In a power plant that uses seawater as a coolant, a debris filter is required to remove foreign substances from the seawater, and differential pressure leads to a decrease in the coolant flow rate, leading to a decrease in power generation efficiency. In this study, analysis was performed under different initial flow velocity conditions of 1.5m/s, 2.0m/s, and 2.5m/s for a debris filter used in a power plant to understand flow characteristics in CTCS. The flow and differential pressure characteristics of a CTCS with an installed debris filter were considered in a comparative analysis of velocity, pressure, and turbulent kinetic energy distribution. The results confirmed that a vortex was generated in the pipe with the debris filter, apparently due to the collision of the flow with the bracket of the debris filter. As the flow rate increased, the range of the vortex increased, causing a loss in flow.

Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) is a surgical intervention that reduces the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea via anterior repositioning of the upper and lower jaws. Pre-operative orthodontic alignment is often a critical component in aiding MMA. Orthodontia are important in intraoperative anchorage for intermaxillary fixation, healthy post-operative occlusion, and post-operative skeletal stability. Sequential clear aligners (SCA) refer to removable orthodontic appliances that are replaced at regular intervals to stimulate dental migration without the use of bonded hardware. These aligners have demonstrated efficacy in aiding orthognathic surgery for dentofacial deformities, which share some technical similarities with MMA for OSA. Here, we explore the treatment protocol for MMA followed by post-operative SCA treatment. Our experiences show that post-operative orthodontic treatment with SCAs results in similarly successful post-operative surgical outcomes given that the patient’s pre-operative occlusion is stable.

Obesity is a global health concern. Recent research has suggested that the development of anti-obesity ingredients and functional foods should focus on natural products without side effects. We investigated the anti-obesity efficacy and mechanisms of action of Brassica juncea extract (BJE) using in vitro and in vivo obesity models. In in vitro experiments, BJE treatment downregulated adipogenic-related proteins CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBP-α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), adipocyte protein 2 (aP2), and lipid synthesis-related protein acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). It also upregulated the heat generation protein peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and fatty acid oxidation protein carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1). Oral administration of BJE decreased body weight, alleviated liver damage, and inhibited lipid accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Inhibition of lipid accumulation by BJE in vivo was associated with decreased expression of adipogenic and lipid synthesis proteins and increased expression of heat generation and fatty acid oxidation proteins. BJE administration improved obesity by decreasing adipogenesis and activating heat generation and fatty acid oxidation in 3T3-L1 cells and in HFD-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. These findings indicate that BJE is a promising natural means of preventing obesity-related metabolic diseases.

Alginate, a biopolymer promising in food, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and electronic materials industries, is characterized by its biodegradability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and gel-forming properties. It is most abundantly found in brown algae. However, conventional dilute acid and alkali extraction methods face limitations in commercialization due to their long processing time, low throughput, and high solvent requirements. In this study, a microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) process for sodium alginate was designed to improve extraction efficiency. Solid/liquid ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction solvent concentration were major variables affecting sodium alginate extraction from Undaria pinnatifida(sea mustard). They were then statistically optimized using response surface methodology. Under optimal conditions (13.27 g/L, 91.86 ℃, 2.51 %(w/v), and 15 min), the yield was 38.41 %, which was 93.43 % of the theoretical content of sodium alginate in Undaria pinnatifida. Our work has confirmed the productivity and industrial feasibility of efficient extraction of sodium alginate from marine biomass, and we hope that it will serve as an encouraging case for the application of biopolymers as one of the desirable options for alternative petrochemicals to construct a sustainable society.

Microbial production is a promising method that can overcome major limitations in conventional methods of lycopene production, such as low yields and variations in product quality. Significant efforts have been made to improve lycopene production by engineering either the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway or mevalonate (MVA) pathway in microorganisms. To further improve lycopene production, it is critical to utilize metabolic enzymes with high specific activities. Two enzymes, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (Dxs) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (IspA), are required in lycopene production using MEP pathway. Here, we evaluated the activities of Dxs and IspA of Vibrio sp. dhg, a newly isolated and fast-growing microorganism. Considering that the MEP pathway is closely related to the cell membrane and electron transport chain, the activities of the two enzymes of Vibrio sp. dhg were expected to be higher than the enzymes of E. coli. We found that Dxs and IspA in Vibrio sp. dhg exhibited 1.08-fold and 1.38-fold higher catalytic efficiencies, respectively. Consequently, the heterologous overexpression improved the specific lycopene production by 1.88-fold. Our findings could be widely utilized to enhance production of lycopene and other carotenoids.

This study investigated mortality discrepancies in Korea, 2000-2020, with a focus on age, gender, and preventable causes of death, and their impact on life expectancy at birth. The study utilized data from Korean Standard Classification of Diseases and OECD/Eurostat lists of preventable and treatable causes of death and employed Arriaga's method. Noteworthy findings revealed gender disparities in life expectancy increases, with male gaining an advantage over females from 2000-2020 (8.142 years for males versus 6.806 years for females). The most significant increase in life expectancy was found to be in males aged 70-74 and females aged 75-79. The gender gap in LEB is narrowing and that the main age group contributing to the gender gap are getting older. Reduced gains in life expectancy at birth resulted from avoidable mortality, contributing 57.3% to the increase. Cerebrovascular disease and transport accidents were positive contributors, whereas suicide and certain cancers were negative contributors. The changes in mortality for individuals aged 65 and over had an impact of 45.44% (males) and 71.01% (females) on life expectancy gains. This study offers a novel approach in evaluating avoidable mortality and life expectancy, having the potential to improve international health indicators and inform health policies.

Recently, “mature” silkworms (MS) of Bombix mori have been considered as a potential nutraceutical, with a number of health benefits reported for steamed and lyophilized MS powder (SMSP). However, no obesity-related effects have been reported for SMSP. In the present study, anti-obesity effects of SMSP were investigated in adult mice in vivo, aged 12 weeks at the onset of drug administration, fed normal diet (ND) and high-fat diet (HFD), respectively, for 12 weeks. SMSP significantly suppressed body weight gain, intra-abdominal adipose tissue, and food efficiency in both ND-fed and HFD-fed adult mice. In addition, SMSP significantly decreased food intake and liver weight in HFD-fed mice, indicating that SMSP suppressed appetite and simultaneously reduced the conversion of feed into body weight in HFD-fed mice. SMSP also significantly lowered serum levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, asparagine transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase. However, SMSP had no significant effect on the weights of kidney, spleen, and thymus and serum levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Taken together, the above results suggest that SMSP has potent anti-obesity effects and is safe for long-term use as a potential therapeutic and/or nutraceutical in both obese patients and non-obese individuals.

Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Alcohol is oxidized to toxic and carcinogenic acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and further oxidized to a non-toxic acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Emerging evidence shows that Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species encode alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) mediate alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism, respectively. This study involves supplementation of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotic mixture in humans and assessed their effects on alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism. Here, twenty-seven wild types (ALDH2*1/*1) and the same number ofheterozygotes (ALDH2*2/*1) were recruited for the study. The enrolled participants were randomly divided into either the probiotic (Duolac ProAP4) or the placebo group. Each group received a probiotic or placebo capsule for 15 days with subsequent crossover. Primary outcomes were measurement of alcohol and acetaldehyde in the blood after the alcohol intake. Blood levels of alcohol and acetaldehyde in the ALDH2 heterozygote group were significantly downregulated in the probiotic-supplemented group with no changes in hangover score symptoms than the placebo group. No clinically significant changes were observed in safety parameters. These results suggest that probiotic has a potential to downregulate the alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations, and their effects depend on the presence or absence of polymorphism on the ALDH2 gene.

Background The prognostic value of estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) has been infrequently explored in high-risk patient groups. Our study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of ePWV among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES). Methods A total of 4,119 consecutive subjects who underwent PCI with DES (mean age, 67.1 ± 11.6 years and 33.1% were female) were retrospectively analyzed. ePWV was calculated based on the patient’s age and mean blood pressure. Major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), including cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, and ischemic stroke, were evaluated. Reults During a median follow-up duration of 3.51 years (interquartile range, 1.35 ~ 6.37 years), there were 746 MACE (18.1%). Multivariable analysis showed that higher ePWV was associated with higher MACE incidence (middle tertile vs. the lowest tertile: hazard ratio [HR], 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.81-3.42; P < 0.001; the highest tertile vs. the lowest tertile: HR, 6.18; 95% CI, 4.33-8.80; P < 0.001) The inclusion of ePWV data significantly increased the global chi-square values when added to the clinical information (from 96 to 128; P < 0.001). Conclusion ePWV demonstrated a significant association with MACE in patients who underwent DES implantation. Given its relative simplicity to calculate, ePWV could potentially serve as a valuable instrument for stratifying cardiovascular risk within this high-risk patient population.

Previous studies to recognize negative emotions (e.g. disgust, fear, sadness) for mental health care have used heavy equipment directly attaching electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes to the head, making it difficult to use in daily life, and they have proposed binary classification methods to determine whether negative emotion or not. To tackle this problem, we propose a negative emotion recognition system to collect multimodal biosignal data such as five EEG signals in an EEG headset and heart rate, galvanic skin response, and skin temperature in a smart band for classifying multiple negative emotions. It consists of android Internet of Things (IoT) application, an oneM2M-compliant IoT server, and a machine learning server. The android IoT application upload the biosignal data to the IoT server. By using the biosignal data stored in the IoT server, the machine learning server recognizes the negative emotions of disgust, fear, and sadness using a multi-class support vector machine (SVM) model with a radial basis function kernel (RBF). The experimental results showed that the multi-class SVM model achieved 93% accuracy when considering all the multimodal biosignal data. Moreover, when considering only data in the smart band, it could achieve 98% accuracy by optimizing the hyper-parameter of the RBF kernel.

Background/Aims: Conflicting results have been reported regarding the interaction between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and clopidogrel. We investigated whether concomitant PPI use influenced the risk of recurrence in patients with stroke and myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: This study used two databases for different designs, the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database for a self-controlled case series design, and the national sample cohort of the NHIS database converted to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership-Common Data Model version for a cohort study. Results: In the PPI co-prescription group, recurrent hospitalization with stroke occurred in 17.6% of the 8,201 patients with history of stroke, and recurrent MI occurred in 17.1% of the 1,216 patients with history of MI during 1 year. According to the self-controlled case series, the overall relative risk (RR) of recurrent stroke was 2.09 [95% confidence interval (CI); 1.83-2.38], and the RR showed an increasing trend with PPI duration. In the cohort study, there was a higher incidence of recurrent stroke in the PPI co-prescription group [Hazard ratio (HR): 1.34, 95% CI: 1.01-1.76, P=0.04]. The overall RR of recurrent MI was 1.47 (95% CI; 1.02-2.11) in the self-controlled case series; however, there was no statistically significant difference in recurrent MI in the cohort study (HR:1.42, 95% CI:0.79-2.49, P=0.23). The impact of individual PPIs on stroke and MI showed different patterns. Conclusions: PPI co-prescription with clopidogrel was associated with recurrent stroke; however, its association with recurrent MI remains inconclusive. The influence of individual PPIs should be clarified in the future.

In this study, we propose a solution process for realizing color glass for building integrated pho-tovoltaic (BIPV) systems by spin coating a color solution composed of a pearlescent pigment mixed in a norland optical adhesive (NOA) matrix. Color solutions are made from mixing pearlescent pigments in NOA63. Compared to a physical vapor deposition process, color coatings are achieved by spin coating in a relatively simple and inexpensive process at room temperature. The optical properties can be easily controlled by adjusting the spin coating speed and the concentra-tion of the pearlescent pigments. The produced color glasses achieved a high transmittance of 85% or more in the visible wavelength range, except the wavelength spectrum exhibiting the maxi-mum reflectance. In addition, we propose a one-step lamination process of color glass on a solar cell by leveraging on the adhesive property of the NOA matrix. This eliminates the cost and pro-cess of additional ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) layer or other materials used in the conventional lamination process. The color glass produced through this study has stability that does not change its properties over time. Therefore, it is expected to be applied to the BIPV solar module market where aesthetics and energy efficiency are required.

Odontogenic infections are infections of the orofacial structures arising from dental disease. Despite its preventability, it exerts a significant burden on healthcare infrastructure worldwide. Our study explored the various different microbiological, social, and epidemiological characteristics of 103 cases of odontogenic infections at our regional center which demonstrated specific predilections for the young and middle-aged, those with diabetes mellitus, African American/Black and Hispanic ethnicities, posterior teeth, left-sided dentition, and male gender. However, nuances and exceptions to these trends were also seen with specific groups that may complicate treatment.

We investigated layered titanium nitride (TiN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) for color glasses in Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. AlN and TiN are among suitable and cost-effective optical materials to be used as thin multilayer films, owing to the significant difference in their refractive index. To fabricate the structure, we used radio frequency magnetron deposition method to achieve the target thickness uniformly. A simple, fast, and cheap fabrication method is achieved by depositing the multilayer films in a single sputtering chamber. It is demonstrated that a multilayer stack that allows light to move from a low refractive index layer to a high refractive index layer or vice-versa can effectively create various distinct color reflections for different film thicknesses and multilayer structures. It is investigated from simulation based on wave optics that, TiN/AlN multilayer offers better color design freedom and cheaper fabrication process as compared to AlN/TiN multilayer films. Blue, green, and yellow color glasses with optical transmittance of more than 80% was achieved by ITO coated glass/TiN/AlN multilayer films. This technology exhibits good potential in commercial BIPV system applications.

Vase life is one of the most important factors that determine the marketability of cut flowers and is greatly affected by the water balance. In recent years, cut hydrangea flowers are increasingly consumed as decorations for various events. However, the vase life of cut hydrangea flowers varies greatly depending on the postharvest solution management. Therefore, this study investigated the vase life, solution uptake, water balance, and relative fresh weight of freshly harvested hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Verena’) according to the three types of holding solutions (tap water, 1% chrysal professional Ⅲ (CPⅢ), 2% sucrose + 250 mg/L 8-hydroxquinoline + 100 mg/L citric acid (SHQC)) and the combination solutions (pretreatment; tap water, 0.1% chrysal RVB (RVB), floralife quickdip (FQ), transport; tap water, CPⅢ, floralife clear (FC), preservatives; CPⅢ, FC) for each distribution stage (pretreatment-transport-consumer). In the preservative comparison experiment, compared with the control, CPⅢ treatment and SHQC treatment significantly increased the vase life in 2019 (0.7 days, 3.4 days) and 2020 (1.4 days, 3.1 days), respectively. In the comparative experiment by solution combination, the group (RVB, FQ) using the pretreatment significantly extended the vase life by 4.6 days and 5.9 days compared to the tap water treatment. It was also determined that the same treatment increased overall solution uptake, maintained water balance longer, and increased relative fresh weight. These results confirm the importance of holding solutions and pretreatments, suggesting that appropriate pretreatments and preservatives should be used to improve the marketability of cut hydrangea flowers.

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder that has a large impact on patients’ lives. In addition to Western medicine, the use of additional treatments, such as acupuncture, in treating the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms is increasing. Methods: We conducted a systematic review on the use of acupuncture as an add-on treatment for patients with schizophrenia that are in regular care, with a special focus on the treatment of the often accompanying co-morbid sleep disorders. In this study, we searched the Medline, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and ERIC databases with a cut-off date of December 31, 2017, thereby following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) protocol. Results: Our search resulted in 26 eligible studies. Most studies showed limited evidence for the use of acupuncture as add-on therapy in the treatment of clinical symptoms, but beneficial effects have been reported in the treatment of co-morbid sleep disorders. Conclusions: Limited evidence was found for the use of acupuncture as add-on therapy in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia; however, positive results were found in the treatment of sleep disorders, but this result needs to be confirmed in large, randomized, controlled trials.

The comparative efficacy and safety between lenvatinib and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear. This multicenter historical cohort study enrolled 244 patients who were treated with HAIC (n = 173) or lenvatinib (n = 71) between 2012 and 2020. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed, and 52 patients were selected per group. Clinical outcomes and safety were compared. Objective response rate (ORR) was not different between the two groups (26.0% vs. 23.1%, P = 0.736). Before PSM, HAIC group had a higher proportion of Child-Pugh B and portal vein tumor, whereas lenvatinib group had more patients with extrahepatic metastases, which was adjusted after PSM. There were no differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after PSM (HAIC vs. lenvatinib, median PFS, 3.6 vs. 4.0 months, P = 0.706; median OS 10.8 vs. 7.9 months, P = 0.106). Multivariate Cox-regression showed that alpha-fetoprotein ≤ 1000 ng/mL was only associated factor for OS after PSM in all patients (hazard ratio = 0.421, P = 0.011). Subgroup analysis for patients with high tumor burden beyond the REFLECT eligibility criteria revealed that HAIC group (n = 29) had a significantly longer OS than did lenvatinib group (n = 30) (10.0 vs. 5.4 months, P=0.004). More patients in HAIC group achieved better liver function than those in lenvatinib group at the time of best responses. There was no difference in the incidence of grade 3 and 4 adverse events between the two groups. Therefore, lenvatinib is comparable to HAIC in terms of ORR and OS in unresectable HCC meeting REFLECT eligibility criteria.

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of trauma-focused group psychotherapy in adolescents who experienced traumatic events in Korea. Participants were assigned and recruited from two sites in Korea. Children in Disaster: Evaluation and Recovery (CIDER) V1.0 is a trauma-focused group psychotherapy approach consisting of psychoeducation, normalization, stabilization, and techniques of managing the traumatic memory. The CIDER intervention consists of eight 50-minute-long sessions. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated using the Korean version of the Children’s Response to Traumatic Events Scale-Revised (K-CRTES-R), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State Anxiety Inventory for Children (SAIC), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedQL). Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We recruited 22 traumatized adolescents (mean age 16 years; SD 1.43; range 13–18 years old; 71.4% boys) in this pilot study. The K-CRTES-R scores were significantly improved (Z = −2.85, p < 0.01). The BDI demonstrated the effectiveness of the therapy (Z = −2.35, p < 0.05). The assessment of the PedQL supported the effect of CIDER (Z = −3.08, p < 0.01). However, there was no statistically significant differences in the SAIC scores (Z = −1.90, p > 0.05). The results show that there is preliminary evidence that CIDER intervention reduces post-traumatic stress and depressive symptoms and improves quality of life. Our findings indicate that CIDER is feasible for treating adolescents exposed to traumatic events. Larger controlled trials are needed to establish the efficacy of this trauma-focused group psychotherapy and examine its impact on post-traumatic stress disorder.

Background: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sunlight can harm skin cells, causing short-term effects, such as sunburns and long-term effects, such as pigmentation changes, changes in the skin's immune responses, and increased risk of skin cancer. These conditions can be largely prevented with proper sun protection measures and behavioural changes. This study aims to assess the knowledge on sun protection behaviour and baseline knowledge of medical students from the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. Methods: Data in this cross-sectional study were collected through a Google Forms questionnaire, which was distributed from November 2023 to December 2023 via digital communication channels to students across all academic years. STROBE guidelines were consulted for data synthesis; Results: A total of 668 stu-dents responded. The student cohort demonstrated a commendable level of awareness of the risks associated with sun exposure and the advantages of employing sun protection factor (SPF); how-ever, the incidence of sunburns remained notably elevated (72.3%). Further analysis revealed cor-relations among gender, academic year, presence of photosensitizing conditions, and adherence to SPF application. Additionally, there is a need to improve understanding of the appropriate appli-cation techniques for SPF, as only 11.5% of the students exhibited proficiency in this regard; Con-clusions: As future healthcare providers, medical students hold significance in promoting healthy behaviours in the broader community. This study indicates that while their knowledge about sun protection is satisfactory, there is scope for enhancement.

This paper presents a study on the thermal efficiency improvement of the user equipment room in the district heating system based on reinforcement learning [1], and suggests a general method of constructing a learning network(DQN)[2] using deep Q learning[3], which is a reinforcement learning algorithm that does not specify a model. In addition, we introduce the big data platform system and the integrated heat management system for the energy field in the massive data processing from the IoT sensor installed in large number of thermal energy control facilities.

Maternal hyperglycemia, induced by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), has detrimental effects on fetal vascular development, ultimately increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in offspring. The potential underlying mechanisms by which these complications occur are through functional impairment and epigenetic changes in fetal endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), however, remain less defined. We confirm that intrauterine hyperglycemia leads to impaired angiogenic function of fetal EPCs, as observed through functional assays of outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) derived from fetal EPCs of GDM pregnancies (GDM-EPCs). Notably, PCDH10 expression is increased in OECs derived from GDM-EPCs, which is associated with the inhibition of angiogenic function in fetal EPCs. Additionally, increased PCDH10 expression is correlated with hypomethylation of the PCDH10 promoter. Our findings demonstrate that in utero exposure to GDM can induce angiogenic dysfunction in fetal EPCs through altered gene expression and epigenetic changes, consequently increasing the susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases in offspring of GDM mothers.

Unavoidable exposure to radiosensitive normal tissues around cancerous tumor during the radiotherapy can cause side effects such as self-limited acute toxicities, mild chronic symptoms, or severe organ dysfunction. Nevertheless, clinical use of currently available radiation protective agents is limited because of their generic cytotoxicity. A study on radiation protective effect of delphinidin was conducted with proton-beam-exposed human colon cells (CCD-18Co). The measurement in changes of survival fractions of CCD-18Co with/without delphinidin administration at different radiation doses were measured by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The changes in expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and in activities of antioxidant enzymes were measured by colorimetric assays using pertinent assay kits. The measurement of pro-apoptosis/pro-survival protein expressions using Western blot assay and the measurement of DNA damage using comet assay were also fulfilled to evaluate the molecular level of radiation damages in CCD-18Co cells. The experimental results revealed that the pre-administration of delphinidin regulated antioxidant enzymes, reduced ROS, decreased DNA damage, regulated pro-apoptosis/pro-survival proteins, and eventually reduced apoptosis of CCD-18Co cells. In conclusion, it is claimed that delphinidin is nontoxic natural radiation protective compound, and thus delphinidin can be used to protect normal colon tissues during the proton beam therapy.

Berberis koreana Palibin is an endemic plant native to Korea. In this study, we aimed to study seed germination in this species using a water imbibition experiment, gibberellic acid (GA3) treat-ment (0, 10, 100, or 1000 mg·L−1), cold stratification (0, 2, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at 4 °C), a move-along experiment, and phenology studies. In the water imbibition experiment, the weight of the seeds increased by more than 120% in 24 h. Analysis of the internal and external morphological char-acteristics of the seed revealed that the embryo was already fully grown from the fruit and did not grow thereafter. The final germination percentages for cold stratification at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks at 4 °C were 12, 32, 59, 59, and 71%, respectively. In the move-along experiment and phe-nology studies, a longer low-temperature treatment period resulted in a higher germination percentage. However, the GA3 treatment had little effect on seed germination. Our results indi-cate that B. koreana exhibits intermediate physiological seed dormancy.

In this paper, a 100CMM regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) system based on a high heating device for low-emission combustion is implemented at a volatile organic compound (VOCs) gas generation workplace. Existing RTO has a structure that repeats the inflow and discharge of VOCs gas into a cylindrical drum-type rotating disk and has excellent energy efficiency with a heat recovery rate of 95% or more. However, when used for a long time, there is a problem that rotation stops or explodes due to the discharge of pollutants due to dust and thermal expansion due to high temperature of 800℃. To overcome this, a RTO based on a high heating device was developed to reduce low-emission combustion emissions and energy use. Through 177 hours of demonstration time, the oxidation efficiency of VOCs was 97.87%; the waste heat recovery rate was reduced by 95.78%, the fuel consumption was reduced by 21.95%, and the nitrogen oxide concentration was 3.9 ppm

In order to reduce the large damage caused by train derailment, protective facilities of various shapes and conditions can be installed on railroad tracks. These protective facilities are referred to as derailment containment provisions (DCPs) and three different types are used worldwide. However, there are no clear standards for DCPs design such as installation location, size, and design load, and performance verification of DCPs installed in the actual railway field is not sufficiently performed. In this paper, the functionality of DCPs is analyzed through the full-scale derailment test. In order to propose a method for estimating the collision load acting on the DCP type I after derailment, the experimental results and simulation results are compared. The function of DCP type I according to the change of the vehicle's center of gravity is identified through comparative analysis of the post derailment behavior.

Climate change related increases in frequency and intensity of heatwaves affect viticulture, leading to losses in yield and grape quality. We assessed whether canopy architecture manipulation mitigates the effects of summer stress in a Mediterranean vineyard. Muscat of Alexandria grapevines were monitored during 2019-2020. Two canopy shoot positioning treatments were applied: Vertical shoot positioning (VSP); and Modulated shoot positioning (MSP), the west side upper foliage released to promote partial shoot leaning, shading the clusters. Clusters were sampled at pea size (PS), veraison (VER) and full maturation (FM). Measurements included rachis anatomy and hydraulic conductance, and aquaporins (AQP) and stress-related genes expression in cluster tissues. Results show significant seasonal and interannual differences in Kh and vascular anatomy. At VER, Krachis , Krachis+pedicels, and xylem diameter decreased but were unaffected by treatments. The Phloem/Xylem ratio was either increased (2019) or reduced (2020) in MSP, compared to VSP. Most AQP were down-regulated at FM in pedicels, and up-regulated at VER in pulp. A potential maturation shift in MSP was observed, confirmed by the up-regulation of several stress-related genes in all tissues. The study pinpoints the role of canopy architecture in berry water relations and stress response during ripening.

Despite accumulating evidence for the pro-apoptotic role for X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis-associated factor 1 (XAF1), its involvement in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response remains undefined. Here, we report that XAF1 enhances cell sensitivity to ER stress and acts as a switch in unfolded protein response (UPR)-mediated cell-fate decisions favoring apoptosis over adaptive autophagy. XAF1 interacts with and destabilizes ER stress sensor GRP78 through the assembly of zinc finger protein 313-mediated destruction complex. Moreover, XAF1 gene transcription is activated by ER stress through PERK-Nrf2 signaling to direct an adaptive to apoptotic switch of stress response by blocking C-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP)-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination and subsequent phosphorylation of inositol-required enzyme-1α (IRE1α). In tumor xenograft assays, XAF1-/- tumors display substantially lower regression compared to XAF1+/+ tumors in response to cytotoxic dose of ER stress inducer. XAF1 and GRP78 expression show an inverse correlation in human cancer cell lines and primary breast carcinomas. Collectively this study uncovers an important role for XAF1 as a linchpin to govern the sensitivity to ER stress and the outcomes of UPR signaling, illuminating the mechanistic consequence of XAF1 inactivation in tumorigenesis.

Flap surgery is a common method used to cover defects following tumor ablation, trauma, or infection. However, insufficient vascularity in the transferred flap can lead to flap necrosis and failure. Proper postoperative monitoring is essential to prevent these complications. Recently, research has explored the use of infrared thermal imaging in plastic surgery, leading to its clinical application. This study investigates the use of a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera to monitor blood flow in flaps. In the study, 28 rats underwent reverse McFarlane flap surgery, and their flaps were analyzed using a FLIR thermal imaging camera seven days post-surgery. Additionally, thermal images of flaps were taken on postoperative days 0, 1, 2, 3, and 7 in 22 patients. The study focused on temperature differences between normal skin and the perforator compared to the average flap temperature. Results showed that the temperature difference was higher in the necrosis group and increased over time in cases of total necrosis. A lower perforator temperature compared to the flap's average indicated vascular compromise, potentially leading to flap failure. The FLIR camera, being contact-free and convenient, shows promise for understanding and inferring the clinical progression of flaps in postoperative monitoring.

Reinforcement Learning (RL) has demonstrated considerable potential in solving challenges across various domains, notably in autonomous driving. Nevertheless, implementing RL in autonomous driving comes with its own set of difficulties, such as the overestimation phenomenon, extensive learning time, and sparse reward problems. Although solutions like Hindsight Experience Replay (HER) have been proposed to alleviate these issues, the direct utilization of RL in autonomous vehicles remains constrained due to the intricate fusion of information and the possibility of system failures during the learning process. In this paper, we present a novel RL-based autonomous driving system technology that combines Obstacle Dependent Gaussian (ODG) RL, Soft Actor-Critic (SAC), and meta-learning algorithms. Our approach addresses key issues in RL, including the overestimation phenomenon and sparse reward problems, by incorporating prior knowledge derived from the ODG algorithm. We evaluated our proposed algorithm on official F1 circuits, using high-fidelity racing simulations with complex dynamics. The results demonstrate exceptional performance, with our method achieving up to 89% faster learning speed compared to existing algorithms in these environments.

ackground: This study aimed to examine the effects of a woodworking program on psychosocial health in older adults who had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia (MD) in Korea. Setting: The study was carried out in a dementia center in Seoul in Korea. Population: A total of 61 participants who had MCI or MD were allocated into two groups: the experimental group (EG, n = 35) and the control group (CG, n = 26). Methods: This study was carried out using a nonequivalent control group pre-test–post-test design. The EG participated in the woodworking program a total of 10 times for 120 min per session twice a week for 5 weeks, and the CG did not participate in the woodworking program. Both groups completed the same survey before and after the intervention. In the survey, demographic characteristics, psychological health (life satisfaction, depression, self-efficacy, and resilience), and social health (social isolation and social support) were measured. Results: In the within-group comparison, there was no significant difference between any factors of the CG before and after the intervention. In contrast, the EG had a significant improvement before and after the woodworking program. Participants in the EG with MCI and MD significantly improved their social support (p < 0.05). Psychological factors (life satisfaction, depression, and self-efficacy) were positively changed, although not significantly. Conclusions: The woodworking program promoted psychosocial health, such as life satisfaction, resilience, and social support, among older adults with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia.

Effective oral care is a critical requirement to maintain high quality of life. Most oral diseases are caused by plaque (oral biofilm), which is also correlated with systemic diseases. A common method to remove biofilm is brushing teeth with a toothpaste. However, 3.5 billion people in the world have oral diseases, meaning that more efficient methods of removing biofilms are needed. We have developed a toothbrush applying bioelectric effect (BE) utilizing an electric force for biofilm removal. It demonstrated significantly higher biofilm removal efficiency than non-BE manual toothbrushes. Tests were performed in saline and toothpaste conditions using various pressure. Results showed that the BE toothbrush had a significantly higher biofilm removal efficiency in saline (0.5 N: 215.43 ± 89.92 %, 2.5 N: 116.77 ± 47.02 %) and in a toothpaste slurry (0.5 N: 104.96 ± 98.93 %, 2.5 N: 96.23 ± 35.16 %) than non-BE manual toothbrushes. Results also showed that BE toothbrushes were less dependent on toothpaste. This study suggests that the application of BE can be a new solution to plaque problems in oral care.

In general, the stone pagoda structures with discontinuous surfaces are vulnerable to lateral forces and are severely damaged by earthquakes. After the Gyeongju earthquake in 2016 and the Pohang earthquake in 2017, the earthquakes damaged numerous stone pagoda structures due to slippage, rotation and the separation of stacked stone. To evaluate seismic resistance of masonry stone pagoda structure, we analyzed the seismic behavior of stone pagoda structure using shaking table test. Shaking frequency, permanent displacement, maximum acceleration, rocking, and sliding were assessed. Responses to simulations of the Bingol, Gyeongju, and Pohang earthquakes based on Korean seismic design standard (KDS 41 17 00) were analyzed for return periods of 1,000 and 2,400 years. We found that the type of stylobate affected the seismic resistance of stone pagoda structure. When the stylobates were stiff, seismic energy was transferred from lower to upper regions of the stone pagoda, which mainly resulted in deformation of the upper region. When the stylobates were weak, earthquake energy was absorbed in the lower regions; this was associated with large stylobate deformations. The lower part of tower body was mainly affected by rocking, because the structural members were slender. The higher part of the stone pagoda was mainly affected by sliding, because the load and contact area decreased with height.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the premixed ethanol ratio based on the same total heating value in-cylinder on the equivalence ratio distributions and the injected fuel droplet behavior in the cylinder of the RCCI engine. The spray simulation was conducted by dividing two-part. First, the spray validation simulations progressed to find the spray-influenced factor of the test injector. Next, the engine simulations were performed with the spray-influenced factor obtained from spray validation simulations to investigate the effect of the premixed ethanol ratio based on the same total heating value in-cylinder on the injected fuel atomization and the equivalence ratio distributions. The introduced total heating value was fixed at 595J based on the lower heating value of diesel 14mg. The heating value of the premixed ethanol ratio varied from 0% to 40% based on the same total heating value in-cylinder in steps of 10%. It was revealed that when the premixed ethanol ratio based on the same total heating value in-cylinder was increased, the spray tip penetration value was reduced from the time after 4deg of diesel injection start because of the short injection duration by the small amount of diesel fuel. The SMD value was also more enormous up to 32.58% with increasing the premixed ethanol ratio because of the low kinetic energy of the injected fuel by the short injection duration and the slow evaporation of the injected fuel by the low cylinder temperature.

Exposure to air pollution have detrimental effects on the elderly, women, people with pre-existing medical conditions, people living in poverty and children. The aim of the study was to investigate the extent of community awareness and knowledge on the health risks associated with exposure to air pollution. A cross-sectional study design was used for the study, using self-administered questionnaires. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 376 respondents. Systematic sampling method was applied to select the households. SPSS version 26 was used to analyze data. Of 376 respondents, 221 were males and 154 females. 113 were aged between 23-47years and 353 were aware that if they don’t protect themselves against polluted air, they may get sick, with age and educational status associated with their awareness (p &lt; 0.05). About 361 knew what air pollution is and 188 think the air they breathe in Annadale is moderate. A total number of 278 said they feel sick/uncomfortable when the quality of air is bad. About 293 knew that people are exposed to air pollution by breathing contaminated air and 237 identified sewage smell as the main cause of air pollution. Respondents who identified internet and television as the main source of information were 199 and 177 respectively. Those who were not aware of actions implemented to reduce air pollution were 180. Based on the results of the study, respondents are aware of the dangers of exposure to polluted air, and it is necessary that air pollution risk communication strategies be implemented to empower residents.

A novel chemically cross-linked hydrogel was prepared through the utilization of the nor-bornene (Nb)-methyl tetrazine (mTz) click reaction, derived from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and alginate (Alg). The hydrogel was designed to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) from NIR-dye, indocyanine green (ICG) for a combined photothermal and photodynamic ther-apy (PTT/PDT). The cross-linking of Nb and mTz moieties occurred via an inverse elec-tron-demand Diels-Alder reaction under physiological conditions avoiding the need for a cata-lyst. The resulting hydrogels exhibited viscoelastic properties (G′ ~ 492-270 Pa) and high porosi-ty. The hydrogels were found to be injectable with tunable mechanical characteristics. The ICG encapsulated hydrogels demonstrated ROS generation ability under NIR exposure. The ROS production was investigated through DPBF assays to access photodynamic effect (with NIR irra-diation at 1-2W for 5-15 min). The temperature of the ICG-loaded hydrogels was also raised up-on the NIR irradiation to eradicate tumor cells photothermally. In vitro cytocompatibility as-sessments revealed the non-toxic nature of CMC-Nb and Alg-mTz towards HEK-293 cells. Fur-thermore, the ICG-loaded hydrogels effectively inhibited the metabolic activity of Hela cells following NIR exposure. This innovative hydrogel system holds promise for applications in combined PTT and PDT.

Ecklonia cava (E.cava) can alleviate vascular dysfunction in diseases associated with poor circulation. E. cava contains various polyphenols with different functions, but few studies have compared the effects of these polyphenols. Here, we comparatively investigated four major compounds present in an ethanoic extract of E. cava. These four major compounds were isolated and their effects were examined on monocyte-associated vascular inflammation and dysfunctions. Pyrogallol-phloroglucinol-6,6-bieckol (PPB) significantly inhibited monocyte migration in vitro by reducing levels of inflammatory macrophage differentiation and of its related molecular factors. In addition, PPB protected against monocyte-associated endothelial cell death by increasing the phosphorylations of PI3K-AKT and AMPK, decreasing caspase levels, and reducing monocyte-associated vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration by decreasing the phosphorylations of ERK and AKT. The results of this study show that four compounds were effective for reduction of monocyte-associated vascular inflammation and dysfunctions, but PPB might be more useful for the treatment of vascular dysfunction in diseases associated with poor circulation.

(1) Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of ETS homologous factor (EHF) in malignant breast cancer cells. (2) Methods: Overexpression and knockdown of the EHF gene in human and mouse breast cancer cells were performed, and the TCGA dataset and Q-omics were analyzed. (3) Results: We found that the tumor suppressor NDRG2 is correlated with EHF gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer cells, that EHF overexpression results in reduced cell proliferation and that apoptosis is promoted by chemotherapeutic reagent treatment of EHF-overexpressing cells. By EHF overexpression, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and p21WAF1/CIP1 expression were increased, suggesting that EHF may induce cellular senescence. In addition, overexpression of EHF reduced the migratory ability and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, EHF inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3. Overexpression of EHF also reduced tumor size, and lung metastasis in vivo. At the tumor site, β-galactosidase activity was increased by EHF. Finally, Kaplan-Meier-plotter analysis showed that TNBC patients with high expression of EHF had a longer relapse-free survival rate. (4) Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that EHF inhibits breast tumor progression by inducing senescence and regulating EMT in TNBC cells.

Recently, doubts were raised about the existence of the bilingual advantage in cognitive control. The aim of the present review was to investigate the bilingual advantage and its modulating factors. We searched the Medline, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and ERIC databases for all original data and reviewed studies on bilingualism and cognitive control, with a cut-off date of October 31, 2018, thereby following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) protocol. The results of the 46 original studies show that, indeed, the majority, 54.3%, reported beneficial effects of bilingualism on cognitive control tasks; however, 28.3% found mixed results, and 17.4% found evidence against its existence. Methodological differences seem to explain these mixed results: particularly, the varying selection of the bilingual participants, the use of non-standardized tests, and the fact that individual differences were often neglected, and that longitudinal designs were rare. Therefore, a serious risk for bias exists in both directions (i.e., in favor of and against the bilingual advantage). To conclude, we found some evidence for a bilingual advantage in cognitive control; however, if significant progress is to be made, better study designs, bigger data, and more longitudinal studies are needed.

Space-based Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) applications have been widely used to monitor the cryosphere over past decades. Because of temporal decorrelation, interferometric coherence often severely degrades on fast moving glaciers. In addition, higher sensitivity ambiguity occurs in large baseline configurations, which are needed for extracting topographic information over low relief areas such as the surface of a glacier. TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X) observations, which overcome the temporal decorrelation because of their simultaneous measurements by two satellite constellations, have used a short baseline sufficient for generation of excellent digital elevation models in most locations around the world. However, it remains difficult to estimate detailed topographic characteristics over low slope glacier surfaces because of the relatively less sensitive height ambiguity from the small baselines. In this study, we used the TanDEM-X pursuit monostatic mode with large baseline formation following a scientific phase timeline to develop highly sensitive topographic elevation models of the Petermann Glacier of Northwest Greenland. As expected, coherent interferometric phases (> 0.8) were well maintained over the glaciers despite their fast movement thanks to the nearly simultaneous TanDEM‐X measurements. The height ambiguity, which defined as the altitude difference correspondent to phase change of flattened interferogram, of the dataset was 10.63 m, which is favorable for extracting topography in a low relief region. We validated the TanDEM‐X derived glacial topography by comparing it to the SAR/Interferometric radar altimeter observations acquired by CryoSat‐2 and the IceBridge Airborne Topographic Mapper laser altimeter measurements. Both observations showed very good correlation within a few meters of the offsets (‐12.5 – ‐3.1 m) with respect to the derived glacial topography. Because of highly sensitive ambiguity, we could successfully extract detailed geomorphological features on the glaciers. Routine TanDEM-X observations will be very useful to better understand the dynamics of glacial movements and topographic change.

Airborne Frequency Diversity Array (FDA) radar operating at a high pulse repetition frequency encounters severe range-ambiguous clutter. The slight frequency increments introduced by the FDA result in angle and range coupling. Under these conditions, conventional space-time adaptive processing (STAP) often exhibits diminished performance or fails, complicating target detection. This paper proposes a method combining elevation oblique subspace projection with azimuth-Doppler STAP to suppress range-ambiguous clutter. By analyzing the relationship between elevation frequency and range, the proposed method compensates for quadratic range dependence. Through the construction of an elevation oblique subspace projection technique, an elevation adaptive filter is used to separate clutter from ambiguous regions. Residual clutter suppression is achieved through azimuth-Doppler STAP, enhancing target detection performance. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively addresses range dependence and ambiguity issues, improving target detection performance in complex airborne FDA radar environments.

Technological advancements must keep pace with earth’s rising demand for energy, while minimizing the carbon footprint on earth. One such option is using space based solar (SBS) radio frequency (RF) microwave power beaming. This innovative and novel technology is currently being explored to address terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) intermittency and provide a method to transmit power to other spacecraft in various orbits. This modality of power generation and distribution presents a new way to power terrestrial off-grid applications and earth orbiting spacecraft. In 1968, Dr. Peter Glaser published "Power from the Sun: Its Future", which serves as the foundation of this paper to revitalize scientific interest and efforts in this topic. This paper will primarily focus on the reliance of SBS initiatives on reusable launch vehicles (RLV) to place SBS spacecraft in a designated orbit, as well as the technological, economic, and operational challenges associated with power beaming to earth and other spacecraft. This includes a discussion of the variables from the operational environment that contribute or accelerate spacecraft end of life.

The daily path of the Sun across longitude yields night and day, but the Sun also travels across latitude on a belt 47° wide. The Sun meridian declination explains the annual budget of natural beam irradiance (NBI), which is the irradiance delivered to the Earth’s surface as a normal projec-tion from the Sun. Data for the sun meridian declination data were obtained from the geometric model. The distribution of NBI was weighed between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The variation patterns of the solar declination conform to the dynamics of pendular motion. The joint distributions of velocity or acceleration of meridian declination against declination fit circular graphs. The NBI budget fluctuates in inverse proportion to the velocity of declination, yielding 18 sun-paths per degree for latitudes above 20°, and 6 sun-paths per degree for latitudes under 20°. All sites of the planet, whose latitude coincide, whether within or between hemispheres, accumu-late an equivalent budget of NBI.

Goal-conditioned reinforcement learning (RL) holds promise for addressing intricate control challenges by enabling agents to learn and execute desired skills through separate decision modules. However, the irregular occurrence of required skills poses a significant challenge to effective learning. In this paper, we demonstrate the detrimental effects of this imbalanced skill(sub-goal) distribution and propose a novel training approach, Classified Experience Replay (CER), designed to mitigate this challenge. We demonstrate that adapting our method to conventional RL methods significantly enhances the performance of the RL agent. Considering the challenges inherent in tasks such as driving, characterized by biased occurrences of required sub-goals, our study demonstrates the improvement in trained outcomes facilitated by the proposed method. In addition, we introduce a specialized framework tailored for self-driving tasks on highways, integrating Model Predictive Control (MPC) into our RL trajectory optimization training paradigm. Our approach, utilizing CER with the suggested framework, yields remarkable advancements in trajectory optimization for RL agents operating in highway environments.

Forest ecosystems make a greater contribution to carbon (C) stocks than any other terrestrial ecosystem. To understand the role of regional forest ecosystems in global climate change and carbon exchange, forest C stock and its spatial distribution within the small (2,300 km2) Liuxihe River basin were analyzed to determine the different contributors to the C stock. Forest C stocks were quantified by measuring the biomass of trees, understory vegetation, litter and roots, as well as soil organic C, using data from field samples and laboratory experiments. The results showed that forests stored 38.04 Tg C in the entire basin, with secondary and planted forests accounting for 89.82% and 10.18%, respectively, of the stored C. Five types of forests, a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, a subtropical coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, a subtropical coniferous forest, a timber forest, and a non-wood forest, stored 257.55 ± 15.01, 218.92 ± 9.59, 195.24 ± 18.29, 177.42 ± 17.55, and 117.86 ± 6.04 Mg C ha−1, respectively. In the forest ecosystem C stocks of the basin, soils averagely contribute about 73.78%, not including root underground biomass. It provides a comprehensive method for forest ecosystem carbon investigation and forest management in small basin scale.

Oriental melons have a relatively short shelf life as they are harvested during the summer season and susceptible to cold-induced injuries. Typical chilling injury when stored at 4℃ is expressed as browning of the fruit suture. To prolong the shelf life and reduce browning of the fruit, the effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), X-tend modified atmosphere (MA)/modified humidity (MH) bulk packaging (XF), and polyethylene (PE) packaging, on oriental melons were investigated during storage at 4℃ and 10℃ for 14 days and under retail display conditions at 20℃. The O2 concentrations in PE packages stored at 4℃ and 10℃ ranged from 17.4–18.5%, whereas those in XF packages were reduced to 16.3–16.6%. The CO2 content of XF package (4.2–4.6%) was higher than that of PE package (1.4–1.9%) stored at 4℃ or 10℃. Relative humidity (RH) saturated in the PE packages but not in the XF packages after seven days of storage. Furthermore, PE packages performed better at maintaining melon weight and firmness than XF packages during storage at 10℃ for 14 days and under retail display conditions at 20℃. PE and XF packages effectively reduced the browning index of the peel and white linear sutures of oriental melons compared with the unpackaged control during cold storage at 4℃, and this observation was maintained at the retail display condition at 20℃. The enhanced CO2 levels, reduced O2 levels, and optimal RH values that were provided by the MAP, prevented the browning symptoms and improved the marketability and shelf life of oriental melons.

In this study, the microbial community during the barley yeast fermentation of stevia leaves and its correlation with antioxidant, antiobesity, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as metabolites, were investigated using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Stevia was fermented using commercial TSB media (TSB 1, TSB 2, and TSB 3) and sucrose (Sucrose 1, Sucrose 3, and Sucrose 3) for 1, 3, and 5 days, respectively. Stevia ferments showed higher DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging capacity compared to samples incubated with sucrose for 5 days, and all six ferments inhibited nitric oxide production in a concentration-dependent manner in LPS-induced mouse macrophages. Furthermore, UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis identified 23 related substances, including 10 terpenoids, including rubusoside, steviolbioside, and rebadioside derivatives; dulcoside A; and phlomisoside II, which are indicators of stevia, as well as five flavonoids, four phenolic acids, and four fatty acids. We also identified the microbial community during fermentation via the next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene for fungi. The results showed that TSB 1 and Sucrose 1 ferments were dominated by the pathogens Enterococcus hirae (58.93%) and Cronobacter sakazakii (80.92%), while samples fermented for more than 3 days were pathogen-free and dominated by lactic acid bacteria such as Pediococcus stilesii (73.37%). Microbial community analysis using the ITS region showed that Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, classified as a yeast rather than a mold, dominated the stevia fermentation regardless of the fermentation duration. In particular, the microbial community of the fermentation with a sugar solution was dominated by S. fibuligera by more than 99% throughout the fermentation periods of 1, 3, and 5 days. Finally, to apply the stevia ferments topically to human skin, skin irritation tests were performed on 30 volunteers. The results showed that the highly concentrated extracts (1 mg/mL) of all six stevia ferments were hypoallergenic. Taken together, these findings suggest that brewer's yeast fermented from stevia leaves with a sugar solution offers promise as a natural ingredient for use in functional foods and cosmetics.

We aimed to evaluate the survival benefits of coadministering statins and multityrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Korea (2010–2020) were utilized. Statin use (≥28 cumulative defined daily doses) was analyzed, with 1,534 statin users matched to 6,136 non-users (1:4 ratio) using propensity scores. Primary and secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Statin use significantly improved OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72–0.82, P&lt;0.001) and PFS (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.74–0.84, P&lt;0.001). Continuous or post-TKI statin users had better OS, while discontinuation after TKI use led to poorer OS. Both lipophilic and hydrophilic statins improved OS and PFS, particularly with ≥730 cumulative defined daily doses. In conclusion, combining statins and TKIs in patients with advanced HCC yielded significant survival benefits, influenced by statin dosage and duration. Continuous statin administration post-TKI treatment is crucial for improving outcomes in patients with HCC.

Ulmus species have been widely used in Korean folk medicine because of their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. We intended to investigate the wound healing effect of the powder of Ulmus parvifolia (UP) root bark in a mouse wound healing model. We also determined the mechanisms of effects of Ulmus parvifolia (UP) in skin and skin wound healing effect using keratinocyte model. in vivo experiments showed that the wound lesions in the mice decreased by U. parvifolia with 200 mesh size of root bark powder and significantly reduced by treatment with UP, compared with those treated with U. macrocarpa (UM). Results from in vitro experiments also revealed that UP extract promoted the migration of human skin keratinocytes. UP powder treatment upregulated the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 protein and significantly increased transforming growth factor (TGF)-β levels. We confirmed that topical administration of the bark powder of exerted a significant effect on skin wound healing by upregulating the expression of MMP and transforming growth factor-β. TGF-β In, Our study suggests that U. parvifolia may be a potential candidate for skin wound healing including epidermal skin rejuvernation.

Close to half (45.4%) of 2.3 million breast cancers (BC) diagnosed in 2020 were from Asia. While the burden of breast cancer has been examined on the level of broad geographic regions, literature on more in-depth coverage of the individual countries and subregions of the Asian continent is lacking. This review examines the breast cancer burden in 47 Asian countries. Breast cancer screening guidelines and risk-based screening initiatives are discussed.

Tobacco smoke is an environmental mixture including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and may interfere in endocrine system as an EDC in aging. Thus, we performed a molecular epidemiological approach with in-depth biological monitoring of combustible cigarette smoking among adolescents and adults in South Korea (N=620) with exposure biomarkers, i.e., exhaled CO, urinary cotinine, t,t-muconic acid (TTMA), malondialdehyde (MDA), and obtained information of their lifestyle and tobacco addiction status. We also diagnosed the genetic polymorphisms on the 96 SNPs for tobacco-metabolism, -addiction, and expression differences and compared mtDNA abnormalities in buccal and blood cells. As results, there were positive associations among the above tobacco exposure biomarkers. Man or youth smokers showed high frequency in some of mtDNA alteration, such as ‘SNPs for inconsistent bases between buccal and blood cells’. Among the SNPs, the polymorphisms on SULT1A1, DRD2, and ADH1B were related to multi-exposure biomarkers. Interestingly, youth showed similar levels of urinary TTMA and MDA to adults, although their pack-year was approx. 1/6 volume of that of adults. We also observed the negative association between urinary MDA levels and the growth rate in the adolescents (p<0.05). In conclusion, the present biological monitoring provides high susceptible population, i.e., adolescents rather than adults, and reliable genetic factors affecting tobacco exposure. The inferred environment-gene-gene interaction suggests tobacco smoking accelerats aging in adolescents as an EDC.

The global warming our generation is experiencing is just one of the great environmental crises of the Anthropocene, a geological period that began with the use of fossil fuels and that, in merely one century and a few decades of industrial activity, has altered ecosystemic processes that sustain human health and well-being. Beyond the loss of the “intrinsic value of nature”, changes in the magnitude and direction of biogeochemical cycles and increases in temperature are phenomena that not only accompany the loss of habitats and species but impair resilience by ultimately generating greater and more complex numbers and types of exposures that constitute a danger to human health. In this study, we attempted to offer some notes about the margin, understood as that space with the greatest inequity and therefore the fastest growth of risk: the collision area where deprivation marks the social determinants of health and where the greatest interaction with causes of disease occur.

Studying the two famous old problems that why the moon can move around the Sun and why the orbit of the Moon around the Earth cannot be broken off by the Sun under the condition that calculating with F=GMm/R^2, the attractive force of the Sun on the Moon is almost 2.2 times that of the Earth. We found that the planet and moon are unified as one single gravitational unit which results in that the Sun cannot have the force of F=GMm/R^2 on the moon. The moon is moved by the gravitational unit orbiting around the Sun. It could indicate that the gravitational field of the moon is limited inside the unit and the gravitational fields of both the planet and moon is unified as one single field interacting with the Sun. The findings are further clarified by reestablishing Newton’s repulsive gravity.

(1) Background: The analysis of athletic performance has always aroused great interest from sport scientist. This study utilized machine learning methods to build predictive models using a comprehensive CrossFit (CF) dataset, aiming to reveal valuable insights into the factors influencing performance and emerging trends.; (2) Methods: The study used Random Forest (RF) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models to predict performance in four key weightlifting exercises within CF: clean &amp; jerk, snatch, back squat, and deadlift. Performance was evaluated using R-squared (R2) values and Mean Squared Error (MSE). Feature importance analysis was conducted using RF, XGBoost, and AdaBoost models.; (3) Results: The RF model excelled in deadlift performance prediction (R2 = 0.80), while the MLR model demonstrated remarkable accuracy in clean &amp; jerk (R2 = 0.93). Across exercises, clean &amp; jerk consistently emerged as a crucial predictor. The feature importance analysis revealed intricate relationships among exercises, with gender significantly impacting deadlift performance.; (4) Conclusions: This research advances our understanding of performance prediction in CF through machine learning techniques. It provides actionable insights for practitioners, optimize performance, and demonstrates the potential for future advancements in data-driven sports analytics.

Manganese porphyrins reportedly exhibit synergic effects when combined with irradiation. However, an in-depth understanding of intratumoral heterogeneity and immune pathways, as affected by Mn porphyrins, remains limited. Here, we explored the mechanisms underlying immunomodulation of a clinical candidate, MnTnBuOE-2-PyP5+ (BMX-001, MnBuOE), using single-cell analysis in murine carcinoma model. Mice bearing 4T1 tumors were divided into 4 groups: control, MnBuOE, radiotherapy (RT), combined MnBuOE and radiotherapy (MnBuOE/RT). In epithelial cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, TNF-α signaling via NF-кB, angiogenesis, and hypoxia-related genes were significantly downregulated in the MnBuOE/RT compared to the RT. All subtypes of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were clearly reduced in MnBuOE and MnBuOE/RT. Inhibitory receptor-ligand interactions, in which epithelial cells and CAFs interacted with CD8+ T cells, were significantly lower in the MnBuOE/RT than in the RT. Trajectory analysis showed that DC maturation-associated markers were increased in MnBuOE/RT. M1 macrophages were significantly increased in the MnBuOE/RT compared to the RT, whereas myeloid-derived suppressor cells were decreased. CellChat analysis showed that the number of cell-cell communications was the lowest in the MnBuOE/RT. Our study is the first to provide evidence for the combined radiotherapy with a novel Mn porphyrin clinical candidate, BMX-001 from the perspective of each cell-type within the tumor microenvironment.

Background Despite the high vaccination coverage rate, in-hospital transmission of measles continues to occur in South Korea. We present a measles outbreak in which two healthcare workers (HCWs) with presumptive evidence of measles immunity were infected by a patient with typical measles at a single hospital in South Korea. This facilitated the evaluation of measles seroprevalence in all HCWs. Methods In 2018, suspected patients and contacts exposed during a measles outbreak were investigated based on their medical histories and vaccination status. Cases were confirmed by the detection of measles-specific immunoglobulin M or RNA. After the measles outbreak, all HCWs underwent measles IgG testing for point-prevalence surveillance. In addition, we have routinely performed measles IgG tests on new HCWs since 2019. The measles vaccine was administered to HCWs who tested negative or equivocally negative for IgG antibodies. Results An index patient who returned from China with fever and rash was diagnosed with measles at a hospital in Korea. Two additional HCWs were revealed as measles cases: one was vaccinated with the 2-dose measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the other, who was born in 1967, was presumed to have immunity from natural infection in South Korea. All three patients harbored the same D8 genotype. No additional measles cases were identified among the 964 contacts of secondary patients. After the measles outbreak, 2,310 HCWs underwent measles IgG tests. The average age at the time of the test was 32.6 years, and 74.3% were female. The overall seropositivity of measles was 88.9% (95% confidence interval, 87.5 –90.1). Although the birth cohorts between 1985 and 1994 were presumed to have received the measles-rubella (MR) catch-up vaccination in 2001, 175 (89.3%) HCWs were born after 1985 among the 195 seronegative cases. Conclusion Despite high population immunity, imported measles transmission occurred among HCWs, with presumed immunity. This report underscores the importance of understanding the prevalence of measles susceptibility among newly employed HCWs. This is important for policymaking regarding hospital-wide vaccinations to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.

To date, various chimeric lysins have been developed as efficacious antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria, but direct comparisons of their antibacterial activities have been difficult due to the preparation of multiple recombinant chimeric lysins. Previously, we reported an E. coli cell-free expression method to screen better chimeric lysins against Staphylococcus aureus, but we still needed to increase the amounts of expressed proteins enough to be able to detect them non-isotopically for quantity comparisons. In this study, we improved the previous cell-free expression system by adding a previously reported artificial T7 terminator and reversing the different nucleotides between the T7 promoter and start codon to those of the T7 phage. The new method increased the expressed amount of chimeric lysins enough for us to detect them using Western blotting. Therefore, the qualitative comparison of activity between different chimeric lysins has become possible via the adjustment of the amount variables between samples without protein purification. We applied it to select more active chimeric lysins derived from our previously reported chimeric lysin (ALS2). Finally, we compared the antibacterial activities of our selected chimeric lysins with reported chimeric lysins (ClyC and ClyO) and lysostaphin, and determined the rank orders of antibacterial activities on different S. aureus strains in our experimental conditions.

Lake sediment records are of great importance for understanding the evolution of watershed environments. Various studies have been carried out to constrain the depositional ages of lake sediments and examine their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, aiming to construct historical vegetation, environment and climate patterns in Chinese lake watersheds. In this study, we obtained relevant literature on lake sediment records by searching the key word 'age-depth' from the databases – Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, the largest Chinese academic database). We analyzed the literature based on its type (published in a Chinese/English journal or as a Master’s/PhD thesis), period of publication, journal (if published in a journal), key authors, study area, dating scale, and main aims. The results suggest that the lakes in the plateau regions are the most popular research topic typically covering 100–200 years (short-term) and 500–30,000 years (long-term). The literature focuses on a wide range of topics, from past environmental evolution in the watershed to lake ecology, and provides a solid foundation for better understanding regional climate change and the preservation of lake environments and ecosystems. In the future, resulting data from environmental reconstruction with lake sediments will be needed to integrate with emerging information processing technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and meta-analysis), to disentangle the complex interplay between Earth surface processes and global climate change; furthermore, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration will deepen our comprehension of man-land relationship and promote the sustainable management of lake ecosystems in the context of global climate change.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has emerged as a promising approach with neuroprotective effects that can mitigate secondary brain damage and intracranial pressure in the acute phase after successful mechanical thrombectomy. However, the effect of TH on cognitive impairment has yet fully elucidated. In the present study, we demonstrated whether TH can improve cognitive impairment in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mouse model Nine-week-old C57BL/6N mice (male) were randomized to three groups: sham, tMCAO, and tMCAO with TH. One month after model induction, cognitive function test and regional cerebral glucose metabolism were evaluated using the Y-maze test and positron emission tomography with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose, respectively. tMCAO led to cognitive impairment, which was improved by TH. The cerebral glucose metabolism of the thalamus was significantly recovered in the TH group compared to that in the tMCAO group. These results suggest that TH might have potential as a therapeutic strategy for improving the ischemia/reperfusion-induced cognitive impairment.

In the paper, the authors survey integral representations (including the Lévy--Khintchine representations) and applications of some bivariate means (including the logarithmic mean, the identric mean, Stolarsky's mean, the harmonic mean, the (weighted) geometric means and their reciprocals, and the Toader--Qi mean) and the multivariate (weighted) geometric means and their reciprocals, derive integral representations of bivariate complex geometric mean and its reciprocal, and apply these newly-derived integral representations to establish integral representations of Heronian mean of power 2 and its reciprocal.

Visual inertial odometry (VIO) has recently received much attention for efficient and accurate ego-motion estimation of unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVs). Recent studies have shown that optimization-based algorithms achieve typically high accuracy when given enough amount of information, but occasionally suffer from divergence when solving highly non-linear problems. Further, their performance significantly depends on the accuracy of the initialization of inertial measurement unit (IMU) parameters. In this paper, we propose a novel VIO algorithm of estimating the motional state of UAVs with high accuracy. The main technical contributions are the fusion of visual information and pre-integrated inertial measurements in a joint optimization framework, and the stable initialization of scale and gravity using relative pose constraints. To count for ambiguity and uncertainty of VIO initialization, a local scale parameter is adopted in the online optimization. Quantitative comparisons with the state-of-the-art algorithms on the EuRoC dataset verify the efficacy and accuracy of the proposed method.

During the 2008 Great Recession, many families with children relied on cash assistance from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The present study applied Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) tools to analyze geographically varying spatial clusters of states’ unemployment rates, TANF caseload growth rates, TANF policy choices such as benefit levels and TANF responsiveness rates to the recession. We analyzed 45 contiguous states and Washington D.C. A standardized TANF responsiveness index was developed to compare states’ TANF growth rates relative to their labor market conditions. The western states were found to be very responsive to the recession with ratios greater than one. In contrast, Texas and Arizona, with ratios below 1, were unresponsive to the recession. The presence of strong spatial clusters in unemployment rate and TANF maximum aid were found. In the case of maximum aid, there was a strong presence of Low-Low spatial clusters in Southern States and High-High clusters in Northeastern States. The findings suggest that several neighboring states in the northeast and some in the south had similar levels of financial commitment during the 2008 recessionary as the ones found by earlier research conducted during non-recessionary periods. The findings have implications for future federal actions and for state level collaboration.

Submucosal invasion is a critical step in gastric cancer (GC) progression, which greatly enhances metastasis risk. Cancer stem cells are responsible for invasion, metastasis, and tumor growth. To identify stem cell-related markers associated with submucosal invasion in GCs, we investigated the expression of candidate cancer stem cell (CSC) markers (CD133, CD44, and ALDH1A) and intestinal stem cell (ISC) markers (EPHB2, OLFM4, and LGR5) in early GCs with submucosal invasion. Remarkably, expression of all ISC markers and CD133 was frequently confined to the basal area of the lamina propria (basal pattern) in mucosal cancer. The proportion of stem cell marker-positive cells substantially increased during submucosal invasion. Given that ISC markers are restricted to the crypt base of the normal intestinal mucosa, these findings suggest that many early GCs may retain hierarchical characteristics. CD44 expression showed a focal pattern, ALDH1A was predominantly expressed diffusely, and there was no expansion of CD44 or ALDH1A expression in the submucosal cancer cells. RSPO2 from muscularis mucosa seem to be partly responsible for the increased expression of ISC markers in GC cells at the basal areas. We also found that ISC markers were correlated with CDX2 expression in GCs, indicating that ISC markers are involved in the intestinal differentiation in GCs. Interestingly, ISC markers (EPHB2 and OLFM4) and CD133 showed a positive impact on clinical outcomes. In particular, the prognostic value of EPHB2 was significant for intestinal-type GCs in a multivariate analysis. In summary, ISC markers and CD133 showed a basal distribution pattern along with enhanced expression in submucosal invading cells in early GCs. EPHB2 was an independent prognostic marker in intestinal-type GCs.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a prevalent cardiovascular condition characterized by the accumulation of plaque within coronary arteries. This plaque accumulation obstructs blood flow to the heart, resulting in a heart attack. While distinct features of CAD have been identified, its causes remain largely unclear, with the exception of environmental and nutritional factors. This study aimed to investigate the connection between genetic factors and CAD, focusing on the thymidylate synthase (TS) gene, a gene involved in one-carbon metabolism. Therefore, our research targeted single nucleotide polymorphisms that could potentially impact TS gene expression and lead to dysfunction. Our findings strongly associate the TS 1100T&gt;C and 1170A&gt;G genotypes with CAD susceptibility. We observed that TS 1100T&gt;C polymorphisms increased disease susceptibility in several groups, while the TS 1170A&gt;G polymorphism displayed a decreasing trend for disease risk when interacting with clinical factors. Furthermore, our results demonstrate the potential contribution of the TS 1100/1170 haplotypes to disease susceptibility, indicating a synergistic interaction with clinical factors in disease occurrence. Based on these findings, we propose that polymorphisms in the 3'-UTR miRNA binding site of the TS gene could serve as clinically useful biomarkers for the prevention, prognosis, and management of CAD.

Camouflage is a natural or artificially process to prevent an object from being detected while camouflage breaking is a countering process for the identification of the concealed object. We report that a perfectly camouflaged object in a two-dimensional scene can be retrieved and detected with stereo-vision assisted three-dimensional (3D) imaging perceived with stereopsis. The analysis is based on binocular energy model applied to general 3D settings. We show that a perfectly concealed object with random noise background can be retrieved with vision’s stereoacuity to resolve the hidden structures. The theoretical analysis is further tested and demonstrated with distant natural images taken by a drone-camera, processed with a computer and displayed in an autostereoscopy. The recovered imaging is presented with removal of the background interference to demonstrate the general applicability for camouflage breaking with stereo imaging and sensing.

Despite good intentions, the increasing number of plastic bag bans aimed at alleviating marine plastic pollution saw a correlated increase in the number of unintended consequences that emerged alongside the bans, suggesting that human behavior towards plastic bag consumption have not changed, but merely shifted, and are feeding into other major international environmental catastrophes. Nudge theory, which helps people make better choices for themselves without inhibiting their free will, is a potential solution that has been shown to play a subtle but important role in providing options under circumstances where complex information needs to be streamlined for the wider community, avoiding any unintended consequences and behavioural shifts that might arise from instruments that diminishes autonomy. It is therefore timely to look into the insights of nudge theory to encourage a positive behavioural change to reduce plastic bag consumption. Here we apply a systematic literature review to show how successful applications of nudges in supermarkets can be leveraged to reduce plastic bag consumption. We find that the current applications of nudges in various industries worldwide, including supermarkets have produced positive and encouraging results, as well as producing lasting behavioural change among the wider community. Supermarkets are identified as a powerful deployment site of these nudges due to their positioning as a dominant provider of plastic bags to the wider community, as well as being the largest and leading provider of daily food needs. Finally, we synthesise our findings to produce a coherent and testable framework of actionable interventions that supermarkets can employ to nudge customers towards reduced plastic bag reliance, accompanied with a visual timeline of a customer shopping in a supermarket experiencing these nudges.

Histone demethylases, enzymes responsible for removing methyl groups from histone proteins, have emerged as critical players in regulating gene expression and chromatin dynamics, thereby influencing various cellular processes. LSD2 and LSD1 have attracted considerable interest among these demethylases because of their associations with cancer. However, while LSD1 has received significant attention, LSD2 has not been recognized to the same extent. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive comparison between LSD2 and LSD1, with a focus on exploring LSD2's implications. While both share structural similarities, LSD2 possesses unique features. Functionally, LSD2 shows diverse roles, particularly in cancer, with tissue-dependent roles. Additionally, LSD2 extends beyond histone demethylation, impacting DNA methylation and DNA damage repair pathways. This study underscores the distinct roles of LSD2, providing insights into their contributions to cancer and other cellular processes.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) exert significant burdens on individuals and society, underscoring the importance of accurate predictions using advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms. Leveraging electronic health records (EHRs) and survey data, these algorithms offer potential in forecasting such mental health conditions. Yet, the precision of these predictions can be compromised by biases or inaccuracies inherent in subjective survey responses. In this research, we assess the reliability of four prominent ML algorithms—Random Forest, XGBoost, Logistic Regression, and Naïve Bayesian—in predicting MDD and GAD. Our dataset encompasses a rich array of information, from biomedical metrics and demographic details to self-reported survey insights. A focal point of our investigation is the algorithms' performance under scenarios with varying degrees of subjective response inaccuracies, such as memory recall biases or subjective interpretation. Our findings reveal that while all algorithms exhibit commendable accuracy with pristine survey data, their performance diverges when faced with erroneous or biased responses. Notably, XGBoost remains stable and excels in identifying true positive cases, even in the presence of such noise. These observations underscore the criticality of algorithmic resilience in mental health prediction, especially when relying on subjective data. The robustness of certain algorithms to noisy inputs positions them as more reliable choices for predicting mental health conditions based on self-reported data, emphasizing the need for careful algorithm selection in such contexts.

This study identified the effects of substituting fishmeal (FM) with soy protein concentrate (SPC) supplemented with lysine and methionine in the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) diet on the expression of genes related to growth, stress, immunity, and digestion. Three experimental diets were prepared; the control diet (Con) contained 60% FM, and 25% (SPC25) and 50% (SPC50) FM were replaced by SPC. After the 140-day feeding period, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed availability, biological indices and chemical composition of the muscle were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. The gene expression levels of growth-related genes (IGF, GFB-3), immune-related genes (IL-8 and caspase), stress-related genes (SOD, GPX, PRX, TRX) were higher in Con fish than in those fed the SPC25 and SPC50 diets. Chymo-TRY2, TRY2 and TRY3 in the stomach of fish fed the SPC25 diet were higher than fish fed the Con or SPC50 diets. TRY2 and lipase of fish fed the SPC25 diet were higher than those of fish fed the other diets but TRY3 was not significantly affected by the treatments in the intestine. In conclusion, substituting 25% FM with SPC was the most effective for the expression of growth, immune, stress, and digestive enzyme genes.

(1) Background: P-cadherin (CDH3) is a transmembrane protein that plays a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of epithelial tissue and homeostasis. Its role in carcinogenesis remains a subject of debate, as its behavior can vary depending on the molecular context and the specific tumor cell model under study. In this study, we explored the role of P-cadherin in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and the mechanism underlying its function. (2) Methods: We analyzed P-cadherin expression in HNSCC patients using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. For in vitro functional analysis, we conducted proliferation, migration, invasion, and western blot assays after either suppressing or overexpressing P-cadherin. For in vivo functional analysis, we utilized mouse xenograft models. (3) Results: P-cadherin was significantly overex-pressed in tumor samples compared to normal samples in the TCGA-HNSCC cohort. P-cadherin knockdown resulted in decreased proliferation, migration, and invasion compared to control cells, while P-cadherin overexpression increased cell proliferation and migration in HNSCC cells. We discovered that c-Met functioned as an upstream regulator of P-cadherin. Surprisingly, we found that P-cadherin knockdown increased the phosphorylation of c-Met and STAT3. Combining P-cadherin siRNA with the c-Met inhibitor SU11274 resulted in a more effective reduction in HNSCC cell growth, both in vitro and in vivo, compared to either treatment alone. (4) Conclusions: Our study uncovered a previously unknown aspect of P-cadherin-mediated c-Met regulation. The enhanced activation of c-Met/STAT3 following P-cadherin inhibition could be responsible for the survival of resistant tumor cells. Therefore, dual inhibition of P-cadherin and c-Met may be a potentially effective approach for treating HNSCC.

As climate changes, our daily life has been much influenced by abnormal meteorological phenomena such as heavy rainfall, heat wave, heavy snowfall, and fine dust. Atmospheric air quality is worsening day by day and indoor air quality is also affected by interconnected daily activities throughout the inside and outside of buildings and houses. Nowadays, pollutants from various sources are emitted, transformed by sunlight, vapor, and ozone and transported into the city from country to country. Due to these reasons, there have been high demands to monitor the transportation of particulate matters and improve air quality. Monitoring of pollutants and identification of type and its concentration enables us to track and control its generation and consequently find out the solution. However, monitoring of pollutants, especially, particulate matter generation and its transportation is still not fully operated in atmospheric air due to its open nature and meteorological factors. Even though indoor air is relatively easy to monitor and control than outdoor in the aspect of specific volume and contaminant source, but it still needs to consider the meteorological parameters because indoor air is not fully separated from the outdoor air flow and contaminants transportation. In this study, optical approach using spectral sensor was attempted to reveal the feasibility of wavelength and chromaticity values of reflected light from specific particles. From the analysis of reflected light of various particulate matters according to different liquid additives, parameter studies were performed to investigate which experimental conditions can contribute to the enhanced selective sensing of particulate matters. Five different particulate matters such as household dust, soil, talc powder, gypsum powder and yellow pine tree pollen were utilized and observed to elucidate the relationship between property of particulate matter and detected light spectrum. Applicable approaches to assist current particle matter sensors and improve the selective sensing were suggested.

Smart City has emerged as the mainstream paradigm for urban governance innovation, sustainable development, and strategy upgrades, which is drawing attention from scholars worldwide. However, current frameworks for Smart City assessment remain incomplete and simplistic. In is paper, 30 national or provincial capitals in China were selected and we designed a tri-dimensional SPI model—Social, Physical, and Information Space—for smart city spatial development assessment. Utilizing methods such as entropy weighting, coupled coordination degree models, and the Dagum Gini coefficient, this study assesses the spatial development and coupled coordination of 30 cities from 2011 to 2019. Finally, by means of BP neural networks, the study examines the contribution of each indicator to the spatial coupled coordination. The results indicated that with a narrowing disparity in development speeds among different regions, the spatial coupled coordination development level of smart capitals in China has steadily increased, presenting a pattern of staggered distribution. Moreover, the IS subsystem plays the most significant role in coupled coordination. The significance of this research lies in its tri-dimensional spatial perspective of the spatial development and coupled coordination differences of the Smart City, providing evidence-based support for the regional layout and optimization in China.

In this paper, we propose and evaluate two mechanisms aimed at improving the communication reliability of IEEE 802.15g SUN (Smart Utility Networks) in industrial scenarios: RTS (Re-Transmission Shaping), which uses acknowledgements to track channel conditions and dynamically adapt the number of re-transmissions per packet, and AMS (Adaptive Modulation Selection), which makes use of reinforcement learning based on MAB (Multi-Armed Bandits) to choose the modulation that provides the best reliability for each packet re-transmission. The evaluation of both mechanisms is performed through computer simulations using a dataset obtained from a real-world deployment and two widely used metrics, the PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio) and the RNP (Required Number of Packet transmissions). The PDR measures the ratio between received and transmitted packets, whereas the RNP is the number of packet repetitions before a successful transmission. The results show that both mechanisms allow to increase the communication reliability while not jeopardizing the battery life-time constraints of end devices. For example, when three re-transmissions per packet are allowed, the PDR reaches 98/96\% with a RNP of 2.03/1.32 using RTS and AMS, respectively. Additionally, the combination of both proposed mechanisms allows to reach a 99% PDR with a RNP of 1.7, making IEEE 802.15.4g SUN compliant with the stringent data delivery requirements of industrial applications.

Licochalcone H (LCH), a regioisomer of licochalcone C derived from the root of Glycyrrhiza inflata. CRC treatment has always been challenged by the development of resistance. We investigated the antiproliferative activity of LCH in oxaliplatin (Ox)-sensitive and -resistant CRC cells. LCH significantly inhibited cell viability and colony growth in both Ox-sensitive and Ox-resistant CRC cells. We found that LCH decreased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and AKT kinase activities and related activating signaling proteins including phospho (p)-EGFR and pAKT. A computational docking model indicated that LCH may interact with EGFR, AKT1, and AKT2 at the ATP-binding sites. LCH induced ROS generation, as verified by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) treatment, and increased the expression of the ER stress markers. LCH treatment of CRC cells induced depolarization of MMP and increased. Multi-caspase activity was induced by LCH treatment and confirmed by Z-VAD-FMK treatment. LCH increased the number of subG1 cells and arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase. LCH inhibits the growth of Ox-sensitive and Ox-resistant CRC cells by targeting EGFR and AKT, and inducing ROS generation and ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Therefore, LCH could be a potential therapeutic agent for improving not only Ox-sensitive but also Ox-resistant CRC treatment.

Measuring host communities' perceptions and attitudes towards tourism development has been increasingly common since the mid-1970s. The greater the growth of the tourism industry worldwide, the more relevant it has become to assess the impact of tourism activity on the local residents. In this paper we present the results of a study carried out in two EU countries highly dependent on tourism act though at a different stage of development. Our findings are based on qualitative and quantitative data obtained via a questionnaire survey designed in pre-covid 19 times to analyze the perceptions and attitudes of tourism college students from Croatia and Spain, today’s tourism employers and employees, towards tourism development in sun and sea desti-nations. Our aim is to contrast the hypothesis that the nationality of our sample is a significant variable when evaluating the socioeconomic and environmental impact of the development of the tourism industry. Croatia’s workforce, the most highly dependent on the EU travel and tourism industry show to be much more aware of the negative impacts of tourism development than their Spaniards counterparts; showing a tourism workforce more reluctant to further tourism development.

This research is focused on two key areas. The first is mapping the 2022 flood in the Red River of the North near Grafton, North Dakota, US, and the second is evaluating the scour potential of the Grafton Bridge. Local scour of bridge piers can cause hydraulic structures such as bridge piers and abutments to fail during floods, making it a crucial area of investigation. To collect bathymetry and discharge data during low and high flow conditions, including a flood event with a 16.5-year return period in 2022, an Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) incorporated with LiDAR DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data obtained from the US Geological Survey (USGS) National Map was used. Flood mapping and evaluation of local scour around the bridge pier were conducted using the HEC-RAS 6.0.0 software, which utilizes the Colorado State University method as a default equation. This research demonstrates the potential of ASVs in collecting critical data and LiDAR DEM data is an efficient method for flood mapping and determining scour potential, as it integrates bathymetry, flow velocity, and flood prediction.

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) has been considered the primary biomarker from small-vessel cerebrovascular disease to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and has been reported for its correlation of brain structural changes. To perform WMH related analysis with brain structure, both T1-weighted (T1w) and (Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery(FLAIR) are required. However, in a clinical situation, it is limited to obtain 3D T1w and FLAIR images simultaneously. Also, the most of brain segmentation technique supports 3D T1w only. Therefore, we introduced the semi-supervised learning method that can perform brain segmentation using FLAIR image only. Our method achieved a dice overlap score of 0.86 for brain tissue segmentation on FLAIR, with the relative volume difference between T1w and FLAIR segmentation under 4.8%, which is just as reliable as the segmentation done by its paired T1w image. We believe our semi-supervised learning method has a great potential to be used to other MRI sequences and provide encouragement to people who seek brain tissue segmentation from a non-T1w image.

Recently, cobalt iron boron (CoFeB) thin films have been widely investigated to apply to magnetic sensors, due to their high magnetic moment, anisotropy, and stability. However, most of these studies are conducted on rigid silicon substrates. For more diverse applications of magnetic sensors and angle sensors, it is important to explore the properties of ferromagnetic thin films grown on non-rigid deformable substrates. Here, using representative deformable substrates such as polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that can be bent or stretched, we report experimental comparison of in-plane magnetic field angle-dependent properties of the amorphous Ta/CoFeB/MgO/Ta thin film which is grown on those deformable substrates. We investigate effects of substrate roughness, tensile stress, characteristics of deformable substrates, and sputtering process on the change of magnetic properties like coercive field (Hc), remanence over saturation magnetization (Mr/Ms), and their biaxial characteristics. This work presents unconventional foundations for exploring deformable magnetic sensors capable of detecting magnetic field angle.

Baijiu is popular with its long history and balanced flavor, and flavor type was the most widely used classification mode for Baijiu. However, the evolution relationship of Baijiu flavor types and the differential markers between flavor types are still unclear, which has greatly affected the development of Baijiu industry. In this study, a total of 319 trace components were identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Among them, 91 trace components with high odor active values or taste active values were recognized as flavor components. Then random forests were conducted to screen differential markers between derived and basic flavor types, and principal component analysis was carried out to evaluate their effectiveness in distinguishing the flavor types of Baijiu. Finally, 19 differential markers were screened and proved to effectively reveal the evolution Baijiu flavor types, and were further verified as key differential markers by addition test and correlation analysis.

This study was conducted to develop a PID control algorithm considering viscosity for the planting depth control system of a rice transplanter using various hydraulic oils at different temperatures and to evaluate the performance of the control algorithm, and compare the performance of the PID control algorithm without considering viscosity and considering viscosity. In this study, the simulation model of the planting depth control system and a PID control algorithm were developed based on the power flow of the rice transplanter (ERP60DS). The primary PID coefficients were determined using the Ziegler–Nichols (Z–N) second method. Routh’s stability criteria were applied to optimize the coefficients. The pole and double zero points of the PID controller were also applied to minimize the sustained oscillations of the responses. The performance of the PID control algorithm was evaluated for three ISO (The International Organization for Standardization) standard viscosity grade (VG) hydraulic oils (VG 32, 46, and 68). The results show that the control algorithm considering viscosity is able to control the pressure of the proportional valve, which is associated with the actuator displacement for various types of hydraulic oils. It was noticed that the maximum pressure was 15.405 bars at 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 ℃ for all of the hydraulic oils. The settling time and steady-state errors were 0.45 s at 100 ℃ for VG 32, and 0% for all of the conditions. The maximum overshoots were found to be 17.50% at 100 ℃ for VG 32. On the other hand, the PID control algorithm without considering viscosity could not control the planting depth, because the response was slow and did not satisfy the boundary conditions. The PID control algorithm considering viscosity could sufficiently compensate for the nonlinearity of the hydraulic system and was able to perform for any of temperature-dependent viscosity of the hydraulic oils. In addition, the rice transplanter requires a faster response for accurately controlling and maintaining the planting depth. Planting depth is highly associated with actuator displacement. Finally, this control algorithm considering viscosity could be helpful in minimizing the tilting of the seedlings planted using the rice transplanter. Ultimately, it would improve the transplanter performance.

This paper aims to investigate the rate of expansion and extraction within the solar system. We carried out the Solar system expansion calculations to do such a review. The Universe is expected to look the same from every point in it. After the big bang, Universe is expanding at some speed. Astrophysicists have been in a race to measure precisely how fast the Universe is expanding since Hubble announced that galaxies were systematically moving away from Milky Way Galaxy with a current speed in 1929. Hubble’s observations came after Einstein’s general relativity, which inspired the big bang theory. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe has created billions of years ago with an explosion and started to expand until today. The expansion of the Universe mostly happens in vast spaces, so clusters of galaxies move away from each other. For example, raising bread during baking will expand, but the raisings will stay the same size while moving each other to expand the bread. Observers have proven that an object (galaxies, a cluster of planets) held together by gravity has a patch of nonexpanding space produced by a gravitational field. However, some observers claimed the solar system is not expanding, while others claimed it is expanding. Does our solar system expand in an expanding Universe? The cosmological expansion of local systems is reviewed in the modern cosmological models. We showed answers related to this question with the help of literature. This review article revisited the proof of the Solar System’s expansion and its speed with about 0.32 nm/s in an expanding Universe.

Packet re-transmissions are a common technique to improve link reliability in low-power wireless networks. However, since packet re-transmissions increase the end-device energy consumption and the network load, a maximum number of re-transmissions per packet is typically set, also considering the duty-cycle limitations imposed by radio-frequency regulations. Moreover, the number of re-transmissions per packet is typically set to a constant value, meaning that all packet re-transmissions are treated the same regardless of actual channel conditions (i.e., multi-path propagation or internal/external interference effects). Taking that into account, in this paper we propose and evaluate the concept of re-transmission shaping, a mechanism that manages packet re-transmissions to maximize link reliability, while minimizing energy consumption and meeting radio-frequency regulation constraints. The proposed re-transmission shaping mechanism operates by keeping track of unused packet re-transmissions and allocating additional retransmission when the instantaneous link quality decreases due to channel impairments. To evaluate the re-transmission shaping mechanism we use trace-based simulations using a IEEE 802.15.4g SUN data-set and two widely used metrics, the PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio) and the RNP (Required Number of Packets). The obtained results show that re-transmission shaping is a useful mechanism to improve link reliability of low-power wireless communications, as it can increase PDR from 77.9% to 99.2% while sustaining a RNP of 2.35 re-transmissions per packet, when compared to using a single re-transmission per packet.

Sarcopenia is associated with clinical complications, which increase mortality. Effective sarcopenia risk screening in the elderly should be grounded in a comprehensive assessment, encompassing both nutritional status and medication use. Current screening tools, while emphasizing muscular per-formance, exhibit limited sensitivity in identifying elderly individuals at risk of sarcopenia. This cross-sectional study aimed to develop a sarcopenia risk screening tool, named Sarc-Global, with enhanced sensitivity, incorporating factors pertinent to the overall health of the elderly. Utilizing the criteria established by EWGSOP2 for diagnosing sarcopenia, we evaluated 395 communi-ty-dwelling elderly individuals. This evaluation served as a reference for assessing the efficacy of two validated questionnaires, Sarc-F and Sarc-CalF, and our newly developed Sarc-Global. Con-structed through multiple logistic regression, Sarc-Global integrates variables such as sex, age, medication use, body mass index, arm circumference, and handgrip strength – all significantly associated with sarcopenia (p

Rice, as a staple crop feeding billions, faces constant threats from various diseases jeopardizing global food security. Precise understanding of disease resistance mechanisms is crucial for developing resilient rice varieties. Traditional genetic mapping methods, such as QTL mapping, provide valuable insights into the genetic basis of diseases. However, the complex nature of rice diseases demands a holistic approach to gain accurate knowledge of it. Omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, enable a comprehensive analysis of biological molecules, uncovering intricate molecular interactions within the rice plant. Integration of various mapping techniques using multi-omics data has revolutionized our understanding of rice disease resistance. By overlaying genetic maps with high-throughput omics datasets, researchers can pinpoint specific genes, proteins, or metabolites associated with disease resistance. This integration enhances the precision of disease-related biomarkers with better understanding of their functional roles in disease resistance. Improvement of rice breeding for disease resistance through this integration represents a significant stride in agricultural science because better understanding of the molecular intricacies and interactions underlying disease resistance architecture leads to more precise and efficient development of resilient and productive rice varieties. In this review, we explore how the integration of mapping and omics data can give a transformative impact on rice breeding for enhancing disease resistance.

Coastal zones experience increasing climatic and human pressures, which lead to growing risks and tipping points (TPs) under future scenarios and natural resource scarcity. To avoid crossing TPs with irreversible coastal losses, this paper proposes the development of adaptation pathways based on advanced coastal oceanography and engineering knowledge that enables an objective assessment of evolving coastal risks. These pathways feature sequential interventions, combining conventional engineering works with nature-based solutions (NbS), steered by simulations and observations as a function of available coastal resources (space and sediment) and risks for infrastructure and socioeconomic assets. Such an adaptation has been developed for urban and peri-urban Mediterranean beaches, considering conventional coastal engineering together with NbS. Both types of interventions are assessed in terms of key physical variables, which serve to evaluate performance and estimate TPs. This analysis supports the new coastal protection and management plan promoted by the local government and the coastal adaptation plan of the central government. The approach and results illustrate the potential of adaptation pathways for beach sustainability, enhancing the compatibility between short/long-term coastal protection objectives under present/future climate and management scenarios. The adaptation pathways development underpins an increasing stakeholder cooperation to achieve shared decisions for coastal sustainability.

The origin and climate impact of Arctic aerosols, like the Arctic Haze, are not fully understood. Therefore, long-term aerosol observations in the Arctic are performed. In this study we present a homogenised data set from sun and star photometer operated in the European Arctic, in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, from 2004 – 2023. Due to polar day and polar night it is crucial to use observations of both instruments. Their data is evaluated in the same way and follows the cloud-screening procedure of AERONET. Additionally, an improved method for the calibration of the star photometer is presented. We found out, that winter months are generally more polluted and have larger particles than summer. While the monthly median Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) decreases in spring, the AOD increases significantly in autumn months. The Arctic Haze is not characterised by large particles and can not be distinguished from large aerosols in winter months. With autocorrelation analysis we found out, that AOD events usually occur with duration of several hours and are therefore caused by large-scale processes and may have a periodicity of several days. Local processes can be neglected in Ny-Ålesund but long-range transport plays a major role for the Arctic aerosol budget. We also compared AOD events with large-scale processes, like large-scale oscillation patterns, sea ice, weather conditions or wildfires on the Northern Hemisphere but did not find one single cause, which clearly determines the Arctic AOD.

Background: Excessive sun exposure is a significant risk factor for various skin conditions, including sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer. This study aims to assess the awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding sun exposure and sunscreen use among college students in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 388 college students from various disciplines. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic information, knowledge, and practices related to sun exposure and sunscreen use. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were employed to analyze the data. Results: The study comprised 53.9% females, with the majority aged 18-23 years. Formal education on sun exposure dangers was lacking for 43.0% of participants. The most recognized consequences of excessive sun exposure were sunburn (80.6%) and skin cancer (74.4%). Intermediate knowledge of sun exposure effects was most common (40.7%). Sunscreen use was inconsistent, with 27.3% never using it during peak sunlight hours. Factors influencing sunscreen use included weather conditions and healthcare provider recommendations. Males were significantly less likely to use sunscreen. First-year students and participants without formal education on sun exposure were less likely to use sunscreen regularly. Conclusion: Despite awareness of the risks associated with excessive sun exposure, sunscreen use among college students in Saudi Arabia is inconsistent and influenced by various factors, including gender and education level. These findings highlight the need for enhanced educational initiatives to promote regular sunscreen use and other sun protection behaviors to mitigate the risk of skin conditions associated with sun exposure.

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) leaves are usually used in dry form in the preparation of a soup known as ‘miyan kuka’ in Northern Nigeria. The leaves are believed to have nutritional and medicinal benefits and have been used for those purposes in Africa and Asia. However there has been limited research on the detailed constituents of the dry leaves. In this study, phytochemical, elemental and proximate analyses of stored, sun and shade-dried baobab leaves were conducted. The results revealed a great variation in the nutritional contents of the leaves. The study reveals that the leaves are rich in phytochemicals such as glycosides, saponins, steroids and flavonoids while alkaloids, tannins and resins are absent. Also, they are important source of minerals such as zinc, copper, iron and manganese. In addition, they are rich in fibre, crude protein, nitrogen and ash. Contrasting responses were obtained in the samples studied. The implications of these responses are discussed in relation to crop yield.

In the paper, the authors establish two identities, which can be regarded as nonlinear differential equations, for the generating function of Eulerian polynomials, find two identities for the Stirling numbers of the second kind, and present two identities for Eulerian polynomials and higher order Eulerian polynomials, pose two open problems about summability of two finite sums involving the Stirling numbers of the second kind. Some of these conclusions meaningfully and significantly simplify several known results.

In this work, we report the electric energy storage properties of (1-x)Bi0.5(Na0.8K0.2)0.5TiO3-xBi0.2Sr0.7TiO3 (BNKT-BST; x = 0.15-0.50) relaxor ferroelectric ceramics enhanced via a domain engineering method. A rhombohedral–tetragonal phase, the formation of highly dynamic PNRs, and a dense microstructure are confirmed from XRD, Raman vibrational spectra, and microscopic investigations. The relative dielectric permittivity (2664 at 1 kHz) and loss factor (0.058) were gradually improved with BST (x=0.45). The incorporation of BST into BNKT can disturb the long-range ferroelectric order, lowering the dielectric maximum temperature Tm and inducing the formation of highly dynamic polar nano-regions. In addition, the Tm shifts toward high temperature with frequency and a diffuse phase transition, indicating relaxor ferroelectric characteristics of BNKT-BST ceramics, which is confirmed by the modified Curie Weiss law (γ=1.83). The rhombohedral–tetragonal phase, fine grain size, and lowered Tm with relaxor properties synergistically contribute to a high recoverable energy density Wrec of 0.81 J/cm3 and a high energy efficiency η of 86.95% at 90 kV/cm for x = 0.45.

Due to its built-up chemoresistance after prolonged usage, the demand for replacing platinum in metal-based drugs (MBD) is rising. The first MBD approved by the FDA for cancer therapy was cisplatin in 1978. Even after nearly four and a half decades of trials, there has been no significant improvement in osteosarcoma (OS) therapy. In fact, many MBD have been developed, but the chemoresistance problem raised by platinum remains unresolved. This motivates us to elucidate the possibilities of the copper and zinc (CuZn) combination to replace platinum in MBD. Thus, the anti-chemoresistance properties of CuZn and their physiological functions for OS therapy are highlighted. Herein, we summarise their chelators, main organic solvents, and ligand functions in their structures that are involved in anti-chemoresistance properties. Through this review, it is rational to discuss their ligands’ roles as biosensors in drug delivery systems. Hereafter, an in-depth understanding of their redox and photoactive function relationships is provided. The disadvantage is that the other functions of biosensors cannot be elaborated on here. As a result, this review is being developed, which is expected to intensify OS drugs with higher cure rates. Nonetheless, this advancement intends to solve the major chemoresistance obstacle towards clinical efficacy.

Irrational belief is a product of complex personality traits and Machiavellianism Intelligence. The present study is conducted to trace the significance of predictive nature of personality characteristics and Machiavellianism Intelligence (Mach Intelligence) on irrational beliefs among chronically ill older people. The research method is cross-sectional with correlational design, purposive sampling with a total of 200 chronically ill older people aged between 40–60 years with disease type such as Systemic lupus erythematosus, Complicated Diabetes, Glomerulonephritis and Chronic Heart Failure. The analysis revealed that personality characteristics and irrational belief subscales such as worrying, rigidity, problem avoidance and Mach Intelligence are significantly positively correlated; however, Emotional irresponsibility has significant negative correlation with personality characteristics and Mach Intelligence. Gender differences revealed that males are high on all the subscales of personality characteristics, irrational beliefs (except emotional irresponsibility) and Mach Intelligence as com-pared to female chronically ill older people. Predictive analysis also revealed that overall personality characteristics explained a total of 67% variance in irrational beliefs. Moreover, Mach Intelligence predicts irrational beliefs. Future health related recommendations should be planned accordingly.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and neurogenerative diseases (NDDs), which is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The number of AD patients is over 55 million according to 2020 Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) and the number is increasing drastically without any effective cure. In this review, we discuss and analyze the potential role of anthocyanins (ACNs) against AD with understanding the molecular mechanisms. ACNs have been reported as having neuroprotective effects by mitigating cognitive impairments, apoptotic markers, neuroinflammation, aberrant amyloidogenesis, and tauopathy. Taken together, ACNs could be the therapeutic agent for combating or delaying the onset of AD.

Sun glint, i.e., direct solar radiation reflected from a water surface, negatively affects the accuracy of ocean color retrieval schemes if entering the field-of-view of the observing instrument. Herein, a simple and robust method to quantify the sun glint contribution to top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectances in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) is proposed, exploiting concomitant observations of the sun glint’s morphology in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) characterized by reflectance contrasts typically higher than those resulting from other in-water or atmospheric processes. The proposed method, termed Glint Removal through Contrast Minimization (GRCM), requires high spatial resolution (ca. 10–50 m) imagery to resolve the sun glint’s characteristic morphology, meeting additional criteria on radiometric resolution and temporal delay between the individual band’s acquisitions. It has been applied with good success to a selection of Landsat 8 (L8) Operational Land Imager (OLI) scenes encompassing a wide range of environmental conditions in terms of observation geometry and glint intensity, as well as aerosol and Rayleigh optical depth. The method proposed herein is entirely image based and does not require ancillary information on the sea surface roughness or related parameters (e.g., surface wind), neither the presence of clear water areas in the image under consideration. Limitations of the proposed method are discussed, and its potential for sensors other than OLI and applications beyond glint removal is sketched.

Thanks to rapid development of artificial intelligence technology in recent years, the current artificial intelligence technology is contributing to many part of society. Education, environment, medical care, military, tourism, economy, politics, etc. are having a very large impact on society as a whole. For example, in the field of education, there is an artificial intelligence tutoring system that automatically assigns tutors based on student's level. In the field of economics, there are quantitative investment methods that automatically analyze large amounts of data to find investment laws to create investment models or predict changes in financial markets. As such, artificial intelligence technology is being used in various fields. So, it is very important to know exactly what factors have an important influence on each field of artificial intelligence technology and how the relationship between each field is connected. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze artificial intelligence technology in each field. In this paper, we analyze patent documents related to artificial intelligence technology. We propose a method for keyword analysis within factors using artificial intelligence patent data sets for artificial intelligence technology analysis. This is a model that relies on feature engineering based on deep learning model named KeyBERT, and using vector space model. A case study of collecting and analyzing artificial intelligence patent data was conducted to show how the proposed model can be applied to real-world problems.

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of heart muscle, a significant percentage of which are genetic in origin. Cardiomyopathies can be classified as dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, arrhythmogenic right ventricular or left ventricular non-compaction, although mixed morphologies are possible. A subset of neuromuscular disorders, notably Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, are also characterized by cardiomyopathy aside from skeletal myopathy. The global burden of cardiomyopathies is certainly high, necessitating further research and novel therapies. Genome editing tools, which include zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) systems have emerged as increasingly important technologies in studying this group of cardiovascular disorders. In this review, we discuss the applications of genome editing in the understanding and treatment of cardiomyopathy. We also describe recent advances in genome editing that may help improve these applications, and some future prospects for genome editing in cardiomyopathy treatment.

Manual interpretation of these huge amounts of image volumes are susceptible to inter-reader variability and human error. Thus, accurate automated CAD scheme is highly desirable in clinical pathological diagnosis. In this research, plethora of machine learning paradigms (e.g. feature extraction, dimensionality reduction and supervised classification methods) were explored, evaluated, compared and analyzed to identify the optimal pathway for brain MR images (normal vs neoplastic) binary classification task. External validation dataset was used to test the generalizability of the optimal predictive models implemented. Relevant and informative features were selected to construct cross-validated decision tree and eventually simple rule set was built based on the decision tree. The experimental results show that almost all pattern recognition paradigms achieve high accuracy with careful selection of number of attributes. LDA+ELM with 55 features are the optimal pipelines which achieve perfect classification when training and test data are of same source; and achieving (accuracy=97.5%, AUC=0.989, sensitivity=95% and specificity=100%) under balanced test dataset; (accuracy=99.5%, AUC=0.988, sensitivity=95% and specificity=100%). Cross-validated decision tree model also shows comparable performance: accuracy=98.8%, AUC=99.1%, sensitivity=99.6% and specificity=98.2%. Three highly relevant and robust attributes are visualized and selected for construction of decision tree models and finally a rule sets are read directly off the decision tree. This rule sets can potentially serve as fast and accurate classification algorithm.

This study aimed to compare the prognosis and characteristics of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with first-line atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (AB) combination therapy and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). We retrospectively assessed 179 and 72 patients treated with HAIC and AB combination therapy, respectively, between January 2018 and January 2023. The progression-free survival of patients treated with HAIC was significantly superior than that of patients treated with AB (P&lt;0.05), but there was no significant difference in overall survival and objective response rate (ORR) between the two groups (P=0.1056 and P=0.137, respectively). After propensity score matching (PSM), our data revealed that there was no significant difference in PFS between patients who received AB combination therapy and HAIC therapy (P=0.8888). However, patients who received AB combination therapy had significantly better overall survival than those who received HAIC therapy (P=0.0133). In addition, after PSM, significant differences in ORR and disease control rate were not observed. In conclusion, our propensity score study reveals that patients treated with AB therapy have a significantly longer OS than those treated with HAIC.

Energy demand and consumption in recent times have witnessed a rapid proliferation influenced by technological developments, increased population and economic growth. This has fuelled research trends in the domain of energy management employing tri-generation systems such as the combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems. Furthermore, the incorporation of renewable energy, especially solar energy, to complement the thermal input by fossil fuels has facilitated the effectiveness and sustainability of CCHP systems. This study proposes a new approach to improve the overall efficiency of CCHP systems and compute the optimal design parameters in order to assist decision makers to identify the best geometrical configuration. A multi-objective optimization formulation of a solar-assisted CCHP system was adopted to maximize the net power, the exergy efficiency and minimize the CO2 emission using the greywolf optimization technique. In addition, the effects of the decision variables on the objective functions were analysed. The proposed optimization approach yielded 100 set of Pareto optimal solutions which would serve as options to the decision maker to make a selection in order to improve the performance of a solar-assisted CCHP system. This study demonstrates that the proposed approach is potentially suitable for the optimization of a solar-assisted CCHP system.

Biocides used in antifouling (AF) paints, such as 4,5-dichlorine-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazole-3-one (DCOIT), can gradually leach into the environment. Some AF compounds can persist in the marine environment and cause harmful effects on non-target organisms. Nanoengineered materials, such as mesoporous silica nanocapsules (SiNC) containing AF compounds, have been developed to control their release rate and reduce their toxicity to aquatic organisms. This study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of new nanoengineered materials, SiNC-DCOIT and a silver-coated form (SiNC-DCOIT-Ag), as well as the free form of DCOIT and empty nanocapsules (SiNC), on the sun coral Tubastraea coccinea. T. coccinea is an invasive species and can be an alternative test organism for evaluating the risks to native species, as most native corals are currently threatened. The colonies were collected from the Alcatrazes Archipelago, SP, Brazil, and acclimatized to laboratory conditions. They were exposed for 96h to different concentrations of the tested substances: 3.33, 10, 33, and 100 µg L-1 of free DCOIT; 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 µg L-1 of SiNC; and 74.1, 222.2, 666.7, and 2000 µg L-1 of SiNC-DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT-Ag. The test chambers consisted of 500 mL flasks containing the test solutions, and the tests were maintained under constant aeration, constant temperature of 23 ± 2°C, and photoperiod of 12h:12h (light/dark). At the end of the experiments, no lethal effect was observed; however, some sublethal effects were noticeable, such as the exposure of the skeleton in most of the concentrations and replicates, except for the controls, and embrittlement at higher concentrations. Adults of T. coccinea were considered little sensitive to the tested substances. This resistance may indicate a greater capacity for proliferation of the species, which is favored in substrates containing antifouling paints, to the detriment of the native species.

Adaptive mechanisms, such as channel hopping and packet replication, are used in low-power wireless networks to deal with the spatial and temporal variations in the link quality, and meet the reliability requirements of industrial applications (i.e., PDR>99%). However, the benefits of such mechanisms are limited and may have a large impact on end-to-end latency and energy consumption. Hence, in this paper we propose using adaptive modulation diversity, which allows to dynamically select different modulations, to improve link reliability. We present three adaptive modulation diversity selection strategies and validate them using the data derived from a real-world deployment using the IEEE 802.15.4g SUN modulations (i.e., SUN-FSK, SUN-OQPSK and SUN-ODFM) in an industrial environment. The results show that by using adaptive modulation diversity it is possible to improve link reliability regardless of node conditions.