In daily living environments, an individual’s state influences spatial perception. The current study, based on Attention Restoration Theory, aimed to explore differences in the health utility of nature according to individual differences in spatial perception. Cognitive mapping and the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) were used to assess spatial perception ranges and the restorative effect of the environment. Two spatial perceptual groups were defined: one describing only the internal area of a green space, and another illustrating the external area of this green space on a larger scale. The former had higher overall PRS, Being Away, Fascination, and Compatibility scores. The latter had higher scores only on the Coherence subscale. These results illustrate that frequency of nature visits and time spent traveling to do so differently influence the two groups’ attentional restoration, which has great implications for landscape planning in highly stressful urban environments.

A composite beam is a structural member that behaves as a single unit by using shear connectors between a concrete slab and an H-shaped steel girder. The composite ratio is crucial and determined by the shear connectors' ability to withstand the horizontal shear forces between the concrete and steel girder. In this study, a U-shaped composite beam was designed, which differs from conventional composite beams as it allows the use of a steel girder as a formwork. Moreover, angle-type shear connectors, instead of stud-type connectors, were employed. Based on this design, large-scale U-shaped composite beams with angle-type shear connectors were fabricated, and load tests were conducted to analyze the behavior after composite action and the influence of shear connector spacing. Additionally, the strength of the angle-type shear connectors used in this paper was evaluated through finite element analysis. Finally, a strength evaluation method for composite beams of this configuration was proposed.

The conserved MYST proteins form the largest family of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) that acetylate lysines within the N-terminal tails of histone, enabling active gene transcription. Here, we have investigated the biological and regulatory functions of the MYST family HAT Sas3 in the opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus using a series of genetic, biochemical, pathogenic, and transcriptomic analyses. The deletion of sas3 results in drastically reduced colony growth, asexual development, spore germination, response to stresses, and the fungal virulence. Genome-wide expression analyses have revealed that the sas3 mutant showed 2,402 significant differentially expressed genes; 1,147 up-regulated and 1,255 down-regulated. The representative up-regulated gene resulting from sas3 is hacA predicted to encode a bZIP transcription factor, whereas the UV-endonuclease UVE-1 was significantly down-regulated by sas3. Furthermore, our Western blot analyses suggest that Sas3 likely catalyzes acetylation of H3K9, K3K14, and H3K29 in A. fumigatus. In conclusion, Sas3 is associated with diverse biological processes and can be a potential target for controlling pathogenic fungi.

In the crustacean immune system, leucine-rich repeat (LRR) is one of the major structures for recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). LRR domain-containing proteins belong to the LRR family, which is a large group of proteins with more than 6000 genes in the database. They are involved in very diverse physiological functions mainly by interacting with other proteins. In a previous study, the LvLRRm, a transmembrane protein containing only LRR domain, was identified in the white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Its versatile role in performing multiple immunomodulation activities has been reported. However, there is still a lack of research on its efficient function at the protein level. To investigate its interactions with other proteins, we applied a convenient method called ‘Hybrid LRR technique’ to produce a recombinant LvLRRm. The LvLRRm and hagfish’s variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) fragments were fused to the conserved LxxLxLxxN motif while retaining the β-strand. In addition, we established interactions between hybrid-proteins and flagellin of Salmonella by performing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis. The designed hybrid proteins showed potential for universal applications without losing protein functions.

In this research, we developed a wearable temperature-sensing element by dip dyeing threads in poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) (p-type conducting polymer) solution. The PEDOT:PSS was used to dye the textile and it exhibited negative temperature coefficient characteristics in which the resistance decreases as the temperature increases. The fabricated temperature-detection thread achieved a sensitivity of 167.1 W/°C with 99.8% linearity in the temperature range of -50 to 80 °C. We anticipate that temperature sensors that apply our technology will be made as stitch- or textile-type for wearable devices, and they will be widely adopted for different applications such as in fitness, leisure, healthcare, medical treatment, infotainment, industry, and military applications, among others.

Metal oxide p-n heterojunction nanofibers (NFs) are among the most promising approaches to enhancing the efficiency of gas sensors. In this paper, we report the preparation of a series of p-NiO-loaded n-ZnO NFs, namely (1 − x) ZnO-xNiO (x = 0.03, 0.05, and 0.1 wt%), for hydrogen gas sensing experiments. Samples were prepared through the electrospinning technique followed by a calcination process. The sensing experiments showed that the sample with 0.05 wt% NiO loading resulted in the highest sensing performance at an optimal sensing temperature of 200 °C. The sensing mechanism is discussed in detail and contributions of the p-n heterojunctions, metallization of ZnO and catalytic effect of NiO on the sensing enhancements of an optimized gas sensor are analyzed. This study demonstrates the possibility of fabricating high-performance H₂ sensors through the optimization of p-type metal oxide loading on the surfaces of n-type metal oxides.

This paper proposes a metaphysical framework for distinguishing between human and machine intelligence. It posits two identical deterministic worlds -- one comprising a human agent and the other a machine agent. These agents exhibit different information processing mechanisms despite their apparent sameness in a causal sense. Providing a conceptual modeling of their difference, this paper resolves what it calls “the vantage point problem” – namely, how to justify an omniscient perspective through which a determinist asserts determinism from within the supposedly deterministic universe.

Three species of subfamily Cultrinae currently live in Korea, but Erythroculter erythropterus has been introduced into the Nakdonggang River and has taken over the habitat, reducing the habitat of Culter brevicauda. Only the endangered species C. brevicauda still lives in the Yeongsangang River, and it is necessary to be careful not to introduce E. erythropterus in the future. And Hemiculter eigenmanni is also found throughout the country. In order to effectively manage and conserve the species in its various habitats and against invasions, this study was initiated. The ultrastructure of the egg envelopes of three species of Cultrinae— E. erythropterus, C. brevicauda, and H. eigenmanni, inhabiting the Geumgang and Yeongsangang Rivers were observed. It was found that the zona radiata of the egg envelopes of all three species were divided into two layers–an outer and inner layer, with the outer surface having a non-structural form. This form is characteristic of fishes with muddy, stagnant habitats or spawning grounds. The number of pore canals on the surface of the egg envelopes was 83 for E. erythropterus, 75 for C. brevicauda, and 58 for H. eigenmanni per 10 ㎛2, and the thickness was 7.89±0.34 ㎛, 12.27±0.46 ㎛, and 7.42±0.24 ㎛, respectively. The shape of the micropyle demonstrated a funnel shape narrowing toward the inner diameter in all three species, and the size of the inner diameter was 6.62±0.29 (6.09~7.10) ㎛ in E. erythropterus, 4.19±0.39 (3.39~4.58) ㎛in C. brevicauda, and 3.98±0.46 (3.47~4.93) ㎛in H. eigenmanni. The differences between species were identified in the number of pore canals, thickness, and micropyle inner diameter of egg envelopes, which were species-specific. Our study revealed a morphological mechanism in the egg envelope that prevents the formation of interspecific hybrids, and these features can be taxonomic traits that clarify species names. It also provided useful data for the production (breeding) of the second generation in aquaculture.

A series of polycaprolactones (PCLs) with molecular weights of 950–10,100 g mol−1 and Ð of 1.10–1.87 have been synthesized via one-pot, solvent-free ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) using a heterogeneous double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst. Various initiators such as polypropylene glycol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, and sorbitol are employed to tune the number of hydroxyl end groups and properties of the resultant PCLs. Kinetic studies indicate that the DMC-catalyzed ROP of CL proceeds via a coordination mechanism. Branched PCLs copolymers are also synthesized via the DMC-catalyzed copolymerization of CL with glycidol. The α,ω-hydroxyl functionalized PCLs were successfully used as telechelic polymers to produce thermoplastic poly(ester-ester) and poly(ester-urethane) elastomers with well-balanced stress and strain properties.

Abstract: (1) Background: existing treatment methods for neglect are concentrated on egocentric neglect and lead to various problems, such as cost/space constraints and portability. Therefore, this study seeks to determine how treatment (a.k.a., Twins Therapy, TT) can improve an existing problem in relation to neglect in stroke patients; (2) Method: The research design was a pre-post test control group design and both groups maintained existing rehabilitation treatment and added TT intervention only to the experimental group. TT intervention was conducted for a total of 20 sessions (1 session 30 min/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks); (3) Result: as a result of comparison be-fore and after the TT intervention, there was no significant difference in MFT and MBI items (p>.05). However, the score and execution time of the Apple Cancellation Test showed significant reduction only in the experimental group (p<.05); (4) Conclusion: as a result of the study, TT im-proved not only egocentric neglect, but also allocentric neglect symptoms in stroke patients

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the awareness of local residents regarding healthcare projects and to suggest some ideas for the revision of local ones. Methods: To delve into the opinions of local residents, the author of this study created a questionnaire composed of eight questions on the general characteristics of the respondents, eight questions on satisfaction with health centers, 16 questions on the awareness of healthcare projects, and 22 questions on local healthcare. The survey was conducted for 409 residents who visited public centers in Gimcheon from 15 March to 14 April 2021. Results: Data analysis revealed the following: The proportion of local residents who use health centers was 39.1%, and those users visit health centers, on average, 3.92 times a year. Among healthcare projects, the project known by the highest proportion of people was vaccinations (84.5%), which was also the project that was most used (38.1%). Among healthcare projects needed in the with-COVID-19 age, respondents awarded the highest score to vaccinations (4.15 points on a five-point Likert scale) and the second highest score to infectious disease management (4.12). Conclusions: For healthcare projects, central and local governments should focus on activating vaccinations, solving the problem of medical accessibility through untact remote treatment and establishing national infectious disease-specializing hospitals and local infectious disease management based on such national hospitals.

We have identified a new human voltage-gated potassium channel (hKv1.3) blocker, NnK-1, in the jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai, based on its genomic information. The gene sequence encoding NnK-1 contains 5,408 base pairs, with five introns and six exons. The coding sequence of the NnK-1 precursor is 894 nucleotides long and encodes 297 amino acids, containing five presumptive ShK-like peptides. An electrophysiological assay demonstrated that the chemically synthesized fifth peptide, NnK-1, is an effective hKv1.3 blocker. A multiple sequence alignment with cnidarian Shk-like peptides, which have Kv1.3-blocking activity, revealed that four residues (3Asp, 25Lys, 33Lys, and 34Thr) of NnK-1, together with six cysteine residues, are conserved. Therefore, we hypothesize that these four residues are crucial for the binding of the toxins to voltage-gated potassium channels.

Regardless of country and age, the importance of history education is always being emphasized. Although the importance of history education is being emphasized in Korea, there are many difficulties in getting students to understand history properly through school classes alone, and it is also difficult to attract students to participate in classes. The effectiveness of education using games has been proven 20 years ago, and the demand for game-based education is gradually increasing in the current education world, which is becoming more open. In this paper, based on the effects proven through research on the existing game-based education, the improvement of historical thinking ability, experiential history learning, and the problems of game-based education introduced in the ESN report and the discomfort of teachers who participated in the education were improved. A plan was suggested to select and use games suitable for basic education. In this thesis, we selected a history game with a clear historical and periodic background and without distortion of history, and experimented with teaching using games focusing on historical thinking and empirical history learning. The learning achievement of textbook-based education was compared.

Regardless of country and age, the importance of history education is always being emphasized. Although the importance of history education is being emphasized in Korea, there are many difficulties in getting students to understand history properly through school classes alone, and it is also difficult to attract students to participate in classes. The effectiveness of education using games has been proven 20 years ago, and the demand for game-based education is gradually increasing in the current education world, which is becoming more open. In this paper, based on the effects proven through research on the existing game-based education, the improvement of historical thinking ability, experiential history learning, and the problems of game-based education introduced in the ESN report and the discomfort of teachers who participated in the education were improved. A plan was suggested to select and use games suitable for basic education. In this thesis, we selected a history game with a clear historical and periodic background and without distortion of history, and experimented with teaching using games focusing on historical thinking and empirical history learning. The learning achievement of textbook-based education was compared.

For centuries, Foeniculi fructus (F. fructus) has been used as a traditional herbal medicine in China and Europe and is widely used as a natural therapy for digestive disorders, including indigestion, flatulence, and bloating. The mechanism by which F. fructus alleviates functional dyspepsia was analyzed through network pharmacology, and its therapeutic effect on an animal model of functional dyspepsia was investigated. The compounds, targets, and related diseases of F. fructus were studied utilizing the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Information on the target genes was classified using the UniProt database. A network was built using Cytoscape 3.9.1, and functional dyspepsia-related genes were checked using the Cytoscape string application. The efficacy of F. fructus on functional dyspepsia, including gastroparesis and gastrointestinal motility, was confirmed by treatment with its extract in a mouse model of loperamide-induced functional dyspepsia. Seven compounds targeted twelve functional dyspepsia-associated genes. In a functional dyspepsia mouse model, F. fructus significantly suppressed the symptoms when compared to that in the control group. Our animal studies showed that the mechanism of action of F. fructus is closely related to gastrointestinal motility. Based on animal experimental results, the results showed that F. fructus provides a potential means to treat functional dyspepsia, suggesting that its medical mechanism for functional dyspepsia can be described by the relationship between seven key compounds of F. fructus, including oleic acid and β-sitosterol, and 12 functional dyspepsia-related genes.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is diagnosed by the occurrence of fat buildup, inflammation, and fibrotic changes within the liver. NASH has the capacity to proceed to the advancement of decompensated cirrhosis and carcinoma by inflammation and oxidative stress. Although Agrimonia pilosa has traditionally been used medicinal purposes, its effects on the liver remains incompletely elucidated. In this research, we assessed the therapeutic outcomes of Agrimonia pilosa extract (APE) on free fatty acid (FFA)-treated HepG2 cellular hepatic steatosis and in a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet with 0.1% methionine (CDAHFD)-induced NASH mouse model. In FFA-treated cells, APE inhibited intracellular lipid accumulation, and regulated the mRNA and protein expressions of modulators of fatty acid (FA) synthesis as well as FA oxidation proteins, through down-regulation of the AMP-activated protein kinase/sirtuin 1 signaling pathway. In the CDAHFD-induced NASH mouse model, APE significantly enhanced liver histology and serum levels of liver damage. APE also significantly attenuated hepatic expression of mRNA and proteins related to FA synthesis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Furthermore, APE mitigated the expression levels of oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Overall, these discoveries indicate that Agrimonia pilosa has the potential to treat NASH by regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, alleviating inflammation, and mitigating oxidative stress.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a persistent, inflammatory disease that affects individuals with psoriasis, arthritis, and enthesitis. Research has demonstrated that inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-23 (IL-23), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) play a pivotal role in both the onset and progression of PsA. These cytokines are generated by activated immune cells and stimulate the attraction of inflammatory cells to the synovium and joint tissues, resulting in the deterioration of cartilage and bone. The blocking of these cytokines has become a successful treatment strategy for PsA, as biological drugs that inhibit TNF-α, IL-23, and IL-17 have demonstrated notable clinical benefits. The association between PsA and other types of inflammatory cytokines or chemokines, excluding TNF-α, IL-23, and IL-17, has been extensively investigated in numerous studies. These findings may provide a chance for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents targeting other molecules, distinct from the currently approved biologics and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the role of inflammatory cytokines in PsA pathogenesis and clinical implications of targeting these cytokines for PsA treatment.

The phenolics concentrations of rapeseed are important because they are antinutritional com-pound or directly positive related to antioxidant actives. In this study, single nucleotide poly-morphisms (SNPs) identified from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), and genome-wide associa-tion study of phenolic contents were investigated in 95 rapeseed mutant lines derived from gamma rays and their original cultivar. A total of 3,196,318 SNPs were detected, identifying a set of 70,208 union SNPs used to perform association studies. Six phenolics and glucosinolate (pro-goitrin) were identified, sinapine was the major phenolic compound (91.2–99.2%) in all geno-types. The association study was conducted for six phenolic compounds, progoitrin, total sinap-ine content (TSC), total phenolic content (TPC) and seed yield. The association study identified 241 SNPs that were significantly associated with six phenolic compounds, progoitrin, TSC and TPC. Based on the detected SNP markers, BnaA06g31740D, a gene associated progoitrin, BnaC-nng39930D, a gene associated trans-sinapine 1, BnaA07g31720D, a gene associated trans-sinapine 2, BnaC03g31950D and BnaA06g09180D, a gene associated TSC, and BnaAnng27700D, a gene associ-ated TPC, were selected as candidate genes. The SNP makers associated major phenolic com-pounds identified and could be used as targets for breeding programs aimed at improving anti-oxidant contents and reducing antinutritional components.

The Hwangdo tidal flat is an intertidal landform located in Cheonsu Bay, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, on the west coast of Korea. The topographical characteristics of the semi-enclosed bay on the eastern side of the study area include waterways, sandbars, small islands, and tidal flats. In this study, data were acquired from tide gauges installed on the Hwangdo Bridge, and the height of the ellipsoid was measured using a real-time kinematics global positioning system (RTK-GPS). Digital elevation model (DEM) using Matrice 300 drone data were also acquired after processing. The geochemical sediment characteristics in the study area were analyzed, together with tidal-flat exposure-time characteristics based on environmental factors. Sediment data (n = 107) collected from October 25 to 28, 2022 (Korean local time) were used to classify sediment particles according to Folk and Ward (1957). Sedimentary facies ranged from coarse sand (sand:mud ratio = 9:1) to sandy silt (sZ) followed by muddy sand (mS) and slightly gravelly sandy mud ((g)sM). Total organic carbon (TOC) in the surface sediments were also characterized based on a particle-size analysis. The mean change in tidal height measured at Hwangdo Bridge during the sampling period was ~7.53 m (minimum: –3.86 m, maximum: +3.67 m). Based on the Boryeong's sea level measurement tide data in 2022, the tidal area in the drone images ranged from 6.362 m² (0.006 km²) at DEM +4.0 to 4,841,078 m² (4.841 km²) at DEM –4.0 m, indicating an increase in the tidal-flat area according to the tidal level of up to ~800-fold. The daily average exposure time was 9.0 h (minimum: 1.5 h, maximum: 17.9 h). Based on the results of multivariate analysis using exposure times and a geochemical dataset, four groups were identified: upper, middle, and lower intertidal zones and regions with a relatively high organic-matter concentration. A determination of the main characteristics of the Hwangdo tidal flat according to their spatial distribution showed that, among various environmental factors, changes in the sand or clay sediment composition were determined by community factors. The results of this study demonstrate the four statistically processed groups of marine environmental characteristics in the Hwangdo tidal flats. Changes in sedimentary patterns, rather than in the exposure time, accounted for the differences in the sediment compositions of the upper, middle, and lower stations, a response that is expected to continue.

Purpose: To evaluate clinical outcomes after bilateral mix-and-match cataract surgery using extended depth of focus (EDOF) and diffractive multifocal (DMF) intraocular lenses (IOLs). Methods: Thirty-seven patients received Tecnis Symfony EDOF IOL (ZXR00) implantation in the dominant eye, and Tecnis +3.25 DMF IOL (ZLB00) in the non-dominant eye. Patients were followed for 3 months, and uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA, CDVA) , uncorrected intermediate and near visual acuity (UIVA, UNVA), contrast sensitivity, defocus curves, stereopsis, and patient satisfaction were assessed. Results: At 3 months, mean logMAR UDVA was 0.07 ± 0.09 in EDOF IOL eyes, 0.12 ± 0.11 in DMF IOL eyes, and 0.02 ± 0.05 in both eyes. UIVA was 0.11 ± 0.11 in EDOF IOL eyes, 0.16 ± 0.12 in DMF IOL eyes, and 0.04 ± 0.07 in both eyes. UNVA was 0.25 ± 0.15 in EDOF IOL eyes, 0.22 ± 0.16 in DMF IOL eyes, and 0.13 ± 0.13 in both eyes. Thirty patients(81.1%) were more than satisfied with near vision, and 8 patients(21.6%) complained of severe glare and halo. Spectacle independence for near vision was achieved in 34 patients(91.9%), and 31 patients(83.8%) had better than a 50 second arc of stereopsis. Conclusion: Mix-and-match cataract surgery with EDOF and DMF IOL implantation provided good visual outcomes through all distances. Also excellent patient satisfaction was achieved with high level of spectacle independence and minimal photic phenomena.

The contact materials in high-voltage vacuum interrupter require properties such as high conductivity, high density, and high hardness to minimize arc heat damage. In this study, copper–molybdenum-chromium alloys contact materials are examined for a high voltage contact material. Ball milling process was carried out after analyzing the raw materials of copper, chromium, and molybdenum powders. A green compact was produced using a high press with the mixed powder. Afterwards, composite was produced by sintering method according to temperature and infiltration method according to Cu content in green compact. The composite of sintering method showed a density of 8.55 g/cm3 (relative density 93%) a hardness of 217 HV, and an electrical conductivity of 40.7 IACS% at 1200 °C. The composite of 10 wt.% Cu produced by the Cu infiltration method showed a density of 8.7 g/cm3 (relative density 94%), Hardness of 274HV and electrical conductivity of 39 IACS% at 1300 °C. The measurements of physical properties showed the new possibility of using the Cu–Cr–Mo alloy as a contact material for high-voltage vacuum interrupters.

In contemporary design practices, there is a disconnect between the design techniques used for early-stage design experimentation and performance analysis, and those used for the manufacture and construction. This study addresses the problems in developing an integrated digital design workflow and provides a research framework for integrating environmental performance requirements with robotic manufacturing processes on a construction site. The proposed method enables the user to import a design surface, identify design parameters, set several environmental performance goals, and thereafter simulate and select a robotic building strategy. Based on these inputs, design alternatives are developed and evaluated, considering their robotically simulated constructibility, in terms of their performance criteria. To validate the proposed method, the design is evaluated in an experiment wherein a double-skin facade perforation is generated using the proposed methodology. The results suggest a heuristic feature to improve the simulated robotic constructibility. Moreover, the functionality of the prototype is demonstrated.

As human activities of the countries in the East Asia have been remarkably expanding over recent decades, various problems in relation to ships, such as oil spill and many other coastal marine pollution, are continuously occurring in the coastal region. In order to conserve marine resources and prepare for possible ship accidents in advance, the need for efficient ship management is increasing over time. Multi-satellite, multi-sensor, multi-wavelength or multi-frequency observations make it possible to monitor a variety of vessels in the coastal region. This study presents the results of ship detection methodology applied to multi-spectral satellite images in the seas around Korean Peninsula based on optical, hyperspectral, and microwave remote sensing. To detect ships from hyperspectral images with a few hundreds of spectral channels, spectral matching algorithms are used to investigate similarity between the spectra and in-situ measurements. In the case of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images, the Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) algorithm is used to discriminate the vessels from backscattering coefficients of Sentinel-1 SAR and ALOS-2 PALSAR2 images. The present ship detection methods can be extensively utilized for optical, hyperspectral, and SAR images for comprehensive coastal management purposes toward perpetual sustainability in the future.

The application of 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing has expanded our knowledge about the respiratory tract microbiome originally obtained using conventional, culture-based methods. In this study, we employed DNA-based molecular techniques for examining the sputum microbiome in bronchiectasis patients in relation to disease severity. Of 63 study subjects, 42 had mild and 21 had moderate or severe bronchiectasis, which was classified by calculating the FACED score based on FEV₁ (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, %) (F, 0–2 points), age (A, 0–2 points), chronic colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (C, 0-1 point), radiographic extension (E, 0–1 point), and dyspnoea (D, 0–1 point). Bronchiectasis was defined as mild at 0–2 points, moderate at 3–4 points, and severe at 5–7 points. The mean age was 68.0 ± 9.3 years; 33 patients were women. Haemophilus (p=0.005) and Rothia (p=0.043) were significantly more abundant in the mild bronchiectasis group, whereas Pseudomonas (p=0.031) was significantly more abundant in the moderate or severe group. However, the alpha or beta diversity did not significantly differ among sputum microbiota, i.e. the same dominating genera were found in all samples. Further large-scale studies are needed to investigate the sputum microbiome in bronchiectasis.

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.

In this study, changes in the microstructure of coal tar pitch during successive processes, including pyrolysis, polycondensation, and crystallization, were examined in connection with the resulting variations in structure factors, as measured by XRD analysis, and functional groups, as confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. To this end, four zones were defined based on variations in crystallinity, which were indicated by d002 and Lc. Each zone was further characterized by interpreting crystallinity development in relation to changes in functional groups and specimen height. At around 400 °C, polycondensation occurred as the C-Har and C-Hal peaks decreased in intensity. These peak reductions coincided with the formation of mesophase spheres, resulting in enhanced crystallinity. Subsequently, at around 500 °C, the peak intensity of C-H and COOH decreased, which was attributed to the release of large amounts of gasses. This led to sharp volume changes and a temporary reduction in crystallinity. All these results suggest that changes in the functional groups of coal tar pitch at lower temperatures (600 °C or less) during the carbonization process are closely associated with variations in its crystallinity. The major findings of the present study provide valuable insights for designing highly effective processes in the manufacturing of synthetic graphite blocks using CTP as a binder material, including by selecting appropriate temperature ranges to minimize volume expansion and crystallinity degradation and determining the lowest possible carbonization temperature to ensure adequate binder strength.

Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disease in patients with diabetes, which can develop simultane-ously with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in postmenopausal women. Bisphosphonate (BP) is administered to pa-tients with both the conditions and may cause medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ). It affects the differentiation and function of osteoclasts as well as thickness of cortical bone through bone mineralization. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of T2D on osteoclast differentiation and activity as well as cortical bone formation in postmenopausal patients with MRONJ. Tissue samples were collected from 10 patients diagnosed with T2D and Stage III MRONJ in the experimental group and from 10 patients without T2D in the control group. Histological examination was conducted, and expres-sion of dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) was assessed. Cortical bone formation was analyzed using CBCT images. The number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts and DC-STAMP-positive mononuclear cells were significantly less in the experi-mental group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the thickness and ratio of cortical bone were significantly greater in the experimental group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, T2D decreased the differentiation and function of osteo-clasts, and increased cortical bone formation in postmenopausal patients with MRONJ.

Serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels can increase in nontuberculous mycobacteria pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) and the levels correlate with disease activity. We compared the clinical characteristics of NTM-PD patients with and without elevated CA19-9 levels and evaluated its association with the antibiotic response in a retrospective study of NTM-PD patients diagnosed between January 1994 and December 2020. We analyzed 1,112 patients who had serum CA19-9 measured: 322 with elevated CA19-9 and 790 with normal CA19-9. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher in the elevated CA19-9 group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.029, respectively). The 1-year culture conversion rate after antibiotics did not differ between the elevated (n = 206) and normal (n = 377) CA19-9 groups (80% vs. 72%, p = 0.055). Analysis of a subset of 434 patients revealed that current smoking, bronchiectasis, acid-fast bacilli smear positivity, and the M. abscessus strain significantly reduced microbiological cure rates. Serum CA 19-9 levels did not have a significant association with microbiological cure in a multivariate analysis. These findings suggest that the role of serum CA19-9 in predicting antibiotic treatment outcomes is limited, and that elevated CA19-9 does not necessarily indicate a poor outcome.

Anesthetic management for pregnant suffering from airway pathology poses unique challenges. The presence of bilateral vocal cord granuloma adds further complexity to the management, as it can potentially cause airway compromise and respiratory distress. This case presents a pregnant patient with bilateral vocal cord granuloma who underwent anesthesia using high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygenation and oxygen reserve index (ORi) monitoring. A 33-year-old pregnant woman, who had undergone intubation six month ago, experienced hoarseness and was ultimately diagnosed with bilateral granuloma. Due to the significant airway obstruction, neither intubation nor ventilation was feasible, thereby requiring a surgical intervention. Before the surgical removal, the patient’s oxygenation was ensured using HFNC oxygenation. After confirming sufficient oxygenation of the patient with ORi of 0.38, the operation commenced and as it lasted approximately 3 minutes, the patient was able to tolerate the brief period without additional oxygen supply. Post-surgical excision, mask bagging and HFNC oxygenation was resumed, driving ORi to 0.39, then the operation was resumed. Throughout the procedure, SpO2 remained above 98. The combination of HFNC and ORi ensured adequate oxygenation and allowed for early detection of hypoxemia during the procedure. This approach may be a good option for managing granuloma.

The investigation by the integrated approach newly introduced for this study indicates that insulin resistance (IR) would develop first preferentially in the muscle tissue with a relatively low cell turnover and then progress in sequence to the subcutaneous adipose tissue, to the visceral adipose tissue, and to the liver with higher cell turnovers. Moreover, metabolic disruptions due to IR vary widely from tissue to tissue, contrary to the conventional notion that IR merely impairs glucose uptake in the whole body. This warrants that IR be divided better into four distinct tissue specific IRs: muscle insulin resistance (MIR), subcutaneous adipose insulin resistance (s-AIR), visceral adipose insulin resistance (v-AIR), and hepatic insulin resistance (HIR). Tissue-specific IRs developing in the order of MIR, s-AIR, v-AIR, and HIR – producing tissue specific metabolic disruptions – would amount to nothing but the whole body insulin resistance (WBIR) evolving in four distinctively insulin resistant stages. The four stage metabolic evolution from rapid weight gain to visceral obesity to rapid weight loss to full blown diabetes not only complies well with the natural development history of diabetes but also resolves most of the controversies regarding obesity or diabetes, including visceral obesity, obesity paradox, and dawn phenomenon that have long remained metabolic puzzles. In addition, the four-stage WBIR evolution model refutes the entrenched notion of the lipid-induced insulin resistance (LIIR) but supports instead the glycation-induced insulin resistance (GIIR) proposed in this study. A speculation is that the glycation reaction activated ever more with WBIR evolving may serve as the common thread connecting each other a cluster of disorders or diseases that are often collectively referred to as the metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, diabetes, cardio/cerebral vasculopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy.

Matrix metalloproteinases are involved in extracellular matrix remodeling through the degradation of extracellular matrix components and are involved in the inflammatory response by regulating the activities of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, which are pro-inflammatory cytokines, in addition to extracellular matrix components. Since the regulation of inflammatory response and changes in the extracellular matrix by MMPs are related to the development of various diseases including lung and cardiovascular diseases, many studies have been conducted on the role of MMPs in pathogenesis. In addition, various studies have demonstrated that MMPs are involved in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases by regulating the expression and activity of MMPs by infection with pathogens. In this review, we discuss the role of MMPs in infectious diseases and the role of MMPs in inflammatory responses and present their potential as therapeutic targets in infectious diseases.

This study aimed to compare the efficacies and safety of enhanced and standard monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) in eyes with early glaucoma. Patients with concurrent cataracts and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) were enrolled. They underwent cataract surgery with IOL implantation. Manifest refraction; monocular uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA), and uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA); visual field (VF); contrast sensitivity (CS); defocus curves and questionnaires were assessed three months postoperatively. Thirty-four and 38 patients had enhanced and standard monofocal IOLs, respectively. The enhanced monofocal IOL provided better UIVA than the standard monofocal IOL (p = 0.003) but similar UDVA, CDVA and UNVA. The enhanced monofocal IOL had more consistent defocus curves than the standard monofocal IOL, especially at -1 (p = 0.042) and -1.5 (p = 0.026) diopters. The enhanced monofocal IOL provided better satisfaction (p = 0.019) and lower spectacle dependence (p = 0.004) than the standard monofocal IOL for intermediate vision, with similar VF and CS. In conclusion, the enhanced monofocal IOL is recommended for patients with OAG because they provide better intermediate vision, higher satisfaction, and lower dependence on spectacles than standard monofocal IOL, without worsening other visual outcomes.

The present study investigated the effect of different ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH) but equal temperature-humidity index (THI) on laying performance, egg quality, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio), corticosterone (CORT) concentration in blood, yolk and albumen, and plasma biochemical parameters in laying hens. One hundred and twenty commercial hens (Hy-Line Brown) aged 60 weeks were allocated into 2 environmental chambers. Laying hens were subjected to either one of two thermal treatments, i.e., 26ºC and 70% RH (LH75) and 30ºC and 30% RH (HL75) for 28 days. Both thermal treatments had equal THI being 75. Neither LH75 nor HL75 affected (P > 0.05) laying performance including egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. Plasma biochemical parameters such as total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus was not altered (P > 0.05) by thermal treatments. As to the stress indicators, both environment regimes failed (P > 0.05) to affect blood H/L ratio and CORT levels in plasma, yolk and albumen although albumen CORT levels were elevated (P < 0.05) in LH75 vs. HL75 at days 3, 7, and 28. In conclusion, our study suggests that laying hens performed and responded equally when they were exposed to equal THI environment conditioned from either 26ºC and 70% RH or 30ºC and 30% RH. The results of this study will be served as a scientific basis for management decisions and handling under thermally challenging conditions.

Here, we report a simple and effective method for separation of gram-negative bacteria using aptamer-modified microbeads and acoustophoresis. As acoustophoresis allows for simultaneous washing and size-dependent separation in continuous flow mode, we efficiently obtained gram-negative bacteria that showed high affinity without any additional washing steps. The proposed device has a simple and efficient channel design, utilizing a long, square-shaped microchannel that shows excellent separation performance in terms of the purity, recovery, and concentration factor. Microbeads (10 µm) coated with the GN6 aptamer can specifically bind gram-negative bacteria. Using acoustophoresis, gram-negative bacteria-bound microbeads and other unbound/contaminants can be separated by size with high purity and recovery. The device demonstrated excellent separation performance, with high recovery (up to 98%), high purity (up to 99%), and a high volume rate (500 µL/min), and a concentration factor of up to 20×. The acoustophoresis microfluidic device also showed binding affinity to multiple strains of gram-negative bacteria, but not to gram-positive bacteria. This study presents a new paradigm for early diagnosis of bacterial infectious diseases. In addition to detecting living bacteria or bacteria-derived biomarkers, this protocol can be extended to monitoring the contamination of water resources, and may aid quick responses to bioterrorism and pathogenic bacterial infections.

Background: We aimed to assess the risk of chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-related cognitive impairment in colorectal cancer patients. Methods: We randomly selected 40% of colorectal cancer patients from Korean National Health Insurance Database (NHID), 2004-2018 (N=148,848). Patients with one or more ICD-10 diagnostic codes for dementia or mild cognitive impairment was defined as cognitive impairment cases. Patients who were aged 18 or younger, diagnosed with cognitive impairment before colorectal cancer (N=8,225) and did not receive primary resection (N=45,320) were excluded. The effects of each chemotherapy agent on cognitive impairment were estimated. We additionally estimated the effect of radiotherapy in rectal cancer patients. Time-dependent competing risk Cox regression was conducted to estimate overall and age-specific hazard ratios (HR) separately for colon and rectal cancer. Results: In colon cancer, capecitabine and irinotecan was associated with higher cognitive im-pairment, while 5-fluorouracil was not. In rectal cancer, no chemotherapy agents increased the risk of cognitive impairment, nor did radiotherapy. Hazardous association of irinotecan was estimated larger in elderly patients compared with younger counterparts. Conclusion: Heterogeneous associations between various chemotherapy agents and cognitive impairment were observed. Elderly patients were more vulnerable to possible adverse cognitive effects. Radiotherapy did not increase the risk of cognitive impairment.

Lindera obtusiloba Blume has several activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-tumor, anti-wrinkle, and antioxidant activities. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a classic pro-inflammatory cytokine that is associated with various functions, such as proliferation, invasion, inflammatory responses and functions within antioxidant defence systems. In this study, we investigated IL-6-induced STAT3 activation of lignan compounds isolated from L. obtusiloba. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated via spectroscopic nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). As a result, seven lignans were identified from L. obtusiloba. All the isolated compounds (1-7) were evaluated for their IL-6-induced STAT3 inhibitory effects in Hep3B cells using a luciferase reporter assay. Of the isolates, compounds 1 and 5 showed inhibitory effects against IL-6-stimulated STAT3 activation. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of inflammation-related genes such as CRP, IL-1b, and SOCS3 were significantly reduced by exposure to compound 1 and 5. The protein levels of p-STAT3, p-JAK2 in IL-6 induced U266 cells were regulated in the presence of lignans derived from Lindera obtusiloba by western blot assay. Based on the results, this study of L. obtusiloba demonstrates that the species has promise as a bioactive candidate for the treatment of IL-6-induced STAT3-related disease.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have potential for various gas and ion separations due to their well-defined pore structure and relatively easy fabrication process compared to other metal-organic frameworks. As a result, many reports have focused on preparing polycrystalline and continuous ZIF layers on porous supports. In this study, we investigated how humidity and chamber temperature influence the structure of a ZIF-8 layer prepared by the hydrothermal method. We controlled the chamber temperature (ranging from 50 °C to 70 °C) and relative humidity (ranging from 20 % to 100 %) using a thermos-hygrostat chamber. We found that as the chamber temperature increased, ZIF-8 preferentially grew into particles rather than forming a continuous polycrystalline layer. By measuring the temperature of the reacting solution based on chamber humidity, we discovered that the heating rate of the reacting solution varied with humidity, even at the same chamber temperature. At higher humidity, thermal energy transfer was accelerated as water vapor delivered more energy to the reacting solution. Therefore, a continuous ZIF-8 layer could be formed more easily at low humidity ranges (ranging from 20 % to 40 %), while micron ZIF-8 particles were synthesized at a high heating rate. Our findings suggest that controlling the heating rate of the reacting solution is critical to preparing a continuous ZIF-8 layer, particularly for future scale-up of ZIF-8 membranes.

Human sepsis is one of the leading cause of death worldwide and is known to be a harmful damaging host inflammatory condition, primarily caused by endotoxin released by gram-negative bacteria. Despite antibiotics administration being widely used to treat disease, effective targeted therapeutic strategies for the sepsis are still lacking. Here, we demonstrate that CM1, a derivative of natural polyphenol chrysin, exerts anti-inflammatory activity by inducing the ubiquitin-editing protein TNFAIP3 and NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). We found that CM1 attenuated Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-induced the generation of inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/MAPK and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. In addition, the treatment of macrophages with CM1 induced the expression of TNFAIP3 and SIRT1 in TLR4-stimulated primary macrophages, however the anti-inflammatory properties of CM1 was disappeared by siRNA silencing of TNFAPI3 or by the genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of SIRT1. Importantly, intravenously administration of CM1 resulted in the decreased susceptibility to endotoxin-induced sepsis, leading to inhibition of the generation of proinflammatory cytokines and neutrophils infiltration into lung than control mice. Collectively, these findings suggest that CM1 has the potential to be a treatment candidate for diverse inflammatory diseases including sepsis.

Recently, e-commerce companies have been adopting and continuously enhancing personalized product recommendation systems, and there is active research in this field within academia. However, personalized product recommendations in offline retail stores have not yielded significant outcomes thus far. Especially for small-format offline retail businesses like convenience stores, where customer information might be limited, providing personalized product recommendations poses even greater challenges. To address this issue, this study aimed to find a solution by shifting the perspective on recommendation methods and altering the target of recommendations in existing personalized recommendation models. In this study, recommending products that customers need in an offline store was defined as suggesting products that should be introduced and displayed within the store. In other words, the recommendation focus shifted from individuals to the stores themselves. This recommendation system proposes products that individual stores have not yet introduced but are anticipated to be purchased by customers among the products managed by the headquarters. Building upon this, we devised a store-based product recommendation system. The widely used user-based collaborative filtering model, a common technique in existing recommendation systems, was adapted into a store-based collaborative filtering model. Furthermore, various rules and logic pertinent to store operations and business considerations for convenience stores were integrated to implement this store product recommendation system. The accuracy and effectiveness of the system were demonstrated through its application in actual convenience stores. Results from the pilot implementation of the system showed that 88% of the newly recommended products in individual stores were sold based on one week of sales data, and the sales revenue was 1.75 times higher than the average sales revenue of those products across the entire company. Survey results on business owners' satisfaction yielded a score of 4.2 out of 5, indicating a high level of contentment. Additional observed effects included the expansion of product range and reduction in order lead times. However, 12% of the total recommended SKUs did not sell within one week, and 34% of the SKUs did not meet the overall average sales quantity. This research holds significance in extending the scope of personalized recommendation studies from primarily online platforms to offline retail businesses like convenience stores. It provides tangible methodologies and outcomes that can be implemented in real-world settings through the construction and validation of an actual system. The study also suggests avenues for future research to address some of the identified limitations.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Due to the variety of clinical manifestations, accurate diagnosis can be challenging. Here, we present a case of DLBCL that was initially misdiagnosed as a hematoma, highlighting the importance of considering malignancy in the setting of non-responsive soft tissue swelling. Methods: A 76-year-old man presented to the emergency department with right periorbital swelling and ecchymosis. The symptoms first appeared after an injury and did not resolve spontaneously. The patient was taking warfarin for atrial fibrillation. A facial bone CT revealed a large irregular homogeneous mass. An extraconal hematoma was suspected based on clinical history and radiologic findings. Incision and drainage were performed, resulting in evacuation of old blood. Despite continued drainage, the patient's symptoms worsened. A comparison with the previous CT revealed an increase in the size of the lesion. As a result, a surgical excisional biopsy was performed. Results: Biopsy of the mass showed a diffuse infiltrate of lymphocytes around the tissue. The diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was confirmed pathologically. The patient was referred to hematology for further management. Conclusions: DLBCL is a rare disease associated with a poor prognosis. Due to the previous injury and the use of anticoagulants, the patient was initially misdiagnosed as having a hematoma. This delayed the prompt diagnosis and affected the timing of treatment initiation. We must be aware that a malignant mass is a potential cause of unresponsive soft tissue swelling.

Background: This study aimed to present the development process and characteristics of the Korean Registry of Acute Myocardial Infarction for Regional Cardiocerebrovascular Centers (KRAMI-RCC). Methods: We developed KRAMI-RCC, a web-based registry for patients with AMI. Patients from 14 RCCs were registered for more than 3 years from July 2016. It includes an automatic error-checking system, and user training and on-site monitoring are performed to manage data quality. Results: A total of 11,700 AMI patients were registered in KRAMI-RCC over 3 years (73.9% men). The proportions of patients with ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction at discharge were 43.4% and 56.6%, respectively. Of the total 3-year patients, 5.6% died in the hospital and 4.4% died 12 months after discharge. The case fatality within 12 months was 9.7%. Prehospital care data showed delayed arrival time after onset of symptoms (median 153 min) and low transportation rate by public ambulance (25.2%). Post-hospital care data showed lower participation rate in the second rehabilitation program (16.8%). Conclusions: The recently developed KRAMI-RCC registry has been more focused on pre-hospital and post-hospital data, which will be helpful in understanding the current state of AMI disease management and in making policy decisions to reduce case fatality in Korea.

A 5.1 kg, 7-year-old, castrated Maltese dog with a tibial plateau-leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in the right hindlimb 42 days prior to presentation. The patient’s right hind limb showed lameness, intermittent limping, and atrophy, and had never experienced rehabilitation since TPLO surgery. The patient showed a pain reaction at the end of the stifle extension, and an increased body temperature was identified on the medial side of the right hindlimb compared with the left hindlimb using a digital thermal imaging device. In addition, a type of lameness, partial weight bearing in the right hindlimb, was also identified in the gait analysis. The pain was relieved by applying a cold pack and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and the patient was trained on muscles that were atrophied during treadmill exercise. In this study, physical therapy and rehabilitation exercises controlled pain and induced rapid recovery, indicating that rehabilitative intervention is required after TPLO surgery.

The weakness of the dispersion-managed link combined with optical phase conjugation to compensate for optical signal distortion caused by chromatic dispersion and nonlinear Kerr effect of standard single mode fiber is its limited structural flexibility. We propose dispersion map that can simultaneously compensate for the distorted wavelength division multiplexed signal while increasing the configurational flexibility. Each residual dispersion per span (RDPS) in the former half of the proposed link is randomly determined, and in the latter half, the arrangement order of RDPS is the same as or inverted in the former half. We confirm that the dispersion maps in which the RDPS distribution pattern in the latter half is opposite to the arrangement order in the former half are more effective in compensation, and rather, the compensation effect is better than in the dispersion map of the conventional scheme. The notable result of this paper is that the increase of flexibility can be achieved through random arrangement of RDPS in the former half, and the compensation improvement can be achieved by through inverse arrangement in the latter half which make the distribution profile of each half link roughly symmetric with respect to the midway optical phase conjugator.

In contemporary design practices, there is a disconnect between the design techniques used for early-stage design experimentation and performance analysis, and those used for the manufacture and construction. This study addresses the problems in developing an integrated digital design workflow and provides a research framework for integrating environmental performance requirements with robotic manufacturing processes on a construction site. The proposed method enables the user to import a design surface, identify design parameters, set several environmental performance goals, and thereafter simulate and select a robotic building strategy. Based on these inputs, design alternatives are developed and evaluated, considering their robotically simulated constructibility, in terms of their performance criteria. To validate the proposed method, the design is evaluated in an experiment wherein a double-skin facade perforation is generated using the proposed methodology. Initial results suggest a heuristic feature to improve the simulated robotic constructibility. Moreover, the functionality of the prototype is demonstrated.

Artificial Intelligence and especially machine learning have noticed rapid advancement on image processing operations. However, its involvement in the architectural design is still in its initial stages compared to other disciplines. Therefore, this paper addresses the issues of developing an integrated bottom up digital design approach and details a research framework for the incorporation of Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) for early stage design exploration and generation of intricate and complex alternative facade designs for urban infill. This paper proposes a novel building facade design by merging two neighboring building’s architecture style, size, scale, openings, as reference to create a new building design in the same neighborhood for urban infill. This newly produced building contains the outline, style and shape of the parent buildings. A 2D urban infill building design is generated as a picture where 1) neighboring buildings are imported as a reference using mobile phone and 2)iFACADE decode their spatial adjacency. It is depicted the iFACADE will be useful for designers in the early design stage to generate new façades depending on existing buildings in a short time that will save time and energy. Besides, building owners can use iFACADE to show their architects their preferred architecture facade by mixing two building styles and generating a new building. Therefore, it is depicted that iFACADE can become a communication platform in the early design stages between architects and owners. Initial results properly define a heuristic function for generating abstract design facade elements and sufficiently illustrate the desired functionality of our developed prototype.

The present study was conducted to investigate the comparative effects of organic and inorganic forms of sulfur, methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) and sodium sulfate (SS), on laying performance, egg quality, ileal morphology, ileal volatile fatty acids, and antioxidant and stress markers in various biological samples in aged laying hens. A total of 144, 73-week-old Lohman Brown-Lite laying hens were randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets: basal diet (CONT), CONT + 0.2% MSM (MSM), and CONT + 0.3% SS (SS). The trial lasted for 12 weeks. MSM and SS groups contained 0.07% of sulfur, either organic or inorganic. Dietary MSM did not affect egg production and feed conversion ratio at 12 weeks compared with the CONT group. Dietary sulfur did not affect egg quality except for Haugh unit at 4 weeks which was lowered (P &lt; 0.05) in the SS group. Compared with the CONT group, higher (P &lt; 0.05) villus height and crypt depth ratio was observed in the SS group. None of dietary sulfur affected the percentages of short-chain fatty acids in the ileum. Total antioxidant capacity of liver increased (P &lt; 0.05) in laying hens fed MSM- and SS-added diets compared with the CONT group. The MSM and SS groups lowered (P &lt; 0.05) malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in serum samples compared with the CONT. Finally, dietary MSM had the lowest (P &lt; 0.05) MDA concentrations in yolk samples. Taken together, our study showed that dietary organic and inorganic sulfur have positive effects on ileal morphology and antioxidant capacity in laying hens. However, SS-mediated inhibition in laying performance needs to be clarified.

The present study was conducted to evaluate encapsulated essential oils as an alternative anticoccidial in coccidiosis vaccine challenged broiler chickens. A total of 600 day-old male broiler chicks were provided with no-added corn-soybean meal-based control diet or diets that contained either salinomycin or EO at 60 and 120 mg per kg of diet. On day 21, half of the control groups were orally challenged with a coccidiosis vaccine at 25 times higher than the recommended vaccine dose. During 22 to 28 days (i.e., one-week post coccidiosis vaccine challenge), the challenged chickens had decrease (P < 0.05) in body weight gain and feed intake but increase in feed conversion ratio compared with the non-challenged, naïve control chickens. However, dietary EO significantly counteracted (P < 0.05) coccidiosis vaccine-induced depression in body weight gain and feed intake. Increasing dietary EO linearly decreased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of the volatile fatty acids. Dietary SAL and EO affected gut morphology in chickens at 20 days posthatch. Increasing dietary EO linearly (P = 0.073) increased serum catalase activity. Collectively, our study shows that dietary EO increased coccidiosis vaccine-induced growth depression and altered gut physiology in broiler chickens.

An effective method for coating textile fabrics with porous materials is proposed, and the removal rates of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and fine dust particles in the coated textile fabrics are evaluated. The textile fabrics made of polyester are used to effectively reduce fine dust particles through static electricity. Zeolite and coconut shell activated carbon are used as porous material to reduce SOx and NOx, respectively. The effects of the epoxy content and dilution solution types on the SOx removal rate of textile fabrics coated with zeolite are evaluated to determine the optimum coating conditions. In addition, the effects of external environmental conditions, such as washing and freeze thawing, on the SOx and NOx removal rates of the textile fabrics coated with porous materials using the optimum coating conditions are examined. The test results show that the SOx removal rate of textile fabrics coated with zeolite decreases with the increase in the epoxy content. The decrease is 2.9 times larger for textile fabrics coated using deionized water than those coated using isopropyl alcohol. After one wash, the SOx removal rate decreases dramatically. However, the decrease is reduced by 16% when the epoxy content ratio is increased by 0.5%. The effects of washing and freeze thawing on the SOx and NOx removal rates of textile fabrics coated using the deionized water diluted with the epoxy content ratio of 2% are minimal. Consequently, to maintain stable SOx and NOx removal rates under external environmental conditions such as washing and freeze thawing, 98% deionized water dilution and 2% epoxy content ratio are required for the optimum coating of textile fabrics with zeolite and coconut shell activated carbon.

Due to growing concerns about environmental pollution from plastic waste, plastic recycling research is gaining momentum. Traditional methods, such as incorporating inorganic particles, increasing cross-linking density with peroxides, and blending with silicone monomers, often improve mechanical properties but reduce flexibility for specific performance requirements. This study focuses on synthesizing silica nanoparticles with vinyl functional groups and evaluating their mechanical performance when used in recycled plastics. Silica precursors, namely sodium silicate, and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS), combined with a surfactant, were employed to create pores, increasing silica's surface area. Early-stage introduction of vinyl functional groups prevented the typical post-synthesis reduction in surface area. Porous silica was produced in varying quantities of VTMS, and the synthesized porous silica nanomaterials were incorporated into recycled Polyethylene to induce cross-linking. Despite a decrease in surface area with increasing VTMS content, a significant surface area of 883 m2/g was achieved. In conclusion, porous silica with the right amount of vinyl content exhibited improved mechanical performance, including increased tensile strength, compared to conventional porous silica. This study shows that synthesized porous silica with integrated vinyl functional groups effectively enhances the performance of recycled plastics.

The appropriate maintenance of highway roads is critical for the safe operation of road networks and conserves maintenance costs. Multiple methods have been developed to investigate the surface of roads for various types of cracks and potholes, among other damage. Like road surface damage, the condition of expansion joints in concrete pavement is important to avoid unexpected hazardous situations. Thus, in this study, a new system is proposed for autonomous expansion joint monitoring using a vision-based system. The system consists of the following three key parts: (1) a camera-mounted vehicle, (2) indication marks on the expansion joints, and (3) a deep learning-based automatic evaluation algorithm. With paired marks indicating the expansion joints in a concrete pavement, they can be automatically detected. An inspection vehicle is equipped with an action camera that acquires images of the expansion joints in the road. You Only Look Once (YOLO) automatically detects the expansion joints with indication marks, which has a performance accuracy of 95%. The width of the detected expansion joint is calculated using an image processing algorithm. Based on the calculated width, the expansion joint is classified into the following two types: normal and dangerous. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed system is very efficient in terms of speed and accuracy.

Despite recent developments in monitoring and visualizing construction progress, the data exchange between construction jobsite and office lacks automation and real-time recording. To address this issue, a near real-time construction work inspection system called iVR is proposed; this system integrates 3D scanning, extended reality, and visual programming to visualize interactive onsite inspection for indoor activities and provide numeric data. iVR comprises five modules: iVR-location finder (finding laser scanner located in the construction site) iVR-scan (capture point cloud data of jobsite indoor activity), iVR-prepare (processes and convert 3D scan data into a 3D model), iVR-inspect (conduct immersive visual reality inspection in construction office), and iVR-feedback (visualize inspection feedback from jobsite using augmented reality). An experimental lab test is conducted to validate the applicability of iVR process; it successfully exchanges required information between construction jobsite and office in a specific time. This system is expected to assist Engineers and workers in quality assessment, progress assessments, and decision-making which can realize a productive and practical communication platform, unlike conventional monitoring or data capturing, processing, and storage methods, which involve storage, compatibility, and time-consumption issues.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplementing L-isoleucine (L-Ile) on milk protein synthesis, using an immortalized bovine mammary epithelial (MAC-T) cell line. In this case, the cells were treated with 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 mM of supplemental Isoleucine (Ile), and the most efficient time for protein synthesis for each amino acid was determined by measuring the cell, medium and total protein at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Confirmatory tests showed that 48h incubation time and 0.6 mM dosage of L-Ile are considered as the optimal time and dosage. The mechanism of milk protein synthesis was elucidated through proteomics analysis to clarify the metabolic pathway. When the L-Ile was supplemented, extracellular protein (medium protein) reached a peak at 48h, whereas in the case of the intracellular cell protein, it was shown to have reached to its peak at 24h in all L-Ile dosage treatments. In total, it is noted that there were 63 upregulated and 52 downregulated proteins. The results of the protein pathway analysis showed that the L-Ile group stimulated insulin/IGF pathway-mitogen activated protein kinase kinase/MAP kinase cascade, insulin/IGF pathway-protein kinase B signaling cascade, p53 pathway, de novo purine biosynthesis, Wnt signaling pathway, glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and ATP synthesis which are pathways involved and related to protein and energy metabolism. Together, these results demonstrate that L-Ile supplementation was effective in stimulating β-casein synthesis by stimulating genes and pathways which are significantly related to protein and energy metabolism.

Potential breeding habitat of egrets and herons was evaluated using the Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt). Model output can help guide management of nuisance egret and heron rookeries in urban forests of Daejeon Metropolitan City, Korea. This study examined 126 locations regarded as breeding sites of egrets and herons at the nationwide census conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Research between 2011 and 2012. In addition, 252 randomly selected locations were used to identify the significant variables among a total of 15 environmental variables within 4 factors (topography, natural environment, distance and climate). Twelve variables were significantly different between the breeding and randomly selected points. The final 10 variables were selected through Pearson’s correlation analysis. Using MaxEnt, breeding area was estimated using the 10 selected variables in Daejeon. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.950, which was the average value through 10-fold cross-validation to estimate the model reliability. The potential breeding habitat for egrets and herons was estimated to be 106.69 km2 (19.76% of the total area) in Daejeon. Within the estimated potential habitat, 11.82 km2 (12.46%) were less than 50 m from the residential district while 79.85 km2 (88.92%) were more than 50m from the residential district. Discriminative management strategies considering the breeding location of egrets and herons should be applied not only to minimize conflicts with residents, but also to maintain stable egret and heron breeding sites in Daejeon, Korea.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a substantial global health challenge due to its high incidence and limited therapeutic options. In recent years, the Janus Kinase (JAK) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway has emerged as a critical signaling cascade in HCC pathogenesis. The review commences with an overview of the JAK/STAT pathway, delving into the dynamic interplay between the JAK/STAT pathway and its numerous upstream activators, such as cytokines and growth factors enriched in pathogenic livers afflicted with chronic inflammation and cirrhosis. This paper also elucidates how the persistent activation of JAK/STAT signaling leads to diverse oncogenic processes during hepatocarcinogenesis, including uncontrolled cell proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, and immune escape. In the context of therapeutic implications, this review summarizes recent advancements in targeting the JAK/STAT pathway for HCC treatment. Preclinical and clinical studies investigating inhibitors and modulators of JAK/STAT signaling are discussed, highlighting their potential in suppressing the deadly disease. The insights presented herein underscore the necessity for continued research into targeting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway as a promising avenue for HCC therapy.

To analyze the effects of CYP3A5 polymorphism on liver function after LT and to characterize the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus after conversion from a twice-daily regimen to a once-daily extended-release formulation. A prospective open-label study included 60 stable liver transplant recipients who underwent 1:1 conversion from twice-daily tacrolimus to once-daily tacrolimus. All participants were genotyped for CYP3A5 polymorphism. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT 02882113). Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the CYP3A5 expressor group and 32 in the non-expressor group. Although there was no statistical difference, incidence of liver dysfunction was higher in the expressor group than in the non-expressor group when converted to once-daily extended-release tacrolimus (P=0.088). No biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft failure, and mortality were observed in either group. The decrease in dose-adjusted trough level (- 42.9% vs. - 26.1%) and dose/kg-adjusted trough level of tacrolimus (- 40.0% vs. - 23.7%) was significantly greater in the expressor group than in the non-expressors after the conversion. The absorption of the tacrolimus in the non-expressor group was slower than in the expressors. In line with this observation, the AUC for once-daily tacrolimus correlated with Cmin in the non-expressors and Cmax in the expressors. Determination of CYP3A5 genotype in liver transplant recipients might be helpful in prediction of tacrolimus pharmacokinetics after conversion from a twice-daily regimen to a once-daily formulation.

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.

Synthetic polymer-based gradient foams have considered as promising category of functionally graded materials with unique properties. In this study, the carbon dioxide (CO₂) foaming technology has used for PET-PEN (Polyethylene Terephthalate - Polyethylene Naphthalate) copolymer towards porous functional materials with thermal insulation with reasonable mechanical strength. Through scanning electron microscope based morphological characterization, a potential to fabricate gradient foam structures with micro-pores has identified. It has shown that variation of post-foaming temperature can tune the pore size distribution although the very high post-foaming temperature tends to cause structural instability. Thermal measurement data set the limits of operation, confirmed by simultaneous differential scanning calorimeter and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Mechanical stress and thermal conductivity also has measured to find rationale of thermal insulation with reasonable mechanical strength and to elucidate the actual 3D grid foam of copolymer.

Bangladeshi medicinal plants (BMP) have been used as traditional medicinal plants to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, but the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the bark of BMP are not yet known. The objective of this study was to determine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using methanolic extracts of bark obtained from 15 medicinal spices of Bangladesh plants. The bark methanol extracts of BMP evaluated the total antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the 15 bark extracts of BMP, Albizia odoratissima (A. odoratissima), Engelhardia spicata (E. spicata), and Shorea robusta (S. robusta) showed the highest total phenolic contents and total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity. In particular, the three bark extracts significantly reduced the mRNA expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and inflammation-inducible enzymes in macrophages. Also, the mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase 2 was significantly suppressed by three bark extracts in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results suggest that among the 15 bark extracts obtained from medicinal plant in Bangladesh, three bark extracts of A. odoratissima, E. spicata, and S. robusta exert total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity and inhibitory effects on LPS-stimulated inflammation in macrophages.

Hybrid fiber reinforced composites can be controlled by price, weight and various mechanical properties depending on fiber ratio and lamination method. Despite these excellent hybrid properties, there is a disadvantage that inter-laminar fracture due to external impact, which is the biggest weakness of fiber reinforced composite materials, is weak. The test specimens were prepared by using a vacuum bag method, which is manufactured by using an autoclave device. The pre-preg is manufactured in the form of a B-stage. In the process of fabricating the nanoparticle pre-preg, the homogeneizer using an ultrasonic wave was used to disperse the epoxy subject without the curing agent into nanoparticles. The dispersion of the nanoparticles was dispersed by the weight of the epoxy resin. This is to take into account the cohesion of HNT and to understand the range of cohesion of HNT in a matrix with viscosity and its phenomenon. According to the Comparison of the interlayer interfacial properties and mechanical properties of Aramid / Basalt fiber hybrid composites by HNT addition, the fracture toughness, ILSS and bending strength of specimens with HNT content of more than a certain level were decreased because of the aggregation of HNT.

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.

Although commercially-available low-cost air quality sensors have low accuracy, the sensor system are being used to collect the data for the regulation of PM2.5 emission caused by industrial activities or to estimate the personal exposure for PM2.5. In this work, to solve the accuracy problem of low-cost PM sensor, we developed a new PM2.5 calibration model by combining the deep neural network (DNN) optimized in calibration problem and a LSTM optimized in time-dependent characteristics. First, two datasets were generated to test the accuracy performance and generalization performance of the PM2.5 calibration machine learning (ML) model. The PM2.5 concentrations, temperature and humidity by low-cost sensor and gravimetric-based PM2.5 measuring instrument were sampled for a sufficiently long time. The proposed model was compared with benchmark (multiple linear regression model) and low-cost sensor results. For root mean square error (RMSE) for PM2.5 concentrations, the proposed model reduced 41-60% of error compared to the raw data of low-cost sensor, and reduced 30-51% of error compared to the benchmark model. R2 of ML model, MLR and raw data were 93, 80 and 59 %. Also, the developed model still showed consistent calibration performance when calibrated with new sensors in different locations. Low-cost sensors combined with ML model not only can improve the calibration performance of benchmark, but also can be applied to the sensor monitoring systems for various epidemiologic investigations and regulatory decisions.

This paper presents a two-stage hierarchical neural network using image classification and object detection algorithms as key building blocks for a system that automatically detects a potential design right infringement. This neural network is trained to return the Top-N original design right records that highly resemble the input image of a counterfeit. Design rights specify the unique aesthetic characteristics of a product. Due to the rapid change of trends, new design rights are continuously generated. This work proposes an Ensemble Neural Network (ENN), an artificial neural network model that aims to deal with a large amount of counterfeit data and design right records that are frequently added and deleted. At first, we performed image classification and objection detection learning per design right using the existing models with a proven track record of high accuracy. The distributed models form the backbone of the ENN and yield intermediate results aggregated at a master neural network. This master neural network is a deep residual network paired with a fully connected network. This ensemble layer is trained to determine the sub-models that return the best result for a given input image of a product. In the final stage, the ENN model multiples the inferred similarity coefficients to the weighted input vectors produced by the individual sub-models to assess the similarity between the test input image and the existing product design rights to see any sign of violation. Given 84 design rights and the sample product images taken meticulously under various conditions, our ENN model achieved average Top-1 and Top-3 accuracies of 98.409% and 99.460%, respectively. Upon introducing new design rights data, a partial update of the inference model was done an order of magnitude faster than the single model. ENN maintained a high level of accuracy as it scaled out to handle more design rights. Therefore, the ENN model is expected to offer practical help to the inspectors in the field, such as the customs at the border that deal with a swarm of products.

Alopecia refers to the continuous shedding of hair from the scalp or other areas. Genetic factors are the most common of the variety of causes of alopecia. Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, is prevalent. Recently, the interest in hair loss treatment has increased due to the growing number of people experiencing anxiety and stress related to hair loss. Nepenthes kampotiana Lecomte is known for its anticancer effects, but its potential for preventing hair loss has not been researched. Therefore, this study focused on the hair loss prevention effects of N. kampotiana Lecomte ethanol extract (Nk-EE). The results showed that Nk-EE has a proliferative effect on human follicle dermal papilla cells and inhibited cell death. In vivo experiments using androgenic areata models showed that Nk-EE had a positive effect on a variety of biomarkers such as hair-to-skin ratio, hair type frequency, and hair thickness. The results of this study suggest that Nk-EE has the potential to be an effective treatment for androgenic alopecia.

Commiphora molmol myrrh resin extracts, which have different physical properties such as polarity and dielectric constant, were prepared by immersion in extraction solvents (hot water, DMSO, hexane, ethanol, and methanol). Methanolic myrrh resin extracts showed broad antibacterial activity against isolated airborne bacteria. Furanoeudesma-1,3-diene and curzerene, as the main terpenoids in the methanolic myrrh resin extract, were analyzed using GC-MS, and the methanolic myrrh resin extracts were found to have antiviral activity (81.2% viral RNA inhibition) against H1N1 influenza virus. Biochars (wood powder-and rice husk-derived) coated with myrrh resin extracts also showed antiviral activity (22.6% and 24.3% viral RNA inhibition), due to the adsorption of terpenoids onto biochar. Myrrh resin extract using methanol as the extraction solvent is a promising agent with antibacterial and antiviral efficacy, and it can be utilized as a novel material via adsorption onto biochar for air filtration processes, cosmetics, fertilizers, drug delivery, and corrosion inhibition.

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.

Arthroscopic capsular release (ACR) is used for persistent shoulder stiffness after an index surgery. No cases of post-ACR humeral head osteonecrosis have been reported to date. A 56-year-old male patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation using a hook plate for acromioclavicular joint dislocation. Despite hardware removal, the patient presented with unresolved shoulder pain and range-of-motion (ROM) limitation. He had a history of hypertension, chronic hepatitis B infection, and alcohol consumption. Preoperative ROM was forward flexion 90°and internal rotation sacral level. Preoperative functional status was visual analog scale (VAS) score 4, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score 51, and Constant–Murley (CMS) score 48, and normal radiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Standard ACR was performed with 360° release of the joint capsule via electrocautery ablation. Six-months post-ACR, ROM (forward flexion: 135°, abduction: 135°, external rotation: 70°, internal rotation: T10 vertebra) and functional outcomes (VAS 2; ASES79; CMS 75) were significantly improved, without interval change in radiographic assessment. However, 21 months later, he had recurrent shoulder pain and decreased ROM. Radiography revealed humeral head osteonecrosis. Patients with intrinsic or extrinsic risk factors related to humeral head circulation disturbance should be monitored for humeral head osteonecrosis post-ACR.

This paper proposes a hybrid medium access control (MAC) protocol for wireless sensor network (WSN) data gathering, employing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The UAV sends a beacon frame periodically to inform sensor nodes regarding its presence. Afterward, each sensor node which receives beacon frame contends to send registration frame to the UAV. The UAV will transmit the second beacon frame to the registered nodes to notify their transmission schedule. The time-slot scheme is used for the transmission schedule. The transmission schedule of each sensor is determined based on their priority. Specifically, the priority of each sensor is determined during the registration process. Furthermore, the architecture of UAV-WSN data gathering system is introduced in this paper. Simulations are performed, showing that the proposed MAC protocol achieves fairness while enhancing network performance.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are used in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor and display industries, and the need for emission reduction is growing as a greenhouse gas with a very large global warming potential. The decomposition characteristics of etch type and water film (WF) type plasma-wet scrubbers were investigated. The PFCs used in the study were CF4, SF6, NF3, CHF3, C2F6, C3F8, and C4F8, and the destruction removal efficiency (DRE) and by-product gas generation rate according to the changes in the parameters (total flow rate and power) of the plasma-wet scrubber were confirmed. When the total flow rate was 100 L/min and the measured maximum power (11 kW), the reduction efficiency of CF4 in the etch type was 95.60 % and the DRE of other PFCs was 99.99 %. And, in the WF type, the DRE of CF4 was 90.06 %, that of SF6 was 96.44 %, and that of other PFCs was 99.99 %. When the total flow rate was 300 L/min and 11 kW, the DRE of SF6 in the etch type was 99 %, and the DRE of NF3, CHF3, C2F6, C3F8, and C4F8 were 99.80 %, 95.34 %, 85.38 %, 88.49 %, and 98.22 %, respectively. And, in the WF type, the DRE of SF6 was 94.39 %, and the DRE of NF3, CHF3, C2F6, C3F8, and C4F8 were 99.80 %, 95.34 %, 85.38 %, 88.49 %, and 98.22 %, respectively. The by-product gas generation rate was significantly lower in the WF type.

Background and objectives: TSC1 is a crucial component of the mTOR pathway, impacting cell growth, proliferation, and autophagy, while TSC2 is a tumor suppressor gene that regulates cell growth and is associated with the mTOR signaling pathway. In the present study, we analyzed TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA expression levels in rectal cancer, and evaluated the clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics of TSC1 and TSC2. Materials and Methods: TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA expression was examined in various cancer types. We further evaluated survival to determine the prognostic significance of TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA in CRC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Results: The study focused on rectal cancer, as it exhibited the most promising results. The patients were split into two subgroups, each comprising 50% of the total, based on the TSC gene expression levels. This division was made to assess the clinical characteristics associated with the expression of TSC1 and TSC2 genes. In the study, lower TSC1 expression was linked to venous invasion in rectal cancer patients, and there was also a related trend with lymphatic invasion, although it didn't reach statistical significance. Lower TSC2 expression was observed in younger patients and had some associations with sex and M stage, but these correlations were not statistically significant. When it came to survival analysis, TSC1 expression did not significantly impact overall survival, while higher TSC2 expression was associated with a poorer prognosis in rectal cancer. To enhance our comprehension, additional research, especially in larger case studies, is needed to explore the molecular mechanisms and clinical characteristics of TSC genes in colorectal cancer.

There are several causes of hypoxia during and after surgery, and atelectasis is a common symptom that occurs during surgery. In particular, elderly patients are more vulnerable to hypoxia due to their existing lung diseases or respiratory muscle weakness. This study presents the cases of two elderly patients who developed hypoxia during total hip arthroplasty under general anesthesia. Positive end expiratory pressure, recruitment maneuver, and increased fraction of inspired oxygen improved hypoxia only temporarily, and patients’ oxygen saturation level again dropped to 79%–80%. We suspected that hypoxia was caused by atelectasis and, therefore, re-sumed spontaneous respiration. Thereafter, both the patients showed an improvement in hypoxia. Intraopera-tive hypoxia that is suspected to be caused by atelectasis can be improved by securing sufficient lung volume for respiration through increased muscle tone with spontaneous respiration

Phytoremediation, a method of phytomanagement using the plant holobiont to clean up polluted soils, is particularly effective for degrading organic pollutants, such as alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS). However, the respective contributions of host plants and their associated microbiota within the holobiont to the efficiency of phytoremediation is poorly understood. Identification of plant-associated bacteria capable of efficiently utilizing these compounds as carbon source while stimulating plant-growth, is a keystone for phytomanagement engineering in order to improve the efficiency of pollutant removal. In this study, we sampled the rhizosphere and the surrounding bulk soil of Salix purpurea and Eleocharis obusta from the site of a former petrochemical plant in Varennes, QC, Canada. Our objectives were to: (i) isolate and identify indigenous bacteria inhabiting these biotopes; (ii) assess the ability of isolated bacteria to utilize alkanes (dodecane and hexadecane) and PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene) as the sole carbon source, and (iii) determine the plant growth-promoting (PGP) potential of the isolates using five key traits. A total of 438 morphologically different bacterial isolates were obtained, purified, preserved and identified through PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Identified isolates represent 62 genera, including taxa such as Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Nocardia, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces and Variovorax. Approximately, 32% of bacterial isolates, including Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, Enterobacter, Nocardia, Acinetobacter and Microbacterium, were able to utilize all five different hydrocarbons compounds. Additionally, 5% of tested isolates belonging to genera Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Serratia, Klebsiella, Microbacterium, Bacillus and Stenotrophomonas possessed all five of the tested PGP functional traits. This culture collection of diverse, petroleum-hydrocarbon degrading bacteria, with multiple PGP traits, represents a valuable resource for future use in environmental bio- and phyto-technology applications, including phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soils and phytomanagement of anthropized areas.

This study focused on the precise detection and concordant analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to verify the usefulness of CTCs as promising clinical markers. CTCs are traditionally achieved using immune-fluorescence and morphological techniques. By combining two prostate cancer-specific genes (PSA and PSMA) and two epithelial-specific genes (EpCAM and KRT19), the CTC detection efficiency can be enhanced. The detection rates of localized prostate cancer (LPC), locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC), metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), and metastatic castration-resistive prostate cancer (mCRPC) were 63.04 % (29/46), 70.59% (34/51), 94.34% (50/53), and 90% (126/140), respectively. Subsequent correlation analysis between the four genes, baseline PSA, and CTC count revealed that only the CTC count correlated with baseline PSA in the localized stages of prostate cancer, whereas all four genes were correlated with baseline PSA and CTC count in the metastatic stages of prostate cancer. The precise detection of CTCs using both numerical and transcriptomic analyses can improve the accuracy of biomarker investigations. This study provides valuable insights into the limitations of serum PSA testing and offers a promising alternative to diagnose and manage prostate cancer via the CTC number and specific genes for prostate cancer.

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) hydrogels possess good bioadhesive properties and allow enhanced penetration of drugs. In addition, it is possible to localize the absorption site of the drug in the hydrogel and increase the drug residence time. As opposed to other cross-linking processes radiation-induced polymer cross-linking can be easily and rapidly carried out without the use of cross-linking agents and other chemical additives. In this study, we fabricated metronidazole (MD) containing PAAc hydrogel (MD/PAAc) with different MD contents (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 wt%) using varying radiation doses (25, 50, 75 kGy) by gamma-irradiation. The physical and thermal properties were determined by gel content analysis, swelling ratio measurements, compressive strength measurements, differential scanning calorimetery, and thermogravimetric analysis. The properties of the hydrogel degraded due to the crystalline nature of MD. The properties of the hydrogel degraded due to the crystalline nature of MD. Cumulative release observed after 50 min in the case of 0.5MD/PAAc and 0.1MD/PAAc was 50% and 10%, respectively. Our findings suggest that MD/PAAc could be a suitable drug delivery carrier for use with radiation-based techniques.

With the rapid developments that have been made in computer vision and computer technology, semantic segmentation of high-resolution images has emerged as a mainstream and challenging task. The, segmentation of water areas remains a complex task due to the similar features between water areas or between water areas and other land objects. Meanwhile, since coastlines and riverbanks are typically presented in irregular shapes, it is difficult to obtain the categories of pixels at boundaries. This paper proposed the use of a Water-Land Boundary Attention Network (WLBANet) to improve the accuracy of pixels at boundaries between water and land. This network also reinforced the performance of contextual information extraction into distinguishing between water areas and other land objects. To prove the validity of this proposed network, WLBANet was performed on the Water Land Dataset (WLD), which is also by this paper, and which contains water areas and other land objects categories. The results demonstrates that the proposed method has significant effectiveness.

Liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) has emerged as a regulator of hepatic glucose, bile acid, and mitochondrial metabolism. However, the functional mechanism underlying the effect of LRH-1 on lipid mobilization has not been addressed. This study investigated the regulatory function of LRH-1 in lipid metabolism during fasting. The wild-type (WT) and LRH-1 liver-specific knockout (LKO) mice were either fed or fasted for 24 h, and the liver and serum were isolated. During fasting, the LRH-1 LKO mice showed greater accumulation of triglycerides in the liver compared to that in WT mice. Interestingly, LRH-1 LKO liver decreased the perilipin 5 (PLIN5) expression and genes involved in β-oxidation. Additionally, the LRH-1 agonist dialauroylphosphatidylcholine also enhanced PLIN5 expression in human cultured HepG2 cells. To identify new target genes of LRH-1, these findings directed to analyze the PLIN5 promoter sequence, which revealed −1620/−1614 to be a putative binding site for LRH-1. This was confirmed by promoter activity and chromatin immuno-precipitation assays. Moreover, fasted WT primary hepatocytes showed increased co-localization of PLIN5 in lipid droplets (LDs) compared to that in fasted LRH-1 LKO primary hepatocytes. Overall, these findings suggest that PLIN5 might be a novel target of LRH-1 to mobilize LDs and manage the cellular needs.

This study aims to assess the operational capabilities of disaster and emergency management re-sources (DEMRs), which are pivotal in mitigating risks and minimizing losses amid the increas-ing frequency of disasters. The research constructs an effective operational capability evaluation system for DEMRs, encompassing four key aspects: resource planning, organizational manage-ment capability, resource support capability, and information processing capability. It focuses on identifying the factors that influence the effective operational capability of DEMRs in China and Korea, comparing and analyzing the relative importance and priority of each evaluation domain and indicator within these countries to enhance DEMRs' operational effectiveness. The method-ology involves calculating and ranking the weight of the four domains, with findings indicating that organizational management capability is most significant in China, whereas resource sup-port capability is prioritized in Korea. A comparative analysis of the local weight of indicators within each domain revealed the largest discrepancy between China and Korea in the infor-mation processing capability domain. The study concludes by calculating global weights, identi-fying fast response capability and resource allocation capability as the most impactful factors on DEMRs' operational capability, highlighting their critical role in disaster and emergency man-agement.

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.

The spring-in phenomenon of the composite parts can affect the assembly process. This study aims to predict the spring-in phenomenon of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) part. Here, we predict the spring-in of the CFRP part using a coupled analysis of the forming and cooling processes during the stamping process. First, a simulation of the entire forming process, such as the transfer of the composite laminate, gravity analysis, and forming was performed to obtain the temperature distribution of the CFRP part. Subsequently, a finite-element (FE) simulation of the cooling process was conducted to predict the spring-in phenomenon of the shaped CFRP part using the temperature data obtained in the forming simulation. Finally, a CFRP part was manufactured and compared with the results of the FE simulation.

In recent years, integration of electric vehicles (EVs) has increased dramatically due to their lower carbon emissions and reduced fossil fuel dependency. However, charging EVs could have significant impacts on the electrical grid. One promising method for mitigating these impacts is the use of renewable energy systems. Renewable energy systems can also be useful for charging EVs where there is no local grid. This paper proposes a new strategy for designing a renewable energy charging station consisting of wind turbines, a photovoltaic system, and an energy storage system to avoid the use of diesel generators in remote communities. The objective function is considered to be the minimization of the total net present cost, including energy production, components setup, and financial viability. The proposed approach, using stochastic modeling, can also guarantee profitable operation of EVs and reasonable effects on renewable energy sizing, narrowing the gap between real-life daily operation patterns and the design stage. The proposed strategy should enhance the efficiency of conventional EV charging stations. The key point of this study is the efficient use of excess electricity. The infrastructure of the charging station is optimized and modeled.

In this study, carbon blocks were fabricated using isotropic coke and coal tar pitch as raw materials, with a variation in pressure during cold isostatic pressing (CIP). The CIP pressure was set to 50, 100, 150, and 200 MPa, and the effect of the CIP pressure on the mechanical and electrical properties of the resulting carbon blocks was analyzed. Microstructural observations confirmed that after the kneading, the surface of isotropic coke was covered with the pitch components. Subsequently, after the CIP, granules, which were larger than isotropic coke and the kneaded particles, were observed. The formation of these granules was attributed to the coalescence of kneaded particles under the applied pressing pressure. This granule formation was accompanied by the development of pores, some remaining within the granules, while others were extruded, thereby existing externally. The increase in the applied pressing pressure facilitated the formation of granules, and this microstructural development contributed to enhanced mechanical and electrical properties. At a pressing pressure of 100 MPa, the maximum flexural strength was achieved at 33.3 MPa, and the minimum electrical resistivity was reached at 60.1 μΩm. The higher the pressing pressure, the larger the size of the granules. Pores around the granules tended to connect and grow larger, forming crack-like structures. This microstructural change led to degraded mechanical and electrical properties. The isotropic ratio of the carbon blocks obtained in this study was estimated based on the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The results confirmed that all carbon blocks obtained proved to be isotropic. In this study, a specimen type named CIP-100 exhibited the best performance in every aspect as an isotropic carbon block.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with bacteriophage and β-mannanase on health and growth performance in calves. Thirty-six pre-weaning male Holstein calves were randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments: no supplementation, 0.1% β-mannanase, 0.1% bacteriophage, and both 0.1% bacteriophage and β-mannanase supplementation in a starter. The experiment lasted from 2 weeks before weaning to 8 weeks after weaning. Twenty-two calves survived to the end of the experiment. No interaction was observed between the two methods of supplementation. A 1-kg increase in initial BW resulted in a 1.41-fold increase in the odds ratio of survival (p < 0.01). The bacteriophage supplementation tended to increase the odds ratio of survival (p = 0.09). The number of Escherichia coli in feces significantly decreased one week after weaning. β-mannanase supplementation increased the concentrates intake (p < 0.01) and tended to increase the final BW (p = 0.08). Analysis of repeated measures indicated β-mannanase supplementation increased weekly body weight gain (p = 0.018). We conclude that bacteriophage supplementation may have a positive effect on calf survival rate, while β-mannanase supplementation may increase the growth rate and intake of a starter in calves.

Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) elevation during capnoperitoneum can cause adverse cardiovascular and respiratory effects. This study aimed to determine if a sequentially increased IAP affects cardiovascular and respiratory variables in anesthetized dogs and evaluate the effects of constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine (Dex) on cardiovascular and respiratory variables with increased IAP. Five dogs were anesthetized, instrumented, and the Veress needle was equipped to adjust the IAP using a carbonic anhydrase insufflator. Stabilization was conducted for 1 h, and physiological variables were measured in IAPs of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mmHg and after desufflation. After the washout period, the dogs underwent similar procedures along with constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine. Cardiovascular effects of increased IAP up to 20 mmHg were not significant in healthy beagle dogs and those administered with dexmedetomidine. In the control group, the arterial pressure slightly increased, but not statistically significant, at an IAP of 20 mmHg compared with that at baseline (mean arterial blood pressure, p = 0.399; systolic arterial blood pressure, p = 0.293; diastolic arterial blood pressure, p = 0.141). When comparing the control and dexmedetomidine groups, overall significant effects of dexmedetomidine were noted on heart rate, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance during the experiment. Respiratory effects were not affected by abdominal insufflation when compared between different IAPs and between the two groups. Overall, an increased IAP of until 20 mmHg did not significantly affect cardiovascular and respiratory variables in both control and dexmedetomidine groups. This study suggests that dexmedetomidine infusion administration is applicable in laparoscopic procedures in healthy dogs.

A two-year-old male Pomeranian dog visited the hospital due to side effects of surgical correction for patellar luxation. Stifle joint arthrodesis (SJA) was performed on the patient’s right leg using autologous bone grafting techniques. The right leg’s femur and tibial joint were angled 120-130◦ and the SJA plate was fixed on the front of the two bones. After performing joint fusion of the right limb, medial patellar luxation (MPL)-corrective surgery was performed to cut the tibial tuberosity on the left leg and the fixing force was increased using the figure-of-eight tension band wiring technique. The results were observed for walking and trotting of the right hind limb, evaluated for 27 days after surgery. It was difficult for the patient to walk because weight loading was not performed for 3 days after surgery; short strides and partial weight bearing were possible 5 to 7 days after surgery. After 10 days, the patient was able to move while bearing weight with a slight disruption. For trotting, the patient showed intermittent normal steps 5 to 7 days after surgery, but the disruption continued. After 14 days, trotting was possible and movements were shown to be maintained during everyday activities.

During the recent decades, global warming by greenhouse gas evolution has attracted worldwide attention and evermore strict regulations thereon have become institutionalized as international policies. In the process, more environment-friendly power generation technologies have been developed utilizing fossil fuels with a view to timely commercialization. As one of such “clean coal” technology, Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell system is a promising power generation means and COS hydrolysis reactor is installed downstream of coal syngas to remove acidic gas constituents such as H2S and COS. The most significant design parameters affecting performance of the COS hydrolysis reactor were selected to be GHSV, (catalytic) reaction temperature, and length ratio and numerical modeling was performed considering heat and fluid flow transfer as well as chemical reaction kinetics. Effect of the selected design parameters on the variation of conversion rate and reactant gas mixture concentration were comprehensively investigated to predict performance of COS hydrolysis reactor. Stochastic modeling of reactor performance was finally performed using Monte Carlo simulation and linear regression fitting.

To expand the application scope and increase the demand for non-crimp fabrics (NCFs) as a lightweight vehicle material, the delamination and thermal strain in NCF composites must be restricted. Accordingly, to simultaneously improve the interfacial bonding and thermal stability of the NCF composites, in this study the epoxy resin, in which SiO2 nanoparticles was modified by a silane coupling agent, were infused to the stacked NCFs and between the layers of NCFs through the vacuum-assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) process.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become indispensable energy storage devices for various applications, ranging from portable electronics to electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. The performance and reliability of LIBs depend on several key components, including the electrodes, separators, and electrolytes. Among these, the choice of binder materials for the electrodes plays a critical role in determining the overall performance and durability of LIBs. This review introduces polymer binders that have been traditionally used in the cathode, anode, and separator materials of LIBs. Furthermore, it explores the problems identified in traditional polymer binders and examines the research trends in next-generation polymer binder materials for lithium-ion battery as alternatives.

The populations of clearwing moth borers in Korea have recently exploited and severe damage on pin oaks (Quercus palustris Munchh.). We conducted the field monitoring and the molecular analyses to identify them in an integrated manner. Morphological examination and molecular analyses on COI-gene based intra-and inter-specific genetic divergences (GD) were revealed that the borers were recognized as two invasive species, Sphecodoptera sheni and Paranthrenella pinoakula sp. nov.. The maximum intraspecific GD was found to be 1.9%, whereas the minimum interspecific GD was confirmed as 8.1%, with a distinct barcoding gap. Both MJ network and NJ tree were also showed that 18 haplotypes (HAPs) were detected from the 52 COI sequences. The borers were revealed total 17 HAPs: i) H1-H7 were detected from all seven regions with S. sheni; ii) Wonju and Goyang populations of S. sheni were revealed as more than three HAPs; iii) H7 was closely connected with H8 of Chinese population of S. sheni; iv) H9-H10 were detected as the other samples from Wonju population with P. pinoakula sp. n., and closely located with congeneric species. Maximum likelihood tree also revealed that P. pinoacula sp. n. nested within the congeneric species by genetically separating from the S. sheni.

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.

The aim of this study was to determine the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with kidney cancer and the impact of age and gender on such association. Using Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 9,932,670 subjects who had check-up in 2009 were followed up until the diagnosis of kidney cancer or death or until 2019. Kidney cancer was significantly associated with MetS (HR 1.56). This association was higher in the younger age group (HR: 1.82, 1.5, and 1.37 in 20-39 years, 40-64 years, and ≥65 years, respectively). In terms of the association of kidney cancer with obesity and central obesity, young-aged males showed higher HR for kidney cancer than old-aged ones (HR of obesity: 1.96, 1.52, and 1.25; HR of central obesity: 1.94, 1.53, and 1.3 in 20-39 years, 40-64 years, ≥65 years, respectively), while young-aged females showed lower HR. Kidney cancer was associated with obesity and MetS. The association was higher in younger aged population than in older ones. Regarding gender, MetS, obesity, and central obesity showed higher associations with kidney cancer in younger aged male population, while there was no significant difference in such association according to age in females.

In this study, to reduce the use of cement and sand, porous feldspar with excellent economic efficiency was used as a substitute in heat storage concrete layer. When cement was replaced with porous feldspar, the compressive strength was approximately 16%–63% higher compared with when cement was replaced with silicate minerals. To compensate for the reduction in strength owing to the decreased cement content, mechanical and chemical activation methods were employed. When the specific surface area of porous feldspar was increased, the unit weight was reduced by approximately 30% and the compressive strength was increased by up to 90%. When chemical activation was applied using a solidifying agent, the strength was increased by approximately 30% even though 70% of the cement content was replaced with porous feldspar. When cement and sand were replaced with porous feldspar, the compressive strength was approximately two times that of ordinary cement mortar. When the heat storage concrete layer material was replaced with porous feldspar in a pilot scale experiment, the thermal conductivity and heat storage characteristics were better than those of ordinary cement mortar, and an energy-saving effect of approximately 57% was observed, confirming the excellent applicability of porous feldspar as a building material.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between psoriasis and osteoporosis using two different studies. Methods: Data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort of participants who were ≥ 40 years old were collected from 2002 to 2013. Psoriasis and osteoporosis were included using ICD-10 codes. In study I (a follow-up study), a total of 25,306 psoriasis participants were matched to 101,224 controls with respect to age group, sex, income group, and region of residence, and the occurrence of osteoporosis was analyzed. Crude (simple) and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were analyzed using a stratified Cox proportional hazard model. In study II (a nested case–control study), a total of 79,212 osteoporosis patients were matched to 79,212 controls, and a previous history of psoriasis was analyzed. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were analyzed using a conditional logistic regression analysis. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age group and sex. Results: The adjusted HR of osteoporosis was 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.15, P < 0.001) in study I. In the subgroup analysis according to age and sex, the results were consistent except for the ≥ 60-year-old women. The adjusted OR of psoriasis was 1.22 (95% CI = 1.16-1.28, P < 0.001) in study II. All subgroups demonstrated high adjusted ORs of osteoporosis for psoriasis. Conclusions: Psoriasis increased the risk of osteoporosis in the population of participants aged ≥ 40 years in Korea.

We assessed the growth performance, physiological traits, and gene expressions in steers fed with dietary rumen-protected L-tryptophan (RPT) under cold environment. Eight Korean native steers were assigned to two dietary groups, no RPT (Control) and RPT (0.1% RPT supplementation on a dry matter basis), 6 wks. Maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the experiment were 6.7°C and -7.0°C, respectively. Supplementation of 0.1% RPT to a total mixed ration did not increase body weight but had positive effects of elevating average daily gain (ADG) and reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) at day 27 and 48. Metabolic parameter showed higher glucose level (at day 27) in the 0.1% RPT group compared to the control group. Real-time PCR analysis showed no significant differences in the expression of muscle (MYF6, MyoD, and Desmin) metabolism genes between the two groups, whereas the expression of fat (PPARγ, C/EBPα, and FABP4) metabolism genes was lower in the 0.1% RPT group than in the control group. Thus, we demonstrate that long-term (6 wks) dietary supplementation of 0.1% RPT was beneficial owing to enhanced growth performance by increasing ADG and glucose level, decreasing FCR, and maintaining homeostasis in immune responses in beef steers during cold environment.

The study of angiosperm flora, endemic plants in the literature, and investigations of ‘POWO Build a checklist’ were used to compile an updated list of Bangladesh's endemic plants. According to the study, at least 49 (1.24%) of Bangladesh's 3,956 plant species are endemic to the country including 5 varieties, belonging to 41 genera in 26 families. Magnoliopsida account for thirty of them, Liliopsida for the remaining sixteen, and Pteridohpytes for the final three. The four families Zingiberaceae (9 taxa), Araceae (6 taxa), Rubiaceae (4 taxa), and Euphorbiaceae (3 taxa), include the most endemic taxa. The five most numerous endemic taxa belong to the Curcuma genus. The endemic flora, which is mostly found in the districts of Chattogram, Moulvibazar, and Rangamati, consists of 13 tree species, 4 shrubs, 5 climbers, and 27 herbaceous plant species.

A super-porous hybrid platform can offer significantly increased number of reaction sites for the analytes and thus can offer advantages in the biosensor applications. In this work, a significantly improved sensitivity and selectivity of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) cancer sensor is demonstrated by a super-porous hybrid CuO/Pt NP platform. The super-porous hybrid platform is fabricated by a physiochemical approach combining the physical vapor deposition of Pt NPs and electrochemical deposition of super-porous CuO structures by adopting a dynamic hydrogen bubble technique. Under an optimized condition, the hybrid CuO/Pt biosensor demonstrates a very high sensitivity of 2,205 µA/mM∙cm2 and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 140 nM with a wide range of H2O2 detection. This is meaningfully improved performance as compared to the CuO-based H2O2 sensors as well as to the previously reported metal oxide based H2O2 sensors. The hybrid CuO/Pt platform exhibits excellent selectivity against other interfering molecules such as glucose, fructose, dopamine, and ascorbic acid. Due to the synergetic effect of highly porous CuO structures and underlying Pt NPs, the CuO/Pt architecture offers extremely abundant active sites for the H2O2 reduction and electron transfer pathways.

It is required to manage sustainable Short-Rotation Coppices (SRCs) as an important role on carbon sink and bioenergy output, because most of SRCs were established in reclaimed land in South Korea. However, during the last three years, growth pattern of the SRCs was remarkably changed with soil condition. This study aimed to identify the sustainability of SRCs on carbon storage, biomass and fuel pellet production, monitoring the neighboring vegetation of SRCs by land-use exchange, physiological change of poplar on seasonal trend, and to evaluate whether poplar is suitable for making wood pellets. The calculated biomass yield per area of poplar grown was 103.07 Mg per total area (55.6 ha), and volumes of carbon dioxide absorption was estimated to be 330 Mg CO2. Wood pellet quality based on the criteria scored third grade, indicating that poplar is suitable for manufacturing fuel pellets. Moreover, monitoring of the flora distribution in SRCs revealed changes in species composition. As halophyte was increased during drought, soil organic matter, net growth and total chlorophyll of poplar were significantly decreased. These findings indicated that photosynthesis and growth pattern of SRCs may be negatively affected by microclimate and will provide valuable information for effective management of SRCs.

Anesthetics reduce cardiac functions and lower blood pressure (BP), potentially causing excessive BP reduction in dehydrated patients or those with heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Considering the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease with age, anesthesiologists must be cautious about BP reduction during general anesthesia in older adults. In the present case, an undiagnosed CAD patient in a hypovolemic state experienced a significant systolic blood pressure drop to the 50s during propofol and sevoflurane anesthesia. Despite the use of vasopressors, excessive hypotension persisted, leading to anesthesia suspension. Subsequent cardiac examinations, including computed tomography heart angio and calcium score, and coronary angiogram, revealed a near total occlusion of the left main coronary artery and the formation of collateral circulation. After 5 days of hydration and anticoagulation medications and confirmation of normovolemic state, general anesthesia was attempted again and successfully induced; a normal BP was maintained throughout the surgery. Thus, it is important to conduct a thorough cardiac evaluation and maintain normovolemia for general anesthesia in older adults.

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.

Background and Objectives: The novel double-pigtail catheter (DPC) has an additional pigtail coiling at the mid-shaft with centripetal multiple side holes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the advantages and efficacy of DPC in overcoming the complications of conventional single-pigtail catheters (SPC) used to drain pleural effusion. Materials and Methods: Between July 2018 and December 2019, 382 pleural effusion drainage procedures were reviewed retrospectively (DPC, n = 156; SPC without multiple side holes, n = 110; SPC with multiple side holes [SPC+M], n = 116). All patients showed shifting pleural effusion in the decubitus view of chest radiography. All catheters were 10.2 Fr in diameter. One interventional radiologist performed all procedures and used the same anchoring technique. Complications (dysfunctional retraction, complete dislodgement, blockage, and atraumatic pneumothorax) were compared among the catheters using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. Clinical success was defined as improvement in pleural effusion within 3 days without additional procedures. A survival analysis was performed for calculating the indwelling time. Results: The dysfunctional retraction rate of DPC was significantly lower than that of the other catheters (p < .001). Complete dislodgement did not occur in any of the DPC cases. The clinical success rate of DPC (90.1%) was the highest. The estimated indwelling times were nine (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.3–10.7), eight (95% CI: 6.6–9.4), and seven (95% CI: 6.3–7.7) days for SPC, SPC+M, and DPC, respectively, with DPC showing a significant difference (p < .05). Conclusions: DPC had a lower dysfunctional retraction rate compared to conventional drainage catheters. Furthermore, DPC were efficient for pleural effusion drainage with a shorter indwelling time.

The influences of doped hole transporting layer (HTL) on the performances of perovskite solar cells were studied. The influences of electrostatic and surface roughness effect by solvent additive doping were compared. The electrostatic effect of solvent additive doping was compared by addition of 1,8-diiodooctane and 1,8-dichlorooctane to the HTL layer. The surface roughness effect of solvent additive doping was examined using atomic force microscopy. The perovskite crystallinity by doping HTL was studied by X-ray diffraction. The conductivity of HTL was measured using four probe methods and was higher for doped devices. Enhanced conductivity of PEDOT:PSS film was also proved using fluorescence emission quenching. Long-term stability of the device was enhanced by doping HTL. The device with solvent additive exhibited much enhanced stability, retained over 80% of the initial PCE for 400 hours, while PCE of the device without solvent additive decreased to less than 80% after 200 hours. A very weak power microwave treatment was used for post-annealing of the fully fabricated devices. Post-annealing enhanced the lifetime of the device. Comparing different size of cells, the device lifetime was decreased as the cell area increased and as the size of the cell increased, the extent of lifetime enhancement by doping was increased.

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.