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Graphene and graphene derivatives (e.g., graphene oxide (GO)) have been incorporated into hydrogels to improve the properties (e.g., mechanical strength) of conventional hydrogels and/or develop new functions (e.g., electrical conductivity and drug loading/delivery). Unique molecular interactions between graphene derivatives and various small or macromolecules enable the fabrication of various functional hydrogels appropriate for different biomedical applications. In this mini-review, we highlight the recent progress in GO-incorporated hydrogels for biomedical applications while focusing on their specific uses as mechanically strong materials, electrically conductive scaffolds/electrodes, and high-performance drug delivery vehicles.Graphene derivatives (e.g., graphene oxide (GO)) have been incorporated in hydrogels to improve the properties (e.g., mechanical strength) of conventional hydrogels and/or develop new functions (e.g., electrical conductivity and drug loading/delivery) for various biomedical applications.

There are many types of disabilities, and each type has a variety related to socioeconomic factors. Such factors affect to many health problems of the disabled. However, surveys of the oral health status of the disabled in Korea are rare. The purpose of this study was to estimate oral health disparity through comparing oral health status of the disabled to the non-disabled, adjusted for the net effect of the disability on oral health status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the disabled in urban and suburban areas in Korea from June to September 2016. People with physical, mental, and multiple disabilities took part in this survey. The clinical examinations were carried out by trained dentists. Statistical analysis was performed to quantify the association between oral health and socioeconomic status after restricting the analysis using a propensity score matching method. The disabled had more DMFT, DT, and MT, fewer FT, and fewer teeth than the non-disabled based on entire groups (P<0.01). No difference in the ratio of periodontitis was observed. The subjects with mental disabilities (MD) scored 3.09 (95% CI, 1.07-8.97), and those with multiple disabilities scored 4.37 (95% CI, 1.16-16.37) for edentulous status. The MD had an odds ratio of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.03-1.74), and those with multiple disabilities had an odds ratio of 1.75 (95% CI, 1.11-2.76) for the DMFT index. These results represent poor oral health status of the disabled compared to the non-disabled. Consequentially, we can verify that not only the existence of disability but also the type of disability has a decisive effect on oral health condition. This comparison is necessary to widen our approach to evaluate the actual status condition of the disabled.

Although cyclodextrin-based renal-clearable nanocarriers have a high potential for clinical translation in targeted cancer therapy, their designs remain to be optimized for tumour retention. Here we report on the design of a tailored structure for renal-clearable zwitterionic cyclodextrin for colorectal cancer-selective drug delivery. Twenty cyclodextrin derivatives with different charged moieties and spacers are synthesized and screened for colloidal stability. The resulting five candidates are evaluated for biodistribution and an optimized structure is identified. The optimized cyclodextrin shows a high tumour accumulation and is used for delivery of doxorubicin and ulixertinib. Higher tumour accumulation and tumour penetration facilitates tumour elimination. The improved antitumour efficacy is demonstrated in heterotopic and orthotopic colorectal cancer models. Optimizing the retention of drug delivery nanocarriers for improved cancer therapy has the potential to improve clinical outcomes. Here the authors screen 20 renal-clearable zwitterionic cyclodextrin-based nanocarriers for optimized biodistribution and tumour retention, demonstrating application in colorectal cancer models.

Existing approaches to evaluate cell viability involve cell staining with chemical reagents. However, the step of exogenous staining makes these methods undesirable for rapid, nondestructive, and long-term investigation. Here, we present an instantaneous viability assessment of unlabeled cells using phase imaging with computation specificity. This concept utilizes deep learning techniques to compute viability markers associated with the specimen measured by label-free quantitative phase imaging. Demonstrated on different live cell cultures, the proposed method reports approximately 95% accuracy in identifying live and dead cells. The evolution of the cell dry mass and nucleus area for the labeled and unlabeled populations reveal that the chemical reagents decrease viability. The nondestructive approach presented here may find a broad range of applications, from monitoring the production of biopharmaceuticals to assessing the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Common methods for characterising cell viability involve cell staining with chemical reagents. Here the authors report a method for cell viability assessment that does not require labelling; this uses quantitative phase imaging combined with deep learning.

Due to its specificity, fluorescence microscopy has become a quintessential imaging tool in cell biology. However, photobleaching, phototoxicity, and related artifacts continue to limit fluorescence microscopy’s utility. Recently, it has been shown that artificial intelligence (AI) can transform one form of contrast into another. We present phase imaging with computational specificity (PICS), a combination of quantitative phase imaging and AI, which provides information about unlabeled live cells with high specificity. Our imaging system allows for automatic training, while inference is built into the acquisition software and runs in real-time. Applying the computed fluorescence maps back to the quantitative phase imaging (QPI) data, we measured the growth of both nuclei and cytoplasm independently, over many days, without loss of viability. Using a QPI method that suppresses multiple scattering, we measured the dry mass content of individual cell nuclei within spheroids. In its current implementation, PICS offers a versatile quantitative technique for continuous simultaneous monitoring of individual cellular components in biological applications where long-term label-free imaging is desirable. Quantitative phase imaging suffers from a lack of specificity in label-free imaging. Here, the authors introduce Phase Imaging with Computational Specificity (PICS), a method that combines phase imaging with machine learning techniques to provide specificity in unlabeled live cells with automatic training.

Drainage of parenchymal waste through the lymphatic system maintains brain homeostasis. Age-related changes of glymphatic–lymphatic clearance lead to the accumulation beta-amyloid (Aβ) in dementia models. In this study, focused ultrasound treatment in combination with microbubbles (FUS-MB) improved Aβ drainage in early dementia model mice, 5XFAD. FUS-MB enhanced solute Aβ clearance from brain, but not plaques, to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space and then deep cervical lymph node (dCLN). dCLN ligation exaggerated memory impairment and progress of plaque formation and also the beneficial effects of FUS-MB upon Aβ removal through CSF-lymphatic routes. In this ligation model, FUS-MB improved memory despite accumulation of Aβ in CSF. In conclusion, FUS-MB enhances glymphatic–lymphatic clearance of Aβ mainly by increasing brain-to-CSF Aβ drainage. We suggest that FUS-MB can delay dementia progress in early period and benefits of FUS-MB depend on the effect of Aβ disposal through CSF-lymphatics.

Advancing our understanding of microbial diversity and taxonomy in Korean coast, this study focuses on two intriguing bacterial genera, Marortus and Zhongshania , revealing significant insights through morphological and genomic analyses. The type strain, BJYM1 T (= KCTC 92326 T  = NBRC 115677 T ) was isolated from seawater in Tongyeong, South Korea. BJYM1 T was characterized as a Gram-negative aerobic strain with a rod shape and a single polar flagellum. Optimal growth conditions for BJYM1 T were identified as 30 °C, pH 6.5, and 0–2% (w/v) NaCl on MA medium. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain BJYM1 T formed a clade with Z . aquimaris CAU 1632 T , followed by M . luteolus ZX-21 T and Z . marina DSW25-10 T . The phylogenetic relationships of these four strains were also confirmed by genome-based and MALDI-TOF analyses. Strains Z . marina DSW25-10 T , Z . aquimaris CAU 1632 T , and BJYM1 T  possessed a single polar flagellum. The genome of strain BJYM1 T had a size of 4.5 Mb with a DNA G + C content of 48.2 mol%. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). Major polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG). The major fatty acid was C 16:0 . Digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between reference strains were notably lower than 70%, with ANI values ​​ranging from 73.31 to 78.57% and AAI values ​​ranging from 75.91 to 83.01%. However, Z. marina DSW25-10 T and M . luteolus ZX-21 T exhibited dDDH values greater than 70%, as well as ANI and AAI values exceeding 95%. KEGG analysis revealed distinct metabolic pathways between two groups: Group 1 ( Z . antarctica DSM 25701 T , Z . aliphaticivorans SM-2 T ) had high cytochrome c oxidase and transporter: phosphonate pathway activities, while Group 2 ( Z . marina DSW25-10 T , Z . aquimaris CAU 1632 T , M . luteolus ZX-21 T , BJYM1 T ) exhibited Sec-SRP, chemotaxis, sulfide oxidation, and sulfur assimilation. BJYM1 T displayed unique pathways, including the Cobalt transporter CorA, starch/glycogen synthesis, starch/glycogen degradation, and ferrous iron transporter FeoB. Through comprehensive physiological, phenotypic, and phylogenetic analyses, strain BJYM1 T was identified as a new species within the genus Zhongshania , named Zhongshania aquatica sp. nov.

This study tracks changes in commercial buildings in Yeonnam-dong that have undergone commercial transformation, examining these shifts within the context of urban organization and their relationships with economic and socio-cultural flows. It also analyzes the architectural elements that reflect the placeness characteristics of an area. On-site surveys were conducted to assess the continuity and discontinuity in the characteristics of 62 renovated and 40 newly constructed buildings. Additionally, shifts in social perceptions regarding physical changes were explored through an analysis of commercial districts and interviews with visitors, store owners, and architects. Yeonnam-dong has a distinct physical environment, as well as economic, social, and cultural characteristics that distinguish it from mainstream areas, such as large apartment complexes and typical commercial zones. The area, with its winding alleyways from the pre-modern period and low-rise housing—marginalized from large-scale development—evoked nostalgia and created a distinctive sense of authenticity or placeness, which was further enhanced by the presence of exotic restaurants, cafés, ateliers, and creative activities of early gentrifiers. However, rapid commercialization has led to the displacement of these early gentrifiers, an influx of new investments and construction, and shifts in commercial flows. Consequently, the area’s authenticity has become diluted, and visitors’ perceptions of it have changed. Despite this, architectural elements observed in renovated buildings are preserved and incorporated into newly constructed ones. Features such as semi-basements, exterior straight stairs, and brick façades continue to reflect the locality. Detached and multi-household homes from the 1960s to the 1990s have evolved into a new hybrid commercial–residential form designed for commercial purposes. This is a response to small plot sizes in Korean residential areas and reflects the current economic and cultural demands of commercial gentrification. The urban and architectural characteristics of this area are not only a unique physical environment but also hold socio-cultural significance as ordinary heritage. Therefore, this study proposes institutional measures to preserve urban and architectural continuity while controlling the ongoing commercialization.

Recent advancements in technology have increased the potential for demand-responsive feeder transit services to enhance mobility in areas with limited public transit access. For long rail headways, feeder bus network algorithms are straightforward, as the maximum feeder service cycle time is determined by rail headway, and bus–train matching is unnecessary. However, for short rail headways, the algorithm must address both passenger–feeder-bus and feeder-bus–train matching. This study presents a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm for flexible feeder bus routing, accommodating short headway trunk lines and multiple bus relocations for various stations and trains. A 5 min headway rail trunk line example was utilized to test the algorithm. The algorithm effectively managed bus relocations when optimal routes were infeasible at specific stations. Additionally, the algorithm minimized total costs, accounting for vehicle operating expenses and passenger in-vehicle travel time costs, while considering multiple vehicle relocations.

In many states in the United States, school bus fleets are assigned to serve students sequentially at three levels—high school, middle school, and elementary school; however, in past studies, each of these stages in the problem was considered separately. This study introduces a novel integrated school bus problem that considers the sequential operation of fleets for all three levels in a unified framework. An example of a hypothetical network was developed and tested to demonstrate the developed algorithm. The algorithm successfully handled the integration of school buses’ optimal route generation while meeting all constraints. The results showed that the routings with the integrated single-framework algorithm can reduce the total costs by 4.5% to 12.4% compared to the routings with the separated level algorithm. Also, it showed that the total costs of the integrated routing framework for different morning and afternoon time windows are 8.28% less than the same routings (identically reversed) for the morning and afternoon time windows.