Publications by authors named "Yoon-Young Choi"
The differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) is a promising approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and regenerative medicine. Dual-SMAD inhibition using small molecules has been identified as a key strategy for directing the differentiation of hiPSCs into NPCs by regulating specific cell signaling pathways. However, conventional culture methods are time-consuming and exhibit low differentiation efficiency in neural differentiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuroprosthetics equipped with artificial synapses hold promise to address some most intricate medical problems, such as human sensory disorders. Yet, it is necessitated and of paramount importance for neuroprosthetics to be able to differentiate significant and insignificant signals. Here, we present an information-filterable artificial retina system that integrates artificial synapses with a signal-integration device for signal perception and processing with attention.
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- Gastric cancer is a major global health issue, and the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade therapies in treating metastatic gastric cancer is limited, underscoring the need for better predictive biomarkers for treatment outcomes.
- In a multi-omics study analyzing tumor samples from patients treated with nivolumab, researchers found that ICB-sensitive tumors had strong interferon responses, while resistant tumors showed signs of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
- The study identified DCN as an important marker related to cancer-associated fibroblasts, linking high DCN expression with ICB resistance and poor patient prognosis, highlighting the importance of the tumor microenvironment in cancer therapy outcomes.*
Article Synopsis
- Commercial wearable biosignal sensors often cause skin irritation and discomfort, deterring users from adopting these devices.
- A new fabric-based MXene electrode has been developed, which is lightweight, flexible, and designed to maintain stable contact with the skin to enhance biosignal detection.
- This innovative electrode design allows for real-time wireless monitoring and excellent gesture recognition, competing well with existing commercial bioelectrodes in terms of performance and reliability.
Short- and medium-term exposure to ambient air pollution and periodontal status.
Int J Environ Health Res
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- A study analyzed data from over 17,000 adults in South Korea to explore how exposure to air pollutants affects periodontal health during 2012-2015.
- Researchers categorized participants' periodontal health using community periodontal index (CPI) scores and applied logistic regression to assess the relationship between pollutant levels and oral health at different time frames.
- Findings indicated that PM and SO exposures are linked to poorer periodontal health, especially in the short to medium term, while NO exposure showed an opposite relationship, indicating better periodontal health.
Article Synopsis
- Advanced robots can mimic human movement, but they can't learn or adapt like humans do.
- The new approach uses special synaptic devices to create a simpler control system that mimics human learning without needing complex tech.
- By tweaking these devices and combining them with actuators, researchers achieved a feedback loop that replicates human workout responses, leading to more effective biomimicry.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzes the risks of subsequent primary cancers (SPCs) in cancer survivors, using data from South Korea's health database from 2009 to 2019, focusing on different types of first primary cancers (FPC) considering age and sex.
- Results showed that out of over 266,000 cancer survivors, there was a 26% lower overall risk of developing SPCs, with variations in risk among different types of FPCs and between men and women.
- Younger cancer survivors had a higher risk of SPCs compared to older survivors, with specific cancer types like lung and breast cancers being the most common subsequent cancers observed.
Article Synopsis
- Thermal radiation control is gaining attention for its potential to cool and heat spaces without using energy, but its use for energy harvesting is still under-explored.
- The study presents a new system that combines daytime radiative cooling and solar heating to power thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle (TREC) devices, converting low-grade heat into electricity.
- By utilizing a 35 °C temperature difference achieved through passive effects, the system produces a cell voltage of 50 mV and a capacity over 20 mAh per gram of PB, highlighting its promise for sustainable energy generation.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to understand how a smartphone-based exercise program impacts oral function in older adults aged 65 and above.
- Participants were divided into three groups: non-app users, app users, and a control group, and underwent a 5-week oral and whole-body exercise regimen.
- Results showed that app users had a significant increase in anterior tongue strength and saliva flow rate, while no major changes were observed in other oral functions or perceived oral health across all groups.
Article Synopsis
- Surgery combined with chemotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer (GC) and gastroesophageal junction cancer (GEJC), but outcomes are often poor, especially in specific genetic subtypes like dMMR/MSI-high.* -
- Analysis from several clinical trials shows that patients with MSI-high tumors generally have better survival rates than those with MSS/MSI-low tumors, and that female patients with MSS/MSI-low tumors tend to live longer than their male counterparts.* -
- The study emphasizes that sex can influence the effectiveness of treatments for both MSI-high and MSS/MSI-low non-metastatic GC/GEJC, with surprisingly higher chemotherapy risks noted in females with MSI-high cancers.*
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated how subjective masticatory function (eating and chewing abilities) affects the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
- It analyzed responses from nearly 3,000 participants aged 60 and above, categorizing their masticatory function as good, moderate, or poor, and followed them until 2020 to assess any changes in cognitive function.
- Results showed that poor masticatory function increased the risk of MCI in men, while there was no significant effect observed in women, suggesting that chewing ability could be an important factor in cognitive health for older men.
Article Synopsis
- Neural differentiation is key for understanding the nervous system and treating neurological disorders, but traditional methods can be slow and imprecise.
- A new microfluidic chip using aligned microelectrodes was developed to improve the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into functional neurons.
- By applying electrical stimulation along with neurotrophic factors, researchers found a significant boost in neuron generation and synaptic interactions from iPSCs.
Article Synopsis
- A new perspective reveals a communication system called the microbiome-gut-brain axis, linking the gut, microbiome, and central nervous system, impacting brain health and diseases.
- Microbial metabolites or exosomes can cross barriers to influence the CNS, but the specific mechanisms remain unclear.
- This research used a gut-brain axis chip with neurons from human stem cells, showing that microbial substances significantly affect neural growth and could offer new strategies for treating neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
Article Synopsis
- Photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion presents a novel way to transform methane into valuable chemicals under mild conditions, but challenges exist due to the tendency of methane to overoxidize.
- The study focuses on WO nanotube photoelectrocatalysts engineered through controlled oxygen vacancies to increase selectivity and production rates while minimizing overoxidation.
- Findings indicate that these oxygen vacancies play a key role in suppressing unwanted reactions, enhancing the efficiency of converting methane directly into liquid products.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of fused SPECT and CT images in assessing degenerative changes in the mandibular condylar head using Tc-MDP uptake ratios.
- It involved 17 patients with suspected osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), categorized into four groups based on clinical and radiographic findings.
- Results showed that Tc-MDP uptake levels significantly differed among groups, indicating that fused SPECT/CT imaging can effectively distinguish between normal TMJs and those with various degenerative conditions.
Article Synopsis
- Network analysis using FDG PET and rs-fMRI is increasingly utilized to identify circuit abnormalities linked to neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease (PD).
- These brain networks can enhance clinical diagnosis, aid in therapeutic trials, and measure disease progression and treatment responses.
- Recent studies suggest treatments can induce new functional brain networks in PD, with changes in these networks correlating with clinical outcomes, indicating their potential as biomarkers in future clinical trials.
Article Synopsis
- Metastatic gastric cancer (GC) progression leads to death, but its genomic and evolutionary traits have been underexplored.
- A study analyzed the whole-exome sequencing of 99 primary and metastatic gastric cancers from 15 patients, revealing differences in chromosomal instability and mutations based on the type of metastasis.
- The findings suggest that distinct genomic features of metastatic GC are linked to patient survival and highlight the need for genomic assessment of both primary and metastatic tumors.
Article Synopsis
- The study identifies specific gene signature-based subtypes of gastric cancer (GC) that are linked to treatment resistance and poor outcomes, analyzing data from 547 cases.
- Researchers explored the relationship between these cancer subtypes and the tumor microenvironment using advanced techniques, revealing that some GC cells are in a partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition state.
- By targeting TGF-β signaling, which they found to drive mesenchymal traits in cancer cells, the study suggests new therapeutic strategies that could reduce resistance to treatment in gastric cancer.
Article Synopsis
- - A new gut-liver-axis chip was developed to better study metabolism by simulating the interaction between gut and liver cells, which is hard to replicate using traditional cell culture methods.
- - The chip features separate chambers for gut epithelial cells and liver spheroids, with a porous membrane to keep out microorganisms, allowing controlled studies of liver cell functions.
- - Experiments showed that liver spheroids enhanced their albumin and urea secretion after being exposed to microbiota-derived metabolites and exosomes, indicating this chip could effectively explore microbiota-host cell interactions.
Article Synopsis
- Scientists are working on making robots move better by improving how they are controlled, using new technology called a synaptic array.
- This system uses special transistors and can control multiple movements at once, which makes everything simpler.
- By connecting this new control system to a robotic hand, they were able to make the fingers move together in a coordinated way, which shows great potential for future robots.
Article Synopsis
- * The paper introduces an artificial nervous system that uses multiplexed complementary signals for effective self-regulation.
- * A practical application of this system is demonstrated through a feedback-based blood glucose control mechanism that regulates glucose and insulin levels using sensors and specialized circuits.