Tau proteins, which stabilize the structure and regulate the dynamics of microtubules, also play important roles in axonal transport and signal transduction. Tau proteins are missorted, aggregated, and found as tau inclusions under many pathological conditions associated with neurodegenerative disorders, which are collectively known as tauopathies. In the adult human brain, tau protein can be expressed in six isoforms due to alternative splicing. The aberrant splicing of tau pre-mRNA has been consistently identified in a variety of tauopathies but is not restricted to these types of disorders as it is also present in patients with non-tau proteinopathies and RNAopathies. Tau mis-splicing results in isoform-specific impairments in normal physiological function and enhanced recruitment of excessive tau isoforms into the pathological process. A variety of factors are involved in the complex set of mechanisms underlying tau mis-splicing, but variation in the cis-element, methylation of the MAPT gene, genetic polymorphisms, the quantity and activity of spliceosomal proteins, and the patency of other RNA-binding proteins, are related to aberrant splicing. Currently, there is a lack of appropriate therapeutic strategies aimed at correcting the tau mis-splicing process in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between tau mis-splicing and neurodegenerative disorders will aid in the development of efficient therapeutic strategies for patients with a tauopathy or other, related neurodegenerative disorders. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(8): 405-413]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary intracranial tumor in adults and has poor prognosis. Diffuse infiltration into normal brain parenchyma, rapid growth, and the presence of necrosis are remarkable hallmarks of GBM. However, the effect of necrotic cells on GBM growth and metastasis is poorly understood at present. In this study, we examined the biological significance of necrotic tissues by exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying the signaling network between necrotic tissues and GBM cells. The migration and invasion of the GBM cell line CRT-MG was significantly enhanced by treatment with necrotic cells, as shown by assays for scratch wound healing and spheroid invasion. Incubation with necrotic cells induced IL-8 secretion in CRT-MG cells in a dose-dependent manner. In human GBM tissues, IL-8 positive cells were mainly distributed in the perinecrotic region, as seen in immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analysis. Necrotic cells induced NF-κB and AP-1 activation and their binding to the IL-8 promoter, leading to enhanced IL-8 production and secretion in GBM cells. Our data demonstrate that when GBM cells are exposed to and stimulated by necrotic cells, the migration and invasion of GBM cells are enhanced and facilitated via NF-κB/AP-1 mediated IL-8 upregulation.

Although BMO locations were consistent in most cases, in some cases, there were inconsistencies in BMO locations determined by OCT, especially in myopic eyes with peripapillary atrophy. Inconsistency in BMO detection resulted in changes in ONH parameters and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. These finding should be considered when assessing glaucoma by using OCT.

We characterize the performance of a quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP), which is fabricated as a photonic crystal slab (PCS) resonator. The strongest resonance of the PCS is designed to coincide with the absorption peak frequency at 7.6 µm of the QWIP. To accurately characterize the detector performance, it is illuminated by using single mode mid-infrared lasers. The strong resonant absorption enhancement yields a detectivity increase of up to 20 times. This enhancement is a combined effect of increased responsivity and noise current reduction. With increasing temperature, we observe a red shift of the PCS-QWIP resonance peak of -0.055 cm(-1)/K. We attribute this effect to a refractive index change and present a model based on the revised plane wave method.

The prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection and the associated burden have recently increased in many countries. While the main risk factors for C. difficile infection include old age and antibiotic use, the prevalence of this infection is increasing in low-risk groups. These trends highlight the need for research on C. difficile infection. This study pointed out the prevalence and economic burden of C. difficile infection and uses the representative national data which is primarily from the database of the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, for 2008–2011. The annual economic cost was measured using a prevalence approach, which sums the costs incurred to treat C. difficile infection. C. difficile infection prevalence was estimated to have increased from 1.43 per 100,000 in 2008 to 5.06 per 100,000 in 2011. Moreover, mortality increased from 69 cases in 2008 to 172 in 2011. The economic cost increased concurrently, from $2.4 million in 2008 to $7.6 million, $10.5 million, and $15.8 million in 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. The increasing economic burden of C. difficile infection over the course of the study period emphasizes the need for intervention to minimize the burden of a preventable illness like C. difficile infection.