Small Peptide Derived from SFRP5 Suppresses Melanogenesis by Inhibiting Wnt Activity.

Melanocytes, located in the epidermis' basal layer, are responsible for melanin pigment production, crucial for skin coloration and protection against UV radiation-induced damage. Melanin synthesis is intricately regulated by various factors, including the Wnt signaling pathway, particularly mediated by the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). While MITF is recognized as a key regulator of pigmentation, its regulation by the Wnt pathway remains poorly understood. This study investigates the role of Sfrp5pepD, a peptide antagonist of the Wnt signaling pathway, in modulating melanogenesis and its potential therapeutic implications for pigmentary disorders. To tackle this issue, we investigated smaller peptides frequently utilized in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, there is a significant scarcity of reports on peptides associated with melanin-related signal modulation or inhibiting melanin production. Results indicate that Sfrp5pepD effectively inhibits Wnt signaling by disrupting the interaction between Axin-1 and ß-catenin, thus impeding downstream melanogenic processes. Additionally, Sfrp5pepD suppresses the interaction between MITF and ß-catenin, inhibiting their nuclear translocation and downregulating melanogenic enzyme expression, ultimately reducing melanin production. These inhibitory effects are validated in cell culture models suggesting potential clinical applications for hyperpigmentation disorders. Overall, this study elucidates the intricate interplay between Wnt signaling and melanogenesis, highlighting Sfrp5pepD as a promising therapeutic agent for pigmentary disorders. Sfrp5pepD, with a molecular weight of less than 500 Da, is anticipated to penetrate the skin unlike SFRPs. This suggests a strong potential for their use as cosmetics or transdermal absorption agents. Additional investigation into its mechanisms and clinical significance is necessary to enhance its effectiveness in addressing melanin-related skin conditions.

Histone variant HTB4 delays leaf senescence by epigenetic control of Ib bHLH transcription factor-mediated iron homeostasis.

Leaf senescence is an orderly process regulated by multiple internal factors and diverse environmental stresses including nutrient deficiency. Histone variants are involved in regulating plant growth and development. However, their functions and underlying regulatory mechanisms in leaf senescence remain largely unclear. Here, we found that H2B histone variant HTB4 functions as a negative regulator of leaf senescence. Loss of function of HTB4 led to early leaf senescence phenotypes that were rescued by functional complementation. RNA-seq analysis revealed that several Ib subgroup basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) involved in iron (Fe) homeostasis, including bHLH038, bHLH039, bHLH100, and bHLH101, were suppressed in the htb4 mutant, thereby compromising the expressions of FERRIC REDUCTION OXIDASE 2 (FRO2) and IRON-REGULATED TRANSPORTER (IRT1), two important components of the Fe uptake machinery. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that HTB4 could bind to the promoter regions of Ib bHLH TFs and enhance their expression by promoting the enrichment of the active mark H3K4me3 near their transcriptional start sites. Moreover, overexpression of Ib bHLH TFs or IRT1 suppressed the premature senescence phenotype of the htb4 mutant. Our work established a signaling pathway, HTB4-bHLH TFs-FRO2/IRT1-Fe homeostasis, which regulates the onset and progression of leaf senescence.

Identification and Fungicide Control of Bipolaris sorokiniana Causing Leaf Spot and Blight on Common Hop (Humulus lupulus) in Korea.

Hop (Humulus lupulus) is a perennial herbaceous vine belonging to the family Cannabaceae. This crop is commercially grown for the brewing industry for its bitter and aromatic flavor, as well as its antiseptic properties. In June 2021, leaf spot and blight was observed on common hop plants in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. The typical symptoms were small to large, dark-brown, necrotic lesions with yellow halos on the leaves. This study aimed to clarify the causal agent of this disease. Two fungal species, Alternaria alternata and Bipolaris sorokiniana, were isolated from the diseased leaf samples and identified by combining morphological observations and phylogenetic analysis using sequence datasets of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), Alt a1, rpb2, endoPG, and OPA10-2; and ITS, gpd, and tef1, respectively. Pathogenicity of the fungal isolates on detached leaves and living plants revealed that B. sorokiniana is the causal pathogen of this disease, while A. alternata is potentially a saprophyte. Fungicide sensitivity of the pathogen B. sorokiniana was further estimated in vitro using three classes of fungicides represented by fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, and hexaconazole. The effective concentrations that inhibited 50% of spore germination (EC50) were 0.72, 1.90, and 0.68 µg ml-1, respectively. Moreover, all of these fungicides were able to control B. sorokiniana on detached common hop leaves at their recommended concentrations. In conclusion, this study reports leaf spot and blight of common hop caused by B. sorokiniana for the first time and proposes potential fungicides for this disease.

A Deep Reinforcement Learning Strategy for Surrounding Vehicles-Based Lane-Keeping Control.

As autonomous vehicles (AVs) are advancing to higher levels of autonomy and performance, the associated technologies are becoming increasingly diverse. Lane-keeping systems (LKS), corresponding to a key functionality of AVs, considerably enhance driver convenience. With drivers increasingly relying on autonomous driving technologies, the importance of safety features, such as fail-safe mechanisms in the event of sensor failures, has gained prominence. Therefore, this paper proposes a reinforcement learning (RL) control method for lane-keeping, which uses surrounding object information derived through LiDAR sensors instead of camera sensors for LKS. This approach uses surrounding vehicle and object information as observations for the RL framework to maintain the vehicle's current lane. The learning environment is established by integrating simulation tools, such as IPG CarMaker, which incorporates vehicle dynamics, and MATLAB Simulink for data analysis and RL model creation. To further validate the applicability of the LiDAR sensor data in real-world settings, Gaussian noise is introduced in the virtual simulation environment to mimic sensor noise in actual operational conditions.

C2RL: Convolutional-Contrastive Learning for Reinforcement Learning Based on Self-Pretraining for Strong Augmentation.

Reinforcement learning agents that have not been seen during training must be robust in test environments. However, the generalization problem is challenging to solve in reinforcement learning using high-dimensional images as the input. The addition of a self-supervised learning framework with data augmentation in the reinforcement learning architecture can promote generalization to a certain extent. However, excessively large changes in the input images may disturb reinforcement learning. Therefore, we propose a contrastive learning method that can help manage the trade-off relationship between the performance of reinforcement learning and auxiliary tasks against the data augmentation strength. In this framework, strong augmentation does not disturb reinforcement learning and instead maximizes the auxiliary effect for generalization. Results of experiments on the DeepMind Control suite demonstrate that the proposed method effectively uses strong data augmentation and achieves a higher generalization than the existing methods.

Workplace Violence Experienced by Community Mental Health Workers.

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to 1) investigate the prevalence of workplace violence and workers' emotional distress, 2) explore factors associated with workplace violence, and 3) assess workers' needs for preventive measures. A total of 763 community mental health workers participated in Korea. Among them, 85.85% of workers experienced workplace violence, including verbal (74.31%), emotional (66.45%), infectious (47.44%), informational (42.60%), sexual (32.50%), and physical (23.72%) abuse. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that sex, occupation, certification, and working institution were significantly associated with workplace violence. Workplace violence affects workers' depression, anger, and anxiety negatively. The most-needed preventive measure is a two-person home visit.

Ethylene responsive factor34 mediates stress-induced leaf senescence by regulating salt stress-responsive genes.

Leaf senescence proceeds with age but is modulated by various environmental stresses and hormones. Salt stress is one of the most well-known environmental stresses that accelerate leaf senescence. However, the molecular mechanisms that integrate salt stress signalling with leaf senescence programmes remain elusive. In this study, we characterised the role of ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR34 (ERF34), an Arabidopsis APETALA2 (AP2)/ERF family transcription factor, in leaf senescence. ERF34 was differentially expressed under various leaf senescence-inducing conditions, and negatively regulated leaf senescence induced by age, dark, and salt stress. ERF34 also promoted salt stress tolerance at different stages of the plant life cycle such as seed germination and vegetative growth. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the overexpression of ERF34 increased the transcript levels of salt stress-responsive genes including COLD-REGULATED15A (COR15A), EARLY RESPONSIVE TO DEHYDRATION10 (ERD10), and RESPONSIVE TO DESICCATION29A (RD29A). Moreover, ERF34 directly bound to ERD10 and RD29A promoters and activated their expression. Our findings indicate that ERF34 plays a key role in the convergence of the salt stress response with the leaf senescence programmes, and is a potential candidate for crop improvement, particularly by enhancing salt stress tolerance.

ORESARA 15, a PLATZ transcription factor, controls root meristem size through auxin and cytokinin signalling-related pathways.

An optimal size of post-embryonic root apical meristem (RAM) is achieved by a balance between cell division and differentiation. Despite extensive research, molecular mechanisms underlying the coordination of cell division and differentiation are still fragmentary. Here, we report that ORESARA 15 (ORE15), an Arabidopsis PLANT A/T-RICH SEQUENCE-AND ZINC-BINDING PROTEIN (PLATZ) transcription factor preferentially expressed in the RAM, determines RAM size. Primary root length, RAM size, cell division rate, and stem cell niche activity were reduced in an ore15 loss-of-function mutant but enhanced in an activation-tagged line overexpressing ORE15, compared with wild type. ORE15 forms mutually positive and negative feedback loops with auxin and cytokinin signalling, respectively. Collectively, our findings imply that ORE15 controls RAM size by mediating the antagonistic interaction between auxin and cytokinin signalling-related pathways.

Role of Microbiota-Derived Metabolites in Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases.

Chronic liver disease encompasses diseases that have various causes, such as alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Gut microbiota dysregulation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of ALD and NAFLD through the gut-liver axis. The gut microbiota consists of various microorganisms that play a role in maintaining the homeostasis of the host and release a wide number of metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), peptides, and hormones, continually shaping the host's immunity and metabolism. The integrity of the intestinal mucosal and vascular barriers is crucial to protect liver cells from exposure to harmful metabolites and pathogen-associated molecular pattern molecules. Dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability may allow the liver to be exposed to abundant harmful metabolites that promote liver inflammation and fibrosis. In this review, we introduce the metabolites and components derived from the gut microbiota and discuss their pathologic effect in the liver alongside recent advances in molecular-based therapeutics and novel mechanistic findings associated with the gut-liver axis in ALD and NAFLD.

Aesthetic Zygoma Reduction in Asian Patients.

Zygoma reduction is indicated in patients where the primary aim of surgery is reduction in the width of cheekbones to achieve smoother and more feminine facial aesthetic lines. Surgeons should evaluate the width of midface (bizygomatic width) and the protrusion of zygoma (volume and position of the zygomatic body) when evaluating patients where such a procedure is indicated. Intraoral high-L osteotomy is the most useful method to successfully treat a wide spectrum of zygomatic protrusions and is widely accepted as the treatment of choice for aesthetic purposes. The amount of ostectomy is determined by evaluating the volume of zygomatic body. The zygomatic body and arch are usually moved posteromedially during surgery; the point of maximal malar projection is evaluated and transposed to a new ideal position. Zygoma reduction can be performed solely or in combination with other facial bone contouring procedures such as mandible reduction, genioplasty, or forehead augmentation. Soft tissue sagging, nonunion, malunion, and paresthesia are the most common complications of this procedure. Undercorrection and asymmetry are the most common aesthetically unfavorable sequelae and should be carefully prevented by proper preoperative planning and meticulous execution of surgical technique.

Contouring the Mandible for Aesthetic Enhancement in Asian Patients.

A prominent mandible that gives a squared face in Asians is considered unattractive as it imparts a coarse and masculine image. Mandibular contouring surgery allows slender oval faces. The purpose of conventional mandible reduction is to make the lower face appear slim in frontal view and to have a smooth contour in lateral view. As shaping the lateral contour of the mandible alone may result in minimal improvement in the frontal view, surgical techniques to reduce the width of the lower face through narrowing genioplasty (i.e., the "V-line" surgery) and sagittal resection of the lateral cortex should be combined. Examination of the shape and symmetry, the relationship between the maxilla and the mandible, understanding overlying soft tissue contribution, and understanding the overall balance of the face are mandatory. An important factor influencing ideal facial shape is patient's personal preference, which is often influenced by his/her ethnic and cultural background. Especially when consulting patients of different nationalities or ethnic backgrounds, careful attention should be paid to the patient's aesthetic sensibility regarding the ideal or desirable facial shape. Narrowing the chin and modification of chin shape can be accomplished by narrowing genioplasty with central strip resection. This midsymphyseal sectioning procedure yields safe and very satisfactory results. This procedure not only augments the narrowing effect by leaving soft tissues attached to the bone but also enables modification of chin shape by altering the shape of resection. The surgeon should customize the surgery based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient's preoperative chin and mandible morphology complemented by an assessment of their aesthetic goals.

The effect of medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy on the patellofemoral joint: comparative analysis according to the preexisting cartilage status.

BACKGROUND: Although it has been known that medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) would adversely affect the patellofemoral joint, no previous study examined the surgical outcome of MOWHTO according to the preexisting cartilage status of the patellofemoral joint. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MOWHTO on the patellofemoral joint with regard to objective and subjective aspects according to the preexisting cartilage status. METHODS: Ninety-two patients who underwent MOWHTO and a following second-look arthroscopic assessment were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the preexisting cartilage status of the patellofemoral joint: group 1 (International Cartilage Repair Society [ICRS] grade 2 or 3) and group 2 (ICRS grade 0 or 1). Comparative analysis was performed regarding clinical scores, radiographic parameters, and arthroscopic measurements between the two groups. RESULTS: Clinical outcomes showed overall improvement from baseline to the time of second-look operation, with no significant difference between the two groups at each time point. There were no significant differences in radiographic parameters between the two groups. Radiographic grade of patellofemoral osteoarthritis in both groups showed a tendency to progress, without statistical significance. In arthroscopic assessment, the size of the cartilage lesion on the patellofemoral joint increased with time in both groups (P = 0.003), but the degree of change over time between the two groups was not statistically significant. Consistently, there was no significant difference in the frequency of progression of cartilage lesion grade in the patellofemoral joint between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: MOWHTO would contribute to osteoarthritis progression of the patellofemoral joint regardless of the preexisting cartilage status, without an association with clinical outcomes in short-term follow-up.

Lowering Lateral Canthoplasty and Orbital Rim Shaving: An Ignored but Necessary Procedure for Maximizing the Effect of Reduction Malarplasty in Asians.

BACKGROUND: Although reduction malarplasty is a well-accepted procedure for Asians with prominent cheek bones, some patients are not fully satisfied with the outcomes and request further surgery. This is because much attention on the contouring procedure has focused on the position of the zygomatic body and arch. As a result, periorbital appearance including the axis of the lateral canthal angle and the protrusion of the inferolateral orbital rim are often overlooked or ignored. The authors introduce a new surgical technique for maximizing the effect of reduction malarplasty that allows for both the lowering of the lateral canthal angle and reduction of the orbital rim in selected Asian patients. METHODS: In this retrospective study, the medical records of 41 patients who underwent lowering lateral canthoplasty in conjunction with reduction malarplasty were reviewed. Of those, orbital rim reduction was combined in 21 patients. In addition to the intraoral and preauricular approach for standard reduction malarplasty using an L-shaped osteotomy, lower eyelid and continuous canthotomy incisions were made. And then the protruding inferolateral orbital rim was shaved off, followed by inferolateral repositioning of the lateral canthus. Outcome measurements included a square millimeter of the cheek area surface using a software program (image J: IJ 1.46r) in 17 patients. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference can be observed between preoperative and postoperative measurements of the area. Average decreases of measurements were 4761.59 mm2 (18.5%) from 23,639 mm2 preoperatively to 18,878 mm2 postoperatively (P < 0.05, paired t test). The up-slanting lower eyelid margin was lowered, and the protruding zygomatic body with inferolateral part of the orbital rim was reduced by the procedure in all cases. Cosmetic outcomes were encouraging and satisfying to most patients. Four complications occurred: asymmetry in two patients (4.9%) and lid malposition in two patients (4.9%). Conjunctival edema was noted in half of the patients but resolved within 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: The simultaneous lowering lateral canthoplasty and reduction malarplasty offer Asian patients desiring a slim and soft image a novel surgical option. The procedures proved to be a reliable and consistent technique that provided satisfactory results in carefully selected patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Levator Pull-Out Suture Technique for Immediate Postoperative Correction of Eyelid Asymmetry After Ptosis Surgery in Asians.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative eyelid asymmetry is the most common complaint of patients after undergoing blepharoplasty and ptosis correction surgery. Calibrating eyelid asymmetry during ptosis correction surgery is still difficult for surgeons despite the development of innovative procedures. Our levator pull-out suture technique for correcting postoperative eyelid asymmetry after ptosis surgery is introduced. METHODS: A total of 330 patients who underwent ptosis correction surgery with upper blepharoplasty from 2016 to 2017 were enrolled in our study. All surgeries were performed using the levator pull-out suture technique, and the postoperative eyelid asymmetry was corrected in the outpatient clinic at 2-3 days after the operation. Patient satisfaction was evaluated preoperatively and at 1 week and 2 months postoperatively using a questionnaire. Visual acuity, marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1), and vertical palpebral fissure length asymmetry were measured preoperatively and compared to values taken postoperatively. RESULTS: Patient satisfaction regarding asymmetry increased from 2.7/5 (preoperatively) to 4.1/5 points (postoperatively). MRD1 and vertical palpebral fissure length increased from 1.1/1.2 and 6.8/6.8 mm (preoperatively), respectively, to 2.8/2.9 and 8.5/8.6 mm (postoperatively), respectively. The asymmetry of MRD1 and vertical palpebral fissure length before and after surgery were corrected from 0.45/1.81 to 0.01/0.19 mm (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our innovative surgical method of using the levator pull-out suture technique is relatively simple and allows for finer suture adjustments postoperatively to effectively correct eyelid asymmetry, with satisfactory results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

ORESARA15, a PLATZ transcription factor, mediates leaf growth and senescence in Arabidopsis.

Plant leaves undergo a series of developmental changes from leaf primordium initiation through growth and maturation to senescence throughout their life span. Although the mechanisms underlying leaf senescence have been intensively elucidated, our knowledge of the interrelationship between early leaf development and senescence is still fragmentary. We isolated the oresara15-1Dominant (ore15-1D) mutant, which had an extended leaf longevity and an enlarged leaf size, from activation-tagged lines of Arabidopsis. Plasmid rescue identified that ORE15 encodes a PLANT A/T-RICH SEQUENCE- AND ZINC-BINDING PROTEIN family transcription factor. Phenotypes of ore15-1D and ore15-2, a loss-of-function mutant, were evaluated through physiological and anatomical analyses. Microarray, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and chromatin immunoprecipitation as well as genetic analysis were employed to reveal the molecular mechanism of ORE15 in the regulation of leaf growth and senescence. ORE15 enhanced leaf growth by promoting the rate and duration of cell proliferation in the earlier stage and suppressed leaf senescence in the later stage by modulating the GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR (GRF)/GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR regulatory pathway. Our study highlighted a molecular conjunction through ORE15 between growth and senescence, which are two temporally separate developmental processes during leaf life span.

Text Mining Metal-Organic Framework Papers.

We have developed a simple text mining algorithm that allows us to identify surface area and pore volumes of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) using manuscript html files as inputs. The algorithm searches for common units (e.g., m2/g, cm3/g) associated with these two quantities to facilitate the search. From the sample set data of over 200 MOFs, the algorithm managed to identify 90% and 88.8% of the correct surface area and pore volume values. Further application to a test set of randomly chosen MOF html files yielded 73.2% and 85.1% accuracies for the two respective quantities. Most of the errors stem from unorthodox sentence structures that made it difficult to identify the correct data as well as bolded notations of MOFs (e.g., 1a) that made it difficult identify its real name. These types of tools will become useful when it comes to discovering structure-property relationships among MOFs as well as collecting a large set of data for references.

Enabling Flexible Heterostructures for Li-Ion Battery Anodes Based on Nanotube and Liquid-Phase Exfoliated 2D Gallium Chalcogenide Nanosheet Colloidal Solutions.

2D metal chalcogenide (MC) nanosheets (NS) have displayed high capacities as lithium-ion battery (LiB) anodes. Nevertheless, their complicated synthesis routes coupled with low electronic conductivity greatly limit them as promising LiB electrode material. Here, this work reports a facile single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) percolating strategy for efficiently maximizing the electrochemical performances of gallium chalcogenide (GaX, X = S or Se). Multiscaled flexible GaX NS/SWCNT heterostructures with abundant voids for Li+ diffusion are fabricated by embedding the liquid-exfoliated GaX NS matrix within a SWCNT-percolated network; the latter improves the electron transport and ion diffusion kinetics as well as maintains the mechanical flexibility. Consequently, high capacities (i.e., 838 mAh g-1 per gallium (II) sulfide (GaS) NS/SWCNT mass and 1107 mAh g-1 per GaS mass; the latter is close to the theoretical value) and good rate capabilities are achieved, which can be majorly attributed to the alloying processes of disordered Ga formed after the first irreversible GaX conversion reaction, as monitored by in situ X-ray diffraction. The presented approach, colloidal solution processing of SWCNT and liquid-exfoliated MC NS to produce flexible paper-based electrode, could be generalized for wearable energy storage devices with promising performances.

Surgical Tip for Prevention of Lip Injury During Orthognathic and Facial Bone Contouring Surgery.

Iatrogenic lip injury is a rather common complication after facial bone surgery, but is usually treated lightly by the surgeon compared with other more severe functional complications. However, these injuries can have permanent sequelae and can therefore be a reason for patient dissatisfaction, especially after cosmetic surgery. Intraoperative lip injuries during facial bone surgery are usually caused by heat-generating surgical instruments or forced traction on the operative fields. The authors have applied a special technical strategy using a hydrocolloid dressing material to avoid these intraoperative lip injuries. This method does not disturb the operative procedure itself, but efficiently prevents lip injuries and decreases surgical morbidities and postoperative swelling.

Use of Pedicled Buccal Fat Pad for Midface Augmentation.

The pedicled buccal fat pad has occasionally been used for the closure of oroantral and oronasal fistulae. However, this versatile and convenient technique has not been used widely in the field of esthetic surgery. The main cosmetic interest in the buccal fat pads was to surgically extract them to reduce cheek prominence. Here, the authors introduce a novel operative technique using the pedicled buccal fat pad for midface augmentation in patients with deficient soft-tissue volume, particularly in the anterior malar or paranasal region. This rather simple surgical method can be performed either individually or concomitantly with reduction malarplasty. The surgical outcomes include a natural appearance with reliable long-term stability.

Advantages of a Beveled Osteotomy on the Zygomatic Arch During Reduction Malarplasty.

During a conventional reduction malarplasty procedure, a dual approach including intraoral incisions and preauricular incisions is made to reduce both the zygomatic body and arch. As the preauricular approach is performed to cut the zygomatic arch, there are several remarkable advantages that can be achieved by simply beveling the osteotomy anteriorly on the zygomatic arch. This has the benefits of enhancing bone union by the increase in cross-sectional area for bone contact, decreasing palpability on the osteotomy site, placing the osteotomy more posteriorly, preventing depression in the anterior malar region, and reducing the need for metal fixtures.