Regulation of Corneal Stromal Cell Behavior by Modulating Curvature Using a Hydraulically Controlled Organ Chip Array.

Curvature is a critical factor in cornea mechanobiology, but its impact on phenotypic alterations and extracellular matrix remodeling of cornea stroma remains unclear. In this work, we investigated how curvature influences the corneal stroma using a hydraulically controlled curvature array chip. The responses of stromal cells to low, medium, and high curvatures were observed by preparing three phenotypes of corneal stromal cells: corneal keratocytes, fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts.

Increased risk for new-onset hypertension in midlife male snorers: The 14-year follow-up study.

While the association between sleep-related breathing disorders such as snoring and hypertension has been well established, it still remains unclear whether the association differs by age and gender. Therefore, in this 14-year follow-up study, we examined the independent association between self-reported snoring and the incidence of hypertension by gender and age groups in a large cohort of Korean adults. A total of 4,954 adults, aged 40-69 years, free of hypertension at baseline were enrolled.

CAS-viewer: web-based tool for splicing-guided integrative analysis of multi-omics cancer data.

Background: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project is a public resource that provides transcriptomic, DNA sequence, methylation, and clinical data for 33 cancer types. Transforming the large size and high complexity of TCGA cancer genome data into integrated knowledge can be useful to promote cancer research. Alternative splicing (AS) is a key regulatory mechanism of genes in human cancer development and in the interaction with epigenetic factors.

Human immunoglobulin adsorption investigated by means of quartz crystal microbalance dissipation, atomic force microscopy, surface acoustic wave, and surface plasmon resonance techniques.

Time-resolved adsorption behavior of a human immunoglobin G (hIgG) protein on a hydrophobized gold surface is investigated using multitechniques: quartz crystal microbalance/dissipation (QCM-D) technique; combined surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and Love mode surface acoustic wave (SAW) technique; combined QCM-D and atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique. The adsorbed hIgG forms interfacial structures varying in organization from a submonolayer to a multilayer. An "end-on" IgG orientation in the monolayer film, associated with the surface coverage results, does not corroborate with the effective protein thickness determined from SPR/SAW measurements.

Biosensing based on light absorption of nanoscaled gold and silver particles.

The absorption spectrum of noble metal spherical nanoparticles is known to be strongly influenced by the dielectric constant of the surrounding material, and as such, these particles are well suited for biosensing applications. To perform biosensing using nanoparticles on a substrate, the metal particles are covalently attached onto quartz using an organic adhesion layer of mercaptosilanes. The particles in solution are characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, while those attached to the quartz are characterized with UV-vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy.