Sungkyunkwan University

This study compared the toxicological effects of environmentally relevant microplastics (MPs) on the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, focusing on MPs derived from various sources, including fossil fuel-based low-density polyethylene, bio-based polylactic acid (PLA), biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), and a novel PLA modified with β-cyclodextrin. We assessed in vivo effects such as reproductive output and mortality, alongside in vitro oxidative stress responses, including oxidative stress, antioxidant enzyme activities, and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and the multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) system. Reproductive output and lifespan reduced significantly across all MP types, ranging from 0.5 to 10 mg L-1, indicating compromised reproductive fitness and life maintenance. At an environmentally relevant concentration of 0.5 mg L-1, in vitro assessments revealed differential modulation of reactive oxygen species levels and antioxidant enzyme activities, contingent upon the specific MP type. Moreover, MAPK signaling pathway and MXR assays showed changes in phosphorylation and detoxification proteins depending on the type of MPs. This study highlights the ecological risks that various MPs, including bio-based, biodegradable, and petrochemical-based MPs, could pose in marine environments.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical challenge in electrocatalytic water splitting, hindered by high energy demands and slow kinetics. Polyoxometalates (POMs), recognized for their unique redox capabilities, structural archetypes, and molecular precision, are promising candidates for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Yet, their application is hindered by high water solubility, causing rapid degradation and efficiency loss under harsh OER conditions. This study enhances the performance and stability of polyoxometalates (POMs) for OER by anchoring keggin‐type POM [TiCoW11O40]⁷⁻ nanosheets onto a conductive, carbon‐protected manganese oxide (C–Mn2O3) nanospheres support. The acquired porous framework enhances POM/C−Mn₂O₃ (PCM) contact, improving stability, reaction kinetics, and redox activity by offering nucleation sites, electronic pathways, and abundant active sites, significantly boosting OER activity. The resulting PCM nanohybrid demonstrates remarkable OER activity in 1 M KOH, requiring only a 300 mV overpotential to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² with a Tafel slope of 88 mV/dec. The PCM electrocatalyst also shows high mass activity (784 A/g at 1.6 V) and maintains stability over 100 hours at 100 mA cm⁻² without performance fatigue. Consequently, this study offers a viable strategy for developing efficient, durable electrocatalysts using low‐cost materials.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produced by the floating‐catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method are among the most promising nanomaterials of today, attracting interest from both academic and industrial sectors. These CNTs exhibit exceptional electrical conductivity, optical properties, and mechanical resilience due to their binder‐free and low‐defect structure, while the FCCVD method enables their continuous and scalable synthesis. Among the methodological FCCVD variations, aerosol CVD’ is distinguished by its production of freestanding thin films comprising macroscale CNT networks, which exhibit superior performance and practical applicability. This review elucidates the complex interrelations between aerosol CVD reactor synthesis conditions and the resulting properties of the CNTs. A unified approach connecting all stages of the synthesis process is proposed as a comprehensive guide. This review examines the correlations between CNT structural parameters (length and diameter) and resultant film properties (conductivity, optical, and mechanical characteristics) to establish a comprehensive framework for optimizing CNT thin film synthesis. The analysis encompasses characterization methodologies specific to aerosol CVD‐synthesized CNTs and evaluates how their properties influence applications across diverse domains, from energy devices to optoelectronics. The review concludes by addressing current challenges and prospects in this field.

In light of recent impressive developments in AI and the proliferation of large language models, this chapter proposes the novel philosophical concept of “Intelligenticism” as a response to these developments. With a new lens through which to observe and navigate the ever-shifting landscape of AI, it aims to reevaluate our proposed novel philosophical notion named “intellectualism” in light of these revolutionary advances. In this sense, we propose and define that the Intelligenticism consists of four philosophical components such as anthroposia, telopolarity, virtuodymica, and temporal bifusion. Then, this study delves into the effects of AI’s widespread adoption, specifically as they pertain to IS/IT study. It provides the IS field with a novel philosophical perspective on the topic. A conceptual framework that accounts for the unique challenges and issues of deploying and supervising intelligent devices that communicate with humans is also addressed in the study. Intelligenticism will serve as the jumping-off point for our philosophical exploration.

The coronavirus pandemic posed a major challenge to mental health. Existing evidence shows that COVID-19 is related to poor emotional well-being, particularly among women. However, most work on the subject uses single-country samples, limiting the ability to generalize the disparity or explain it as a function of societal variables. The present study investigates the expression of positive and negative emotions during the pandemic as a function of gender and across 24 countries (N = 49,637). Strong gender differences emerged across countries, with women reporting more negative emotions (anxious, depressed, nervous, exhausted) and less positive emotions (calm, content, relaxed, energetic) than men. The gender gap in positive emotions was significantly wider in countries higher in individualism and narrower in countries higher in power distance. For instance, differences in emotions were larger in Western countries high in individualism, such as the USA, the UK, Italy, and France, and smaller in countries with higher collectivism and power distance, such as China, Malaysia, and South Korea, with a few exceptions like Japan and Brazil. These gender differences across countries were not explained by country-level gender inequalities indicators (GGGI and GII). Interestingly, the national severity of the pandemic, an epidemiological factor, reduced gender differences in positive emotions. These results underscore the importance of considering cultural and national factors when assessing gender differences in well-being.

This study investigated the success rate of Phase 1 clinical trial entry and the factors influencing it in oncology projects involving academia–industry collaboration during the discovery and preclinical stages. A total of 344 oncology projects in the discovery stage and 360 in the preclinical stage, initiated through collaborations with universities or hospitals between 2015 and 2019, were analyzed. The Phase 1 clinical trial entry success rates for oncology collaborative projects were 9.9% from the discovery stage and 24.2% from the preclinical stage. For discovery stage contracts, strong statistical significance was observed for contract type (co‐development OR 16.45, p = 0.008; licensing OR 42.43, p = 0.000) and technology (cell or gene therapy OR 3.82, p = 0.008). In contrast, for preclinical stage contracts, significant changes were noted for cancer type (blood cancer OR 2.24, p = 0.004), while the year of contract signing showed a relatively weak statistical significance (OR 1.24, p = 0.021). No significant changes were observed concerning partner firm size and the partnership territory. This study sheds light on how the characteristics of partnerships influence the success rates of early‐phase research, providing valuable insights for future strategic planning in oncology drug development.

Molecular diagnosis limitations, including complex treatment processes, low cost‐effectiveness, and operator‐dependent low reproducibility, interrupt the timely prevention of disease spread and the development of medical devices for home and outdoor uses. A newly fabricated gold nanopillar array‐based film is presented for superior photothermal energy conversion. Magnifying the metal film surface‐to‐volume ratio increases the photothermal energy conversion efficiency, resulting in a swift reduction in the gene amplification reaction time. Plasmonic energy‐based ultrafast gene amplification and facile confirmation methodology offer a rapid disease discrimination platform for high‐throughput multiplexed diagnosis. The superior performance of the gold nanopillar arrayed film is demonstrated by measuring the amount of pathogen (Vibrio cholerae) with a sensitivity of 10¹ cfu mL⁻¹ in 5.5 min. The newly engineered gold nanopillar arrayed film can be utilized to diagnose universal pathogens to achieve an increasingly successful complete cure.

In our research, we are studying the relationship between the energy and Zagreb indices of a graph. We have proven several results, including: (i) tight lower and upper bounds for the energy of graphs based on their order, size, minimum degree, maximum degree, minimum eigenvalue, Zagreb indices, positive inertia, and negative inertia. We have also characterized the graphs that achieve equalities. (ii) Tight lower and upper bounds for maximum eigenvalue of graphs in terms of their order, size, minimum degree, maximum degree, and Zagreb indices. We have also characterized the graphs that achieve equalities. After conducting observations and computational calculations, we have formulated the conjecture that for a non-singular graph $\Omega$ with order p, size m, and the first Zagreb index $M_1(\Omega )$, the following should hold: $\mathcal {E}(\Omega )\ge \frac{M_1(\Omega )}{m}$ and $\mathcal {E}(\Omega )\ge \frac{M_1(\Omega )}{2m}+\frac{2m}{p}$, with both equalities holding iff $\Omega \cong \,K_p$. It has been demonstrated that proving the first inequality will validate the second inequality.

Process intensification and simplification in biopharmaceutical manufacturing have driven the exploration of advanced feeding strategies to improve culture performance and process consistency. Conventional media design strategies, however, are often constrained by the stability and solubility challenges of amino acids, particularly in large-scale applications. As a result, dipeptides have emerged as promising alternatives. Despite extensive research on amino acids, dipeptide supplementation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-based manufacturing has received comparatively less attention. In this review, we critically analyze challenges associated with amino acids prone to instability and poor solubility (e.g., glutamine, cysteine, and tyrosine), and explore the potential of dipeptides to address these limitations. We explore the intricate mechanisms of dipeptide transport and enzymatic cleavage, highlighting how chemical properties, stereoisomerism, and competitive metabolites influence their utilization. Notably, while most dipeptides exhibit enhanced solubility, their stabilization effects and culture performance remain variable, underlining the need for rational design. To guide future innovations, we propose tailored dipeptide strategies derived for specific biomanufacturing needs by integrating multi-omics analysis, metabolic flux modeling, and artificial intelligence (AI) modeling. Key points •Explored dipeptides as a solution to amino acid instability and poor solubility, enhancing cell culture performance. •Discussed transporter kinetics and cleavage enzymes influencing dipeptide utilization in biomanufacturing. •Suggested various design strategies for identifying appropriate dipeptide pairs to improve bioprocess efficiency.

Our naturalistic experiences are organized into memories through multiple processes, including novelty encoding, memory formation, and retrieval. However, the neural mechanisms coordinating these processes remain elusive. Using fMRI data acquired during movie viewing and subsequent narrative recall, we examine hippocampal neural subspaces associated with distinct memory processes and characterized their relationships. We quantify novelty in character co-occurrences and the valence of relationships and estimate event memorability. Within the hippocampus, the novelty subspaces encoding each type exhibit partial overlap, and these overlapping novelty subspaces align with the subspace involved in memorability. Notably, following event boundaries, hippocampal states within these subspaces align inversely along a shared coding axis, predicting subsequent recall performance. This novelty-memorability alignment is selectively observed during encoding but not during retrieval. Finally, the identified functional subspaces reflect the intrinsic functional organization of the hippocampus. Our findings offer insights into how the hippocampus dynamically coordinates representations underlying memory encoding and retrieval at the population level to transform ongoing experiences into enduring memories.

This research article highlights the pressing demand for sustainable construction techniques in Pakistan's building sector as it significantly contributes to CO2 emissions, exacerbating environmental challenges. Unlike previous studies, this study uses a newly created life cycle assessment tool for comparing standard building methods to green alternatives, emphasizing cost and carbon impact. Green materials may require a more substantial initial investment, yet they offer significant long‐term benefits such as decreased CO2 emissions and cost savings. The study underlines the necessity of employing eco‐friendly techniques in Pakistan's building sector to mitigate the detrimental effects and enhance sustainability.

Despite their safety and widespread use, conventional protein antigen‐based subunit vaccines face significant challenges such as low immunogenicity, insufficient long‐term immunity, poor CD8⁺ T‐cell activation, and poor adaptation to viral variants. To address these issues, an infection‐mimicking gel (IM‐Gel) is developed that is designed to emulate the spatiotemporal dynamics of immune stimulation in acute viral infections through in situ supramolecular self‐assembly of nanoparticulate‐TLR7/8a (NP‐TLR7/8a) and an antigen with tannic acid (TA). Through collagen‐binding properties of TA, the IM‐Gel enables sustained delivery and enhanced retention of NP‐TLR7/8a and protein antigen in the lymph node subcapsular sinus of mice for over 7 days, prolonging the exposure of vaccine components in both B cell and T cell zones, leading to robust humoral and cellular responses. The IM‐Gel system with the influenza A antigen confers cross‐protection against multiple influenza subtypes (H1N1, H5N2, H3N2, H7N3, and H9N2) with long‐term immune responses. Combination of the IM‐Gel with the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein also elicits strong cross‐reactive antibody responses against multiple SARS‐CoV‐2 variants (Alpha, Beta, NY510+D614G, Gamma, Kappa, and Delta). The IM‐Gel, as a programmable immunomodulatory material, provides a vaccine design principle for the development of next‐generation universal vaccines that can elicit broad and durable protective immunity against emerging viruses.

Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is a rare white matter disease characterized by axonal and glial injury. Although its clinical characteristics have been described in case reports, the prevalence of CSF1R mutations in clinically suspected ALSP cases remains unclear. Herein, we analysed the frequency of CSF1R mutations in patients with probable or possible ALSP and describe the genetic, clinical, radiological, and pathological findings of ALSP cases in individuals of Korean ancestry. Twenty-eight patients with probable or possible ALSP diagnosed at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, between January 2014 and August 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. All participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CSF1R genetic testing. Overall, 9 of the 28 patients (32.1%) [5/6 (83.3%) of probable ALSP and 4/22 (18.2%) of possible ALSP] were confirmed to have pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in CSF1R gene. Additionally, one patient without CSF1R mutation exhibited histopathological findings consistent with ALSP on brain biopsy. All patients with CSF1R mutation presented with cognitive impairment and/or psychiatric symptoms. Brain MRI revealed bilateral white matter hyperintensities in all patients, and 5/8 (62.5%) showed diffusion-restricted lesions. Notably, patients with CSF1R mutation had younger age at onset, rapidly progressive course, and diffuse hyperintensity in the splenium compared to patients without CSF1R mutation. Our findings suggest that for definite diagnosis, CSF1R genetic testing is recommended in patients who meet the diagnostic criteria for possible or probable ALSP. Our findings provide insights into the genetic, clinical, radiological, and pathological dimensions of ALSP in individuals of Korean ancestry.

Excitation‐inhibition (E/I) imbalance is theorized as a key mechanism in the pathophysiology of epilepsy, with ample research focusing on elucidating its cellular manifestations. However, few studies investigate E/I imbalance at the macroscale, whole‐brain level, and its microcircuit‐level mechanisms and clinical significance remain incompletely understood. Here, the Hurst exponent, an index of the E/I ratio, is computed from resting‐state fMRI time series, and microcircuit parameters are simulated using biophysical models. A broad decrease in the Hurst exponent is observed in pharmaco‐resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), suggesting more excitable network dynamics. Connectome decoders point to temporolimbic and frontocentral cortices as plausible network epicenters of E/I imbalance. Furthermore, computational simulations reveal that enhancing cortical excitability in TLE reflects atypical increases in recurrent connection strength of local neuronal ensembles. Mixed cross‐sectional and longitudinal analyses show stronger E/I ratio elevation in patients with longer disease duration, more frequent electroclinical seizures as well as interictal epileptic spikes, and worse cognitive functioning. Hurst exponent‐informed classifiers discriminate patients from healthy controls with high accuracy (72.4% [57.5%–82.5%]). Replicated in an independent dataset, this work provides in vivo evidence of a macroscale shift in E/I balance in TLE patients and points to progressive functional imbalances that relate to cognitive decline.