Correlation between fat signal fraction of vertebral body and intervertebral disc degeneration in dogs using magnetic resonance imaging.

Importance: In human medicine, research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown that an increase in the vertebral body fat signal fraction (FSF) is associated with the severity of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Nevertheless, veterinary medicine has limited information on the relationship between the vertebral body FSF and IVD degeneration.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between IVD degeneration and the vertebral body FSF in dogs and compared these factors between chondrodystrophic (CD) and non-chondrodystrophic (NCD) dogs.

The role of autophagy in RIP1 mediated cell death and intestinal inflammation.

Autophagy, a highly conserved catabolic process that targets various types of cellular cargoes to lysosomal degradation, is one of the most important biological mechanisms critical for cellular homeostasis. Components of these cellular cargoes can range from individual proteins to invading pathogens, and degrading these materials is important for maintaining organismal health and survival. The process of autophagy is carried out by complex molecular mechanisms, and a growing body of evidence indicates that these mechanisms intersect with those involved in the cell death pathways.

Electrospinning and Partial Etching Behaviors of Core-Shell Nanofibers Directly Electrospun on Mesh Substrates for Application in a Cover-Free Compact Air Filter.

The exposure of workers to propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA) in manufacturing environments can result in potential health risks. Therefore, systems for PGMEA removal are required for indoor air quality control. In this study, core-shell zeolite socony mobil-5 (ZSM-5)/polyvinylpyrrolidone-polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers were directly electrospun and partially wet-etched on a mesh substrate to develop a cover-free compact PGMEA air filter.

Weight Management Health Note, a Mobile Health Platform for Obesity Management Developed by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity.

The Weight Management Health Note application, developed by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity (KSSO), was designed to assist individuals in weight management and enhance overall well-being. The Committee of IT-Convergence Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome of the KSSO designed this application. Committee members reviewed and supervised the application's underlying driving algorithms and scientific rationale.

XIAP deletion sensitizes mice to TNF-induced and RIP1-mediated death.

XIAP is a caspase-inhibitory protein that blocks several cell death pathways, and mediates proper activation of inflammatory NOD2-RIP2 signaling. XIAP deficiency in patients with inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, or those needing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, is associated with a worse prognosis. In this study, we show that XIAP absence sensitizes cells and mice to LPS- and TNF-mediated cell death without affecting LPS- or TNF-induced NF-κB and MAPK signaling.

Distinctive origin and evolution of endemic thistle of Korean volcanic island: Structural organization and phylogenetic relationships with complete chloroplast genome.

Unlike other Cirsium in Korea, Cirsium nipponicum (Island thistle) is distributed only on Ulleung Island, a volcanic island off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, and a unique thistle with none or very small thorns. Although many researchers have questioned the origin and evolution of C. nipponicum, there is not much genomic information to estimate it.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Plazaster borealis sheds light on the morphogenesis of multiarmed starfish and its regenerative capacity.

Background: Plazaster borealis has a unique morphology, displaying multiple arms with a clear distinction between disk and arms, rather than displaying pentaradial symmetry, a remarkable characteristic of echinoderms. Herein we report the first chromosome-level reference genome of P. borealis and an essential tool to further investigate the basis of the divergent morphology.

LMBD1 protein participates in cell mitosis by regulating microtubule assembly.

LMBD1 was previously demonstrated to regulate the endocytosis of insulin receptor on the cell surface and to mediate the export of cobalamin from the lysosomes to the cytosol, but little is known about its function in mitosis. In this study, interactome analysis data indicate that LMBD1 is involved in cytoskeleton regulation. Both immunoprecipitation and GST pulldown assays demonstrated the association of LMBD1 with tubulin.

Microbiota control of maternal behavior regulates early postnatal growth of offspring.

Maternal behavior is necessary for optimal development and growth of offspring. The intestinal microbiota has emerged as a critical regulator of growth and development in the early postnatal period life. Here, we describe the identification of an intestinal strain that is pathogenic to the maternal-offspring system during the early postnatal stage of life and results in growth stunting of the offspring.

Highly sensitive chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay for the quantification of carcinoembryonic antigen in the presence of an enhancer and a stabilizer.

Using the advantages of phenol red, a signal enhancer, and bovine serum albumin (BSA), a stabilizer of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), added in HRP enzyme reaction of Amplex Red and HO, highly sensitive 1,1'-oxalyldiimidazole chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (ODI-CLEIA) was developed to rapidly quantify trace levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in human serum. Phenol red acts as an enhancer in ODI-CLEIA while BSA supported rapid and stable activation of HRP. The CL emission of resorufin formed from the HRP enzyme reaction in the presence of BSA and phenol red was about 70-fold brighter than that in the absence of both materials.

Chemiluminescent dual-enzyme immunoassays capable of simultaneously quantifying carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carcinoma embryonic antigen in a sample.

Using the internal chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (Inter-CRET) of luminescent dye and the high-energy intermediate formed in 1,1'-oxalyldiimidazole chemiluminescence (ODI-CL) reaction, we developed for the first time dual-enzyme immunoassays operated with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the simultaneous quantifications of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) in a sample. Fluorescein formed from the ALP enzyme immunoassay emits green light in ODI-CL reaction, while resorufin formed from the HRP enzyme immunoassay emits red light. Green and red CL lights emitted in a detection cell were measured individually with two photomultiplier tubes with an optical filter capable of sensing green or red emission without interferences.

Quantitative display of the redox status of proteins with maleimide-polyethylene glycol tagging.

Cysteine oxidation, either biologically reversible or irreversible, is the main posttranslational modification associated with redox signaling and oxidative stress. Maleimide-polyethylene glycol (m-PEG) has been used to detect reversibly oxidized proteins by reacting to the reduced cysteine residues leading to mobility shift in immunoblots; a method called PEG-switch. With PEG-switch, both reduced and oxidized proteins can be observed on the same immunoblot simultaneously, providing a simple quantitative measurement for protein thiol modifications.

Short-Term Efficacy of Pulsed Radiofrequency Thermal Stimulation on Acupoints for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Study of a Randomized, Single-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the pain-relief efficacy of thermal stimulation induced by a pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) thermal stimulation applied to acupoints (APs) in patients with low back pain (LBP). The study was designed as a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial Fifty-six LBP patients whose minimum pain intensity score on a visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-100 mm) was more than 30 mm were randomly allocated to either the placebo-controlled or the treatment group at a 1:1 ratio. The treatment and placebo-controlled groups received PRF thermal stimulation plus cupping therapy and cupping therapy only, respectively.

Cooperative Metabolic Adaptations in the Host Can Favor Asymptomatic Infection and Select for Attenuated Virulence in an Enteric Pathogen.

Pathogen virulence exists on a continuum. The strategies that drive symptomatic or asymptomatic infections remain largely unknown. We took advantage of the concept of lethal dose 50 (LD50) to ask which component of individual non-genetic variation between hosts defines whether they survive or succumb to infection.

Next generation sequencing identifies abnormal Y chromosome and candidate causal variants in premature ovarian failure patients.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is characterized by heterogeneous genetic causes such as chromosomal abnormalities and variants in causal genes. Recently, development of techniques made next generation sequencing (NGS) possible to detect genome wide variants including chromosomal abnormalities. Among 37 Korean POF patients, XY karyotype with distal part deletions of Y chromosome, Yp11.

Mass spectrometric imaging of metabolites in kidney tissues from rats treated with furosemide.

In the kidney, metabolic processes are different among the cortex (COR), outer medulla (OM), and inner medulla (IM). Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and imaging mass spectrometry (IMS), we examined the change of metabolites in the COR, OM, and IM of the rat kidney after furosemide treatment compared with vehicle-treated controls. Osmotic minipumps were implanted in male Sprague-Dawley rats to deliver 12 mg·day(-1)·rat(-1) of furosemide.

Disease tolerance mediated by microbiome E. coli involves inflammasome and IGF-1 signaling.

Infections and inflammation can lead to cachexia and wasting of skeletal muscle and fat tissue by as yet poorly understood mechanisms. We observed that gut colonization of mice by a strain of Escherichia coli prevents wasting triggered by infections or physical damage to the intestine. During intestinal infection with the pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium or pneumonic infection with Burkholderia thailandensis, the presence of this E.

Vasopressin-regulated miRNAs and AQP2-targeting miRNAs in kidney collecting duct cells.

Mature microRNA (miRNA) acts as an important posttranscriptional regulator. We aimed to profile vasopressin-responsive miRNAs in kidney inner medullary collecting duct cells and to identify aquaporin-2 (AQP2)-targeting miRNAs. Microarray chip assay was carried out in inner medullary collecting duct tubule suspensions from rat kidneys in the absence or presence of desmopressin (dDAVP) stimulation (10(-9) M, 2 h).

Uncovering protein polyamination by the spermine-specific antiserum and mass spectrometric analysis.

The polyamines spermidine and spermine, and their precursor putrescine, have been shown to play an important role in cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Because of their polycationic property, polyamines are traditionally thought to be involved in DNA replication, gene expression, and protein translation. However, polyamines can also be covalently conjugated to proteins by transglutaminase 2 (TG2).

Paenibacillus swuensis sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from soil.

Strain DY6(T), a Gram-positive endospore-forming motile rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from soil in South Korea and characterized to determine its taxonomic position. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain DY6(T) revealed that strain DY6(T) belongs to the genus Paenibacillus in the family Paenibacillaceae in the class Bacilli. The highest degree of sequence similarities of strain DY6(T) were found with Paenibacillus gansuensis B518(T) (97.

Patterns of gene and metabolite define the effects of extracellular osmolality on kidney collecting duct.

To investigate the effects of changes in extracellular osmolality on the function of kidney collecting duct cells, particularly on water and sodium reabsorption in the conditions of diuresis and antidiuresis, we generated transcriptome and metabolome profiles of primary cultured inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells. They were grown in hyperosmolar culture medium (640 mOsm) for 4 days and then exposed to either reduced (300 mOsm) or same osmolality for 1 or 2 days more. Integrated analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome revealed that decreased extracellular osmolality was associated with decreased levels of organic osmolytes, glucose, intermediates of citric acid cycle, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in IMCD cells, along with significantly decreased gene expression and protein abundance of P-type transporters (ATP1B1), ABC transporters (ABCC5 and ABCG1), and insulin signaling pathways (IRS2).

Reduction of inflammatory responses and enhancement of extracellular matrix formation by vanillin-incorporated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds.

Vanillin is one of the major components of vanilla, a commonly used flavoring agent and preservative and is known to exert potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this work, vanillin-incorporated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) films and scaffolds were fabricated to evaluate the effects of vanillin on the inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation in vitro and in vivo. The incorporation of vanillin to PLGA films induced hydrophilic nature, resulting in the higher cell attachment and proliferation than the pure PLGA film.