The number of patients with bone metabolic disorders including osteoporosis is increasing worldwide. These disorders often facilitate bone fractures, which seriously impact the patient’s quality of life and could lead to further health complications. Bone homeostasis is tightly regulated to balance bone resorption and formation. However, many anti-osteoporotic agents are broadly categorized as either bone forming or anti-resorptive, and their therapeutic use is often limited due to unwanted side effects. Therefore, safe and effective therapeutic agents are needed for osteoporosis. This study aims to clarify the bone protecting effects of oat bran water extract (OBWE) and its mode of action. OBWE inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation by blocking c-Fos/NFATc1 through the alteration of I-κB. Furthermore, we found that OBWE enhanced BMP-2-stimulated osteoblast differentiation by the induction of Runx2 via Smad signaling molecules. In addition, the anti-osteoporotic activity of OBWE was also evaluated using an in vivo model. OBWE significantly restored ovariectomy-induced bone loss. These in vitro and in vivo results showed that OBWE has the potential to combat bone metabolic disorders including osteoporosis

Our study provides guidelines on how to build long-term customer relationship in the non-contract mechanism context. More specifically, the findings show that special, social, and core benefits influence calculative commitment, and operational and special benefits influence affective commitment. This study also supports that calculative and affective commitment play a crucial role in understanding multi-channel agencies’ loyalty. In sum, this study revealed that calculative and affective commitment can be considered as partial or full mediators in the relationship between RBs (relational benefits) and loyalty. This study not only contributed to the existing SET (social exchange theory) and RBs paradigm but also provided practical implications for food distribution management.

This study investigated clinical nurses’ knowledge and visual differentiation ability of the pressure injury classification system (PICS) and incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD), additionally analyzing possible influencing factors. A convenience sample of 248 nurses took the PICS and IAD knowledge test (KT) and completed the visual differentiation ability test (VDAT), consisting of 21 photographs with clinical information. The overall mean score for correct answers was 12.65±2.90 points in PICS & IAD KT and 11.43±4.57 points in VDAT. Incorrect responses were most common for statements related to stage Ⅱ, Ⅲ, IAD for PICS & IAD KT, and deep tissue pressure injury (DTPI), unstageable, and stage Ⅲ for VDAT. Significant correlations were found between PICS & IAD KT and VDAT (r=.252, p<.001). Factors affecting scores for VDAT were the scores of PICS & IAD KT, debridement experience in nursing patients with PI, and the management frequency of PI and IAD. Results indicate that nurses have an overall understanding of PICS and IAD, but low visual differentiation ability regarding stage Ⅲ, DTPI, and unstageable PI. Continuing education is needed to further improve knowledge and visual differentiation ability for PICS and IAD.

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

The etiological agent of various viral diseases has been identified, and clinical characteristics and complications of each disease are well known. In general, a viral disease appears as acute systemic inflammatory disease, but after acute infection, some patients remain asymptomatic carriers or suffer chronic viral diseases, suggesting that the phenomena are unavoidable processes for viruses’ coexistence with their hosts as virome in microbiota of human species. Although each viral disease has been described as having different pathophysiology, the host's control systems, including immune systems, against the insults from any viral infections, have the same components in previously healthy hosts. Therefore, considering the characteristics of the life cycle of viruses being dependent on the host cell and the same immune components of the host, it is reasonable assumption that there is a common immune mechanism to respond to the insults from all viral diseases. The authors discuss on the characteristics of virus infection and unresolved issues in viral diseases and propose a rationale of early immune modulators for acute insults from viral diseases based on our clinical experiences and the protein-homeostasis-system hypothesis.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is an autoimmune disease which is a type of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis that frequently affects the lungs and kidneys. However, GPA limited to a single organ has also been reported. A 73-year-old man was admitted for back pain and fever. We detected elevated levels of inflammatory markers and myeloperoxidase-ANCA. Magnetic resonance imaging indicated diffuse inflammation of the back and psoas muscles. Histology showed degenerated muscle fibers and granulomatosis vasculitis with mixed lymphoplasma cell infiltration. High-dose methylprednisolone therapy improved his symptoms. A final diagnosis of GPA limited to the muscles was made.

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is an electrochemical sensing technique that can be used for neurochemical sensing with high spatiotemporal resolution. Carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) are traditionally used as FSCV sensors. However, CFMEs are prone to electrochemical fouling caused by oxidative byproducts of repeated serotonin (5-HT) exposure, which makes them less suitable as a chronic 5-HT sensor. Our team is developing a boron-doped diamond microelectrode (BDDME) that has previously been shown to be relatively resistant to fouling caused by protein adsorption (biofouling). We sought to determine if the BDDME exhibits resistance to electrochemical fouling, which we explored on electrodes fabricated with either femtosecond laser cutting or physical cleaving. We recorded the oxidation current response after 25 repeated injections of 5-HT in a flow-injection-cell and compared the current drop from the first to the last injection. The 5-HT responses were compared to dopamine (DA), a neurochemical that is known to produce minimal fouling oxidative byproducts and have a stable repeated response. Physical cleaving of the BDDME yielded a reduction in fouling due to 5-HT compared to the CFME and the femtosecond laser cut BDDME. However, the femtosecond laser cut BDDME exhibited a large increase in sensitivity over the cleaved BDDME. An extended stability analysis was conducted for all device types following 5-HT fouling tests. This analysis demonstrated an improvement in the long-term stability of boron doped diamond over CFMEs, as well as a diminishing sensitivity of the laser cut BDDME over time. This work reports the electrochemical fouling performance of the BDDME when it is repeatedly exposed to DA or 5-HT, which informs the development of a chronic, diamond-based electrochemical sensor for long-term neurotransmitter measurements in vivo.

The dopamine D3 receptor is an important CNS target for the treatment of a variety of neurological diseases. Selective dopamine D3 receptor antagonists modulate the improvement of psychostimulant addiction and relapse. In this study, five and six featured pharmacophore models of D3R antagonists were generated and evaluated with the post-hoc score combining two survival scores of active and inactive. Among Top 10 models, APRRR215 and AHPRRR104 were chosen based on the coefficient of determination (APRRR215: R2training = 0.80; AHPRRR104: R2training = 0.82) and predictability (APRRR215: Q2test = 0.73, R2predictive = 0.82; AHPRRR104: Q2test = 0.86, R2predictive = 0.74) of their 3D-quantitative structure–activity relationship models. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening of a large compound library from eMolecules (> 3 million compounds) using two optimal models expedited the search process 100-fold speed increase compared to the docking-based screening (HTVS scoring function in Glide) and identified a series of hit compounds having promising novel scaffolds. After the screening, docking scores, as an adjuvant predictor, were added to two fitness scores (from the pharmacophore models) and predicted Ki (from PLSs of the QSAR models) to improve accuracy. Final selection of the most promising hit compounds were also evaluated for CNS-like properties as well as expected D3R antagonism.

Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb1 and Rheb2), a small GTPase, regulates neuronal activity and has drawn attention for its implications in cancer development, especially breast cancer. This study explores the multifaceted role of Rheb1 in cancer, elucidating its involvement in crucial cel-lular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis resistance, migration, invasion, metastasis, and inflammatory responses. Despite these acknowledged connections, a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between Rheb1 and cancer remains elusive. This review consolidates cur-rent knowledge on the impact of Rheb1 on cancer hallmarks and examines the potential of Rheb1 as a therapeutic target in cancer treatment. The review underscores the need for a more profound comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying Rheb1-mediated oncogenic processes. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the exploration of Rheb1 inhibitors as a promising avenue for cancer therapy. This study, by bringing to light the complex associations between Rheb1/Rheb2 and cancer, delivers valuable insights to the scientific community. These insights are instrumental in guiding the identification of novel targets and advancing the development of effective therapeu-tic strategies for treating cancer.

Core-shell structured magnetic nanoparticles combine hard and a soft phases to improve energy efficiency. The mutual interaction of the two phases can lead to the exchange spring effect leading to higher magnetic energy. In this regard, synthesis of Nd2Fe14B based core-shell structured powders have proven to be elusive due to the relatively reactive nature of this phase. In this study, a process has been established for successfully coating the surface of Nd2Fe14B powders with FeCo layer using galvanic displacement method. Initially, a binary phase magnetic powder was synthesized containing Nd2Fe14B and Nd2Fe17 phase. Subsequently, the powders were coated using a Co precursor at 303 K. During coating the metastable Nd2Fe17 phase was dissolved and the Fe ions were released into the solution. Subsequently, the Fe ions deposited together with the Co ions on the surface of Nd2Fe14B powder to form a FeCo shell. The deposited layer thickness and composition was confirmed using TEM analysis.

A single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. For research articles, abstracts should give a pertinent overview of the work. We strongly encourage authors to use the following style of structured abstracts, but without headings: (1) Background: Place the question addressed in a broad context and highlight the purpose of the study; (2) Methods: briefly describe the main methods or treatments applied; (3) Results: summarize the article’s main findings; (4) Conclusions: indicate the main conclusions or interpretations. The abstract should be an objective representation of the article and it must not contain results that are not presented and substantiated in the main text and should not exaggerate the main conclusions.

Field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) is newly emerged as an edible insect in several countries. Anti-inflammatory effect of glycosaminoglycan derived this cricket was not fully investigated on chronic disease animal model such as diabetic mouse. For potential therapeutic agents, anti-diabetic activities of field cricket glycosaminoglycan (GbG) was evaluated in diabetic mice based on their abilities to reduce glucose, ALT, AST, LDL-cholesterol, and BUN levels, compared with dung beetle (Catharsius molossus) glycosaminoglycan (CaG) as a positive control glycosaminoglycan. Db mice were orally administered for one month according to their groups: Db Hetero (normal), Db Homo (type-2 diabetic), CaG (5 mg/kg), GbG (5 mg/kg), and metformin (10 mg/kg). Blood glucose level was decreased after 1^st week treatment with GbG. It also inhibited LDL-cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase levels. Regarding oxidative damage of diabetic state, levels of hepatocellular biomarkers levels and protein carbonyl content were reduced in db mice treated with GbG. Especially anti-oxidative activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase were significantly increased in GbG treated group compared to those in the control. GbG was composed of heparin disaccharides and main N-glycan was identified as Hex₉GlcNAc₂ (m/z 1905.7) of with neutral mono-sugar mainly comprising of hexose, L (+) rhamnose by mass spectroscopy. These results from sero-biochemical, hepatocellular anti-oxidant assay in db mice data suggest cricket (G. bimaculatus) glycosaminoglycan might play a role in its anti-diabetic action.

In order to understand the effect of Pb-CuI co-doping on the thermoelectric performance of Bi₂Te₃, n-type Bi₂Te₃ co-doped with x at% CuI and 1/2x at% Pb (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.10) were prepared via high temperature solid state reaction and consolidated using spark plasma sintering. Electron and thermal transport properties, i.e., electrical conductivity, carrier concentration, Hall mobility, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity, of CuI-Pb co-doped Bi₂Te₃ were measured in the temperature range from 300 K to 523 K and compared to corresponding x% of CuI-doped Bi₂Te₃ and undoped Bi₂Te₃. The addition of a small amount of Pb significantly decreased the carrier concentration, which could be attributed to the holes from Pb atoms, thus the CuI-Pb co-doped samples show a lower electrical conductivity and a higher Seebeck coefficient compared to CuI-doped samples with similar x values. The incorporation of Pb into CuI-doped Bi₂Te₃ rarely changed the power factor because of the trade-off relationship between the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient. The total thermal conductivity(κ_tot) of co-doped samples (κ_tot ~1.4 W/m∙K at 300 K) is slightly lower than that of 1% CuI-doped Bi₂Te₃ (κ_tot~1.5 W/m∙K at 300 K) and undoped Bi₂Te₃ (κ_tot ~1.6 W/m∙K at 300 K) due to the alloy scattering. The 1% CuI-Pb co-doped Bi₂Te₃ sample shows the highest ZT value of 0.96 at 370 K. All data on electrical and thermal transport properties suggest that the thermoelectric properties of Bi₂Te₃ and its operating temperature can be controlled by co-doping.

The human oral microbiome refers to an ecological community of symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms found in the oral cavity. The oral cavity is a suitable environment that provides various kinds of biological niches such as teeth, tongue, and oral mucosa. The oral cavity is the gateway between the external environment and the human body, maintaining oral homeostasis, protecting the mouth, and preventing disease. On the flip side, the oral microbiome plays an important role in triggering, development, and progression of oral and systemic diseases. Currently, disease diagnosis through the analysis of the human oral microbiome has been realized with the recent development of innovative detection technology, and is overwhelmingly promising compared to the previous era. It has been found that patients with oral diseases and systemic diseases have variations in the oral microbiome compared to normal subjects. This narrative review provides insight into the pathophysiological role that oral microbiome plays in influencing oral and systemic diseases, and updates the knowledge related to the oral microbiome over the past 30 years. A wide range of updates was provided with the latest knowledge of the oral microbiome to help researchers and clinicians in both academic and clinical aspects. The microbial community information can be utilized in non-invasive diagnosis and help develop a new paradigm in precision medicine, which will benefit human health in the era of post-metagenomics.

Tailings generated by mining account for the largest proportion of global waste from industrial activities. Copper is relatively uncommon world-wide, with low concentrations in sediments and waters, yet is very elevated around mining sites. On the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, USA, jutting out into Lake Superior, 140 mines extracted native copper from the Portage Lake Volcanic Series, part of an intercontinental rift system. Between 1901-1932, two mills at Gay (Mohawk, Wolverine) sluiced 22.7 million metric tonnes (MMT) of copper-rich tailings (stamp sands) into Grand (Big) Traverse Bay. Here we examine: 1) 3D coastal elevation and reef bathymetry, 2) particle dispersal, 3) copper concentrations and leaching, plus 4) shoreline toxicity. About 10 MMT of tailings created a migrating coastal beach that stretches 7 km from the Gay pile to the Traverse River Seawall. Another 10 MMT are moving underwater on the coastal shelf, threatening Buffalo Reef, an important lake trout and whitefish breeding ground. Aerial photos, ALS (plane) LiDAR, and relatively inexpensive UAS (drone) surveys characterize shoreline structure and aid initial remediation. Because sands (natural beach quartz, stamp sand basalt) are silicates of similar density, particle dispersal is similar and challenging. However, stamp sand beaches contrast greatly with natural sand beaches in both physical profile and chemistry. Dispersing particles retain copper, and release toxic concentrations. Leaching is elevated by exposure to high DOC and low pH waters. Field experiments, shoreline seining, and benthic sampling confirm serious impacts on aquatic biota, supporting tailings removal.

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.

This study investigated the presence of human Norovirus (HuNoV) by genotype in 1,486 groundwater samples, collected from 843 groundwater wells suspected of contamination during 2007-2016, in Republic of Korea. We identified and genotyped 186 HuNoV sequences in 178 HuNoV-positive samples using the RIVM-NoroNet norovirus genotyping tool (NGT) and phylogenetic tree analysis based on RIVM-NoroNet reference sequences. HuNoV GII was more prevalent than GI. The major genotypes detected were HuNoV GII.4 (43.0%), GII.22 (15.6%), GI.5 (10.2%) and GI.1 (8.6%); 14 genotypes accounted for < 5.0%. Increasing HuNoV GII.17 has displayed a worldwide trend, including in Europe and Asia since 2010, and it was the dominant HuNoV genotype during 2013-2014 in Korea. However, HuNoV GII.4 was the major genotype detected in groundwater in Korea in 2015-2016, and it is becoming increasingly prevalent similar to HuNoV GII.17.

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

Cervi cornu has been extensively used in traditional medicine as an antioxidant and for the treatment of various disorders, including osteoporosis. However, since it is not easy to separate the active ingredient, absorption is not performed well. In this study, we extracted the low molecular weight (843Da) collagen NP-2007 from cervi cornu by enzyme hydrolyzation, and evaluated the therapeutic effect in a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced rat osteoarthritis model, and identified their molecular mechanisms. NP-2007 was orally administered at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg for 21 d. Efficacy was evaluated based on serum parameters, inflammatory mediators, and mor-phological and histopathological analyses of knee joints. Production of matrix metalloproteinases, including MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9, in the serum was higher in MIA-treated rats; however, these levels decreased after NP-2007 treatment. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and prostaglandin E2 were lower in the NP-2007 group than in the MIA group. Furthermore, the administration of NP-2007 resulted in effective preservation of both the synovial membrane and knee cartilage, and significantly decreased the transformation of fibrous tissue. This study indicates that NP-2007 can prevent and alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis and have applications as a novel arthritis treatment.

Claudin-18.2 (CLDN18.2) is specifically expressed in pancreatic precancerous lesions and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We assessed clinical characteristics of patients with CLDN18.2 overexpressing pancreatic cancer to identify patients who might benefit from CLDN18 targeted treatment. 130 patients with surgically resected PDAC were investigated the immunohistochemical expression of claudin-18 (CLDN18). The CLDN18 staining intensities (0-3+) and relative proportion of positive tumor cells were analyzed by two independent raters. Tumor as positive for CLDN18 expression was defined as ≥80% of tumor cells with 2+ or 3+ staining intensity on CLDN18 immunohistochemical assay. Positive CLDN18 expression was present in 41/130 (31.5%) surgically resected PDAC and the relative proportion of positive tumor cells and the staining intensity were directly correlated (p &lt; 0.001). Positive CLDN18 expression was significantly associated with well-differentiated tumor (p&lt;0.001) and less regional node involvement (p=0.045). The positive CLDN18 expressing group showed no statistical difference in median overall survival (17.4 months vs. 20.6 months, p=0.770) compared to negative CLDN18 expressing group. Distant nodal metastasis was more frequent in positive CLDN18 expressing group (p=0.011). CLDN18 is frequently expressed in PDAC, and high CLDN18 expressing PDAC showed some different clinicopathologic characteristics. High CLDN18 expression was not associated with prognosis in patients with surgically resected PDAC.

Phosphite (Phi) has gained attention in agriculture due to its biostimulant effect on crops. This molecule has been found to benefit plant performance by providing protection against pathogens, improving yield and fruit quality, and improving nutrient and water use efficiency. It is still unclear how Phi enhances plant growth and protects against multiple stresses. It has been hypothesized that Phi acts by directly affecting the pathogens and interacting with the plant cellular components and molecular machinery to elicit defense responses. This study delves into elucidating the mechanisms underlying Phi’s beneficial effects on plants, revealing a complex interplay with fundamental signaling pathways. A RNA-seq study of Arabidopsis seedlings under optimal and limiting phosphate conditions helped us unveil Phi’s role in promoting plant growth by activating the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis and signaling pathways associated with abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonic acid (JA). Expression of ABA-related genes, known for their involvement in stress response and development regulation, is triggered by Phi treatment, contributing to enhanced resilience and growth. Simultaneously, the activation of the SA pathway, associated with defense responses, suggests Phi’s potential in bolstering plant immunity. Moreover, Phi influences JA biosynthesis and signaling, which are crucial for defense against herbivores and pathogens, thereby strengthening plants’ defenses. Our findings reveal a multifaceted mechanism through which Phi benefits Arabidopsis development. Understanding its intricate interplay with key signaling pathways opens avenues for leveraging Phi as a strategic tool to enhance plant resilience, immunity, and growth in agricultural and ecological contexts.

: This study aimed to validate the effects of self-compassion-based forest healing therapy as an intervention for reducing stress and promoting coping resources. Therefore, we investigated the effects of self-compassion-based forest healing therapy on stress, self-compassion, and connectedness to nature. A total of 30 participants were divided into an experimental and control group. Two sessions of forest healing meditation activities were held at the Forest of Healing every two weeks between October and November 2023. As a repeated measures experiment, data were collected before the intervention, after the first intervention, and after the second intervention. Perceived stress, positive and negative affect, and salivary cortisol were measured to assess physiological and psychological stress in participants. Connectedness to nature and self-compassion were measured to evaluate stress-coping resources. The results showed that the forest healing program had significant positive effects on stress and emotional states in the experimental group after the intervention. Further, there was a significant incremental effect on connectedness to nature and self-compassion in the experimental group. Therefore, self-compassion meditation-based forest healing therapy is a feasible and efficient approach for facilitating stress management and coping resource building.

Studies on the long-term stability of meat analogs stored under frozen conditions are lacking. Here, we aimed to assess the storage stability of vegetable oil-supplemented meat analogs and analyze the effects of temperature and storage period on their physiochemical characteristics. The meat analogs were prepared by adding 30 g castor oil, orange oil, palm oil, shortening, or margarine vegetable oil based on 100 g of textured vegetable protein. They were then stored at −18 or −60 °C for 6 months and analyzed at one-month intervals. The meat analog supplemented with orange oil had the highest water content, liquid-holding capacity, hardness, and antioxidant activity. During frozen storage, temperature barely affected the meat quality. The storage stability of all meat analog samples was maintained for 6 months, although the quality was slightly reduced with an increase in storage duration. Coliform group bacteria were not detected regardless of the storage condition. Orange oil improved the juiciness of meat analogs, and the quality of samples was maintained for at least 6 months under frozen storage. The findings of this study are relevant to the development and promotion of vegetable meat as an alternative to animal meat.

End-to-end learned image compression codecs have notably emerged in recent years. These codecs have demonstrated superiority over conventional methods, showcasing remarkable flexibility and adaptability across diverse data domains while supporting new distortion losses. Despite challenges such as computational complexity, learned image compression methods inherently align with learning-based data processing and analytic pipelines due to their well-suited internal representations. The concept of Video Coding for Machines has garnered significant attention from both academic researchers and industry practitioners. This concept reflects the growing need to integrate data compression with computer vision applications. In light of these developments, we present a comprehensive survey and review of lossy image compression methods. Additionally, we provide a concise overview of two prominent international standards, MPEG Video Coding for Machines and JPEG AI. These standards are designed to bridge the gap between data compression and computer vision, catering to practical industry use cases.

In this study, we present a federated learning approach that combines a multi-branch network and the Oort client selection algorithm to improve the performance of federated learning systems. This method successfully addresses the significant issue of non-iid data, a challenge not adequately tackled by the commonly used MFedAvg method. Additionally, one of the key innovations of this research is the introduction of uniformity, a metric that quantifies the disparity in training time amongst participants in a federated learning setup. This novel concept not only aids in identifying stragglers but also provides valuable insights into assessing the fairness and efficiency of the system. Experimental results underscore the merits of the integrated multi-branch network with the Oort client selection algorithm and highlight the crucial role of uniformity in designing and evaluating federated learning systems.

Monitoring the integrity of aeronautical structures is fundamental for safety. Structural Health Monitoring Systems (SHMS) perform real-time monitoring functions, but their performances must be carefully assessed. In this work the damage detection performances of a strain-based SHMS, were evaluated on a composite helicopter rotor blade root. The SHMS monitored the bonding between the central core and the surrounding antitorsional layer. A damage detection algorithm was trained through Finite Element analyses performed on the component. The effects of the loads variability and of damages were decoupled by including a load recognition step in the algorithm. Load recognition was accomplished in different ways: version#1 adopted an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) trained on blades in pristine condition; version#2 was trained also on damaged blades; version#3 adopted a calibration matrix method. Anomaly detection, damage assessment, and localization were performed by using an ANN. Results showed a higher load identification and anomaly detection accuracy for version#1 and version#2 compared to version#3. Gaussian noise reduced anomaly detection and damage assessment performances, and reduced damage localization accuracy for bigger damages. The damage detection performance were obtained for a fibre optic based-SHMS, including the trade-off between probability of detection and false alarm rate for different damage sizes.

Powdery mildew disease, caused by Sphaerotheca fusca, is a major disease affecting cucumbers cultivated in greenhouses. This study was conducted to find defense genes induced by DL-3-amino-butyric acid (BABA) and powdery mildew in cucumber. The 2000 and 5000 mg/L BABA treated cucumber exhibited disease severity of 25% and 5%, respectively, whereas the water treated cucumber leaves were severely infected, with a disease severity of 90%. BABA did not effect spore germination of the powdery mildew pathogen,. showing BABA is not antifungal agent against the pathogen. In quantitative real-time PCR analysis, BABA treated cucumber upregulated transcriptional level of the defense genes CsPAL, CsPR3,CsPR1, CsLOX1, CsLOX23, Cs LecRK6.1, CsWRKY20, and Cupi4 in cucumber to maximum levels at 48 h, whereas CsLecRK6.1 reached maximum expression after 24 h and futher salicylic acid (SA) levels were significantly increased in BABA-treated cucumber plants. In addition, the infected cucumber with powdery mildew enhanced the expression levels from1.6 to 47.3 fold of the defense genes PAL, PR3, PR1, Lox1, Lox 23, LecRK6.1, WRKY20, and Cupi4 compared to heathy cucumber. The results suggests the BABA induced defense response is associated with SA signal pathway-dependent systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in cucumber, which is involved in plant resistance mechanisms.

The bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) is used as a food additive and herbal medicine for various inflammatory disorders and cancer in Eastern Asia. RVS exerted anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, but whether this effect occurs in macrophages after oral administration has not been determined. We used a thioglycollate-induced peritonitis model to obtain macrophages from mice given RVS. We examined the systemic inflammatory response to intraperitoneal LPS. RVS-treated mice had an increased population of peritoneal exudate cells expressing CD11b and SRA. Increased uptake of Alexa Fluor 488-labeled acetylated lipoprotein was observed in monocyte-derived macrophages from RVS-treated mice. When these cells from the RVS group were stimulated with LPS, the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- and interleukin (IL)-6 in the supernatant decreased, but the level of IL-12 increased. The surface expression of CD86 was reduced, but surface expression of class II MHC molecules was increased. RVS suppressed the serum levels of LPS-induced TNF- and IL-6. RVS enhanced monocyte differentiation in thioglycollate-induced peritonitis by increasing scavenger receptor expression and activity. Macrophages isolated from mice given RVS responded differently to LPS. These findings demonstrate that RVS confers selective anti-inflammatory activity without causing the overall inhibitory effects on immune cells.

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.

Enveloped viruses represent a significant category of pathogens that cause serious diseases in animals. These viruses express envelope glycoproteins that are singularly important during infection of host cells by mediating fusion between the viral envelope and host cell membranes. Despite low homology at protein levels, three classes of viral fusion proteins have, as of yet, been identified based on structural similarities. Their incorporation into viral particles is dependent upon their proper sub-cellular localization after being expressed and folded properly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, viral protein expression can cause stress in the ER, and host cells respond to alleviate the ER stress in the form of the unfolded protein response (UPR); the effects of which have been observed potentiating or inhibiting viral infection. One important arm of UPR is to elevate the capacity of the ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway, which is comprised of host quality control machinery that ensures proper protein folding. In this review, we provide relevant details regarding viral envelope glycoproteins, UPR, ERAD, and their interactions in host cells.

Objectives: To assess clinical implications of increased nuchal translucency (INT) in twin pregnancies based on the chorionicity. Methods: This was a retrospective review of the twin pregnancies who underwent first trimester ultrasound with nuchal translucency (NT) measurement at 11-13 weeks of gestation from January 2006 to December 2014. Data were collected using the OB database and the chart review. Pregnancy outcomes including gestational weeks at the delivery, abnormal fetal karyotypes, fetal structural anomalies, twin specific complications were analyzed. Results: A total of 1,622 twin pregnancies with INT≥95th percentile in one or both fetuses were identified. In all twin pregnancies with INT, abnormal fetal karyotypes were identified in 17 (8.6%) patients (odds ratio=13.28, CI=5.990-29.447, P=0.000) and twin-specific complications were identified in 23 (11.6%) patients (odds ratio=2.398, CI=1.463-3.928, P=0.001) compared to those with normal NT. Among the INT group, when the groups were subdivided into monochorionic (MC) and dichorionic (DC) pregnancies, 14.8% and 29.6% of the MC pregnancies had structural anomalies in one or both fetuses (odds ratio=5.774, 95% CI=1.445-23.071, P=0.01) and twin-specific complications (odds ratio=4.379, 95% CI=1.641-11.684, P=0.03), respectively, compared to DC pregnancies. The prevalence of abnormal fetal karyotypes was not statistically different in patients with INT when compared between MC and DC pregnancies (P=0.329). Conclusions: INT was associated with a higher rate of twin-specific complications and fetal structural anomalies in MC twin pregnancies rather than abnormal fetal karyotype. Therefore, NT measurement in MC twin pregnancies can be a useful tool for prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Appropriate counseling and surveillance based on the chorionicity is imperative in prenatal care of twin pregnancies.

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.

Infection control among patients is critical for diseases like COVID-19. The concentration of patients in a few facilities burdens healthcare providers and the healthcare system. This study examined the operations of an extended anteroom in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. It presents issues to consider in the deployment and operation of an extended anteroom through discussions by expert working groups. The subjects covered included efficient space, staffing, equipment management, and education. The process involved wearing personal protective equipment (PPE; in this case, Level D), and if necessary, wearing additional powered air purification respirators (PAPR), after moving from the preparation room to the dressing room, and when entering the hospital through the entrance passage. When leaving the hospital, personnel used a mandatory exit-only passage; in the dressing room, they undressed, and then went outside, in this order. The efficient spatial composition of the anteroom facilitated entry and exit and the separation of contaminated areas and non-contaminated areas using colors and lines. It is necessary to develop operational guidelines for hospitals that treat infectious diseases and conduct research to improve care. The study indicated the need to develop educational programs and use educational simulations to address regionally spread infectious diseases

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that Glycine max hydrolyzed with enzymes from Bacillus velezensis KMU01 has on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Hydrolysis improves functional health through the bioconversion of raw materials and increase in intestinal absorption rate and antioxidants. Therefore, G. max was hydrolyzed in this study using a food-derived microorganism, and its anti-inflammatory effect observed. Enzymatically hydrolyzed G. max (EHG) was orally administered once daily for four weeks before DSS treatment. Colitis was induced in mice through consumption of 5% (w/v) DSS in drinking water for eight days. Results showed that EHG treatment significantly alleviated DSS-induced body weight loss and decreased the disease activity index and colon length. In addition, EHG markedly reduced tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, and IL-6 production, and increased that of IL-10. EHG improved DSS-induced histological changes and intestinal epithelial barrier integrity in mice. Moreover, we found that the abundance of 15 microorganisms changed significantly; that of Proteobacteria and Escherichia coli, which are upregulated in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, decreased after EHG treatment. These results suggest that EHG has a protective effect against DSS-induced colitis and is a potential candidate for colitis treatment.

Workplace bullying is a prevalent issue with a significant impact on employees’ mental health. This study aimed to explore the relationship between workplace bullying and the prevalence of depression with a particular focus on the role of gender. A total of 12,344 Korean employees aged 19–65 years were included in the study. They completed questionnaires including the Korean version of the Occupational Stress Scale, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A score of 16 or higher in CES-D indicated depression. The association between workplace bullying and depression was analyzed using logistic regression analyses. The average CES-D scores were higher for both male and female employees who experienced bullying than for those who did not (p &lt; 0.001). The association between the experience of workplace bullying and the prevalence of depression was statistically significant for both genders, with a stronger correlation observed among male employees (p for interaction &lt;0.001). Organizations are urged to address workplace bullying, particularly for male employees, through the implementation of anti-bullying strategies and policies, as well as the provision of mental health resources and support.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been an important source of income for communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin in Peru for hundreds of years. However, in recent decades, the scale of ASGM activities in the region has increased dramatically, and exposures to a variety of occupational and environmental hazards related to ASGM, including mercury, are becoming more widespread. The aims of our study were to: (1) examine patterns in the total hair mercury level of human participants in several communities in the region and compare these results to the 2.2 µg/g total hair mercury level equivalent to the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA)’s Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI); and (2), to measure the mercury levels of paco (Piaractus brachypomus) fish raised in local aquaculture ponds, in order to compare these levels to the EPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion of 0.3 µg Hg/g fish (wet weight). We collected hair samples from 80 participants in four communities (one control and three where ASGM activities occurred) in the region, and collected 111 samples from fish raised in 24 local aquaculture farms. We then analyzed the samples for total mercury. Total mercury levels in hair were statistically significantly higher in the mining communities than in the control community, and increased with increasing distance away from the Madre de Dios headwaters (as the crow flies), did not differ by sex, and frequently exceeded the reference level. Regression analyses indicated that higher hair mercury levels were associated with residence in ASGM communities. The analysis of paco fish samples found no samples that exceeded the EPA tissue residue criterion. Collectively, these results align with other recent studies showing that ASGM activities are associated with elevated human mercury exposure. The fish farmed through the relatively new process of aquaculture in ASGM areas appeared to have little potential to contribute to human mercury exposure. More research is needed on human health risks associated with ASGM to discern occupational, residential, and nutritional exposure, especially through tracking temporal changes in mercury levels as fish ponds age, and assessing levels in different farmed fish species. Additionally, research is needed to definitively determine that elevated mercury levels in humans and fish result from the elemental mercury from mining, rather than from a different source, such as the mercury released from soil erosion during deforestation events from mining or other activities.

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.

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

Circadian rhythm disruptions are a hallmark feature of mood disorders. Patients experiencing acute depressive episodes report noticeable changes in their sleep-wake cycles. This research explains the association between depression and various circadian rhythm metrics, explicitly focusing on adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorders. Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant physiological and psychological changes, making it imperative to understand how mood disorders manifest during this phase. However, there have been minimal specific studies in pediatric populations to determine whether circadian rhythm changes differ between adolescents with first- and multiple-recurrent depressive episodes. Our study involved a group of 61 adolescents aged between 13 and 18. We performed a cross-sectional study of a clinical popu-lation of patients presenting to a child and adolescent psychiatry clinic diagnosed with depression. Participants were asked to complete self-report evaluations using several tools: The Korean ver-sion of the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (K-BRIAN), the Korean Translation of Composite Scale to Measure Morningness-Eveningness (KtCS), and the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). Tools such as the Children's Depression In-ventory (CDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and K-Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ) were employed for the assessment of clinical characteristics of depression. Based on the frequency of their depressive episodes, participants were bifurcated into two distinct groups: those experi-encing their first episode (n=22, mean age: 15.09±1.44 years) and those with recurrent episodes (n=39, mean age: 15.95±1.26 years). At first, the two groups' data revealed no significant differences regarding mood or circadian rhythm metrics (CDI: first-episode 26.18±10.54 and recurrent episode 25.90±10.59, STAI-S: first-episode 56.91±12.12 and recurrent episode 57.49±11.93, STAI-T: first-episode 60.36±11.63 and recurrent episode 59.09±12.10, SPAQ-total: first-episode 6.59±4.86 and recurrent episode 6.77±5.23, KtCS: first-episode 30.32±5.83 and recurrent episode 28.13±7.36). However, we observed significant correlations between circadian rhythm disruptions and depression scales (CDI with SPAQ-weight (r=0.26), KtCS (r=-0.48), K-BRIAN-sleep (r=0.58), K-BRIAN-activity (r=0.64), K-BRIAN-social (r=0.71) and K-BRIAN-eating (r=0.40)). These correlations were especially pronounced in the recurrent episode group, suggesting that with the progression and chronicity of depression, the relationship between circadian rhythms and depression becomes more intertwined and evident. In conclusion, especially in adolescents, as the severity and chronicity of depression increase, the interplay between circadian rhythms and mood disorders becomes more pronounced, warranting further research and clinical attention.

Bisphenols are widely used in the synthesis of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins and thermal paper, which are used in manufacturing items of daily use. Packaged foods and drinks are the main sources of exposure to bisphenols. These chemicals affect humans and animals by disrupting the estrogen, androgen, progesterone, thyroid, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor functions. Bisphenols exert numerous harmful effects because of their interaction with receptors, ROS formation, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell signal alterations. Both cohort and case-control studies have determined an association between bisphenol exposure and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, reproductive abnormalities, obesity, and diabetes. Prenatal exposure to bisphenol results in developmental disorders in animals. These chemicals also affect the immune cells and play a significant role in initiating the inflammatory response. Exposure to bisphenols exhibit age, gender, and dose-dependent effects. Even at low concentrations, bisphenols exert toxicity, and hence deserve a critical assessment for their uses. Since bisphenols have a global influence on human health, the need to discover the underlying pathways involved in all disease conditions is essential. Furthermore, it is important to promote the use of alternatives for bisphenols, thereby restricting their uses.

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of velamentous cord insertion (VCI) and the actual association between pathologically confirmed VCI and perinatal outcomes in twins based on the chorionicity. Methods All twin pregnancies who received prenatal care at a specialty clinic for multiple pregnancies, from less than 12weeks of gestation until delivery in a single institution between 2015 and 2018 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Results A total of the 941 twins were included in the study. The prevalence of VCI in dichorionic (DC) twins and monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins was 5.8% and 7.8%, respectively (p=0.251). In all study population, the prevalence of vasa previa and placenta accreta were higher in VCI group compared to that of non-VCI group (p=0.008 and 0.022). In MCDA twins with VCI, birth weight, 1 and 5-minute Apgar score were lower compared to DC twins with VCI (p=0.010, 0.002 and 0.000). There was no significant association between VCI and selective fetal growth restriction (p=0.708), twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (p=0.400) and birth-weight discordance (>20% and >25%) (p= 0.378 and 0.161) in MCDA twins. Conclusion VCI in twins was not a risk factor for adverse perinatal outcomes and twin-specific complications.

Accurate weight measurement is pivotal for monitoring the growth and well-being of cattle. However, the conventional weighing process, which involves physically placing cattle on scales, is labor-intensive and distressing for the animals. Hence, the development of automated cattle weight prediction techniques assumes critical significance. This study proposes a weight prediction approach for Korean cattle using 3D segmentation-based feature extraction and regression machine learning techniques from incomplete 3D shapes acquired from real farm environments. In the initial phase, we generated mesh data of 3D Korean cattle shapes using a multiple-camera system. Subsequently, deep learning-based 3D segmentation with the PointNet network model was employed to segment two dominant parts of the cattle. From these segmented parts, three crucial dimensions of Korean cattle were extracted. Finally, we implemented five regression machine learning models (CatBoost regression, LightGBM, Polynomial regression, Random Forest regression, and XGBoost regression) for weight prediction. To validate our approach, we captured 270 Korean cattle in various poses, totaling 1190 poses of 270 cattle. The best result was achieved with mean absolute error (MAE) of 25.2 kg and mean absolute percent error (MAPE) of 5.81% using the random forest regression model.

Some time ago, Kobayashi et al. experimentally studied the so-called Lee-Naughton-Lebed's (LNL) angular effect in strong electric fields [K. Kobayashi, M. Saito, E. Omichi, and T. Osada, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{96}, 126601 (2006)]. They found that strong electric fields split the LNL conductivity maxima in $\alpha$-(ET)$_2$-based organic conductor and hypothetically introduced the corresponding equation for conductivity. In this Letter, for the first time we suggest quantum mechanical theory of the LNL angular oscillations in moderately strong electric fields. In particular, we demonstrate that the obtained by us approximate theoretical formula coincides with the hypothetical one and well describes the above mentioned experiments.

This study presents a novel approach for automating the body condition scoring of dairy cows, leveraging advancements in 3D imaging technology and deep neural networks. The primary objective was to design and implement a system capable of accurately and efficiently assessing the body condition of dairy cows, a critical metric in livestock management for optimizing health and productivity. To achieve this, a 3D camera was employed to capture detailed point cloud data, reconstructing the three-dimensional morphology of individual cows. The obtained data were then fed into a deep neural network, specifically tailored for the task of ranking body condition. The neural network was trained on a diverse dataset of annotated body condition score representing varying degrees of body condition, ensuring robust performance across different physiological states. The results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed system in automatically and objectively scoring the body condition of dairy cows. The automated process not only expedites the assessment but also reduces the subjectivity associated with manual scoring methods. This innovative approach holds promise for improving the efficiency of dairy farm management by providing timely and accurate body condition assessments. The integration of 3D imaging and deep learning techniques paves the way for future advancements in precision livestock farming, contributing to enhanced animal welfare, optimized production, and sustainable agriculture practices.

Antibiotics’ effect on Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection still remains controversial. A prospective study of 257 children with MP pneumonia during a recent epidemic (2015-2016) was conducted. All MP pneumonia patients were treated with corticosteroids within 24-36 h after admission. Initially, oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg) or intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) (1-2 mg/kg) was administered for mild pneumonia patients, and IVMP (5 -10 mg/kg/day) for severe pneumonia patients. If patients showed persistent fever for 36-48 hours or disease progression, additive IVMP (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) was given. Eighty-five patients received only a broad-spectrum antibiotic without macrolide. The mean age and the male:female ratio were 5.6 ± 3.1 years, respectively. Seventy-four percent of patients (190/257) showed immediate defervescence within 24 h, and 95.7% (246/257) of patients showed defervescence within 72 h with improvements in clinical symptoms. Eight patients who received additive IVMP also showed clinical improvement within 48 h without adverse reactions. There were no clinical or laboratory differences between patients treated with a macrolide (n = 172) and without (n = 85). Early corticosteroid therapy might reduce disease morbidity and prevent disease progression in MP pneumonia patients without side effects, and antibiotics may have limited effects on MP infection.

The non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have affected the epidemiology of other respiratory viruses. In South Korea, Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) typically occurs from winter to the following spring; however, it was not detected for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and re-emerged in the fall of 2022, which is a non-epidemic season. To examine the molecular genetic characteristics of HMPV before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed 427 HMPV-positive samples collected in the Gwangju area from 2018 to 2022. Among these, 24 samples were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. The results showed a shift in the predominant genotype from A2b2 before the COVID-19 pandemic to A2b1 in 2022. Furthermore, a significant increase in HMPV cases was observed in the 6–10-year age group. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing have reduced the possibility of HMPV exposure and herd immunity due to non-transmission, resulting in the introduction of new HMPV genotypes in different seasons.

Since severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019, it has spread rapidly, and many coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases have occurred in Gwangju, South Korea. Viral mutations following the COVID-19 epidemic have increased interest in the characteristics of epidemics in this region, and pathogen genetic analysis is required for infection control and prevention. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome analysis was performed on samples from patients with COVID-19 in Gwangju from 2020 to 2022 to identify the trends in COVID-19 prevalence and to analyze the phylogenetic tree of dominant variants. B.41 and B.1.497 prevailed in 2020, the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak; then, B.1.619.1 mainly occurred until June 2021. B.1.617.2, classified as sublineage AY.69 and AY.122, occurred continuously from July to December 2021. Since strict measures to strengthen national quarantine management had been implemented in South Korea until this time, mutations phylogenetic analysis was also able to infer the epidemiological relationship between infection transmission routes. Since the first identification of the Omicron variant in late December 2021, the spread of infection has been very rapid, and weekly whole-genome analysis of specimens has enabled us to monitor new Omicron sublineage occurring in Gwangju. Our study suggests that conducting reginal surveillance in addition to nation-level genomic surveillance will enable more rapid and detailed variant surveillance, which will be helpful in the overall prevention and management of infectious diseases.

Transcriptionally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is a highly conserved protein performing a large number of cellular functions by binding with various partner proteins. The importance of its roles in many diseases requires an assay method to find regulatory compounds. However, the molecular characteristics of TCTP made it difficult to search for chemicals interacting with it. In this study, a tryptophan-based assay method was designed and Y151W mutant TCTP was constructed to search binding chemicals. Since there is no tryptophan in the native sequence of TCTP, the incorporation of tryptophan in the Y151W mutant was very effective to establish the method. A flavonoid library was employed to the assay with the method. With the native and Y151W mutant TCTPs, three flavonoids such as morin, myricetin and isobavachalcone have been found to interact with TCTP. Combined with native gel electrophoresis, the binding region of isobavachalcone was suggested to be the flexible loop of TCTP. This approach can be easily applicable to find binding compounds of proteins with similar molecular characteristics of TCTP.

Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominantly inherited fatal neurodegenerative disease. It affects motor, cognitive and psychiatric functions, and ultimately leads to death. The pathology of the disease is due to an expansion of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene on chromosome 4, which produces a mutant huntingtin protein (mhtt). HD patients manifest a typical phenotype of sporadic, rapid, involuntary control of limb movement, stiffness of limbs, impaired cognition and severe psychiatric disturbances. A variety of symptomatic treatments (which target excitotoxicity, the dopamine pathway, caspases, aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, transcriptional dysregulation, mHtt, nucleic acid, neurodegeneration, fetal neural transplants, etc.) are currently available, and new symptomatic and potentially disease-modifying therapies are being actively developed. Recent advances in novel therapeutic strategies, including targeting mutant huntingtin (mhtt) and the htt gene, promise another wave of disease-modifying trials in the near future. A better appreciation of heterogeneous clinical phenomenology and immediate tractable treatment goals coupled with advances in new therapeutics heralds a golden age of HD treatment that will positively impact the quality of life and longevity of HD patients and inform advances in other inherited and neurodegenerative neurological disorders. In the present review literature, our aims to address the latest research on promising therapeutics based on influencing the hypothesized pathological mechanisms associated with HD.

The work proposes a backtesting analysis in comparison between the Lee-Carter and the Cairns-Blake-Dowd mortality models, employing Italian data. The mortality data come from the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) database and span the period 1975-2014, over which we computed back-projections evaluating the performances of the models in comparisons with real data. We propose three different backtest approaches, evaluating the goodness of short-run forecast versus medium-length ones. We find that both models were not able to capture the improving shock on the mortality observed for the male population on the analyzed period. Moreover, the results suggest that CBD forecast are reliable prevalently for ages above 75, and that LC forecast are basically more accurate for this data.

Hemangioblasts give rise to endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which also express the cell surface markers CD133 and C-kit. They may differentiate into the outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) that control neovascularization in the developing embryo. Reduced levels of EPC in circulation have been linked to human cardiovascular disorders, according to numerous studies. Furthermore, preeclampsia and senescence have been linked to levels of EPCs produced from cord blood. Uncertainties surround how preeclampsia affects the way EPCs function. It is reasonable to speculate that preeclampsia may have an impact on the function of fetal EPCs during the in utero period; however, given the present literature's suggestion that maternal vasculopathies, including preeclampsia, damage fetal circulation. Additionally, the differentiation potential and general activity of EPCs may serve as an indicator of the health of the fetal vascular system since they promote neovascularization and repair during pregnancy. Thus, the purpose of this review is to compare, through assessment of their quantity, differentiation potency, angiogenic activity, and senescence, the angiogenic function of fetal EPCs obtained from cord blood for normal and pregnancy problems. This will shed light on the relationship between the angiogenic function of fetal EPCs and pregnancy complications, which could have an effect on the management of long-term health issues like metabolic and cardiovascular disorders in offspring with abnormal vasculature development.

This study explores innovation and sustainability within the Construction, Environment, and Territory (CAT) curriculum in Italian Upper Secondary Schools. It begins with an overview of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and its integration at various educational levels, focusing on technical/vocational curricula in Upper Secondary Education. The study examines the evolution of the technician's role, the CAT pathway in the Italian educational system, and comparisons with other European contexts. It analyzes the alignment between skills developed during the CAT course and the professional competencies required by the community and job market. A survey conducted among recent graduates and companies involved in the Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO) at a CAT-focused school reveals significant training and professional needs related to Sustainable Development. To address these needs, the study proposes integrating ministerial programs in professional disciplines such as Topography, Building and Technological Systems Design, and Geopedology, Economics, and Appraisal, with new modules dedicated to Sustainable Development. These modules are to be integrated into the last three years of the course, utilizing the autonomy and flexibility in curricular planning per-mitted by current regulations. Additionally, the proposal includes actions to redistribute existing educational modules within ministerial programs without increasing teaching hours. An initial step in updating professional discipline programs involves implementing a cross-disciplinary educational path within Civic Education, focusing on Sustainable Mobility. The investigation, evaluation, and educational design process presented in this study aims to serve as a model for swiftly implementing structured curriculum reforms, emphasizing educational innovation and comprehensive student preparation to meet emerging social and professional needs.

An understanding of the mechanism underlying fruit ripening is critical for fruit quality improvement. Although post-harvest ethylene application is known to enhance the onset of fruit ripening, exact mechanisms remain unclear. To characterize the fruit ripening process and mechanism, we investigated the effects of exposing kiwifruit cultivars ‘Hayward’ and ‘Gamrok’ to exogenous ethylene treatment post-harvest using comprehensive proteomic analyses. Comparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that most of the proteins aggregated in ethylene-treated samples compared to the control (non-treated). We observed that among all ethylene treatments, 95 proteins from ‘Hayward’ and 106 from ‘Gamrok’ were differentially expressed. Interestingly, among the elicited protein successfully identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry, 50% from “Hayward’ and 60% from ‘Gamrok’ are associated with fruit ripening. Furthermore, 18% and 10% of proteins, respectively, are associated with defense response, whereas other major proteins are related to protein biosynthesis and photosynthesis/Calvin cycle. Interactions between identified proteins were demonstrated by bioinformatic analysis, providing insights into biological pathways and molecular functions in post-harvest kiwifruit ripening elicited by ethylene application. The present proteomic study in accordance with physiological analysis provides a quantitative evaluation of fruit ripening in response to exogenous ethylene in post-harvest kiwifruit.

Kummerowia striata is a traditional medicine used for the therapy of inflammation-related diseases. Herein, we investigated the anti-melanogenic and antioxidant activities of an ethanolic extract of K. striata (EKS) using a number of in vitro and cell culture model systems. The anti-melanogenic effect was assessed in B16F10 melanoma cells based on melanin synthesis and in vitro tyrosinase inhibitory activity and the anti-oxidant activity assays were performed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2ʹ-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS); EKS exhibited strong anti-oxidant activities in both the assays. The expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1, tyrosinase-related protein 2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor was decreased in a dose-dependent manner at mRNA and protein levels upon treatment with EKS. Notably, EKS did not affect the cell viability at all the EKS concentrations used in this study, indicating that EKS-mediated inhibition of melanin synthesis is not accompanied with cytotoxicity. Collectively, our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that EKS possesses anti-melanogenic and anti-oxidant activities, and suggest that further evaluation and development of EKS as a functional supplement or cosmetic might be useful for skin whitening and for reduction wrinkles.

Retinal apoptosis plays a critical role in the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR), a common diabetic complication. Currently, the tight control of blood glucose levels is the standard approach to prevent or delay the progression of DR. However, prevalence of DR among diabetic patients remains high. Focusing on natural nutrients or herbal medicines that can prevent or delay the onset of diabetic complications, we administered an ethanol extract of the aerial portion of Osteomeles Schwerinae (OSSCE), a Chinese herbal medicine, over a period of 17 weeks to spontaneously diabetic Torii (SDT) rats. OSSCE was found to ameliorate retinal apoptosis through the regulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function via inhibition of NF-κB activity, in turn through the downregulation of PKCδ, P47phox, and ERK1/2. We further demonstrated in 25 mM glucose-treated human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) that hyperoside (3-O-galactoside-quercetin), quercitrin (3-O-rhamnoside-quercetin), and 2''-O-acetylvitexin (8-C-(2''-O-acetyl-glucoside)-apigenin) were the active components of OSSCE that mediated its pharmacological action. Our results provide evidence that OSSCE is a powerful agent that may directly mediate a delay in development or disease improvement in patients of DR.

Our aim was to investigate the impact of shiftwork on changes in central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), a measure of arteriolar width, and central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE), a measure of venular width, over five years. Participants were 117 officers (72.7% men) examined at the first (2011-2014) and second (2015-2019) follow-up examinations of the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress study. Shiftwork data were obtained from City of Buffalo, NY payroll records. Retinal diameters were measured using a standardized protocol. ANCOVA was used to compare mean change in CRAE and CRVE between the two examinations across shiftwork categories. Among men only, those who worked ≥70% hours on day shift had a larger decrease in mean CRAE (-7.13±2.51) compared to those who worked <70% day (-0.08±0.96); p=0.011. Among patrol officers, those who worked ≥70% day had a larger decrease in CRAE compared with those who worked <70% day; p=0.015. Also, officers who worked ≥70% day had an increase in mean CRVE (µm) (4.56±2.56) compared to those who worked <70% (-2.32±1.32); p=0.027. Over the five-year period, we observed adverse changes in arteriolar and venular diameters among officers who worked ≥70% on day shift. Results should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted health care worldwide. As the pandemic has been prolonged, quarantine restrictions have been lightened gradu-ally, which can influence outcomes of pediatric patients with chronic disease such as epi-lepsy by increase of susceptibility of the COVID-19 infection. The aim of this study was to determine impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on seizure control and identify potential risk factors that might worsen seizure attacks during the pandemic in children with epilepsy. We performed a retrospective chart review of 48 pediatric patients with epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2016 to July 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, 25% of pediatric patients experienced sei-zure worsening, showing an increase in seizure frequency or duration or both. Factors associated with worsening seizures during pandemic were: diagnosis of epi-lepsy less than one year, comorbid conditions with cerebral palsy or having a tracheosto-my or a PEG, and infection with other viruses (respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus A, influenza virus B) rather than COVID-19 infection. Our finding highlights the need to proactively monitor and regularly follow up (es-pecially short period of time) patients after they are diagnosed with epilepsy. It is also important to properly manage those who are susceptible to serious illness and keep sea-sonal viral infections under surveillance to manage exacerbated seizure in children with epilepsy. Furthermore, pediatric physicians should not overlook surveillance of seasonal respiratory viruses since quarantine restrictions are getting eased.

The affinity constant, also known as the equilibrium constant, binding constant, equilibrium association constant, or the reciprocal value, the equilibrium dissociation constant (K_d), can be considered as one of the most important characteristics for any antibody-antigen pair. Many methods based on different technologies have been proposed and used to determine this value. However, since a very large number of publications and commercial datasheets do not include this information, significant obstacles in performing such measurements seem to exist. In other cases where such data are reported, the results have often proved to be unreliable. This situation may indicate that most of the technologies available today require a high level of expertise that does not seem to be available in many laboratories. In this paper, we present a simple approach based on standard immunoassay technology that is easy and quick to perform. It relies on the effect that the molar IC₅₀ approaches the K_d value in the case of infinitely small concentrations of the reagent concentrations. A two-dimensional dilution of the reagents leads to an asymptotic convergence to K_d. The approach has some similarity to the well-known checkerboard titration used for the optimization of immunoassays. A well-known antibody against the FLAG peptide, clone M2, was used as a model system and the results were compared with other methods. This approach could be used in any case where a competitive assay is available or can be developed. The determination of an affinity constant should belong to the crucial parameters in any quality control of antibody-related products and assays and should be mandatory in papers using immunochemical protocols.

As a representative of Exponential Organizations, MI went from obscurity to the Fortune 500 in just ten years. Mi's success is inextricably linked to its outstanding business model. This paper summarizes the elements of MI's business model from four perspectives: value proposition, value creation, value delivery, and value capture, as well as its measures for developing into an exponential organization. Expecting to provide theoretical references for the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing organizations.

We report the use of four-layer graphene (4LG) as a highly reliable transparent conductive electrode (TCE) for polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)-based smart window devices. The adhesion between 4LG and the substrate was successfully improved through a water-induced interface-cleaning (WIIC) process. We compared the performance of a device with a WIIC-processed 4LG electrode with that of devices with a conventional Indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and a 4LG electrode without a WIIC. With the application of the WIIC process, the PDLC smart window with a 4LG electrode exhibited reduced turn-on voltage and haze compared to 4LG without the WIIC process and characteristics comparable to those of the ITO electrode. Based on our observations, we conclude that 4LG with WIIC is a promising TCE for flexible smart windows.

Jasmonates (JAs), including jasmonic acid (JA) and its biologically active derivative JA-Ile, are lipid-derived plant signalling molecules. They govern plant responses to stresses, such as wounding and insect herbivory. Wounding elicits a rapid increase of JA and JA-Ile levels as well as the expression of JAR1, coding for the enzyme involved in JA-Ile biosynthesis. Endogenous increase and application of JAs, such as MeJA, a JA methylester, result in increased defence levels, often accompanied by diminished growth. The function of jarin-1 in Arabidopsis thaliana was assessed. To investigate whether jarin-1 does function similarly in other plants, we tested this in Medicago truncatula, Solanum lycopersicum, and Brassica nigra seedlings in a root growth inhibition assay. Application of jarin-1 alleviated the inhibition of root growth after MeJA application in M. truncatula seedlings, proving that jarin-1 is biologically active in M. truncatula. Jarin-1 did not show, however, a similar effect in S. lycopersicum and B. nigra seedlings treated with MeJA. Even JA-Ile levels were not affected by application of jarin-1 in wounded leaf disks from S. lycopersicum. Based on these results, we conclude that the effect of jarin-1 is highly species-specific. Researchers intending to use jarin-1 for studying the function of JAR1 or JA-Ile in their model plants, must test its functionality before use.

The calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) mediate transcriptional regulation of development, growth, and responses to various environmental stresses in plants. To characterize the biological processes of soybean CAMTA (GmCAMTA) family members in response to abiotic stress, we identified 15 GmCAMTA genes from soybean (Glycine max L.) and investigated their roles in the abiotic stress response. The transcriptions of GmCAMTAs exhibited distinct circadian regulation patterns and were expressed differently in response to salt, drought, and cold stresses, except ABA. Interestingly, the expression levels of GmCAMTA2, GmCAMTA8, and GmCAMTA12 were higher in stem tissue than in other soybean tissues. To determine the roles of GmCAMTAs in the regulation of developmental processes and stress responses, we isolated GmCAMTA2 and GmCAMTA8 cDNAs from soybean and generated Arabidopsis overexpressing transgenic plants. The GmCAMTA2-OX and GmCAMTA8-OX plants showed hypersensitivity to drought stress. The water in the leaves of GmCAMTA2-OX and GmCAMTA8-OX plants was lost faster than that in WT plants under drought stress conditions. In addition, stress-responsive genes in the GmCAMTA2-OX and GmCAMTA8-OX plants were down-regulated under drought stress conditions. Our results suggest that GmCAMTA2 and GmCAMTA8 genes are regulated by circadian rhythms and function as negative regulators in development and drought stress responses.

The geographical environment, food culture, and dietary habits are substantially different between the southern and northern regions in China. We investigated the associations with dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome between Chinese adult from the southern and northern regions (North: 1249; South: 1849) using data from the Chinese Health and Nutrition 2009 survey. Respectively, four dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis in the two regions. Each dietary pattern of factor score was calculated for three groups by tertile (T1<T2<T3). In the northern region, the association between the Alcohol and Western pattern and the risk of abdominal obesity (OR: 1.31; 95%:1.01, 1.68), hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.35; 95%:1.05, 1.74), high fasting blood glucose (OR: 1.37; 95%: 1.05, 1.80), and hypertension (OR: 1.55; 95%: 1.45, 1.99) was increased. In the southern region, the Convenience Food pattern was positively associated with hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.53; 95%: 1.03, 2.26), low HDL-cholesterol (OR: 1.96; 95%: 1.12, 3.43), and metabolic syndrome (OR: 1.79; 95%: 1.03, 3.11). The Alcohol dietary pattern was positively associated with high fasting blood glucose (OR: 1.83, 95%: 1.13, 2.97). There are some dietary pattern differences in the two regions. It is necessary to consider the factors of food culture and food intake habits in order to provide nutrition education to Chinese individuals from different regions in the future.

Our lives are comprised of moment-to-moment activity experiences. According to the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), our occupational experiences can be affected by volition, which consists of personal causation, values, and interests. This study investigated how momentary volition affected occupational satisfaction and mind-wandering while performing occupations. This study also examined the relationship between momentary volition and the overall life perspectives of life satisfaction and life balance. Undergraduate students participated in this cross-sectional study. The experience sampling method (ESM) was used to measure students’ momentary states such as activity, volition, occupational satisfaction, and mind-wandering. After conducting the ESM, the participants’ life satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and their life balance was measured by the Life Balance Inventory (LBI). Forty-two participants and 1,092 sampling data were included in the analysis. Momentary personal causation, values, and interests contributed to occupational satisfaction. Mind-wandering was predicted negatively by interests but positively by personal causation. Momentary interests were positively correlated with SWLS and LBI scores. This study demonstrated that momentary volition was associated with occupational satisfaction and engagement, as well as life satisfaction and balance, in undergraduate students.

The aim of the study is to assess the loads that are transferred from the main rotor and the tail rotor to the helicopter fuselage. These loads change in the various phases of the transient flight as a result of the variable control of the maneuver and as a result of the variable flow around the blades. The knowledge of the loads allows for the proper selection of the level of excitations that should load the fuselage structure during fatigue and strength tests. The simulation model describing the helicopter flight is discussed. This model takes into account the motion of each blade relative to its hinges. Results are shown for two maneuvers - pullup/pushover and diving. The values of extreme loads transferred to the fuselage were obtained.

Depressive disorder in childhood and adolescence is a highly prevalent mood disorder that tends to recur throughout life. Untreated mood disorders can adversely impact a patient's quality of life and cause socioeconomic loss. Thus, an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment is crucial. However, until now, diagnoses and treatments are conducted according to clinical symptoms. Objective and biological validation are lacking. This may result in a poor outcome for patients with depressive disorder. Research has been conducted to identify the biomarkers that are related to depressive disorder. Cumulative evidence has revealed that certain immunologic biomarkers in-cluding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokines, gastrointestinal biomarkers, hormones, oxidative stress, and certain hypothalamus-pituitary axis biomarkers are associated with depressive disorder. This article reviews the biomarkers related to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric depressive disorders. To date, clinical biomarker tests are not yet available for diagnosis or for the prediction of treatment prognosis. However, cytokines such as Interleukin-2, interfer-on-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and BDNF have shown significant results in previous studies of pediatric depressive disorder. These biomarkers have the potential to be used for diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and group screening for those at high risk.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising chemotherapeutic agent because of its selective apoptotic action on cancer cells. However, resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis remains a challenge in many cancers. The gintonin-enriched Panax ginseng extract fraction (GEF) has diverse pharmacological benefits. We explored the combined efficacy of GEF and TRAIL in inducing apoptosis in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. The effect of GEF treatment on viability, clonogenic potential, wound healing, and TRAIL-induced apoptotic signaling of RCC cells was studied in vitro. Our investigation revealed that GEF pre-treatment sensitized RCC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, as evidenced by DNA fragmentation and cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration inhibition. This sensitization was linked to the upregulation of death receptors 4 and 5 and alterations in apoptotic protein expression; notably, decreased expression of Mu-2-related death-inducing gene, a novel anti-apoptotic protein. Our findings underscore the necessity of caspase activation for GEF/TRAIL-induced apoptosis using the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK. It demonstrates that GEF sensitizes human RCC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by upregulating DR4/5 and modulating apoptotic protein expression. These findings suggest a promising strategy for overcoming TRAIL resistance in cancer therapy and highlight the potential of GEF as a valuable adjunct to TRAIL-based treatments.

Coastal cliffs erode in response to short- and long-term environmental changes but predicting these changes continues to be a challenge. In addition to a chronic lack of data on the cliff face, vegetation presence and growth can bias our erosion measurements and limit our ability to detect geomorphic erosion by obscuring the cliff face. This paper builds on past research segmenting vegetation in 3-band red, green, blue (RGB) imagery and presents two approaches to segmenting and filtering vegetation from the bare cliff face in dense point clouds constructed from RGB images and structure-from-motion (SfM) software. Vegetation indices were computed from previously published research and their utility in segmenting vegetation from bare cliff face were compared against machine learning (ML) models for point cloud segmentation. Results demonstrate that, while existing vegetation indices and ML models are both capable of segmenting vegetation and bare cliff face sediments, ML models can be more efficient and robust across different growing seasons. ML model accuracy quickly reached an asymptote with only two layers and RGB images only (i.e., no vegetation indices), suggesting that these more parsimonious models may be more robust to a range of environmental conditions than existing vegetation indices which vary substantially from one growing season to another with changes in vegetation phenology.

Mental wellness can be related to healthier living, the learning process and working environments for people in the university community. A wide range of mental wellness programmes have been explored to provide students with pleasant and satisfying experiences. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of integrating Zen meditation(禪)and music listening on the mindfulness and happiness levels of university music therapy students. Qualitative methodology was used, and data were collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews. To investigate various aspects of data regarding the role of meditation and music (MM) programme for mindfulness and happiness, this study used thematic analysis within a qualitative research design. The results of this study indicate that the 8-week MM programme is effective in enhancing mindfulness and happiness and has positive responses to daily life stress (e.g., exam anxiety, financial difficulties, and emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic). The role of meditation and music in promoting mental health and well-being has long been discussed and the combination of the two has been recognised as a beneficial intervention. This paper could contribute to the support of mental health resources and coping strategies in higher education, as well as expand the potential range of integrating practices involving music and meditation.

Prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot traditionally relied on two-dimensional ultrasonography. To enhance diagnosis and predict postnatal outcomes, we examined the parameters that differentiate pathological clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography. In our retrospective study, we examined the findings of prenatal ultrasound and the postnatal outcomes of pregnancies with suspected congenital clubfoot between 2018 and 2021. Based on the three-dimensional perspective, we measured the angles of varus, equinus, calcaneopedal block and forefoot adduction and compared the sonographic variables between the postnatal treated and non-treated groups. We evaluated 31 pregnancies (47 feet) with suspected clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography. After delivery, a total of 37 feet (78.7%) underwent treatment involving serial casting only or additional Achilles tenotomy. The treated group showed significantly greater hindfoot varus deviation (60.5° vs. 46.6°, p=0.026) and calcaneopedal block deviation (65.6° vs. 26.6°, p &lt;0.05) compared to the non-treated group. The calcaneopedal block had an area under the curve of 0.98 with a diagnostic threshold of 46.2 degrees (sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 90%, positive predictive value of 97%, and negative predictive value of 90%). During prenatal evaluation of clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography, the calcaneopedal block deviation has the potential to predict postnatal treatment.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is commonly characterized by multifocality, which is associated with aggressive features and a less favorable prognosis. The current study aimed to compare the clinicopathologic characteristics and long-term oncological outcomes of bilateral and unilateral multifocal PTC. The medical records of 1745 patients with multifocal PTC who underwent thyroid surgery at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The clinicopathological characteristics and recurrence rates were compared based on cancer laterality. Further, 357 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy were matched to investigate the recurrence risk and disease-free survival (DFS). Before propensity score matching (PSM), there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between the bilateral and unilateral multifocal PTC groups. Cancer laterality was not a predictor of DFS based on the Cox regression analyses. However, after PSM, unilateral multifocality was associated with a significantly high risk of recurrence. Similarly, unilateral multifocality was associated with a significantly poor DFS based on the Kaplan–Meier analysis. Compared with bilateral PTC, unilateral multifocal PTC was associated with a poor DFS. A comprehensive preoperative examination should be performed to detect multifocality before the initial surgical intervention for optimal treatment. Postoperative short-term follow-up is recommended for unilateral multifocal PTC for recurrence surveillance.

This study proposes and validates a novel combustion control system for Oil-Fired Boilers aimed at reducing air pollutant emissions through flame image prediction. The proposed system is easily applicable to existing ships. Traditional proportional combustion control systems supply fuel and air at fixed ratios according to the set steam load, without considering the emission of air pollutants. To address this, a stable and immediate control system is proposed, which adjusts the air supply to modify the combustion state. The combustion control system utilizes oxygen concentration predictions from flame images via SEF+SVM as control inputs, and applies Internal Model Control (IMC)-based Proportional-Integral (PI) control for real-time combustion control. Due to the complexity of modeling the image-based system, IMC parameter tuning through experimentation is essential for achieving effective control performance. Experiments conducted on a 3000 kg/h marine oil-fired boiler in actual operation optimized the controller parameters for stability and responsiveness, and validated their effectiveness. The results demonstrate the potential of the proposed system to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions of air pollutants. This study provides a feasible and effective solution for enhancing the environmental performance of marine oil-fired boilers. Given its ease of application to existing ships, it is expected to contribute to sustainable air pollution reduction across the maritime environment.

Air passenger traffic prediction is crucial for the effective operation of civil aviation airports. Despite some progress in this field, the prediction accuracy and methods need further improvement. This paper proposes an integrated approach to the prediction of air passenger index as follows. Firstly, the air passenger index is defined and classified by the K-means clustering method. Based on the mutual information (MI) principle, the information entropy is used to analyze and select the key influencing factors of air passenger travel. By incorporating the MI principle into the support vector regression (SVR) framework, this paper presents an innovative MI-SVR machine learning model used to predict the air passenger index. Finally, the proposed model is validated by passenger throughput data of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China. The experimental results prove the model feasibility and effectiveness by comparing them with conventional methods, such as ARIMA, LSTM, and other machine learning models, outperformed by the MI-SVR model. Besides, it is shown that the prediction effect of each model could be improved by introducing influencing factors based on mutual information. The main findings are considered instrumental to the airport operation and air traffic optimization.

Air passenger traffic prediction is crucial for the effective operation of civil aviation airports. Despite some progress in this field, the prediction accuracy and methods need further improvement. This paper proposes an integrated approach to the prediction of air passenger index as follows. Firstly, the air passenger index is defined and classified by the K-means clustering method. Based on the mutual information (MI) principle, the information entropy is used to analyze and select the key influencing factors of air passenger travel. By incorporating the MI principle into the support vector regression (SVR) framework, this paper presents an innovative MI-SVR machine learning model used to predict the air passenger index. Finally, the proposed model is validated by passenger throughput data of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China. The experimental results prove the model feasibility and effectiveness by comparing them with conventional methods, such as ARIMA, LSTM, and other machine learning models, outperformed by the MI-SVR model. Besides, it is shown that the prediction effect of each model could be improved by introducing influencing factors based on mutual information. The main findings are considered instrumental to the airport operation and air traffic optimization.

The appropriate carbapenem use is a critical concern for patient safety, public health, and a national priority. We investigated the nationwide status of carbapenem prescription in patients within their last 14 days of life to guide judicious-use protocols from the previous study comprising of 1,350 decedents. Carbapenem use was universally restricted by computerised authorisation at all centres during the study period. Carbapenem prescribing patterns and their optimality were evaluated. A total of 1201 patients received antimicrobial agents within the last 2 weeks of their lives, of whom 533 (44.4%) received at least one carbapenem. The median carbapenem treatment duration was 7 days. Of the 533 patients receiving carbapenems, 510 (95.7%) patients had microbiological samples drawn and 196 (36.8%) yielded carbapenem-resistant pathogens. A total of 200 (37.5%) were referred to infectious disease (ID) specialists. Of the 333 patients (62.5%) without ID consults, 194 (58.2%) were assessed as “not optimal”: 79 (23.7%) required escalation, 100 (30.0%) required de-escalation, and 15 (4.5%) discontinued. Notwithstanding the existing antibiotic restriction program system, carbapenems are commonly prescribed to patients within their last days of life, a majority of whom do not require it.

The 3 31 nucleotide minihelix tRNA theorem describes evolution of type I and type II tRNAs to the last nucleotide. In databases, type I and type II tRNA V loops (V for variable) were improperly aligned, but alignment based on the theorem is accurate. Type II tRNA V arms were a 3’-acceptor stem (initially CCGCCGC) ligated to a 5’-acceptor stem (initially GCGGCGG). The type II V arm evolved to form a stem-loop-stem. In Archaea, tRNALeu and tRNASer are type II. In Bacteria, tRNALeu, tRNASer and tRNATyr are type II. The positioning of the type II V arm is determined by the number of unpaired bases just 5’ of the Levitt base (Vmax). For Archaea, tRNALeu has 2 unpaired bases, and tRNASer has 1 unpaired base. For Bacteria, tRNATyr has 2 unpaired bases, tRNALeu has 1 unpaired base and tRNASer has 0 unpaired bases. Thus, the number of type II tRNAs is limited by the possible set points of the arm. From analysis of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase structures, contacts to type II V arms appear to adjust allosteric tension communicated primarily via tRNA to aminoacylating and editing active sites. To enhance allostery, it appears that type II V arm end loop contacts may tend to evolve to V arm stem contacts.

This paper investigates the density, phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties (microhardness, fracture toughness) of binderless WC + SiC ceramics obtained by conventional pressureless sintering (CPS) and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). α-WC nanopowders obtained by DC arc plasma chemical synthesis and β-SiC powders have been used as raw materials. The content of SiC particles was 1, 3, 5% wt. Excess graphite (0.3, 0.5% wt.) was added to α-WC nanopowders to decrease the volume fraction of W2C particles that negatively affect the mechanical properties of ceramics. WC + 1% wt. SiC + 0.3% wt. C ceramics are shown to have a homogeneous fine-grained microstructure, high relative density, increased microhardness and Palmquist fracture toughness. The CPS and SPS activation energies of WC + SiC nanopowders at an intensive shrinkage stage are determined using the Young-Cutler model. The effect of carbon and SiC particles on the CPS and SPS activation energies of tungsten carbide nanopowders has been analyzed. The CPS activation energies of WC, WC + C and WC + SiC + C nanopowders are shown to be closer to the carbon diffusion activation energy along α-WC grain boundaries. The SPS activation energies of WC and WC + SiC nanopowders turn out to be lower than the carbon grain boundary diffusion activation energy of α-WC.

Gastrodia pubilabiata is a nonphotosynthetic and mycoheterotrophic orchid belonging to subfamily Epidendroideae. Compared to other typical angiosperm species, the plastome of G. pubilabiata is dramatically reduced in size to be only 30,698 base pairs (bp). This reduction has led to the loss of most photosynthesis-related genes and some housekeeping genes in the plastome, which now only contains 19 protein coding genes, three tRNAs, and three rRNAs. This study decoded the entire mitogenome of G. pubilabiata, which consisted of 44 contigs with a total length of 867,349 bp. Its mitogenome contained 38 protein coding genes, nine tRNAs, and three rRNAs. To determine possible gene transfer events between the plastome and the mitogenome, individual BLASTN searches were conducted, using all available orchid plastome sequences and flowering plant mitogenome sequences. Plastid rRNA fragments were found at a high frequency in the mitogenome. Seven plastid protein coding gene frangments (ndhC, ndhJ, ndhK, psaA, psbF, rpoB, and rps4) were also identified in the mitogenome of G. pubilabiata. Phylogenetic trees using these seven plastid protein coding gene fragments suggested that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from plastome to mitogenome occurred before losses of photosynthesis related genes, leading to the lineage of G. pubilabiata. Compared to species phylogeny of the lineage of orchid, it was estimated that HGT might have occurred approximately 30 million years ago.

This paper presents a piezoresistive pressure sensor with a shield layer for improved stability. Compared with the conventional piezoresistive pressure sensors, p-type piezoresistors are covered by an n-type shield layer, which is formed by ion implantation. The proposed pressure sensors have been successfully fabricated by bulk micromachining techniques. The impact of electrical field on piezoresistors is studied by simulation. The temperature drift of the pressure sensor has been investigated by both simulation and experimental measurement. Characteristics of developed pressure sensors are tested from -40 C to 125 C. A sensitivity of 0.022 mV/V/KPa and a maximum non-linearity of 0.085% FS are measured for the fabricated sensor in a pressure range of 1 MPa. The temperature coefficients of resistance of shielded piezoresistors are found to be smaller than those of un-shielded ones. It is demonstrated that the shield layer is able to reduce the drift caused by electrical field and ambient temperature variation.

Hispidulin is a natural bioactive flavonoid that has been studied for its potential therapeutic properties, including its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. The aim of this study was to explore whether hispidulin could inhibit endothelial inflammation triggered by Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The adhesion of monocytes to vascular endothelium was evaluated by in vitro and ex vivo monocyte adhesion assays. We analyze the migration of monocytes across the endothelial layer using transmigration assay. The result showed that treatment with hispidulin decreased P. gingivalis LPS-induced the adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells and their migration by suppressing P. gingivalis LPS-triggered expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) through downregulating nuclear factor-қB (NF-қB). In addition, hispidulin inhibited P. gingivalis LPS-induced mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and AKT in endothelial cells. Altogether, the results indicate that hispidulin suppresses vascular inflammation induced by P. gingivalis LPS. Mechanistically, it prevents the adhesion of monocytes to the vascular endothelium and migration and inhibits NF-қB, MAPKs, and AKT signaling in endothelial cells.

Cisplatin induces early-onset ototoxicity, resulting in hearing loss. The exact mechanism by which cisplatin causes ototoxicity remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify the involvement of receptor-interacting protein kinase(RIP)3-dependent necroptosis in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in animal models. Sprague–Dawley rats (SD, 8 week) were treated via intraperitoneal (i.p) injection with cisplatin (16 mg/kg for 1 day), and their hearing thresholds were was measured by the auditory brainstem response (ABR) method. Hematoxylin and eosin (H-E) staining, immunohistochemistry, and western blots were performed to determine the effect of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity on cochlear morphology. H-E stains outlined necroptotic changes in the organ of Cortis (OCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Additionally, immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis showed overexpression of RIP3 in the OCs and SGNs that were treated with cisplatin. These results suggest that RIP3-dependent necroptosis was substantial in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity; inner cochlear regions, the OCs, and SGNs were especially sensitive to necroptosis.

The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a medical helicopter air transport training program for emergency medical personnel. The program was developed according to Rapid Prototyping Instructional System Design (RPISD) and finalized after content validity and usability evaluation. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated using a single-arm pre-post design to measure the performance of 11 convenience-sampled emergency medical technicians after the program was applied. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS 26.0 Program and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, the developed doctor helicopter air transport training program applied RPISD, and the development stage was divided into analysis, design and usability evaluation, and development stages; the final program was derived. Secondly, the developed medical helicopter air transport training program is composed of a blended learning training program that combines online theory lectures and offline simulations for a total of 8 sessions. Third, as a result of applying the developed doctor helicopter air transport training program to 11 emergency medical workers, both pre- and post-air transport subjective job performance and objective job performance were statistically significantly increased. The Dr. Helicopter air transport training program developed in this study was found to be a program that can sufficiently evaluate the job performance of emergency medical personnel in air transport. Through this study, we hope that this training program can directly contribute to improving the survival rate of critically ill patients in the actual air transport field.

Kinases play an important role in regulating various intracellular signaling pathways that control cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and other cellular processes and their deregulation causes more than 400 diseases. Consequently, macrocyclization can be considered a noteworthy approach to develop new therapeutic agents for human diseases. Macrocyclization has emerged as an effective drug discovery strategy over the past decade to improve target selectivity and potency of small molecules. Small compounds with linear structures upon macrocyclization can lead to changes in their physicochemical and biological properties by firmly reducing conformational flexibility. A number of distinct protein kinases exhibit similar binding sites. Comparison of protein binding site provides crucial insights for the drug discovery and development. Binding site similarities are helpful to understand polypharmacology, identifying potential off-targets and repurposing of known drugs. In this review, we focused on comparing binding sites of those kinases for which macrocyclic inhibitors are available/studied so far. Furthermore, we calculated the volume of binding site pocket for each targeted kinase and then compared it with the binding site pocket of the kinase for which only acyclic inhibitors were designed till date. Our review and analysis of several explored kinases might be useful to target new protein kinases for macrocyclic drug discovery.

Through an investigation of recently discovered Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment amulets from the Silla kingdom, this paper reveals that early Korea had more diverse forms of dhāraṇī practices than previously assumed. This paper’s analysis of these amulets from Korea contributes toward filling the gap in our current understanding of the material practice pertaining to the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment widely practiced in medieval East Asia. Based on an interdisciplinary analysis of the two amulet sheets of the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment from Silla, this paper explored hitherto unknown aspects of early Korean dhāraṇī practice. Previously, the only material dhāraṇī practice in early Korea was thought to be the enshrinement of textual relics in pagodas based on the Pure Light Incantation, which has little connection to contemporaneous Chinese dhāraṇī practice. However, the newly discovered Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment amulets, whose date this paper inferred to be between the eighth and ninth century, show that the Unified Silla also had a dhāraṇī practice closely linked to the Chinese practice. However, unlike the Chinese Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment amulets that were buried in tombs, the Silla amulets were likely enshrined in one of the pagodas erected on Mount Nam, Gyeongju. At the same time, the Silla epigraph from Myogilsang Pagoda at Haeinsa shows that the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment was placed in the pagoda so as to wish for good afterlives of the soldiers who died at the battle, suggesting that placing the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment in a pagoda had a function similar to that of burying the Chinese amulet in the tomb.

Life is a field of senses and the experience of feeling, thinking, acting, and building relationships with everything around us. These senses and experiences are also consumed in travel destinations to pursue the traveler's escapism and happiness. However, while the field of tourism studies has recognized the importance of experience and focused on the relationship between various travel experiences and happiness, research on the variables that mediate and strengthen these relationships is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to apply the five strategic experiential models proposed by Schmitt [1]— sense, feel, think, act, and relate — to investigate the mediating effect of escapism on travelers' well-being. Data were collected from travelers visiting three major heritage sites in Gyeongju (Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, and Bunhwangsa Temple), and 509 responses were used for analysis. The analysis was conducted using statistical package programs SPSS and AMOS employing frequency analysis, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The results indicated significant positive effects between variables such as cultural heritage travel experience, escapism, and well-being. In the analysis of the mediating effect of escapism, escapism showed a significant mediating effect on the relationship between travel experience and well-being. This study confirmed that, during cultural heritage travels, individuals’ well-being can be enhanced through a holistic experience encompassing sensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and relational aspects rather than an isolated experience centered on escapism. This finding provides important implications for the design and planning of travel programs and products.

Standardized protocols were specifically designed and developed for clinical information collection and obtaining trio genomic information from infants affected with congenital anomalies (CA) and their parents, as well as securing human biological resources. Two large areas of these protocols include clinical and genomic information collection on CA which were difficult to diagnose using pre-existing screening methods. The following are three essential items for the clinical information collection protocol: establishment of a consent system for collecting and utilizing research resources, establishment of criteria for target patient selection, and collection of clinical and epidemiological information. A total of 138 cases consisting of 45 families of infants with CA and their parent trios have provided human-derived resources and genomic information. Whole genome sequencing data have been generated for all participants, and standardized protocols for resource collection and manufacturing have been developed. Phenotype information according to the Human Phenotype Ontology term and major test findings were recorded. It is important to keep updating and recording clinical symptoms and genetic diagnosis that are newly added or changed over time. The unique significance of this study is to develop a protocol that enables long-term tracking by adding growth and development tests that reflect important characteristics of newborns. By using these clinical and genetic information collection protocols for CA, it will be possible to establish an essential platform for early genetic diagnosis and diagnostic research, and further present new genetic diagnostic guidelines in the near future.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

Exploration practices have proven that over mature shale gas exhibits a feature of carbon isotope reversal. The geochemical statistics indicate that the wetness (C2-C5/C1-C5) of shale gas with carbon isotope reversal is less than 1.8%. In addition, the magnitude of carbon isotope reversal (δ13C1- δ13C2) for the over mature shale gas presents a parabolic variation with decreasing wetness. δ13C1-δ13C2 increases with decreasing wetness within a wetness range of 0.9% ~1.8% and then decreases with decreasing wetness at wetness < 0.9%. The CH4 cracking experiment demonstrates that CH4 polymerization occurring in the early stage of CH4 cracking is an important factor involved in isotope reversal of over mature shale gas. Moreover, δ13C1- δ13C2 decreases with an increase in experimental temperature prior to CH4 substantial cracking. The values of δ13C1 and δ13C2 tend to equalize during CH4 substantial cracking. The δ13C1-δ13C2 of mud gas present at different depths during shale gas drilling in Sichuan Basin increases initially, then decreases with further increase in the depth and finally tends to zero, with only a trace hydrocarbon gas being detectable. Statistical data suggests that the shale gas production in Sichuan Basin decreases with the decreasing δ13C1-δ13C2 value and wetness. Thus, δ13C1-δ13C2 and wetness could potentially serve as useful criteria to screen CH4 cracking degree and to determine the largest depth of natural gas exploration. Great care should be taken during shale gas exploration in deeper layers, with wetness and δ13C1-δ13C2 less than 0.2% and 1%, respectively, since very low wetness (<0.2%) and δ13C1-δ13C2 (<1%) might be indicative of CH4 substantial cracking in a geological setting.

Factors responsible of species distribution were intensively investigated in the past, including response at different spatial scales. The aim of the present research is to review the most relevant factors explaining chironomid species distribution focusing to factors operating at different spatial scales, such as latitude, longitude, altitude, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients acting at regional, country, water basin extension. Data including chironomid species abundances from different lentic and lotic waters from Italy and other surrounding countries were analyzed with different multivariate methods: partial canonical correspondence analysis and multiple discriminant analysis. Spatial analysis included univariate Moran’I correlograms, multivariate Mantel correlograms and Moran’s Eigenvectors Maps (MEM) calculation. The results confirmed previous conclusions, that is habitat type including different running waters reaches (kryal, krenal, rhthral, potamal) and different lake types is the most significant factor in separating chironomid assemblages and spatial factors act only as indirect influencers..

: Cancer metastasis is the lethal developmental step in cancer, responsible for the majority of cancer deaths. To metastasize, cancer cells must acquire the ability to disseminate systemically and to escape an activated immune response. Here, we endeavoured to investigate if metastatic dissemination reflects acquisition of genomic traits that are selected for. We acquired mutation and copy number data from 8,332 tumours representing 19 cancer types acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Hartwig Medical Foundation. A total of 827,344 non-synonymous mutations across 8,332 tumour samples representing 19 cancer types were timed as early or late relative to copy number alterations, and potential driver events were annotated. We found that metastatic cancers had significantly higher proportion of clonal mutations and a general enrichment of early mutations in p53 and RTK/KRAS pathways. However, while individual pathways demonstrated a clear time-separated preference for specific events, the relative timing did not vary between primary and metastatic cancers. These results indicate that the selective pressure that drives cancer development does not change dramatically between primary and metastatic cancer on a genomic level, and is mainly focused on alterations that increase proliferation.

With the increasing use of data-driven modeling methods new approaches to complex problems in the field of wind energy can be addressed. Topics reviewed through literature include wake modeling, performance monitoring and controls applications, condition monitoring and fault detection, and other data-driven research. Literature shows the advantages of data-driven methods reduce computational expense or complexity, particularly in the cases of wake modeling and controls, as well as various data-driven methodologies’ aptitude for predictive modeling and classification, as in the cases of fault detection and diagnosis. Significant work exists for fault detection while less work is found for controls applications. A methodology for creating data-driven wind turbine models for arbitrary performance parameters is proposed. Results are presented utilizing the methodology to create wind turbine models relating active adaptive twist to steady-state rotor thrust as a performance parameter of interest. Resulting models are evaluated by comparing root-mean-square-error (RMSE) on both the training and validation data sets, with Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), deemed an accurate model for this application. The resulting model undergoes particle swarm optimization to determine the optimal aerostructure twist shape at a given wind speed with respect to the modeled performance parameter, aerodynamic thrust load. The optimization process shows an improvement of 3.15% in thrust loading for the 10 MW reference turbine, and 2.66% for the 15 MW reference turbine.

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

Device to Device (D2D) is a pivotal technology in the next generation of communication, allowing for direct task offloading between mobile devices (MDs) to improve the efficient utilization of idle resources. This paper proposes a novel algorithm for dynamic task offloading between active MDs and idle MDs in the D2D-MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) system by deploying multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to minimize the long-term average delay of delay-sensitive tasks under deadline constraints. Our core innovation is a dynamic partitioning scheme for idle and active devices in the D2D-MEC system, accounting for stochastic task arrivals and multi-time-slot task execution, which has been insufficiently addressed in existing literature. We adopt a queue-based system to formulate a dynamic task offloading optimization problem. To address the challenges of large action space and coupling of actions across time slots, we model the problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) and perform the multi-agent DRL through Multi-Agent Proximal Policy Optimization (MAPPO). We employ a centralized training with decentralized execution (CTDE) framework to enable each MD to make offloading decisions solely based on its local system state. Extensive simulations demonstrate the efficiency and fast convergence of our algorithm. In comparison with the existing sub-optimal results deploying single-agent DRL, our algorithm reduces the average task completion delay by 11.0% and the ratio of dropped tasks by 17.0%.

Background Compliance with research ethics legislation is crucial for protecting people's rights in clinical trials. Researchers can alert publishers when they have concerns about possible non-compliance with this legislation by other authors, and this opportunity for independent scrutiny is important. Nevertheless, some alerts may turn out to be unfounded due to a misunderstanding of the legislation. Methods We present the analysis of the article by F. Franck et al., « Raising concerns on questionable ethics approvals - a case study of 456 trials from the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection», in which the authors explain having sent numerous emails to different publishers to express their concerns about potential ethical breaches in publications from a single French institution. We analyzed in detail the 248 studies that the authors present as suspects. We have also studied the texts of French law. Results Our detailed analysis of these 248 studies discovered that only 8 of them report research involving humans. All the others are secondary research on existing biological samples. In France, as in many other countries, secondary research on biological samples does not involve human subjects. Conclusions Assessing the ethical conformity of scientific publications must be based on a precise knowledge of the legislation and a rigorous analysis of these publications. When researchers who alert publishers confuse research involving the human person with research not involving the human person, the publishers are in danger of being misled by these unfounded alerts. This can have deleterious consequences.

This study compared condylar volume, length, and articular eminence (AE) characteristics in normal individuals and those with unilateral and bilateral juvenile idiopathic osteoarthritis (JOA). The 116 patients were divided into four groups: control (n=16), affected condyle of unilateral JOA (Aff-Uni) (n=36), non-affected condyle of JOA (NonAff-uni) (n=36), and bilateral JOA (Bi-JOA) (n=28). Volume and length differences in the condyle and AE were analyzed using ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. The results showed that Bi-JOA had significantly different condylar volume, especially in the condylar head (p&lt;0.01), specifically the middle, anterior, and medial parts (p&lt;0.05). Condylar length also differed among the groups, with differences observed between the control group and the other three groups, as well as between the bilateral group and the other three groups (p&lt;0.01). AE total volume differed between the control group and Aff-Uni. In the detailed comparison, Aff-Uni and NonAff-Uni were smaller than the control group in the posterior, lateral, and medial sections (p&lt;0.05). In conclusion, depending on the involvement of unilateral or bilateral JOA, there were differences in condylar volume and AE compared to the normal control group. Therefore, prognosis should be evaluated by distinguishing between patients with unilateral and bilateral JOA.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is a complex gastrointestinal disorder with a multifactorial etiology, including environmental triggers, autoimmune mechanisms, and genetic predisposition. Despite advancements in therapeutic strategies for IBD, its associated mortality rate continues to rise, which is often attributed to unforeseen side effects of conventional treatments. In this context, we explored the potential of Ecklonia cava extract (ECE) derived from an edible marine alga known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in mitigating IBD. This study investigated the effectiveness of ECE as a preventive agent in a murine model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Our findings revealed that pretreatment with ECE significantly ameliorated colitis severity as evidenced by increased colon length, reduced spleen weight, and histological improvements demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis. Furthermore, ECE significantly attenuated the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and mediators and the infiltration of immune cells known to be prominent features of colitis in mice. Notably, ECE restored dysbiosis of intestinal microflora and aided in the recovery of damaged intestinal mucosa. Mechanistically, ECE exhibited protective effects against pathogenic colitis by inhibiting the NLRP3/NF-κB pathway known to be pivotal regulators in the inflammatory signaling cascade. These compelling results suggest that ECE holds promise as a potential candidate for IBD prevention. It might be developed into a functional food for promoting gastrointestinal health. This research sheds light on the preventive potential of natural compounds like ECE in the management of IBD, offering a safer and more effective approach to combating this challenging disease.

Several COVID-19 platforms have been licensed across the world thus far, but vaccine platforms research that can lead to effective antigen delivery is still ongoing. Here, we constructed AdCLD-CoV19 that could modulate humoral immunity by harboring SARS-CoV-2 antigens onto a chimeric adenovirus 5/35 platform that was effective in cellular immunity. By replacing the S1/S2 furin cleavage sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein mounted on AdCLD-CoV19 with the linker sequence, high antigen expression was confirmed in various cell lines. The high levels of antigen expression contributed to antigen-specific antibody activity in mice and non-human primates (NHPs) with single vaccination of AdCLD-CoV19. Furthermore, the adenovirus-induced Th1 immune response was specifically raised for the S protein, and these immune responses protected the NHP against live viruses. While AdCLD-CoV19 maintained neutralizing antibody activity against various SARS-CoV-2 variants, it was reduced to single vaccination for β and ο variants, and the reduced neutralizing antibody activity was restored with booster shots. Hence, AdCLD-CoV19 can prevent SARS-CoV-2 with single vaccination, and the new vaccine administration strategy that responds to various variants can maintain the efficacy of the vaccine.

We investigated whether cigarette smoking and dietary acid load (DAL) are associated with the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in middle-aged healthy Korean men. Healthy men without diagnosed chronic disease (40-64 yrs) from the KNHANES-VI (2013–2015) included in the analysis (n=774) were subdivided by smoking status and DAL levels as estimated by the net endogenous acid production (NEAP) quartile. Current smokers tended to have a higher risk of COPD than non-smokers before and after the adjustment. When divided by the DAL quartile, the Q4 tended to have a higher risk of COPD than the Q1. Additionally, current smokers with lower (Q2), modest (Q3), and highest NEAP scores (Q4) showed more than 4-fold higher risks of COPD than the non-smokers with the lowest NEAP scores (Q1). Ex–smokers with higher NEAP scores (Q3 and Q4) showed more than 4-fold higher risks of COPD than the Q1. Interestingly, the risk of COPD was also more than 6-fold higher in non-smokers with the highest NEAP scores compared to the Q1. NEAP scores and smoking status synergistically increased the risk of COPD in middle-aged healthy Korean men. It suggests that DAL levels are an important factor for the prevention and management of COPD.

The purpose of this study is to explore conceptual approaches in co-production studies and to examine current research trends of the study. The conceptual paper includes research articles related to co-production in public administration field. By thoroughly scrutinizing 32 research works of co-production, this study highlights major loopholes in the field of the study. The contributions of the study are: (1) identifying two common characteristics of co-production, (2) categorising three types of co-producing by end-users, and (3) finding that goals and success of co-production are more beneficial for service providers though its initial approach is citizen-centric approach. We suggest that future studies should be (1) to focus on reasons for co-production failures or success, (2) to discover further hindrances for co-production in service production, (3) to examine influencing factors on service providers as well as institutional impacts on co-production process, and (4) to include practical assessment in co-production study.

Sustainability is directly linked to firms’ survival in competitive markets. To survive, firms need extra capital, and seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) are one sustainability strategy. Additional resources from SEOs leads to changes in firms’ operational structure, which brings future sustainability. This study investigates whether there is sustainability in firms’ operational structure and the effects of sustainable development on operational performance and market reaction. We measure the operational structure change of firms as three proxies: 1) the rate of increase in the number of operating segments, 2) the Berry–Herfindahl index using the ratio of sales of each operating segment out of total sales, and 3) the size of net investment in plant and equipment. Our results show that operational structure change has a statistically significant and positive correlation with long-term operating performance. In addition, there is no significant stock price response at first, but the operating performance in the next term is perceived as a favorable factor after 3 years. The results show that there are different responses in the stock market toward operational structure change. The empirical results confirm that firms with SEO have sustainable development in operational structure and that markets recognize firms’ sustainability strategy arising from SEOs.