Accelerated construction of stress relief music datasets using CNN and the Mel-scaled spectrogram

Listening to music is a crucial tool for relieving stress and promoting relaxation. However, the limited options available for stress-relief music do not cater to individual preferences, compromising its effectiveness. Traditional methods of curating stress-relief music rely heavily on measuring biological responses, which is time-consuming, expensive, and requires specialized measurement devices. In this paper, a deep learning approach to solve this problem is introduced that explicitly uses convolutional neural networks and provides a more efficient and economical method for generating large datasets of stress-relief music. These datasets are composed of Mel-scaled spectrograms that include essential sound elements (such as frequency, amplitude, and waveform) that can be directly extracted from the music. The trained model demonstrated a test accuracy of 98.7%, and a clinical study indicated that the model-selected music was as effective as researcher-verified music in terms of stress-relieving capacity. This paper underlines the transformative potential of deep learning in addressing the challenge of limited music options for stress relief. More importantly, the proposed method has profound implications for music therapy because it enables a more personalized approach to stress-relief music selection, offering the potential for enhanced emotional well-being.

Assessment of Bladder Filling Type on Radiation Dose to Organs at Risk in MR-Guided Intracavity Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

In this study, we evaluated whether the classification of bladder shape affects the absorbed dose (Gy) of OARs and its geometrical position to normal organs in MR-guided intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT).

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this study, 269 patients who underwent MR-guided ICBT for cervical cancer from 2016 to 2022 were included. The applicator-inserted bladder filling type (BFT) classification was divided into three types (tilted, curved, and other shapes: group E). The anatomical positional relationship between the uterus and its surroundings was measured on pre-MR images and ICBT simulation MR images. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used for bladder volume and OAR dose according to BFT. Anatomical differences were analyzed by ANOVA by measuring the distance from the center to both bladder walls.

RESULTS

In the correlation analysis considering the shape of the bladder, the tilted, curved, and group E had Spearman's ρ of 0.211; -0.323, 0.412; -0.307 and -0.035; -0.209 for maximum absorbed dose (D2cc) of bladder and small bowel, respectively. It was statistically significant in the tilted type and curved type. The average left and right bladder lengths differences of the tilted type were the highest at 8.47 cm and 7.11 cm, respectively. It was a statistically significant between bladder shape and the difference in left and right bladder lengths differences (p< 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In this study, it was confirmed that bladder distension increased the maximum bladder dose (D2cc) and decreased the maximum bowel dose (D2cc) to the tilted type and curved type. In addition, if the left and right bladder lengths are measured in pre-MR, the degree of bladder distension can be evaluated in advance by checking the shape of the bladder in the case of the tilting type before ICBT. Based on these findings, a prospective study is needed to evaluate the effect of ICBT on cervical cancer treatment outcomes through bladder type classification.

Effects of anxiety-related psychological states on music-induced analgesia in cold pressor pain responses

CONTEXT

The analgesic effect of music has long been reported.

OBJECTIVE

To assess how anxiety-related psychological states affect the analgesic effect of music using the cold pressor task (CPT).

DESIGN

A 3-period × 3-sequence crossover design was adopted; three conditions were used: "no sound," "music-listening," and "news-listening."

SETTING

PARTICIPANTS: Forty-nine participants were included.

INTERVENTIONS

After completing five anxiety-related psychological instruments (Anxiety Sensitivity Index [ASI]-16, ASI-Revised, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]-S, STAI-T, and Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20), the participants were allocated to the low- or high-anxiety group. The high- and low-anxiety groups were defined based on cutoff points according to the distributions and characteristics of the five instruments.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Pain responses, such as pain tolerance time, pain intensity, and pain unpleasantness, were measured on the CPT. Pain responses in the music-listening condition were also compared to those in the other two conditions via pairwise comparisons within each anxiety group.

RESULTS

The Cronbach alpha of the five instruments ranged from 0.866 to 0.95, indicating that they were reliable. Pain responses in the music-listening condition in the low-anxiety groups based on any of the five scales were significantly different from those in the other conditions, but this effect was not found in the high-anxiety groups. This study demonstrates that anxiety-related psychological states can predict the analgesic effect of music on pain responses measured by the CPT and suggests that music may be beneficial as a pain management tool in low-anxiety groups.

The impact of Pain-related emotions on migraine

The response to pain is highly individual and can be influenced by complex emotional perception. This study aims to investigate the status of the pain-related emotional response, and the influence on headache characteristics and disability in migraine. We studied the pain-related emotional response in 145 consecutive migraine patients using the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (PASS), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) and compared them with 106 healthy controls. We investigated the relationship between emotional factors and migraine characteristics. The effect of pain-related emotion on migraine-related disability assessed with the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) and the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS). Migraine patients showed significantly higher scores on total PASS (p < 0.001), PCS (p < 0.001) and PSQ (p = 0.002) compared to the healthy controls. The HIT-6 was weakly correlated with PASS (r = 0.390, p < 0.001) and PCS (r = 0.354, p < 0.001). PASS-Total (p = 0.001), headache frequency (p = 0.003), and HADS-Anxiety (p = 0.028) were independent variables associated with HIT-6. Headache frequency (p < 0.001) was an independent variable associated with MIDAS. The structural equation model indicated that headache severity has direct loading on emotion and subsequently influenced migraine-related disability. Disability has a significant effect on the frequency of abortive medication use. Migraine patients have altered emotional responses to pain perception. Pain-related anxiety made an important contribution to headache-related disability. The present results suggest that the management of disability by considering various pain-related emotional factors may be necessary for the therapeutic aspects of migraine.

The analgesic effect of music on cold pressor pain responses: The influence of anxiety and attitude toward pain

OBJECTIVE

The analgesic effect of music has been recognized for pain relief, but individual differences and adjuvant methods are poorly understood. This study employed a cold-pressor task (CPT) to observe the effects of music (without considering personal preferences) on pain experience and how this is affected by individuals' general (and pain-specific) anxiety symptomology.

METHODS

Fifty participants were each presented with three conditions (randomized into different orders): music-listening, news-listening, and no sound (control). Pain responses, including pain tolerance time (PT), pain intensity (PI), and pain unpleasantness (PU), were assessed using CPT and compared with a 3x3 crossover design. Participants also completed the anxiety sensitivity index (ASI-16) and pain anxiety symptom scale (PASS-20).

RESULTS

CPT pain responses during the music intervention were significantly different from responses during the news intervention and control conditions, respectively. Among participants with normal anxiety levels, pain responses during the music condition differed significantly from the news and control groups; this was not the case for the anxiety risk group. Pain responses during the music condition for those with normal levels of pain-specific anxiety differed significantly from the control, but this was not the case for the risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

Music appears to influence diminished pain responses relative to the absence of an intervention. However, this was not the case when individuals listened to news stories. These effects were more robust for individuals experiencing normal levels of general and pain-specific anxiety. Thus, music (even outside one's own preferences) was an effective adjuvant method for managing pain, especially among those without significant anxiety symptomology.

The relationship between depression and periodontal diseases

OBJECTIVE

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate whether depression is associated with periodontal diseases in a representative sample of South Korean adults Methods: We used data from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI), conducted in 2014. We included in this study 4328 participants aged over 20 years (1768 males and 2560 females). Depression was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and history of physician-diagnosed depression. Periodontal diseases were assessed a gingival bleeding, calculus and periodontal pockets. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

People with any periodontal diseases tended to be old, male, married, low income, poor education, blue-collar occupation, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, overweight, smoking, not using dental floss or interdental brush in univariate analysis. Neither self-reported nor diagnosed depression was associated with the presence of any or severe periodontal disease in the total sample. In participants aged 20-29 years only, the presence of any periodontal disease was associated with self-reported depression (OR, 2.031; 95% CI, 1.011-4.078). In the same age group, the presence of severe periodontal disease was associated with both self-reported depression (OR, 6.532; 95% CI, 2.190-19.483) and diagnosed depression (OR, 7.729; 95% CI, 1.966-30.389).

CONCLUSION

Self-reported depression was significantly associated with the presence of any or severe periodontal disease, and diagnosed depression was significantly associated with severe periodontal diseases only in participants aged 20-29 years.

Circadian variations in the clinical presentation of headaches among migraineurs: A study using a smartphone headache diary

Migraines occur within certain time frames. Nevertheless, information regarding circadian variation in the clinical presentation of migraine is limited. We investigated circadian variations in the clinical presentation of migraine using a smartphone headache diary (SHD). We enrolled adult participants with the diagnosis of migraine according to the third beta edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Participants were asked to log in to the SHD every day for 90 days to record the occurrence of headaches. We compared the occurrence and clinical presentation of headaches during four 6-hour quadrants per day (00:00-05:59, 06:00-11:59, 12:00-17:59, and 18:00-23:59). Migraine-type headache was defined as a headache attack that fulfilled all criteria of migraine, except for the criterion regarding typical headache duration. Eighty-two participants kept a dairy for at least 50% of the study period and recorded 1491 headache attacks. Among the 1491 headache attacks, 474 (31.8%) were classified as migraine-type headaches and 1017 (68.2%) were classified as non-migraine-type headaches. All headaches, migraine-type headaches and non-migraine-type headaches occurred most frequently between 06:00 and 11:59, and least frequently between 18:00 and 23:59, and between 00:00 and 05:59. Migrainous headache characteristics, such as unilateral pain, pulsating quality, severe headache intensity, aggravation by movement, nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia presented most frequently between 06:00 and 11:59, and least frequently between 18:00 and 23:59, and 00:00 and 05:59 among 1491 all headache attacks. Headache clinical presentation as well as headache occurrence exhibited circadian periodicity among migraineurs.

ABBREVIATIONS

SHD: smartphone headache diary; ICHD-3 beta: the third edition beta version of the International Classification of Headache Disorders.

Crossover clinical trial of pain relief in cataract surgery

Purpose

To determine the effects of intra-operative Korean traditional music on pain experienced by Korean patients undergoing sequential bilateral cataract surgery.

Methods

This was a two-sequence, two-period, and two-treatment crossover study. Fifty-two patients with cataracts were divided into two groups by block randomization, and bilateral cataract surgery was performed. In group 1, patients listened to Korean traditional music (KTM) during their first but not second cataract surgery. This sequence was reversed for patients in group 2. After each surgery, patients scored their pain intensity (PI) using a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 was ‘no pain’ and 10 was ‘unbearable pain.’

Result

There was a statistically significant reduction in the mean VAS score with KTM (3.1 ± 2.0) compared to that without KTM (4.1 ± 2.2; p = 0.013). However, there were no statistically significant differences in blood pressure or pulse rates.

Conclusion

KTM had a significant effect on reducing pain experienced by patients during cataract surgery. This may be useful in the context of other surgical procedures to reduce pain in Korean patients.

SET kinetics of electrochemical metallization cells: influence of counter-electrodes in SiO2/Ag based systems

The counter-electrode material in resistively switching electrochemical metallization cells (ECMs) is a crucial factor influencing the nucleation of conductive filaments, the equilibrium electrode potentials, and kinetics in the devices, and hence the overall switching characteristics. Here, we demonstrate the influence of the counter-electrode (CE) material on the SET events and the importance of appropriate choice and combination of materials. The counter-electrode material influences the counter-electrode processes at the CE/insulator interface and consequently determines the metal ion concentration in the cells. We measured the switching kinetics for SiO₂/Ag based ECM cells using different counter-electrode materials with different electrocatalytic activities towards water reduction, namely platinum, ruthenium, and iridium oxide, as well as titanium nitride and tantalum. The experimental results are fitted using a physical simulation model and are analysed for the limiting factors for fast SET kinetics.

Analysis of Trigger Factors in Episodic Migraineurs Using a Smartphone Headache Diary Applications

Background

Various stimuli can trigger migraines in susceptible individuals. We examined migraine trigger factors by using a smartphone headache diary application.

Method

Episodic migraineurs who agreed to participate in our study downloaded smartphone headache diary application, which was designed to capture the details regarding headache trigger factors and characteristics for 3 months. The participants were asked to access the smartphone headache diary application daily and to confirm the presence of a headache and input the types of trigger factors.

Results

Sixty-two participants kept diary entries until the end of the study. The diary data for 4,579 days were analyzed. In this data set, 1,099 headache days (336 migraines, 763 non-migraine headaches) were recorded; of these, 772 headache events had with trigger factors, and 327 events did not have trigger factors. The common trigger factors that were present on headache days included stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and weather changes. The likelihood of a headache trigger was 57.7% for stress, 55.1% for sleep deprivation, 48.5% for fatigue, and 46.5% for any trigger. The headaches with trigger factors were associated with greater pain intensity (p<0.001), headache-related disability (p<0.001), abortive medication use (p = 0.02), and the proportion of migraine (p < 0.001), relative to those without trigger factors. Traveling (odd ratios [OR]: 6.4), hormonal changes (OR: 3.5), noise (OR: 2.8), alcohol (OR: 2.5), overeating (OR: 2.4), and stress (OR:1.8) were significantly associated with migraines compared to non-migraine headaches. The headaches that were associated with hormonal changes or noise were more often migraines, regardless of the preventive medication. The headaches due to stress, overeating, alcohol, and traveling were more often migraines without preventive medication, but it was not evident with preventive medication.

Conclusion

Smartphone headache diary application is an effective tool to assess migraine trigger factors. The headaches with trigger factors had greater severity or migraine features. The type of triggers and the presence of preventive medication influenced the headache characteristics; hence, an investigation of trigger factors would be helpful in understanding migraine occurrences.

AIMP1 downregulation restores chondrogenic characteristics of dedifferentiated/degenerated chondrocytes by enhancing TGF-β signal

Dedifferentiation and degeneration of chondrocytes critically influences the efficiency of cartilage repair. One of the causes is the defect of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling that promotes chondrogenic differentiation and degeneration. In the present study, we found that aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein 1 (AIMP1) negatively regulates TGF-β signaling via interactions with Smad2 and Smad3 in immunoprecipitation assay and luciferase assay. In addition, we observed that the AIMP1 expression level was significantly increased in osteoarthritis (OA) patient-derived degenerated chondrocytes compared with healthy control. So, we hypothesized that downregulation of AIMP1 using small-interfering RNA (siRNA) technology in dedifferentiated (collected at passage #6) and degenerated (obtained from OA-affected areas) chondrocytes could lead to recover TGF-β signaling in both chondrocytes. Indeed, AIMP1 downregulation restored TGF-β signaling by promoting phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3, which shows redifferentiated characteristics in both dedifferentiated and degenerated chondrocytes. Additionally, implantation analyses using in vivo mouse model clearly showed that AIMP1 downregulation resulted in the increased chondrogenic potential as well as the enhanced cartilage tissue formation in both dedifferentiated and degenerated chondrocytes. Histological analyses clarified that AIMP1 downregulation increased expression levels of collagen type II (Col II) and aggrecan, but not Col I expression. Taken together, these data indicate that AIMP1 downregulation using siRNA is a novel tool to restore TGF-β signaling and thereby increases the chondrogenic potential of dedifferentiated/degenerated chondrocytes, which could be further developed as a therapeutic siRNA to treat OA.

Cell cycle-dependent Cdc25C phosphatase determines cell survival by regulating apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1

Cdc25C (cell division cycle 25C) phosphatase triggers entry into mitosis in the cell cycle by dephosphorylating cyclin B-Cdk1. Cdc25C exhibits basal phosphatase activity during interphase and then becomes activated at the G2/M transition after hyperphosphorylation on multiple sites and dissociation from 14-3-3. Although the role of Cdc25C in mitosis has been extensively studied, its function in interphase remains elusive. Here, we show that during interphase Cdc25C suppresses apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), a member of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase family that mediates apoptosis. Cdc25C phosphatase dephosphorylates phospho-Thr-838 in the activation loop of ASK1 in vitro and in interphase cells. In addition, knockdown of Cdc25C increases the activity of ASK1 and ASK1 downstream targets in interphase cells, and overexpression of Cdc25C inhibits ASK1-mediated apoptosis, suggesting that Cdc25C binds to and negatively regulates ASK1. Furthermore, we showed that ASK1 kinase activity correlated with Cdc25C activation during mitotic arrest and enhanced ASK1 activity in the presence of activated Cdc25C resulted from the weak association between ASK1 and Cdc25C. In cells synchronized in mitosis following nocodazole treatment, phosphorylation of Thr-838 in the activation loop of ASK1 increased. Compared with hypophosphorylated Cdc25C, which exhibited basal phosphatase activity in interphase, hyperphosphorylated Cdc25C exhibited enhanced phosphatase activity during mitotic arrest, but had significantly reduced affinity to ASK1, suggesting that enhanced ASK1 activity in mitosis was due to reduced binding of hyperphosphorylated Cdc25C to ASK1. These findings suggest that Cdc25C negatively regulates proapoptotic ASK1 in a cell cycle-dependent manner and may play a role in G2/M checkpoint-mediated apoptosis.

Microbial communities in the upper respiratory tract of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Respiratory infections are well-known triggers of chronic respiratory diseases. Recently, culture-independent tools have indicated that lower airway microbiota may contribute to pathophysiologic processes associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the relationship between upper airway microbiota and chronic respiratory diseases remains unclear. This study was undertaken to define differences of microbiota in the oropharynx of asthma and COPD patients relative to those in healthy individuals. To account for the qualitative and quantitative diversity of the 16S rRNA gene in the oropharynx, the microbiomes of 18 asthma patients, 17 COPD patients, and 12 normal individuals were assessed using a high-throughput next-generation sequencing analysis. In the 259,572 total sequence reads, α and β diversity measurements and a generalized linear model revealed that the oropharynx microbiota are diverse, but no significant differences were observed between asthma and COPD patients. Pseudomonas spp. of Proteobacteria and Lactobacillus spp. of Firmicutes were highly abundant in asthma and COPD. By contrast, Streptococcus, Veillonella, Prevotella, and Neisseria of Bacteroidetes dominated in the healthy oropharynx. These findings are consistent with previous studies conducted in the lower airways and suggest that oropharyngeal airway microbiota are important for understanding the relationships between the various parts of the respiratory tract with regard to bacterial colonization and comprehensive assessment of asthma and COPD.

Relationship between chewing ability and depressive symptoms

OBJECTIVE

Depression, as one of the most common mental health problems, has many related factors. Recent studies have suggested chewing difficulties as a risk factor for depression in the elderly. This study seeks to investigate whether chewing ability is associated with depressive symptoms in a Korean population.

METHODS

This study used data from the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V) conducted in 2010. Self-reported questionnaires assessed depressive symptoms and chewing ability for the purposes of this study. A total of 6,255 subjects aged over 19 years were included for this study (2,704 males and 3,551 females).

RESULTS

Comparing depressive symptoms with chewing ability (i.e., very poor, poor, moderate, good, and very good), the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CI) were 1.05 (95% CI: 0.84-1.32) for good vs. very good (as a reference), 1.31 (95% CI: 1.00-1.73) for moderate vs. very good, 1.41 (95% CI: 1.12-1.78) for poor vs. very good, and 1.76 (95% CI: 1.16-2.76) for very poor vs. very good.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that subjects with reduced chewing ability were more susceptible to having depressive symptoms.

Missing data analysis in drug-naïve Alzheimer's disease with behavioral and psychological symptoms

PURPOSE

To clarify the effects of missing values due to behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients on the neuropsychological tests, this study describes the pattern of missing values due to BPSD, and its influence on tests.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Drug-naïve probable AD patients (n=127) with BPSD and without BPSD (n=32) were assessed with Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery including measures of memory, intelligence, and executive functioning. Moreover, patients were rated on Korean Neuropsychiatry Inventory (K-NPI).

RESULTS

The more severe the K-NPI score, the less neuropsychological tests were assessable, leading to many missing values. Patients with BPSD were more severely demented than those without BPSD. K-NPI scores were significantly correlated with the number of missing values. The effect of BPSD was largest for tests measuring frontal functions. The replacement of the missing values due to BPSD by the lowest observed score also showed the largest effect on tests of frontal function.

CONCLUSION

The global cognitive and behavior scales are related with missing values. Among K-NPI sub-domains, delusion, depressing, apathy, and aberrant motor behavior are significantly correlated for missing values. Data imputation of missing values due to BPSD provides a more differentiated picture of cognitive deficits in AD with BPSD.

Secondhand smoke exposure and osteoporosis in never-smoking postmenopausal women: the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

SUMMARY

The association between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and lumbar and femoral neck osteoporosis was assessed in postmenopausal never-smoking Korean women. The presence of family members who actively smoked was associated with femoral neck osteoporosis. The number of cigarettes consumed by cohabitant smokers was positively associated with lumbar and femoral neck osteoporosis.

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to assess the association between SHS and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

METHODS

Of 2,067 postmenopausal women (age, ≥55 years) participating in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 925 never-smokers identified through interviews and urinary cotinine level verification were enrolled. Cross-sectional relationships between self-reported SHS exposure and osteoporosis of the lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck (defined using the World Health Organization T-score criteria) were investigated by bone densitometry.

RESULTS

Participants having actively smoking family members showed increased adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for femoral neck osteoporosis compared with participants not exposed to SHS (aOR, 3.68; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.23-10.92). Participants whose cohabitant smokers consumed any number of cigarettes per day showed increased occurrences for lumbar and femoral neck osteoporosis compared with the nonexposed group. Participants whose cohabitant smokers consumed ≥20 cigarettes/day showed increased aORs for lumbar (aOR, 5.40; 95 % CI, 1.04-28.04) and femoral neck (aOR, 4.35; 95 % CI, 1.07-17.68) osteoporosis compared with participants not exposed to SHS.

CONCLUSIONS

In postmenopausal never-smoking Korean women, exposure to SHS was positively associated with osteoporosis. This finding further emphasizes a need to identify vulnerable groups exposed to SHS to increase bone health.

Characterization of the fungal microbiota (mycobiome) in healthy and dandruff-afflicted human scalps

The human scalp harbors a vast community of microbial mutualists, the composition of which is difficult to elucidate as many of the microorganisms are not culturable using current culture techniques. Dandruff, a common scalp disorder, is known as a causative factor of a mild seborrheic dermatitis as well as pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis. Lipophilic yeast Malassezia is widely accepted to play a role in dandruff, but relatively few comprehensive studies have been reported. In order to investigate fungal biota and genetic resources of dandruff, we amplified the 26S rRNA gene from samples of healthy scalps and dandruff-afflicted scalps. The sequences were analyzed by a high throughput method using a GS-FLX 454 pyrosequencer. Of the 74,811 total sequence reads, Basidiomycota (Filobasidium spp.) was the most common phylum associated with dandruff. In contrast, Ascomycota (Acremonium spp.) was common in the healthy scalps. Our results elucidate the distribution of fungal communities associated with dandruff and provide new avenues for the potential prevention and treatment of dandruff.

G1 to S phase transition protein 1 induces apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 activation by dissociating 14-3-3 from ASK1

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase family, plays a critical role in mediating apoptosis signals initiated by a variety of death stimuli such as hydrogen peroxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Owing to its critical role in inducing apoptosis, the activity of ASK1 is tightly regulated by various mechanisms such as post-translational modifications and protein-protein interactions. Here we describe the identification of G(1) to S phase transition protein 1 (GSPT1), which is associated with protein translation, as a regulator of ASK1. GSPT1 interacts with ASK1 and enhances ASK1-induced apoptotic activity through the activation of caspase-3. In vitro kinase assay data show that GSPT1 enhances ASK1 autophosphorylation and its kinase activity. Cell cycle-dependent GSPT1 induction and small interfering RNA analyses show that ASK1 autophosphorylation is dependent on the expression level of endogenous GSPT1 in cells. GSPT1 inhibits the binding of ASK1 to the 14-3-3 protein, an ASK1 inhibitor, while GSPT1 has no effect on the interaction between ASK1 and TRAF2, a C-terminal-binding activator of ASK1. Thus, our results reveal a novel role of GSPT1 in the regulation of ASK1-mediated apoptosis.

A promoter nucleotide variant of the dendritic cell-specific DCNP1 associates with serum IgE levels specific for dust mite allergens among the Korean asthmatics

Dendritic cells (DCs), the most abundant antigen-presenting cells in the lung, have been drawing attention for their roles in specific allergic responses to aeroallergens with support of Th lymphocytes, and in persistent inflammatory changes in allergic asthma. To identify genetic factors that may be involved in the asthma susceptibility and development of the disease phenotypes, we examined association of DC-specific DCNP1 polymorphisms with the disease risk. The case-control study revealed association of the nucleotide variants with serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels specific for Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f 1) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1), major aeroallergens of dust mites, among subjects with asthma. In particular, the T-allele-carrying genotype frequencies for one of the variants (c.-1289C>T) located in the promoter region were found increased in the asthmatic group with low levels of the mite-specific IgE (odds ratio (OR)=0.63 (0.48-0.83) for Der p 1). Results from functional analyses indicated that the promoter variant would affect the gene expression by modulating DNA-protein interaction. We propose that the genetic polymorphism of DCNP1 may influence production of specific IgE by altering DC functions in the mite allergen presenting and/or processing. The functional relevance of the genetic variation would provide an important insight into the genetic basis of allergic response to the mite antigens.

Bioequivalence trials with the incomplete 3 x 3 crossover design

In bioequivalence trials, one often considers two or more generic products with the original one. The 3 x 3 crossover design can be adopted to evaluate the two generic candidates with a brand name drug, rather than conducting two separate 2 x 2 crossover trials. Dropouts, however, are more likely to occur due to various administrative reasons when we consider a higher order crossover design. A modified method, which was originally given by Chow and Shao (1997), is extended to compare two generic products with a reference in the incomplete 3 x 3 crossover design. A simulation study and discussion are also presented.

Average bioequivalence for two-sequence two-period crossover design with incomplete data

A statistical procedure for analyzing a two-sequence two-period crossover design in bioequivalence trials is discussed when some observations at the second period are missing. The maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters in the average bioequivalence model are obtained under missing at random and a modified two one-sided test is proposed. The performances of the discussed test are compared using Monte Carlo simulations.

Bone involvement in chronic rhinosinusitis assessed by 99mTc-MDP bone SPECT

To investigate the clinical significance of bone involvement in chronic rhinosinusitis, 99mTc-MDP bone single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was studied in 43 patients diagnosed as having chronic rhinosinusitis. Quantitative isotope uptake indices calculated on SPECT were compared between the patient and a control group, and between patients with a good postoperative outcome and those with a poor outcome. The patient group showed a significantly higher isotope uptake than the control group. The uptake of isotope in the ethmoid sinus areas in patients who had a poor postoperative outcome was significantly higher than those who had a good outcome. Our study suggests that patients with chronic rhinosinusitis have apparent bony involvement, and patients with more severe bone involvement may have a poorer treatment outcome.

Sinonasal tuberculosis associated with osteomyelitis of the ethmoid bone and cervical lymphadenopathy

Sinonasal tuberculosis is a rare disease; its association with osteomyelitis of surrounding bone and cervical lymphadenopathy has been reported rarely. In this article, we report a case of sinonasal tuberculosis that was complicated by osteomyelitis of the ethmoid bone and cervical lymphadenopathy. Infection of the bone was demonstrated by biopsy and (99m)Tc-MDP bone single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and cervical lymphadenopathy was confirmed by histology. This case will be discussed with specific emphasis on the imaging characteristics.

Human hepatitis B virus polymerase interacts with the molecular chaperonin Hsp60

Previous studies showed that hepatitis B virus polymerase (HBV Pol) interacts with host factors such as the Hsp90 complex, which is a critical step in viral genome replication. In this report, we propose that another chaperone, Hsp60, interacts with human HBV Pol and that this is a very important step for maturation of human HBV Pol into the active state. In the immunoprecipitation of recombinant human HBV Pol expressed in insect cells with the recombinant baculovirus expression system, the 60-kDa protein was coimmunoprecipitated with Pol and the protein was identified as Hsp60 through peptide sequencing and immunogenic analysis with an anti-Hsp60 antibody. In vitro experiments showed that Hsp60 strongly affected human HBV Pol activity in that (i) blocking of Hsp60 by the protein-specific antibody reduced human HBV Pol activity, (ii) the activity was increased by addition of Hsp60 in the presence of ATP, and (iii) ATP synergistically activated human HBV Pol with Hsp60. In vivo experiments showed that inhibition of Hsp60 in cells by a mutant Hsp60, C Delta 540, resulted in the reduction of human HBV Pol activity. In summary, our results indicate that the interaction is significant for conversion of human HBV Pol into the active state.

A cofactor of tRNA synthetase, p43, is secreted to up-regulate proinflammatory genes

An auxiliary factor of mammalian multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, p43, is thought to be a precursor of endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP II) that triggers proinflammation in leukocytes and macrophages. In the present work, however, we have shown that p43 itself is specifically secreted from intact mammalian cells, while EMAP II is released only when the cells are disrupted. Secretion of p43 was also observed when its expression was increased. These results suggest that p43 itself should be a real cytokine secreted by an active mechanism. To determine the cytokine activity and active domain of p43, we investigated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) production from human monocytic THP-1 cells treated with various p43 deletion mutants. The full length of p43 showed higher cytokine activity than EMAP II, further supporting p43 as the active cytokine. p43 was also shown to activate MAPKs and NFkappaB, and to induce cytokines and chemokines such as TNF, IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, MIP-2alpha, IL-1beta, and RANTES. Interestingly, the high level of p43 was observed in the foam cells of atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, p43 could be a novel mediator of atherosclerosis development as well as other inflammation-related diseases.

Molecular characterization of the cDNA encoding an acidic isoform of PR-1 protein in rice

Rice cDNA encoding an acidic type of pathogenesis-related protein-1 (PR-1a) was cloned and characterized. The deduced PR-1a protein consisted of 168 amino acid residues, including 24 hydrophobic signal sequences at the N-terminus. The predicted molecular mass of the PR-1a was 15,728 Da with a theoretical pI of 4.5, an indication of an acidic protein. The PR-la showed high homology to an acidic PR-1 of Zea mays (74%) and a previously identified basic type PR-1 of rice (64%). Both rice PR-1 and PR-1a genes were found to exist as small gene families through Southern blot hybridization analyses. The PR-1 mRNA was accumulated only in leaves, while the PR-1a transcript was accumulated throughout the plant at a low level. Expression of both PR-1 genes was induced by infections of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea, or the bacterial leaf blight pathogen, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, and the treatment of benzo (1, 2, 3) thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-ethyl ester, H2O2, or CuSO4. The expression of both PR-1 genes was higher and more rapidly induced in an incompatible interaction than in a compatible interaction in the rice M. grisea interactions.

Heat shock protein 90 mediates protein-protein interactions between human aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Heat shock protein 90 (hsp90) is a molecular chaperone responsible for protein folding and maturation in vivo. Interaction of hsp90 with human glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS) was found by genetic screening, co-immunoprecipitation, and in vitro binding experiments. This interaction was sensitive to the hsp90 inhibitor, geldanamycin, and also ATP, suggesting that the chaperone activity of hsp90 is required for interaction with EPRS. Interaction of EPRS with hsp90 was targeted to the region of three tandem repeats linking the two catalytic domains of EPRS that is also responsible for the interaction with isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IRS). Interaction of EPRS and IRS also depended on the activity of hsp90, implying that their association was mediated by hsp90. EPRS and IRS form a macromolecular protein complex with at least six other tRNA synthetases and three cofactors. hsp90 preferentially binds to most of the complex-forming enzymes rather than those that are not found in the complex. In addition, inactivation of hsp90 interfered with the in vivo incorporation of the nascent aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases into the multi-ARS complex. Thus, hsp90 appears to mediate protein-protein interactions of mammalian tRNA synthetases.

Affinity maturation of natural antibody using a chain shuffling technique and the expression of recombinant antibodies in Escherichia coli

The affinity of natural antibody (Ka = 8 x 10(6) M(-1)) recognizing preS1 of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was improved by replacing the heavy (H) chain gene with repertoires of VH genes, obtained from two nonimmunized donors. Two separate clones, 1C2 and 1E4, showed affinities of 2.3 x 10(7) and 5.2 x 10(7) M(-1), which were increased by factors of 2.8 and 6.5, respectively, compared to the parental clone. Recombinant scFvs (rscFvs) were expressed as fusion protein with minor coat protein, pIII, and secreted into medium after 3 h of induction with 1 mM IPTG. The expression level of functional rscFv capable of binding to preS1 reached a peak after 6-10 h (1C2) and 8-10 h (1E4) of IPTG induction, and afterwards decreased gradually. In order to achieve the overexpression of rscFv in E. coli, gene encoding scFv of 1C2 or 1E4 was inserted into pRSET vector. RscFvs were overexpressed as cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in E. coli BL 21 strain, which were denatured and carefully refolded using a continuous dialysis system. The purified recombinant fragments were pure when analyzed by SDS-PAGE and had the predicted size of 34 kDa. Clone 1E4 used the heavy chain gene belonging to family VII and subgroup III. Chain shuffling offers an alternative to random point mutation for affinity maturation of human antibody in vitro.

Catalytic peptide of human glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase is essential for its assembly to the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex

Human glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (QRS) is one of several mammalian aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) that form a macromolecular protein complex. To understand the mechanism of QRS targeting to the multi-ARS complex, we analyzed both exogenous and endogenous QRSs by immunoprecipitation after overexpression of various Myc-tagged QRS mutants in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Whereas a deletion mutant containing only the catalytic domain (QRS-C) was targeted to the multi-ARS complex, a mutant QRS containing only the N-terminal appended domain (QRS-N) was not. Deletion mapping showed that the ATP-binding Rossman fold was necessary for targeting of QRS to the multi-ARS complex. Furthermore, exogenous Myc-tagged QRS-C was co-immunoprecipitated with endogenous QRS. Since glutaminylation of tRNA was dramatically increased in cells transfected with the full-length QRS, but not with either QRS-C or QRS-N, both the QRS catalytic domain and the N-terminal appended domain were required for full aminoacylation activity. When QRS-C was overexpressed, arginyl-tRNA synthetase and p43 were released from the multi-ARS complex along with endogenous QRS, suggesting that the N-terminal appendix of QRS is required to keep arginyl-tRNA synthetase and p43 within the complex. Thus, the eukaryote-specific N-terminal appendix of QRS appears to stabilize the association of other components in the multi-ARS complex, whereas the C-terminal catalytic domain is necessary for QRS association with the multi-ARS complex.

Localization of HSP90 binding sites in the human hepatitis B virus polymerase

The fact that HSP90 proteins and their chaperonin partners play an important role in epsilon RNA binding of duck HBV Pol protein during duck HBV replication has been reported. To elucidate the molecular basis of HBV Pol/HSP90 interaction, we have characterized the HSP90 interaction to HBV Pol. We found that human HBV Pol protein upon synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysate formed a complex with HSP90 in vitro as duck HBV Pol did. In addition, HSP90 protein was copurified with MBP/POL protein expressed in HepG2 cells, suggesting that human HBV Pol protein is associated with HSP90 in vivo. To localize the HSP90 interaction site region, several deletion mutants of HBV Pol translated in vitro were immunoprecipitated with anti-HSP90 antibody. The result indicates that C-terminal regions of the TP and RT domains interact with HSP90 independently.