CWAS-Plus: Estimating category-wide association of rare noncoding variation from whole-genome sequencing data with cell-type-specific functional data.

Variants in cis-regulatory elements link the noncoding genome to human brain pathology; however, detailed analytic tools for understanding the association between cell-level brain pathology and noncoding variants are lacking. CWAS-Plus, adapted from a Python package for category-wide association testing (CWAS) employs both whole-genome sequencing and user-provided functional data to enhance noncoding variant analysis, with a faster and more efficient execution of the CWAS workflow. Here, we used single-nuclei assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing to facilitate CWAS-guided noncoding variant analysis at cell-type specific enhancers and promoters. Examining autism spectrum disorder whole-genome sequencing data (n = 7,280), CWAS-Plus identified noncoding de novo variant associations in transcription factor binding sites within conserved loci. Independently, in Alzheimer's disease whole-genome sequencing data (n = 1,087), CWAS-Plus detected rare noncoding variant associations in microglia-specific regulatory elements. These findings highlight CWAS-Plus's utility in genomic disorders and scalability for processing large-scale whole-genome sequencing data and in multiple-testing corrections. CWAS-Plus and its user manual are available at https://github.com/joonan-lab/cwas/ and https://cwas-plus.readthedocs.io/en/latest/, respectively.

Characteristics of consecutive versus non-consecutive frequent emergency medical services transport to a single emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to examine characteristics concerning frequent users of emergency medical services (EMS) transport by comparing patients who used EMS transport frequently for one year and those who used EMS transport for more than two years consecutively. METHODS: A retrospective review for frequent use of EMS transport was conducted. The patients from the fire stations that transported more than 70% of all EMS transport to the study hospital emergency department (ED) were included. The study subjects were divided into consecutive group (frequent EMS transport for ≥ two years consecutively) and non-consecutive group (frequent EMS transport for only one year). Characteristics of patients who were frequent users of EMS transport and those of all cases with EMS transport were examined. RESULTS: Of the total 205 patients and 1204 cases of frequent EMS transport, 85 (42%) patients and 755 (63%) cases were in the consecutive group. Patients in the consecutive group were more likely to have risky alcohol use, unemployed state, and medical aid type of payment for ED treatment than those in the non-consecutive group. More patients had previous experience of EMS transport to the study hospital ED in the consecutive group and the number of cases with alcohol ingestion was higher in the consecutive group. Elapsed time from EMS call to ED arrival was longer for the consecutive group. CONCLUSION: Risky alcohol use, unemployed state, and previous experience of EMS transport were associated with consecutive and frequent use of EMS transport in frequent users of EMS transport.

Short tandem repeat expansions in cortical layer-specific genes implicate in phenotypic severity and adaptability of autism spectrum disorder.

AIM: Short tandem repeats (STRs) are repetitive DNA sequences and highly mutable in various human disorders. While the involvement of STRs in various genetic disorders has been extensively studied, their role in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains largely unexplored. In this study, we aimed to investigate genetic association of STR expansions with ASD using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and identify risk loci associated with ASD phenotypes. METHODS: We analyzed WGS data of 634 ASD families and performed genome-wide evaluation for 12,929 STR loci. We found rare STR expansions that exceeded normal repeat lengths in autism cases compared to unaffected controls. By integrating single cell RNA and ATAC sequencing datasets of human postmortem brains, we prioritized STR loci in genes specifically expressed in cortical development stages. A deep learning method was used to predict functionality of ASD-associated STR loci. RESULTS: In ASD cases, rare STR expansions predominantly occurred in early cortical layer-specific genes involved in neurodevelopment, highlighting the cellular specificity of STR-associated genes in ASD risk. Leveraging deep learning prediction models, we demonstrated that these STR expansions disrupted the regulatory activity of enhancers and promoters, suggesting a potential mechanism through which they contribute to ASD pathogenesis. We found that individuals with ASD-associated STR expansions exhibited more severe ASD phenotypes and diminished adaptability compared to non-carriers. CONCLUSION: Short tandem repeat expansions in cortical layer-specific genes are associated with ASD and could potentially be a risk genetic factor for ASD. Our study is the first to show evidence of STR expansion associated with ASD in an under-investigated population.

Chemical Structure-Physicochemical Property Relationships of Copolymers Utilizable for Negative-Tone Photoimaging via Chemical Amplification.

We demonstrate an understanding of different physicochemical properties of copolymers induced by systematic changes in their structural parameters, i.e., the chemical structure of the comonomer unit, composition, molecular weight, and dispersity. The terpolymers were designed to be implemented in a chemically amplified resist (CAR) to form negative-tone patterns. With two basic repeating units of 4-hydroxystyrene and 2-ethyl-2-methacryloxyadamantane as monomers for conventional CARs, the pendant group of the third methacrylate comonomer was varied from aromatic, aliphatic lactone to lactone rings to modulate the interaction capability of the copolymer chains with n-butyl acetate, which is a negative-tone developer. Along with these structures, the monomer composition, molecular weight, and dispersity were also controlled. Physicochemical properties of the synthesized copolymers having controlled structures, i.e., dissolution behaviors and quantified Hansen solubility parameters, surface wetting characteristics, and surface roughness, which can be important properties affecting patterning capability in high-resolution lithography, were explored. Furthermore, the feasibility to use experimentally determined Hansen solubility parameters of the copolymers for the prediction of pattern formation using a coarse-grained model was assessed. Our comprehensive studies on the correlation of the structural parameters of the copolymers with final properties offer fundamental avenues to attain effective designs of the complex CAR system toward the lithographic process to achieve a sub-10 nm dimension, which is close to a single-chain dimension.

Depression and Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Adults Without Clinical Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between depression and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals is not clear. We evaluated this relationship in a Korean population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed 3920 individuals (mean age 54.7±7.9 years and 2603 men [66.4%]) with no history of coronary artery disease who voluntarily underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography and screening for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory as part of a general health examination. The degree and extent of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis were evaluated by coronary computed tomographic angiography, and ≥50% diameter stenosis was defined as significant. Participants were categorized into groups of those with or without depression using the Beck Depression Inventory scores ≥16 as a cutoff value. Of the study participants, 272 (6.9%) had a Beck Depression Inventory score of 16 or higher. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, depression was not significantly associated with any coronary plaque (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.05 [95% CI, 0.78-1.41]; P=0.746), calcified plaque (OR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.71-1.29]; P=0.758), noncalcified plaque (OR, 1.31 [95% CI, 0.79-2.17]; P=0.305), mixed plaque (OR, 1.16 [95% CI, 0.60-2.23]; P=0.659), or significant coronary artery stenosis (OR, 1.22 [95% CI, 0.73-2.03]; P=0.450). In the propensity score-matched population (n=1318) as well, none of the coronary artery disease measures of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis were statistically significantly associated with depression (all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this large cross-sectional study with asymptomatic individuals undergoing coronary computed tomographic angiography and Beck Depression Inventory evaluation, depression was not associated with an increased risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Authentication of Allium ulleungense, A. microdictyon and A. ochotense based on super-barcoding of plastid genome and 45S nrDNA.

Allium ulleungense (AU) and A. microdictyon (AM) are valuable medicinal and edible vegetables, referred to as mountain garlic in Korea. The identification of AU, AM and a neighboring species A. ochotense (AO) is difficult because of their morphological similarities. We collected samples from three species and 46 cultivated collections to understand the genetic diversity of these valuable Allium species. Among them, we sequenced six collections, including three species and three cultivating collections to obtain data from the plastid genome (plastome) and nuclear 45S ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) for super-barcoding. The AM and AO showed around 60 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 39 Insertion/Deletion (InDels) in the plastome but no variations in the nrDNA sequences. Conversely, the AU and AM showed more than 170 SNPs and 80 InDels in the plastomes, and 20 SNPs and 1 InDel were found in the 45S nrDNA sequences. Among the three cultivating collections, one TB collection was determined to be the AU type in both plastome and nrDNA sequences. However, the other two collections, JB and SA, showed the AM type plastome but were heterozygous in the 45S nrDNA sequences, indicating both AU and AM types (putative AM x AU hybrid). Ten molecular markers were developed based on sequence variations to identify these three species and assess their genetic diversity. A total of 49 collections were genotyped using the ten developed markers and classified into five groups: 14 AU, 22 AM, 1 AO, 3 putative AM x AU hybrids, and 9 putative AU x AM hybrid collections. Super-barcoding with plastomes and nrDNAs revealed the genetic diversity of the three Allium species and putative hybrids between species. The newly developed markers will facilitate species and hybrid identification, thereby benefiting marker-assisted molecular breeding of Allium species.

Differential Impact of Degree of Hypertension on Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Subjects With and Without Diabetes Mellitus.

This study sought to evaluate the association between the degree of hypertension and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). We retrospectively analyzed 7,352 asymptomatic subjects (mean age 52.8 ± 7.8 years; 4,689 [63.8%] men) with no history of coronary artery disease who voluntarily underwent coronary computed tomography angiography as part of a general health examination. The classification of hypertension was adapted from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association 2017 guideline. Subclinical coronary atherosclerosis was defined as the presence of coronary plaque by coronary computed tomography angiography. In subjects without DM (n = 6,598), after the adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical coronary atherosclerosis was significantly associated with both stage 1 hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.356; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.167 to 1.575; p <0.001) and stage 2 hypertension (aOR, 1.614; 95% CI, 1.329 to 1.961; p <0.001) groups compared with the normal group. In contrast, in subjects with DM (n = 754), there was no statistical difference in the aOR of the stage 1 hypertension group for the presence of coronary plaque (aOR, 1.449; 95% CI, 0.982 to 2.136; p = 0.061). However, the stage 2 hypertension group had a significant association with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis (aOR, 2.067; 95% CI, 1.287 to 3.322; p = 0.003). In subjects without DM, both stages 1 and 2 hypertension were associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. However, in subjects with DM, stage 2 hypertension was only associated with an increased risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Fabricated Using Spin Coating of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) and ZnO Composite.

In this context, the open-circuit voltage generated by either poly (vinylidene fluoride) or PVDF and ZnO composite sample before being enhanced to 4.2 V compared to 1.2 V for the samples of pure PVDF. The spin coating method was used to create a composite film, which served as a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG). Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and PVDF serve as the matrix for the coating structure. Thin films were created that employed the spin coating method to achieve the desired results of ZnO's non-brittle outcome and piezoelectric characteristics, as well as PVDF for use in self-powered devices. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) were used to evaluate the properties of these formations. The electrical properties of the film were measured using an oscilloscope. Results indicated that by adding ZnO nanoparticles to the PVDF samples, piezoelectric capabilities were enhanced compared to samples containing PVDF only. These results point to promising uses for various wearable devices, such as water strider robot systems and self-operating equipment.

Persistent impacts of smoking on resting-state EEG in male chronic smokers and past-smokers with 20 years of abstinence.

Smoking is a severe addictive health risk behavior and notorious for the high likelihood of relapse after attempted cessation. Such an addictive pattern in smoking has been associated with neurobiological changes in the brain. However, little is known whether the neural changes associated with chronic smoking persist after a long period of successful abstinence. To address this question, we examined resting state EEG (rsEEG) in chronic smokers who have been smoking for 20 years or more, past-smokers who have been successfully abstaining for 20 years or more, and never-smokers. Both current-smokers and past-smokers showed significantly decreased relative theta power than never-smokers, showcasing persistent effect of smoking on the brain. Other rsEEG features in alpha frequency band demonstrated distinctive patterns associated with active smoking, such that compared to never-smokers, only current-smokers, but not past-smokers, showed significantly higher relative power, EEG reactivity-power changes between eyes-closed and eyes-open conditions-, and coherence between channels. Furthermore, individual variabilities across these rsEEG biomarkers were accounted for by individuals' self-reported smoking history and nicotine dependence in current- and past- smokers. These data suggest the persistent effect of smoking on the brain even after sustained remission for 20 years.

Deflection Test of Wire-Integrated Steel Deck Plates with Various End Details.

This experimental study was conducted to evaluate the deflection performance of wire-integrated steel deck plates with various end details subjected to cumulative gravity loads. In general, when deck plates are installed in the Republic of Korea, vertical bars are mounted at the ends of the wire-integrated deck plates. However, this process can extend the construction time, thus incurring additional costs. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the structural performance of a deck plate when a lattice foot-rather than a vertical bar-is installed at the end of it. A total of nine specimens were prepared; the experimental variables included the end details, height of the lattice truss girder, and structure type. To evaluate the deflection performance, the cumulative gravity load (as a construction load) and a concrete self-weight were applied to the specimens, and the deflections of each specimen were measured. In the experimental results, the deflection values of the specimen with vertical bars were 0.9~6.1 mm, while those for the specimen without vertical bars were 0.8~5.0 mm. This means that a lattice foot exhibits better deflection performance than conventional end details. Additionally, the deflection of the specimens satisfied the deflection limits required in the relevant standards.

Brief Report: Risk Variants Could Inform Early Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Children with Developmental Disabilities.

The aim of this study was to examine genetic variations underlying the early neurodevelopmental outcome of developmental disabilities (DDs). The study cohort consisted of 191 children with DDs. Diagnosis was assessed at baseline and at the index age (72-84 months). Exome sequencing was conducted and putative risk variants were identified. According to the diagnostic improvement, children were categorized into the improvement group (n = 19) and the non-improvement group (n = 172). Compared to the non-improvement group, the improvement group had lower number of risk variants in known DD genes and haploinsufficient genes, and lower number of overall putative risk variants. Our results may serve as a preliminary basis for developing a model that informs clinical outcome by sequencing analysis.

Characterization of the Core Determinants of Social Influence From a Computational and Cognitive Perspective.

Most human decisions are made among social others, and in what social context the choices are made is known to influence individuals' decisions. Social influence has been noted as an important factor that may nudge individuals to take more risks (e.g., initiation of substance use), but ironically also help individuals to take safer actions (e.g., successful abstinence). Such bi-directional impacts of social influence hint at the complexity of social information processing. Here, we first review the recent computational approaches that shed light on neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying social influence following basic computations involved in decision-making: valuation, action selection, and learning. We next review the studies on social influence from various fields including neuroeconomics, developmental psychology, social psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, and highlight three dimensions of determinants-who are the recipients, how the social contexts are presented, and to what domains and processes of decisions the influence is applied-that modulate the extent to which individuals are influenced by others. Throughout the review, we also introduce the brain regions that were suggested as neural instantiations of social influence from a large body of functional neuroimaging studies. Finally, we outline the remaining questions to be addressed in the translational application of computational and cognitive theories of social influence to psychopathology and health.

Glioblastoma-Derived Exosomes as Nanopharmaceutics for Improved Glioma Treatment.

The use of cancer-derived exosomes has been studied in several cancer types, but the cancer-targeting efficacy of glioma-derived exosomes has not been investigated in depth for malignant glioblastoma (GBM) cells. In this study, exosomes were derived from U87MG human glioblastoma cells, and selumetinib, a new anticancer drug, was loaded into the exosomes. We observed the tropism of GBM-derived exosomes in vitro and in vivo. We found that the tropism of GBM-derived exosomes is in contrast to the behavior of non-exosome-enveloped drugs and non-GBM-specific exosomes in vitro and in vivo in an animal GBM model. We found that the tropism exhibited by GBM-derived exosomes can be utilized to shuttle selumetinib, with no specific targeting moiety, to GBM tumor sites. Therefore, our findings indicated that GBM-derived exosomes loaded with selumetinib had a specific antitumor effect on U87MG cells and were non-toxic to normal brain cells. These exosomes offer improved therapeutic prospects for glioblastoma therapy.

Marital Status and Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Individuals.

Background Data are limited on the association between marital status and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. This study investigated the influence of marital status on subclinical coronary atherosclerosis detected by coronary computed tomographic angiography in an asymptomatic population. Methods and Results This retrospective study analyzed 9288 asymptomatic individuals (mean age, 53.7±8.0 years; 6041 [65%] men) with no history of coronary artery disease who voluntarily underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography during a general health examination. Marital categories were married (n=8481) versus unmarried (n=807), comprising never married (n=195), divorced (n=183), separated (n=119), and widowed (n=310) individuals. The degree and extent of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis were evaluated by coronary computed tomographic angiography; ≥50% diameter stenosis was defined as significant. Logistic regression and propensity score matching analyses were used to determine the association between marital status and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, no significant differences were observed in the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of unmarried status for any coronary plaque (OR, 1.077; 95% CI, 0.899-1.291), calcified plaque (OR, 1.058; 95% CI, 0.881-1.271), noncalcified plaque (OR, 0.966; 95% CI, 0.691-1.351), mixed plaque (OR, 1.301; 95% CI, 0.884-1.917), and significant coronary artery stenosis (OR, 1.066; 95% CI, 0.771-1.474). Similarly, in the 2:1 propensity-score matched population (n=2398), no statistically significant differences were observed for the OR of marital status for any subclinical coronary atherosclerosis (P>0.05 for all). Conclusions In this large cross-sectional study, marital status was not associated with an increased risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Serum phosphorus and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects without kidney dysfunction.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is limited data on the association between serum phosphorus concentration (SPC) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in low-risk asymptomatic subjects without kidney dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1,636 Korean individuals (mean age 52.6 ± 7.6 years; males: 712 (43.5%)) without traditional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and kidney dysfunction who voluntarily underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as part of a general health examination. Traditional CVRFs were defined as follows: systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg, fasting blood glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL, hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5%, total cholesterol ≥ 240 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥ 160 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 40 mg/dL, body mass index ≥ 25.0 kg/m2, currently smoking, and medical history of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Study participants were stratified into tertiles according to their SPC levels (≤ 3.2, 3.3 - 3.6, and ≥ 3.7 mg/dL). RESULTS: 297 (18.2%) study participants had subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, characterized by any coronary plaque on CCTA. In multivariable regression analysis, the risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis increased in the second (odds ratio (OR): 1.629; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.149 - 2.308; p = 0.006) and third (OR: 1.645; 95% CI: 1.093 - 2.476; p = 0.017) SPC tertiles compared to the first SPC tertile. In addition, the risk of calcified plaque increased in the second (OR: 1.605; 95% CI: 1.124 - 2.292; p = 0.009) and third (OR 1.790; 95% CI 1.179 - 2.716; p = 0.006) SPC tertiles. CONCLUSION: In low-risk asymptomatic Korean individuals without kidney dysfunction, a higher SPC level was an independent predictor of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Effect of Structural Fine-Tuning on Chelate Stability and Liver Uptake of Anionic MRI Contrast Agents.

The purpose of this study is to assess the physicochemical properties and MRI diagnostic efficacy of two newly synthesized 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-type Gd chelates, Gd-SucL and Gd-GluL, with an asymmetric α-substituted pendant arm as potential hepatocyte-specific magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents (MRI CAs). Our findings show that fine conformational changes in the chelating arm affect the in vivo pharmacokinetic behavior of the MRI CA, and that a six-membered chelating substituent of Gd-SucL is more advantageous in this system to avoid unwanted interactions with endogenous species. Gd-SucL exhibited a general DOTA-like chelate stability trend, indicating that all chelating arms retain coordination bonding. Finally, the in vivo diagnostic efficacy of highly stable Gd-SucL as a potential hepatocyte-specific MRI CA was evaluated using T1-weighted MR imaging on an orthotopic hepatocarcinoma model.

Lipoprotein(a) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There are limited data regarding the association between lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. This study investigated the association between Lp(a) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis detected by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in an asymptomatic population. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 7201 asymptomatic individuals (mean age 54.4 ± 7.9 years; 65.3% men with no prior history of coronary artery disease who voluntarily underwent CCTA as part of a general health examination). The degree and extent of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis were evaluated by CCTA. Study participants were stratified into quartiles according to their Lp(a) levels (<4.3, 4.3-8.9, 9.0-20.1, and ≥20.2 mg/dL). RESULTS: Of the study participants, any coronary plaque on CCTA was observed in 2557 (35.5%). Specifically, calcified, non-calcified, and mixed plaques were observed in 2411 (33.5%), 363 (5.0%) and 249 (3.5%) participants, respectively. After adjustment for the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, the fourth Lp(a) quartile was significantly associated with any coronary (odds ratio [OR] 1.212; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.038-1.416), calcified (1.205, 95% CI 1.030-1.410), non-calcified (1.588, 95% CI 1.152-2.189), or mixed (1.674, 95% CI 1.172-2.391) plaque compared with the first Lp(a) quartile. In addition, 442 (6.1%) had significant coronary artery stenosis (≥50% diameter stenosis). The odds ratio for significant stenosis (1.537, 95% CI 1.153-2.048) was higher in the fourth quartile compared with the first quartile. CONCLUSIONS: In this large cross-sectional study with asymptomatic individuals undergoing CCTA, higher Lp(a) level was associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Blocking chemical warfare agent simulants by graphene oxide/polymer multilayer membrane based on hydrogen bonding and size sieving effect.

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are toxic materials that cause death by contact with the skin or by respiration. Although studies on detoxification of CWAs have been intensively conducted, studies that block CWAs permeation are rare. In this study, for blocking CWAs, a multilayer thin film composed of linear polyethylenimine (LPEI) and graphene oxide (GO) is simply prepared through a spray-assisted Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly process. LPEI could change its morphology dependent on pH, which is known as a representative hydrogen donor and acceptor. By controlling the shape of the polymer chain, a heterogenous film could have a loose or dense inner structure. CWAs mainly move through diffusion and have hydrogen bonding sites. Therefore, the heterogeneous film can limit CWAs movement based on controlling pathways and hydrogen bonds within the film. The protective effect of this membrane is investigated using dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a nerve gas simulant. DMMP vapor transmittance rate (DVTR) and N2 permeance of LPEI/GO are 67.91 g/m2 day and 34,293.04 GPU. It means that the protection efficiency is 72.65%. Although this membrane has a thin thickness (100 nm), it shows a high protective effect with good breathability. And water/DMMP selectivity of the membrane is 66.63. Since this multilayer membrane shows efficient protection performance with a simple preparation method, it has a high potential for applications such as protective suits and masks.

Frequency and Significance of Right Bundle Branch Block and Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Individuals.

Limited data exist regarding the association between right bundle branch block (RBBB) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. This study investigated the influence of RBBB on subclinical coronary atherosclerosis detected by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in an asymptomatic population. We retrospectively analyzed 7,205 asymptomatic individuals (mean age 54.4 ± 7.9 years and 4,695 men [65.2%]) with no prior history of coronary artery disease who voluntarily underwent CCTA and 12-lead electrocardiographic evaluation as part of a general health examination. The degree and extent of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis were evaluated by CCTA, and ≥50% diameter stenosis was defined as significant. The association between RBBB and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis was determined by logistic regression and propensity score matching analyses. Of study participants, 116 (1.6%) had RBBB. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, there were no statistically significant differences in the adjusted odds ratios of RBBB for any atherosclerotic plaque (0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57 to 1.32), calcified plaque (0.78, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.19), noncalcified plaque (1.44, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.69), mixed plaque (1.12, 95% CI 0.52 to 2.39), and significant coronary artery stenosis (0.92, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.74). Similarly, in the 5: 1 propensity score-matched population (n = 696), there were no statistically significant differences in the odds ratios for any subclinical coronary atherosclerosis between participants with and without RBBB (p for all >0.05). In conclusion, through this large cross-sectional study of asymptomatic individuals who underwent CCTA and electrocardiography evaluation, individuals with RBBB were not associated with an increased risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis compared with those without RBBB.

Germinated Rhynchosia nulubilis Fermented with Lactobacillus pentosus SC65 Reduces Particulate Matter Induced Type II Alveolar Epithelial Apoptotic Cell Death.

Particulate matter (PM) is a significant environmental pollutant that promotes respiratory diseases, including lung injury and inflammation, by inducing oxidative stress. Rhynchosia nulubilis (black soybean) is traditionally used to prevent chronic respiratory disease via inducing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus pentosus SC65 fermented GR (GR-SC65) and Pediococcus pentosaceus ON81A (GR-ON81A) against PM-induced oxidative stress and cell death in A549 cells, we performed the 2-7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and cell counting kit-8 assays, as well as Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining and western blotting. GR-SC65 showed the highest total polyphenolic contents and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylidrazil radical scavenging activity among lactic acid bacteria-fermented GRs (p < 0.001 vs. GR). Four soy peptides, ß-conglycinin breakdowns (INAENNQRNF, ISSEDKPFN, LAFPGSAQAVEK, and LAFPGSAKDIEN), were detected in GR-SC65, but not in GR. In GR-SC65, PM-induced A549 cell death was less than that observed in GR-ON81A and GR (p < 0.001 vs. PM-treated group). GR-SC65 significantly decreased intracellular reactive oxidative species (ROS) when compared with PM (*** p < 0.001 vs. PM). GR-SC65 decreased the levels of BAX, active caspase-9, -3, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) proteins (#p < 0.01, ###p < 0.001 vs. PM), while increasing the level of BCL-2 protein, a mitochondrial anti-apoptotic protein (###p < 0.001 vs. PM). Our findings indicate that GR-SC65 inhibited PM-induced cell death by suppressing the levels of ROS, active caspase-9 and -3, and PARP proteins, while enhancing the level of BCL-2 protein in type II alveolar epithelial A549 cells. Therefore, GR-SC65 might be a potential therapeutic and preventive agent against PM-induced lung injury.