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The finding that the use of GLP-1RAs was not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer
A research team led by Professor Ju-Young Shin from the School of Pharmacy has found that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors) are not associated with the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes. “Incretin-based therapies, including GLP-1RAs and DPP-4 inhibitors are commonly included in combination therapies to achieve glycaemic goals, reduce body weight, minimize weight gain, or prevent cardiorenal events in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, issues related to the increased risk of thyroid cancer with incretin-based therapies have not yet been settled.”, said Professor Shin. Using nationwide healthcare insurance data of South Korea from 2014 to 2020, two distinct cohorts were established to compare each drug with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, chosen as active comparators because of their previous non-association with thyroid cancer. Weighted Cox proportional models were used to estimate hazard ratios of thyroid cancer incidence associated with incretin-based drugs of interest. The team found that the use of GLP-1RAs was not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer (weighted hazard ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.62-1.53) compared with that of SGLT2 inhibitors. Using DPP-4 inhibitors was also not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer (0.95, 0.79-1.14) compared with that of SGLT2 inhibitors. "These findings provide insights that the use of GLP-1RAs and DPP-4 inhibitors do not increase the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, when considering the risk-benefit balance of incretin-based drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes, the potential for an elevated risk of thyroid cancer would be negligible.", concluded Dr Shin. The study was co-led by Professor Ju-Young Shin (School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University), and Professor Young Min Cho (Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital), with Professor HeeJun Son (Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital) as co-first authors, and Professor Jae Hyun Bae (Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine), and Sun Wook Cho (Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital) as co-investigators.
- No. 260
- 2024-08-29
- 267
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Results of a study analyzing the impact of interpersonal conflict at work and religious struggles on workers' well-being
Professor Jong Hyun Jung’s research team in the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University announced the results of a study analyzing the impact of interpersonal conflict at work and religious struggles on workers' well-being. This study was based on a large-scale survey of Singaporean workers and examined whether religious struggles play a role in moderating the relationship between workplace interpersonal conflict and employee well-being. Professor Jung said, “Interpersonal conflict at work is a critical factor in job stress, which can increase workers’ psychological distress and reduce job satisfaction. This study sought to assess whether and how religious struggles amplify or weaken the negative effects of workplace interpersonal conflict on worker well-being.” The research team collected information from 508 adult workers aged 20 and older in Singapore from 2021 to 2022. The survey was conducted in English and Chinese, and some of the key measures included psychological distress, job satisfaction, interpersonal conflict at work, and religious struggles. Religious struggles consisted of items measuring negative feelings or thoughts about God. This study provides important evidence that religious struggles can modify the impact of workplace interpersonal conflict on workers' psychological distress and job satisfaction. Professor Jung added, “Workers with high levels of religious struggles may be more negatively affected by interpersonal conflict at work, which means that religious beliefs may play a pivotal role in shaping worker well-being.” Professor Jung from the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University led this research, and other scholars such as Joy Soo and Shannon Ang from Nanyang Technological University participated as co-authors.
- No. 259
- 2024-08-21
- 225
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Research on Pairs Trading via Unsupervised Learning
Professor Chulwoo Han from Sungkyunkwan University recently published innovative research on pairs trading using unsupervised learning. Pairs trading is a market-neutral investment strategy that buys an undervalued stock and sells an overvalued stock when two stocks with similar characteristics diverges from each other. This study aims to significantly improve traditional pairs trading strategies to achieve higher returns and expand their applicability in financial markets. Professor Han has made significant contributions to the burgeoning field of financial research utilizing machine learning. While most existing studies rely on supervised learning, Professor Han explored pairs trading strategies using unsupervised learning in this study. Unsupervised learning clusters data to group samples with similar characteristics, allowing for more accurate identification of stock pairs by considering not only traditional price data but also firm characteristics. Professor Han and his research team applied prominent clustering algorithms, such as k-means, DBSCAN, and agglomerative clustering, to the U.S. stock market and tested pairs trading strategies. The results show that long-short portfolios created using stock pairs selected through agglomerative clustering achieved an average annual return of 24.8% and a Sharpe ratio of 2.69. This performance is substantially superior to that of traditional pairs trading strategies. Notably, this study demonstrated that the strategy maintained high profitability even after accounting for transaction costs. “Identifying stock pairs taking firm characteristics into account provides much higher accuracy and profitability compared to simple price data-based methods. This research will significantly expand the possibilities of unsupervised learning in financial markets." said Professor Han. The research team confirmed through various robustness tests that these results were not due to data biases or chance. Furthermore, the strategy using clustering algorithms demonstrated high profitability even in extreme market conditions, such as financial crises. Professor Han expects this research to make significant contributions to the fields of financial engineering and machine learning. "We will be able to develop more sophisticated and efficient financial models through unsupervised learning," he said. "We will continue our research to develop various algorithms that can be used in actual financial markets." This research is expected to help pursue both stability and profitability in financial markets. Professor Chulwoo Han's research at Sungkyunkwan University has created a significant impact on both academic and industrial sectors in financial engineering and machine learning, providing important insights for future research directions.
- No. 258
- 2024-08-12
- 402
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How Brain Changes as We Age: Thalamocortical Connectivity and the Formation of Functional Networks
In our daily lives, our brains seamlessly process streams of visual information from the world around us while simultaneously understanding the causal structure of events. These essential cognitive functions, known as external sensory processing and internal world modeling, are critical for navigating complex environments. Our brain achieves this through large-scale functional systems responsible for these processes. Recently, an international collaboration of scientists led by the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has explored the role of thalamocortical connectivity during the development of brain networks. One longstanding question in neuroscience is how the brain's large-scale functional networks form during development. This study investigated the changes in connectivity between the thalamus and cerebral cortex from infancy to adulthood and how these changes influence the formation of the brain's functional networks. For the first time, researchers have revealed that thalamocortical connectivity is crucial for the emergence and specialization of the brain's functional networks, particularly those processing external and internal information. Traditionally seen as a relay station for sensory information, the thalamus also influences higher cognitive functions. Sensory connections between the thalamus and cortex become established quickly at an early age, while higher-order cognitive connections develop later at maturity. However, the exact mechanisms and timeline of these developments have remained unclear. This study began to address these challenges by employing advanced neuroimaging techniques, transcriptomic analyses, and computational models on cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets, to map the development of thalamocortical connectivity across different age groups. This study revealed that during infancy, thalamocortical connectivity reflects early sensorimotor network differentiation and gene expression patterns related to brain development. As children grow, this connectivity shifts to establish connections with the salience network, differentiating external and internal functional cortical systems. Simulations confirmed thalamic connectivity's role in developing key features of the mature brain, such as functional segregation and the sensory-association axis. "Our study for the first time provides a detailed map of how thalamocortical connectivity contributes to the large-scale functional organization in the human brain from infancy through young adulthood," said lead author PARK Shinwon. "By integrating advanced neuroimaging techniques, gene expression analysis, and computational modeling, we were able to systematically track and analyze the changes in brain connectivity across different developmental stages. This comprehensive approach has allowed us to uncover the pivotal role of the thalamus in the emergence and specialization of brain networks." Unlike earlier studies that focused on regional properties of individual thalamic nuclei, this research provides a comprehensive view of the global integration of the thalamus into cortical networks. These findings offer potential implications for understanding and studying clinical conditions characterized by compromised internal and external processing, such as autism, schizophrenia, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. The corresponding author, HONG Seok Jun, a principal investigator at the IBS Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research stated, "Understanding how thalamocortical connectivity evolves and influences brain function provides a crucial foundation for identifying the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental conditions. This research opens up new possibilities for early diagnosis and targeted interventions, which could significantly improve outcomes for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions." In the future, the researchers plan to investigate how thalamocortical connectivity changes in children with autism and how these changes correlate with clinical symptoms and cognitive functions. They also plan to expand their research focus to include other subcortical structures such as the striatum and cerebellum. This broader approach in systems neuroscience will help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of how various brain regions interact and develop. Figure 1. Thalamic connectopic maps (CMAP) and neocortical projection maps (NEOMAP) demonstrate the developmental changes in brain connectivity. Panel (a) shows CMAP 1 & 2 and NEOMAP 1 & 2 for infants (29–44 weeks), illustrating early differentiation of sensorimotor networks. Panel (b) displays these maps for children and young adults (8–22 years), highlighting the establishment of connections with the salience network and the differentiation between externally and internally oriented systems. Network profiles, sorted based on the Yeo-Krienan 7 Network Atlas, are depicted in box plots indicating the median and interquartile range (IQR). Panel (c) presents a schematic of the external-to-internal axis division derived from the NEOMAPs of childhood and young adulthood, showing the crucial role of the salience network.
- No. 257
- 2024-08-01
- 495
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Development of a high-capacity, long-life lithium-ion battery anode material using silicon-based high entropy alloy
National Research Foundation of Korea (President Lee Kwang-Bok) announced that Professor Ho-Seok Park's research team at Sungkyunkwan University has successfully developed a high-capacity, long-life lithium-ion battery* anode material using silicon-based high entropy alloy**. *Lithium-ion battery: A rechargeable secondary battery that uses lithium ions as the carrier and allows for repeated charge and discharge cycles through electrochemical oxidation and reduction reactions. It is used in devices such as smartphones and laptops. **High entropy alloy: Unlike conventional alloys where minor elements are added to a predominant element, HEAs mix multiple elements in relatively equal proportions of 5% or more without a predominant element, achieving a mixing entropy of 1.5R or higher. This allows for the realization of diverse material properties through combinations of alloys. A silicon-based anode* material has been developed to enhance the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. It is expected to overcome the capacity limits of graphite, which is currently used as a commercial anode material. *Negative electrode: Battery materials are broadly categorized into four main components: cathode material, anode material, separator, and electrolyte. The negative electrode, or anode material, undergoes reduction reactions during charging to store lithium and oxidation reactions during discharging to release lithium. With the global electric vehicle market expanding, battery technology competition has become increasingly fierce. Research efforts are actively underway to replace graphite, which has a capacity limit of 372mAh/g, with high-capacity silicon (theoretical capacity of 4200mAh/g), aiming to overcome this limitation. However, silicon materials suffer from issues such as low electrical conductivity and volume expansion during charge and discharge cycles, leading to compromised long-term stability. The research team has developed a silicon-based high entropy alloy material composed of various compositions of elements. By imparting multiple properties into a single material, they have addressed the performance degradation issues associated with silicon. Using high-energy ball milling* synthesis method, the research team successfully developed GaGeSiP3 material, incorporating high-capacity silicon (Si), highly reactive phosphorus (P), fast lithium-ion conductivity germanium (Ge), and self-healing liquid metal gallium (Ga). They minimized the process complexity while including the advantages of these elements. * Ball milling: Ball milling is a grinding device composed of a metal cylinder and balls, where the cylinder rotates, causing the balls and materials to grind or mix into fine powders due to friction and centrifugal forces. In the case of GaGeSiP3 material, it has demonstrated a high rate capability* with a capacity of 949mAh/g even at high current densities, and it maintained a high capacity of 1,121mAh/g after 2,000 charge-discharge cycles. * Rate capability: Ability of a battery to maintain its capacity retention rate depending on the speed of charging and discharging Professor Ho-Seok Park stated, "This research not only proposes solutions to address the drawbacks of silicon, a key material for enhancing the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, but also holds significance in being the first to implement highly reactive phosphorus atoms in the recently acclaimed high entropy alloy materials." Furthermore, this research has set design criteria for silicon-based high entropy alloy materials. As such, future research plans include synthesizing high entropy materials of various combinations to optimize structure and composition, as well as conducting additional studies on anode optimization to enhance battery performance. Supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of "Center for 2D Elementary Surface Redox Energy Storage" and "Brain Pool Program" for attracting outstanding international scientists, the outcomes of this study were published in the international energy journal 'Energy & Environmental Science' (IF=32.5) on April 16th. Figure 1. Schematic diagram of synthesis and design of high-entropy materials. Using high-energy ball milling to mix zinc, copper, aluminum, gallium, germanium, silicon cations, and phosphorus anions in a certain ratio, synthesize a schematic diagram of silicon-based high-entropy alloy materials and demonstrate enhancement of electrochemical and mechanical properties through high-entropy alloying Figure 2. Comparison of structure and electrochemical performance between silicon-based medium-entropy and high-entropy alloys, and schematic diagram illustrating structural changes in high-entropy alloys due to lithium-ion storage. Schematic diagram demonstrating enhanced electrochemical performance through high-entropy alloying, and reversible structural changes due to lithium-ion storage.
- No. 256
- 2024-07-23
- 603
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Prof. Jung-Hoon Han has published a paper in the prestigious Academy of Management Journal
Prof. Jung-Hoon Han of Sungkyunkwan University’s SKK GSB(Graduate School of Business) has published a paper in the prestigious Academy of Management Journal, shedding light on when misconduct by high-status firms escalates into scandals. Prof. Han and Professors Timothy G. Pollock (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) and Scott Graffin (University of Georgia) analyzed 2015–2018 data breaches involving publicly traded U.S. firms. They question the widely held assumption that scandals usually stem from high-status firms’ misconduct and demonstrate that the development of scandals depends on the perpetrating companies’ surrounding environment. For example, if several large tech companies such as Google, Meta (owner of Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter), and the supermarket chain Walmart engaged in the same misconduct, the media would be less likely to report on and scandalize Walmart’s misconduct as it is easier to tell a story based on tech companies’ all doing the wrong thing than to try to crowbar a retail firm into the narrative. The key takeaway is that journalists are more likely to report on and scandalize corporate misconduct when there is a clear industry-based pattern. The harder it is to identify a set of similarities that helps journalists tell a simple story, the lower the likelihood that any one firm’s misconduct will be scandalized. These findings have significant implications for companies’ crisis management strategies. When facing misconduct allegations, firms should address public concerns by highlighting how they differ from other industry leaders who have engaged in misconduct and by stressing that their actions do not reflect an industry-wide failure. From a preventive standpoint, firms should exercise caution when adopting practices from other high-status firms to avoid scandalization. Journal: Academy of Management Journal Title: Now you see me: How status and categorical proximity shape misconduct scandalization DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2022.0365 First Author: Prof. Jung-Hoon Han of Sungkyunkwan University’s SKK GSB(Graduate School of Business) The figure above illustrates that while high-status firms’ misconduct is more likely to become scandalized, such tendency is amplified when high-status firms’ misconduct has been prevalent within the same industry (a). In contrast, the prevalence of high-status firms’ misconduct outside an industry attenuates the scandalizing effect of focal firm’s status (b).
- No. 255
- 2024-07-09
- 681
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Sungkyunkwan University (Prof. Taesung kim) develops “Free-standing ferro-ionic memristor”
Sungkyunkwan University announced that Professor Tae-sung Kim’s research group at the school of mechanical engineering (first author: Jin-Hyoung Lee, Gun-Hoo Woo) has developed a "Free-standing ferro-ionic memristor" that selectively controls ion migration using only a tip-induced shear strain. Memristor devices, which are attracting attention as the next generation of devices that can be used in next-generation non-Von Neumann structures, have various strengths compared to conventional semiconductor devices such as in-memory computing and weight storage at low power, but it is essential to secure the reliability of each memristor device to realize practical large-scale neural computing. However, the biggest limitation of memristor devices is the "randomness" of ion movement, and this stochastic ion behavior has traditionally prevented them from being commercially valuable due to the critical limitation that it reversibly affects the reliability and reproducibility of memristor devices. To address this stochastic limitation, this research team has focused at the flexoelectric effect, which occurs at the nanometer (nm) scale. In 2011, it was reported in the previous research that the flexoelectric field can be maximized when the lattice structure of a material is bended by an external force, generating the internal polarization and electric fields. However, in order to selectively activate phase change and ion migration at the desired location within flexoelectricity, much larger lattice bending is required than those in previous studies. Therefore, to spatially maximize the flexoelectric field beyond previous studies, they applied vertical shear stresses to free-standing 2D materials with an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip to selectively maximize the flexoelectric field and its corresponding downward polarization at the specific regions. Consequently, the research team successfully observed the selective growth of conductive filaments via localized flexoelectric field. Furthermore, they succeeded to reversibly control the phase transition threshold voltage by modulating the bottom ferroelectric polarization, enabling active spatial control of conductive filaments at the nanometer scale. Professor Tae-Sung Kim remarked, “This research overcomes the stochastic limitations of conventional ferro-ionic materials and offers a new perspective on ion movement based on the flexoelectric effect from a structural standpoint. It is expected to significantly enhance the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices in future studies by enabling precise spatial control of ions.” This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Korea Basic Science Institute. The research were published in the prestigious international journal “Nature Communications” on June 18. ※Title: Free-standing two-dimensional ferro-ionic memristor ※Author: Taesung Kim (corresponding author), Jinhyoung Lee, Gunhoo Woo (first author), Jinill Cho, Sihoon Son, Hyelim Shin, Hyunho Seok, Min-Jae Kim, Eungchul Kim, Ziyang Wang, Boseok Kang, Won-Jun Jang (co-author) ※Journal Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48810-3 Next-generation freestanding memristor device platform implemented based on probe-guided substation
- No. 254
- 2024-07-02
- 906
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Protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2) as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in lung cancer
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, induced by genetic mutations and various external factors. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which comprises the majority of lung cancer cases, is significantly driven by diverse genetic mutations. Consequently, genetic data from lung cancer patients are actively used to identify the causes and factors of lung cancer development and progression, as well as to propose treatment methods. Protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a crucial role in cell migration, survival, proliferation, and interactions with the extracellular matrix. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that regulates cancer cell growth, differentiation, and survival, making it an important therapeutic target in NSCLC. EGFR mutations promote cell proliferation, and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used as NSCLC treatments. However, resistance to EGFR TKIs can develop during cancer treatment. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are essential components of the innate immune system, recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and promoting immune responses. In the tumor microenvironment, TLRs regulate interactions between immune cells and cancer cells, with some studies suggesting that TLRs can promote cancer cell survival and growth. Despite these findings, research on the regulatory interactions between PTK2, EGFR, and TLRs is limited, and the clinical implications of their expression and interactions on lung cancer patient survival remain unclear. Our research team utilized genetic data from lung cancer patient-derived tumor and normal tissues to confirm that PTK2 expression significantly impacts lung cancer cell proliferation and tumor formation. Additionally, through gene expression and clinical data analysis, we identified that PTK2 expression in lung cancer cells is associated with the expression of EGFR and TLRs, which correlates with patient survival. To provide scientific evidence for this association, we employed CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, in vitro cancer progression assays, 3D tumor spheroid assays, and in vivo xenografted NSG mouse assays (Figure 1). The results confirmed that PTK2 regulates lung cancer development and formation mediated by EGFR and TLRs. Furthermore, we validated the efficacy of PTK2 inhibitors in modulating lung cancer development and formation mediated by these pathways. Our findings present a significant milestone for biomarker development targeting EGFR and TLR signaling in future lung cancer treatment strategies, potentially contributing to the establishment of new anticancer treatment strategies in the field of personalized precision medicine. This research was contributed by Ji-Young Kim (Integrated MS/PhD Program, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University), Ji-Hye Shin (Integrated MS/PhD Program, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University), and Dr. Mi-Jung Kim (School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University). The results were published in the renowned international journal "Biomarker Research" (IF: 11.1, JCR CATEGORY in MEDICINE top 7%) in the field of personalized medicine and biomarkers. This research was supported by the Mid-career Researcher Support Program and the Basic Research Laboratory Program. Article: Kim JY, Shin JH, Kim MJ, Choi B, Kang Y, Choi J, Kim SH, Kwan D, Kim DH, Chun E, Lee KY. PTK2 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for EGFR- or TLRs-induced lung cancer progression via the regulation of the cross-talk between EGFR- and TLRs-mediated signals. Biomark Res. 2024 May 31;12(1):52 논문명: PTK2 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for EGFR- or TLRs-induced lung cancer progression via the regulation of the cross-talk between EGFR- and TLRs-mediated signal. (Biomark Res. 2024 May 31;12(1):52) Figure 1. PTK2 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for EGFR- or TLRs-induced lung cancer progression
- No. 253
- 2024-06-21
- 867
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Why do we feel warmer in humid weather? Uncovering how sweat droplets regulate body temperature
Professor Byung Mook Weon of the School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering led pioneer research that for the first time identified the incomplete evaporation of sweat droplets as the physical source of the 'Heat Index' that determines body temperature. As global warming has led to more hot and humid days, the deaths associated with heat waves have been rising in Europe and the United States. The body's feel temperature, which varies with air temperature and humidity, is determined by the ‘Heat Index’, used in weather forecasting all around the world. It is known that people experience higher temperatures on humid days compared to dry days. For example, a day with 32°C and 70% humidity has a ‘Heat Index’ of 41°C, meaning that the feeling temperature in the human body is much higher than the actual air temperature. Therefore, very moist and hot days can be life-threatening because of the high ‘Heat Index’ values, leading to difficulty in maintaining body temperature. However, little is known about the exact physical roots of the ‘Heat Index’. All we know is that hot and humid days are hard to endure. Our bodies maintain body temperature by releasing sweat and transferring heat as these sweat droplets evaporate, a phenomenon understood as evaporative cooling. Maintaining body temperature is a vital life-sustaining process. It is directly related to our health, whether it's in our daily lives or when we exercise. It is well known that sweating reduces body temperature. Still, there is a need to clarify how exactly the mechanism of thermoregulation by sweat relates to the ‘Heat Index’ depending on temperature and humidity conditions. Based on the fact that sweat droplets and pure water droplets have a compositional difference in salts of around 1%, Prof. Weon’s research team including Dr. Beigtan and Dr. Gonçalves, closely observed the evaporation of sweat droplets as a function of temperature and humidity. Their results report that, unlike pure water droplets, sweat droplets do not completely evaporate in hot and humid conditions, but instead undergo "incomplete evaporation" in which some water is retained. By measuring the heat transfer while sweat droplets undergo evaporation in different conditions, this team was the first to show that incomplete evaporation of sweat droplets is the physical source of high ‘Heat Index’ in humid environments. At low humidity, sweat droplets evaporate completely, leaving only sweat deposits, while at high humidity, both sweat deposits and moisture are retained. This is because at high humidity, sweat residue continuously absorbs moisture from the surrounding air. This incomplete evaporation reduces the efficiency of heat transfer by sweat evaporation, increasing the ‘Heat Index’ and reducing the body's ability to regulate its temperature via evaporative cooling. The understanding of how sweat droplets maintain body temperature, as revealed by this research, is expected to have far-reaching implications. It is crucial for human health, sports science, weather forecasting, and the development of functional materials, particularly in the context of the current climate crisis characterized by wet and hot weather, most recently called “global boiling”. The findings were published on April 16 as a cover story in Environmental Science & Technology, a prestigious journal in the field of environmental science by the American Chemical Society. This research was supported by Amorepacific's research grant. ※ Journal: Environmental Science & Technology (2024), Impact factor 11.4, JCR Top 6.7% in Environmental Science. ※ Paper title: Heat transfer by sweat droplet evaporation ※ DOI 10.1021/acs.est.4c00850 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c00850 ※ Co-first authors: Dr. Mohadese Beigtan and Dr. Marta Gonçalves ※ Corresponding author: Prof. Byung Mook Weon (Sungkyunkwan University - Department of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering) Research shows how incomplete evaporation of sweat droplets contributes to ‘Heat Index’ values. Cover paper, Published on April 16th
- No. 252
- 2024-06-13
- 969
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AI Influencer VS Human Influencer
Professor Hwang Se-rim's paper, which reveals the effectiveness of AI influencers, has been published in the May-June issue of Harvard Business Review (HBR), a prestigious business journal. Professor Hwang, along with Assistant Professor Shunyuan Zhang of Harvard University, Associate Professor Xiao Liu of New York University, and Professor Kannan Srinivasan of Carnegie Mellon University, analyzed over a million pieces of content over six years. Influencer marketing has been actively used due to its high marketing effect, but there have also been cases of backfires, and recently, there has been an increase in cases of brand marketing using AI influencers. The paper compared the effectiveness of human influencers and AI influencers in five aspects: engagement, reach, diversity, reputational risk, and cost. The study found that AI influencers were able to generate more engagement from people than human influencers. In particular, AI influencers were less likely to be exposed to scandals or bad reputations than human influencers, and they also cost less. This means that choosing AI influencers can be more cost-effective and also ensure high engagement from people. According to one survey, 52% of social media users in the United States already follow AI influencers, and this percentage is even higher worldwide. Among various industries, the fashion and beauty industries were more receptive to paid advertising posts by AI influencers, while people showed more resistance to paid advertising posts by human influencers. As the time spent consuming traditional media such as TV decreases, influencer marketing is expected to become even more important for brands. This study has proven that AI influencers have clear advantages over traditional human influencers. This means that brands should positively consider adopting AI influencers when introducing social media marketing. Paper: Harvard Business Review May–June 2024 Title: Should Your Brand Hire a Virtual Influencer? DOI: https://hbr.org/2024/05/should-your-brand-hire-a-virtual-influencer
- No. 251
- 2024-05-31
- 978
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Ontological Reflection on Hospital Spaces: Interpreting Hospitals through Heideggerian concept of Care and Dwelling
The significance of hospitals in contemporary human life continues to increase with advancements in scientific and medical technology. However, philosophical reflection on the fundamental existential meaning and role of hospital spaces is notably absent. Although hospitals have taken a central role in human existence, they are often perceived merely as technical treatment spaces focused on effectively treating illnesses and preventing infections. Hye Youn Park, a senior researcher at Hybrid Future Culture Institute and adjunct professor of philosophy, uses Descartes's concept of spatiality to critique the spatialization of disease in modern hospitals. Additionally, through Heidegger's discourse on technology, she offers fresh insight that the authentic mode of existence of hospitals is rooted in 'Care.' While 'care' has been used as a methodological concept to describe the practice of medicine or nursing, this study argues, through Heideggerian thought, that 'care' is the fundamental spatiality of the hospital. Furthermore, by connecting Heidegger's thoughts on dwellings with the spatiality of hospitals, this study critically examines the problems associated with hospital architecture and suggests new alternatives. "Through various discussions and critiques, I attempted to reflect on the ontology of contemporary hospital spaces and also laid academic and theoretical groundwork suggesting that hospital spaces, which possess distinct limitations regarding human existence, should be reconstructed," remarked Park regarding the study. "The significance of the study is that it is a theoretical discussion. It provides a catalyst for future interdisciplinary research on hospital spaces regarding architectural phenomenology while simultaneously proposing a new paradigm for hospital architecture that considers medical staff and patients," she added. Hye Youn Park is a member of the Hybrid Future Culture Institute, which conducts interdisciplinary research across the humanities to examine the issues facing our time and proposes practical alternatives. Hye Youn Park's findings have been published in the March 2024 issue of Medical Humanities, a scholarly journal in the field of Humanities, Multidisciplinary (IF 1.2, JCR top 1.8%), affiliated with the British Medical Journal. Additionally, an introduction to the study and its author, Hye-Youn Park, was also posted on the official blog of the journal. ※ Title: Hospital space interpreted according to Heidegger's concepts of care and dwelling ※ Journal: Medical Humanities ※ First & Corresponding author: Hye Youn Park (Hybrid Future Culture Institute and adjunct professor of philosophy) ※ DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2023-012696 ※Link to the journal's official blog: https://blogs.bmj.com/medical-humanities/2024/04/09/hospital-space-interpreted-according-to-heideggers-concepts-of-care-and-dwelling/
- No. 250
- 2024-05-21
- 1371
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Development of fish skin-derived composite material-based bioinks and porous collagen bioinks
Bioprinting is a technology that produces artificial tissues/organs for medical purposes using bioinks containing cells and 3D printers, and is currently actively used in various regeneration, diagnosis, and emergency medical research, such as cancer mechanism research using artificial cancer models that simulate cancer tissues, as well as the production of artificial organs for transplantation. In particular, research is actively underway to improve the physical properties and biological properties of bioinks containing cells to produce the desired three-dimensional structure and/or to induce cell activity and differentiation. - Fabrication of cell structures for muscle regeneration using bioinks derived from fish skin and bidirectional photo-crosslinked bioprinting system Since bioinks are cell carriers and the basis for cell growth, they are mainly made of hydrogels, and in particular, bio-derived hydrogels such as collagen and decellularized extracellular matrix, which contain a lot of cell-active substances, should be used to promote cell activity and differentiation. In the case of currently used bio-derived hydrogels, most of them rely on collagen and decellularized extracellular matrix derived from mammals such as pigs. However, these mammalian-derived biomaterials have limitations such as high inflammatory response and low angiogenesis. In order to overcome these limitations, the research team (1st author: SeoYul Cho) led by Professor Geun Hyung Kim in School of Medicine has produced a composite bioink derived from fish skin using an extracellular matrix derived from seawater fish and an extracellular matrix derived from freshwater fish. Fish skin accounts for most of the by-products of fisheries generated during the processing process, and Professor Kim's research team used the discarded fish skin as a biomaterial to produce bioink for effective tissue regeneration. In particular, seawater fish contains abundant omega-3 fatty acids, which not only play an important role in promoting vascularization and anti-inflammatory responses, but also are known to enhance the expression of myogenic differentiation factors of stem cells in the process of myogenesis. However, extracellular matrix derived from seawater fish has a low denaturation temperature and low processability, so this research team produced a bioink that can be photo-crosslinked using an extracellular matrix derived from freshwater fish with a relatively higher denaturation temperature. In addition, the cells were contained in the bioinks and uniformly aligned to mimic the aligned structure of muscle tissue by inducing the shear stress in the printing nozzle using bidirectional photo-crosslinking during the printing process. As a result of applying the cell structure produced by applying a composite material-derived bioink to a bidirectional photo-crosslinked bioprinting system to an animal muscle damage model, it was confirmed that the efficacy of muscle tissue regeneration and muscle function recovery was improved compared to the existing mammalian-derived bioink, and the formation of neuromuscular junctions as well as blood vessels was also improved. On the other hand, the inflammatory response was found to be reduced. Prof. Kim said, "These fish-derived composite-based bioinks can complement the problems of existing mammalian-derived biomaterials and can be used as functional bioinks that can induce excellent angiogenesis and low inflammatory response, because they contain abundant omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, it has shown an excellent muscle regeneration effect through an animal muscle injury model, and it is expected that it can be used for the regeneration of various tissues such as skin or bone. In particular, the produced bioink can be applied to various systems using bioprinters, such as bidirectional photo-crosslinked bioprinting systems, and it is expected that it can be used for the regeneration of various complex tissues. In addition, it is expected that economic and environmental benefits can be derived from recycling fish skin, which was considered waste, into biomaterials.". Figure 1. Fish-derived composite-based bioink - Development of porous collagen bioink with improved shape processability and bioprinting platform for bone tissue regeneration that mimics the hierarchy of bone microenvironment Natural hydrogels such as collagen are limited in their application to bioprinting due to their lack of physical properties. In addition, for the smooth supply of oxygen and nutrients in artificial tissues containing cells, it is essential to have a porous structure that serves as a channel for the circulation of the culture medium containing nutrients and oxygen every 2~300 micrometers. To this end, hydrogel-based bioinks have been stacked in the form of a mesh using bioprinting technology, or air has been injected into the bioinks to have their own porous structures. However, most of the existing manufacturing methods have clear limitations, such as limited cell activity or reduced physical properties due to the injected air, and in particular, they are limited in properly mimicking the microstructure of living tissues such as bone hierarchy and vascularization. To overcome these limitations, the research team (1st author: YoungWon Koo) led by Professor GeunHyung Kim has developed a collagen-based bioink with a micro-porous structure that greatly improves three-dimensional shape processability. Professor Kim said, "The significance of this study is to overcome the limitations of bioinks in existing bioprinting technologies and to develop a new concept of bioink that balances the two most important properties of bioinks, namely processability and biological functions, and it is expected that it will be possible to depict the details of vascularized living organs and simulate their 3D structures, which were difficult in the past. In the future, it is also expected that it can be directly applied to various disease researches, including more various tissue regeneration studies and biochips that simulate the cancer development environment due to their excellent physical and biological properties.". Figure 2. Porous Collagen Bioink The results of the above research were supported by the Korea National Institute of Health research project and also supported by a grant from the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea) under Industrial Technology Innovation Program, and are scheduled to be published in an international journal, Applied Physics Reviews (1st author: SeoYul Cho, IF=15.0)*, and published online on February 28 in Advanced Functional Materials (1st author: YoungWon Koo, IF=19.0)**, respectively,. *Research title: Bioengineered Cell-constructs Using Decellularized Fish Skin-Based Composite Bioink for Regenerating Muscle Tissue **Research title: An Approach for Fabricating Hierarchically Porous Cell‐Laden Constructs Utilizing a Highly Porous Collagen‐Bioink
- No. 249
- 2024-05-09
- 1250
