Hydrogel-Based Colorimetric Assay for Multiplexed MicroRNA Detection in a Microfluidic Device

Although microRNA (miRNA) expression levels provide important information regarding disease states owing to their unique dysregulation patterns in tissues, translation of miRNA diagnostics into point-of-care (POC) settings has been limited by practical challenges. Her; we developed a hydrogel-based microfluidic platform for colorimetric profiling of miRNAs, without the use of complex external equipment for fluidics and imaging. For sensitive and reliable measurement without the risk of sequence bias, we employed a gold deposition-based signal amplification scheme and dark-field imaging, and seamlessly integrated a previously developed miRNA assay scheme into this platform. The assay demonstrated a limit of detection of 260 fM, along with multiplexing of small panels of miRNAs in healthy and cancer samples. We anticipate this versatile platform to facilitate a broad range of POC profiling of miRNAs in cancer-associated dysregulation with high-confidence by exploiting the unique features of hydrogel substrate in an on-chip format and colorimetric analysis

The cult of Rodin : words, photographs, and colonial history in the spread of Auguste Rodin's reputation in northeast Asia

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 31, 2007)Vita.Leaves 196-242 are blank. No reproduction of photographs available due to copyright issues.Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2006.This dissertation explores the growth of Auguste Rodin's phenomenal acclaim in Northeast Asia, where he was introduced in the early 20th century, when China, Japan, and Korea were undergoing social, political, and cultural turmoil caused by colonial intrusions of the West, and became established largely through pictures and textual accounts before actual works by the sculptor were exhibited. By carefully examining printed materials circulated in the three countries from the early 1900s to the first Rodin exhibition in Japan, Korea, and China held in 1966, 1985, and 1993, respectively, this study argues that wide dissemination of images and written accounts of the sculptor's works, fueled by each country's urge to emulate the culture of the West, created a powerful version of the Rodin myth in the Far East.Includes bibliographical reference

ORAL HEALTH BELIEF, BEHAVIOR, AND BARRIERS TO DENTAL CARE DURING PREGNANCY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PREGNANCY RISK ASSESSMENT MONITORING SYSTEM, FROM 2012 TO 2015

Demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors were shown to be associated with oral health status and dental service utilization during pregnancy. Perceived oral health beliefs can be important factors that affect dental service utilization based on Health Belief Model. This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study on the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) datasets on 75,029 women with a recent single live birth, who represented more than 4.5 million women ages 20 and older between 2012 to 2015. About half of the women (51.8%) reported that they had at least one dental visit for cleaning during their most recent pregnancy. More than nine out of ten women responded that they perceived the importance of oral health during pregnancy (90.6%). When adjusted for mother’s age, marital status, medical insurance type, mother’s education, previous live birth, and prenatal visit scores, non-Hispanic black women had 15% lower odds in visiting a dentist for cleaning during pregnancy compared to non-Hispanic white women. Interaction analysis showed that the black-white disparity gap in dental visits during pregnancy became wider when women perceived barriers in accessing dental care during pregnancy with a lack of self-reported dental coverage. Non-Hispanic black women had 70% higher odds in perceiving difficulty in finding dental providers than other racial/ethnic groups. Women enrolled in Medicaid had more than 2.5 times greater odds in difficulty in finding dentists who accepted pregnant patients compared to women covered by private health insurance. Women without state Medicaid dental coverage for cleaning were significantly less likely to visit a dentist during pregnancy compared to women with limited dental coverage, and women with comprehensive dental coverage. Women with perceived oral health benefits had 21% lower odds of preterm birth compared to women who responded that they did not perceive the importance of oral health during pregnancy. Disparities in dental service utilization were evident in minorities, especially in non-Hispanic black women and women enrolled in Medicaid. With mounting evidence of disparities in dental care during pregnancy, oral health programs that address specific barriers that pregnant women may perceive are necessary

The molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and the promise of novel targeted therapies

Alzheimer’s disease is a common cause of dementia in the elderly population that is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration and decline in cognitive functions. Scientists do not yet fully understand the biological mechanisms that cause Alzheimer’s disease, making it increasingly difficult to develop targeted therapies that thoroughly address the responsible agents that lead to dementia and subsequently Alzheimer’s disease. There is currently no cure available to permanently stop the progression of or to reverse the damage due to Alzheimer’s disease. This study aims to provide an overview of the potential causes of Alzheimer’s disease and review the current pharmacological treatment options for addressing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and emerging therapies including immunotherapy and gene therapy

Encoded Hydrogel Microparticles for Sensitive and Multiplex microRNA Detection Directly from Raw Cell Lysates

In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as promising diagnostic markers because of their unique dysregulation patterns under various disease conditions and high stability in biological fluids. However, current methods of analyzing miRNA levels typically require RNA isolation, which is cumbersome and time-consuming. To achieve high-throughput and accurate miRNA profiling, this study eliminates the need for purification steps by detecting miRNA directly from raw cellular lysate using nonfouling polyethylene glycol microparticles. In contrast to recent studies on direct miRNA measurements from cell lysate, our hydrogel-based system provides high-confidence quantification with robust performance. The lysis buffer for the assay was optimized to maximize reaction and labeling efficiency, and this assay has a low limit of detection (<1000 cells) without target amplification. Additionally, the capability for multiplexing was demonstrated through analyzing the levels of three endogenous miRNAs in 3T3 cell lysate. This versatile platform holds great potential for rapid and reliable direct miRNA quantification in complex media, and can be further extended to single-cell analysis by exploiting the flexibility and scalability of our system.National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Grant 5R21CA177393-02

Genetic polymorphisms in monoamine neurotransmitter systems show only weak association with acute post-surgical pain in humans

BACKGROUND: Candidate gene studies on the basis of biological hypotheses have been a practical approach to identify relevant genetic variation in complex traits. Based on previous reports and the roles in pain pathways, we have examined the effects of variations of loci in the genes of monoamine neurotransmitter systems including metabolizing enzymes, receptors and transporters on acute clinical pain responses in humans. RESULTS: Variations in the catecholamine metabolizing enzyme genes (MAOA and COMT) showed significant associations with the maximum post-operative pain rating while the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) showed association with the onset time of post-operative pain. Analgesic onset time after medication was significantly associated with the norepinephrine transporter gene (SLC6A2). However, the association between COMT genetic variation and pain sensitivity in our study differ from previous studies with small sample sizes, population stratification and pain phenotype derived from combining different types of pain stimuli. Correcting for multiple comparisons did not sustain these genetic associations between monoamine neurotransmitter systems and pain sensitivity even in this large and homogeneous sample. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the previously reported associations between genetic polymorphisms in the monoamine neurotransmitter systems and the interindividual variability in pain responses cannot be replicated in a clinically relevant pain phenotype

On Exact Inversion of DPM-Solvers

Diffusion probabilistic models (DPMs) are a key component in modern generative models. DPM-solvers have achieved reduced latency and enhanced quality significantly, but have posed challenges to find the exact inverse (i.e., finding the initial noise from the given image). Here we investigate the exact inversions for DPM-solvers and propose algorithms to perform them when samples are generated by the first-order as well as higher-order DPM-solvers. For each explicit denoising step in DPM-solvers, we formulated the inversions using implicit methods such as gradient descent or forward step method to ensure the robustness to large classifier-free guidance unlike the prior approach using fixed-point iteration. Experimental results demonstrated that our proposed exact inversion methods significantly reduced the error of both image and noise reconstructions, greatly enhanced the ability to distinguish invisible watermarks and well prevented unintended background changes consistently during image editing. Project page: \url{https://smhongok.github.io/inv-dpm.html}.Comment: 16 page

Power-Smoothing Scheme of a DFIG Using the Adaptive Gain Depending on the Rotor Speed and Frequency Deviation

In an electric power grid that has a high penetration level of wind, the power fluctuation of a large-scale wind power plant (WPP) caused by varying wind speeds deteriorates the system frequency regulation. This paper proposes a power-smoothing scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) that significantly mitigates the system frequency fluctuation while preventing over-deceleration of the rotor speed. The proposed scheme employs an additional control loop relying on the system frequency deviation that operates in combination with the maximum power point tracking control loop. To improve the power-smoothing capability while preventing over-deceleration of the rotor speed, the gain of the additional loop is modified with the rotor speed and frequency deviation. The gain is set to be high if the rotor speed and/or frequency deviation is large. The simulation results based on the IEEE 14-bus system clearly demonstrate that the proposed scheme significantly lessens the output power fluctuation of a WPP under various scenarios by modifying the gain with the rotor speed and frequency deviation, and thereby it can regulate the frequency deviation within a narrow range

Greenness and kidney? A review of epidemiological studies on the association between green space and kidney disease

Recent accumulating epidemiological evidence underlines the important role of environmental exposures on kidney diseases. Among environmental exposures, this study addresses “Green space,” which has been recognized as one of the major environmental exposures at the population level. We review a total of seven epidemiological studies currently published on greenness and kidney disease. We also discuss knowledge gaps in the epidemiological evidence in relation to study design, greenness exposure index, emerging kidney outcomes, and inequalities. With an increase in public attention regarding environmental risks and climate change, an improved understanding of the beneficial effects of green space can play an important role in promoting kidney health