Gremlin-1 (GREM1), one of the bone morphogenetic protein antagonists, is involved in organogenesis, tissue differentiation and kidney development. However, the role of GREM1 in cancer progression and ...its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.
The role of GREM1 in breast cancer progression was assessed by measuring cell viability, colony formation, 3D tumour spheroid formation/invasion and xenograft tumour formation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation, a luciferase reporter assay and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the molecular events in which GREM1 is involved.
GREM1 expression was elevated in breast cancer cells and tissues obtained from breast cancer patients. Its overexpression was associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients, especially those with oestrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumours. GREM1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells and xenograft mammary tumour growth, while its overexpression enhanced their viability, growth and invasiveness. Oestrogen-related receptor α (ERRα), an orphan nuclear hormone receptor, directly interacted with the GREM1 promoter and increased the expression of GREM1. GREM1 also enhanced the promoter activity of ESRRA encoding ERRα, comprising a positive feedback loop. Notably, GREM1 bound to and activated EGFR, a well-known upstream regulator of ERRα.
Our study suggests that the GREM1-ERRα axis can serve as a potential therapeutic target in the management of cancer, especially ER-negative tumour.
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a hearing impairment (HI) caused by various clinical factors. Identifying the relationship between NIHL and nutrient consumption could help in reducing the ...prevalence of hearing loss. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between NIHL and dietary factors using data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination survey (KNHANES). The data were collected from The Fifth KNHANES 2010-2012. The survey was taken by a total of 10,850 participants aged 20-65 years. Air conduction audiometry was measured at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz in both ears. Metabolic syndrome, noise exposure, alcohol consumption, smoking, income level, marital status, and nutritional intake were evaluated. The differences between non-HI and HI participants in the noise-exposed group showed statistically significant differences in age, sex, marital and smoking status, alcohol consumption, and fasting glucose and triglyceride levels (p<0.05). In a multiple regression analysis of the noise-exposed group, age showed a significant association with HI (OR: 0.604; 95% CI: 0.538-0.678) after adjusting for confounders. In multivariate analysis for dietary factors affecting HI in noise-exposed groups, retinol (OR: 1.356; 95% CI: 1.068-1.722), niacin (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.022-2.201), and carbohydrates (OR: 0.692; 95% CI: 0.486-0.985) showed a significant association with NIHL. Age was identified as the only factor significantly affecting NIHL. When the dietary factors of the noise-exposed group were analyzed, high intake of niacin and retinol and low intake of carbohydrates appeared to reduce the risk of hearing loss.
We employ an external processor to distribute the master computing load in the EtherCAT networked control system and develop a method for time synchronization between the Linux on the external ...processor and EtherCAT network. The synchronization between the Linux on the external processor and EtherCAT master is performed by using general-purpose input/output and shared memory, and the synchronization accuracy is significantly improved by compensating for the system time setting latency and general-purpose input detection latency in the EtherCAT master. The developed method is implemented as part of the master application without modifying the EtherCAT protocol or requiring an excessive computational load. By performing extensive experiments and analyzing the results, we demonstrate that the developed method achieves the synchronization error means less than 1 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\mathrm {~ \mu s} </tex-math></inline-formula> with standard deviations less than 5 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\mathrm {~ \mu s} </tex-math></inline-formula> between the external processor and EtherCAT network. This synchronization accuracy can be acceptable for various networked control applications based on Linux.
•Cargo ports boost regional economic growth only with sufficient throughput.•Insufficient cargo throughput undermines regional economic growth.•Container ports significantly enhance regional economic ...growth.•Port investment affects economic growth through cargo and container throughput.
This study reveals the economic impact of seaports on regions in Korea. Econometrics analysis employing an augmented Solow model is conducted based on the panel data covering all the regions of Korea over the period 2000–2013. The econometrics analysis shows that cargo ports without sufficient throughput obstruct regional economic growth, whilst cargo ports contribute to regional economic growth only when they have sufficient throughput. Furthermore, the result indicates that container port activities positively affect regional economic growth, whilst port investment indirectly leads to economic growth. This study contributes to the better understanding of the role of ports in Korean economies.
•An 4D printed SMC actuator was fabricated using SMA and SMP with a FDM 3D printer.•A volume fraction of SMA:SMP of 1:5 showed the largest length change of 8 mm, and the most rapid response time of 4 ...s.•The reversible actuator mechanism explains the SMC actuation via each shape memory effect.•SMC showed potential application for stents and valve controllers via 3D printing technology to achieve customized designs.
A fused deposition modeling (FDM) tool was used to fabricate a shape memory composite (SMC) that combined a shape memory alloy (SMA) with a shape memory polymer (SMP). The SMA caused a shape memory effect due to a phase change between martensite and austenite phases, in turn due to a temperature change. Also, the SMP had a shape memory effect caused by changes in the proportions of hard and soft segments near the glass transition temperature (Tg). Usually, common SMAs and SMPs are not reversible, so these materials do not go back to their original shapes once they are deformed. In this study, we fabricated 4D printing actuator via reversible SMC actuations using 3D printing technology. Nylon 12 was used as the 3D printing material in filament form. Moreover, the volume fraction of SMA to SMP was varied to find the optimum ratio for good operation cycles. A volume fraction of SMA:SMP of 1:5 showed the largest length change, of 8 mm, and the most rapid response time, of 4 s in overall dimension of 140mm×10mm×1mm (length×width×thickness).Thus, the SMC showed promising results for the application of stents and valve controllers that could be manufactured by 3D printing technology.
The drone‐based inspection process on power transmission lines needs to be automated due to the large scale of power facilities and the limited line of sight available to drone pilots. Through the ...task environment analysis, however, it was found that the steel tower structure and energized AC power conductors may cause GPS signal distortion and magnetic interference with a drone's geomagnetic sensor, respectively. These factors could seriously affect the drone's autopilot flight, at worst leading to a crash. To enable drone inspections to be performed in a safe and efficient manner, this paper presents the entire process of operating an autopilot inspection drone on the basis of GPS and GIS information in a hazardous ultrahigh voltage environment, and its application results in the field. This process includes how to measure GPS co‐ordinates of steel towers and how to generate an autopilot flight path. More specifically, the paper examines the potential problems that may occur when drones are applied to areas located in mountains and rivers where humans cannot inspect power lines due to a lack of accessibility, and proposes effective solutions to these practical issues.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are well known for their capacity to lower triglyceride levels, but the clinical effectiveness is hindered by limited bioavailability and ...patient adherence. To address this challenge, we introduce a novel liquid crystalline nanoparticle-based formulation, the innovative medicine and drug delivery (IMD)-Omega soft capsule (cap), designed to optimize the pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of EPA and DHA. This randomized, open-label, crossover study engages a cohort of 24 healthy adult subjects, utilizing key PK parameters like C
, AUC, T
, t
, and Ke to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. The trial compares the performance of the IMD-Omega soft cap with the well-established Omacor
soft cap. The IMD-Omega soft cap exhibited an impressive 110% increase in bioavailability for EPA and a remarkable 134% surge for DHA in comparison to the Omacor
soft cap over a span of 72 h. The key success can be attributed to the innovative liquid crystalline nanoparticle design, bolstering the dissolution and permeability of these essential fatty acids. Intriguingly, intra-participant variability for AUC
h and C
were calculated at 45.04% and 34.26%, respectively. It is noteworthy that the parameters of T
for EPA (≈6.00 h) and DHA (≈5.00 h), t
for both EPA and DHA ≈ 30-40 h, and K
around 0.18-0.22 h
for EPA and ≈0.008-0.02 h
for DHA, displayed comparability between the IMD-Omega and Omacor
formulations. Encouragingly, the IMD-Omega soft cap showed excellent tolerability. The promise of optimized patient compliance and reduced dosages adds further weight to its potential significance.
We evaluate the overall effectiveness of the nationwide vaccination campaign using ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and Ad26.COV2.S vaccines in preventing Covid-19 in South Korea.
The National ...Surveillance System with the National Immunization Registry were linked to form a large-linked database for assessment. Age-adjusted incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe disease, and death by vaccination status are calculated. Weekly vaccine effectiveness was calculated based on incidence rate ratio (IRR) between fully-vaccinated and unvaccinated persons, as: IRR = incidence rate of vaccinated / incidence rate of unvaccinated. We estimate the cumulative SARS-CoV-2 outcome overtime comparing the observed case with predicted cases without vaccination.
Age-adjusted incidence in unvaccinated persons (5.69 per 100,000 person-day) was 2.7 times the rate in fully vaccinated (2.13 per 100,000 person-day) persons, resulting effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection of 63%. Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease and death were 93% and 95%, respectively. Between March and October 2021, estimated Covid-19 related outcomes averted by vaccinations were: 46,508 infections, 3,424 severe diseases, and 718 deaths.
We found significant protection for national Covid-19 vaccination campaign against Covid-19 severe disease, and death in target populations, but there was an unexpected decreased protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting the importance of continued surveillance and assessment.
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