Plasmonic Annular Nanotrenches with 1 nm Nanogaps for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using SERS-Based Immunoassay.

This study represents the synthesis of a novel class of nanoparticles denoted as annular Au nanotrenches (AANTs). AANTs are engineered to possess embedded, narrow circular nanogaps with dimensions of approximately 1 nm, facilitating near-field focusing for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based immunoassay. Notably, AANTs exhibited an exceedingly low limit of detection (LOD) of 1 fg/mL for SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, surpassing the commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by 6 orders of magnitude (1 ng/mL from ELISA). To assess the real-world applicability, a study was conducted on 50 clinical samples using an SERS-based immunoassay with AANTs. The results revealed a sensitivity of 96% and a selectivity of 100%, demonstrating the significantly enhanced sensing capabilities of the proposed approach in comparison to ELISA and commercial lateral flow assay kits.

Case of Human Orthohantavirus Infection, Michigan, USA, 2021.

Orthohantaviruses cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome; most cases occur in the southwest region of the United States. We discuss a clinical case of orthohantavirus infection in a 65-year-old woman in Michigan and the phylogeographic link of partial viral fragments from the patient and rodents captured near the presumed site of infection.

VirPipe: an easy-to-use and customizable pipeline for detecting viral genomes from Nanopore sequencing.

Detection and analysis of viral genomes with Nanopore sequencing has shown great promise in the surveillance of pathogen outbreaks. However, the number of virus detection pipelines supporting Nanopore sequencing is very limited. Here, we present VirPipe, a new pipeline for the detection of viral genomes from Nanopore or Illumina sequencing input featuring streamlined installation and customization. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: VirPipe source code and documentation are freely available for download at https://github.com/KijinKims/VirPipe, implemented in Python and Nextflow.

Significance of LED lights in enhancing the production of vinegar using Acetobacter pasteurianus AP01.

Vinegar is a common food additive produced by acetic acid bacteria (AAB) during fermentation process. Low yield and long incubation time in conventional vinegar fermentation processes has inspired research in developing efficient fermentation techniques by the activation of AAB for acetic acid production. The present study intends to enhance vinegar production using acetic acid bacteria and light emitting diode (LED). A total of eight acetic acid bacteria were isolated from Korean traditional vinegar and assessed for vinegar production. Isolate AP01 exhibited maximum vinegar production and was identified as Acetobacter pasteurianus based on the 16S rRNA sequences. The optimum fermentation conditions for the isolate AP01 was incubation under static condition at 30 °C for 10 days with 6% initial ethanol concentration. Fermentation under red LED light exhibited maximum vinegar production (3.6%) compared to green (3.5%), blue (3.2%), white (2.2%), and non-LED lights (3.0%). Vinegar produced using red LED showed less toxicity to mouse macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and high inhibitory effects on nitric oxide and IL-6 production. The results confirmed that red LED light could be used to increase the yield and decrease incubation time in vinegar fermentation process.

Effectiveness of a community-based integrated service model for older adults living alone: A nonrandomized prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Older adults living alone face physical, emotional, and social health problems, and prefer to age in place (AIP) in their homes. A community-based integrated model for AIP is needed and few studies have identified its impact on older adults living alone. METHODS: This was a non-randomized prospective study. Participants were 877 community-dwelling older adults living alone, aged above 65 years, in S* city in South Korea. The intervention group (n = 331) received a community-based integrated service (CBIS) model based on AIP for six months from October 2019 to April 2020. RESULTS: Scores on frailty (ß = -0.377, p < .001), loneliness (ß = -1.897, p = .018), and health-related quality of life (ß = 4.299, p = .021) significantly improved in the intervention group. Among the intervention group, loneliness scores significantly improved among participants aged under 80 years than those aged over 80 years. CONCLUSION: The CBIS model improved frailty, loneliness, and quality of life in community-dwelling older adults living alone.

High-throughput investigation of transglutaminase 2 kinase regulation using a novel cysteine-modified peptide array.

Transglutaminase 2 (TGase2) kinase has emerged as an important regulator of apoptosis as well as chromatin structure and function; however, details about the pathophysiological functions of TGase2 kinase have been limited because of the lack of a suitable activity assay for systematic investigation of TGase2 kinase regulation in a high-throughput manner. Thus, we developed a novel on-chip TGase2 kinase activity assay using a cysteine-modified insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3-derived peptide (CMI peptide) on an array platform. This peptide array-based activity assay was reproducible, with a detection limit of 2.127 µg/ml. We successfully applied this assay to investigate the effects of thiol-reactive compounds and divalent cations on TGase2 kinase by determining the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50). Thiol-reactive compounds inhibited TGase2 kinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner, with IC50 values ranging from 0.125 to 5.550 mM. Divalent metal cations also showed a concentration-dependent inhibition, with IC50 values ranging from 0.005 to 1.937 mM; however, Ca2+ had no effect on TGase2 kinase activity. Thus, this novel kinase activity assay using the CMI peptide array described here is suitable for systematic investigation of TGase2 kinase regulation and may be useful for investigating the roles of TGase2 kinase in pathogenesis of kinase-mediated diseases.

Malnutrition and its associated factors among community-dwelling older men living alone.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Older men who live alone are more vulnerable to poor nutrition. However, little attention has been paid to malnutrition among this population. This study aimed to examine malnutrition and its associated factors among community-dwelling older men living alone. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study used cohort data of community-dwelling older adults living alone in South Korea. A total of 230 older men aged 65 and over were included in this study. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form. Multidimensional factors (sociodemographic, health-related, psychosocial, and lifestyle characteristics) were evaluated. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the malnutrition-related factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of malnutrition was 32.2% in older men living alone. Low income (odds ratio [OR], 2.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-5.90), polypharmacy (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.16-4.28), suicidal ideation (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.02-4.45), meal skipping (OR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.60-6.64), and smoking (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.43-5.73) were significantly associated with malnutrition. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition is a severe health problem in older men living alone. This study highlights the importance of comprehensive and tailored interventions to mitigate malnutrition among older men living alone.

Etiological agent and clinical characteristics of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the southern Republic of Korea: a genomic surveillance study.

OBJECTIVES: High incidences of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) have been reported in the southern Republic of Korea (ROK). A distinct southern genotype of Orthohantavirus hantanense (HTNV) was identified in Apodemus agrarius chejuensis on Jeju Island. However, its association with HFRS cases in southern ROK remains elusive. We investigated the potential of the southern HTNV genotype as an etiological agent of HFRS. METHODS: Samples from 22 patients with HFRS and 193 small mammals were collected in the southern ROK. The clinical characteristics of patients infected with the southern HTNV genotype were analysed. Amplicon-based MinION sequencing was employed for southern HTNV from patients and rodents, facilitating subsequent analyses involving phylogenetics and genetic reassortment. RESULTS: High-throughput sequencing of HTNV exhibited higher coverage with a cycle of threshold value below 32, acquiring nearly whole-genome sequences from six patients with HFRS and seven A. agrarius samples. The phylogenetic pattern of patient-derived HTNV demonstrated genetic clustering with HTNV from Apodemus species on Jeju Island and the southern Korean peninsula, revealing genetic reassortment in a single clinical sample between the M and S segments. DISCUSSION: These findings imply that the southern HTNV genotype has the potential to induce HFRS in humans. The phylogenetic inference demonstrates the diverse and dynamic characteristics of the southern HTNV tripartite genomes. Therefore, this study highlights the significance of active surveillance and amplicon sequencing for detecting orthohantavirus infections. It also raises awareness and caution for physicians regarding the emergence of a southern HTNV genotype as a cause of HFRS in the ROK.

Wireless Inchworm-like Compact Soft Robot by Induction Heating of Magnetic Composite.

Microrobots and nanorobots have been produced with various nature-inspired soft materials and operating mechanisms. However, freely operating a wirelessly miniaturized soft robot remains a challenge. In this study, a wireless crawling compact soft robot using induction heating was developed. The magnetic composite heater built into the robot was heated wirelessly via induction heating, causing a phase change in the working fluid surrounding the heater. The pressure generated from the evaporated fluid induces the bending of the robot, which is composed of elastomers. During one cycle of bending by heating and shrinking by cooling, the difference in the frictional force between the two legs of the robot causes it to move forward. This robot moved 7240 µm, representing 103% of its body length, over nine repetitions. Because the robot's surface is made of biocompatible materials, it offers new possibilities for a soft exploratory microrobot that can be used inside a living body or in a narrow pipe.

Effect of fermentation on antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-Helicobacter pylori adhesion activity of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica root bark.

The limited yield of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica root bark (URB) extract is considered an economic loss to the food industry. Improving extraction yield and bioactivity through fermentation increase the industrial usage of URB. The study aims to optimize the fermentation with cellulolytic and pectinolytic bacteria and evaluate the bioactivity and anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of the fermented URB extract. URB fermentation with the Bacillus licheniformis FLa3, isolated from salted seafood (Sardinella zunasi), under optimal conditions (37 °C, pH 6, 10% inoculum dose, and 36 h) improved the extraction yield by 36% compared to the control. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the fermented extract were significantly higher than non-fermented extract. High-performance liquid chromatography results confirmed that the fermentation increased the proportion of bioactive components such as catechin (171.7%), epicatechin (144.3%), quercetin (27.3%), and kaempferol (16.7%). The results confirmed that the fermentation increased both the extraction yield and bioactivity.

Wireless Micro Soft Actuator without Payloads Using 3D Helical Coils.

To receive a greater power and to demonstrate the soft bellows-shaped actuator's wireless actuation, micro inductors were built for wireless power transfer and realized in a three-dimensional helical structure, which have previously been built in two-dimensional spiral structures. Although the three-dimensional helical inductor has the advantage of acquiring more magnetic flux linkage than the two-dimensional spiral inductor, the existing microfabrication technique produces a device on a two-dimensional plane, as it has a limit to building a complete three-dimensional structure. In this study, by using a three-dimensional printed soluble mold technique, a three-dimensional heater with helical coils, which have a larger heating area than a two-dimensional heater, was fabricated with three-dimensional receiving inductors for enhanced wireless power transfer. The three-dimensional heater connected to the three-dimensional helical inductor increased the temperature of the liquid and gas inside the bellows-shaped actuator while reaching 176.1% higher temperature than the heater connected to the two-dimensional spiral inductor. Thereby it enables a stroke of the actuator up to 522% longer than when it is connected to the spiral inductor. Therefore, three-dimensional micro coils can offer a significant approach to the development of wireless micro soft robots without incurring heavy and bulky parts such as batteries.

Isolation of Lactiplantibacillus sp. from Korean salted and fermented seafoods for effective fermentation of strawberry leaf extract: enhanced anti-inflammatory activity.

Berries are rich in bioactive phytochemicals and phenolic compounds. In the present study, strawberry leaves obtained from Nangsan-myeon, Jeollabuk-do, Korea in 2019 were fermented using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B1-4 and studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Comparative testing of active ingredients in the raw and fermented extract showed an increase in total polyphenol content and total flavonoid content from 92.0 mg GAE/g and 40.4 mg QE/g, respectively, to 116.1 mg GAE/g and 49.5 mg QE/g, respectively, in fermented extracts. Similarly, catechin content in fermented extract was increased by 26.5% and epicatechin content was decreased by 9.3%. Total and reducing sugar contents in the fermented extract were decreased by 58.4% and 50.4%. DPPH radical scavenging activity of the extracts before and after fermentation increased by about 10.7% from 35.6 to 46.3% at 250 µg/mL and ABTS by about 6.0% from 48.6 to 54.6% at 500 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity assay confirmed that fermented extract caused no harm to chromatid structure of RAW 264.7 cells up to 500 µg/mL concentration. Fermented extracts (400 µg/mL) reduced nitric oxide production (9.7%) and the levels of TNF-α (18.1%) and IL-6 (11.8%), making them ideal for integration into skin care products. The significant functional groups present in raw and fermented extracts were identified using FTIR. Thus, this study adds to the notion of using fermented extracts in functional foods due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

Atomic-Layer-Deposited SiOx/SnOx Nanolaminate Structure for Moisture and Hydrogen Gas Diffusion Barriers.

High-density SnOx and SiOx thin films were deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) at low temperatures (100 °C) using tetrakis(dimethylamino)tin(IV) (TDMASn) and di-isopropylaminosilane (DIPAS) as precursors and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and O2 plasma as reactants, respectively. The thin-film encapsulation (TFE) properties of SnOx and SiOx were demonstrated with thickness dependence measurements of the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) evaluated at 50 °C and 90% relative humidity, and different TFE performance tendencies were observed between thermal and plasma ALD SnOx. The film density, crystallinity, and pinholes formed in the SnOx film appeared to be closely related to the diffusion barrier properties of the film. Based on the above results, a nanolaminate (NL) structure consisting of SiOx and SnOx deposited using plasma-enhanced ALD was measured using WVTR (H2O molecule diffusion) at 2.43 × 10-5 g/m2 day with a 10/10 nm NL structure and time-lag gas permeation measurement (H2 gas diffusion) for applications as passivation layers in various electronic devices.

Nanoelectrode-mediated single neuron activation.

Elucidating cellular dynamics at the level of a single neuron and its associated role within neuronal circuits is essential for interpreting the complex nature of the brain. To investigate the operation of neural activity within its network, it is necessary to precisely manipulate the activation of each neuron and verify its propagation path via the synaptic connection. In this study, by exploiting the intrinsic physical and electrical advantages of a nanoelectrode, a vertical nanowire multi electrode array (VNMEA) is developed as a neuronal activation platform presenting the spatially confined effect on the intracellular space of individual cells. VNMEA makes a distinct difference between the interior and exterior cell potential and the current density, deriving the superior effects on activating Ca2+ responses compared to extracellular methods under the same conditions, with about 2.9-fold higher amplitude of Ca2+ elevation and a 2.6-fold faster recovery rate. Moreover, the synchronized propagation of evoked activities is shown in connected neurons implying cell-to-cell communications following the intracellular stimulation. The simulation and experimental consequences prove the outstanding property of temporal/spatial confinement of VNMEA-mediated intracellular stimulation to activate a single neuron and show its potential in localizing spiking neurons within neuronal populations, which may be utilized to reveal the connection and activation modalities of neural networks.

Preventive Effects of Thermosensitive Biopolymer-Conjugated C-Peptide against High Glucose-Induced Endothelial Cell Dysfunction.

C-peptide has emerged as a potential drug for treating diabetic complications. However, clinical application of C-peptide is limited by its short half-life during circulation and costly synthesis methods. To overcome these limitations, a biocompatible and thermosensitive biopolymer-C-peptide conjugate composed of human C-peptide genetically conjugated at the C-terminus of nine repeats of lysine-containing elastin-like polypeptide (K9-C-peptide) is generated. K9-C-peptide exhibits reversible thermal phase behavior with a transition temperature dependent on polypeptide concentration. Degradation of K9-C-peptide hydrogel depends on the concentration of four cleavage enzymes as well as the reaction time and frequency of treatments with elastase-2. The preventive effect of K9-C-peptide against high glucose-induced human aortic endothelial cell dysfunction is further investigated. K9-C-peptide inhibits high glucose-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species generation, transglutaminase 2 activation, and apoptosis, similar to the inhibitory effects of human C-peptide. Thus, K9-C-peptide is a potential drug depot for the sustained delivery of C-peptide to treat diabetic complications.

On-chip dual enzyme activity assay to investigate regulation of the transamidase and kinase activities of transglutaminase 2.

Transglutaminase 2 (TGase2), a multifunctional enzyme exhibiting both transamidase and kinase activity, is involved in a variety of cellular processes and diseases. However, details of the regulation of TGase2 have not been reported due to the lack of a suitable assay to examine both activities on the same platform under near-physiologic conditions. Thus, we developed an on-chip dual enzyme activity assay for TGase2 to simultaneously monitor the transamidase and kinase activities. Reaction mixtures specific for each enzyme activity were applied onto osteopontin arrays, and enzyme activity was monitored by sequential probing with Cy5-strepavidin and Pro-Q Diamond stain. This approach was used to determine the optimal concentrations of ATP, Mg2+, and Ca2+ for dual-activity assays. The optimized assay was then used to investigate regulation of TGase2 transamidase and kinase activities by various cofactors that could potentially affect its conformation. Monothiol- and disulfide-containing compounds differentially regulated TGase2 transamidase and kinase activities. Acetylation of TGase2 activated the kinase activity but had no effect on the transamidase activity. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of TGase2 reciprocally regulated the transamidase and kinase activities. The new approach described here is thus useful for screening potential regulators of TGase2 transamidase and kinase and investigating the pathogenesis of TGase2-associated diseases.