Experimental application of micro/nano bubbles to control P release and separate P particles from benthic lake sediment.

Under persistent hypoxic conditions in the bottom layer of a lake, phosphorus (P) can be released from benthic sediments, significantly impacting the lake ecosystem. Hypoxia reduces iron ions, leading to P release through biogeochemical reactions associated with organic matter degradation, which in turn depletes dissolved oxygen (DO) in the sediment. The application of bubble technology is beneficial, as microbubbles (MBs) effectively remove P and enhance DO levels in both the overlying water and sediment surface.

Microplastic contaminants detection in aquatic environment by hydrophobic cerium oxide nanoparticles.

Microplastics (MPs) poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health, demanding immediate attention. The reported research work offers an effective and low cost method towards the detection of toxic MPs. In this study, hydrophobic cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO NPs) are synthesized and applied as promising electrode material for the detection of two different types of MPs, i.

Effects of dissolved oxygen changes in the benthic environment on phosphorus flux at the sediment-water interface in a coastal brackish lake.

In semi-enclosed coastal brackish lakes, changes in dissolved oxygen in the bottom layer due to salinity stratification can affect the flux of phosphorus (P) at the sediment-water interface, resulting in short- and long-term water quality fluctuations in the water column. In this study, the physicochemical properties of the water layers and sediments at five sites in Saemangeum Lake were analyzed in spring and autumn for four years, and phosphorus release experiments from sediments were conducted for 20 days under oxic and anoxic conditions during the same period. Sediment total phosphorus (T-P) decreased in autumn compared to spring due to mineralization of organic bound phosphorus, which was the most dominant P fraction.

Enzymatic Activity and Amino Acids Production of Predominant Fungi from Traditional Meju during Soybean Fermentation.

To investigate the effect of the predominant fungal species from Korean traditional meju and doenjang on soybean fermentation, the enzymatic activity and amino acid production of twenty-two fungal strains were assessed through solid- and liquid-state soybean fermentation. Enzymatic activity analyses of solid-state fermented soybeans revealed different enzyme activities involving protease, leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), carboxypeptidase (CaP), glutaminase, γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and amylase, depending on the fungal species. These enzymatic activities significantly affected the amino acid profile throughout liquid-state fermentation.

Impedance-based polymer microneedle patch sensor for continuous interstitial fluid glucose monitoring.

Early detection and effective blood glucose control are critical for preventing and managing diabetes-related complications. Conventional glucometers provide point-in-time measurements but are painful and cannot facilitate continuous monitoring. Continuous glucose monitoring systems are comfortable but face challenges in terms of accuracy, cost, and sensor lifespan.

Curvature-based interface restoration algorithm using phase-field equations.

In this study, we propose a restoration algorithm for distorted objects using a curvature-driven flow. First, we capture the convex-hull shaped contour of the distorted object using the mean curvature flow. With the supplemented mass on the captured feature, we evolve the constraint mean curvature flow to a steady state, preserving the non-distorted region.

The Lysine Demethylases KdmA and KdmB Differently Regulate Asexual Development, Stress Response, and Virulence in .

Histone demethylases govern diverse cellular processes, including growth, development, and secondary metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the functions of two lysine demethylases, KdmA and KdmB, in the opportunistic human pathogenic fungus . Experiments with mutants harboring deletions of genes encoding KdmA (Δ) and KdmB (Δ) showed that KdmA is necessary for normal growth and proper conidiation, whereas KdmB negatively regulates vegetative growth and conidiation.

Cilostazol Versus Aspirin on White Matter Changes in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral small vessel disease is characterized by progressive cerebral white matter changes (WMCs). This study aimed to compare the effects of cilostazol and aspirin on changes in WMC volume in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

Methods: In a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, participants with moderate or severe WMCs and at least one lacunar infarction detected on brain magnetic resonance imaging were randomly assigned to the cilostazol and aspirin groups in a 1:1 ratio.

Characterization of the Gene Encoding a Putative APSES Transcription Factor in .

The APSES family proteins are transcription factors (TFs) with a basic helix-loop-helix domain, known to regulate growth, development, secondary metabolism, and other biological processes in species. In the genome of the human opportunistic pathogenic fungus , five genes predicted to encode APSES TFs are present. Here, we report the characterization of one of these genes, called (Afu7g05620).

Delayed Maturation of the Middle Cerebellar Peduncles at Near-Term Age Predicts Abnormal Neurodevelopment in Preterm Infants.

Background: The infant brain grows quickly with elaborate microstructural development during the neonatal period. The white matter, during critical periods of development, is selectively vulnerable to altered maturation and impaired growth in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.

Objective: To evaluate whether abnormal white matter maturation in VLBW infants is associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of corrected age.

Altered asymmetries of the structural networks comprising the fronto-limbic brain circuitry of preterm infants.

This study aimed to elaborate upon prior findings suggestive of the altered lateralization of structural connectivity in the developing preterm brain by using diffusion tensor imaging tractography to explore how network topological asymmetries in fronto-limbic neural circuitry are altered at 36-41 weeks, postmenstrual age in 64 preterm infants without severe brain injury and 33 term-born infants. We compared the pattern of structural connectivity and network lateralization of the betweenness centrality in the medial fronto-orbital gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, amygdala, and hippocampus-the structures comprising the fronto-limbic brain circuit-between preterm and term infants. Global efficiency, local efficiency, and small-world characteristics did not differ significantly between the two hemispheres in term-born infants, suggesting that integration and segregation are balanced between the left and right hemispheres.

The Putative APSES Transcription Factor RgdA Governs Growth, Development, Toxigenesis, and Virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus.

The APSES transcription factor (TF) in species is known to govern diverse cellular processes, including growth, development, and secondary metabolism. Here, we investigated functions of the gene (Afu3g13920) encoding a putative APSES TF in the opportunistic human-pathogenic fungus The deletion resulted in significantly decreased hyphal growth and asexual sporulation. Consistently, transcript levels of the key asexual developmental regulators , , and were decreased in the Δ mutant compared to those in the wild type (WT).

Gender-Related and Hemispheric Effects in Cortical Thickness-Based Hemispheric Brain Morphological Network.

Objective: The current study examined gender-related differences in hemispheric asymmetries of graph metrics, calculated from a cortical thickness-based brain structural covariance network named hemispheric morphological network.

Methods: Using the T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans of 285 participants (150 females, 135 males) retrieved from the Human Connectome Project (HCP), hemispheric morphological networks were constructed per participant. In these hemispheric morphologic networks, the degree of similarity between two different brain regions in terms of the distributed patterns of cortical thickness values (the Jensen-Shannon divergence) was defined as weight of network edge that connects two different brain regions.

Identification of Novel Genes Associated with Cortical Thickness in Alzheimer's Disease: Systems Biology Approach to Neuroimaging Endophenotype.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a heterogeneous distribution of pathological changes in the brain. Cortical thickness is one of the most sensitive imaging biomarkers for AD representing structural atrophy. The purpose of this study is to identify novel genes associated with cortical thickness.

Comparative Characterization of G Protein α Subunits in .

Trimeric G proteins play a central role in the G protein signaling in filamentous fungi and Gα subunits are the major component of trimeric G proteins. In this study, we characterize three Gα subunits in the human pathogen . While the deletion of and led to reduced colony growth, the growth of the Δ strain was increased in minimal media.

Altered structural brain networks at term-equivalent age in preterm infants with grade 1 intraventricular hemorrhage.

Background: Preterm infants are at risk for structural disruption of brain connectivity due to perinatal complications encountered during the fetal and neonatal periods. This study aimed to investigate the development of connectivity using diffusion tensor imaging at near-term age and the effect of grade 1 intraventricular hemorrhage on it.

Methods: A total of 86 infants (55 preterm infants, 24 full-term infants) without apparent brain injury underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between 36 and 41 weeks post-menstrual age.

Transcriptomic and Functional Studies of the RGS Protein Rax1 in Aspergillus fumigatus.

In the comparative transcriptomic studies of wild type (WT) and rax1 null mutant strains, we obtained an average of 22,222,727 reads of 101 bp per sample and found that 183 genes showed greater than 2.0-fold differential expression, where 92 and 91 genes were up-and down-regulated in rax1 compared to WT, respectively. In accordance with the significantly reduced levels of gliM and casB transcripts in the absence of rax1, the rax1 mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to exogenous gliotoxin (GT) without affecting levels of GT production.

Mathematical modeling and computer simulation of the three-dimensional pattern formation of honeycombs.

We present a mathematical model, a numerical scheme, and computer simulations of the three-dimensional pattern formation of a honeycomb structure by using the immersed boundary method. In our model, we assume that initially the honeycomb cells have a hollow hemisphere mounted by a hollow circular cylinder shape at their birth and there is force acting upon the entire side of the cell. The net force from the individual cells is a key factor in their transformation from a hollow hemisphere mounted by a hollow circular cylinder shape to a rounded rhombohedral surfaces mounted by a hexagonal cylinder shape.

RgsA Attenuates the PKA Signaling, Stress Response, and Virulence in the Human Opportunistic Pathogen .

The regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins play an important role in upstream control of heterotrimeric G-protein signaling pathways. In the genome of the human opportunistic pathogenic fungus , six RGS protein-encoding genes are present. To characterize the gene predicted to encode a protein with an RGS domain, we generated an null mutant and observed the phenotypes of the mutant.

Whole genome analysis of Aspergillus sojae SMF 134 supports its merits as a starter for soybean fermentation.

Aspergillus sojae is a koji (starter) mold that has been applied for food fermentation in Asia. The whole genome of A. sojae SMF 134, which was isolated from meju (Korean soybean fermented brick), was analyzed at the genomic level to evaluate its potential as a starter for soybean fermentation.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Is Associated with Altered Brain Volumes and White Matter Microstructure in Preterm Infants.

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), an inflammatory disease involving disrupted lung development, is associated with neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants.

Objective: This study examined the brain volume and white matter (WM) microstructure in preterm infants at term-equivalent age and explored the effects of BPD on brain development.

Method: We studied 56 preterm infants (33 with BPD and 23 without BPD) with no evidence of focal abnormalities on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-equivalent age.

A Physarum Centrality Measure of the Human Brain Network.

The most important goals of brain network analyses are to (a) detect pivotal regions and connections that contribute to disproportionate communication flow, (b) integrate global information, and (c) increase the brain network efficiency. Most centrality measures assume that information propagates in networks with the shortest connection paths, but this assumption is not true for most real networks given that information in the brain propagates through all possible paths. This study presents a methodological pipeline for identifying influential nodes and edges in human brain networks based on the self-regulating biological concept adopted from the Physarum model, thereby allowing the identification of optimal paths that are independent of the stated assumption.

Clinical and Biomarker Characteristics According to Clinical Spectrum of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in the Validation Cohort of Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of AD.

We aimed to present the study design of an independent validation cohort from the Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (KBASE-V) and to investigate the baseline characteristics of the participants according to the AD clinical spectrum. We recruited 71 cognitively normal (CN) participants, 96 with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 72 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 56 with AD dementia (ADD). The participants are followed for three years.

Strain improvement of for increased l-leucine aminopeptidase and protease production.

Conventional random mutagenesis was implemented to improve l-leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and protease production in . Through successive mutagenesis by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), UV, and 1-methyl-2-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (NTG), EMS25, EU36, and EUN13 mutants from each mutagenesis process were screened using a newly developed quick and easy screening method. The mutant EUN13 exhibited a 9.

RgsD negatively controls development, toxigenesis, stress response, and virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus.

The regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain proteins generally attenuate heterotrimeric G protein signaling, thereby fine-tune the duration and strength of signal transduction. In this study, we characterize the functions of RgsD, one of the six RGS domain proteins present in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The deletion (Δ) of rgsD results in enhanced asexual sporulation coupled with increased mRNA levels of key developmental activators.