13 research outputs found
Measurement of nuclear recoil responses of NaI(Tl) crystal for dark matter search
No full textIn direct detection of WIMP dark matter particles, scintillation crystals such as NaI(Tl) are commonly used as targets/detectors. In this experiment, nuclear recoil responses of a small NaI(Tl) crystal were measured with 2.43 MeV mono-energetic neutrons from deuterium-deuterium fusion. The quenching factors of sodium and iodine recoils and pulse shape discrimination power of the crystal were measured with those nuclear recoils and electron recoils produced by Compton scattering of 662 keV gamma-rays from a source
Increased Excitatory Synaptic Transmission of Dentate Granule Neurons in Mice Lacking PSD-95-Interacting Adhesion Molecule Neph2/Kirrel3 during the Early Postnatal Period
No full textCopy number variants and point mutations of NEPH2 (also called KIRREL3) gene encoding an immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily adhesion molecule have been linked to autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability and neurocognitive delay associated with Jacobsen syndrome, but the physiological roles of Neph2 in the mammalian brain remain largely unknown. Neph2 is highly expressed in the dentate granule (DG) neurons of the hippocampus and is localized in both dendrites and axons. It was recently shown that Neph2 is required for the formation of mossy fiber filopodia, the axon terminal structure of DG neurons forming synapses with GABAergic neurons of CA3. In contrast, however, it is unknown whether Neph2 also has any roles in the postsynaptic compartments of DG neurons. We here report that, through its C-terminal PDZ domain-binding motif, Neph2 directly interacts with postsynaptic density (PSD)-95, an abundant excitatory postsynaptic scaffolding protein. Moreover, Neph2 protein is detected in the brain PSD fraction and interacts with PSD-95 in synaptosomal lysates. Functionally, loss of Neph2 in mice leads to age-specific defects in the synaptic connectivity of DG neurons. Specifically, Neph2−/− mice show significantly increased spontaneous excitatory synaptic events in DG neurons at postnatal week 2 when the endogenous Neph2 protein expression peaks, but show normal excitatory synaptic transmission at postnatal week 3. The evoked excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity of medial perforant pathway (MPP)-DG synapses are also normal in Neph2−/− mice at postnatal week 3, further confirming the age-specific synaptic defects. Together, our results provide some evidence for the postsynaptic function of Neph2 in DG neurons during the early postnatal period, which might be implicated in neurodevelopmental and cognitive disorders caused by NEPH2 mutations.
Copyright © 2017 Roh, Choi, Cho, Choi, Park, Cutforth, Chung, Park, Lee, Kim, Lee,
Mo, Rhee, Kim, Ko, Choi, Bae, Shen, Kim and Han. This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
The use, distribution and reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the
original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this
journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution
or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
© 2017 Roh, Choi, Cho, Choi, Park, Cutforth, Chung, Park, Lee, Kim, Lee,
Mo, Rhee, Kim, Ko, Choi, Bae, Shen, Kim and Han. This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
The use, distribution and reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the
original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this
journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution
or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Frontiers1321sciescopu
Understanding children's active school commute, independent mobility, and physical activity in Austin, Texas, USA: Roles of physical environments
No full text© 2024 The Author(s) cc-by-nc-ndWalking to/from school (WTS) is an important form of habitual and healthful physical activity (PA). This cross-sectional study examined the multilevel correlates of WTS among elementary school children in Austin, Texas, and whether WTS and neighborhood environmental factors were associated with increased independent mobility and PA. A parent survey was conducted, and geographic information systems were used to calculate the shortest home-to-school distance. Binary logistic regressions were used to predict the outcomes. Distance, physical barriers (e.g., highway/freeway/busy roads), neighborhood environmental quality, and traffic concerns were significant predictors for WTS. Having a school within the neighborhood and unsupervised play increased the likelihood of independent travel to non-school destinations. Sidewalk availability and condition, having a friend's/relative's house in the neighborhood that the child visits frequently, and independent travel to non-school destinations predicted an increased likelihood of unsupervised outdoor play. Stranger danger reduced the likelihood of both independent travel and unsupervised play. Easy access to services and unsupervised play increased the likelihood of meeting PA guidelines. This study identified modifiable environmental predictors of WTS, independent mobility, and meeting PA guidelines. Future PA promotion should consider strategies that can encourage not only WTS but also independent travel to non-school destinations and unsupervised outdoor play
The Inbetweeners: The Korean Animation Industry Negotiates the Global and the National
No full textThis thesis examines the (South) Korean animation industry in between the global and the national. Since the 1990s, the Korean animation industry has tried to shift from being a subordinated ‘in-betweener’ (i.e. subcontracting for the USA and Japan) to becoming an autonomous agent (i.e. producing its own animations). What exactly initiated this change? Can it be perhaps understood as the response to the globalisation process? Or, can it be, in fact, Korea’s constantly contested nationalism under the guise of capital force of globalisation? How does this change our understanding of globalisation as process? More importantly, how do animators experience globalisation in their daily lives and work conditions?
To answer these questions, the thesis focuses on (1) how the local creative industry recognises and realises the dynamics between the global and national; (2) how the local creative producers experience negotiating local and global values in their daily lives and work. As Korea is a globally challenged nation with constantly contested national identity, the Korean animation industry is a potent site for examining ambivalent identity formation through these ‘in-between’ negotiation processes. People’s everyday experiences and ‘emotional’ struggles in-between the two major forces of nationalism and globalisation have been relatively neglected in research so far. This focus leads me to suggest the idea of ‘in-between’ not just as subcontracting but as a concept. In contrast to celebration of hybridity as ambivalence and/or resistance to both globalisation and nationalism, ‘in-betweeness’ captures the subjective experience generated from hybridity and realised through social and emotional tension in lived experiences and work. Being in-between is understood as a negotiation, transition and dis/juncture of different experiences of globalisation, along which Korean animators experience conflicts, dilemmas and confusion and hesitations about which direction to head in. It results in the creation of an ambivalent and often agonized in between identity
Mutagenicity and immune toxicity of emulsion-type sausage cured with plasma-treated water
No full textCold plasma has been developed to reduce microbial contamination and to improve safety of food and medical products. In addition, the technology can be used in the manufacture of sausages without addition of nitrite. To be applied in food industry commercially, the new technology should be safe and efficient. However, toxicological test of plasma-treated food is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the mutagenicity and immune toxicity of the meat products cured with plasma-treated water (PTW) as a nitrite source. Emulsion sausages were prepared with no nitrite (control), sodium nitrite (SCS), and PTW (SCP). For a mutagenicity test, the Ames test was performed with the sausage samples. For immune toxicity test, 8-wk-old female Balb/c mice were given free access to the sausages in order to evaluate the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha level. As a result, no mutagenicity was detected in the sausages by the Ames test. The serum TNF-alpha values were less than 10 pg/mL in mice after feeding control and treated samples for 32 d, indicating that no inflammatory response was occurred by feeding the sausages made by PTW. Therefore, the present study opens the possibility of using plasma-treated water as a nitrite source without any toxicity.Y
Stimuli-Responsive Conformational Transformation of Peptides for Tunable Cytotoxicity
No full textThe stimuli-responsive conformational transformation
of peptides
possessing a constrained form triggered by specific biological microenvironment
would provide an effective strategy for the development of highly
specific peptide therapeutics. Here, we developed a peptide containing
a cytotoxic helical KLA sequence with therapeutic specificity through
the use of stimuli-responsive conformational transformation. The KLA
peptide is modified to form a cyclic structure to allow for constrained
helicity that confers low cytotoxicity. The modified KLA peptide is
electrostatically complexed to hyaluronic acid to facilitate enhanced
endocytosis into the cancer cells. After endocytosis, the peptide
is released from the complex into the cellular cytoplasm by hyaluronidases
on the surface of the cellular membrane. Specific intracellular stimuli
then trigger the release of the strain that suppresses peptide helicity,
and the inherent helical conformation of the KLA peptide is restored.
Therefore, the stimuli-responsive conformational transformation of
a peptide from low to high helicity selectively induces cell death
by disruption of the plasma and mitochondrial membrane
Long-term reliable physical health monitoring by sweat pore–inspired perforated electronic skins
No full textElectronic skins (e-skins)-electronic sensors mechanically compliant to human skin-have long been developed as an ideal electronic platform for noninvasive human health monitoring. For reliable physical health monitoring, the interface between the e-skin and human skin must be conformal and intact consistently. However, conventional e-skins cannot perfectly permeate sweat in normal day-to-day activities, resulting in degradation of the intimate interface over time and impeding stable physical sensing. Here, we present a sweat pore-inspired perforated e-skin that can effectively suppress sweat accumulation and allow inorganic sensors to obtain physical health information without malfunctioning. The auxetic dumbbell through-hole patterns in perforated e-skins lead to synergistic effects on physical properties including mechanical reliability, conformability, areal mass density, and adhesion to the skin. The perforated e-skin allows one to laminate onto the skin with consistent homeostasis, enabling multiple inorganic sensors on the skin to reliably monitor the wearer's health over a period of weeks
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in autoimmune diseases: A comprehensive review
No full textNeutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are fibrous networks which protrude from the membranes of activated neutrophils. NETs are found in a variety of conditions such as infection, malignancy, atherosclerosis, and autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), psoriasis, and gout. Studies suggest that an imbalance between "NETosis," which is a process by which NETs are formed, and NET degradation may be associated with autoimmune diseases. Neutrophils, interleukin-8, ANCA and other inflammatory molecules are considered to play a key role in NET formation. Prolonged exposure to NETs-related cascades is associated with autoimmunity and increases the chance of systemic organ damage. In this review, we discuss the roles of various inflammatory molecules in relation to NETs. We also describe the role of NETs in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and discuss the possibility of using targeted therapies directed to NETs and associated molecules to treat autoimmune diseases.restrictio
Electromagnetic interference shielding using metal and MXene thin films
No full textThe electronic passivation of small-form-factor devices requires a fundamental change in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, transitioning from bulky metal cans to conformal thin films1, 2, 3–4. However, reducing the thickness induces poor shielding performance associated with the skin depth of shielding materials5,6. To overcome the performance limitations of thin-film shields, absorption during multiple internal reflections should be driven7. For absorption during multiple internal reflections, pores have been intentionally introduced into shielding materials such as metals8, 9, 10, 11–12 and two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbides/nitrides (MXenes)13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18–19. However, these approaches involve insufficient thinness, non-uniformity and/or processing incompatibility. Here we propose embedding non-porous MXene film into metal thin films to achieve unprecedented shielding performance at a thickness of just 1 μm (about 70 decibels; about 80 decibels at 1.9-μm thickness) without the limitations associated with porous structures. This exceptional performance in simple-stacked metal/MXene/metal structures, which deviates from the typical thickness dependency, arises from the formation of electromagnetic wave confinement walls at the interfaces, driven by the conductivity mismatch between the metal and MXene. The confined electromagnetic waves within the MXene ‘well’ are effectively attenuated through polarization loss, primarily driven by dipoles at the metal–MXene interfaces. Our embedded-MXene-in-metal shields provide conformal EMI protection for portable USB (Universal Serial Bus) 3.0 flash drives and flexible Schottky diodes. Our embedded-MXene-in-metal shields may open new avenues in packaging technologies, enabling EMI-free ubiquitous electronics. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.FALSEsciescopu
Sexually dimorphic behavior, neuronal activity, and gene expression in Chd8-mutant mice
No full textAutism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are four times more common in males than in females, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We characterized sexually dimorphic changes in mice carrying a heterozygous mutation in Chd8 (Chd8+/N2373K) that was first identified in human CHD8 (Asn2373LysfsX2), a strong ASD-risk gene that encodes a chromatin remodeler. Notably, although male mutant mice displayed a range of abnormal behaviors during pup, juvenile, and adult stages, including enhanced mother-seeking ultrasonic vocalization, enhanced attachment to reunited mothers, and isolation-induced self-grooming, their female counterparts do not. This behavioral divergence was associated with sexually dimorphic changes in neuronal activity, synaptic transmission, and transcriptomic profiles. Specifically, female mice displayed suppressed baseline neuronal excitation, enhanced inhibitory synaptic transmission and neuronal firing, and increased expression of genes associated with extracellular vesicles and the extracellular matrix. Our results suggest that a human CHD8 mutation leads to sexually dimorphic changes ranging from transcription to behavior in mice. © 2018, The Author(s
