Memristive Switching Mechanism in Colloidal InP/ZnSe/ZnS Quantum Dot-Based Synaptic Devices for Neuromorphic Computing.

Quantum dots (QDs) have garnered a significant amount of attention as promising memristive materials owing to their size-dependent tunable bandgap, structural stability, and high level of applicability for neuromorphic computing. Despite these advantageous properties, the development of QD-based memristors has been hindered by challenges in understanding and adjusting the resistive switching (RS) behavior of QDs. Herein, we propose three types of InP/ZnSe/ZnS QD-based memristors to elucidate the RS mechanism, employing a thin poly(methyl methacrylate) layer. This approach not only allows us to identify which carriers (electron or hole) are trapped within the QD layer but also successfully demonstrates QD-based synaptic devices. Furthermore, to utilize the QD memristor as a synapse, long-term potentiation/depression (LTP/LTD) characteristics are measured, resulting in a low nonlinearity of LTP/LTD at 0.1/1. On the basis of the LTP/LTD characteristics, single-layer perceptron simulations were performed using the Extended Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology, verifying a maximum recognition rate of 91.46%.

Three Human Pol ι Variants with Impaired Polymerase Activity Fail to Rescue H2O2 Sensitivity in POLI-Deficient Cells.

Human Y-family DNA polymerase (pol) ι is involved in translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) and base excision repair (BER) of oxidative DNA damage. Genetic variations may alter the function of pol ι and affect cellular susceptibility to oxidative genotoxic agents, but their effects remain unclear. We investigated the impacts of 10 human missense germline variations on pol ι function by biochemical and cell-based assays. Both polymerase and deoxyribose phosphate (dRP) lyase activities were determined utilizing recombinant pol ι (residues 1-445) proteins. The K209Q, K228I, and Q386R variants showed 4- to 53-fold decreases in specificity constants (kcat/Km) for dCTP insertion opposite G and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine compared to the wild-type. The R126C and K345E variants showed wild-type-like polymerase activity, although these two variants (as well as the R209Q, K228I, and Q386R variants) showed greater than 6-fold decreases in dRP lyase activity compared to the wild-type. A CRISPR/Cas9-mediated POLI knockout conferred higher sensitivity to H2O2 in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells. Exogenous expression of the full-length wild-type, R126C, and K345E variants fully rescued the H2O2 sensitivity in POLI-deficient cells, while full-length R209Q, K228I, and Q386R variants did not rescue the sensitivity. Our results indicate that the R126C and K345E variants (having wild-type-like polymerase activity, albeit impaired in dRP lyase activity) could fully rescue the H2O2 sensitivity in POLI-deficient cells, while the R209Q, K228I, and Q386R variants, all impaired in polymerase and dRP lyase activity, failed to rescue the sensitivity, indicating the relative importance of TLS-related polymerase function of pol ι rather than its BER-related dRP lyase function in protection from oxidative stress. The possibility exists that the hypoactive pol ι variants increase the individual susceptibility to oxidative genotoxic agents.

Unequal error protection technique for video streaming over MIMO-OFDM systems.

In this paper, a novel unequal error protection (UEP) technique is proposed for video streaming over multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems. Based on the concept of hierarchical quadrature amplitude modulation (HQAM) UEP and multi-antenna UEP, the proposed technique combines the relative protection levels (PLs) of constellation symbols and the differentiated PLs of the transmit antennas. In the proposed technique, standard square quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellations are used instead of HQAM so that the QAM mapper at the transmitter side and the soft decision calculation at the receiver side remain unchanged, but the UEP benefit of HQAM is retained. The superior performance of the proposed technique is explained by the improved connections between data with various priorities and data paths with various PLs. The assumed video compression method is H.264/AVC, which is known to be commercially successful. The IEEE802.16m system is adopted as a data transmission system. With the aid of realistic simulations in strict accordance with the standards of IEEE802.16m systems and H.264/AVC video compression systems, the proposed technique HQAM-multi-antenna UEP is shown to improve the video quality significantly for a given average bit error rate when compared with previous techniques.

Statistics and Deep Belief Network-Based Cardiovascular Risk Prediction.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular predictions are related to patients' quality of life and health. Therefore, a risk prediction model for cardiovascular conditions is needed. METHODS: In this paper, we propose a cardiovascular disease prediction model using the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES-VI) 2013 dataset to analyze cardiovascular-related health data. First, statistical analysis was performed to find variables related to cardiovascular disease using health data related to cardiovascular disease. Second, a model of cardiovascular risk prediction by learning based on the deep belief network (DBN) was developed. RESULTS: The proposed statistical DBN-based prediction model showed accuracy and an ROC curve of 83.9% and 0.790, respectively. Thus, the proposed statistical DBN performed better than other prediction algorithms. CONCLUSIONS: The DBN proposed in this study appears to be effective in predicting cardiovascular risk and, in particular, is expected to be applicable to the prediction of cardiovascular disease in Koreans.

Six Germline Genetic Variations Impair the Translesion Synthesis Activity of Human DNA Polymerase κ.

DNA polymerase (pol) κ efficiently catalyzes error-free translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) opposite bulky N2-guanyl lesions induced by carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We investigated the biochemical effects of nine human nonsynonymous germline POLK variations on the TLS properties of pol κ, utilizing recombinant pol κ (residues 1-526) enzymes and DNA templates containing an N2-CH2(9-anthracenyl)G (N2-AnthG), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG), O6-methyl(Me)G, or an abasic site. In steady-state kinetic analyses, the R246X, R298H, T473A, and R512W variants displayed 7- to 18-fold decreases in kcat/Km for dCTP insertion opposite G and N2-AnthG, with 2- to 3-fold decreases in DNA binding affinity, compared to that of the wild-type, and further showed 5- to 190-fold decreases in kcat/Km for next-base extension from C paired with N2-AnthG. The A471V variant showed 2- to 4-fold decreases in kcat/Km for correct nucleotide insertion opposite and beyond G (or N2-AnthG) compared to that of the wild-type. These five hypoactive variants also showed similar patterns of attenuation of TLS activity opposite 8-oxoG, O6-MeG, and abasic lesions. By contrast, the T44M variant exhibited 7- to 11-fold decreases in kcat/Km for dCTP insertion opposite N2-AnthG and O6-MeG (as well as for dATP insertion opposite an abasic site) but not opposite both G and 8-oxoG, nor beyond N2-AnthG, compared to that of the wild-type. These results suggest that the R246X, R298H, T473A, R512W, and A471V variants cause a general catalytic impairment of pol κ opposite G and all four lesions, whereas the T44M variant induces opposite lesion-dependent catalytic impairment, i.e., only opposite O6-MeG, abasic, and bulky N2-G lesions but not opposite G and 8-oxoG, in pol κ, which might indicate that these hypoactive pol κ variants are genetic factors in modifying individual susceptibility to genotoxic carcinogens in certain subsets of populations.

The OAuth 2.0 Web Authorization Protocol for the Internet Addiction Bioinformatics (IABio) Database.

Internet addiction (IA) has become a widespread and problematic phenomenon as smart devices pervade society. Moreover, internet gaming disorder leads to increases in social expenditures for both individuals and nations alike. Although the prevention and treatment of IA are getting more important, the diagnosis of IA remains problematic. Understanding the neurobiological mechanism of behavioral addictions is essential for the development of specific and effective treatments. Although there are many databases related to other addictions, a database for IA has not been developed yet. In addition, bioinformatics databases, especially genetic databases, require a high level of security and should be designed based on medical information standards. In this respect, our study proposes the OAuth standard protocol for database access authorization. The proposed IA Bioinformatics (IABio) database system is based on internet user authentication, which is a guideline for medical information standards, and uses OAuth 2.0 for access control technology. This study designed and developed the system requirements and configuration. The OAuth 2.0 protocol is expected to establish the security of personal medical information and be applied to genomic research on IA.

Effects of Twelve Germline Missense Variations on DNA Lesion and G-Quadruplex Bypass Activities of Human DNA Polymerase REV1.

The Y-family DNA polymerase REV1 is involved in replicative bypass of damaged DNA and G-quadruplex (G4) DNA. In addition to a scaffolding role in the replicative bypass, REV1 acts in a catalytic role as a deoxycytidyl transferase opposite some replication stall sites, e.g., apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites, N(2)-guanyl lesions, and G4 sites. We characterized the biochemical properties of 12 reported germline missense variants of human REV1, including the N373S variant associated with high risk of cervical cancer, using the recombinant REV1 (residues 330-833) proteins and DNA templates containing a G, AP site, N(2)-CH2(2-naphthyl)G (N(2)-NaphG), or G4. In steady-state kinetic analyses, the F427L, R434Q, M656V, D700N, R704Q, and P831L variants displayed 2- to 8-fold decreases in kcat/Km for dCTP insertion opposite all four templates, compared to that of wild-type, while the N373S, M407L, and N497S showed 2- to 3-fold increases with all four and the former three or two templates, respectively. The F427L, R434Q, M656V, and R704Q variants also had 2- to 3-fold lower binding affinities to DNA substrates containing G, an AP site, and/or N(2)-NaphG than wild-type. Distinctively, the N373S variant had a 3-fold higher binding affinity to G4 DNA than the wild-type, as well as a 2-fold higher catalytic activity opposite the first tetrad G, suggesting a facilitating effect of this variation on replication of G4 DNA sequences in certain human papillomavirus genomes. Our results suggest that the catalytic function of REV1 is moderately or slightly altered by at least nine genetic variations, and the G4 DNA processing function of REV1 is slightly enhanced by the N373S variation, which might provide the possibility that certain germline missense REV1 variations affect the individual susceptibility to carcinogenesis by modifying the capability of REV1 for replicative bypass past DNA lesions and G4 motifs derived from chemical and viral carcinogens.

Data-Mining-Based Coronary Heart Disease Risk Prediction Model Using Fuzzy Logic and Decision Tree.

OBJECTIVES: The importance of the prediction of coronary heart disease (CHD) has been recognized in Korea; however, few studies have been conducted in this area. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method for the prediction and classification of CHD in Koreans. METHODS: A model for CHD prediction must be designed according to rule-based guidelines. In this study, a fuzzy logic and decision tree (classification and regression tree [CART])-driven CHD prediction model was developed for Koreans. Datasets derived from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (KNHANES-VI) were utilized to generate the proposed model. RESULTS: The rules were generated using a decision tree technique, and fuzzy logic was applied to overcome problems associated with uncertainty in CHD prediction. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve values of the propose systems were 69.51% and 0.594, proving that the proposed methods were more efficient than other models.

Classification of normal and epileptic seizure EEG signals using wavelet transform, phase-space reconstruction, and Euclidean distance.

This paper proposes new combined methods to classify normal and epileptic seizure EEG signals using wavelet transform (WT), phase-space reconstruction (PSR), and Euclidean distance (ED) based on a neural network with weighted fuzzy membership functions (NEWFM). WT, PSR, ED, and statistical methods that include frequency distributions and variation, were implemented to extract 24 initial features to use as inputs. Of the 24 initial features, 4 minimum features with the highest accuracy were selected using a non-overlap area distribution measurement method supported by the NEWFM. These 4 minimum features were used as inputs for the NEWFM and this resulted in performance sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 96.33%, 100%, and 98.17%, respectively. In addition, the area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to measure the performances of NEWFM both without and with feature selections.

Molecular detection of various rickettsiae in mites (acari: trombiculidae) in southern Jeolla Province, Korea.

This study revealed the presence of various rickettsial agents in mites from wild rodents collected in Southern Jeolla Province, Korea, by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis of a partial citrate synthase and rickettsia outer membrane protein B genes. Rickettsial agents closely related to the Rickettsia species TwKM02, R. australis, and the Rickettsia species Cf15 were successfully identified in this study, for the first time in Korea, and R. japonica, R. akari, R. conorii, R. felis, and R. typhi were also detected, as previously described. The data presented in this paper extend knowledge on the geographic distribution of SFG rickettsiae in eastern Asia and it may necessary to consider the role of mites in rickettsial transmission.

Protein patterning by maskless photolithography on hydrophilic polymer-grafted surface.

With the help of a microfabrication process and surface modification technology, a method of fabricating protein patterned chips was developed which can be utilized as a powerful tool for performing bioassays in a high-throughput manner. A digital micromirror array (MMA) system was used as a virtual photomask, so that a maskless photolithography process was able to be used to build patterned biomolecules on a chip by selective illumination onto the chip surface. We utilized the nitroveratryloxycarbonyl (NVOC) group as a photolabile protecting group for protein patterning. The NVOC-protected surface was selectively irradiated by a UV illuminator using an MMA. After removing the NVOC group, biotin was coupled to the NVOC-cleaved site, onto which a buffered streptavidin solution was eluted. At this point, we could obtain a streptavidin-patterned surface and observe the effect of the polymer-grafted surface in reducing nonspecific binding.

Prediction of sound level at high-frequency bands by means of a simplified boundary element method.

A simplified boundary element method (BEM) for dealing with high-frequency sound is proposed. The boundary integral equation is modified into a quadratic form to enable the prediction of sound levels in the one-third octave band analysis. Monopole and dipole source terms in the conventional BEM are transformed into the auto- and cross-spectra of two vibrating sources, in which the cross-spectra are eventually neglected by assuming that the correlation coefficients involved are negligible. The present method is compared with the Rayleigh integral for calculating the sound pressure radiated from a baffled panel, in terms of the application limit. The characteristic length of the boundary element and the applicable frequency range can be determined by the lower limit value of the correlation coefficient. As a test example, the field pressure radiated from a partially vibrating sphere is predicted and the resultant trend is in good agreement with the analytic solution as far as the related correlation coefficient satisfies the assumption. The overdetermination process for overcoming nonuniqueness in exterior radiation problems is unnecessary in the present method because phase information can be ignored. The results of the calculation show that the proposed method is acceptable for solving the exterior radiation problem at a high-frequency range in a timely manner.