eHealth applications are an essential component in achieving Universal Health Coverage. (1) Background: The lack of skilled healthcare personnel has hindered successful integration and use, especially in developing and low and middle-income countries. (2) Methods: A descriptive study was conducted using an online survey to collect quantitative data from 37 organizations to address this issue. (3) Results: The findings showed that there are limited training opportunities available for policymakers and eHealth specialists. Additionally, obstacles such as insufficient funds, inadequate infrastructure, poor leadership, and governance were identified and found to be context specific. To mitigate these challenges, the study proposed continuous in-service training, the implementation of computer-based systems, and the integration of academic modules. The importance of strong eHealth policies and committed leaders was also emphasized. (4) Conclusions: The results of this study support previous research and emphasize the importance of implementing practical and uncomplicated solutions to overcome eHealth barriers to capacity building in low- and middle-income countries. It is essential to recognize that the data collected for this study only pertains to BETTEReHEALTH.

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.

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

This study was conducted on elderly over 65 years of age to verify that healing garden activities control stress in the elderly. The experimental group performed garden activities once a week for 12 weeks, 2 hours each, and the control group continued their daily lives. Each group's cumulative stress at the beginning and end, total power (TP), the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN), and root mean square differences of successive R-R intervals (RMSSD) were measured using a stress index meter, u-bio MACPA. As a result of the analysis, the experimental group had a statistically significant decrease in cumulative stress compared to the control group, and TP significantly increased compared to the control group. SDNN and RMSSD of the experimental group increased, respectively, and the control group decreased, respectively, but it was not statistically significant. The fact that cumulative stress decreased, and stress evaluation indicators increased shows that daily stress can be controlled through healing garden activities. This confirms that the value of the garden can extend to healing.

Polypyrrole (PPy)-capped caped silver nanowire (Ag NW) nanomaterials (core–shell rod-shaped Ag NW@PPy) were synthesized suing a one–port suspension polymerization technique. The thickness of PPy layer on the 50-nm-thickness/15-μm-length Ag NW was effectively controlled to 10, 40, 50, and 60 nm. Thin films cast from one-dimensional conductive Ag NW@PPy formed a three-dimensional (3-D) conductive porous network structure and provided excellent electrochemical performance. The 3-D Ag NW@PPy network can significantly reduce the internal resistance of the electrode and maintain structural stability. As a result, a high specific capacitance of 625 F/g at a scan rate of 1 mV/s was obtained from the 3-D porous Ag NW@PPy composite film. The cycling performance over a long period exceeding 10,000 cycles was also evaluated. We expect that our core–shell-structured Ag NW@PPy composites and their 3-D porous structure network films can be applied as electrochemical materials for the design and manufacture of supercapacitors and other energy storage devices.

In this paper, we propose a methodology for analyzing the near-field coupling between two surface mount device (SMD) inductors using a 3-dimensional electromagnetic (3D-EM) model. To develop the 3D-EM model, we first extract the effective permeability of core magnetic material in the SMD using the loss tangent in the equivalent circuit model. Then the effective permeability is used in the magnetic material for the 3D-EM modeling of SMD inductor. The validity of the proposed 3D-EM model is confirmed by comparing the impedance and S-parameters obtained from both measured and EM-simulated values for the two near-field coupled SMDs. Finally, the near-field coupling effects between the two adjacent SMD inductors are visualized in terms of magnetic coupling path visualization (CPV) using the proposed 3D-EM model, which demonstrates its usefulness for near-field coupling analysis.

Many studies on magnetorheological fluid (MRF) have been carried out over last three decades several salient advantages such as fast phase change, easy control of the yield stress and so forth. Especially, several review articles of MRF technology have been reported for last two decades summarizing the development of MRFs and their applications. As specific examples, the review articles including the optimization of the particles and carrier liquid to achieve minimum off-state viscosity and maximum yield stress at on-state, the formulation of many constitutive models in-cluding Casson model and Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) model, the sedimentation enhancement using additives and nanosized particles, many types of dampers for automotive suspension and civil structures, medical and rehabilitation devices, MRF polishing technology, the methods of mag-netic circuit design, and the synthesis of various controllers have been published. More recently, the effect of the temperature and thermal conductivity on the properties of MRFs and application systems are actively being investigated by several works. However, there is no review article on this issue so far despite of that the thermal problem is one of crucial factors to be seriously con-sidered for the development of advanced MRFs and commercial products of application systems. In this work, studies on the thermal conductivity and temperature in MRFs themselves and tem-perature-dependent application systems are reviewed, respectively, and principal results are summarized emphasizing on the followings: how to reduce the temperature effect on the field-dependent properties of MRFs and how to design application system to minimize the thermal effect. It is noted here that the review summary is organized in a chronological format using tables.

During early embryonic development, fertilized one-cell embryos develop into preimplantation blastocysts and subsequently establish three germ layers through gastrulation during post-implantation development. In recent years, stem cells have emerged as a powerful tool to study embryogenesis and gastrulation without the need for eggs, allowing the generation of embryo-like structures known as synthetic embryos or embryoids. These in vitro models closely resemble early embryos in terms of morphology and gene expression and provide a faithful recapitulation of early pre- and post-implantation embryonic development. Synthetic embryos can be generated through a combinatorial culture of three blastocyst-derived stem cell types, such as embryonic stem cells, trophoblast stem cells, and extraembryonic endoderm cells, or totipotent-like stem cells alone. This review provides an overview of the progress and various approaches in studying in vitro embryogenesis and gastrulation using stem cells. Furthermore, recent findings and breakthroughs in synthetic embryos and gastruloids are outlined. Despite ethical considerations, synthetic embryo models hold promise for understanding mammalian (including human) embryonic development and have potential implications for regenerative medicine and developmental research.

During the high-speed flight of a vehicle in the atmosphere, surface friction with the air generates aerodynamic heating. The aerodynamic heating phenomenon can create extremely high temperatures near the surface. These high temperatures impact material properties and the structure of the aircraft, so thermal deformation measurement is essential in aerospace engineering. This paper revisits high-temperature deformation measurement using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique under high-intensity blackbody radiation with a precise speckle pattern fabrication and a heat haze reduction method. The effect of speckle pattern on the DIC measurement has been thoroughly studied at room temperature, but high-temperature measurement studies have not reported such effects so far. We found that the commonly used methods to reduce the heat haze effect could produce incorrect results. Hence, we propose a new method to mitigate heat haze effects. An infrared radiation heater was employed to make an experimental setup that could heat a specimen up to 950 ℃. First, we mitigated image saturation using a short-wavelength bandpass filter with blue light illumination, a standard procedure for high-temperature DIC deformation measurement. Second, we studied how to determine the proper size of the speckle pattern under a high-temperature environment. Third, we devised a reduction method for the heat haze effect. As proof of the effectiveness of our developed experimental method, we successfully measured the deformation of stainless steel 304 specimens from 25 ℃ to 800 ℃. The results confirmed that this method can be applied to the research and development of thermal protection systems in the aerospace field.

This paper proposes a novel phase-resolved partial discharge (PRPD) sensor embedded in MV-class bushing for high-accuracy insulation analysis. The design, fabrication, and evaluation of a PRPD sensor embedded in MV-class bushing aimed to detect partial discharge (PD) pulses that are phase-synchronized with the applied primary HV signals. A prototype PRPD sensor was composed of a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) with dual-sensing electrodes, utilizing a capacitive voltage divider (CVD) principle for voltage measurement and D-dot principle for PD detection, and a signal transducer with passive elements. A PD simulator was prepared to emulate typical PD defects, i.e., a metal protrusion. The voltage measurement precision of the prototype PRPD sensor was satisfied with the accuracy class of 0.2 specified in IEC 61869-11, as the maximum corrected voltage error ratios and corrected phase errors in 80%, 100%, and 120% of the rated voltage (13.2 kV) were less than 0.2% and 10 minutes, respectively. In addition, the prototype PRPD sensor had good linearity and high sensitivity for PD detection compared with a conventional electrical detection method. According to performance evaluation tests, the prototype PRPD sensor embedded in the MV-class bushing can measure PRPD patterns phase-synchronized with the primary voltage without any additional synchronization equipment or system. Therefore, the prototype PRPD sensor holds potential as a substitute for conventional commercial PD sensors. Consequently, this advancement could lead to the enhancement of power system monitoring and maintenance, contributing to the digitalization and minimization of power apparatus.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast reconstruction trends in the United States, focusing on implant-based and autologous techniques, as well as the timing of reconstruction (immediate vs. delayed). Methods: A retrospective analysis of data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' National Plastic Surgery Statistics from 2015 to 2022 was conducted. Annual trends in breast reconstruction procedures were analyzed, comparing the pre-pandemic (2015-2019) and pandemic (2020-2022) periods. Results: The total number of breast reconstructions increased from 106,338 in 2015 to 151,641 in 2022. The proportion of implant-based reconstructions decreased from 81.41% pre-pandemic to 76.51% during the pandemic (p < 0.001), with a notable rise in direct-to-implant procedures from 10.37% to 19.12% (p < 0.001). Autologous reconstructions increased from 18.59% to 23.49% (p < 0.001). Among autologous techniques, DIEP flaps remained the most popular. Immediate reconstruction rates increased from 72.61% pre-pandemic to 75.57% during the pandemic, while delayed recon-struction rates decreased from 27.39% to 24.43% (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced breast reconstruction trends in the United States, with a shift towards autologous techniques, particularly DIEP flaps, and an in-crease in immediate reconstructions. These changes may reflect adaptations in surgical practice and decision-making processes in response to the unique challenges posed by the pandemic. Further research is needed to assess the long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction associated with these trends.

Precise binding affinity predictions are essential for structure-based drug discovery (SBDD). Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a member of the tyrosine kinase protein family and is overexpressed in a variety of human malignancies. Inhibition of FAK using small molecules is a promising therapeutic option for several types of cancer. Here, we conducted computational modeling of FAK targeting inhibitors using 3-dimensional structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR), molecular dynamics (MD), and hybrid topology-based free energy perturbation (FEP) methods. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies between the physicochemical descriptors and inhibitory activities of the chemical compounds were performed with reasonable statistical accuracy using CoMFA and CoMSIA. These are two well-known 3D-QSAR methods based on the principle of supervised machine learning (ML). Essential information regarding residue-specific binding interactions was determined using the MD and MM-PB/GBSA methods. Finally, physics-based relative binding free energy (〖∆∆G〗_RBFE^(A→B)) values of analogous ligands were estimated using the alchemical FEP simulation. An acceptable agreement was observed between the experimental and computed relative binding free energies. The overall results using ML and physics-based hybrid approaches could be useful for the rational optimization of accessible lead compounds with similar scaffolds targeting the FAK receptor.

Bisphenol is a chemical substance widely used in plastic products and food containers. In this study, we observed a relationship between DNA methylation and atopic dermatitis (AD) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of pregnant women exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) and its alternatives, bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF). DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene expression, which can be altered by environmental factors, and affects the onset and progression of diseases. We found that genes belonging to the JAK-STAT and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways were hypomethylated in the blood of pregnant women exposed to bisphenols. These genes play important roles in skin barrier function and immune responses, and may influence AD. Therefore, we suggest that not only BPA but also BPS and BPF, which are used as alternatives, can have a negative impact on AD through epigenetic mechanisms.

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

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic, triggered by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in over 160 million infections and 3.5 million fatalities worldwide. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 presence in the highly vascularized penile tissue and the established correlation between COVID-19 and subsequent erectile dysfunction (ED) has emerged. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a popular procedure for prostate cancer because of its reliability and swift recovery rate. However, the ED prevalence post-surgery is believed to be comparable to open surgery, and postoperative ED significantly affects the patient's quality of life. Our study aimed to explore the effect of COVID-19 on ED recovery in patients undergoing bilateral nerve preservation during RARP. Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective study on 85 patients who underwent bilateral nerve-sparing RARP (nsRARP) at our institution between December 2017 and May 2021. Chart reviews and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire facilitated the analysis. Our objective was to contrast ED recovery after surgery between SARS-CoV-2–infected and non-infected patients using preoperative IIEF-5 scores and scores at 6, 12, and 24 months post-surgery. We defined successful ED recovery as an IIEF-5 score of 17 or higher and successful sexual intercourse. We also compared ED recovery rates between the two groups, regardless of the timing of COVID-19 diagnosis. IBM's SPSS version 18.0 assisted in the statistical analysis, with Fisher's exact test and chi-square test used for comparing categorical variables. Independent t-tests determined mean differences between baseline and postoperative IIEF-5 scores. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results From December 2017 to May 2021, our institution executed 213 RARP cases, with 185 of these involving nerve preservation. Among these patients, 133 had an IIEF-5 score of 17 or higher during preoperative EF assessment. We included 85 patients with consistent IIEF-5 records before surgery and at 6, 12, and 24 months post-surgery in this study. Of these, 44 and 41 patients comprised the COVID-19–positive and COVID-19–negative groups, respectively. The COVID-19–positive group had a higher proportion of diabetes mellitus (DM) patients (24 (54.55%) vs. 7 (17.07%), p<0.001). There was no significant difference in preoperative IIEF-5 scores or scores up to 6 months after surgery between the two groups. However, the IIEF-5 scores of the COVID-19–positive group were statistically lower after 12 and 24 months post-surgery. Additionally, the COVID-19–negative group showed a more considerable score increase between 6 and 12 months post-surgery, and the EF recovery rate was lower in the COVID-19–positive group starting from the 12th month after surgery. Within the COVID-19–positive group, no statistically significant difference in IIEF-5 scores was found between single infection and multiple reinfection groups. Conclusions Principal component analysis revealed the impact of COVID-19 on ED recovery in patients who underwent nsRARP. The most substantial changes in IIEF-5 scores occurred between 6 and 12 months. From 12 months onwards, the COVID-19–positive group had significantly lower scores, and fewer patients had IIEF-5 scores above 17. However, the number of COVID-19 diagnoses did not significantly affect the IIEF-5 scores.

(1) Background: Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is an intravenous (IV) high-dose iron that is effective in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia. This study was to determine if preoperative IV FCM administration could improve recovery from postoperative anemia in patients undergoing revision total joint arthroplasty. (2) Methods: This prospective randomized controlled study analyzed 82 patients undergoing revision total joint arthroplasty during a single hospitalization. Patients in the iron group (n = 41) were administered 1000 mg of IV FCM two weeks preoperatively, while those in the control group (n = 41) were not. Moreover, patients with anemia defined as a preoperative suboptimal Hb concentration &lt;13.0 g/dl were compared according to IV FCM administration. The absolute Hb levels and changes in Hb levels, iron profiles, transfusion rate, and EuroQOL 5-dimension (EQ-5D) scores were compared. (3) Results: There were no significant differences in recovery of Hb levels at each timepoint between the two groups; however, the changes in Hb levels from baseline to four weeks postoperatively showed marginally significant differences favoring the iron group (p = 0.052). However, for preoperatively anemic patients, the change in hemoglobin (Hb) levels between baseline and four weeks postoperatively was significantly better in the iron group than in the control group (iron group [n = 26], −0.3 ± 0.7 g/dL vs. control group [n = 27], −0.9 ± 0.8 g/dL; p = 0.040), although the absolute Hb levels, transfusion rates, and patient quality of life were comparable (all p &gt; 0.05). The iron group showed improved iron metabolite levels including serum ferritin and transferrin saturation four weeks postoperatively, and no adverse events associated with IV FCM administration occurred in either group. (4) Conclusions: Preoperative IV FCM in anemic individuals undergoing revision joint arthroplasty was effective in accelerating recovery from surgery-related anemia by improving Hb levels without any adverse events, despite similar actual Hb levels between the groups. Our findings are clinically relevant and can facilitate determination of the suitability of IV FCM as a safe and reliable protocol for iron supplementation for anemia correction.

A nanocomposite rod-shaped structure with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) embedded in polypyrrole (PPy) doped with nonafluorobutanesulfonic acid (C4F), SWCNT/C4F-PPy, was synthesized using emulsion polymerization. The hybrid ink was then directly coated on a polyimide film interdigitated with the Cu/Ni/Au electrodes via a screen-printing technique to create a flexible film sensor. The sensor film showed a response of 1.72% at 25 °C/atmospheric pressure when acetone gas of 5 ppm was injected, which corresponds to almost 95% compared to the Si wafer-based array interdigitated with the Au electrode. Additionally, C4F was used as a hydrophobic dopant of PPy to improve the stability of humidity and to produce a highly sensitive film-type gas sensor that provides stable detection even in humid conditions.

In this study, the influence of graphene oxide nanoparticles on the bond-slip behavior of fiber and fly ash based geopolymer paste was examined. Geopolymer paste incorporating graphene oxide nanoparticles solution was cast in half briquetted specimens and embedded with a fiber. Three types of fibers were used: steel, polypropylene, and basalt. The pullout test was performed at two distinct speeds: 1 mm/second and 3 mm/second. Results showed that the addition of graphene oxide increased the compressive strength of geopolymer by about 7%. The bond-slip responses of fibers embedded in geopolymer mixed with graphene oxide exhibited higher peak stress and toughness as compared to those embedded in normal geopolymer. Each fiber type also showed different mode of failure. Both steel and polypropylene fibers showed full bond-slip responses due to their high ductility. Basalt fiber, on the other hand, because of its brittleness, failed by fiber fracture mode which showed no-slip in pull out responses. Both bond strength and toughness were found to be rate sensitive. The sensitivity was higher in graphene oxide/geopolymer than in conventional geopolymer.

The feet cannot perform tasks as quickly and with as much dexterity as the hands. However, due to the heavy workload placed on the hands, there is potential for the feet to replace or assist the hands. In order to use the feet more effectively, this study aims to find ways to increase the speed and accuracy of directly touching a touchpad with the feet while in a seated position. The study investigates the effects of three factors: the slope of the touchpad, the direction of foot movement, and the touch area of the foot used. Regarding the direction of foot movement, the study found that the most effective direction for both accuracy and speed was at a 30-degree angle to the right when the front of the right foot was set at 0 degrees. The 0-degree and 60-degree angles showed similar efficiencies, but were lower than the 30-degree angle. The study also found that using the big toe as the touch area resulted in the best speed, accuracy, and subjective satisfaction. The index toe was the second-best option, while using the ball of the foot was the least accurate and slowest option. Lastly, using an slope angle of 15 degrees for the touchpad was found to increase work efficiency compared to using a 7-degree slope angle. These findings can serve as guidelines for designing foot interfaces.

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

The objective of the this study was to reduce the benzo[a]pyrene-induced hepatotoxicity method in herbal medicine products and to give proof that neferine, daidzein, genistein possess antihepa-totoxic effects. B[a]P which classified as a group 1 carcinogen and metabolized to B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) causes mutagenic DNA addition products. The reduc-tion of BPDE-DNA adduct formation by B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) was derived by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). In HepG2 cells, B[a]P exhibited toxicity and substance treatment of the cells with B[a]P with neferine in lotus and daidzein, genistein in soybean reduced the BPDE-DNA ad-ducts level. The level of B[a]P-metabolites in the substance treatment of the cells was presented that BPDE levels were reduced by neferine in lotus and daidzein, genisten in soybean. These results suggest that neferine in lotus and daidzein, genistein in soybean prevent B[a]P-induced hepato-toxicity for BPDE-DNA adduct formation.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of dual-task training, including cognitive tasks, on cognitive and bodily functioning and β-amyloid levels in Alzheimer's dementia patients. The subjects were 34 inpatients diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia at a nursing hospital located in Gyeongsansi, South Korea. The patients were randomly divided into a dual-task group (n = 16) and a single-task group (n = 18). The dual-task group performed cognitive tasks at the same time as exercising tasks, while the single-task group performed only exercise tasks. Each group was trained for 30 minutes three times a week for eight weeks. The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to measure the patients’ cognitive function. Static and dynamic balance were measured to evaluate bodily functioning. Static balance was measured using Biorescue, while dynamic balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale. Blood analysis was performed to measure levels of β-amyloid, which is known to cause Alzheimer's dementia. Both groups exhibited statistically significant improvements in gait function after the training (p < .05). The dual-task group exhibited statistically significant differences in cognitive function, static and dynamic balance function, and β-amyloid levels after training (p < .05). A significant difference was observed between the two groups (p < .05). Dual-task activities were found to be effective in improving cognitive and bodily functioning and reducing β-amyloid levels in Alzheimer's dementia patients. Therefore, dual-task training is thought to be an effective method of treating and preventing Alzheimer's dementia.

According to Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions, cultures differ in cultural values and norms; values and norms that may influence differences in trendsetting, creative traits and behaviors, and pro-environmental behaviors. Further, because men and women have been socialized within particular cultures, gender differences may exist in trendsetting, creative traits and behaviors, and pro-environmental behaviors. Trendsetters have characteristics that are interrelated with creative traits and behaviors, perhaps inclining them to endorse pro-environmental behaviors. However, the interrelationships among these variables remain unexplored. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine these three variables among college students in South Korea and the United States, specifically looking at cultural and gender differences. Participants were 225 Korean college students and 221 U.S. college students. Questionnaires included demographic items and scales measuring trendsetting, creative traits and behaviors, and pro-environmental behaviors. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha reliability, MANOVA, ANOVA and SNK posthoc test. Results show that U.S. (vs Korean) students indicated greater trendsetting and creative traits and behaviors but not greater pro-environmental behaviors. Fashion trendsetting groups in both Korea and the U.S. differed in creative traits and behaviors and pro-environmental behaviors. Among Korean trendsetting groups, reluctant adopters scored lowest on creative traits and behaviors and pro-environmental behaviors. Among U.S. trendsetting groups, trendsetters scored highest on creative traits and behaviors and pro-environmental behaviors; reluctant adopters scored lowest on pro-environmental behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are provided for researchers and marketers.

Using nanoindentation under various strain rates, the mechanical properties of a selective laser melted (SLM) SKD61 at the 800 mm/s scan speed was investigated and compared to SLM H13. No obvious pile-up due to the ratio of the residual depth (h_f) and the maximum depth (h_max) being lower than 0.7 and no cracking were observed on any of the indenter surfaces. The nanoindentation strain-rate sensitivity (m) of SLM SKD61 was found to be 0.034, with hardness increasing from 8.65 GPa to 9.93 GPa as the strain rate increased between 0.002 s⁻¹ and 0.1 s⁻¹. At the same scan speed, the m value of SLM H13 (m = 0.028) was lower than that of SLM SKD61, indicating that the mechanical behavior of SLM SKD61 was more critically affected by the strain rate compared to SLM H13. SLM processing for SKD61therefore shows higher potential for advanced tool design than for H13.

To explore more effective and safer mobilization strategies for multiple myeloma (MM) patients, we conducted a prospective trial comparing single-dose etoposide (375 mg/m2 for one day) plus G-CSF versus G-CSF alone followed by risk-adapted plerixafor. After randomization, 27 patients in the etoposide group and 29 patients in the G-CSF alone group received mobilization regimens. Six (22.2%) patients in the etoposide group and 15 (51.7%) patients in the G-CSF alone group received a risk-adapted plerixafor based on a peripheral blood CD34+ cell count of less than 15/mm3 (P = 0.045). The median total count of CD34+ stem cells collected was significantly higher in the etoposide group (9.5 × 106/kg vs. 7.9 × 106/kg; P = 0.018), but the optimal collection (CD34+ cell count ≥ 6 × 106/kg) rates were not significantly different between the etoposide group and the G-CSF alone groups (96.3% vs. 82.8%; P = 0.195). The rate of collected CD34+ stem cells of 8.0 × 106/kg or grater was significantly higher in the etoposide group (77.8% vs 44.8%; P = 0.025). Meanwhile, the rates of adverse events of were relatively low, with no neutropenic fever or septic shock observed in either group. After transplantation, the median days to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were not significantly different between the two groups (P =1.000 in both). Thus, both single-dose etoposide plus G-CSF and G-CSF alone with risk-adapted plerixafor were effective and safe, but the former may be the better option for patients who are expected to receive two or more transplantations.

This research analyzed the impact of quality of service as perceived by Hapkido students on their exercise continuation and recommendation intentions. It also identified the measures to reduce the rate of student dropout, strengthen competitiveness, and create more efficient marketing strategies for consumer patterns that are rapidly diversifying Hapkido. A questionnaire survey method was conducted with 300 middle and high school students aged 14–19 years having Hapkido training of three months to two years in Incheon and Bucheon during March–April 2019. Frequency, factor, reliability, correlation, and standard multiple regression analyses were conducted on the surveyed data. The conclusions are as follows. First, considering the impact of service quality on exercise continuation intention, service quality positively affects reliability, personification, and perceptual openness; in terms of possibility, it positively affects typicality, personification, and perceptual openness; and in terms of reinforcement, it positively affects reliability and perceptual openness. Second, examining the impact of service quality on recommendation intention positively affects reliability, personification, and perceptual openness. Third, exercise continuation intention positively affects recommendation intention.

Objectives: Accumulating evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) is an efficient intervention to maintain functional capabilities and mitigate physiological changes in the older population. However, an attempt has yet to be made to comprehensively investigate the published landscape on the subject. Methods: This study had two aims. The first aim was to perform a bibliometric analysis for two keywords, “aging” and “PA”, to analyze the research trend. Since ‘frailty’ is the most noticeable co-occurring keyword with the two keywords, the second aim was to investigate the effects of PA, particularly resistance training (RT), on frailty via meta-analysis to provide a summary of the current evidence base. Results: Bibliometric analysis revealed that the number of publications on this research topic has gradually increased, highlighting the importance of understanding the role of PA in aging. A meta-analysis found that RT had significant beneficial effects on physical frailty factors, including handgrip strength, lower limb strength, balance, gait speed, and stair climbing ability. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that RT is an effective intervention for improving physical function in frail populations; thus it has important implications for the development of PA programs for older adults with frailty. Future research is warranted to explore the optimal dose, frequency, and duration of RT programs for older adults, as well as the potential benefits of combining RT with other forms of PA, such as aerobic or balance exercises.

This study aims to spatially analyze the distribution characteristics of vacant homes in Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, and understand the differences in factors causing vacant homes by type. We use a variety of statistical methods to examine these factors and identify key influencing factors such as the number of vacant stores, changes in overall population, land use complexity, and physical characteristics of land and buildings. The findings reveal that the factors contributing to the occurrence of vacant homes vary significantly by region and property type, highlighting the need for region-specific policies. For instance, in old town areas, small lot ratios and land use complexity are significant, while in rural village, the average number of floors and land use complexity play a major role. This study underscores the diversity of factors influencing vacant homes, suggesting that policies should be tailored to the unique characteristics of different regions to effectively address this issue.

The aim of this study is to propose and validate the state space mode decomposition technique for precise mode separation of non-classical damping systems and closely distributed modal systems. To assess the reliability and applicability of this technique, a 40-story building with a tuned mass damper is investigated, and acceleration responses measured by the building's health monitoring system are used for the verification of the technique. The mode separation results reveal that the separated modal power spectrum becomes distorted at neighboring natural frequency ranges when the performance index only considers the concentration of power spectral energy at the target natural frequency. However, by introducing an augmented performance index that includes a constraint condition to account for distortion, more accurate mode decomposition can be achieved.

The study addresses the urgent environmental issue of climate change, focusing specifically on the role of local food, which is produced and consumed locally, helps reduce carbon emissions by eliminating the need for long-distance transportation. Through quantitative analysis, this study elucidates the potential benefits in environmental impact achieved through the consumption of local food: the significant reduction in carbon emissions. Specifically, the consumption of local food is found to yield an annual decrease of 2,421,296 tCO2 emissions, representing 2.5% of South Korea’s total greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. This reduction further translates into an estimated economic value of USD 54.23 million (KRW 70.5 billion). This study underscores the potential of local food consumption as a tangible strategy to overcome environmental problems. Moreover, its academic contribution lies in its comprehensive analysis of the economic and empirical impacts of local food consumption on environment. Moving forward, we propose policies such as supporting local food distribution networks, providing public education on local food, fostering the local food industry, and providing incentives to revitalize local food consumption.

Spectral image analysis has the potential to replace traditional approaches for assessing plant responses to different types of stress including herbicide, through non-destructive and high-throughput screening (HTS). Therefore, this study was conducted to develop a rapid bioassay method using a multi-well plate and spectral image analysis for diagnosis of herbicide activity and mode of action. Crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris) as a model weed was cultivated in multi-well plates and subsequently treated with 6 herbicides with different modes of action when they reached the 1-leaf stage, using only a quarter of the recommended dose. To detect plant response to herbicides, plant spectral images were acquired after herbicide treatment using RGB, infrared (IR) thermal, and chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) sensors and analyzed for diagnosing herbicide efficacy and mode of action. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using all spectral data successfully distinguished herbicides and clustered depending on their modes of action. The performed experiments have shown that the multi-well plate assay combined with spectral image analysis can be successfully applied for herbicide bioassay. In addition, the use of spectral image sensors, especially in CF image, would facilitate HTS by enabling rapid observation of herbicide response, as early as 3 hours after herbicide treatment.

Short stature has been associated with increased various disease and all-cause death, but no reliable data exist the association between height and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in diabetic patients. We investigated the relationship between short stature, development of ESRD, and mortality in type 2 diabetes. This study analyzed clinical data using the National Health Insurance Database in Korea. Height was stratified by five groups according to age and sex. Risk of ESRD and all-cause mortality was analyzed with Cox proportional hazards models. During a 6.9-year follow-up period, 220,457 subjects (8.4%) died and 28,704 subjects (1.1%) started dialysis. Short stature significantly increased the incidence of ESRD and all-cause mortality in the overall cohort analysis. In multivariable analysis, hazard ratios (HR) for development of ESRD comparing the highest versus lowest quartiles of adult height were 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.83–0.89). All-cause mortality also decreased with highest height compared to patients with lowest height after fully adjusting for confounding variables (HR 0.79, 95% CI, 0.78–0.81). Adult height had an inverse relationship with newly diagnosed ESRD and all-cause in both males and females. Short stature is strongly associated with an increased risk of ESRD and all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes.

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

In this study, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced in vivo model and LPS-stimulated in vitro model were used to confirm whether ethanol extract of Cnidii Rhizoma (EtCR) could ameliorate UC. EtCR improved symptoms of UC, including body weight loss, colon length shortening, disease activity index (DAI), and colon mucosal damage. In addition, EtCR decreased inflammatory mediators, including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), in colon tissue. To further confirm the UC improving mechanism, RAW 264.7 cells and HT29 human epithelial cells were used. EtCR reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) and inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide and prostaglandin E₂) via JNK and NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, EtCR increased expression of trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), which is an epithelial cell protective factor, in HT29 cells. Taken together, our study suggests that EtCR has treatment effect on UC and can be a therapeutic agent.

Although many policosanols from different sources, such as sugar cane, rice bran, and insects, have been marketed worldwide, there has been no comparative study of the in vivo efficacy using a hyperlipidemic animal model. This study compared the efficacy of treating dyslipidemia with four different policosanols, including one sugar cane wax alcohol from Cuba (Raydel®) and three policosanols from China (Xi’an Natural sugar cane, Xi’an Realin sugar cane, and Shaanxi rice bran) in hyperlipidemic zebrafish. After 12 weeks of consumption of each policosanol (final 0.1% in diet, wt/wt) and high cholesterol diet (HCD, final 4%, wt/wt) in a tetrabit, the Raydel policosanol group and Xi’an Natural policosanol group showed the highest survivability of approximately 81%, whereas the Xi’an Realin policosanol group and Shaanxi policosanol group showed 57% and 67% survivability, respectively. Among five HCD groups, the Raydel policosanol group showed the lowest serum total cholesterol (TC, p<0.001 versus HCD control) and triglyceride (TG, p<0.001 versus HCD control) with the highest percentage of high-density lipoproteins (HDL)-C in TC. The Raydel policosanol group also showed the lowest serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels with the least infiltration of inflammatory cells and interleukin-6 production in hepatocytes. In the ovary, the Raydel policosanol group also showed the highest contents of mature vitellogenic oocytes with the lowest production of reactive oxygen species and cellular apoptosis in ovarian cells. In the testis, the Raydel policosanol group also showed the healthiest morphology for spermatogenesis with the least interstitial area and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in testicular cells. In conclusion, 12 weeks of Raydel policosanol consumption resulted in remarkable improvement of the blood lipid profile, amelioration of inflammation in the liver, and enhancement of the cell morphology in the ovary and testis with the highest survivability under the HCD.

(1) Background: The aim of this work was to systematically review existing studies on whether hysteroscopy improves the reproductive outcomes of women with infertility even in the absence of intrauterine pathologies when compared to women who did not receive a hysteroscopy. (2) Methods: We established the Participant-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome strategy and used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement to conduct a systematic review of 11 studies which were retrieved from 3 electronic databases: Ovid-Medline, Ovid-Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Two independent investigators extracted the data from the included studies and used the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool to assess their quality. (3) Results: The primary outcome measures were the clinical pregnancy rates (CPRs) and live birth rates (LBRs) in the in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Hysteroscopy in infertile women without intrauterine pathologies showed higher CPRs and LBRs than those in the same population who did not receive hysteroscopy in cases of recurrent implantation failure and IVF (odds ratio: 1.79 and 1.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.46-2.30 and 1.08-1.97 for CPR and LBR, respectively); however, the degree of significance was not as high for LBR. (4) Conclusions: Hysteroscopy before IVF/ICSI in infertile women without intrauterine pathologies may potentially be effective in improving the CPRs and LBRs in patients with RIF. Robust and high-quality randomized trials are warranted to confirm this finding.

This study aims to investigate the changes in the structural relationship between alienation in physical education (PE) class, school happiness, and future healthy life expectancy in Korean adolescents after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected from adolescents in the Republic of Korea using scales for these factors. The collected data were analyzed with frequency analysis, reliability analysis, validity analysis, independent t-test, and path analysis. The key results were as follows. First, there were partial changes in each of the parameters since the outbreak of COVID-19. Second, before the pandemic, alienation in PE class negatively affected school happiness, and school happiness positively affected future healthy life expectancy; however, alienation in PE class did not affect future healthy life expectancy showing a complete mediating effect. Third, during the pandemic, alienation in PE class negatively affected school happiness, and school happiness positively affected future healthy life expectancy; alienation in PE class negatively affected future healthy life expectancy, showing a partial mediating effect. These findings emphasize the importance and potential of school education, especially PE, in promoting happiness and healthy life in adolescents. We expect these findings to have practical implications for future research by presenting theoretical and empirical data.

As symbionts of fungi and algae, lichens produce a variety of secondary products which pharmacological activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities of Heterodermia hypoleuca and its main compound, atraric acid. The results confirmed that atraric acid could regulating induced pro-inflammatory cytokine, nitric oxide, induced nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Means while, atraric acid down-regulated expression of phosphorylated IκB, ERK and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathway to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Based on these results, the anti-inflammatory effect of atraric acid during LPS-induced endotoxin shock in a mouse model was confirmed. In the atraric acid treated-group, cytokine production was decreased in the peritoneum and serum, and each organ damaged by LPS-stimulation was recovered. These results show that atraric acid has an anti-inflammatory effect and its molecular mechanism may be involved in the inactivation of the ERK/NFκB signaling pathway, demonstrating its value as a potential therapeutic for inflammatory diseases.

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

The objective of this study is to design and synthesize substituted η6-chromium tricarbonyl metal complexes carrying o-carborane units as potential boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) agents. In this study, 1,2-Diphenyl-o-carborane units were used as starting materials to generate biologically active species. We investigated how the structural changes of 1,2-diphenyl-o-carborane substituted with chromium(0) tricarbonyl affect the biological properties; [(CO)3Cr]Ph2C2 (2) and [(CO)3Cr]2Ph2C2 (3) species were produced in moderate yields. The molecular structures of compounds 1–3 were identified and established by infrared (IR), 1H, 11B, and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and X-ray crystallography analyses. Crystal structures of o-carboranyl chromium complexes 1 [a = 10.859(1) Å, b = 24.953(3) Å, c = 13.938(2) Å, β = 111.854(2)º], 2 [a = 10.621(3) Å, b = 17.056(5) Å, c = 12.174(4) Å, β = 106.622(5)º], and 3 [a = 17.540(2) Å, b = 18.060(2) Å, c = 19.484(4) Å, α = 105.746(2)º, β = 110.226(2)º, γ = 91.256(2)º] were obtained. In vitro study using B16 and CT26 cancer cells containing the triphenyl-o-carboranyl chromium (0) complexes Ph3C2BCr2 and Ph3C2BCr3, which we have previously reported, the compounds 2 and 3 accumulated at higher levels than compounds Ph3C2BCr2 and Ph3C2BCr3. However, the phenylated o-carboranyl chromium(0) complexes have been found to be more cytotoxic than p-boronophenylalanine (BPA).

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities of beeswax alcohol (BWA) are well reported in animal and human clinical studies, with a significant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood, reduction of liver steatosis, and decrease in insulin. On the other hand, there is insufficient information to explain the in vitro antioxidant activity of BWA because it is extremely insoluble in aqueous buffer system. The BWA mixture was incorporated into reconstituted HDL (rHDL) with apoA-I, and the physiological functions of BWA in a water system were evaluated. After synthesis of rHDL with palmitoyloleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC), cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), and the BWA at molar ratios of 95:5:1:0 (rHDL-0), 95:5:1:0.5 (rHDL-0.5), and 95:5:1:1 (rHDL-1) for POPC:FC:apoA-I:BWA, the particle size of rHDL-1 was increased 15% compared to rHDL-0. rHDL-1 exhibited the strongest anti-glycation activity, up to 18% less glycation than rHDL-0 treated HDL3, with the highest protection of apoA-I from proteolytic degradation: a 28% larger band intensity than that of rHDL-0 treated HDL3 in the presence of fructose (final 250 mM). The antioxidant ability to inhibit cupric ion-mediated LDL oxidation increased as the BWA content in rHDL increased. The rHDL-1-treated LDL exhibited the smallest oxidation extent in electromobility with the least quantification of oxidized species (MDA). The antioxidant activities of HDL, ferric ion reduction ability (FRA), and paraoxonase (PON) were enhanced by the BWA in rHDL treatment with a concomitant increase in the molar ratio. rHDL-1-treated HDL showed 20–22% higher FRA and PON activities than rHDL-0-treated HDL. A microinjection of each rHDL into zebrafish embryos was performed in the presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML). The rHDL-1 injected embryo exhibited the highest survivability (~63%), whereas the CML alone group showed 28% survivability. A higher BWA content in rHDL helped neutralize the CML toxicity, resulting in higher survivability and normal developmental morphology. In contrast, the CML alone injected embryo showed severe retardation of the developmental speed and morphological defect. The CML-alone group showed the highest extent of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cellular apoptosis in embryos, but a co-injection of rHDL-1 resulted in a remarkable decrease in ROS and apoptosis. The dermal application of rHDL containing BWA resulted in higher potent wound-healing activity in a dose-dependent manner with decreased reactive oxygen species and cellular apoptosis in the cutaneous wound area in the presence of CML. Conclusively, incorporating BWA in rHDL significantly enhanced the anti-glycation and antioxidant activities in rHDL via more stabilization of apoA-I with a larger particle size. The rHDL containing BWA facilitated enforced inherent antioxidant ability of HDL and anti-inflammatory activity to suppress the CML toxicities in zebrafish embryos and to ameliorate CML-aggravated chronic wounds in adult zebrafish.

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.

Increasingly, firms are expected to implement ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) mandates to appeal to the global market. However, this requires overcoming practical challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. This paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the ESG practices of leading Korean global firms. The study selects five firms for case studies representing industries such as electronics, automotive, steelmaking, and chemicals. It examines ESG reports, performance indicators, and corporate disclosures of these firms. The analysis reveals the adoption of industry-specific ESG strategies, highlighting how these firms tailor their approaches to address unique industry challenges while aligning with global sustainability trends. Key findings include a strong emphasis on innovative solutions to ESG challenges, the integration of ESG into core business operations, and a balanced approach to economic, social, and environmental responsibilities. This study contributes to a broader understanding of how ESG practices are implemented in various industrial contexts, particularly in the dynamic and evolving landscape of Korean global businesses. It offers valuable insights and benchmarks for global companies, underlining the importance of contextualized and industry-specific ESG strategies in achieving sustainable and ethical business practices

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising solution to tackle bacterial infections and combat antibiotic resistance. However, their clinical application has been hindered by their vulnerability to protease degradation and toxicity towards mammalian cells. To overcome these challenges, our study aims to develop a method to enhance the stability and safety of AMPs, applicable to effective drug-device combination products. KR12 antimicrobial peptide was chosen and in order to further enhance its delivery and efficacy, HIV TAT protein-derived cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) was fused to form CPP-KR12. A new product, CPP-KR12@Si, was developed by forming silica nanoparticles with self-entrapped CPP-KR12 peptide using the biomimetic silica precipitability due to its cationic nature. Peptide delivery from CPP-KR12@Si to bacteria and cells was delivered at a slightly delayed rate with improved stability against trypsin treatment and a reduction in cytotoxicity over CPP-KR12. Finally, the antimicrobial potential of CPP-KR12@Si/bone graft substitute (BGS) combination product was demonstrated, which is coated with CPP-KR12 in the form of nanoparticles on the surface of BGS. Self-entrapped AMP in silica nanoparticles is a safe and effective AMP delivery method that will be useful for developing a drug/device combination product for tissue regeneration.

We aimed to determine whether A-mode ultrasound (US) can provide accurate and reliable measurements comparable to those obtained through B-mode US, under diverse conditions. Thirty healthy participants (15 female, 15 male) underwent measurements of subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), muscle thickness (MT), and muscle quality (MQ) in the trapezius and biceps brachii muscle with both US modes after and before exercises designed to stimulate the respec-tive muscles. In three key indices, the results demonstrated high validity of A-mode, with min-imal mean differences between the two devices less than 0.91mm and intraclass correlation coef-ficients exceeding 0.95 at all measures. Also, Correlation coefficients between error scores and average scores for the trapezius and biceps brachii muscles suggested no evidence of systematic error. The trapezius MT and MQ significantly increased, and biceps brachii MT significantly in-creased after exercise (p<0.05). Notably, both A-mode and B-mode exhibited the same tendency in these post-exercise changes in muscle. This study suggests that low-cost and low-resolution A-mode US provides measurements of SFT, MT, and MQ similar to more expensive, high-resolution B-mode imaging. A-mode US can serve as an affordable and portable alternative for muscle assessment.

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

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.

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.

We report a novel dual-band barrier infrared detector (DBIRD) design using type-II superlattices (T2SLs). The DBIRD structure consists of back-to-back barrier diodes: a "blue channel" (BC) diode which has an nBp architecture, an n-type layer of larger bandgap for absorbing blue band infrared/barrier/p-type layer, and a "red channel" (RC) diode which has an pBn architecture, a p-type layer of smaller bandgap for absorbing red band infrared/barrier/n-type layer. Each has a unipolar barrier using a T2SL lattice matched to a GaSb substrate to impede the flow of majority carriers from the absorbing layer. Each channel in the DBIRD can be independently accessed with a low bias voltage, as is preferable for high-speed thermal imaging. Device modeling of DBIRDs and simulation results of the current-voltage characteristics under dark and illuminated conditions are also presented. They predict that dual-band operation of the DBIRD will produce low dark currents and 27-33% quantum efficiencies for the in-band photons in the BC with λc=5.58 μm, and a nearly-constant 33% in the RC with λc=8.05 μm. The spectral quantum efficiency of the BC for 500 K blackbody radiation is approximately 20% over the range of λ=3 − 4.2 μm, while that of the RC has a peak of 42% at 5.7 μm. The DBIRD may provide improved high-speed dual-band imaging in comparison with NBn dual-band detectors.

A surgical microscope is large in size, which makes it impossible to be portable. The distance between the surgical microscope and the observation tissue is 15–30 cm, and the adjustment range of the right and left of the camera is a maximum of 30°. Therefore, the surgical microscope is generated attenuation (above 58%) of irradiation optical source owing to the long working distance. Moreover, the observation of tissue is affected because of dazzling by ambient light as the optical source power is strong (55 to 160 mW/cm2). Further, observation blind spot phenomena will occur due to the limitations in adjusting the right and left of the camera. Therefore, it is difficult to clearly observe the tumor. In this study, a compact pen-type probe with a portable surgical microscope is presented. The proposed surgical microscope comprises a small and portable pen-type probe that can adjust the working distance between the probe and the observed tissue. In addition, it allows the adjustment of the viewing angle and fluorescence brightness. The proposed probe has no blind spots or optical density loss.

A surgical microscope is large in size, making portability impossible. The distance between the surgical microscope and the observation tissue is 15 to 30 cm, while the maximum adjustment range of the camera to the right and left is 30°. Therefore, surgical microscopes cause attenuation (above 58%) of the irradiation optical source owing to the long working distance. Moreover, the observation of tissue was dazzled with ambient light because the optical power source was strong (50 to 160 mW/cm2). Owing to the limited ability to adjust the camera to the right and left, a blind spot occurs with a surgical microscope. Therefore, it is difficult to clearly observe a tumor. In this study, a compact pen-type probe with a portable surgical microscope is proposed. The pen-type probe is small with a portable shape, and is capable of adjusting the working distance between itself and the observed tissue. It is also possible to adjust the viewing angle and fluorescence brightness. The proposed pen-type probe has no blind spots or optical density loss.

This study aims to suggest a basis for the selection of technologies for developing high-performance buildings to reduce energy consumptions and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy-saving technologies comprising of 15 cases were categorized into passive, active, and renewable energy systems. EnergyPlus v8.8 was used to analyze the contribution of each technology in reducing the primary energy consumptions and CO₂ emissions in the Korean climate. The primary energy consumptions of the base model were 464.1 and 485.1 kWh/m²a in the Incheon and Jeju, respectively, and the CO₂ emissions were 83.4 and 87.4 kgCO₂/m²a, respectively. Each technology (cases 1–15) provided different energy-saving contributions in the Korean climate depending on their characteristics. The heating, cooling, and other energy-saving contributions of each technology indicate that their saving rates can be used when selecting suitable technologies during the cooling and heating seasons. Case 15 (active chilled beam with dedicated outdoor air system + ground source heat pump) showed the highest energy saving rate. In case 15, the Incheon and Jeju models were reduced by 189.4 (59.2%) and 206.2 kWh/m²a (57.4%) compared to the base case, respectively, and the CO₂ emissions were reduced by up to 32.7 (60.8%) and 35.6 kgCO₂/m²a (59.3%), respectively.

Recently many researches of EOS (Electric Arc Furnace Oxidizing Slag) on application to construction industry have been carried out with increasing its production and limited reclamation site. EOS can be used as a fine aggregate for construction material, however, its engineering properties vary with the manufacturing process and producing district, causing a quality differences in material performance. In the work, EOS is obtained from steel manufacturing plants in South Korea and the engineering properties are evaluated for EOS and the cement mortar with EOS, respectively. From the tests, EOS is mainly made up of CaO, SiO₂, and FeO with 18.2% of larnite which has a crystal structure of β-C₂S with similar cement mineral. EOS mortar shows an increasing compressive strength with more EOS content, which is affected by a considerable amount of larnite (β-C2S) in EOS. The EOS based mortar with ERS (Electric Arc Furnace Reduction Slag) shows unsatisfactory results over the criteria for rate of change, which implies that more consideration must be taken for the usage of the mixed ERS and EOS for cement mortar due to swelling effect of ERS on dimensional stability.

Cyanex 301 and LIX 63 can seletively extract Pd(II) over Pt(IV) from strong hydrochloric acid solutions. Therefore, solvent extraction experiments have been performed by extractant mixtures containing either Cyanex 301 or LIX 63 and the extraction behavior of Pd(II) was compared. Among the mixture of Cyanex 301, the highest synergistic enhancement coefficient was achieved by mixing Cyanex 301 and TOPO. However, it was very diffiuclt to strip the Pd(II) from the loaded mixture. Among the mixture of LIX 63, the mixture of LIX 63 and Alamine 336/TOPO enhanced the extraction of Pt(II). Although the synergistic coefficient by Cyanex 301 + TOPO was higher than that by LIX 63 + Alamine 336, the Pd(II) in the loaded mixture of LIX 63 and Alamine 336 was easily stripped by thiourea.

Cisplatin is a widely used anticancer drug for treating solid tumors, but it is associated with severe side effects, including nephrotoxicity. Various studies have suggested that the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin could be overcome; nonetheless, an effective adjuvant drug has not yet been established. Oleanolic acid acetate (OAA), a triterpenoid isolated from Vigna angularis, is commonly used to treat inflammatory and allergic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of OAA against cisplatin-induced apoptosis and necroptosis using TCMK-1 cells and a mouse model. In cisplatin-treated TCMK-1 cells, OAA treatment significantly reduced Bax and cleaved-caspase3 expression, whereas increased Bcl-2 expression. Moreover, in cisplatin-induced kidney injury mouse model, OAA treatment alleviated weight loss in the body and major organs and also relieved cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity symptoms. RNA sequencing analysis of kidney tissues identified lipocalin-2 as the most upregulated gene by cisplatin. Additionally, necroptosis-related genes such as receptor interacting protein kinase (RIPK) and mixed lineage kinase domain like (MLKL) were identified. In vitro study, the phosphorylation of RIPKs and MLKL was reduced by OAA pretreatment in both cisplatin-treated cells and cells boosted by co-treatment with z-VAD-FMK. In conclusion, OAA could protect the kidney from cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and may serve as an anticancer adjuvant.

In this study, ozone oxidation experiment was carried out for the removal of fluorescent whitening agent which is widely used in textile dyeing and paper industry. The stilbene fluorescent whitening agent has been industrialized since the earliest, and the amount of current production is the highest. Due to the characteristics of the fluorescent whitening agent that cannot be removed by conventional wastewater treatment methods, the fluorescent whitening agent in wastewater treatment has difficulty in using as recycled water in the process. Pre-treatment ozone oxidation experiment was conducted prior to the introduction of Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) treatment process by converting biodegradable materials into biodegradable materials. The removal efficiencies of fluorescent whitening agents, a diaminostilbene disulfonic acid derivative by ozone oxidation were evaluated by UV254 Scan, COD, T-N and color using a synthetic wastewater sample (COD=433.0 mg/ℓ) and paper and paper mill wastewater (COD=157.2 mg/ℓ).

In this study, effluent water was produced through Submerged Membrane Bio-Reactor (SMBR) process, which is a simple system and decomposes organic matter contained in wastewater with biological treatment process and performs solid-liquid separation, Especially, ozone oxidation treatment process is applied to effluent water containing fluorescent whitening agent, which is a trace pollutant which is not removed by biological treatment, and influences the quality of reused water. The concentration of COD in the SMBR was 449.3 mg/ℓ-COD, and the concentration of permeate water was 100.3 mg/ℓ-COD. The removal efficiency was about 70.1%. The amount of ozone re- quired for the removal of the fluorescent whitening agent in the permeated water in SMBR was 6.67 g-O3/min, and the amount of ozone required to remove COD relative to the permeate water was calculated to remove 0.997 mg-COD for 1 mg of O3.

: The purpose of this research was to verify the importance and performance of crisis management in Korean fitness center using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). For this study, 304 fitness center executives and managers in Seoul and Gyeonggi region were selected as from March 21 to May 17, 2020. Frequency analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0 and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to verify the validity and reliability. Priority analysis and IPA analysis were performed to compare the mean values, and the following results were obtained. First, in the first quadrant, there were 6 attributes besides keep social distancing between employees and customers. Second, in the second quadrant, there were four attributes in addition to regular disinfection of the gymnasium. Third, in the third quadrant, there were 6 attributes besides maintain furniture clean. Third, there were 6 attributes other than maintaining furniture clean in the third quadrant. Fourth, in the fourth quadrant, there are three attributes in addition to the restriction of face-to-face meetings. The conclusion is as follows. First, equip supplies for prevention of covid19, keep social distance, and check government support policies. Second, analyze of economic support policies, and research on their application methods. Third, Prepare various non-face-to-face communication methods and Untact(non-contact) marketing strategies. Fourth, make a checklist for factors with relatively little importance.

Bovine mastitis (BM) has been causing great economic and financial losses in the dairy industry worldwide and one of its major pathogenic agents is S. aureus. BM treatment still relies on antibiotics. The extensive use of antimicrobials gives rise to bacterial strains such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and mupirocin-resistant S. aureus (MuRSA). This study aimed to investigate and compare the prevalence of MRSA and MuRSA and antimicrobial susceptibility in S. aureus isolates from bovine mastitis milk in conventional and organic dairy farms. Milk samples were taken from mastitis-infected cattle in 6 conventional and 7 organic dairy farms from South Korea. According to the Food Codex, 163 suspected S. aureus colonies were isolated from the pooled milk samples from each farm. Further rapid coagulase test confirmed 11 out of 74 isolates from 4 conventional farms (CF1, CF2, CF3, CF4) while 17 out of 89 isolates from 3 organic farms (OF1, OF2, OF3) exhibited coagulase activity. Multiplex PCR amplification showed that the nuc gene marker for S. aureus was found in all coagulase-positive isolates from OF 1 and at least one isolate from CF1, CF2, CF3, and CF4. Conversely, only 2 isolates from CF2 contained mecA gene for MRSA while none had the mupA gene for MuRSA. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that conventional farm isolates were more resistant to antibiotics particularly, against ampicillin and tetracycline, and, in turn, could imply a potential to develop multidrug resistance if stringent measures to control antimicrobial use in dairy farms is not implemented properly.

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

The escalating prevalence of particulate matter (PM) has raised serious concerns regarding its detrimental effects on human health. This study aimed to investigate the potential of fermented blueberry and black rice (FBBR) in mitigating the effects of PM2.5, both in SH-SY5Y cells and mice exposed to PM2.5. Various assays, including MTT, NO, western blot, ELISA, and behavioral studies (MWM and Y-maze) were conducted. Our results demonstrated that PM2.5 induced significant cytotoxicity and elevated nitric oxide (NO) production at a concentration of 100μg/mL of PM2.5 in SH-SY5Y cells. Additionally, administration of FBBR effectively attenuated PM2.5-induced cytotoxicity and suppressed NO production in SH-SY5Y cells. In an intranasal instilled mice model, exposure to 10 mg/kg body weight of PM2.5 resulted in cognitive impairments. However, FBBR treatment ameliorated these impairments in both the Y-maze and MWM tests in PM2.5-exposed mice. Furthermore, FBBR administration increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and reduced inflammatory markers in the brains of PM2.5-exposed SH-SY5Y cells. These findings underscore the detrimental effects of PM2.5 on the nervous system and highlight the potential of FBBR as a nutraceutical agent for mitigating these effects. Overall, this study emphasizes the urgency of addressing the harmful impact of PM2.5 on the nervous system and suggests the promising role of FBBR as a protective intervention against the adverse effects associated with PM2.5 exposure.

The gut microbiota has been suggested as an important factor in the pathogenic mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study aimed to investigate whether the intake of different kinds of dietary fiber was related to the disease progression rate (∆FS) and survival time. In total, 272 sporadic ALS patients diagnosed according to the revised EI Escorial criteria were recruited from March 2011 and were followed-up until the occurrence of events or the end of September 2020. The events included percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, tracheostomy, and death. Dietary fiber intake was calculated based on a 24-hour dietary recall and classified according to five major fiber-rich foods: vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds. Among the total participants, the group with ∆FS values lower than the mean ∆FS (0.75) was noted in the highest tertiles of total and vegetable fiber intake. Participants with the highest tertile of vegetable fiber intake showed longer survival in the Kaplan–Meier analysis (p = 0.033). Notably, vegetable fiber intake was negatively correlated with pro-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. This study showed that vegetable fiber intake could influence the disease progression rate and survival time. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm whether dietary fiber supplementation improves the prognosis of ALS.

Despite the importance of influenza vaccination for healthcare workers (HCWs), their uptake remains challenging. This study aimed to measure influenza vaccine hesitancy among HCWs in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. A representative cross-sectional survey was conducted at six hospitals during August – September 2020 using a self-administered questionnaire. HCWs delaying getting influenza vaccines, accepting but unsure, or refusing with doubts were categorized as hesitant. Those accepting without any doubts were classified as non-hesitant. Vaccine hesitancy determinants were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. A total of 338 participants (97%) completed the questionnaires; most were female nurses working at district hospitals without pre-existing chronic medical conditions. Nearly 60% of participants (197/338) exhibited influenza vaccine hesitancy, and significant factors included age above 50 years adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.2, 95% CI 1.3-8.5), fair knowledge of influenza/vaccination (aOR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.8), and negative influence of other HCW (High level– aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.8; Moderate level- aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-4.4). Imparting updated information to the HCW combined with positive guidance from influential peers may help reduce this hesitancy.

In-wheel motor vehicles are gaining attention as a new type of electric vehicle due to their efficient power units located inside each wheel hub. However, they are more susceptible to wheel resonance due to the increase in unsprung mass caused by the motor's weight. This can result in decreased both the ride comfort and driving stability. To resolve this issue, this study aims to apply an optimal switching controller with a semi-active n actuator; magnetorheological (MR) damper. For the implementation of the optimal switching controller, a road type classification is also carried out. An acceleration sensor is used for road type classification, and control logics include a ride comfort controller; the linear quadratic regulator (LQR _Paved Road) and a wheel motion controller (LQR_Off Road) for improved driving stability. For paved roads, the LQR_Paved Road control input is applied to the MR damper. However, if a road type prone to wheel resonance is detected, the control logic switches to the LQR_Off Road. During the transition, a weighted average of both LQR_ Paved Road and LQR_Off Road control input is applied to the actuator. Computer simulations are undertaken to evaluate vibration control performance, including the ride comfort and driving stability at various road profiles.

The incidence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has been increasing considerably annually since being first reported in 2008. Gyeonggi Province has the largest number of healthcare facilities in South Korea, which contribute to its regional vulnerability to CRE infections. Thus, there is a need to obtain up to date information on the occurrence of CRE infections in the Gyeonggi Province to take corrective measures. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the overall trends of CRE occurrence in Gyeonggi Province over the past 4 years and the epidemiological characteristics of CRE-related mortality. Patients admitted to a healthcare facility in Gyeonggi Province from January 2018 to December 2021 with positive blood cultures to CRE were included in the study and investigated. Additionally, the risk factors for CRE-related death were determined using data from CRE-positive patients who died within 30 days of last blood sampling. Older adults aged 70 and over accounted for the highest percentage of both survivors and non-survivors with CRE bacteremia. The number of non-survivors was higher in tertiary hospitals and among patients in intensive care unit. There were no significant differences in the mortality risk according to the use of antibiotics. Moreover, non-survivors were predominant among patients with hypertension, malignant tumor, and those having two or more underlying diseases. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common CRE strain in both survivors and non-survivors. Among the survivors, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae was detected in 151 cases (71.2%) and 49 cases (23.1%) in the KPC and NDM groups, respectively. Among the non-survivors, it was detected in 25 cases (86.2%) and 5 cases (17.2%) in the KPC and NDM groups, respectively. The endemicity of CRE in South Korea has been proposed for several years; our results have suggested endemicity of CRE in the Gyeonggi Province. Despite the strengthened infection control policies in healthcare facilities during the pandemic, there has been an increasing trend in the isolation of CRE strains in South Korean long-term care hospitals and hospitals within Gyeonggi Province. Factors such as history of hospitalization and underlying diseases have been identified as risk factors for CRE-related deaths. However, to address this issue strictly, it is important to establish infection control infrastructure tailored based on each type of healthcare facility, and elaborate specific government support measures, accordingly.

The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of drought such as intensity, cumulative curves and trends, based on SPEI (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index) at 8 stations in Korea from 1981 to 2010. The traditional SPEI is based on Thornthwaite equation for estimating evapotranspiration; SPEI_th. However, a standard of agricultural water management in Korea suggests FAO Penman-Monteith equation; SPEI_pm. In this study, we analyzed the intensity and trends of drought using SPEI_th and SPEI_pm, respectively, and analyzed the relationship between them. Both of central and southern region, the SPEIs were below -1.0 (moderated drought) for the periods May-August in the representative drought year such as 1988, 2001, and 2008-09. The frequency of drought was higher in southern region than central region. In addition, SPEI_pm showed slightly more intensive drought rather than SPEI_th except for Chuncheon and Gwangju. In 5 stations except for Cheoncheon, Gwangju and Jinju, the cumulative probability that SPEI_pm is below -1.5 was significantly increased from 1981-1995 to 1996-2010. As the results of drought trends, the increasing trend of SPEIs was shown on fall season, and the cumulative probability that SPEI_pm is below -1.5 was also significantly increased.

Biocontrol strategies are gaining tremendous attention with the growing awareness of the irreparable harm caused by the continuous use of synthetic pesticides. This study examines the proteolytic and chitinolytic activities of Bacillus velezensis CE 100 and its termiticidal effect through cuticle degradation. The proteolytic and chitinolytic activities of B. velezensis CE 100 systematically increased with cell growth to the respective peak of 68.3, and 128.3 units/mL after seventh days of inoculation, corresponding with the highest cell growth of 16 x 107 colony forming units (CFU)/mL. The in vitro termiticidal assay showed that B. velezensis CE 100 caused a rapid and high rate of termite mortality with the median lethal time (LT50) of &gt; 1h, and the highest mortality rate of 91.1% and 92.2% recorded at 11h and 12h in the bacterial broth culture and crude enzyme fraction, respectively. In addition to broken setae and deformed sockets, termites treated with the bacterial broth culture exhibited degraded epicuticles, while the crude enzyme fraction caused severe disintegration of both the epicuticle and endocuticle. These results indicate a tremendously higher prospect of B. velezensis CE 100 in the biological control of subterranean termites compared to the previously used entomopathogenic bacteria.

Radiotherapy for cancer has been known to affect the responses of immune cells, especially those of CD8+ T cells that play a pivotal role in anti-tumor immunity. Clinical success of immune checkpoint inhibitors led to an increasing interest into the ability of radiation to modulate CD8+ T cell responses. Recent studies that carefully analyzed the CD8+ T cell responses following radiotherapy suggest the beneficial roles of radiotherapy on anti-tumor immunity. In addition, numerous clinical trials that evaluate the efficacy of combining radiotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors are undergoing. In this review, we summarize the current status of knowledge regarding the changes of CD8+ T cells following radiotherapy from various preclinical and clinical studies. Furthermore, key biologic mechanisms that underlie such modulation, including both direct and indirect effects, are described. Lastly, we discuss the current evidence and essential considerations for harnessing radiotherapy as a combination partner for immune checkpoint inhibitors.

In this study, the focus is on the drop test simulation of an MR (Magnetorheological) damper-based main landing gear (MRMLG), aiming to explore multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) dynamic models during aircraft landing. Three different 6-DOF dynamic models are proposed in this work and their drop performances are compared with results achieved one of commercial softwares. The proposed models include a nonlinear aircraft model (NLAM), a linearized approximated aircraft model (LAAM) linearizing from the nonlinear equations of motion in NLAM, and a fully approximated aircraft model (FAAM) which linearizes the MRMLG's strut force model. In order to evaluate drop performance of the aircraft landing gear system with MR dampers, a 7-DOF aircraft model incorporating the nonlinear MRMLG is formulated using RecurDyn. The principal comparative param-eters are the coefficient of determination (R2) for system response of each model with Re-curDyn model and root mean square error (RMSE) which is the ensembles of CG dis-placement data for each model. In addition, the ensemble of time series data is created for diverse drop scenarios, providing valuable insights into the performance of the proposed drop test models of the aircraft landing gear system featuring MR dampers.

Titanium (Ti) and Ti-based alloys are commonly used in dental implants, and surface modifications of dental implants are important for achieving osseointegration (i.e., direct connection between the implant surface and bone). This study investigated the effect of an eco-friendly etching solution—a hydrogen peroxide–sodium bicarbonate mixture—on the surface properties and contact angles of and osteoblast adhesion and proliferation on Ti surfaces. Disk-shaped Ti specimens were prepared using different surface treatments (machining, sandblasting, and sandblasting/acid-etching), and they were immersed in the etching solution and then ultrasonically cleaned. Surface characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy, digital microscopy, contact angle analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. MG-63 osteoblasts were cultured on the specimens, and their adhesion to the specimen surface and their proliferation were examined using staining and the MTT assay, respectively. Additional etching with the etching solution caused the formation of nano/micro hierarchical structures, increased the surface roughness, and enhanced the hydrophilicity. Osteoblast adhesion and proliferation were found to improve on the modified surfaces. The eco-friendly etching method has the potential to enhance the biological properties of Ti implant surfaces and to thereby improve the dental implant performance.

Hf1-xZrxO2 (HZO) thin films are versatile materials suitable for advanced ferroelectric semiconductor devices. Previous studies have shown that the ferroelectricity of HZO thin films, can be stabilized by doping them with group III elements at low concentrations. While doping with Y improves the ferroelectric properties, there has been limited research on Y-HZO thin films fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD). In this study, we investigated the effects of Y doping cycles on the ferroelectric and electrical properties of as-deposited Y-HZO thin films with vaying compositions fabricated through ALD. The Y-HZO thin films were stably crystallized without the need for post-thermal treatment and exhibited transition behavior depending on the Y-doping cycle and initial composition ratio of the HZO thin films. These Y-HZO thin films offer several advantages, including enhanced dielectric constant, leakage current density, and improved endurance. Moreover, the optimized Y-doping cycle induced a phase transformation that resulted in Y-HZO thin films with improved ferroelectric properties, exhibiting stable behavior without fatigue for up to 1010 cycles. These as-deposited Y-HZO thin films show promise for applications in semiconductor devices that require high ferroelectric properties, excellent electrical properties, and reliable performance with a low thermal budget.

Magnetorheological (MR) fluid is recognized as one of intelligent materials that is widely used for various kinds of controllable devices since its rheological characteristics can be controlled by an external magnetic field (or input current). However, the density mismatch of the compositions between iron particles and carrier oil leads to inevitable sedimentation. Therefore, many works on the sedimentation problem of MR fluids have been carried out to improve the sedimentation stability using appropriate additives, surfactants, nanoparticles, particle coating as well as using several carrier oils with different densities. However, a study on the effect of the current magnitudes and profiles on the sedimentation is considerably rare. This study experimentally investigates the sedimentation behaviors due to the different current magnitudes and different profiles such as square and sine wave. It is shown that average sedimentation rate is 98.61% by applying 1 A of the square wave, while it is 97.83% under the sine type of the current. It is also identified that the higher intensity of the applied current results in stronger electromagnetic which can slow down the sedimentation rate. The results presented in this work are very helpful in designing a controller which provides the input current in terms of the magnitude and profile configuration.

The binary metal oxide mesoporous interfacial layers (bi-MO meso IF layer) templated by a graft copolymer is synthesized between a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate and nanocrystalline TiO2 (nc-TiO2). Amphiphilic graft copolymers, Poly(epichlorohydrin)-graft-poly(styrene), PECH-g-PS, was used as a structure-directing agent, and the fabricated bi-MO meso IF layer exhibits good interconnectivity and high porosity. Even if the amount of ZnO in bi-MO meso IF layer increased, it was confirmed that the morphology and porosity of bi-MO meso IF layer was well maintained. In addtion, bi-MO meso IF layer coated onto FTO substrates show higher transmittance compared with a pristine FTO substrate and dense-TiO2/FTO, due to the reduced surface roughness of FTO. The overall conversion efficiency (η) of a solid state photovoltaic cells, dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) fabricated with nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 used as a photoanode reaches 5.0% at 100 mW cm-2, which is higher than that of DSSC with a nc-TiO2 layer/dense-TiO2 layer (4.2%), resulting from enhanced light harvesting, good interconnectivity, and reduced interfacial resistance. The cell efficiency of the device did not change after 15 days, indicating that the bi-MO meso IF layer with solid-state electrolyte has improved electrode/electrolyte interface and electrochemical stability. Additionally, commercial scattering layer/nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 photoanode fabricated solid state photovoltaic cells (DSSC) achieved an overall conversion efficiency (η) of 6.4% at 100 mW cm-2.

In South Korea, the residential real estate market is influenced not just by traditional supply and demand dynamics, but also by external factors such as housing policies and macroeconomic conditions. Given the significant role of housing assets in individual wealth, market fluctuations can have profound implications. While prior research has utilized variables like GDP growth rate, patent issuance, and birth rates, and employed models like LSTM and ARIMA for housing price predictions, many overlook key localized factors. Notably, the impact of subway stations and living SOC facilities on housing prices, especially in metropolitan areas, remains underexplored. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing usage trends across subway stations, assessing the influence of living SOC facilities on housing values, and identifying the optimal machine learning model for price predictions near transport hubs. Through a comparative analysis of machine learning techniques, we aim to provide insights for more informed housing price determinations, promoting a more stable real estate market.

Paper-based microfluidic analysis devices (μPADs) have attracted attention as a cost-effective platform for point-of-care testing (POCT), food safety, and environmental monitoring. Recently, three-dimensional (3D)-μPADs have been developed to improve the performance of μPADs. For accurate diagnosis of diseases, however, 3D-μPADs need to be developed to simultaneously detect multiple biomarkers. Here, we report a 3D-μPADs platform for the detection of multiple biomarkers that can be analyzed and diagnosed with a smartphone. The 3D-μPADs were fabricated using a 3D digital light processing printer and consisted of a sample reservoir (300 µL) connected to 24 detection zones (of 4 mm in diameter) through 8 microchannels (of 2 mm in width). With the smartphone application, eight different biomarkers related to various diseases were detectable in concentrations ranging from normal to abnormal conditions: glucose (0–20 mmol/L), cholesterol (0–10 mmol/L), albumin (0–7 g/dL), alkaline phosphatase (0–800 U/L), creatinine (0–500 µmol/L), aspartate aminotransferase (0–800 U/L), alanine aminotransferase (0–1000 U/L), and urea nitrogen (0–7.2 mmol/L). These results suggest that 3D-µPADs can be used as a POCT platform for simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers.

In the Korean construction industry, legal and institutional safety management improvements are continually being pursued. However, there was a 4.5% increase in the number of workers’ deaths at construction sites in 2017 compared to the previous year. Failure to wear safety helmets seems to be one of the major causes of the increase in accidents, and so it is necessary to develop technology to monitor whether or not safety helmets are being used. However, the approaches employed in existing technical studies on this issue have mainly involved the use of chinstrap sensors and have been limited to the problem of whether or not safety helmets are being worn. Meanwhile, improper wearing, such as when the chinstrap and harness fixing of the safety helmet are not properly tightened, has not been monitored. To remedy this shortcoming, a sensing safety helmet with a three-axis accelerometer sensor attached was developed in this study. Experiments were performed in which the sensing data were classified whether the safety helmet was being worn properly, not worn, or worn improperly during construction workers’ activities. The results verified that it is possible to differentiate among wearing status of the proposed safety helmet with a high accuracy of 97.0%

We investigated the efficacy of a Rumex crispus and Cordyceps sinensis mixture made using the Beopje (Korea traditional processing method to remove anti-nutrients and enhance phytochemicals) method to regulate immune cell responses toward nitric oxide (NO) production, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and inflammation related genes in mice splenocytes. The six experimental groups were as follows: control (control), Rc-Cs (Rumex crispus (Rc) and Cordyceps sinensis (Cs) mixture, 6:4), TMC (Taemyeongcheong, commercial healthy drink containing Rc-Cs), LPS (lipopolysaccharide), LPS+Rc-Cs, and LPS+TMC. The Rc-Cs mixture reduced nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced splenocytes. Moreover, Rc-Cs enhanced production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6 compared to the control (no treatment). However, Rc-Cs inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-induced splenocytes. In addition, LPS+Rc-Cs also significantly suppressed mRNA expression of IL-1β and IL-6 compared to LPS treatment. Interestingly, Rc-Cs did not increase mRNA levels of iNOS and COX-2, which are inflammation related genes compared to the control, while LPS+Rc-Cs reduced mRNA levels of iNOS and COX-2 compared LPS alone (p < 0.05). TMC showed a similar pattern compared to Rc-Cs. Therefore, Rc-Cs treatment in splenocytes enhanced NO production and pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to the control, whereas Rc-Cs treatment in LPS-induced splenocytes reduced NO production, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and inflammation related genes. Thus, Rc-Cs regulated immune cells responses by increasing pro-inflammatory cytokines in splenocytes and reducing toxin (LPS)-induced inflammation. These results indicate that a Rumex crispus and Cordyceps sinensis mixture (Rc-Cs) and TMC containing Rc-Cs promote immune cells responses and anti-inflammatory activities.

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.

The purpose of this study is to define destination social responsibility as a multidimensional construct and examine the relationships among DSR, tourists’ emotions, and their satisfaction through the lens of corporate social responsibility. A model was empirically tested with a sample of 359 random foreign tourists caught in Hoi An, Vietnam. The results indicate that all DSR dimensions, including economic, environmental, legal-ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities significantly enhance tourists’ emotions while only legal-ethical and philanthropic responsibilities directly affect tourists’ satisfaction. The findings also confirm the mediating effect of emotions between destination social responsibility and tourists’ overall satisfaction.

This work investigates the stability conditions for linear systems with time-varying delays via augmented Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional(LKF). Two types of augmented LKFs with cross terms in integral are suggested to improve the stability conditions for interval time-varying linear systems. Through this work, the compositions of the LKFs are considered to enhance the feasible region of stability criterion for linear systems. Mathematical tools such as Wirtinger-based integral inequality(WBII), zero equalities, reciprocally convex approach, and Finsler’s lemma are utilized to solve the problem of stability criteria. Two sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the asymptotic stability of the systems using linear matrix inequality(LMI). First, asymptotic stability criteria are induced by constructing the new augmented LKFs in Theorem 1. And then simplified LKFs in Corollary 1 are proposed to show the effectiveness of Theorem 1. Second, asymmetric LKFs are shown to reduce the conservatism and the number of decision variables in Theorem 2. Finally, the advantages of the proposed criteria are verified by comparing maximum delay bounds in two examples. Two numerical examples show that the proposed Theorem 1 and 2 obtained less conservative results than existing outcomes. Also, Example 2 shows that the asymmetric LKF methods of Theorem 2 can provide larger delay bounds and fewer decision variables than Theorem 1’s in some specific systems.

Marine yeasts have versatile applications in industrial, medical and environmental fields, but have received little attention compared to terrestrial yeasts and filamentous fungi. In this study, a phylogenetic analysis of 11 marine-derived yeasts was conducted using internal transcribed spacers and nuclear large subunit rDNA, and their bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and tyrosinase inhibition activities, were investigated. The 11 marine-derived yeasts were identified to belong to seven species including Geotrichum candidum, Metschnikowia bicuspidata, Papiliotrema fonsecae, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Vishniacozyma carnescens, Yamadazyma olivae, and Yarrowia lipolytica, and three strains of these were candidates for new species of the genera Aureobasidium, Rhodotorula, and Vishniacozyma. Most extracts showed antioxidant activity, whereas seven strains exhibited antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis. Only Aureobasidium sp. US-Sd3 among the 11 isolates showed tyrosinase inhibition. Metschnikowia bicuspidata BP-Up1 and Yamadazyma olivae K2-6 showed notable radical-scavenging activity, which has not been reported previously. Among the isolates, Aureobasidium sp. US-Sd3 exhibited the highest antibacterial and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of marine-derived yeasts as a source of bioactive compounds for improving industrial applications.

This paper presents a finite element analysis of the bi-directional orthogonal model, which incorporates individual crack strain separation and tracking. The objective of the research is to expand the current shear friction model to manage bi-directional cracking at any angle, allowing for a more universal model that can be applied to intricate structures and non-proportional loading cases. The proposed model was initially developed as a total strain-based model, with the assumption that crack strains are equivalent to total strains, but was subsequently recalculated to improve accuracy by separating crack strains from total strains. Furthermore, a separate crack strain formulation was created to account for strains in the concrete's uncracked portions and locked-in crack strains. The article then discusses the testing of various convergence methods and loading programs to achieve high convergence. Comparative analyses of the generalized shear friction model with other models for crack orientation and loading cases similar to those of a reinforced concrete membrane are also presented. The MATLAB program successfully applied the bi-directional cracking model for one finite element under a uniform cyclical strain state, using a secant stiffness formulation.

Background: Some studies have shown that an increase in visceral fat is associated with postoperative clinical and oncologic outcomes. However, no studies have used bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to determine the effects of visceral fat on the oncologic outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between visceral fat area (VFA) and clinical, and oncologic outcomes in CRC. Methods: This study included 203 patients who underwent anthropometric measurements by BIA before surgical treatment for CRC between January 2016 and June 2020. Results: According to the cutoff level of VFA by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, 85 (40.5%) patients had a low VFA, and 119 (59.5%) had a high VFA. Multivariate analysis found that preoperative CRP (hazard ratio [HR], 3.882; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001–15.051; p=0.050) and nodal stage (HR, 7.996; 95% CI, 1.414–45.209; p=0.019) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival, while sex (HR, 0.110; 95% CI, 0.013–0.905; p=0.040), lymphovascular invasion (HR, 3.560; 95% CI, 1.098–11.544; p=0.034), and VFA (HR, 4.263; 95% CI, 1.280–14.196; p=0.040) were independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS). Conclusion: High VFA preoperatively measured by BIA was associated with inflammations and was an independent prognostic factor for DFS.

Background and objectives: Traditional intravenous, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) uses a fixed-rate continuous background infusion mode. However, some patients suffer from inadequate analgesia or opioid-related adverse effects due to the biphasic pattern of postoperative pain. Therefore, we investigated the postoperative analgesic efficacy of PCA using an optimizing background infusion mode (OBIM), where the background injection rate varies depending on the patient's bolus demand. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 204 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a randomized, controlled, double-blind study. Patients were allocated into either the optimizing (group OBIM) or the traditional background infusion group (group TBIM). The numeric rating scale (NRS) score for pain was evaluated at admission to and discharge from the recovery room, as well as at the 6th, 24th, and 48th postoperative hours. Data of bolus demand count, total infused volume, and background infusion rate was downloaded from the PCA device at 30-min intervals until the 48th postoperative hour. Results: The NRS score was not significantly different between groups throughout the postoperative period (P = 0.621), decreasing with time in both groups (P < 0.001). The bolus demand count was not significantly different between groups throughout (P = 0.756). The mean cumulative infused PCA volume was lower in group OBIM [84.0 (95% confidence interval: 78.9−89.1) mL) than in group TBIM [102 (97.8−106.0) mL] (P < 0.001). The background infusion rate was significantly different between groups throughout (P < 0.001); it was higher in group OBIM than in group TBIM before the 12th postoperative hour, and lower from the 18th to the 48th postoperative hours. Conclusions: The OBIM combined with bolus dosing is useful in that it reduces the cumulative PCA volume compared to the TBIM combined with bolus dosing, while yielding comparable postoperative analgesia and bolus demand in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Achievement of solid fusion of the lumbosacral junction (L5-S1 level) is an important factor in adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of injectable rhBMP-2 (a combination of Eschericia coli-derived rhBMP-2 and hydrogel type β-TCP carrier; NOVOSIS Inject) as a bone substitute for the fusion of lumbosacral junction. 20 patients (average age 69.1 years) diagnosed with ASD with sagittal imbalance who underwent surgical treatment including anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) in the L5-S1 level were evaluated. Injectable rhBMP-2 was applied in L5-S1 ALIF and followed-up for 1-year. Solid fusion rates and changes of clinical outcomes (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI], Visual Analog Scale [VAS] of back and leg) were measured and analyzed at 6 and 12 months after surgery. All postoperative adverse events were evaluated about the association with injectable rhBMP-2. Fusion rates were 68.4% and 100% at 6 and 12 months after surgery. Compared to baseline, ODI were improved to 45.8% and 63.7%, VAS(back) were improved to 69.2% and 72.8%, and VAS(leg) were improved to 49.2% and 64.8% at 6 and 12 months after surgery (p&lt;0.001, respectively). There were no adverse events associated with injectable rhBMP-2. Thus, injectable rhBMP-2 may be a suitable choice of a bone graft substitute when achieving solid interbody fusion in the lumbosacral junction.

This paper comprehensively reviews sensors and sensing devices developed or/and proposed so far utilizing two smart materials: electrorheological fluids (ERFs) and magnetorheological materials (MRMs) whose rheological characteristics such as stiffness and damping can be controlled by external stimuli, an electrical voltage for ERFs and a magnetic field for MRMs, respectively. In this review article, the MRMs are classified into magnetorheological fluid (MRF), magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) and magnetorheological plastomer (MRP). To easily understand the history of sensing research using the two smart materials, the order of this review article is organized in a chronological manner of ERF sensors, MRF sensors, MRE sensors and MRP sensors. Among many sensors fabricated from each smart material, one or two sensors or sensing devices are adopted to discuss on the sensing configuration, working principle and specifications such as accuracy and sensitivity. Some sensors adopted in this article include force sensor, tactile device, strain sensor, wearable bending sensor, magnetometer, display device and flux measurement sensor. After briefly describing what have been reviewed in a conclusion, several challenging future works, which should be done for practical applications as sensors or sensing devices, are remarked in terms of new technologies such as artificial intelligence neural network in which several parameters affecting the sensor signals can be precisely tuned or controlled. It is sure that this review article is very helpful to make creative sensors using not only the proposed smart materials but also several different types of smart materials including shape memory alloys and active polymers.

The association between obesity and the risk of gliomas remains unclear. We sought to evaluate the potential association between general and abdominal obesity and the risk of gliomas based on a nationwide population-based cohort study of Koreans. Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance System cohort, 6,833,744 people older than 20 years who underwent regular national health examination in both 2009 and 2011 were followed until the end of 2017. We documented 4,771 glioma cases based on an ICD-10 code of C71 during the median follow-up period of 7.30 years. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.0 kg/m2 were at significantly higher risk of gliomas than those with a BMI < 25.0 kg/m2 (HR 1.08 CI 1.02-1.15). Individuals with a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 90 cm (males)/85 cm (females) also had a significantly higher risk of gliomas than those with a WC < 90 cm (males)/85 cm (females) (HR 1.16 CI 1.09-1.24). In the group with a BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2, individuals with abdominal obesity were at significantly higher risk of gliomas (HR 1.18 CI 1.09-1.27) than those without abdominal obesity. The role of abdominal obesity in this association was stronger in women than in men. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that obese people may be at higher risk of gliomas, especially centrally obese people from an Asian population with a BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2. Loss of visceral fat in people with abdominal obesity may reduce their risk of gliomas.

Rice prolamins are categorized into three groups by molecular size (10, 13, or 16 kDa), while the 13 kDa prolamins are assigned to four subgroups (Pro13a-I, Pro13a-II, Pro13b-I, and Pro13b-II) based on cysteine residue content. Here, we generated four knockout strains of rice using CRISPR-Cas9, each of which demonstrated selectively reduced expression of specific subgroups of the 13 kDa prolamins. These four mutant rice lines also demonstrated compensatory expression of glutelins and non-targeted prolamins, which resulted in low grain weight, altered starch content and atypically-shaped starch granules and protein bodies. Transcriptome analysis identified 746 transcripts that were differentially expressed in the mutant rice lines during development. These transcripts played roles primarily in RNA processing, protein synthesis, stress response, and transport. After selective suppression/knockout of genes in the Pro13a-I subgroup, compensatory upregulation of genes in the Pro13a-II and Pro13b-I/II subgroups was observed. Compensatory expression of 9 ER stress and 17 transcription factor genes was also observed in mutant rice in which expression of 13 kDa prolamin genes was suppressed. Our results provide valuable insight into the regulatory mechanisms underlying rice seed development and the specific roles played by 13 kDa rice prolamins and their target genes.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are energy-efficient; however, the coordinating ligand can affect their stability. Sky-blue phosphorescent Pt(II) complexes with a C^N chelate, fluorinated-dbi (dbi = [1-(2,4-diisopropyldibenzo[b,d]furan-3-yl)-2-phenyl-1H-imidazole]), and acetylactonate (acac)(1)/picolinate (pic)(2) ancillary ligands were synthesized. The molecular structures were characterized using various spectroscopic methods. The Pt(II) coordination sphere in 2 exhibited a distorted square-planar geometry, with several intra- and inter-molecular interactions involving Cπ⋯H/Cπ⋯Cπ stacking. Complex 1 emitted bright sky-blue light (λmax = 485 nm) with a moderate photoluminescent quantum efficiency of 0.37 and short decay time (6.1 µs) compared to those of 2. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations suggested that the electronic transition of 1 arose from ligand(C^N)-centered π–π* transitions combined with metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions (MLCT), whereas that of 2 arose from MLCT and ligand(C^N)-to-ligand(pic) charge transfer (LLCT), with minimal contribution from the C^N chelate to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. Multi-layered phosphorescent OLEDs using 1 as a dopant and a mixed host, 3,3-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1-biphenyl:3-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1-biphenyl (mCBP)/9-(3’-carbazol-9-yl-5-cyano-biphenyl-3-yl)-9H-carbazole-3-carbonitrile (CNmCBPCN) were successfully fabricated. At a 10% doping of 1, a current efficiency of 13.6 cd A−1 and external quantum efficiency of 8.4 % at 100 cd m−2 were achieved. These results show that the ancillary ligand in phosphorescent Pt(II) complexes must be considered.

Prosthetics have come a long way since their inception, and recent advancements in materials science have enabled the development of prosthetic devices with improved functionality and comfort. One promising area of research is the use of auxetic metamaterials in prosthetics. Auxetic materials have a negative Poisson's ratio, which means that they expand laterally when stretched, unlike conventional materials, which contract laterally. This unique property allows for the creation of prosthetic devices that can better conform to the contours of the human body and provide a more natural feel. In this review article, we provide an overview of the current state of the art in the development of prosthetics using auxetic metamaterials. We discuss the mechanical properties of these materials, including their negative Poisson's ratio and other properties that make them suitable for use in prosthetic devices. We also explore the limitations that currently exist in implementing these materials in prosthetic devices, including challenges in manufacturing and cost. Despite these challenges, the future prospects for the development of prosthetic devices using auxetic metamaterials are promising. Continued research and development in this field could lead to the creation of more comfortable, functional, and natural-feeling prosthetic devices. Overall, the use of auxetic metamaterials in prosthetics represents a promising area of research with the potential to improve the lives of millions of people around the world who rely on prosthetic devices.

Febuxostat (FBX), a selective xanthine oxidase inhibitor, belongs to BCS class II showing low solubility and high permeability with a moderate F value (&lt; 49%). Recently, FBX/L-pyroglutamic acid cocrystal (FBX-PG) was developed with improving 4-fold increase of the FBX solubility. Nevertheless, in vivo pharmacokinetic property of FBX-PG has not been evaluated yet. Therefore, the pharmacokinetic feasibility of FBX in FBX and FBX-PG-treated rats and mice was compared in this study. The results showed that the F values of FBX were 210% and 159% in FBX-PG rats and mice, respectively. The 2.10-fold greater AUC of FBX was due to the increased absorption (i.e., 2.60-fold higher Cmax,1 at 15 min) and entero-hepatic circulation of FBX (i.e., 1.68-fold higher Cmax,2 at 600 min) in FBX-PG rats compared to the FBX rats. The 1.59-fold greater AUC of FBX was due to a 1.65-fold higher Cmax,1 at 5 min, and 1.15-fold higher Cmax,2 at 720 min of FBX in FBX-PG mice than those in FBX mice. FBX was highly distributed in the liver, stomach, small intestine, and lungs in both groups of mice, and the FBX distributions to the liver and lungs were increased in FBX-PG mice compared to FBX mice. The results suggest the FBX-PG has a suitable pharmacokinetic profile of FBX for improving its oral F value.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), a group of small peptides capable of promoting the transport of molecular cargo across the plasma membrane, have become important tools in promoting the cellular uptake of exogenously delivered macromolecules. GV1001, a peptide derived from a reverse-transcriptase subunit of telomerase (hTERT) and developed as a vaccine against various cancers, reportedly has unexpected CPP properties. Unlike typical CPPs, such as the HIV-1 TAT peptide, GV1001 enabled the cytosolic delivery of macromolecules such as proteins, DNA and siRNA via extracellular heat shock protein 90 (eHSP90) and 70 (eHSP70) complexes. The eHSP-GV1001 interaction may have biological effects in addition to its cytosolic delivery function. GV1001 was originally designed as a MHC class II-binding cancer epitope, but its CPP properties may contribute to its strong anti-cancer immune response relative to other telomerase peptide-based vaccines. Cell signaling via eHSP-GV1001 binding may lead to unexpected biological effects, such as direct anticancer or antiviral effects. In this review, we focus on the CPP effects of GV1001 bound to eHSP90 and ehsp70.

Measuring Marginal Reflex Distance-1 (MRD-1) is a crucial clinical tool used to evaluate the position of the eyelid margin in relation to the cornea. Traditionally, this assessment has been conducted manually by plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, or trained technicians. However, with the advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, there is a growing interest in the development of automated systems capable of accurately measuring MRD-1.In this context, we introduce novel MRD-1 measurement methods based on deep learning algorithms that can simultaneously capture images and compute the results. This prospective observational study involved 154 eyes of 77 patients aged over 18 years who visited Chungnam National University Hospital between September 1, 2023, and July 29, 2023. We collected four different MRD1 da-tasets from patients using three distinct measurement methods, each tailored to the individual patient. The mean MRD1 values, measured through the manual method using a penlight, the deep learning method, ImageJ analysis from RGB eye images, and ImageJ analysis from IR eye images in 56 eyes of 28 patients, were 2.64 ± 1.04 mm, 2.85 ± 1.07 mm, 2.78 ± 1.08 mm, and 3.07 ± 0.95 mm, respectively. Notably, the strongest agreement was observed between MRD1_deep learning (DL) and MRD1_IR (0.822, p < 0.01). In the Bland-Altman plot, the smallest difference was observed between MRD1_DL and MRD1_IR ImageJ, with a mean difference of 0.0611 and △LOA (limits of agreement) of 2.5162, which is the smallest among the other groups. In conclusion, this novel MRD1 measurement method, based on an IR camera and deep learning, demon-strates statistical significance and can be readily applied in clinical settings.

Conclusions: The mortality rate of people with disabilities from all causes did not significantly increase compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. However, COVID-related deaths among people with disabilities increased significantly.

Recently, a high internal surface of the titanium alloy pipe is required due to the increment of various applications of the pipe such as aerospace. However, the traditional machining process is unable to effectively polish the internal surface of the slender pipe. Thus, a vertical magnetorheological polishing (VMRP) apparatus is carried out in this work to implement high polishing performance on the internal surface of the titanium alloy pipe. The polishing process is realized by the combination of the rotating motion of the pipe and the reciprocating linear motion of the polishing head. Moreover, a series of comparative experiments are conducted to investigate the polishing mechanism of magnetorheological (MR) fluid and enhance the polishing performance. It is shown from the experimental results that proposed VMRP approach exhibits the better polishing performance than the conventional horizontal MR polishing method under same testing conditions. This is because the proposed VMRP method well eliminates the traces of polishing particles owing to the combination of polishing particles with different sizes. In addition, it is identified from the experimental test that the polishing time of the VMRP required to achieve the same polishing effect as the conventional method is shortened under the combination of different rotation speeds. It is identified from the above benefits of the VMRP that the final surface roughness after polishing is below 0.05 μm.

In this study, nano-diamond (ND) and MoS2 powder are used as additives in a carbonyl iron based magnetorheological fluid (MRF) to improve its tribological performance. MRFs are prepared by dispersing 35 wt.% of CI particles in silicone oil, and adding different proportions (0, 1, 3 or 5 wt.%) of ND and MoS2 additives. Seven kinds of MRFs are made and tested using reciprocating friction and wear tester under different normal loads, and then the friction characteristics are evaluated through analyzing experiment results. The morphology properties of MRFs and contacting surfaces before and after tests are also observed using a scanning electron microscope and analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results show that the appropriate weight percentage of MoS2 additives may decrease friction coefficient and wear zone. It is also demonstrated from the detailed analyses of worn surfaces that the wear mechanism is influenced not only by additives but also by applied normal load and magnetic field strength.

The accurate assessment of wound size is a critical step in advanced wound care management. This study aims to introduce and validate a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technique for measuring wound size. Twenty-eight wounds treated from December 2022 to April 2023 at the Chunganam National University Hospital were analyzed. All wounds were measured using three techniques; conventional ruler methods, the LiDAR technique, and ImageJ analysis. Correlation analysis, linear regression, and Bland-Altman plot analysis were conducted to validate the accuracy of the newly introduced method. The measurement results (Mean ± Standard deviation) obtained using the Ruler method, LiDAR technique, and ImageJ analysis were 112.99 ± 110.07 cm², 73.59 ± 72.97 cm², and 74.29 ± 72.15 cm², respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient was higher in the LiDAR application (0.995) than the conventional ruler methods (Mean difference; -5.0000 cm2), as was the degree of agreement (Mean difference; 38.6933 cm2). Wound size measurement using LiDAR is a simple and reliable method that allows practitioners to conveniently assess wounds with a flattened and irregular shape. However, non-flattened wounds cannot be assessed owing to the technical limitations of LiDAR.

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.

This study investigated the relationship between fundamental movement skills (FMSs) and health-related fitness (HRF) among first and second graders in South Korean elementary schools. It aimed to provide foundational data for developing physical education programs tailored to the motor development stages and fitness levels of younger elementary school students. In October 2023, FMSs (jumping, running, hopping, static balance, dynamic balance, overhand throwing, and kicking) and HRF (muscular strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and flexibility) were evaluated among 291 first and second graders. The collected data were analyzed through frequency and multiple regression analyses performed using the SPSS software. The results revealed that higher scores in jumping and hopping are associated with greater muscular strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and flexibility. Running had no significant effect on HRF elements. Higher scores in static balance (single-leg stance) were associated with increased muscular strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and flexibility, but dynamic balance (balance beam walking) did not have a significant effect. Higher scores in overhand throwing were associated with greater muscular strength and cardiorespiratory endurance, but kicking did not show a significant association. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of prioritizing jumping and static balance in physical education for the well-rounded health development of first and second graders.

The number of fishers working on commercial fishing vessels worldwide is approximately 159,800 according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The International Labour Organization estimates that the mean annual number of deaths during fishing is approximately 24,000. Most guidelines for the prevention of marine accidents have been developed with a focus on vessels involved in international navigation. As these guidelines may have parts that are unsuitable for application in small-scale boats operating in coastal areas, appropriate modifications are required. This study analyzed quantitative data on 1,790 marine accidents that occurred in trap fishery, a globally common type of fishery, and data obtained through a survey of 101 fishers in South Korea. A guideline to reduce the rate of fatal accidents was developed using the Bayesian network, a method used for the analysis of accidents, as suggested in the formal safety assessment protocol. The results of data analysis and the developed guidelines are expected to be beneficial to all fishers involved in trap fishery across many countries worldwide.