Function of a complex of p-Y42 RhoA GTPase and pyruvate kinase M2 in EGF signaling pathway in glioma cells.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is known to be a critical stimulant for inducing the proliferation of glioma cancer cells. In our study, we observed that GST-RhoA binds to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in vitro. While EGF reduced the levels of RhoA protein, it significantly increased p-Y42 RhoA, as well as PKM1 and PKM2 in LN18 glioma cell line.

LEAPSE: Learning Environment Affordances for 3D Human Pose and Shape Estimation.

We live in a 3D world where people interact with each other in the environment. Learning 3D posed humans therefore requires us to perceive and interpret these interactions. This paper proposes LEAPSE, a novel method that learns salient instance affordances for estimating a posed body from a single RGB image in a non-parametric manner.

Diagnosing oral and maxillofacial diseases using deep learning.

The classification and localization of odontogenic lesions from panoramic radiographs is a challenging task due to the positional biases and class imbalances of the lesions. To address these challenges, a novel neural network, DOLNet, is proposed that uses mutually influencing hierarchical attention across different image scales to jointly learn the global representation of the entire jaw and the local discrepancy between normal tissue and lesions. The proposed approach uses local attention to learn representations within a patch.

Jagged1 intracellular domain/SMAD3 complex transcriptionally regulates TWIST1 to drive glioma invasion.

Jagged1 (JAG1) is a Notch ligand that correlates with tumor progression. Not limited to its function as a ligand, JAG1 can be cleaved, and its intracellular domain translocates to the nucleus, where it functions as a transcriptional cofactor. Previously, we showed that JAG1 intracellular domain (JICD1) forms a protein complex with DDX17/SMAD3/TGIF2.

Annexin A2 Stabilizes Oncogenic JAG1 Intracellular Domain by Inhibiting Proteasomal Degradation in Glioblastoma Cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal brain cancer, causing inevitable deaths of patients owing to frequent relapses of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The significance of the NOTCH signaling pathway in CSCs has been well recognized; however, there is no NOTCH-selective treatment applicable to patients with GBM. We recently reported that Jagged1 (JAG1), a NOTCH ligand, drives a NOTCH receptor-independent signaling pathway via JAG1 intracellular domain (JICD1) as a crucial signal that renders CSC properties.

Improved time-varying reproduction numbers using the generation interval for COVID-19.

Estimating key epidemiological parameters, such as incubation period, serial interval (SI), generation interval (GI) and latent period, is essential to quantify the transmissibility and effects of various interventions of COVID-19. These key parameters play a critical role in quantifying the basic reproduction number. With the hard work of epidemiological investigators in South Korea, estimating these key parameters has become possible based on infector-infectee surveillance data of COVID-19 between February 2020 and April 2021.

Heterogeneity is a key factor describing the initial outbreak of COVID-19.

Assessing the transmission potential of emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, is crucial for implementing prompt and effective intervention policies. The basic reproduction number is widely used to measure the severity of the early stages of disease outbreaks. The basic reproduction number of standard ordinary differential equation models is computed for homogeneous contact patterns; however, realistic contact patterns are far from homogeneous, specifically during the early stages of disease transmission.

Combination of metformin/efavirenz/fluoxetine exhibits profound anticancer activity via a cancer cell-specific ROS amplification.

The possible anticancer activity of combination (M + E + F) of metformin (M), efavirenz (E), and fluoxetine (F) was investigated in normal HDF cells and HCT116 human colon cancer cells. Metformin increased cellular FOXO3a, p-FOXO3a, AMPK, p-AMPK, and MnSOD levels in HDFs but not in HCT116 cells. Cellular ATP level was decreased only in HDFs by metformin.

FOXO3a Mediates Homologous Recombination Repair (HRR) via Transcriptional Activation of MRE11, BRCA1, BRIP1, and RAD50.

To test whether homologous recombination repair (HRR) depends on FOXO3a, a cellular aging model of human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and tet-on flag-h-FOXO3a transgenic mice were studied. HDF cells transfected with over-expression of wt-h-FOXO3a increased the protein levels of MRE11, BRCA1, BRIP1, and RAD50, while knock-down with siFOXO3a decreased them. The protein levels of MRE11, BRCA1, BRIP1, RAD50, and RAD51 decreased during cellular aging.

The oncogenic JAG1 intracellular domain is a transcriptional cofactor that acts in concert with DDX17/SMAD3/TGIF2.

Jagged1 (JAG1) is a Notch ligand that contact-dependently activates Notch receptors and regulates cancer progression. The JAG1 intracellular domain (JICD1) is generated from JAG1, like formation of the NOTCH1 intracellular domain (NICD1); however, the role of JICD1 in tumorigenicity has not been comprehensively elucidated. Here we show that JICD1 induces astrocytes to acquire several cancer stem cell properties, including tumor formation, invasiveness, stemness, and resistance to anticancer therapy.

Estimation of Serial Interval and Reproduction Number to Quantify the Transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in South Korea.

The omicron variant (B.1.1.

Bmp Signal Gradient Modulates Convergent Cell Movement via during Gastrulation of Embryos.

Gastrulation is a critical step in the establishment of a basic body plan during development. Convergence and extension (CE) cell movements organize germ layers during gastrulation. Noncanonical Wnt signaling has been known as major signaling that regulates CE cell movement by activating Rho and Rac.

Discovering spatiotemporal patterns of COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.

A novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 emerged in December 2019, and it took only a few months for WHO to declare COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. It is very challenging to discover complex spatial-temporal transmission mechanisms. However, it is crucial to capture essential features of regional-temporal patterns of COVID-19 to implement prompt and effective prevention or mitigation interventions.

Combined inhibition of STAT and Notch signalling effectively suppresses tumourigenesis by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion in glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain cancer and this is due to cancer cells being apoptosis-resistant and having increased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis properties. Previous studies have indicated both STAT and Notch pathways being important for initiation and progression in GBM. In this work, we first studied the effects of STAT inhibitors on Notch signalling using small molecule STAT inhibitors.

Metformin-induced ROS upregulation as amplified by apigenin causes profound anticancer activity while sparing normal cells.

Metformin increased cellular ROS levels in AsPC-1 pancreatic cancer cells, with minimal effect in HDF, human primary dermal fibroblasts. Metformin reduced cellular ATP levels in HDF, but not in AsPC-1 cells. Metformin increased AMPK, p-AMPK (Thr172), FOXO3a, p-FOXO3a (Ser413), and MnSOD levels in HDF, but not in AsPC-1 cells.

The Anti-Inflammatory and the Antinociceptive Effects of Mixed Ledeb. and Bunge Extract.

Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint. Previously, we reported that the mixture extract (ME) from Ledeb. (AP) and Bunge (SM) could ameliorate gout arthritis.

Zn-Imidazole Coordination Crosslinks for Elastic Polymeric Binders in High-Capacity Silicon Electrodes.

Recent research has built a consensus that the binder plays a key role in the performance of high-capacity silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. These anodes necessitate the use of a binder to maintain the electrode integrity during the immense volume change of silicon during cycling. Here, Zn-imidazole coordination crosslinks that are formed to carboxymethyl cellulose backbones in situ during electrode fabrication are reported.

Purple corn extract (PCE) alleviates cigarette smoke (CS)-induced DNA damage in rodent blood cells by activation of AMPK/Foxo3a/MnSOD pathway.

Purple corn extract (PCE) is a nutraceutical, an activator of AMPK, and it has antioxidants and anticancer properties. Therefore, PCE could be a candidate for alleviating cigarette smoke (CS)-induced oxidative DNA damage. This study examined whether PCE can have a protective effect on blood cells in an animal model of cigarette smoke (CS)-induced DNA damage.

Explaining Neural Networks Using Attentive Knowledge Distillation.

Explaining the prediction of deep neural networks makes the networks more understandable and trusted, leading to their use in various mission critical tasks. Recent progress in the learning capability of networks has primarily been due to the enormous number of model parameters, so that it is usually hard to interpret their operations, as opposed to classical white-box models. For this purpose, generating saliency maps is a popular approach to identify the important input features used for the model prediction.

Dusp1 modulates activin/smad2 mediated germ layer specification via FGF signal inhibition in embryos.

Activin, a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF-β) superfamily, induces mesoderm, endoderm and neuro-ectoderm formation in embryos. Despite several previous studies, the complicated gene regulatory network and genes involved in this induction await more elaboration. We identified expression of various fibroblast growth factor (FGF) genes in activin/ treated animal cap explants (AC) of embryos.

A Tumor-Immune Interaction Model for Synergistic Combinations of Anti PD-L1 and Ionizing Irradiation Treatment.

Combination therapy with immune checkpoint blockade and ionizing irradiation therapy (IR) generates a synergistic effect to inhibit tumor growth better than either therapy does alone. We modeled the tumor-immune interactions occurring during combined IT and IR based on the published data from Deng et al. The mathematical model considered programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed death ligand 1, to quantify data fitting and global sensitivity of critical parameters.

Evaluation of COVID-19 epidemic outbreak caused by temporal contact-increase in South Korea.

Objectives: On March 15, 2020, 61.3% of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in South Korea are associated with the worship service that was organized on February 9 in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu. We aim to evaluate the effects of mass infection in South Korea and assess the preventive control intervention.

A mathematical model for assessing the effectiveness of controlling relapse in Plasmodium vivax malaria endemic in the Republic of Korea.

Malaria has persisted as an endemic near the Demilitarized Zone in the Republic of Korea since the re-emergence of Plasmodium vivax malaria in 1993. The number of patients affected by malaria has increased recently despite many controls tools, one of the reasons behind which is the relapse of malaria via liver hypnozoites. Tafenoquine, a new drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2018, is expected to reduce the rate of relapse of malaria hypnozoites and thereby decrease the prevalence of malaria among the population.

Comparison of Facial Proportions Between Eastern and Western Attractive Young Women.

The characteristics of what is considered a beautiful face differ between Eastern and Western countries.The authors of this study analyzed beauty pageant contestants using a three-dimensional (3D) photogrammetric analysis tool. All of the 3D photographs were taken between October and November 2016 in Seoul, Korea.

Correction of Congenital Telecanthus by Extended Medial Epicanthoplasty With Skin Redraping Method.

Background: Recently, skin-redraping medial epicanthoplasty has emerged as an extremely effective way to minimize the resultant scar. We found that the novel skin-redraping medial epicanthoplasty technique, which has been applied to aesthetic surgery, could also be suitable for the correction of congenital epicanthus and telecanthus.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who had an epicanthoplasty from December 2007 to August 2017.