Anthropomorphic Design: Emotional Perception for Deformable Object

Despite the increasing number of studies on user experience (UX) and user interfaces (UI), few studies have examined emotional interaction between humans and deformable objects. In the current study, we investigated how the anthropomorphic design of a flexible display interacts with emotion. For 101 unique 3D images in which an object was bent at different axes, 281 participants were asked to report how strongly the object evoked five elemental emotions (e.g., happiness, disgust, anger, fear, and sadness) in an online survey. People rated the object’s shape using three emotional categories: happiness, disgust–anger, and sadness–fear. It was also found that a combination of axis of bending (horizontal or diagonal axis) and convexity (bending convexly or concavely) predicted emotional valence, underpinning the anthropomorphic design of flexible displays. Our findings provide empirical evidence that axis of bending and convexity can be an important antecedent of emotional interaction with flexible objects, triggering at least three types of emotion in users

Effect of blood pressure and glycemic control on the plasma cell-free DNA in hemodialysis patients

AbstractBackgroundThe plasma levels of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) are known to be elevated under inflammatory or apoptotic conditions. Increased cfDNA levels have been reported in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of cfDNA in HD patients.MethodsA total of 95 patients on HD were enrolled. We measured their predialysis cfDNA levels using real-time EIF2C1 gene sequence amplification and analyzed its association with certain clinical parameters.ResultsThe mean plasma cfDNA level in the HD patients was 3,884 ± 407 GE/mL, and the mean plasma cfDNA level in the control group was 1,420 ± 121 GE/mL (P < 0.05). Diabetic patients showed higher plasma cfDNA levels compared with nondiabetic patients (P < 0.01). Patients with cardiovascular complications also showed higher plasma cfDNA levels compared with those without cardiovascular complication (P < 0.05). In univariable analysis, the cfDNA level was associated with 3-month mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), white blood cell, serum albumin, creatinine (Cr), normalized protein catabolic rate in HD patients. In diabetic patients, it was significantly correlated with SBP, hemoglobin A1c, and serum albumin. In multivariate analysis, SBP was the independent determinant for the cfDNA level. In diabetic patients, cfDNA level was independently associated with hemoglobin A1c and SBP.ConclusionsIn patients with HD, cfDNA is elevated in diabetic patients and patients with cardiovascular diseases. Uncontrolled hypertension and poor glycemic control are independent determinants for the elevated cfDNA. Our data suggest that cfDNA might be a marker of vascular injury rather than proinflammatory condition in HD patients

Preparation and Characterization of Self-Emulsified Docetaxel

The aim of this paper was to prepare a self-microemulsifying docetaxel (Dtx) using PLGA, Tetraglycol, Labrasol, and Cremophor ELP. The prepared Dtx-loaded self-microemulsifying system (SMES) showed the initial size of the range of 80–100 nm with narrow size distribution and the negative zeta-potential values. Its morphology was a spherical shape by atomic force microscopy. In experiment of stability, Dtx-loaded SMES prepared in DW and BSA condition showed good stability at 37∘C for 7 days. The viability of the B16F10 cells incubated with Dtx-loaded SMES, Dtx-solution, and Taxol were decreased as a function of incubation time. In conclusion, we confirmed that Dtx-loaded SMES showed an inhibitory effect for proliferation of B16F10 melanoma cells

A transcriptomic analysis of serial-cultured, tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells reveals decreased integrin α3 protein as a potential biomarker of senescent cells

Abstract Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used for stem cell therapy, and serial passage of stem cells is often required to obtain sufficient cell numbers for practical applications in regenerative medicine. A long-term serial cell expansion can potentially induce replicative senescence, which leads to a progressive decline in stem cell function and stemness, losing multipotent characteristics. To improve the therapeutic efficiency of stem cell therapy, it would be important to identify specific biomarkers for senescent cells. Methods Tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (TMSCs) with 20–25 passages were designated as culture-aged TMSCs, and their mesodermal differentiation potentials as well as markers of senescence and stemness were compared with the control TMSCs passaged up to 8 times at the most (designated as young). A whole-genome analysis was used to identify novel regulatory factors that distinguish between the culture-aged and control TMSCs. The identified markers of replicative senescence were validated using Western blot analyses. Results The culture-aged TMSCs showed longer doubling time compared to control TMSCs and had higher expression of senescence-associated (SA)-β-gal staining but lower expression of the stemness protein markers, including Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2 with decreased adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation potentials. Microarray analyses identified a total of 18,614 differentially expressed genes between the culture-aged and control TMSCs. The differentially expressed genes were classified into the Gene Ontology categories of cellular component (CC), functional component (FC), and biological process (BP) using KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathway analysis. This analysis revealed that those genes associated with CC and BP showed the most significant difference between the culture-aged and control TMSCs. The genes related to extracellular matrix-receptor interactions were also shown to be significantly different (p < 0.001). We also found that culture-aged TMSCs had decreased expressions of integrin α3 (ITGA3) and phosphorylated AKT protein (p-AKT-Ser473) compared to the control TMSCs. Conclusions Our data suggest that activation of ECM-receptor signaling, specifically involved with integrin family-mediated activation of the intracellular cell survival-signaling molecule AKT, can regulate stem cell senescence in TMSCs. Among these identified factors, ITGA3 was found to be a representative biomarker of the senescent TMSCs. Exclusion of the TMSCs with the senescent TMSC markers in this study could potentially increase the therapeutic efficacy of TMSCs in clinical applications

Familial Correlation and Heritability of Hand Grip Strength in Korean Adults (Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014 to 2019)

Background The onset and progression of sarcopenia are highly variable among individuals owing to genetic and environmental factors. However, there are a limited number of studies measuring the heritability of muscle strength in large numbers of parent-adult offspring pairs. We aimed to investigate the familial correlation and heritability of hand grip strength (HGS) among Korean adults. Methods This family-based cohort study on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014 to 2019) included 5,004 Koreans aged ≥19 years from 1,527 families. HGS was measured using a digital grip strength dynamometer. Familial correlations of HGS were calculated in different pairs of relatives. Variance component methods were used to estimate heritability. Results The heritability estimate of HGS among Korean adults was 0.154 (standard error, 0.066). Correlation coefficient estimates for HGS between parent-offspring, sibling, and spouse pairs were significant at 0.07, 0.10, and 0.23 (p<0.001, p=0.041, and p<0.001, respectively). The total variance in the HGS phenotype was explained by additive genetic (15.4%), shared environmental (11.0%), and unique environmental (73.6%) influences. The odds of weak HGS significantly increased in the offspring of parents with weak HGS (odds ratio [OR], 1.69–3.10; p=0.027–0.038), especially in daughters (OR, 2.04–4.64; p=0.029–0.034). Conclusion HGS exhibits a familial correlation and significant heritable tendency in Korean adults. Therefore, Asian adults, especially women, who have parents with weak HGS, need to pay special attention to their muscle health with the help of healthy environmental stimuli

Bilateral Spontaneous Perirenal Hemorrhage due to Initial Presentation of Polyarteritis Nodosa

Spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage (SPH) is uncommon but can be a life-threatening condition which is associated with flank or abdominal pain and hypovolemia. The etiologies of SPH include tumor, vascular disease, and infection. Among the vascular diseases, polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is common cause of the SPH. However, patients with PAN usually complain of nonspecific symptoms and the incidence of PAN is relatively rare. So, diagnosis is difficult even though tissue biopsy and angiography help to confirm the PAN. Particularly bilateral perirenal hemorrhage is very rare complication in patients with PAN. We reported a case of bilateral perirenal hemorrhage in the patients with PAN who have continued to take exogenous sex hormone

Artemisia argyi extract alleviates inflammation in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model and enhances immunomodulatory effects in lymphoid tissues

Abstract Background The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal system has increased. IBD, characterized by aberrant immune responses against antigens, is thought to be caused by the invasion of enterobacteria. The pathogenesis of IBD is complicated, hence novel effective therapeutic agents are warranted. Therefore, this study evaluates the potential of Artemisia argyi, a medicinal herb, in alleviating IBD. Methods The effectiveness of the A. argyi ethanol extract was verified both in vitro and in vivo. Inflammation was induced in RAW 264.7 cells by 1μg/mL of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and by3% dextran sodium sulfate(DSS) in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model. During the ten-day colitis induction, 200mg/kg of A. argyi ethanol extract was orally administered to the treatment group. Levels of inflammation-related proteins and genes were analyzed in the colon, serum, and lymphoid tissues, i.e., Peyers patches (PPs) and spleen. The chemical constituent of the A. argyi ethanol extract was identified using an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis. Results A. argyi ethanol extract treatment ameliorated IBD symptoms and reduced the expression of inflammation-related proteins and genes in the colon and serum samples. Furthermore, A. argyi treatment induced the activation of anti-oxidative associated proteins, such as nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1); and the treatment have also inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a central mediator of inflammatory responses. A. argyi enhanced the immunomodulatory effects in the PPs and spleen, which may stem from interleukin-10 (IL-10) upregulation. Chemical analysis identified a total of 28 chemical compounds, several of which have been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusions The effectiveness of the A. argyi ethanol extract in alleviating IBD was demonstrated; application of the extract successfully mitigated IBD symptoms, and enhanced immunomodulatory responses in lymphoid tissues. These findings suggest A. argyi as a promising herbal medicine for IBD treatment

Association of plasma amyloid-β oligomerization with theta/beta ratio in older adults

BackgroundOligomeric Aβ (OAβ) is a promising candidate marker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a potential tool for early detection of AD. Still, whether EEG power ratios, particularly the theta/alpha ratio (TAR) and theta/beta ratio (TBR), reflect Aβ burden—a primary mechanism underlying cognitive impairment and AD. This study investigated the association of TAR and TBR with amyloid burden in older adults based on MDS-OAβ levels.Methods529 individuals (aged ≥60 years) were recruited. All participants underwent EEG (MINDD SCAN, Ybrain Inc., South Korea) and AlzOn™ test (PeopleBio Inc., Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea) for quantifying MDS-OAβ values in the plasma. EEG variables were log-transformed to normalize the data distribution. Using the MDS-OAβ cutoff value (0.78 ng/mL), all participants were classified into two groups: high MDS-OAβ and low MDS-OAβ.ResultsParticipants with high MDS-OAβ levels had significantly higher TARs and TBRs than those with low MDS-OAβ levels. The log-transformed TBRs in the central lobe (β = 0.161, p = 0.0026), frontal lobe (β = 0.145, p = 0.0044), parietal lobe (β = 0.166, p = 0.0028), occipital lobe (β = 0.158, p = 0.0058), and temporal lobe (beta = 0.162, p = 0.0042) were significantly and positively associated with increases in MDS-OAβ levels. After adjusting for the Bonferroni correction, the TBRs in all lobe regions, except the occipital lobe, were significantly associated with increased MDS-OAβ levels.ConclusionWe found a significant association of MDS-OAβ with TBR in older adults. This finding indicates that an increase in amyloid burden may be associated with an increase in the low-frequency band and a decrease in the relatively high-frequency band

Is Myocardial Infarction in Patients without Significant Stenosis on a Coronary Angiogram as Benign as Believed?

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and 1-year outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients without significant stenosis on a coronary angiogram comparison with the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with significant coronary artery stenosis. A total of 1,220 patients with AMI were retrospectively classified into Group I (≥50% diameter stenosis, n=1,120) and Group II (<50%, n=100). Group II was further divided into two subgroups according to the underlying etiology: cryptogenic (Group II-a, n=54) and those with possible causative factors (Group II-b, n=46). Patients in Group II were younger, were more likely to be women, and were less likely to smoke and to have diabetes mellitus than were patients in Group I. The levels of cardiac enzymes, LDL-cholesterol levels, and the apo-B/A1 ratio were lower in Group II. However, 1-month and 12-month rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were not significantly different between the two groups. The Group II-b subgroup comprised 29 patients with vasospasm, 11 with myocardial bridge, and 6 with spontaneous thrombolysis. Left ventricular ejection fraction and creatinine clearance were lower and levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were higher in Group II-a than in Group II-b. However, outcomes including MACE and mortality at 12 months were not significantly different between the two subgroups. The 1-year outcomes of patients in Group II were similar to those of patients in Group I. The clinical outcomes in Group II-a were also similar to those of Group II-b, although the former group showed higher levels of NT-proBNP and hs-CRP