A comprehensive Exdia TRF-LFIA for simultaneous quantification of GFAP and NT-proBNP in distinguishing ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

The goal of this study is to create a highly sensitive time-resolved fluorescence lateral flow immunoassay (TRF-LFIA) capable of concurrently measuring glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the N-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-proBNP). This assay is designed as a diagnostic tool and aims to provide an algorithm for stroke management, specifically for distinguishing between Ischemic stroke (IS) and Hemorrhagic stroke (HS). However, LFIA to quantify simultaneous serum NT-proBNP and GFAP are not yet available. We have developed and validated a novel TRF-LFIA for the simultaneous quantitative detection of NT-proBNP and GFAP. The sensitivity and reproducibility of the immunoassay were significantly improved by employing specific monoclonal antibodies linked to europium nanoparticles (EuNPs) that specifically target NT-proBNP and GFAP. The detection area on the nitrocellulose membrane featured sandwich-style complexes containing two test lines for NT-proBNP and GFAP, and one Control line. The fluorescence intensity of these test lines and control line was measured using an in-house developed Exdia TRF-Plus analyzer. As proof-of-concept, we enrolled patients suspected of having a stroke who were admitted within a specific time frame (6 h). A small amount of clinical specimen (serum) was used. To optimize the LFIA, an EuNPs conjugated antibodies were investigated to improve the detection sensitivity and decrease the background signal as well shorten the detection time. The Exdia TRF-LFIA cartridge offers a wide linear dynamic detection range, rapid detection, high sensitivity, and specificity. The limit of detection was determined to be 98 pg/mL for NT-proBNP and 68 pg/mL for GFAP, with minimal cross-reactivity. There were 200 clinical human serum samples that were used to evaluate this platform with high correlation. By combining the results of NT-proBNP and GFAP, we formulated an algorithm for the clinical assessment of Ischemic Stroke (IS) and Hemorrhagic Stroke (HS). According to our proposed algorithm, the combination of GFAP and NT-proBNP emerged as the most effective biomarker combination for distinguishing between IS and HS. Exdia TRF-LFIA shows great potential as a supplemental method for in vitro diagnostics in the laboratory or in other point-of-care testing (POCT) applications. Its development substantially decreases the diagnosis time for IS and HS. The proposed algorithm not only minimizes treatment delays but also lowers medical costs for patients.

Workplace Ostracism Effects on Employees' Negative Health Outcomes: Focusing on the Mediating Role of Envy.

Employee health is crucial to organizational success. However, workplace ostracism (WO) has significant negative effects on employee health. Numerous researchers have extensively examined how WO influences employees' negative health (job stress, burnout); however, the focus on mediating effects in the relationship between WO and health has been lacking. This study examined the cognitive evaluation response to WO by employees who perceive they have been ostracized because another employee envies them. The psychological defense mechanism is expected to be activated-thus triggering job stress and burnout. We investigated envy perceived by individuals as a mediator of WO, job stress, and burnout using data from a 2-wave longitudinal survey of 403 employees of a South Korean firm. We found that employees perceived WO. Specifically, based on the sensitivity to being the target of a threatening upward comparison theory, it was confirmed that envy was a mediator in the relationship between WO and negative health outcomes. Our results are the first to show that the perception of envy can mediate the maintenance of a positive self-image in the context of WO in South Korea. The results suggest that a greater awareness of and focus on envy, and WO is required.

Understanding Social Exercise: Desire and Intention to Participate in Running Crews.

The current study investigated the determinants of the desire and intention to participate in an inner-city 'running crew' among social runners using a theoretical framework of the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB). Data were obtained from 245 social runners in Korea using an online questionnaire and primarily analyzed with the structural equation modeling technique. The results indicated that the desire to participate in a running crew was influenced most by positive anticipated emotions, followed (in descending order) by attitudes, negative anticipated emotions, social norms, perceived behavioral control, and the frequency of past behaviors. Runners' behavioral intentions were predicted by desire but not directly related to perceived behavioral control and the frequency of past behavior. Overall, the study emphasized the importance of positive anticipated emotions and behavioral desire, among others, to encourage recreational runners' participation in social running activities. Given that social runners rely on mobile apps to participate in running crew activities, the current study's results have practical implications for running crew organizers, sports-branded app developers, and health promotion agencies.

Predicting Continued Participation in Government-Initiated Public Sports Clubs: The Role of Prior Knowledge and Awareness through Health Communications.

Physical activity is the most effective preventive medicine in enhancing our physical health and subjective wellbeing. Since 2013, the South Korean government has introduced and developed the public sports club system as a way to promote exercise and the health of the general public. The current study investigated factors underlying the general public's desires and intentions to join or participate in a public sports club (PSC) using the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB). Data were collected from 254 college students who had prior experience of participating in at least one PSC and were primarily analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results suggest that, among the five MGB determinants, the positive anticipated emotions and perceived behavioral control were significantly associated with participants' desires, and, in turn, their desires were significantly related to their intention to participate in PSCs. Meanwhile, the respondents' prior experience was marginally but significantly associated with desire but not with behavioral intention. Prior knowledge (through health communications) was significantly related to attitude, desire, and behavioral intention. Overall, the findings support the use of positive anticipated emotions, perceived behavioral condition, prior knowledge, and desire as indicators of participation behavior in the PSC context, and may aid the development of health communication and interventions aimed at encouraging future participation.

Thermal Transport Driven by Extraneous Nanoparticles and Phase Segregation in Nanostructured Mg2(Si,Sn) and Estimation of Optimum Thermoelectric Performance.

Solid solutions of magnesium silicide and magnesium stannide were recently reported to have high thermoelectric figure-of-merits (ZT) due to remarkably low thermal conductivity, which was conjectured to come from phonon scattering by segregated Mg2Si and Mg2Sn phases without detailed study. However, it is essential to identify the main cause for further improving ZT as well as estimating its upper bound. Here we synthesized Mg2(Si,Sn) with nanoparticles and segregated phases, and theoretically analyzed and estimated the thermal conductivity upon segregated fraction and extraneous nanoparticle addition by fitting experimentally obtained thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and thermopower. In opposition to the previous speculation that segregated phases intensify phonon scattering, we found that lattice thermal conductivity was increased by the phase segregation, which is difficult to avoid due to the miscibility gap. We selected extraneous TiO2 nanoparticles dissimilar to the host materials as additives to reduce lattice thermal conductivity. Our experimental results showed the maximum ZT was improved from ∼0.9 without the nanoparticles to ∼1.1 with 2 and 5 vol % TiO2 nanoparticles at 550 °C. According to our theoretical analysis, this ZT increase by the nanoparticle addition mainly comes from suppressed lattice thermal conductivity in addition to lower bipolar thermal conductivity at high temperatures. The upper bound of ZT was predicted to be ∼1.8 for the ideal case of no phase segregation and addition of 5 vol % TiO2 nanoparticles. We believe this study offers a new direction toward improved thermoelectric performance of Mg2(Si,Sn).

Transmission electron microscopy study of 3.2 YSZ single crystals manufactured by the skull melting method.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses were performed to examine the spontaneously ordered structure in single crystals of 3.2 mole% of Y2O3 added ZrO2 (3.2 YSZ) manufactured by the Skull melting method. The selected area electron diffraction patterns showed several super-structure reflections with symmetrical intensity at (100), (010), and (110) positions, indicating that Y0.5Zr0.5O(2-x) with L1(0)-like cation-ordered structure was formed in 3.2 YSZ. High-resolution TEM has been used to reveal the presence of the partially ordered structure, which was characterized by a doublet periodicity in the contrast of the {100} lattice planes.

RET proto-oncogene mutations are restricted to codon 634 and 618 in Korean families with multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A.

Identification of the germline mutation in the RET proto-oncogene is important for the diagnosis of hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Hereditary forms account for approximately 25%-30% of all cases of MTC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the RET mutation and the genotype-phenotype relation in Korean patients with MTC. Genomic DNAs were obtained from 33 patients with MTC (M:F = 10:23, 39.8 +/- 12.0 years) who underwent total thyroidectomy between 1997 and 2003 at the Samsung Medical Center. Exons 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the RET proto-oncogene were amplified with specific primers using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence analysis was performed on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product using an automatic sequence analyzer. Nine of the 33 patients (M:F = 3:6, 33.3 +/- 10.0 years) were identified as having RET mutations. Six patients had multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 2A and one had familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). The remaining two patients were thought to have sporadic MTC. Five of the patients with MEN 2A had RET mutations in codon 634 of exon 11 (3 patients, C634Y; 2 patients, C634R) and the other patient with MEN 2A had a RET mutation in codon 618 of exon 10 (C618R). The patient with FMTC had a mutation in codon 634 (C634W). The two patients with sporadic MTC had RET mutations in codon 634 (1 patient, C634Y; 1 patient, C634S). We were not able to identify any genotype-phenotype relations because of the limited number of patients. Twenty-seven percent (9/33) of the patients with MTC in this study had RET mutations. Taking other studies into account, 77% (10/13) of Korean families with MEN 2A, including 7 other families in three reports from Korea, had RET mutations in codon 634 (5 families, C634Y; 4 families, C634R; 1 family, C634W), and 23% (3/13) had RET mutations in codon 618 (2 families, C618R; 1 family, C618S). RET proto-oncogene mutations were restricted to codon 634 and 618 in Korean families with MEN 2A.