Novel Xylene-Linked Maltoside Amphiphiles (XMAs) for Membrane Protein Stabilisation.

Membrane proteins are key functional players in biological systems. These biomacromolecules contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions and thus amphipathic molecules are necessary to extract membrane proteins from their native lipid environments and stabilise them in aqueous solutions. Conventional detergents are commonly used for membrane protein manipulation, but membrane proteins surrounded by these agents often undergo denaturation and aggregation.

A multivariate study for characterizing particulate matter (PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1)) in Seoul metropolitan subway stations, Korea.

Given that around eight million commuters use the Seoul Metropolitan Subway (SMS) each day, the indoor air quality (IAQ) of its stations has attracted much public attention. We have monitored the concentration of particulate matters (PMx) (i.e.

Amphipathic agents for membrane protein study.

Membrane proteins (MPs) are insoluble in aqueous media as a result of incompatibility between the hydrophilic property of the solvent molecules and the hydrophobic nature of MP surfaces, normally associated with lipid membranes. Amphipathic compounds are necessary for extraction of these macromolecules from the native membranes and their maintenance in solution. The amphipathic agents surround the hydrophobic segments of MPs, thus serving as a membrane mimetic system.

Optimal cutoffs for low skeletal muscle mass related to cardiovascular risk in adults: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010.

The possible association between low skeletal muscle mass and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors necessitates estimation of muscle mass even in subjects with normal body mass index (BMI). This study was aimed to investigate optimal cutoffs for skeletal muscle mass reflecting CVD risk factors and to evaluate the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and CVD risk factors in the general population and in subjects with normal BMI using these cutoffs. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010.

Comparison of the effects of two low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals for secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction in real-world practice: ≥ 50% reduction from baseline versus <70 mg/dL.

Background: The present study compared the effects of two low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals for secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in real-world practice.

Methods And Results: Of 3091 consecutive patients with AMI who had baseline LDL-C levels ≥ 70 mg/dL and underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention, 1305 eligible patients who received discharge statin prescriptions were analyzed. Patients were categorized into 2 groups according to the values of LDL-C at 1 year in two different manners using percent reduction from baseline (≥ 50% reduction, n=428 versus <50% reduction, n=877) and fixed levels (< 70 mg/dL, n=625 versus ≥ 70 mg/dL, n=680).

Maltose neopentyl glycol-3 (MNG-3) analogues for membrane protein study.

Detergents are typically used to both extract membrane proteins (MPs) from the lipid bilayers and maintain them in solution. However, MPs encapsulated in detergent micelles are often prone to denaturation and aggregation. Thus, the development of novel agents with enhanced stabilization characteristics is necessary to advance MP research.

Application of a combined three-stage system for reclamation of tunnel construction wastewater.

A combined three-stage system, (1) coagulation (2) zeocarbon filtration and (3) membrane filtration, a combination of microfiltration (MF) and reverse osmosis (RO), was investigated for reclamation of tunnel construction wastewater having a salinity of 10.8-12.9‰ and a concentration of suspended solids (SS) in the range of 264-1084 mg/L.

Separation of p-divinylbenzene by selective room-temperature adsorption inside Mg-CUK-1 prepared by aqueous microwave synthesis.

A new Mg(II) -based version of the porous coordination polymer CUK-1 with one-dimensional pore structure was prepared by microwave synthesis in water. Mg-CUK-1 is moisture-stable, thermally stable up to 500 °C, and shows unusual reversible soft-crystal behavior: dehydrated single crystals of the material selectively adsorb a range of organic molecules at ambient temperature and pressure. Both polar and apolar aromatic compounds, including pyridine, benzene, p-xylene, and p-divinylbenzene (p-DVB), are all readily adsorbed, while other isomers from complex mixtures of xylenes or DVBs are selectively excluded.

Development of early-warning protocol for predicting chlorophyll-a concentration using machine learning models in freshwater and estuarine reservoirs, Korea.

Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is a direct indicator used to evaluate the ecological state of a waterbody, such as algal blooms that degrade the water quality in lakes, reservoirs and estuaries. In this study, artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to predict Chl-a concentration for the early warning in the Juam Reservoir and Yeongsan Reservoir, which are located in an upstream region (freshwater reservoir) and downstream region (estuarine reservoir), respectively. Weekly water quality data and meteorological data for a 7-year period were used to train and validate both the ANN and SVM models.

Characterization of membrane foulants in a pilot-scale tunnel construction wastewater treatment process.

A pilot-scale combination of a microfiltration (MF) and a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane system was applied on-site to treat tunnel construction wastewater. The MF membrane system initially removed contaminants (turbidity of less than 0.3 NTU) in the form of particulate materials in the feed water, thereby allowing the combined MF-RO system to efficiently remove more than 99% of known organic and inorganic contaminants and qualify the reclaimed water for reuse.

QRS morphology and ventricular dyssynchrony in patients with chronic right ventricular pacing.

Background: Mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) is associated with poor outcomes in many different populations. However, the predictors for the development of MD after chronic right ventricular (RV) pacing are not well known.

Methods: Pacing QRS morphology and MD using echocardiography was analyzed in 175 consecutive patients that have pacemaker implantation during a 7.

O-Succinyl-L-homoserine-based C4-chemical production: succinic acid, homoserine lactone, γ-butyrolactone, γ-butyrolactone derivatives, and 1,4-butanediol.

There has been a significant global interest to produce bulk chemicals from renewable resources using engineered microorganisms. Large research programs have been launched by academia and industry towards this goal. Particularly, C4 chemicals such as succinic acid (SA) and 1,4-butanediol have been leading the path towards the commercialization of biobased technology with the effort of replacing chemical production.

Identification of genes differentially expressed in myogenin knock-down bovine muscle satellite cells during differentiation through RNA sequencing analysis.

Background: The expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) consisting of MyoD, Myf5, myogenin (MyoG) and MRF4 characterizes various phases of skeletal muscle development including myoblast proliferation, cell-cycle exit, cell fusion and the maturation of myotubes to form myofibers. Although it is well known that the function of MyoG cannot be compensated for other MRFs, the molecular mechanism by which MyoG controls muscle cell differentiation is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, RNA-Seq technology was applied to profile changes in gene expression in response to MyoG knock-down (MyoGkd) in primary bovine muscle satellite cells (MSCs).

Trends in lipid profiles among South Korean adults: 2005, 2008 and 2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background: This study aimed to investigate recent trends in the prevalence and parameters of dyslipidemia and rates of lipid-lowering medication use in Korean adults. Trends in lipid profiles in subjects with hypertension, diabetes or obesity were also studied.

Methods: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2005, 2008 and 2010 were used in this study.

Prevalence and related risk factors of albuminuria in Korean adults: the 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background/aims: Albuminuria is known to be associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality even in the general population. We aimed at investigating the prevalence and related risk factors of albuminuria among Korean adults.

Methods: This study was based on data collected during the 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

A ROS/STAT3/HIF-1α signaling cascade mediates EGF-induced TWIST1 expression and prostate cancer cell invasion.

Background: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been known to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and prostate cancer cell progression. However, a detailed underlying mechanism by which EGF induces EMT and prostate cancer cell progression remained to be answered. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and TWIST1 are transcription factors implicated in EMT and cancer metastasis.

Serum ferritin levels are positively associated with bone mineral density in elderly Korean men: the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

A possible negative effect of iron overload on bone metabolism has been suggested by the fact that patients with hemochromatosis, thalassemia, and sickle cell anemia have lower bone mineral density than the general population. However, the influence of iron overload on bone health in the general population is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum ferritin levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly Koreans.

Reduced circulating endothelial progenitor cells in thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease).

To determine the role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the pathogenesis of thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), EPC numbers and colony-forming units, migratory function and tubular structure formation in vitro were compared between 13 young male TAO patients and two age-matched healthy control groups: 11 smokers and 12 non-smokers. TAO patients had significantly lower numbers of EPCs and EPC colonies compared to both non-smokers [190 (97.0-229) vs 528 (380-556), p < 0.

Improved glucose-neopentyl glycol (GNG) amphiphiles for membrane protein solubilization and stabilization.

Membrane proteins are inherently amphipathic and undergo dynamic conformational changes for proper function within native membranes. Maintaining the functional structures of these biomacromolecules in aqueous media is necessary for structural studies but difficult to achieve with currently available tools, thus necessitating the development of novel agents with favorable properties. This study introduces several new glucose-neopentyl glycol (GNG) amphiphiles and reveals some agents that display favorable behaviors for the solubilization and stabilization of a large, multi-subunit membrane protein assembly.

Abdominal obesity is associated with albuminuria in women: the 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background: The effects of obesity on the kidney, apart from diabetes or hypertension, have not drawn much attention. Moreover, only a few studies have reported the relationship between obesity status and albuminuria in Asian countries, including South Korea. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between obesity status and albuminuria in Korean adults.