Differences in dynamic and static functional connectivity between young and elderly healthy adults.

Purpose: Brain connectivity is highly dynamic, but functional connectivity (FC) studies using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) assume it to be static. This study assessed differences in dynamic FC between young healthy adults (YH) and elderly healthy adults (EH) compared to static FC.

Methods: Using rs-fMRI data from 12 YH and 31 EH, FC was assessed in six functional regions (subcortical, auditory [AUD], sensorimotor [SM], visuospatial [VS], cognitive control [CC], and default mode network [DMN]).

IbOr Regulates Photosynthesis under Heat Stress by Stabilizing IbPsbP in Sweetpotato.

The Orange (Or) protein regulates carotenoid biosynthesis and environmental stress in plants. Previously, we reported that overexpression of the sweetpotato [ (L.) Lam] gene () in transgenic (referred to as -OX/At) increased the efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) and chlorophyll content after heat shock.

Overexpressing IbCBF3 increases low temperature and drought stress tolerance in transgenic sweetpotato.

Dehydration-responsive element-binding/C-repeat-binding factor (DREB/CBF) proteins regulate the transcription of genes involved in cold acclimation in several species. However, little is known about the physiological functions of CBF proteins in the low temperature-sensitive crop sweetpotato. We previously reported that the DREB1/CBF-like sweetpotato gene SwDREB1/IbCBF3 is involved in responses to diverse abiotic stresses.

Blocking an N-terminal acetylation-dependent protein interaction inhibits an E3 ligase.

N-terminal acetylation is an abundant modification influencing protein functions. Because ∼80% of mammalian cytosolic proteins are N-terminally acetylated, this modification is potentially an untapped target for chemical control of their functions. Structural studies have revealed that, like lysine acetylation, N-terminal acetylation converts a positively charged amine into a hydrophobic handle that mediates protein interactions; hence, this modification may be a druggable target.

Differentiation of Recurrent Glioblastoma from Delayed Radiation Necrosis by Using Voxel-based Multiparametric Analysis of MR Imaging Data.

Purpose To assess a volume-weighted voxel-based multiparametric (MP) clustering method as an imaging biomarker to differentiate recurrent glioblastoma from delayed radiation necrosis. Materials and Methods The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the informed consent requirement. Seventy-five patients with pathologic analysis-confirmed recurrent glioblastoma (n = 42) or radiation necrosis (n = 33) who presented with enlarged contrast material-enhanced lesions at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after they completed concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy were enrolled.

Phosphorylation of the transcriptional repressor MYB15 by mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 is required for freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis.

The expression of CBF (C-repeat-binding factor) genes is required for freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. CBFs are positively regulated by INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) and negatively regulated by MYB15. These transcription factors directly interact with specific elements in the CBF promoters.

Comparison of 3D magnetic resonance imaging and digital subtraction angiography for intracranial artery stenosis.

Objectives: To compare three-dimensional high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (3D HR-MRI) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for diagnosing and evaluating stenosis in the entire circle of Willis.

Methods: The study included 516 intracranial arteries from 43 patients with intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) who underwent both 3D HR-MRI and DSA within 1 month. Two readers independently diagnosed atherosclerosis, dissection, moyamoya disease and vasculitis, rated their diagnostic confidence for each vessel and measured the luminal diameters.

Metabolic engineering of carotenoids in transgenic sweetpotato.

Sweetpotato [ (L.) Lam], which contains high levels of antioxidants such as ascorbate and carotenoids in its storage root, is one of the healthiest foods, as well as one of the best starch crops for growth on marginal lands. In plants, carotenoid pigments are involved in light harvesting for photosynthesis and are also essential for photo-protection against excess light.

Intracranial Artery Steno-Occlusion: Diagnosis by Using Two-dimensional Spatially Selective Radiofrequency Excitation Pulse MR Imaging.

Purpose To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging by using two-dimensional spatially selective radiofrequency (RF) excitation pulses (zoomed MR imaging) is a reliable method for the diagnosis of intracranial artery steno-occlusion compared with full-field-of-view (FOV) MR imaging. Materials and Methods The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and informed consent was waived. From December 2014 to August 2015, 88 patients who underwent both full-FOV MR imaging and zoomed MR imaging for further evaluation of intracranial artery steno-occlusion at prior luminal evaluation were included.

Seeking the Elusive Long-Acting Ozonide: Discovery of Artefenomel (OZ439).

The majority of frontline therapies for the treatment of malaria are combination drugs containing artemisinin (or its semisynthetic analogs), known as artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). While generally efficacious, ACTs and the first generation fully synthetic ozonide, arterolane (OZ277, 1), suffer from rapid clearance requiring 3-day dosing regimens. Extensive structure-activity studies led to the discovery of a second-generation ozonide, artefenomel (OZ439, 2), which has overcome this limitation, maintaining the rapid onset of action and potent activity of the artemisinin derivatives while exhibiting greatly improved pharmacokinetics, low projected cost of goods, prophylactic activity, and the potential for a single dose cure.

Treatment patterns and medication adherence of patients with glaucoma in South Korea.

Background/aims: This study aimed to investigate treatment patterns and medication adherence of glaucoma. It also identified key factors associated with non-adherence.

Methods: It was a cross-sectional, observational study.

Interfacial Mechanical Properties of Graphene on Self-Assembled Monolayers: Experiments and Simulations.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been widely used to engineer the electronic properties of substrate-supported graphene devices. However, little is known about how the surface chemistry of SAMs affects the interfacial mechanical properties of graphene supported on SAMs. Fluctuations and changes in these properties affect the stress transfer between substrate and the supported graphene and thus the performance of graphene-based devices.

Localization patterns of dopamine active transporter synthesizing cells during development of brine shrimp.

There have been many studies on dopamine active transporter (DAT) in humans and laboratory animals; however, there is a lack of information on DAT in brine shrimp. In this study, we demonstrated the neuronal and nonneuronal characteristics of DAT-synthesizing (DAT cells) during development of brine shrimp. In neuronal cells, the DAT neurons in the central body and lobes of a protocerebrum (PC) controlled the deutocerebrum.

Clinical impact of preoperative brain MR angiography and MR imaging in candidates for liver transplantation: a propensity score-matching study in a single institution.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of cerebrovascular stenosis and white matter lesions on preoperative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in liver transplantation candidates.

Methods: This retrospective study included 1,460 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) who underwent MRA with/without brain MRI for pretransplantation evaluation. These patients were matched with 5,331 controls using propensity scores, and the prevalences of significant cerebrovascular stenosis and white matter lesions were compared.

Adult Patients with Congenital Muscular Torticollis Treated with Bipolar Release: Report of 31 Cases.

Objective: We assessed the surgical results of bipolar release in 31 adult patients with uncorrected congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) and more than 12 months of follow-up.

Methods: Thirty-one patients underwent a bipolar release of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) and were retrospectively analyzed. The mean follow-up period was 14.

Transcriptome profiling of sweetpotato tuberous roots during low temperature storage.

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is a globally important root crop with high industrial value. However, because sweetpotato tuberous roots undergo chilling injuries that negatively affect their quality at temperatures below 10 °C, postharvest damage during the winter season is a major constraint for industrialization.

Human Coronavirus in the 2014 Winter Season as a Cause of Lower Respiratory Tract Infection.

Purpose: During the late autumn to winter season (October to December) in the Republic of Korea, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common pathogen causing lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Interestingly, in 2014, human coronavirus (HCoV) caused not only upper respiratory infections but also LRTIs more commonly than in other years. Therefore, we sought to determine the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, outcomes, and severity of illnesses associated with HCoV infections at a single center in Korea.

Prognostic relevance of gemistocytic grade II astrocytoma: gemistocytic component and MR imaging features compared to non-gemistocytic grade II astrocytoma.

Objectives: To determine if gemistocytic grade II astrocytoma (GemA) and its MR imaging characteristics are associated with a shorter time-to-progression (TTP) compared with non-gemistocytic grade II astrocytoma (non-GemA).

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 78 patients who were followed up more than 5 years (29 pathologically proven GemA and 49 non-GemA) during a 10-year period. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC), and MR spectroscopy (MRS) and clinical data were retrospectively reviewed.

Erratum: Asian Radiology Forum 2015 for Building an Asian Friendship: A Step toward the Vigorous Intersociety Collaboration in Asia.

[This corrects the article on p. 175 in vol. 17, PMID: 26957902.

Quantitative Analysis Using High-Resolution 3T MRI in Acute Intracranial Artery Dissection.

Background And Purpose: Quantitative measurements, as well as qualitative characterizations, of the vessel walls of the small intracranial arteries became clinically available and reliable beyond the resolution limit of 1.5 T high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) with the development of 3 T HR-MRI. We present the quantitative dissection findings of spontaneous and unruptured acute intracranial artery dissection (SID) using 3 T HR-MRI and investigate the differences between each cerebral artery.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of C-ring truncated deguelin derivatives as heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitors.

Based on the lead compound L-80 (compound 2), a potent heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor, a series of C-ring truncated deguelin analogs were designed, synthesized and evaluated for Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α (HIF-1α) inhibition as a primary screening method. Their structure-activity relationship was investigated in a systematic manner by varying the A/B ring, linker and D/E ring, respectively. Among the synthesized inhibitors, compound 5 exhibited potent HIF-1α inhibition in a dose-dependent manner and significant antitumor activity in human non-small cell lung carcinoma (H1299), with better activities than L-80.

Advances in Molecular Modeling of Nanoparticle-Nucleic Acid Interfaces.

Nanoparticles (NPs) play increasingly important roles in nanotechnology and nanomedicine in which nanoparticle surface chemistry allows for control over interactions with other nanoparticles and biomolecules. In particular, for applications in drug and gene delivery, a fundamental understanding of the NP-nucleic acid interface allows for development of more efficient and effective nanoparticle carriers. Computational modeling can provide insights of processes occurring at the inorganic NP-nucleic interface in detail that is difficult to access by experimental methods.

Association between Knee Osteoarthritis, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and the Framingham Risk Score in South Koreans: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Osteoarthritis is a significant burden on personal health and for social cost, and its prevalence is rising. Recent research has revealed an association between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease, and this study uses the Framingham risk score (FRS), which is widely used as a composite index of cardiovascular risk factors, to investigate the association between osteoarthritis and various cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: A total 9,514 participants aged 50 years or older who received knee X-ray diagnosis of the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (total surveyees = 24,173) released by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was included for analysis.

Molecular characterization of biotic and abiotic stress-responsive MAP kinase genes, IbMPK3 and IbMPK6, in sweetpotato.

Plants are continually exposed to numerous environmental stresses. To decrease damage caused by these potentially detrimental factors, various stress-related signaling cascades are activated in plants. One such stress-responsive signaling pathway, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) module, plays a critical role in diverse plant stress responses.