Occurrence and distribution of hydroxylated isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers(OH-GDGTs) in the Han River system, South Korea

We investigated the occurrence and distribution of terrestrial-derived hydroxylated isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers(OH-GDGTs) in the Han River system and their potential impact on the application of the ring index of OH-GDGTs(RI-OH) as a sea surface temperature(SST) proxy in the eastern Yellow Sea. Thereby, we analyzed various samples collected along the Han River and from its surrounding areas(South Korea, n = 34). The OHGDGTs were found in all samples investigated. OH-GDGT-0 was the dominant OH-GDGT component in the estuary and marine samples while OH-GDGT-2 was generally dominant in the soils, the lake sediments and the river suspended particulate matter(SPM). Our results thus suggests a possible warm bias of the RI-OH-derived summer SSTs in the coastal zone to which a large amount of terrestrial organic matter is being supplied. Further studies are necessary to better assess the applicability of the RI-OH proxy in the eastern Yellow Sea.

Nrf2 is required for normal postnatal bone acquisition in mice

A large body of literature suggests that bone metabolism is susceptible to the ill effects of reactive species that accumulate in the body and cause cellular dysfunction. One of the body＇s front lines in defense against such damage is the transcription factor, Nrf2. This transcription factor regulates a plethora of antioxidant and cellular defense pathways to protect cells from such damage. Despite the breadth of knowledge of both the function of Nrf2 and the effects of reactive species in bone metabolism, the direct role of Nrf2 in skeletal biology has yet to be thoroughly examined. Thus, in the current study, we have examined the role of Nrf2 in postnatal bone metabolism in mice. Mice lacking Nrf2 （Nrf2-/-） exhibited a marked deficit in postnatal bone acquisition, which was most severe at 3 weeks of age when osteoblast numbers were 12-fold less than observed in control animals. While primary osteoblasts from Nrf2-/- mice functioned normally in vitro, the colony forming capacity of bone marrow stromal cells （BMSCs） from these mice was significantly reduced compared to controls. This defect could be rescued through treatment with the radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine （NAC）, suggesting that increased reactive species stress might impair early osteoblastogenesis in BMSCs and lead to the failure of bone acquisition observed in Nrf2-/- animals. Taken together, these studies suggest Nrf2 represents a key pathway in regulating bone metabolism, which may provide future therapeutic targets to treat osteoporosis.

Numerical Computation of Motions and Structural Loads for Large Containership using 3D Rankine Panel Method

In this paper, we present the results of our numerical seakeeping analyses of a 6750-TEU containership, which were subjected to the benchmark test of the 2 nd ITTC–ISSC Joint Workshop held in 2014. We performed the seakeeping analyses using three different methods based on a 3D Rankine panel method, including 1) a rigid-body solver, 2) a flexible-body solver using a beam model, and 3) a flexible-body solver using the eigenvectors of a 3D Finite Element Model(FEM). The flexible-body solvers adopt a fully coupled approach between the fluid and structure. We consider the nonlinear Froude–Krylov and restoring forces using a weakly nonlinear approach. In addition, we calculate the slamming loads on the bow flare and stern using a 2D generalized Wagner model. We compare the numerical and experimental results in terms of the linear response, the time series of the nonlinear response, and the longitudinal distribution of the sagging and hogging moments. The flexible-body solvers show good agreement with the experimental model with respect to both the linear and nonlinear results, including the high-frequency oscillations due to springing and whipping vibrations. The rigid-body solver gives similar results except for the springing and whipping.

A pilot exome-wide association study of age-related cataract in Koreans

Age-related cataract （ARC） is the most common cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. A previous study reported that genetic factors could explain approximately 50% of the heritability of cataract. However, a genetic predisposition to ARC and the contributing factors have not yet been elucidated in the Korean population. In this study, we assessed the influence of genetic polymorphisms on the risk of ARC in Koreans, including 156 cataract cases and 138 healthy adults. We conducted an exome-wide association study using Illumina Human Exome-12v1.2 platform to screen 244,770 single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs）. No SNPs reached exome-wide significance level of association （P 〈 l x 10 6）. B3GNT4 rs7136356 showed the most significant association with ARC （P = 6.54x 10 5）. Two loci （MUC16 and P2RY2） among the top 20 ARC-associated SNPs were recognized as probably linked to cata- ractogenesis. Functions of these genes were potentially related to regulating dehydration or homeostasis of the eyes, and showed a potential association with dry eye disease. This finding suggests that mucin- and dry eye disease-related genes may play a significant role in cataractogenesis. Our study provides insight into the genetic predisposition of ARC in Koreans. Additional studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the results of this study.

Deciphering the Oxygen Absorption Pre-edge: A Caveat on its Application for Probing Oxygen Redox Reactions in Batteries

The pre-edges of oxygen-K X-ray absorption spectra have been ubiquitous in transition metal(TM)oxide studies in various fields,especially on the fervent topic of oxygen redox states in battery electrodes.However,critical debates remain on the use of the O-K pre-edge variations upon electrochemical cycling as evidences of oxygen redox reactions,which has been a popular practice in the battery field.This study presents an investigation of the O-K pre-edge of 55 oxides covering all 3d TMs with different elements,structures,and electrochemical states through combined experimental and theoretical analyses.It is shown unambiguously that the O-K pre-edge variation in battery cathodes is dominated by changing TM-d states.Furthermore,the pre-edge enables a unique opportunity to project the lowest unoccupied TM-d states onto one common energy window,leading to a summary map of the relative energy positions of the low-lying TM states,with higher TM oxidation states at lower energies,corresponding to higher electrochemical potentials.The results naturally clarify some unusual redox reactions,such as Cr^(3+/6+).This work provides a critical clarification on O-K pre-edge interpretation and more importantly a benchmark database of O-K pre-edge for characterizing redox reactions in batteries and other energy materials.