Outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 B.1.620 Lineage in the General Hospital of Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

The number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-positive cases has increased in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Identification and monitoring of new mutations in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) are extremely important to fighting the global pandemic. We report a breakout of the B.

Prokinetic effects of diatrizoate meglumine (Gastrografin®) in a zebrafish for opioid-induced constipation model.

Constipation is a common disease that reduces life quality. Drugs of various mechanisms are being developed to resolve this affliction. Intestinal motility can be easily monitored in zebrafish, and so we selected this organism to develop a constipation model to measure drug-induced prokinetic effects.

Monitoring and Control of , a Vector of Zika Virus, Near Residences of Imported Zika Virus Patients during 2016 in South Korea.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus mainly transmitted by species. A total of nine of the 16 imported ZIKV reported cases during the mosquito season in the Republic of Korea (ROK), following the return of local nationals from foreign ZIKV endemic countries, were surveyed for . Surveillance and vector control of , a potential vector of ZIKV, and related species are critical for reducing the potential for autochthonous transmission in the ROK.

Superb feeding behavior of Aedes albopictus transmitting Zika virus.

Disease-mediated mosquitoes have been receiving much attention, as the World Health Organization recently declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency. Mosquitoes transmit pathogens that cause various tropical diseases including malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever as well as Zika virus. The vector efficiency of mosquitoes depends on their blood-feeding characteristics and the mechanics of their blood-sucking pump system, but only a few studies have attempted to investigate these key issues.

Increased expression of resistin in ectopic endometrial tissue of women with endometriosis.

Problem: Inflammation is a key process in the establishment and progression of endometriosis. Resistin, an adipocytokine, has biological properties linked to immunologic functions, but its role in endometriosis is unclear.

Method Of Study: Resistin gene expression was examined in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues from women with (n=25) or without (n=25) endometriosis.

Comparison of the tracheal systems of Anopheles sinensis and Aedes togoi larvae using synchrotron X-ray microscopic computed tomography (respiratory system of mosquito larvae using SR-μCT).

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus, are serious global health issues. Vector control may be an important strategy in reducing the mortality caused by these diseases. The respiratory system of mosquito larvae in the water has to inhale atmospheric oxygen as aquatic organisms.

Three-dimensional structures of the tracheal systems of Anopheles sinensis and Aedes togoi pupae.

Mosquitoes act as a vector for the transmission of disease. The World Health Organization has recommended strict control of mosquito larvae because of their "few, fixed, and findable" features. The respiratory system of mosquito larvae and pupae in the water has a weak point.

SPECT/CT analysis of splenic function in genistein-treated malaria-infected mice.

Spleen traps malaria-infected red blood cells, thereby leading to splenomegaly. Splenomegaly induces impairment in splenic function, i.e.

High-Throughput and Label-Free Blood-on-a-Chip for Malaria Diagnosis.

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) changes the structure and mechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs). These changes decrease deformability and increase cytoadherence of Pf-infected RBCs to the vascular endothelium, eventually leading to flow occlusions in capillary vessels. In this study, to detect Pf-infected RBCs effectively, deformability and viscosity of blood sample are measured simultaneously and indirectly by quantifying blood flow in a microfluidic device.

Peculiar liquid-feeding and pathogen transmission behavior of Aedes togoi and comparison with Anopheles sinensis.

Female mosquitoes transmit various diseases as vectors during liquid-feeding. Identifying the determinants of vector efficiency is a major scientific challenge in establishing strategies against these diseases. Infection rate and transmission efficiency are interconnected with the mosquito-induced liquid-feeding flow as main indexes of vector efficiency.

Deformability measurement of red blood cells using a microfluidic channel array and an air cavity in a driving syringe with high throughput and precise detection of subpopulations.

Red blood cell (RBC) deformability has been considered a potential biomarker for monitoring pathological disorders. High throughput and detection of subpopulations in RBCs are essential in the measurement of RBC deformability. In this paper, we propose a new method to measure RBC deformability by evaluating temporal variations in the average velocity of blood flow and image intensity of successively clogged RBCs in the microfluidic channel array for specific time durations.

Holographic analysis on deformation and restoration of malaria-infected red blood cells by antimalarial drug.

Malaria parasites induce morphological, biochemical, and mechanical changes in red blood cells (RBCs). Mechanical variations are closely related to the deformability of individual RBCs. The deformation of various RBCs, including healthy and malaria-infected RBCs (iRBCs), can be directly observed through quantitative phase imaging (QPI).

Comparison of the functional features of the pump organs of Anopheles sinensis and Aedes togoi.

Mosquitoes act as vectors for severe tropical diseases. Mosquito-borne diseases are affected by various factors such as environmental conditions, host body susceptibility, and mosquito feeding behavior. Among these factors, feeding behavior is affected by the feeding pump system located inside the mosquito head and also depends on the species of mosquito.

Effect of Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor R115777 on Mitochondria of Plasmodium falciparum.

The parasite Plasmodium falciparum causes severe malaria and is the most dangerous to humans. However, it exhibits resistance to their drugs. Farnesyltransferase has been identified in pathogenic protozoa of the genera Plasmodium and the target of farnesyltransferase includes Ras family.

Chemerin Expression in the Peritoneal Fluid, Serum, and Ovarian Endometrioma of Women with Endometriosis.

Problem: Inflammation is an essential process in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Method Of Study: Serum and peritoneal fluid (PF) samples were collected from women with endometriosis (n = 31) and women without endometriosis (n = 48). Chemerin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in serum and PF samples were determined with a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

In vivo study on splenomegaly inhibition by genistein in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice.

Spleen plays an important role in removing old and damaged red blood cells and malaria-infected erythrocytes. When malaria parasites invade the spleen and induce splenomegaly, splenic function tends to be impaired. Thus, the inhibition of splenomegaly is strongly required to protect the spleen.

Dexmedetomidine preconditioning attenuates Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in zebrafish.

Objectives: Utilisation of high-frequency drills is known to increase noise induced hearing loss due to increasing the damages of inner ear cells. This study aimed to investigate whether preconditioning by using dexmedetomidine (DEX) decreased the occurrence of ischemia in inner cells of the ear.

Methods: We utilised a transgenic zebrafish line Brn3C, and the embryos were collected from breeding adult zebrafish.

Microfluidic-based measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate for biophysical assessment of blood in an in vivo malaria-infected mouse.

This study suggests a new erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) measurement method for the biophysical assessment of blood by using a microfluidic device. For an effective ESR measurement, a disposable syringe filled with blood is turned upside down and aligned at 180° with respect to gravitational direction. When the blood sample is delivered into the microfluidic device from the top position of the syringe, the hematocrit of blood flowing in the microfluidic channel decreases because the red blood cell-depleted region is increased from the top region of the syringe.

Biophysiochemical properties of endothelial cells cultured on bio-inspired collagen films.

Background: In this study, we investigated the effect of the extracellular matrix on endothelial dysfunction by careful observation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured on denatured collagen film.

Results: HUVECs on denatured collagen film showed relatively high surface roughness compared with normal HUVECs. The expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-2 and CD146 increased in the ECs on denatured collagen film.

Detection of heparin in the salivary gland and midgut of Aedes togoi.

Mosquitoes secrete saliva that contains biological substances, including anticoagulants that counteract a host's hemostatic response and prevent blood clotting during blood feeding. This study aimed to detect heparin, an anticoagulant in Aedes togoi using an immunohistochemical detection method, in the salivary canal, salivary gland, and midgut of male and female mosquitoes. Comparisons showed that female mosquitoes contained higher concentrations of heparin than male mosquitoes.

Effect of laminin 332 on motility and invasion in bladder cancer.

We examined the correlation between laminin 332 and malignancy in bladder cancer patients, and, using a strain of invasive bladder cancer cells, determined whether laminin 332 causes bladder cancer motility and invasion. To investigate the correlation between laminin 332 g2 distribution and patient outcome, we performed a semiquantitative immunohistochemical analysis of 35 paraffin-embedded samples using the antibody D4B5, which is specific for the laminin 5 γ2 chain. To evaluate the role of laminin 332 in NBT-II cell motility and invasion, we used a scratch assay and the Boyden chamber chemoinvasion system.

Do microRNA 96, 145 and 221 expressions really aid in the prognosis of prostate carcinoma?

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small noncoding RNAs that have been reported to be promising diagnostic tools. We used quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) to analyze differentially expressed miRNAs in prostate tumor samples to determine its prognostic value. From 2007 to 2009, tumor tissues were obtained from 73 radical prostatectomy specimens.

Identification of potential target genes of cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury by express sequence tags analysis in rat hearts.

Background: Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a powerful mechanism for limiting myocardial infarction during or after ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. However, effective target genes and proteins for IPC are unknown. We characterized global changes in gene expression in the heart during IR, and identified effective target genes for IPC.

Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 promotes migration and invasion by upregulating matrix metalloproteinases-7 in human colorectal cancer cells.

Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL)-3, a member of a subgroup of protein tyrosine phosphatases that can stimulate the degradation of the extracellular matrix, is over-expressed in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) relative to primary tumors. To determine whether PRL-3-induced enhancement of migration and invasion is dependent on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), PRL-3 was expressed in DLD-1 human CRC cells. The motility, migration and invasion characteristics of the cells were examined, and metastasis to the lung was confirmed in a nude mouse using PRL-3-overexpressing DLD-1 cells [DLD-1 (PRL-3)].