In Vitro Modeling of Atherosclerosis Using iPSC-Derived Blood Vessel Organoids.

As modeling of atherosclerosis requires recapitulating complex interactions with vasculature and immune cells, previous in vitro models have limitations due to their insufficient 3D vascular structures. However, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived blood vessel organoids (BVOs) are applicable for modeling vascular diseases, containing multiple cell types, including endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells self-assembled into a blood vessel structure. Atherosclerotic BVOs with a microenvironment associated with atherogenesis, such as shear stress, low-density lipoprotein, pro-inflammatory cytokine, and monocyte co-culture are successfully developed.

sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from the gut of marine sandworm ().

A novel Gram-stain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative and ovoid cocci, designated as A1S7, was isolated from the gut of a marine sandworm (). Strain A1S7 exhibited optimal growth at temperatures of 20-30 ℃, pH 6-8 and in the presence of 2-4% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain A1S7 belonged to the genus , exhibiting a similarity of 99.

Anti-Warburg Mechanism of Ginsenoside F2 in Human Cervical Cancer Cells via Activation of miR193a-5p and Inhibition of β-Catenin/c-Myc/Hexokinase 2 Signaling Axis.

Though Ginsenoside F2 (GF2), a protopanaxadiol saponin from Panax ginseng, is known to have an anticancer effect, its underlying mechanism still remains unclear. In our model, the anti-glycolytic mechanism of GF2 was investigated in human cervical cancer cells in association with miR193a-5p and the β-catenin/c-Myc/Hexokinase 2 (HK2) signaling axis. Here, GF2 exerted significant cytotoxicity and antiproliferation activity, increased sub-G1, and attenuated the expression of pro-Poly (ADPribose) polymerase (pro-PARP) and pro-cysteine aspartyl-specific protease (procaspase3) in HeLa and SiHa cells.

Multipartite network analysis to identify environmental and genetic associations of metabolic syndrome in the Korean population.

Network analysis has become a crucial tool in genetic research, enabling the exploration of associations between genes and diseases. Its utility extends beyond genetics to include the assessment of environmental factors. Unipartite network analysis is commonly used in genomics to visualize initial insights and relationships among variables.

sp. nov., isolated from cutlassfish jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented seafood.

A novel, Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, and non-motile bacterial strain, designated B2T-5, was isolated from jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented seafood. Colonies grown on gifu anaerobic medium agar plates were cream-coloured, irregular, and umbonate with curled margins. Optimal growth of strain B2T-5 occurred at 20 °C, pH 8.

Molecularly imprinted polymer-based extended-gate field-effect transistor chemosensors for selective determination of antiepileptic drug.

Ultrathin molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) films were deposited on the surfaces of ZnO nanorods (ZNRs) and nanosheets (ZNSs) by electropolymerization to afford extended-gate field-effect transistor sensors for detecting phenytoin (PHT) in plasma. Molecular imprinting efficiency was optimized by controlling the contents of functional monomers and the template in the precursor solution. PHT sensing was performed in plasma solutions with various concentrations by monitoring the drain current as a function of drain voltage under an applied gate voltage of 1.

Fine-Scale Spatial Prediction on the Risk of Infection in the Republic of Korea.

Background: Malaria elimination strategies in the Republic of Korea (ROK) have decreased malaria incidence but face challenges due to delayed case detection and response. To improve this, machine learning models for predicting malaria, focusing on high-risk areas, have been developed.

Methods: The study targeted the northern region of ROK, near the demilitarized zone, using a 1-km grid to identify areas for prediction.

Sporosarcina jeotgali sp. nov., Sporosarcina oncorhynchi sp. nov., and Sporosarcina trichiuri sp. nov., Isolated from Jeotgal, a Traditional Korean Fermented Seafood.

Three novel, Gram-stain-positive, obligate aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive bacterial strains, designated B2O-1, T2O-4, and 0.2-SM1T-5, were isolated from jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented seafood. Strains B2O-1, T2O-4, and 0.

A Nationwide Study on HER2-Low Breast Cancer in South Korea: Its Incidence of 2022 Real World Data and the Importance of Immunohistochemical Staining Protocols.

Purpose: Notable effectiveness of trastuzumab deruxtecan in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low advanced breast cancer (BC) has focused pathologists' attention. We studied the incidence and clinicopathologic characteristics of HER2-low BC, and the effects of immunohistochemistry (IHC) associated factors on HER2 IHC results.

Materials And Methods: The Breast Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists conducted a nationwide study using real-world data on HER2 status generated between January 2022 and December 2022.

Genomic attributes and characterization of novel exopolysaccharide-producing bacterium sp. nov. isolated from jeotgal.

Halophilic bacterial strains, designated SG2L-4, SB1M4, and SB2L-5, were isolated from jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented food. Cells are Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, catalase-positive, and oxidase-negative. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain SG2L-4 is closely related to KACC 18117 with a similarity of 96.

sp. nov., isolated from gut of marine sandworm () and emended description of the genus .

A novel, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, catalase- and oxidase-negative bacterial strain, designated A2M4, was isolated from the gut contents of a marine sandworm , collected from the eastern coast of the Republic of Korea. Strain A2M4 formed translucent circular colonies and showed rod-shaped cells with peritrichous flagella. Optimal growth of strain A2M4 occurred at 25 °C, pH 7.

Cortical-blood vessel assembloids exhibit Alzheimer's disease phenotypes by activating glia after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A correlation between COVID-19 and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been proposed recently. Although the number of case reports on neuroinflammation in COVID-19 patients has increased, studies of SARS-CoV-2 neurotrophic pathology using brain organoids have restricted recapitulation of those phenotypes due to insufficiency of immune cells and absence of vasculature. Cerebral pericytes and endothelial cells, the major components of blood-brain barrier, express viral entry receptors for SARS-CoV-2 and response to systemic inflammation including direct cell death.

All-in-one microfluidic design to integrate vascularized tumor spheroid into high-throughput platform.

The development of a scalable and highly reproducible in vitro tumor microenvironment (TME) platform still sheds light on new insights into cancer metastasis mechanisms and anticancer therapeutic strategies. Here, we present an all-in-one injection molded plastic array three-dimensional culture platform (All-in-One-IMPACT) that integrates vascularized tumor spheroids for highly reproducible, high-throughput experimentation. This device allows the formation of self-assembled cell spheroids on a chip by applying the hanging drop method to the cell culture channel.

Hypolipogenic effects of Icariside E4 via phosphorylation of AMPK and inhibition of MID1IP1 in HepG2 cells.

Though icariside E4 (IE4) is known to have anti-noceptive, anti-oxidant, anti-Alzheimer and anti-inflammatory effects, there was no evidence on the effect of IE4 on lipid metabolism so far. Hence, the hypolipogenic mechanism of IE4 was investigated in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCCs) in association with MID1 Interacting Protein 1(MID1IP1) and AMPK signaling. Here, IE4 did not show any toxicity in HepG2 cells, but reduced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells by Oil Red O staining.

Utility of Diffusion-Weighted MRI for Detection of Locally Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer After Surgical Resection.

Overlapping imaging findings between local tumor recurrence and postsurgical fibrosis represent a major clinical challenge after pancreatic ductal adeno-carcinoma (PDAC) resection. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of MRI with and without DWI for differentiating locally recurrent tumor and postsurgical fibrosis after PDAC resection. This retrospective study included 66 patients (35 men, 31 women; mean age, 60.

Function Analysis of the / Gene Related to Self-Incompatibility in Chinese Cabbage Using CRISPR/Cas9.

Chinese cabbage, a major crop in Korea, shows self-incompatibility (SI). SI is controlled by the type 2A serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PP2As). The gene is controlled by regulatory subunits that comprise a 36 kDa catalyst C subunit, a 65 kDa regulatory A subunit, and a variety of regulatory B subunits (50-70 kDa).

Host phylogeny, habitat, and diet are main drivers of the cephalopod and mollusk gut microbiome.

Background: Invertebrates are a very attractive subject for studying host-microbe interactions because of their simple gut microbial community and host diversity. Studying the composition of invertebrate gut microbiota and the determining factors is essential for understanding their symbiotic mechanism. Cephalopods are invertebrates that have similar biological properties to vertebrates such as closed circulation system, an advanced nervous system, and a well-differentiated digestive system.

Zika virus infection accelerates Alzheimer's disease phenotypes in brain organoids.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the progressive neurodegenerative diseases characterized by β-amyloid (Aβ) production and Phosphorylated-Tau (p-Tau) protein in the cerebral cortex. The precise mechanisms of the cause, responsible for disease pathology and progression, are not well understood because there are multiple risk factors associated with the disease. Viral infection is one of the risk factors for AD, and we demonstrated that Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in brain organoids could trigger AD pathological features, including Aβ and p-Tau expression.

sp. nov., isolated from the gut of the larva of .

A Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, yellow-pigmented, non-motile, non-flagellated, facultative anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated BI34, was isolated from the gut of the larva of . Strain BI34 grew at 15-40 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 6.5-9.

Generation of Cortical Brain Organoid with Vascularization by Assembling with Vascular Spheroid.

Background And Objectives: Brain organoids have the potential to improve our understanding of brain development and neurological disease. Despite the importance of brain organoids, the effect of vascularization on brain organoids is largely unknown. The objective of this study is to develop vascularized organoids by assembling vascular spheroids with cerebral organoids.

sp. nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon isolated from a saturated brine pond of a saltern.

A novel extremely halophilic archaeon, strain RHB-C, was isolated from a saturated brine pond of a solar saltern in Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines. Colonies were orange-red-pigmented, smooth, convex and round on a solid modified growth medium containing 25 % (w/v) of total salts. Cells of strain RHB-C on the solid modified growth medium were ovoid-shaped (0.

Accumulation of APP-CTF induces mitophagy dysfunction in the iNSCs model of Alzheimer's disease.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with familial Alzheimer's disease (fAD), and the accumulation of damaged mitochondria has been reported as an initial symptom that further contributes to disease progression. In the amyloidogenic pathway, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is cleaved by β-secretase to generate a C-terminal fragment, which is then cleaved by γ-secretase to produce amyloid-beta (Aβ). The accumulation of Aβ and its detrimental effect on mitochondrial function are well known, yet the amyloid precursor protein-derived C-terminal fragments (APP-CTFs) contributing to this pathology have rarely been reported.

Juxtaneural ganglia arising from the hip joint: focus on magnetic resonance imaging findings and clinical manifestations.

Objective: To present cases of juxtaneural ganglia arising from the hip with a discussion of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, presenting symptoms, and possible treatment option.

Materials And Methods: Two radiologists performed a consensus review of MRI scans obtained between January 2013 and March 2021 to identify patients with juxtaneural ganglia around the hip. A total of 11 patients with 11 juxtaneural ganglia were identified.

A Novel Pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidine Induces Heme Oxygenase-1 and Exerts Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Effects.

The anti-oxidant enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is known to exert anti-inflammatory effects. From a library of pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidines, we identified a novel compound KKC080096 that upregulated HO-1 at the mRNA and protein levels in microglial BV-2 cells. KKC080096 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects via suppressing nitric oxide, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and iNOS production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged cells.