Residue Behavior of Methoxyfenozide and Pymetrozine in Chinese Cabbage and Their Health Risk Assessment.

Methoxyfenozide and pymetrozine are used for pest control in the cultivation of Chinese cabbage. This has raised concerns in recent years due to health risks. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the residual concentrations of pesticides in the target crop and associated health risks.

A Mixed-Methods Study of Early Childhood Education and Care in South Korea: Policies and Practices During COVID-19.

This study of South Korea's response to COVID-19 has three purposes. First, it uses document analysis to examine policies, strategies, and resources offered by the South Korean government and public organizations to support young children and families during the first 6 months of the pandemic. Next, it uses open-ended surveys with 30 directors of early childhood institutions to explore institutional-level supports and needs during the pandemic.

Short- and Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter and Pulse Wave Velocity.

Background: In hemodialysis patients, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) levels are affected by particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10). We conducted this study to determine whether there is an association between short- and long-term PM10 exposure and baPWV in apparently healthy adults aged 40 years and older.

Methods: A total of 1,628 subjects who underwent health examinations between 2006 and 2009 were included in the study.

Body weight variability and cancer incidence in men aged 40 years and older-Korean National Insurance Service Cohort.

Repeated weight fluctuation has been proposed as a potential risk factor for increasing morbidity and mortality including cancer. We aimed to investigate the association between body weight variability (BWV) and all cancer and site-specific cancer incidence and the impact of smoking on these associations. A total of 1,759,848 cancer-free male subjects who had their weight measured at least 5 times from the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort from 2002 to 2011 were included and followed up until 2015.

The Association between the Ratio of Energy Intake to Basal Metabolic Rate and Physical Activity to Sarcopenia: Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2008-2011).

Background: Sarcopenia is an important health problem, the risk factors of which a few studies have reported on. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between sarcopenia and the ratio of total energy intake to basal metabolic rate (BMR) as well as physical activity, and determine whether the relationship was different between younger and older age groups using data from the 2008-2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Methods: We analyzed 16,313 subjects older than 19 years who had dual energy X-ray absorptiometry data.

An Oligoimide Particle as a Pickering Emulsion Stabilizer.

A pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA)-based oligoimide (PMDA-ODA) was synthesized by a one-step procedure using water as a solvent. The PMDA-ODA particles showed excellent partial wetting properties and were stably dispersed in both water and oil phases. A stable dispersion was not obtained with comparison PMDA-ODA particles that were synthesized by a conventional two-step method using an organic solvent.

Low-Temperature Self-Healing of a Microcapsule-Type Protective Coating.

Low-temperature self-healing capabilities are essential for self-healing materials exposed to cold environments. Although low-temperature self-healing concepts have been proposed, there has been no report of a microcapsule-type low-temperature self-healing system wherein the healing ability was demonstrated at low temperature. In this work, low-temperature self-healing of a microcapsule-type protective coating was demonstrated.

Microcapsule-Type Self-Healing Protective Coating for Cementitious Composites with Secondary Crack Preventing Ability.

A microcapsule-type self-healing protective coating with secondary crack preventing capability has been developed using a silanol-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (STP)/dibutyltin dilaurate (DD) healing agent. STP undergoes condensation reaction in the presence of DD to give a viscoelastic substance. STP- and DD-containing microcapsules were prepared by in-situ polymerization and interfacial polymerization methods, respectively.

Involvement of DDX6 gene in radio- and chemoresistance in glioblastoma.

CCRT (concomitant chemotherapy and radiation therapy) is often used for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treatment after surgical therapy, however, patients treated with CCRT undergo poor prognosis due to development of treatment resistant recurrence. Many studies have been performed to overcome these problems and to discover genes influencing treatment resistance. To discover potential genes inducing CCRT resistance in GBM, we used whole genome screening by infecting shRNA pool in patient-derived cell.

Tunable and Diastereoselective Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Synthesis of β-Enaminones.

The Brønsted acid catalyzed Meyer-Schuster reaction of hemiaminals was studied for the stereoselective synthesis of β-enaminones. Hemiaminals were formed from propargyl aldehydes (or the oxidation of propargyl alcohols) and amines in the presence of Brønsted acids. A critical step to control the stereochemistry of the products is the protonation of the corresponding allenol intermediate, which is dictated by the Brønsted acid used, the steric effect of the amine, and the electronic effect of the propargyl aldehyde.

Experimental and clinical factors influencing long-term stable in vitro expansion of multipotent neural cells from human adult temporal lobes.

Autologous adult human neural stem cells may be used for regenerative cell therapies bypass potential ethical problems. However, stable in vitro expansion protocols and experimental/clinical factors influencing primary cultures need to be further elucidated for clinically applicable techniques. To address these issues, we obtained biopsy specimens from 23 temporal lobe epilepsy patients and adult human multipotent neural cells (ahMNCs) were primarily cultured in a defined attachment culture condition.

Therapeutic effects of human adipose stem cell-conditioned medium on stroke.

Stem cell therapy is a promising approach for stroke. However, low survival rates and potential tumorigenicity of implanted cells could undermine the efficacy of the cell-based treatment. The use of stem cell-conditioned medium (CM) may be a feasible approach to overcome these limitations.

Trans-differentiation of neural stem cells: a therapeutic mechanism against the radiation induced brain damage.

Radiation therapy is an indispensable therapeutic modality for various brain diseases. Though endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) would provide regenerative potential, many patients nevertheless suffer from radiation-induced brain damage. Accordingly, we tested beneficial effects of exogenous NSC supplementation using in vivo mouse models that received whole brain irradiation.

Replacement of microglial cells using Clodronate liposome and bone marrow transplantation in the central nervous system of SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice as an in vivo model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Disease progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is partially mediated by the toxic microenvironment established by microglia. In the present study, we used SOD1G93A transgenic mice as an in vivo ALS model and replaced microglia expressing mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) with microglia expressing wild-type SOD1 (w/tSOD1) to modulate the toxic microenvironment. Stereotactic injection of Clodronate liposome, a selective toxin against the monocyte/macrophage system, into the fourth ventricle of the brains of 12-week-old asymptomatic ALS mice reduced the number of microglia effectively in the central nervous system.

Immunohistochemical study on the expression of calcium binding proteins (calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin) in the cerebral cortex and in the hippocampal region of nNOS knock-out(-/-) mice.

Nitric oxide (NO) modulates the activities of various channels and receptors to participate in the regulation of neuronal intracellular Ca(2+) levels. Ca(2+) binding protein (CaBP) expression may also be altered by NO. Accordingly, we examined expression changes in calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal region of neuronal NO synthase knockout(-/-) (nNOS(-/-)) mice using immunohistochemistry.

Immunohistochemical study on the expression of calcium binding proteins (calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin) in the cerebellum of the nNOS knock-out(-/-) mice.

Nitric Oxide (NO) actively participates in the regulation of neuronal intracellular Ca(2+) levels by modulating the activity of various channels and receptors. To test the possibility that modulation of Ca(2+) buffer protein expression level by NO participates in this regulatory effect, we examined expression of calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the cerebellum of neuronal NO synthase knock-out (nNOS((-/-))) mice using immunohistochemistry. We observed that in the cerebellar cortex of the nNOS((-/-)) mice, expression of calbindin-D28k and parvalbumin were significantly increased while expression of calretinin was significantly decreased.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β does not correlate with the expression and activity of β-catenin in gastric cancer.

The regulation of β-catenin activation by glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in cancer has been shown to be cell type-specific. This study was performed to investigate the relationship between activated GSK-3β (phosphorylated at Tyr216) and β-catenin in gastric cancer. Immunohistochemical tissue array analysis of 278 human gastric carcinoma specimens showed positive immunoreactivity for activated GSK-3β in 44% of the samples, whereas membranous β-catenin and nuclear β-catenin were observed in 19% and 20% of the samples, respectively.

Constitutive activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta correlates with better prognosis and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors in human gastric cancer.

Background: Aberrant regulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) has been implicated in several human cancers; however, it has not been reported in the gastric cancer tissues to date. The present study was performed to determine the expression status of active form of GSK-3beta phosphorylated at Tyr216 (pGSK-3beta) and its relationship with other tumor-associated proteins in human gastric cancers.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue array slides containing 281 human gastric carcinoma specimens.

Region-specific changes in the immunoreactivity of vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptors (VPAC2, and PAC1 receptor) in the aged rat brains.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) have been implicated in a large array of physiological and patho-physiological processes through their receptors (VPAC(1), VPAC(2), and PAC(1) receptor) in the central nervous system. Previously, we demonstrated age-related decreases in VPAC(1) receptor expression in the rat brain providing a possible basis of several age-induced functional changes in the aged brain. In the current study, we also examined age-related changes in PAC(1) and VPAC(2) receptors in aged rat brains using an immunohistochemical approach.

Immunohistochemical analysis of cell cycle-related molecules in gastric carcinoma: prognostic significance, correlation with clinicopathological parameters, proliferation and apoptosis.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the biological significance of cell cycle regulators in gastric carcinoma.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining were performed on tissue array slides containing 293 gastric carcinoma specimens. The relationship between the protein expression of each of the cell cycle regulators and prognosis, clinicopathological features, proliferation, or apoptosis was evaluated.

Constitutive phosphorylation of the FOXO1A transcription factor as a prognostic variable in gastric cancer.

Increased phosphorylation of FOXO1A, a FOXO transcription factor, has been implicated in several human cancers; however, it has not been studied in the gastric cancer to date. To determine the status of pFOXO1A expression in human gastric cancers and to determine its relationship with other tumor-associated proteins, we performed immunohistochemical staining on tissue array slides containing 272 human gastric carcinoma specimens. In non-neoplastic gastric mucosa, the expression of pFOXO1A was observed primarily in cells in the proliferative zone and in areas of intestinal metaplasia.