Konkuk University

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) derived from human umbilical cord blood (UCB) have gained significant attention for cell therapy applications due to their numerous advantages. With increasing research interest in the isolation and application of UCB-derived HSCs, establishing standardized protocols for their isolation and functional assessment is essential. While the process of isolating HSCs from UCB shares similarities with peripheral blood procedures, variations in experimental conditions, such as researcher skill and equipment, can impact reproducibility. In this study, we present a method that minimizes experimental variables, ensuring consistent results in UCB-derived HSC isolation. Additionally, we detail protocols to verify the functionality of isolated HSCs. These standardized methods will aid researchers in reliably isolating and characterizing UCB-derived HSCs for both experimental and therapeutic applications.

Objective To compare the maximum failure load and failure mode among 3 fixation methods for canine olecranon fractures and evaluate the feasibility of replacing the pin and tension band wiring method with screw plus tension band wiring (TBW) methods. Methods 18 ulnas from 9 canine cadavers (10.3 to 16.4 kg) were collected and randomly assigned to 3 groups (n = 6) for surgical procedures. Surgical procedures and biomechanical testing were performed from June 14 through October 7, 2024. A transverse ulnar osteotomy was performed immediately proximal to the anconeal process and aligned perpendicularly to the caudal cortex. In group 1, the pin and tension band wiring technique was employed using 2 1.2-mm Kirschner wires and #2 FiberWire. Group 2 applied the screw TBW method using a partially threaded cannulated screw and #2 FiberWire. Group 3 used the screw TBW method but with a fully threaded headless cannulated screw and #2 FiberWire. Biomechanical testing was conducted to apply tensile forces using a universal testing machine. Results Maximum failure loads of groups 1 (n = 6), 2 (n = 6), and 3 (n = 6) were 351.3 ± 22.2 N, 345.78 ± 25.6 N, and 326.3 ± 18.2 N, respectively. No significant difference was observed in maximum failure loads among the groups. Conclusions This study suggests that the screw with TBW methods represent viable alternatives for internal fixation in extra-articular transverse olecranon fractures in dogs. Clinical Relevance This study's results imply that fully threaded headless cannulated screws can be effectively applied to areas under tensile forces.

Since first identified as components of an immune exocytic pathway, studies on vesicle-associated membrane protein 721 and 722 (VAMP721/722) have revealed that these proteins in plants are more versatile than expected, as they are also involved in cell division, growth, development and abiotic stress responses. The lethality of vamp721 vamp722 double mutant and the directed movement of VAMP722 vesicles to infected sites, otherwise randomly scattered, in GFP-VAMP722-expressing Arabidopsis strongly suggest that VAMP721/722 engaged in a default secretory pathway have been co-opted for a variety of stress responses. Therefore, we here review the current understanding of VAMP721/722 functions and discuss how their diverse biological activities can be regulated.

A new approach for occlusion-robust 3D human mesh reconstruction from a single image is introduced in this paper. Since occlusion has emerged as a major problem to be resolved in this field, there have been meaningful efforts to deal with various types of occlusions (e.g., person-to-person occlusion, person-to-object occlusion, self-occlusion, etc.). Although many recent studies have shown the remarkable progress, previous regression-based methods still have respective limitations to handle occlusion problems due to the lack of the appearance information. To address this problem, we propose a novel method for human mesh reconstruction based on the pose-relevant subspace analysis. Specifically, we first generate a set of eigenvectors , so-called eigenposes, by conducting the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the pose matrix, which contains diverse poses sampled from the training set. These eigenposes are then linearly combined to construct a target body pose according to fusing coefficients, which are learned through the proposed network. Such combination of principal body postures (i.e., eigenposes) in a global manner gives a great help to cope with partial ambiguities by occlusions. Furthermore, we also propose to exploit a joint injection module that efficiently incorporates the spatial information of visible joints into the encoded feature during the estimation process of fusing coefficients. Experimental results on benchmark datasets demonstrate the ability of the proposed method to robustly reconstruct the human mesh under various occlusions occurring in real-world scenarios. The code and model are publicly available at: https://github.com/DCVL-3D/Eigenpose_release.

Resolvin E2 (RvE2), 5S,18R‐dihydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (5S,18R‐DiHEPE), and 18S‐RvE2 (5S,18S‐DiHEPE) are specialized pro‐resolving mediators that function in the resolution of inflammation. These SPMs have been produced in trace amounts from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) using acetylated cyclooxygenase‐2 or cytochrome P450 and 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LOX) via 18R‐ and 18S‐hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (18R‐ and 18S‐HEPE) intermediates. In this study, we engineered 15R‐LOX from Sorangium cellulosum and 15S‐LOX from Archangium violaceum into 18R‐LOX (L423W/L424M/L568M variant of 15R‐LOX) and 18S‐LOX (L429W/L430M/L575M variant of 15S‐LOX), respectively, via structure‐guided enzyme engineering. The engineered 18R‐LOX converted EPA into 72.5% 18R‐HEPE and 27.5% 15R‐HEPE, while the engineered 18S‐LOX formed 81.8% 18S‐HEPE and 18.2% 15S‐HEPE. Escherichia coli expressing the engineered 18R‐ or 18S‐LOX converted 4.0 or 3.0 mM EPA into 2.0 mM (641 mg/L) 18R‐HEPE or 1.8 mM (577 mg/L) 18S‐HEPE in 20 min, respectively, achieving concentrations that were > 10⁵‐fold higher than those reported previously. Furthermore, 5S‐LOX from Danio rerio (zebrafish) converted a concentration of 0.5 mM of the prepared 18R‐ or 18S‐HEPE into 0.24 mM (81 mg/L) RvE2 or 0.22 mM (74 mg/L) 18S‐RvE2 in 30 min, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first identification of 18‐LOXs and first qualitative production of RvE2 and 18S‐RvE2.

Specialized pro‐resolving mediators (SPMs), such as resolvin D5 (7S,17S‐dihydroxydocosahexaenoic acid, 7S,17S‐DiHDHA; RvD5) and protectin DX (10S,17S‐DiHDHA; PDX), are critical in resolving inflammation in humans. In this study, a unique double‐oxygenating 15S‐lipoxygenase (15S‐LOX) from the alga Chlamydomonas incerta was identified and characterized for its ability to simultaneously produce RvD5 and PDX from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Recombinant Escherichia coli expressing the C. incerta 15S‐LOX demonstrated enhanced RvD5 and PDX production under the following optimized reaction conditions: pH 8.0, 25°C, 0.5 g dry cells/L, 7.0 mM DHA, 2.0% (w/v) PVP, 2.0% (v/v) DMSO, and 200 mM cysteine used as a reductant. This one‐step biocatalytic process produced 2.91 mM (1.05 g/L) RvD5 and 2.18 mM (0.78 g/L) PDX in 90 min, with a total of 5.09 mM (1.83 g/L) and a total conversion yield of 79.6% (w/w). Compared to previously reported two‐step biocatalytic processes, this one‐step process significantly enhanced the production of particular PDX with improved productivity and simplicity. Structural analysis identified residues Phe667, Ile705, and Leu713 as regioselectivity modulators for the second oxygenation step. This study demonstrates the efficiency and industrial potential of the double‐oxygenating LOX as a biocatalyst for simultaneously producing RvD5 and PDX.

The roll-to-roll system is widely known for its ability to achieve high-speed mass production through continuous web transfer during printing processes. Typically, this system comprises multiple driven rolls and idle rollers that rotate alongside the transported web. In a roll-to-roll system, the influence of the moment of inertia between the driven rolls is more significant during acceleration and deceleration than at a constant speed. Consequently, the difference in the moment of inertia between two driven rolls within the span can result in variations in the linear speed. Such speed differences between the driven rolls generate significant tension disturbances in the roll-to-roll system, which can cause unintended pattern degradation if excessive. This study presents the development of a feed-forward tension control method designed to compensate for the difference in the moment of inertia, aimed at minimizing tension disturbances during deceleration and acceleration. The experimental results demonstrated a 75.8% improvement in tension control performance after compensating for tension disturbances based on the difference in the moment of inertia between the driven rolls. This performance enhancement enables the mass-produced pattern to achieve reduced and more uniform resistance, which is a critical requirement for the highly promising roll-to-roll green manufacturing processes.

Background In veterinary medicine, the qSOFA model has been studied in patients with conditions such as peritonitis or pyometra, and among the modified qSOFA models, only the qSOFA-lactate model has been researched. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of q-SOFA-C-reactive protein (CRP), qSOFA-lactate, and quick systemic inflammatory response syndrome (qSIRS) models for triaging emergency and critically ill patients. These models were juxtaposed with conventional systems (SIRS, qSOFA, and acute patient physiology and laboratory evaluation [APPLE] fast) to ascertain their efficacy in patient triage and prognostication. In this retrospective cohort study, data from 166 dogs admitted to the Department of Emergency and Critical care at Konkuk Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between February 2021 and May 2023 were analyzed. Scoring systems were computed based on initial admission physical examinations (respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, mentation, and systolic blood pressure) and laboratory results (white blood cell and platelet count and albumin, glucose, lactate, and CRP levels). Because no prior veterinary studies on the qSOFA-CRP model were available, optimal cutoff values were established using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the Youden index. Conventional scoring systems were compared with the modified qSOFA within the survivor and non-survivor groups. The most effective system was determined through ROC curve analysis. Results For the qSOFA-CRP model, we identified an optimal cutoff value for CRP at > 1.55 mg/dL. All modified qSOFA scoring systems showed significant differences between survivors and non-survivors, in contrast to the conventional scoring systems. Notably, the qSOFA-CRP model demonstrated the highest area under the ROC curve value (0.761, 95% CI 0.68–0.83) and odds ratio (13.373, p < 0.001) when evaluating mortality at 28 days. Conclusions The qSOFA-CRP model, when employing a CRP threshold of 1.55 mg/dL, demonstrated promising potential as a novel criterion for triaging emergency and critically ill patients. However, further assessment is required in a larger population of patients at the precise early stage of sepsis.

This study presents a novel approach to analyzing trade competitiveness within the global semiconductor market by applying the Choquet Expected Utility (CEU) framework. Focusing on the import and export activities of key nations, this research introduces an evaluation criterion grounded in a similarity measure for triangular fuzzy numbers , generated through the discrete-generalized Choquet expected utility (DG-CEU). This methodological framework facilitates a nuanced comparative analysis of national competitiveness , offering five-level evaluation criteria across various trade categories for a comprehensive trade assessment. Using the five-level evaluation criteria expressed in triangular fuzzy numbers, we offer strategic predictions and practical recommendations using the α-level set of triangular fuzzy numbers, outlining specific pathways for countries to surpass their competitors in various trade categories. Furthermore , by examining the trade patterns of ten selected countries, the study provides valuable insights into the competitive dynamics of the semiconductor sector. The study B Dojin Kim not only contributes to the academic discourse but also offers practical applications that can inform future trade policies and market strategies, ensuring a more competitive and resilient global semiconductor industry.

Osteoarthritis of the medial knee is strongly associated with an increased external knee adduction moment (KAM). Although trunk-lean gait has been shown to effectively reduce KAM, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the biomechanical mechanisms behind this reduction. An experiment was conducted comparing two gait strategies: normal gait and trunk-lean gait, with fourteen healthy participants. Key variables were analyzed in the frontal plane. The trunk-lean gait significantly reduced KAM peaks compared to natural gait (p < 0.01). The major factor contributing to this reduction was the decrease in the moment arm (R2 > 0.91), primarily driven by the medial shift of the knee joint center (R2 = 0.60–0.77) rather than the changes in ground reaction force. The fundamental cause of these changes was the rotation of the stance limb in the opposite direction of the trunk lean, leading to the medial shift of the knee joint.

Background We investigated the sex‐specific variations in distal radial access (DRA)–associated outcomes, as well as the factors influencing these outcomes, by utilizing a comprehensive real‐world registry. Methods In this post‐hoc analysis of the KODRA (Korean Prospective Registry for Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Distal Radial Approach) trial, we selected 4608 patients who underwent successful coronary procedures, including percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary angiography, via DRA. Primary end points were overall DRA site outcomes including bleeding, radial artery occlusion, tenderness, hand edema, numbness, perforation, and dissection. We performed both propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression to evaluate sex‐specific differences in DRA‐associated outcomes. Moreover, a multivariable analysis using logistic regression was also performed to evaluate the independent associated factors of DRA site outcomes. Results The mean age was 66.5±11.8 years, and 67.8% (3125 men and 1483 women) were male among 4608 enrolled patients. The incidence of overall DRA site outcomes was significantly higher in women than in men (7.5% versus 4.1%, P <0.001). However, there was no major bleeding in both groups. In the multivariable analysis, female sex was a significant risk factor of overall DRA site outcomes, along with body mass index, chronic kidney disease, percutaneous coronary intervention procedure, use of potent P2Y 12 inhibitor, and unfractionated heparin dose. Conclusions This subgroup analysis of the KODRA trial by sex showed that overall DRA site outcomes following coronary procedures via DRA were more common in women than in men. However, no major bleeding was observed in either men or women. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT04080700.

The narrow‐ridged finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis Pilleri & Gihr, 1972) is one of the most endangered cetacean species inhabiting East Asian waters. Complete mitogenome analysis offers accurate phylogenetic insights; however, complete mitogenome sequences for the narrow‐ridged finless porpoise have so far been restricted to specific regions, mainly in China, and no sequences are available from Korean or Japanese populations. To address this gap, in this study, we developed a multiplex PCR primer panel to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome of the porpoise and sequenced 23 individuals of N. a. sunameri, a subspecies of N. asiaeorientalis, from Korean waters using next‐generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference revealed three major, well‐supported monophyletic clades within the species. Two sequences of the Yangtze finless porpoise (N. a. asiaeorientalis), another subspecies, displayed significantly higher genetic divergence compared to N. a. sunameri sequences. The 23 mitochondrial genome sequences exhibited a nucleotide diversity of 0.142% and a haplotype diversity of 99.6%, with 22 unique haplotypes identified. These findings contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary history and genetic diversity of the species, providing valuable insights for future conservation efforts and further genetic research. image

Central melanocortin signaling plays a critical role in maintaining energy homeostasis by regulating energy intake and expenditure, with impairment of this system closely related to metabolic diseases such as obesity. Among melanocortin receptor subtypes, melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) is the primary mediator of these effects within the central nervous system. Accumulating evidence suggests that MC4R contributes to stress‐induced disruptions in feeding behavior and energy homeostasis. However, the precise neural mechanisms by which stress alters MC4R activity remain incompletely understood. In this study, we compared brain‐wide c‐Fos expression patterns induced by two distinct stress paradigms: lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced inflammatory stress and restraint stress in male mice, and further examined the involvement of MC4R‐expressing (MC4R⁺) neurons in these stress conditions. We found that both stressors elicited c‐Fos activation in brain areas associated with stress responses as well as feeding regulation. Notably, LPS‐induced stress, but not restraint stress, selectively activated MC4R⁺ neurons in the central amygdala (CeA) and oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (ovBNST). These results highlight the distinct recruitment of MC4R⁺ neurons during acute inflammatory stress in male mice, offering novel insights into the role of MC4R in the stress‐induced imbalance of energy homeostasis depending on stressor types.