxidase-like-1 in conventional outflow tissue function and behavior.

Lysyl oxidase-like-1 (LOXL1), a vital crosslinking enzyme in elastin fiber maintenance, is essential for the stability and strength of elastic vessels and tissues. Variants in the LOXL1 locus associate with a dramatic increase in risk of exfoliation syndrome (XFS), a systemic fibrillopathy, which often presents with ocular hypertension and exfoliation glaucoma (XFG). We examined the role of LOXL1 in conventional outflow function, the prime regulator of intraocular pressure (IOP).

A coupled reaction-diffusion-strain model predicts cranial vault formation in development and disease.

How cells utilize instructions provided by genes and integrate mechanical forces generated by tissue growth to produce morphology is a fundamental question of biology. Dermal bones of the vertebrate cranial vault are formed through the direct differentiation of mesenchymal cells on the neural surface into osteoblasts through intramembranous ossification. Here we join a self-organizing Turing mechanism, computational biomechanics, and experimental data to produce a 3D representative model of the growing cerebral surface, cranial vault bones, and sutures.

In vivo measurement of trabecular meshwork stiffness in a corticosteroid-induced ocular hypertensive mouse model.

Ocular corticosteroids are commonly used clinically. Unfortunately, their administration frequently leads to ocular hypertension, i.e.

Development of crash modification factors of horizontal curve design features for single-motorcycle crashes on rural two-lane highways: A matched case-control study.

Single-motorcycle crashes are overrepresented on horizontally curved segments of rural, two-lane, undivided (RTU) highways. However, the relationship between single-motorcycle crash risk and the design features of horizontal curves on RTU highways is not well-studied in existing literature. This study aims to quantify the effect of horizontal curve type and radius on the risk of single-motorcycle crashes with a matched case-control study that can address the issues of the low sample mean, aggregation bias, and uncontrolled confounders existing in the traditional cross-sectional study.

A COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF BONE FORMATION IN THE CRANIAL VAULT USING A COUPLED REACTION-DIFFUSION-STRAIN MODEL.

Bones of the murine cranial vault are formed by differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts, a process that is primarily understood to be controlled by a cascade of reactions between extracellular molecules and cells. We assume that the process can be modeled using Turing's reaction-diffusion equations, a mathematical model describing the pattern formation controlled by two interacting molecules (activator and inhibitor). In addition to the processes modeled by reaction-diffusion equations, we hypothesize that mechanical stimuli of the cells due to growth of the underlying brain contribute significantly to the process of cell differentiation in cranial vault development.

Effect of Topical Anesthesia on Pain from Needle Insertion and Injection and Its Relationship with Anxiety in Patients Awaiting Apical Surgery: A Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial.

Introduction: We aimed to simultaneously investigate the effects of topical anesthesia on needle insertion and injection pain in the labial mucosa of the maxillary central incisors of patients awaiting apical surgery and to assess the relationship between patients' anxiety and pain scores.

Methods: Forty-four patients scheduled for apical surgery of the maxillary anterior incisor or canine were included, and all completed the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) questionnaire. One piece of Xylocaine (AstraZeneca, Sodertalje, Sweden) gauze was applied to the right or left side of the labial vestibule below the central incisor according to a randomization process, and 1 piece of water gauze was applied to the contralateral side of the labial vestibule.

A randomized controlled trial of various MTA materials for partial pulpotomy in permanent teeth.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical applicability of various MTA materials as partial pulpotomy materials in permanent teeth.

Methods: Partial pulpotomy was performed on 104 permanent teeth from 82 people (mean 29.3±14.

Influence of Size and Volume of Periapical Lesions on the Outcome of Endodontic Microsurgery: 3-Dimensional Analysis Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the size, volume, and other parameters of preoperative periapical lesions measured from cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) images as potential prognostic factors in endodontic microsurgery.

Methods: A clinical database was searched for patients who had received endodontic microsurgery with preoperative CBCT examination between March 2010 and December 2014. The CBCT images were analyzed with the OnDemand3D software program (Cybermed, Seoul, South Korea).

Quantitative monitoring of laser-treated engineered skin using optical coherence tomography.

Nowadays, laser therapy is a common method for treating various dermatological troubles such as acne and wrinkles because of its efficient and immediate skin enhancement. Although laser treatment has become a routine procedure in medical and cosmetic fields, the prevention of side-effects, such as hyperpigmentation, redness and burning, still remains a critical issue that needs to be addressed. In order to reduce the side-effects while attaining efficient therapeutic outcomes, it is essential to understand the light-skin interaction through evaluation of physiological changes before and after laser therapy.

Scanning electron microscopic examination of resected root apices obtained from endodontic microsurgery.

This study was designed to examine the morphological features of the resected root apices obtained from endodontic microsurgery using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as their anatomical effect on the clinical outcome of the surgical treatment. One-hundred-six resected root apices from 91 patients/surgeries were obtained by endodontic microsurgery, and fixed immediately for storage. The resected apices were prepared for SEM to examine their morphological features, such as the number and size of the apical foramina.

A MULTISCALE COMPUTATIONAL MODEL FOR THE GROWTH OF THE CRANIAL VAULT IN CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS.

Craniosynostosis is a condition defined by premature closure of cranial vault sutures, which is associated with abnormalities of the brain and skull. Many causal relationships between discovered mutations and premature suture closure have been proposed but an understanding of the precise mechanisms remains elusive. This article describes a computational framework of biological processes underlying cranial growth that will enable a hypothesis driven investigation of craniosynostosis phenotypes using reaction-diffusion-advection methods and the finite element method.

A computational analysis of bone formation in the cranial vault in the mouse.

Bones of the cranial vault are formed by the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts on a surface that surrounds the brain, eventually forming mineralized bone. Signaling pathways causative for cell differentiation include the actions of extracellular proteins driven by information from genes. We assume that the interaction of cells and extracellular molecules, which are associated with cell differentiation, can be modeled using Turing's reaction-diffusion model, a mathematical model for pattern formation controlled by two interacting molecules (activator and inhibitor).

Rapid scene perception with tragic consequences: observers miss perceiving vulnerable road users, especially in crowded traffic scenes.

How does scene complexity influence the detection of expected and appropriate objects within the scene? Traffic research has indicated that vulnerable road users (VRUs: pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists) are sometimes not perceived, despite being expected. Models of scene perception emphasize competition for limited neural resources in early perception, predicting that an object can be missed during quick glances because other objects win the competition to be individuated and consciously perceived. We used pictures of traffic scenes and manipulated complexity by inserting or removing vehicles near a to-be-detected VRU (crowding).