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Here, we first present an isothermal solid-phase amplification/detection (ISAD) technique for the detection of single-point mutations that can be performed without labelling in real-time by utilizing both silicon microring-based solid-phase amplification and isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). The ISAD technique was performed on a silicon microring device with a plastic chamber containing 10 μL of the reaction mixture, and characterized with an assay for the detection of the HRAS (Harvey RAS) gene single-point mutation. For the solid-phase amplification, the primer of the gene was directly attached to the surface of the device via an amine modification reaction. The amplified DNA was detected, without a label, by measuring the optical wavelength shift of the silicon microring resonator during the reaction. We demonstrated that the sensitivity of the ISAD technique was 100-times higher than that of RPA and conventional PCR methods. Moreover, this technique can be used to distinguish a single-point mutation of the HRAS gene via target amplification. This novel DNA amplification/detection technique will be useful for the detection of sequence alterations such as mutations and single-nucleotide polymorphisms as DNA biomarkers in human diseases.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dietary supplement (DS) use in Korean children and adolescents and to examine the related factors associated with DS use from the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Total 6,131 participants aged between 2 and 18 yr were included in the analysis. We estimated the prevalence of DS use mainly from the DS questionnaire data of the Nutrition Survey. Reported supplements were classified according to the Health Functional Food Code. We also assessed the relationship between DS use and anthropometry, socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, and chronic diseases. Approximately 34% of Korean children and adolescent was taking DS. Younger age (P = 0.003), higher household income (P < 0.001), presence of chronic diseases (P = 0.05), regular meal consumption (P = 0.002), frequent snack consumption (P = 0.001), and normal body mass index rather than overweight (P = 0.10) or obesity (P = 0.03) were associated with the DS use after adjustment for related factors. Vitamin/mineral supplements (343.5/103 persons) were the most commonly taken DS in Korean children and adolescents, followed by Omega-3 (28.8), ginseng (18.3), colostrums (14.1) and chlorella/spirulina (10.0). In conclusion, DS use is common as much as in 34% of Korean children and adolescents and is associated with age, household income level, chronic diseases, meal regularity, and obesity status.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of anaesthesia on postoperative outcome in elderly patients who underwent hip fracture surgery.SettingNationwide National Health Insurance Sharing Service database of Korea.ParticipantsAll patients aged ≥65 years old who underwent hip fracture surgery, covered by the Korean National Health Insurance, between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2015.InterventionsHip fracture surgery under general anaesthesia (group GA) or regional anaesthesia (group RA), with a principal diagnosis of femoral fracture.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was the anaesthetic-type effect on 30-day mortality and the secondary outcome was postoperative delirium requiring pharmacological intervention.ResultsAmong the 96 289 patients who underwent hip fracture surgery, 25 593 and 70 696 patients received GA and RA, respectively. After propensity score matching, 25 593 remained in each group. Postmatching mortality was lower in the RA than in the GA group (574 (2.24%) vs 654 (2.55%), p=0·0047, 95% CI −0.0099 to 0.0159). Delirium incidence was lower in the RA than in the GA group (5187 (20.27%) vs 5828 (22.77%), p<0·0001, 95% CI 0.019 to 0.045). The incidence of intensive care unit stay and ventilator care was lower in the RA than in the GA group (5838 (22.1%) vs 8055 (31.47%), p<0·0001, 95% CI 0.046 to 0.070 and 459 (1.73%) vs 1207 (4.72%), p<0·0001, 95% CI −0.0024 to 0.023, respectively).ConclusionRA was associated with better outcomes than GA, in terms of mortality, delirium, intensive care unit admission and ventilator care, in elderly patients who underwent hip fracture surgery.

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We examined the associations between physical activity (PA), fitness and all-cause mortality and compared their contributions, taking smoking status into consideration. A retrospective cohort study of 18,775 men was carried out between May 1995 and December 2003. Fitness was measured by maximum oxygen uptake and regular PA was defined as at least three times a week, for more than 30 min of leisure time PA. During the mean 6.4 yr of follow-up, 547 deaths were recorded. The hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of regular PA for all-cause mortality was 0.63 (0.52-0.76). The HRs (95% CIs) for men with middle and highest tertile levels of fitness were decreased by 0.58 (0.47-0.70) and 0.58 (0.45-0.75) in comparison to men with lowest one. The inverse association between fitness and mortality was significant among the men who did not engage in regular PA, but not among those who did (p for interaction=0.031). Smoking status did not influence on the associations between regular PA, fitness and mortality. Our result suggested that regular PA and fitness predicted mortality in men. The influence of fitness on mortality was pronounced in the men who did not engage in regular PA.

CTCF is crucial to the organization of mammalian genomes into loop structures. According to recent studies, the transcription apparatus is compartmentalized and concentrated at super-enhancers to form phase-separated condensates and drive the expression of cell-identity genes. However, it remains unclear whether and how transcriptional condensates are coupled to higher-order chromatin organization. Here, we show that CTCF is essential for RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-mediated chromatin interactions, which occur as hyperconnected spatial clusters at super-enhancers. We also demonstrate that CTCF clustering, unlike Pol II clustering, is independent of liquid-liquid phase-separation and resistant to perturbation of transcription. Interestingly, clusters of Pol II, BRD4, and MED1 were found to dissolve upon CTCF depletion, but were reinstated upon restoration of CTCF, suggesting a potent instructive function for CTCF in the formation of transcriptional condensates. Overall, we provide evidence suggesting that CTCF-mediated chromatin looping acts as an architectural prerequisite for the assembly of phase-separated transcriptional condensates.

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