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Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) have emerged as a pivotal model for research. Specialized devices can generate Extracellular Field Potential (EFP) measurements from these cells, analogous to the ventricular complex of the electrocardiogram. However, electrophysiological analysis can be complex and requires specialized expertise, posing a barrier to broader adoption in non-specialized labs. We present the EFP-Analyzer (EFPA), a semi-automized analyzer for EFP traces, which identifies and averages beats, identifies landmarks, and calculates intervals. We demonstrate an analysis of 358 EFP traces from 22 patient-derived lines. We analyzed spontaneously beating iPSC-CMs and optically paced iPSC-CMs through channelrhodopsin. We developed stringent quality criteria and measured EFP intervals, including Field Potential Duration (FPD). We further analyzed the usability and data replicability of EFPA through an inter-intra observer analysis. Correlation coefficient for inter-reader tangent and threshold measurements for these FPD ranged between r: 0.93–1.00. Bland–Altman plots comparing inter observer results for spontaneously beating and paced iPSC-CMs showed 95% limits of agreement (− 13.6 to 19.4 ms and − 13.2 to 15.3 ms, respectively). EFPA could accurately detect FPD prolongation due to drug (moxifloxacin) or pathogenic loss of function mutations (CACNA1C N639T). This program and instructions are available for download at https://github.com/kroncke-lab/EFPA .

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) are an emerging model for determining drug effects and modeling disease. Specialized devices can generate Extracellular Field Potential (EFP) measurements from these cells, analogous to the ventricular complex of the electrocardiogram. The objective of this study was to develop an easy-to-use, easy-to-teach, reproducible software tool to measure EFPs. We present the EFP-Analyzer (EFPA), a semi-automized analyzer for EFP traces, which identifies and averages beats, identifies landmarks, and calculates intervals. We evaluated the tool in an analysis of 358 EFP traces from 22 patient-derived lines. We analyzed spontaneously beating iPSC-CMs, as well as optically paced iPSC-CMs through channelrhodopsin. We developed stringent quality criteria and measured EFP intervals, including Field Potential Duration (FPD). FPD from optically paced iPSC-CMs were shorter than those of spontaneously beating iPSC-CMs (283.7.0±54.2 vs. 293.0±47.5, p: 0.32, respectively). We further analyzed the usability and data replicability of EFPA through an inter-intra observer analysis. Correlation coefficient for inter-reader tangent and threshold measurements for these FPD ranged between r: 0.93-1.00. Bland-Altman plots comparing inter observer results for spontaneously beating and paced iPSC-CMs showed 95% limits of agreement (-13.6 to 19.4ms and -13.2 to 15.3ms, respectively). The EFP-analyzer could accurately detect FPD prolongation due to drug (moxifloxacin) or pathogenic loss of function mutations ( N639T). This program is available for download at https://github.com/kroncke-lab/EFPA . The instructions will be available at the same listed website under the README section of the Github main page. The EFP-Analyzer tool is a useful tool that enables the efficient use of iPSC-CMs as a model to study drug effects and disease.

As Mobile Communication and Internet Systems (MCIS) have rapidly developed, security issues related to MCIS have become increasingly important. Therefore, the development and research of security technologies for mobile communication and internet systems are actively being conducted. Hash-Based Signature (HBS) uses a hash function to construct a digital signature scheme, where its security is guaranteed by the collision resistance of the hash function used. To provide sufficient security in the post-quantum environment, the length of hash should be satisfied for the security requirement. Modern HBS can be classified into stateful and stateless schemes. Two representative stateful and stateless HBS are eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme(XMSS) and SPHINCS+, respectively. In this paper, we propose two HBS schemes: K-XMSS and K-SPHINCS+, which replace internal hash functions of XMSS and SPHINCS+ with Korean cryptography algorithms. K-XMSS is a stateful signature, while K-SPHINCS+ is its stateless counterpart. We showcase the reference implementation of K-XMSS and K-SPHINCS+ employing Lightweight Secure Hash (LSH) and two hash functions based on block ciphers (i.e., CHAM and LEA) as the internal hash function. In addition, K-XMSS and K-SPHINCS+ using Advanced Vector Extensions 2 (AVX2) have been provided, demonstrating that they can be optimized for better performance using advanced implementation techniques than previous approaches.

We assessed susceptibility of dogs to SARS-COV-2 Delta and Omicron variants by experimentally inoculating beagle dogs. Moreover, we investigated transmissibility of the variants from infected to naive dogs. The dogs were susceptible to infection without clinical signs and transmitted both strains to other dogs through direct contact.

Background/Objectives: Direct-acting antivirals vary by lineage and face rapid resistance. We identified the oxazole-4-carboxamide lead KB-2777 and aimed to define its in vitro activity across α/β-coronaviruses, time-of-addition (TOA) profile, host-response signatures, and combinability with benchmark DAAs. Methods: We tested KB-2777 (≤25 μM) against HCoV-NL63 (LLC-MK2), HCoV-OC43 (Vero E6; MRC-5 for transcript profiling), and PEDV (Vero E6). We quantified extracellular viral RNA by RT-qPCR at 72 h (n = 3) and confirmed activity by spike-protein immunofluorescence (IFA), cytopathic effect (CPE) protection, and TCID50. We compared TOA regimens (full, pre, co, post), evaluated combinations with nirmatrelvir (NL63) or GS-441524 (OC43) using ZIP scores, and profiled infection-context transcripts (IL6, IFNB1, ISG15, NRF2/antioxidant, UPR). Results: KB-2777 reduced viral RNA with EC50 5.27 μM (NL63), 1.83 μM (OC43), and 1.59 μM (PEDV) without cytotoxicity in the tested range. In NL63 post-treatment, inhibition was minimal at 24 h but clear at 48–72 h (EC50 2.42 μM at 48 h; 5.25 μM at 72 h). TCID50 decreased at 48 h (12.5–25 μM, n = 3, p < 0.0001), and IFA/CPE corroborated antiviral activity. TOA ranked full > pre ≈ post > co. Combinations were additive to synergistic (ZIP 5.16 with nirmatrelvir; 8.40 with GS-441524). In OC43-infected MRC-5 cells, KB-2777 attenuated IL6, IFNB1, ISG15, and selected UPR transcripts, with limited changes in uninfected cells (n = 3). Conclusions: KB-2777 shows reproducible cell-based anti-coronavirus activity across α/β lineages, a TOA signature consistent with early post-entry host modulation, and favorable, non-antagonistic combinability with DAAs. These findings support target deconvolution, SAR/ADME optimization, and evaluation in primary airway and in vivo models.

Excess body weight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and associated metabolic complications, and weight loss has been shown to improve glycemic control and decrease morbidity and mortality in T2D patients. Weight-loss strategies using dietary interventions produce a significant decrease in diabetes-related metabolic disturbance. We have previously reported that the supplementation of low molecular chitosan oligosaccharide (GO2KA1) significantly inhibited blood glucose levels in both animals and humans. However, the effect of GO2KA1 on obesity still remains unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of GO2KA1 on lipid accumulation and adipogenic gene expression using 3T3-L1 adipocytes in vitro and plasma lipid profiles using a Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model. Murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were stimulated to differentiate under the adipogenic stimulation in the presence and absence of varying concentrations of GO2KA1. Adipocyte differentiation was confirmed by Oil Red O staining of lipids and the expression of adipogenic gene expression. Compared to control group, the cells treated with GO2KA1 significantly decreased in intracellular lipid accumulation with concomitant decreases in the expression of key transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBP/α). Consistently, the mRNA expression of downstream adipogenic target genes such as fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), fatty acid synthase (FAS), were significantly lower in the GO2KA1-treated group than in the control group. In vivo, male SD rats were fed a high fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks to induced obesity, followed by oral administration of GO2KA1 at 0.1 g/kg/body weight or vehicle control in HFD. We assessed body weight, food intake, plasma lipids, levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) for liver function, and serum level of adiponectin, a marker for obesity-mediated metabolic syndrome. Compared to control group GO2KA1 significantly suppressed body weight gain (185.8 ± 8.8 g vs. 211.6 ± 20.1 g, p < 0.05) with no significant difference in food intake. The serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were significantly lower in the GO2KA1-treated group than in the control group, whereas the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level was higher in the GO2KA1 group. The GO2KA1-treated group also showed a significant reduction in ALT and AST levels compared to the control. Moreover, serum adiponectin levels were significantly 1.5-folder higher than the control group. These in vivo and in vitro findings suggest that dietary supplementation of GO2KA1 may prevent diet-induced weight gain and the anti-obesity effect is mediated in part by inhibiting adipogenesis and increasing adiponectin level.

Efficient dynamic vision requires capturing instantaneous changes and temporal context, yet existing image and event sensors rely on power-hungry digital processing. Here, we introduce an in-sensor dual-response architecture that concurrently generates analog event spikes and persistent memory tails. A prototype sensor integrates phosphor pairs with silicon photodiodes and transimpedance amplifiers to achieve microsecond- and millisecond-scale dual kinetics. Measurements during light-emitting diode replay reconstruct event frames that match software frame differences, while the slow channel behaves as a linear reservoir of motion history. A single memory frame fed to a convolutional neural network enables accurate classification of human actions (93.1%) and vehicle trajectories (98.0%), as well as speed estimation with errors of 2.15 km/h. Integration with a compressive optical neural network front end mapping 4900 inputs to 16 per frame yields 93.3% action classification accuracy. By eliminating analog-to-digital conversion and digital accumulation, this approach enables ultralow-latency, ultralow-power neuromorphic vision.

Microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are essential for water purification to protect public and environmental health. However, the diversity of microorganisms and the factors that control it are poorly understood. Using a systematic global-sampling effort, we analysed the 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences from ~1,200 activated sludge samples taken from 269 WWTPs in 23 countries on 6 continents. Our analyses revealed that the global activated sludge bacterial communities contain ~1 billion bacterial phylotypes with a Poisson lognormal diversity distribution. Despite this high diversity, activated sludge has a small, global core bacterial community ( n  = 28 operational taxonomic units) that is strongly linked to activated sludge performance. Meta-analyses with global datasets associate the activated sludge microbiomes most closely to freshwater populations. In contrast to macroorganism diversity, activated sludge bacterial communities show no latitudinal gradient. Furthermore, their spatial turnover is scale-dependent and appears to be largely driven by stochastic processes (dispersal and drift), although deterministic factors (temperature and organic input) are also important. Our findings enhance our mechanistic understanding of the global diversity and biogeography of activated sludge bacterial communities within a theoretical ecology framework and have important implications for microbial ecology and wastewater treatment processes. Global sampling of microbial communities associated with wastewater treatment plants and application of ecological theory revealed a small, core bacterial community associated with performance and provides insights into the community dynamics in this environment.

Textiles, integral to human life for centuries, have recently garnered significant interest for electronic applications. However, traditional fabrication methods for electronic textiles (E-textiles) are typically complex. This research introduces an innovative approach utilizing Direct Ink Writing (DIW) 3D printing to develop multifunctional wearable electronic textiles. Specifically, the study addresses the creation of a strain sensor and an interconnect electrode directly printed onto textile substrates. The DIW-printed strain sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity, achieving a gauge factor of 11.07, significant linearity (R 2  ~ 0.99), and consistent performance under repeated mechanical stress. Additionally, the interconnect electrode was engineered to selectively bridge textile layers through controlled impregnation, resulting in stable resistance values (0.2–0.4Ω) under strain and pressure. These components were effectively incorporated into smart garments, facial masks, and multilayered gloves, enabling precise real-time monitoring of body movements, respiration, and tactile recognition, thus significantly advancing functionality and versatility in wearable electronics.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive form of lung cancer and the leading cause of global cancer-related mortality. Despite the earlier identification of membrane-proximal cleavage of cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) in cancers, the role of the membrane-bound fragment of CAMD1 (MF-CADM1) is yet to be clearly identified. In this study, we first isolated MF-CADM1-specific fully human single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) from the human synthetic scFv antibody library using the phage display technology. Following the selected scFv conversion to human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) scFv-Fc antibodies (K103.1–4), multiple characterization studies, including antibody cross-species reactivity, purity, production yield, and binding affinity, were verified. Finally, via intensive in vitro efficacy and toxicity evaluation studies, we identified K103.3 as a lead antibody that potently promotes the death of human SCLC cell lines, including NCI-H69, NCI-H146, and NCI-H187, by activated Jurkat T cells without severe endothelial toxicity. Taken together, these findings suggest that antibody-based targeting of MF-CADM1 may be an effective strategy to potentiate T cell-mediated SCLC death, and MF-CADM1 may be a novel potential therapeutic target in SCLC for antibody therapy.