A Review on the Application of Animal-Based Materials Using Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing and Protein Restructuring Technologies.

Production of alternative proteins is crucial for the development of future protein resources. This study explored the creation of sustainable animal resources by combining extrusion molding and three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies. Extrusion effectively organizes vegetable proteins at high temperatures and pressures to replicate meat-like textures, and high-moisture extrusion successfully mimics the fiber structure of conventional meat.

3D Vertical Ferroelectric Capacitors with Excellent Scalability.

Three-dimensional vertically stacked memory is more cost-effective than two-dimensional stacked memory. Vertically stacked memory using ferroelectric materials has great potential not only in high-density memory but also in neuromorphic fields because it secures low voltage and fast operation speed. This paper presents the implementation of a ferroelectric capacitor comprising a vertical two-layer stacked structure composed of a titanium nitride (TiN)/aluminum-doped hafnium oxide/TiN configuration.

Influence of the TiN diffusion barrier on the leakage current and ferroelectricity in an Al-doped HfO ferroelectric memristor and its application to neuromorphic computing.

The HfO-based ferroelectric memristor is in the spotlight due to its complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor compatibility and scaling compared to existing perovskite-based ferroelectric memory. However, ferroelectric properties vary depending on the coefficient of thermal expansion of the top electrode, which is caused by strain engineering. When tungsten (W) with a small coefficient of thermal expansion is used as an electrode, the ferroelectric properties are improved, although the reliability is poor due to the diffusion of W atoms.

Impact of annealing temperature on the remanent polarization and tunneling electro-resistance of ferroelectric Al-doped HfO tunnel junction memory.

The ferroelectric characteristics of a metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) ferroelectric tunneling junction (FTJ) capacitor device are investigated herein. The device consists of an aluminum-doped hafnium oxide (HAO) insulator sandwiched between tungsten (W) and titanium nitride (TiN) metal electrodes. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is performed for 20 s under a nitrogen atmosphere at temperatures of 750 °C, 800 °C, and 850 °C to find that ferroelectricity with a large remanent polarization () of 41.

Comparison of assessment scores for fatigue between multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-K) and modified chalder fatigue scale (mKCFQ).

Background: Because of the absence of biological parameters for fatigue, appropriate instruments for assessing the degree of fatigue are important in the diagnosis and management of people complaining of fatigue-like symptoms. This study statistically analyzed the fatigue scores from two typical questionnaire-based instruments: the Korean version of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-K) and the modified Chalder Fatigue Scale (mKCFQ).

Methods: Seventy participants (males n  = 40, females n  = 30, median age 48 years old, range of 25-67) were grouped into three groups ('mild'  = 20, 'moderate'  = 42, and 'severe'  = 8) according to self-reported fatigue levels using a 7-point Likert scale.

Nationwide epidemiological characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome in South Korea.

Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term disabling illness accompanied by medically unexplained fatigue. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of CFS in South Korea.

Methods: Using the nationwide medical records provided by the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), we analyzed the entire dataset for CFS patients diagnosed by physicians in South Korea from January 2010 to December 2020.

Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in Korea and Japan: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a long-term disabling illness accompanied by fatigue unsolved by rest. However, ME/CFS is a poorly understood illness that lacks a universally accepted pathophysiology and treatment. A lack of CFS-related studies have been conducted in Asian countries.

The Prospects of the Two-Day Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) in ME/CFS Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is problematic due to the lack of established objective measurements. Postexertional malaise (PEM) is a hallmark of ME/CFS, and the two-day cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) has been tested as a tool to assess functional impairment in ME/CFS patients. This study aimed to estimate the potential of the CPET.

Review of case definitions for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease with unknown causes. From the perspectives on the etiology and pathophysiology, ME/CFS has been labeled differently, which influenced changes in case definitions and terminologies. This review sought to feature aspects of the history, developments, and differential symptoms in the case definitions.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) has been emerging as a significant health issue worldwide. This study aimed to systemically assess the prevalence of CFS/ME in various aspects of analyses for precise assessment.

Methods: We systematically searched prevalence of CFS/ME from public databases from 1980 to December 2018.

Mixed Method Study to Investigate Models of Australian Integrative Oncology.

Objectives: This study explored the models of services and experiences of coordinators and directors engaged in providing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or integrative medicine (IM) in oncology centers throughout Australia.

Design: Fourteen leaders of IM programs from ten systematically selected Australian oncology centers were interviewed. Participants described their center's service model.

Comparison of integrative medicine centers in the USA and Germany: a mixed method study.

Purpose: Integrative medicine (IM) has received increasing attention since the 1990s, but few studies have explored the key factors of the IM model in health care. This study aimed to describe the IM model in leading centers operating in the USA and Germany.

Methods: A 28-item structured survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted in six centers providing integrative medicine in the USA and Germany, and were analyzed using a convergent mixed-method approach.

Xylobiose, an Alternative Sweetener, Ameliorates Diabetes-Related Metabolic Changes by Regulating Hepatic Lipogenesis and miR-122a/33a in db/db Mice.

Type 2 diabetes is a major public health concern worldwide. Xylobiose (XB) consists of two molecules of d-xylose and is a major disaccharide in xylooligosaccharides that are used as prebiotics. We hypothesized that XB could regulate diabetes-related metabolic and genetic changes via microRNA expression in db/db mice.

Integration of complementary and alternative medicine into cancer-specific supportive care programs in Australia: A scoping study.

Aim: The main aim of this research was to describe the availability and integration of supportive care programs (SCPs), particularly complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services, for adults in Australian oncology treatment centers.

Methods: We systematically searched 124 Australian hospitals listed as having an oncology department out of a total of 1157 hospitals listed in the Australian Hospitals and Aged Care Databases (2014), and assessed their website and relevant leaflets. Direct contact was made with a relevant staff member in each hospital.

Liver X receptor and STAT1 cooperate downstream of Gas6/Mer to induce anti-inflammatory arginase 2 expression in macrophages.

Mer signaling increases the transcriptional activity of liver X receptor (LXR) to promote the resolution of acute sterile inflammation. Here, we aimed to understand the pathway downstream of Mer signaling after growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6) treatment that leads to LXR expression and transcriptional activity in mouse bone-marrow derived macrophages (BMDM). Gas6-induced increases in LXRα and LXRβ and expression of their target genes were inhibited in BMDM from STAT1(-/-) mice or by the STAT1-specific inhibitor fludarabine.

Enzymatic Process for High-Yield Turanose Production and Its Potential Property as an Adipogenesis Regulator.

Turanose is a sucrose isomer naturally existing in honey and a promising functional sweetener due to its low glycemic response. In this study, the extrinsic fructose effect on turanose productivity was examined in Neisseria amylosucrase reaction. Turanose was produced, by increasing the amount of extrinsic fructose as a reaction modulator, with high concentration of sucrose substrate, which resulted in 73.

Cisplatin Induces Overactivation of the Dormant Primordial Follicle through PTEN/AKT/FOXO3a Pathway which Leads to Loss of Ovarian Reserve in Mice.

Cisplatin is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent for ovarian cancer that acts by promoting DNA cross links and adduct. However drug resistance and considerable side effects including reproductive toxicity remain a significant challenge. PTEN is well known as a tumor suppressor function which plays a fundamental role in the regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis and development of cancer.

D-Xylose suppresses adipogenesis and regulates lipid metabolism genes in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

D-Xylose, a natural pentose, has been reported to reduce postprandial glucose levels, although its effect on lipid metabolism has not been investigated. Therefore, this study hypothesized that d-xylose, as an alternative sweetener, suppresses adipogenesis and lipid metabolism by regulating blood lipid profiles, blood glucose levels, and related gene expression in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Mice were fed a normal diet, a 60% HFD diet, or an HFD with 5% or 10% of the total sucrose content supplemented with d-xylose (Xylo 5 and Xylo 10 diets, respectively).

PINK1 positively regulates HDAC3 to suppress dopaminergic neuronal cell death.

Deciphering the molecular basis of neuronal cell death is a central issue in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Dysregulation of p53 levels has been implicated in neuronal apoptosis. The role of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) in suppressing p53-dependent apoptosis has been recently emphasized; however, the molecular basis of modulation of p53 function by HDAC3 remains unclear.

Demethylation of the human eotaxin-3 gene promoter leads to the elevated expression of eotaxin-3.

DNA demethylation has been primarily studied in the context of development biology, cell fate, and cancer, with less attention on inflammation. In this article, we investigate the association between DNA methylation and production of the chemoattractant cytokine eotaxin-3 in the tissue of patients with allergic disease. Regions of the human eotaxin-3 promoter were found to be hypomethylated in primary epithelial cells obtained from allergic tissue compared with normal control tissue.

Targeted ablation of miR-21 decreases murine eosinophil progenitor cell growth.

MiR-21 is one of the most up-regulated miRNAs in multiple allergic diseases associated with eosinophilia and has been shown to positively correlate with eosinophil levels. Herein, we show that miR-21 is up-regulated during IL-5-driven eosinophil differentiation from progenitor cells in vitro. Targeted ablation of miR-21 leads to reduced eosinophil progenitor cell growth.

Transcription factors in the maintenance and survival of primordial follicles.

Primordial follicles are formed prenatally in mammalian ovaries, and at birth they are fated to be activated to primary follicles, to be dormant, or to die. During the early stage of folliclulogenesis, the oocyte undergoes dynamic alterations in expression of numerous genes, which are regulated by transcription factors. Several germ-cell specific transcriptional regulators are critical for formation and maintenance of follicles.

MiR-223 deficiency increases eosinophil progenitor proliferation.

Recently, microRNAs have been shown to be involved in hematopoietic cell development, but their role in eosinophilopoiesis has not yet been described. In this article, we show that miR-223 is upregulated during eosinophil differentiation in an ex vivo bone marrow-derived eosinophil culture system. Targeted ablation of miR-223 leads to an increased proliferation of eosinophil progenitors.