The sexual brain,genes, and cognition: A machine‐predicted brain sex score explains individual differences in cognitive intelligence and genetic influence in young children

Sex impacts the development of the brain and cognition differently across individuals. However, the literature on brain sex dimorphism in humans is mixed. We aim to investigate the biological underpinnings of the individual variability of sexual dimorphism in the brain and its impact on cognitive performance. To this end, we tested whether the individual difference in brain sex would be linked to that in cognitive performance that is influenced by genetic factors in prepubertal children (N = 9,658, ages 9–10 years old; the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study). To capture the interindividual variability of the brain, we estimated the probability of being male or female based on the brain morphometry and connectivity features using machine learning (herein called a brain sex score). The models accurately classified the biological sex with a test ROC–AUC of 93.32%. As a result, a greater brain sex score correlated significantly with greater intelligence (p _fdr < .001, ηp2 = .011–.034; adjusted for covariates) and higher cognitive genome‐wide polygenic scores (GPSs) (p _fdr < .001, ηp2 < .005). Structural equation models revealed that the GPS‐intelligence association was significantly modulated by the brain sex score, such that a brain with a higher maleness score (or a lower femaleness score) mediated a positive GPS effect on intelligence (indirect effects = .006–.009; p = .002–.022; sex‐stratified analysis). The finding of the sex modulatory effect on the gene–brain–cognition relationship presents a likely biological pathway to the individual and sex differences in the brain and cognitive performance in preadolescence.     

Objective Interpretation of the Rapid Urease Test for Helicobacter pylori Infection Using Colorimetry

BackgroundThe rapid urease test (RUT) is a major diagnostic tool for detecting Helicobacter pylori infection. This study aimed to establish an objective method for measuring the color changes in the RUT kit to improve the test’s diagnostic accuracy.MethodsA UV-visible spectrophotometer was selected as the colorimeter; experiments were conducted in three stages to objectively identify the color changes in the RUT kit.ResultsFirst, the urea broth solution showed an identifiable color change from yellow to red as the pH increased by 0.2. The largest transmittance difference detected using the UV-visible spectrophotometer was observed at a 590-nm wavelength. Second, the commercialized RUT kit also showed a gradual color change according to the pH change detected using the UV-visible spectrophotometer. Third, 13 cases of negative RUT results with a biopsy specimen and 16 of positive RUT results were collected. The transmittance detected using the UV-visible spectrophotometer showed a clear division between the positive and negative RUT groups; the largest difference was observed at a 559-nm wavelength. The lowest transmittance in the negative RUT group was 64, while the highest in the positive RUT group was 56, at the 559-nm wavelength. The UV-visible spectrophotometry reading showed a consistency of 92.7% compared with that of manual reading.ConclusionA transmittance of 60 at a 559-nm wavelength detected using UV-visible spectrophotometer can be used as a cutoff value for interpreting RUT results; this will help develop an automatic RUT kit reader with a high accuracy.     

Phloroglucinol (PG) purified from Ecklonia cava attenuates radiation-induced apoptosis in blood lymphocytes and splenocytes

Phloroglucinol (PG), a polyphenol compound of Eckloniacava known as brown algae abundant in Jeju island, has been proposed to exert the antioxidative and cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress. In this study, we confirmed that PG protected mice from damages caused by ionizing radiation and investigated its protection mechanism in detail. The result showed that PG increased the viability of splenocytes without cytotoxicity. Also, PG significantly enhanced the proliferation of splenocytes by limiting the increment of sub-G₁ DNA contents via the inhibition of reactive oxygen species production in 2 Gy-irradiated splenocytes. In addition, PG significantly decreased DNA damage and the number of apoptotic fragments in lymphocytes against oxidative stress. Also, PG increased the counts of endogenous spleen CFUs, compared with only ionizing radiation-irradiated mice. These results demonstrate the multi-faceted protection mechanisms of PG in mice against oxidative stress caused by ionizing radiation, providing the benefit of inhibiting apoptosis and strengthening hematopoiesis.     

Hepatoprotective effect of lactic acid bacteria, inhibitors of β-glucuronidase production against intestinal microflora

The hepatoprotective activity of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis HY7401, Lactobacillus acidophilus CSG and Bifidobacterium longum HY8001), which inhibited beta-glucuronidase productivity of intestinal microflora, on t-BHP- or CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity of mice were evaluated. These oral administration of lactic acid bacteria lowered beta-glucuronidase production of intestinal microflora as well as Escherichia coli HGU-3. When lactic acid bacteria at a dose of 0.5 or 2 g (wet weight)/kg was orally administered on CCl4-induced liver injury in mice, these bacteria significantly inhibited the increase of plasma alanine transferase and aspartate transferase activities by 17-57% and 57-66% of the CCl4 control group, respectively. These lactic acid bacteria also showed the potent hepatoprotective effect against t-BHP-induced liver injury in mice. The inhibitory effects of these lactic acid bacteria were more potent than that of dimethyl diphenyl bicarboxylate (DDB), which have been used as a commercial hepatoprotective agent. Among these lactic acid bacteria, L. acidophilus CSG exhibited the most potent hepatoprotective effect. Based on these findings, we insist that an inhibitor of beta-glucuronidase production in intestine, such as lactic acid bacteria, may be hepatoprotective.     

柱前手性衍生化反相高效液相色谱法拆分地佐西平对映异构体的研究

用乙酰葡萄糖异硫氰酸酯(GITC)作柱前手性衍生化试剂,以反相高效液相色谱法成功地拆分了地佐西平对映异构体。在此基础上建立了地佐西平对映异构体纯度和血药浓度测定方法。已用于测定右旋地佐西平的光学纯度和小鼠血药浓度。     

Brassinin Induces Apoptosis in PC‐3 Human Prostate Cancer Cells through the Suppression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/S6K1 Signaling Cascades

The oncogenic PI3K/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling axis and its downstream effector, the ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) play a key role in mediating cell survival in various tumor cells. Here, we investigated the effects of brassinin (BSN), a phytoalexin first identified as a constituent of cabbage, on the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/S6K1 activation, cellular proliferation, and apoptosis in PC‐3 human prostate cancer. BSN exerted a significant dose‐dependent cytotoxicity and reduced constitutive phosphorylation of Akt against androgen‐independent PC‐3 cells as compared to androgen‐dependent LNCaP cells. Moreover, knockdown of androgen receptor (AR) by small interfering RNA enhanced the potential effect of BSN on induction of apoptosis in LNCaP cells. BSN clearly suppressed the constitutive activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/S6K1 signaling cascade, which correlated with the induction of apoptosis as characterized by accumulation of cells in subG1 phase, positive Annexin V binding, TUNEL staining, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, down‐regulation of antiapoptotic and proliferative proteins, activation of caspase‐3, and cleavage of PARP. Additionally, BSN could block broad‐spectrum inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/S6K1 axes, and aberrant Akt activation by pcDNA3‐myr‐HA‐Akt1 plasmid could not prevent the observed suppressive effect of BSN on constitutive mTOR activation. Finally, overexpression of Bcl‐2 also attenuated BSN‐mediated apoptosis in PC‐3 cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that BSN can interfere with multiple signaling cascades involved in tumorigenesis and might be provided as a potential therapeutic candidate for both the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Layer-by-layer coating of MIL-100(Fe) on a cotton fabric for purification of water-soluble dyes by the combined effect of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation

Efforts have been made for sustainable development of adsorbents to purify organic contaminants from wastewater. In this study, a MIL-100(Fe) based textile that acts as a reusable adsorbent and photocatalytic agent was developed by synthesizing MIL-100(Fe) onto a cotton fabric by the layer-by-layer (LBL) process using water-based solutions. As the number of LBL cycles increased, the add-on''s of MIL-100(Fe) showed a drastic increase up to 8 cycles, then showed gradual increases with further treatments. The overall adsorption performance was enhanced with the increased MIL-100(Fe) add-on''s, but the specific adsorption efficiency per unit mass of MIL-100(Fe) was reduced as the LBL cycles increased, implying the reduced average adsorption efficiency with a thicker coating. To examine the reusability of the adsorbent, desorption efficiency of RhB was measured. The desorption after the first-time adsorption was not efficient due to the strong binding inside the pores. For the later cycles of adsorption–desorption, desorption occurred more efficiently, probably because RhB molecules were adhered mostly at the outer surface of the MOF layer. Simultaneously, MIL-100(Fe)@cotton demonstrated the photocatalytic degradation performance against RhB in the presence of H₂O₂ by the Fenton reaction. With the combined effect of adsorption and photodegradation, the developed fabric attained 96% removal efficiency for RhB dissolved in water. This study demonstrates an environmentally responsible process of developing a MIL-100(Fe) coated fabric that is readily available for effective removal of organic foulants in water. This fabrication method can be applied as a scalable manufacturing of metal–organic framework-based photocatalytic adsorbent textiles.

A MIL-100(Fe)-based water purifying textile that functions by dual action of adsorption and photocatalytic activity is designed via a layer-by-layer process without using toxic organic solvents.     

Development of the Korean Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio as a Tool for Benchmarking Antimicrobial Use in Each Hospital

BackgroundThe Korea National Antimicrobial Use Analysis System (KONAS), a benchmarking system for antimicrobial use in hospitals, provides Korean Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio (K-SAAR) for benchmarking. This article describes K-SAAR predictive models to enhance the understanding of K-SAAR, an important benchmarking strategy for antimicrobial usage in KONAS.MethodsWe obtained medical insurance claims data for all hospitalized patients aged ≥ 28 days in all secondary and tertiary care hospitals in South Korea (n = 347) from January 2019 to December 2019 from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. Modeling was performed to derive a prediction value for antimicrobial use in each institution, which corresponded to the denominator value for calculating K-SAAR. The prediction values of antimicrobial use were modeled separately for each category, for all inpatients and adult patients (aged ≥ 15 years), using stepwise negative binomial regression.ResultsThe final models for each antimicrobial category were adjusted for different significant risk factors. In the K-SAAR models of all aged patients as well as adult patients, most antimicrobial categories included the number of hospital beds and the number of operations as significant factors, while some antimicrobial categories included mean age for inpatients, hospital type, and the number of patients transferred from other hospitals as significant factors.ConclusionWe developed a model to predict antimicrobial use rates in Korean hospitals, and the model was used as the denominator of the K-SAAR.