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A Comparative Evaluation of Indoor Transmission-Risk Assessment Metrics for Infectious Diseases
No full textGovernments worldwide have implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and it is crucial to accurately assess the effectiveness of such measures. Many studies have quantified the risk of infection transmission and used simulations to compare the risk before and after the implementation of NPIs to judge policies' effectiveness. However, the choice of metric used to quantify the risk can lead to different conclusions regarding the effectiveness of a policy. In this study, we analyze the correlation between different transmission-risk metrics, pedestrian environments, and types of infectious diseases using simulation-generated data. Our findings reveal conflicting results among five different metric types in specific environments. More specifically, we observe that, when the randomness of pedestrian trajectories in indoor spaces is low, the closeness centrality exhibits a higher correlation coefficient with infection-based metrics than with contact-based metrics. Furthermore, even within the same pedestrian environment, the likelihood of discrepancies between infection-based metrics and other metrics increases for infectious diseases with low transmission rates. These results highlight the variability in the measured effectiveness of NPIs depending on the chosen metric. To evaluate NPIs accurately, facility managers should consider the type of facility and infectious disease and not solely rely on a single metric. This study provides a simulation model as a tool for future research and improves the reliability of pedestrian-simulation-based NPI effectiveness analysis methods. (c) 2025 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier LTD on behalf of Chinese Academy of Engineering and Higher Education Press Limited Company. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Y
Aptamer-Guided, Hydrolysis-Resistant Deoxyoxanosine Enables Epitope- and Moiety-Selective Conjugation to Nonengineered Proteins Even in Complex Environments
No full textIn protein engineering, researchers have extensively explored the incorporation of nonprotein entities into proteins to extend their functionalities to various applications; however, achieving precise modifications of proteins is still challenging. This study demonstrates epitope- and moiety-selective conjugation of nonengineered proteins by integrating "slow-reactive and hydrolysis-resistant" deoxyoxanosine (dOxa) into a "target- and epitope-selective" aptamer. The amine-reactive dOxa-containing aptamers are dominantly single-lysine-selective at recognition sites, achieving significantly high conjugation yields with remarkably low off-target reactions in complex environments under near-physiological conditions through a catalyst-free, one-pot reaction. When stoichiometrically controlled protein-DNA conjugates are efficiently produced for various proteins, high conjugation selectivity enables semipermanent regulation of enzymatic functions, targeted labeling in a protein mixture, and even heterofunctionalization of a single protein. As our dOxa-containing aptamers selectively react with the recognition sites of target proteins among nontargets, we demonstrate bioorthogonal labeling of live-cell surface nucleolin and PTK7 in amine-rich cell media, displaying their distinct distributions. Aptamer-guided dOxa positioning offers a promising strategy for site-specific modification of native proteins in complex environments, opening new avenues for the synergistic collaboration between nucleic acids and proteins.N
Organic Artificial Nerves: Neuromorphic Robotics and Bioelectronics
No full textNeuromorphic electronics are inspired by the human brain's compact, energy-efficient nature and its parallel-processing capabilities. Beyond the brain, the entire human nervous system, with its hierarchical structure, efficiently preprocesses complex sensory information to support high-level neural functions such as perception and memory. Emulating these biological processes, artificial nerve electronics have been developed to replicate the energy-efficient preprocessing observed in human nerves. These systems integrate sensors, artificial neurons, artificial synapses, and actuators to mimic sensory and motor functions, surpassing conventional circuits in sensor-integrated electronics. Organic synaptic transistors (OSTs) are key components in constructing artificial nerves, offering tunable synaptic plasticity for complex sensory processing and the mechanical flexibility required for applications in soft robotics and bioelectronics. Compared to traditional sensor-integrated electronics, early implementations of organic artificial nerves (OANs) incorporating OSTs have demonstrated a higher signal-to-noise ratio, lower power consumption, and simpler circuit designs along with on-device processing capabilities and precise control of actuators and biological limbs, driving progress in neuromorphic robotics and bioelectronics. This paper reviews the materials, device engineering, and system integration of the OAN design, highlights recent advancements in neuromorphic robotics and bioelectronics utilizing the OANs, and discusses current challenges and future research directions.N
Anthocyanins from a new hybrid sweet potato peel cultivated in Northern Thailand mitigate LPS-induced inflammation and RANKL-induced osteoporosis by regulating ROS-mediated pathways
No full textMaejo 341 Sweet potato (MSP) is a new purple sweet potato variety cultivated in Northern Thailand, but its health benefits are unknown. This study aimed to investigate its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoporotic activities, as well as its anthocyanin content. The peel and flesh of MSP were extracted with ethanol and water. Compared with the flesh extracts, the peel extracts presented greater antioxidant capacity and were rich in phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, namely, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, peonidin-3-O-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin, and peonidin. The peel extracts suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation by inhibiting the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and enzymes, including TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS, as well as reducing nitric oxide and matrix metalloproteinase-9 secretion. The extracts inhibited the RANKL-induced NF-kappa B and MAPK pathways and downregulated osteoclastogenic marker expression. Under LPS and RANKL treatment, the peel extracts notably reduced reactive oxygen species production while increasing antioxidant gene expression. Furthermore, they increased osteoblast viability and slightly raise alkaline phosphatase activity. These findings suggest that MSP peel could be used as a functional food to alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation-related osteoporosis.Y
Unlocking the Full Redox Capability of Organic Charge-Transfer Complex in High-Loading Electrodes for Organic Rechargeable Batteries
No full textOrganic charge-transfer complex (OCTC) comprising redox-active donor and acceptor molecules is a promising electrode material group, potentially resolving issues of low power and inferior cycle stability of organic electrodes in rechargeable batteries. Strong intermolecular interactions in OCTC such as pi-pi interaction and hydrogen bonding enable high electronic conductivity and suppress solubility to solvents. However, full redox activities of OCTC have not been achieved yet despite the inherent redox capabilities of respective donor and acceptor molecules. Here, it is revealed that the limited redox activities of OCTC stem from electrolyte-incorporated complex formation, which weakens the characteristic intermolecular interactions, thereby hindering the redox reaction, particularly in Li-based electrolytes. It is further shown that tailoring electrolyte types, specifically using Zn-aqueous electrolytes, can substantially mitigate the complex formation and unlock the four-electron redox activity of OCTC (phenazine (PNZ)-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), that is, PNZ-TCNQ), with superior cycle stability retaining 88% of maximum capacity over 100 cycles. Surprisingly, the full redox reaction achieves an unprecedentedly high electrode-level energy density, delivering approximate to 10 mAh cm-2 of areal capacity (580 mu m-thick electrodes) in Zn-aqueous batteries. The findings elucidate the complex interplay between organic electrodes and electrolytes in the charge storage mechanism, highlighting the importance of electrolyte design in developing organic electrode materials.N
Nonparametric Inference for a Triangular System of Equations for Quantile Regression
No full textIn this study, we consider nonparametric estimation and
inference for quantile regression (QR) with endogenous regressors.
We extend the semiparametric triangular model for QR in Lee (2007)
to a nonparametric one, and the identification of the structural
parameters is achieved via a control function approach. Based on
the identification result, we propose the use of the penalized sieve
minimum distance procedure of Chen and Pouzo (2015) and develop
an asymptotic theory. The inferential theory is valid regardless of
whether or not the functional of the structural parameter is
n-estimable, where n denotes the number of observations. We also
establish the asymptotic theory for sieve quasi-likelihood ratio test
statistics, enabling us to avoid estimating the asymptotic variance.
A Monte Carlo simulation study shows that the proposed estimator
performs well in finite samples
Economic Development and Changing Socioeconomic Differences in Health: Evidence from South Korea, 1946–1977
No full textThis study examines how socioeconomic differences in health
change with improvements in economic and environmental
conditions in South Korea. Using a newly collected 0.5% random
sample of military records for all males born from 1946 to 1957,
I found that socioeconomic disparity in health increased across
birth cohorts. A possible hypothesis is that health shocks (such
as exposure to war-caused disruptions, natural disasters, and
infectious diseases) could weaken the effects of different parental
investments. Such shocks were more prevalent prior the end
of the Korean War. In support of the hypothesis, I found that
socioeconomic disparity in adult height among the cohorts born
before 1952 was less pronounced among conscripts from the central
region, which was more severely affected by the Korean War, than
those from the south region
Does Grit Matter? The Relationship Between Grit and Drinking Behavior Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Nationally Representative Sample of Korean Adolescents
No full textIntroduction: Drinking is the most problematic health behavior among adolescents. Adolescent drinking behavior is likely to continue into adulthood and can lead to various social problems, development of multiple diseases, and even death. Grit is defined as the ability to persist in the face of a struggle. While grit can be a protective factor against risky health behaviors, there is a lack of information on how grit is related to adolescent drinking behavior. Based on the integrative model of adolescent health risk behavior, this study aimed to examine how intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural/environmental factors were related to adolescent drinking behaviors. Especially, this study aimed to examine the relationship between grit and adolescent drinking behavior by adding grit as a psychosocial maturity factor. Design: A cross-sectional study using a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents. Methods: A secondary data analysis of the 5th wave of the Korean children and youth panel survey (N = 2252) was conducted. The study sample comprised 11th-grade high school students. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Model 1 included intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural/environmental factors associated with adolescent drinking behavior. Model 2 added grit to the factors in model 1 to examine how grit is related to adolescent drinking behavior. After controlling for intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural/environmental factors, a higher level of grit was associated with lower odds of drinking behavior among adolescents (OR = 0.413, 95% CI = 0.257–0.662, p < 0.001). Conclusion: A higher level of grit was associated with lower odds of drinking behavior among adolescents after adjusting for intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural/environmental factors. Clinical Relevance: As grit can help deter risky health behaviors, guardians, teachers, and school nurses should focus on fostering grit among adolescents through education, mentorship, and intervention programs.Y
Prenatal Dental Visits, Perceived Benefits of Oral Health, and Preterm Birth Outcome, 2009-2021
No full textBackground: Previous studies have demonstrated a significant association between maternal oral health and pregnancy complications, including preterm birth (<37 wk). However, research on the impact of dental care utilization during pregnancy on these outcomes has produced both positive and negative results. Objective: The current study investigated the association between preterm birth and dental care utilization, focusing on dental visits for cleaning during pregnancy as well as the perceived benefits of oral health during pregnancy. Methods: This secondary data analysis cross-sectional study used data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System in the United States from 2009 to 2021. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between dental variables and preterm birth. Results: The study included 399,847 women with a recent single live birth, representing 21,218,114 women across 48 states and New York City. After adjusting for factors such as race and ethnicity, age, marital status, medical insurance type, education level, adequacy of prenatal care, and other medical variables associated with preterm birth, women who had dental visits for cleaning during pregnancy had a lower odds of preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.86, 0.93], P < 0.001) compared with those who did not. A significant association between prenatal dental cleaning and reduced preterm birth was observed only among women who perceived the benefits of oral health during pregnancy (aOR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.88, 0.97], P = 0.002) and among non-Hispanic White women (aOR = 0.88, 95% CI [0.83, 0.93], P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed an inverse relationship between dental cleaning visits during pregnancy and preterm birth outcomes, notably among women who recognized the benefits of oral health and among non-Hispanic White women. The results emphasize the significance of dental visits and the perception of oral health benefits during pregnancy. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The study demonstrated an inverse association between dental visits for cleaning during pregnancy and preterm birth outcomes, with this relationship being significant among women who perceived the benefits of oral health during pregnancy and among non-Hispanic White women. These findings suggest that both the dental visits and the perception of oral health benefits may be important factors linked to preterm birth outcomes, with potential racial and ethnic variations. Policy makers and clinicians could integrate oral health care and prenatal oral health education into prenatal care as essential components of primary health care to improve both oral and overall health outcomes for women.Y
CLEC16A in astrocytes promotes mitophagy and limits pathology in a multiple sclerosis mouse model
No full textAstrocytes promote neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) through cell-intrinsic activities and their ability to recruit and activate other cell types. In a genome-wide CRISPR-based forward genetic screen investigating regulators of astrocyte proinflammatory responses, we identified the C-type lectin domain-containing 16A gene (CLEC16A), linked to MS susceptibility, as a suppressor of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) signaling. Gene and small-molecule perturbation studies in mouse primary and human embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes in combination with multiomic analyses established that CLEC16A promotes mitophagy, limiting mitochondrial dysfunction and the accumulation of mitochondrial products that activate NF-kappa B, the NLRP3 inflammasome and gasdermin D. Astrocyte-specific Clec16a inactivation increased NF-kappa B, NLRP3 and gasdermin D activation in vivo, worsening experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a mouse model of MS. Moreover, we detected disrupted mitophagic capacity and gasdermin D activation in astrocytes in samples from individuals with MS. These findings identify CLEC16A as a suppressor of astrocyte pathological responses and a candidate therapeutic target in MS.N