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.

Harnessing the Power of Voice: A Deep Neural Network Model for Alzheimer's Disease Detection.

Background And Purpose: Voice, reflecting cerebral functions, holds potential for analyzing and understanding brain function, especially in the context of cognitive impairment (CI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study used voice data to distinguish between normal cognition and CI or Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD).

Methods: This study enrolled 3 groups of subjects: 1) 52 subjects with subjective cognitive decline; 2) 110 subjects with mild CI; and 3) 59 subjects with ADD.

A pharmacokinetic study on red ginseng with furosemide in equine.

Red ginseng (RG) is a popular ingredient in traditional Korean medicine that has various health benefits. It is commonly taken orally as a dietary supplement; however, its potential interactions with concomitantly administered drugs are unclear. In this study, we examined the pharmacokinetic interaction between furosemide and RG in equine plasma.

Identification and validation of six acute myocardial infarction-associated variants, including a novel prognostic marker for cardiac mortality.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and approximately half of AMI-related deaths occur before the affected individual reaches the hospital. The present study aimed to identify and validate genetic variants associated with AMI and their role as prognostic markers.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a replication study of 29 previously identified novel loci containing 85 genetic variants associated with early-onset AMI using a new independent set of 2,920 Koreans [88 patients with early- and 1,085 patients with late-onset AMI, who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and 1,747 healthy controls].

Fabrication of Piezo-Resistance Composites Containing Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Hybrid Filler Using 3D Printing.

In this study, 3D-printable flexible piezoresistive composites containing various amounts of cilia-like hybrid fillers were developed. In the hybrid fillers, micro-scale Cu particles with a 0D structure may allow them to easily disperse into the flexible TPU matrix. Furthermore, nanoscale multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with a high aspect ratio, present on the surface of the Cu particles, form an electrical network when the polymer matrix is strained, thus providing good piezoresistive performance as well as good flowability of the composite materials.

Role of supersaturated Al-C phases in mechanical properties of Al/fullerene composites.

We investigated the reinforcing effect of supersaturated Al-C phases on the mechanical properties of Al/C composites produced via powder metallurgy followed by thermal treatment. We controlled the fractions of C-fullerenes, nano-scale carbides, and Al-C supersaturated phases in the Al/C composites by adjusting the heat-treatment temperature and duration. Furthermore, we examined the contribution of each phase on the elastic and plastic behavior of the composites using scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) and hardness measurements.

Design and Evaluation of Korean Electropalatography (K-EPG).

Recently, the development of medical rehabilitation technology has resulted in an increased interest in speech therapy equipment. In particular, research on articulation therapy for communication disorders is being actively conducted. The existing methods for the diagnosis and treatment of speech disorders, such as traditional tactile perception tests and methods based on the empirical judgment of speech therapists, have many limitations.

[Evaluation of Post-Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Pathologic Complete Response and Residual Tumor Size of Breast Cancer: Analysis on Accuracy of MRI and Affecting Factors].

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of MRI in predicting the pathological complete response (pCR) and the residual tumor size of breast cancer after neoadjucant chemotherapy (NAC), and to determine the factors affecting the accuarcy.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-eight breast cancer patients who underwent surgery after NAC at our center between 2010 and 2017 were included in this study. pCR was defined as the absence of invasive cancer on pathological evaluation.

Microscopic analysis of metal matrix composites containing carbon Nanomaterials.

Metallic matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanomaterials continue to attract interest because of their excellent mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. However, two critical issues have limited their commercialization. Uniform distribution of carbon nanomaterials in metallic matrices is difficult, and the interfaces between the nanomaterials and matrices are weak.

Recent Developments towards Commercialization of Metal Matrix Composites.

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are promising alternatives to metallic alloys. Their high strength-to-weight ratios; high temperature stabilities; and unique thermal, electrical, and chemical properties make them suitable for automotive, aerospace, defense, electrical, electronic, energy, biomedical, and other applications. The wide range of potential combinations of materials allows the properties of MMCs to be tailored by manipulating the morphology, size, orientation, and fraction of reinforcement, offering further opportunities for a variety of applications in daily life.

Effect of Material and Process Variables on Characteristics of Nitridation-Induced Self-Formed Aluminum Matrix Composites-Part 1: Effect of Reinforcement Volume Fraction, Size, and Processing Temperatures.

This paper investigates the effect of the size and volume fraction of SiC, along with that of the processing temperature, upon the nitridation behavior of aluminum powder during the nitridation-induced self-formed aluminum composite (NISFAC) process. In this new composite manufacturing process, aluminum powder and ceramic reinforcement mixtures are heated in nitrogen gas, thus allowing the exothermic nitridation reaction to partially melt the aluminum powder in order to assist the composite densification and improve the wetting between the aluminum and the ceramic. The formation of a sufficient amount of molten aluminum is key to producing sound, pore-free aluminum matrix composites (AMCs); hence, the degree of nitridation is a key factor.

Effect of Material and Process Variables on Characteristics of Nitridation-Induced Self-Formed Aluminum Matrix Composites-Part 2: Effect of Nitrogen Flow Rates and Processing Temperatures.

The nitridation-induced self-formed aluminum matrix composite (NISFAC) process is based on the nitridation reaction, which can be significantly influenced by the characteristics of the starting materials (e.g., the chemical composition of the aluminum powder and the type, size, and volume fraction of the ceramic reinforcement) and the processing variables (e.

Aluminum Matrix Composites Manufactured using Nitridation-Induced Self-Forming Process.

Conventional manufacturing processes for aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) involve complex procedures that require unique equipment and skills at each stage. This increases the process costs and limits the scope of potential applications. In this study, a simple and facile route for AMC manufacturing is developed, a mixture of Al powder and the ceramic reinforcement is simply heated under nitrogen atmosphere to produce the composite.

Expression patterns of programmed death-1 and programmed death-1 ligand-1 on T cells in gastric cancer.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-1 ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in gastric carcinoma and to assess their effect on survival rate. A total of 170 surgically resected specimens were obtained from patients diagnosed with gastric carcinoma at St. Vincents Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea.

Structural effect of two-dimensional BNNS on grain growth suppressing behaviors in Al-matrix nanocomposites.

While nanocrystalline (NC) metals exhibit superior strength to conventional microcrystalline metals, their thermal instability has hampered their application at high temperatures. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) are proposed as reinforcement to enhance the strength as well as the thermal stability of NC Al. The strength of pure Al was increased from 80 to 468 MPa by refining its grains from ~600 to ~40 nm, and it was further enhanced to 685 MPa by incorporating 2 vol% of BNNS.

Large-Area Deposition of MoS2 by Pulsed Laser Deposition with In Situ Thickness Control.

A scalable and catalyst-free method to deposit stoichiometric molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) films over large areas is reported, with the maximum area limited by the size of the substrate holder. The method allows deposition of MoS2 layers on a wide range of substrates without any additional surface preparation, including single-crystal (sapphire and quartz), polycrystalline (HfO2), and amorphous (SiO2) substrates. The films are deposited using carefully designed MoS2 targets fabricated with excess sulfur and variable MoS2 and sulfur particle size.

Recovery of language function in Korean-Japanese crossed bilingual aphasia following right basal ganglia hemorrhage.

Few studies have investigated language recovery patterns and the mechanisms of crossed bilingual aphasia following a subcortical stroke. In particular, Korean-Japanese crossed bilingual aphasia has not been reported. A 47-year-old, right-handed man was diagnosed with an extensive right basal ganglia hemorrhage.

Size-Controlled Synthesis of Copper Oxide Particles on Reduced Graphene Oxide for Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Applications.

Copper oxide/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrids have been successfully synthesized by attaching copper ions onto the functional groups of GO by means of a solution process, which causes precipitation and agglomeration of copper oxides during subsequent thermal reduction of the GO. The resulting copper oxide/rGO hybrid exhibited improved electrochemical performance compared to monolithic CuO, which is presumed to be due to rGO acting as a mechanical support that buffers the volume change in copper oxides that occurs as a result of the conversion reaction during charge/discharge cycling. Furthermore, it was found that the size of the copper oxide particles can be optimized by adjusting the annealing time, with a hybrid annealed for 30 min achieving a reversible capacity of 544 mA h g(-1) and an initial coulombic efficiency of 62.

HMGA1/HMGA2 protein expression and prognostic implications in gastric cancer.

Background: The high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) and high mobility group A2 (HMGA2) proteins are architectural transcription factors that have been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of multiple malignant tumors, including gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the roles of HMGA1 and HMGA2 in gastric carcinogenesis.

Methods: The expression of HMGA1 and HMGA2 was examined in 110 gastric adenocarcinomas, 29 gastric adenomas, and 30 normal controls.

Clinicopathological significance of N-cadherin and VEGF in advanced gastric cancer brain metastasis and the effects of metformin in preclinical models.

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although brain metastasis is a rare complication of gastric cancer, no standard therapy for gastric cancer brain metastasis has been established. We attempted to identify biological markers that predict brain metastasis, and investigated how to modulate such markers.

Evaluation of Contact Heat Transfer Coefficient and Phase Transformation during Hot Stamping of a Hat-Type Part.

Using an inverse analysis technique, the heat transfer coefficient on the die-workpiece contact surface of a hot stamping process was evaluated as a power law function of contact pressure. This evaluation was to determine whether the heat transfer coefficient on the contact surface could be used for finite element analysis of the entire hot stamping process. By comparing results of the finite element analysis and experimental measurements of the phase transformation, an evaluation was performed to determine whether the obtained heat transfer coefficient function could provide reasonable finite element prediction for workpiece properties affected by the hot stamping process.

Expression of claudin-7 and loss of claudin-18 correlate with poor prognosis in gastric cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of claudin-3, claudin-7, and claudin-18 in gastric cancer and to determine the significance of these proteins for patient outcome.

Materials And Methods: A total of 134 samples were obtained from surgically resected specimens from patients who were diagnosed with gastric carcinoma at a single institution. Paraffin tissue sections from tissue microarray blocks were examined with immunohistochemistry for the expression of claudin-3, claudin-7, and claudin-18.

Radioactive iodine treatment for node negative papillary thyroid cancer with capsular invasion only: Results of a large retrospective study.

Aim: With thyroid carcinoma the decision to use radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation depends on the risk of poor outcomes. Although extrathyroid extension (ETE) is well known as a risk of poor outcomes for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the definition of minimal ETE is too broad, as it encompasses both microscopic invasion of the thyroid capsule (capsular invasion [CI]) and macroscopic invasion of the sternothyroid muscle.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to analyze the prognostic benefit of RAI ablation according to the presence of CI in a consecutive series of patients with PTC between October 1997 and December 2008.

The electrochemical properties of lithium/sulfur cell using sulfur-carbon nanotubes composite.

Sulfur electrode was prepared using sulfur-CNT composite powder. The sulfur electrode showed homogenous mixture of sulfur and the CNTs with a network structure. We investigated on the discharge behavior and cycling property of lithium/sulfur cell using sulfur electrodes with CNTs as unique conducting agents.