The process of testing software is examining the artifacts and behavior of the software under test by validating and verifying it. Testing can provide valuable information about the software. Given an input to the system, there is a challenge of distinguishing correct from potentially incorrect behavior, which is the test oracle problem. Although the combinatorial testing approach can effectively reduce the number of test cases, the manual inspection of the outputs is still required. In this paper, we propose an approach to automatically classify the return pages with conducting combinatorial testing based on page similarities and hierarchical clustering, by which potential output anomalies can be identified. In the experiment, we apply our approach to a real-world e-commerce website, an anomaly can be found with the visualization of the clustering hierarchy, which suggests the potential of the applicability of the approach.

Long-haul COVID-19 illness first gained widespread recognition among social support groups and later in scientific and medical communities. This illness is mysterious as it affects COVID-19 survivors at all levels of disease severity, even younger adults and children. While the precise definition may be lacking, the defining symptoms are fatigue, dyspnea, and headache that last for months after hospital discharge. The less typical symptoms may include cognitive impairments, chest and joint pains, myalgia, smell and taste dysfunctions, cough, mood changes, and gastrointestinal and cardiac issues. Presently, there is limited literature discussing the possible pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatments in long-haul COVID-19, which the current review aims to address. In brief, long-haul COVID-19 may be driven by long-term lung and brain damage and unresolved inflammation from multiple sources. The associated risk factors may include female sex, more than five early symptoms, early dyspnea, and specific biomarkers like D-dimer. While only rehabilitation training has been useful for long-haul COVID-19, therapeutics repurposed from mast cell activation syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, and pulmonary fibrosis also hold potential. In sum, this review hopes to provide the current understanding of what is known about long-haul COVID-19.

Management of crowding at subway platform is essential to improving services, preventing train delays and ensuring passenger safety. Establishing effective measures to mitigate crowding at platform requires accurate estimation of actual crowding levels. At present, there are temporal and spatial constraints since subway platform crowding is assessed only at certain locations, done every 1~2 years, and counting is performed manually Notwithstanding, data from smart cards is considered real-time big data that is generated 24 hours a day and thus, deemed appropriate basic data for estimating crowding. This study proposes the use of smart card data in creating a model that dynamically estimates crowding. It first defines crowding as demand, which can be translated into passengers dynamically moving along a subway network. In line with this, our model also identifies the travel trajectory of individual passengers, and is able to calculate passenger flow, which concentrates and disperses at the platform, every minute. Lastly, the level of platform crowding is estimated in a way that considers the effective waiting area of each platform structure.

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

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

The violation of data integrity in automotive Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) may lead to dangerous situations for drivers and pedestrians in terms of safety. In particular, cyber-attacks on the sensor could easily degrade data accuracy and consistency over any other attack, we investigate attack detection and identification based on a deep learning technology on wheel speed sensors of automotive CPS. For faster recovery of a physical system with detection of the cyber-attacks, estimation of a specific value is conducted to substitute false data. To the best of our knowledge, there has not been a case of joining sensor attack detection and vehicle speed estimation in existing literatures. In this work, we design a novel method to combine attack detection and identification, vehicle speed estimation of wheel speed sensors to improve the safety of CPS even under the attacks. First, we define states of the sensors based on the cases of attacks that can occur in the sensors. Second, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) is applied to detect and identify wheel speed sensor attacks. Third, in order to estimate the vehicle speeds accurately, we employ Weighted Average (WA), as one of the fusion algorithms, in order to assign a different weight to each sensor. Since environment uncertainty while driving has an impact on different characteristics of vehicles and cause performance degradation, the recovery mechanism needs the ability adaptive to changing environments. Therefore, we estimate the vehicle speeds after assigning a different weight to each sensor depending on driving situations classified by analyzing driving data. Experiments including training, validation, and test are carried out with actual measurements obtained while driving on the real road. In case of the fault detection and identification, classification accuracy is evaluated. Mean Squared Error (MSE) is calculated to verify that the speed is estimated accurately. The classification accuracy about test additive attack data is 99.4978%. MSE of our proposed speed estimation algorithm is 1.7786. It is about 0.2 lower than MSEs of other algorithms. We demonstrate that our system maintains data integrity well and is safe relatively in comparison with systems which apply other algorithms.

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

Background The Delta Neutrophil Index (DNI), a prodiagnostic marker for sepsis, utilizes leukocyte count. Platelet activation, similar to leukocytes, plays a crucial role in host defence against pathogens and may serve as a predictor of sepsis outcome. However, the combined evaluation of Mean Platelet Component (MPC) and DNI in assessing sepsis has been rarely used. Methods To assess the prodiagnostic validity of simultaneous utilization of DNI and MPC in cases of human febrile sepsis, we conducted measurements of cellular indices, including DNI and MPC, as well as molecular biomarkers such as procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP). This study was carried out on patients admitted to the emergency department with suspected sepsis. Results Using a cutoff value of 2.65%, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of DNI in sepsis were found to be 69%, 73.9%, 77.9%, and 64.1%, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in DNI and MPC levels were observed between the sepsis and non-sepsis groups (6.7±7.8% versus 2.1±2.2%, P=0.000 and 26.0±1.9 g/dl versus 26.8±1.4 g/dl, P=0.002), respectively. Notably, there was a negative correlation between DNI and MPC, with the strength of the correlation varying based on the cause of sepsis. By setting the cutoff value for DNI at 6.2%, the sensitivity, specificity, and NPV improved to 100%, 80.3%, and 100%, respectively, although the PPV remained at 10.6%. Importantly, the DNI≥6.2 group exhibited a higher incidence of death (10.9%, 5/46) and multiorgan failure (19.6%, 9/46) compared to the DNI<6.2 group (0.0%, 0/46 and 0.0%, 0/167, respectively) (P=0.000 and P=0.000, respectively). Conclusions In our study, DNI demonstrates superior effectiveness compared to other molecular biomarkers such as CRP and procalcitonin in distinguishing febrile septic patients from febrile nonseptic patients and predicting prognosis. Additionally, there exists a negative correlation between MPC and DNI, making MPC a valuable marker for differentiating the etiology of sepsis. These findings hold significant clinical implications as DNI/MPC is a cost-effective and readily applicable approach in various impending sepsis scenarios. Notably, this study represents the first examination of the prodiagnostic validity of simultaneously employing DNI and MPC in human cases of febrile sepsis.

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

In the information age today, data are getting more and more important. While other industries achieve tangible improvement by applying cutting edge information technology, the construction industry is still far from being enough. Cost, schedule, and performance control are three major functions in the project execution phase. Along with their individual importance, cost-schedule integration has been a significant challenge over the past five decades in the construction industry. Although a lot of efforts have been put into this development, there is no method used in construction practice. The purpose of this study is to propose a new method to integrate cost and schedule data using big data technology. The proposed algorithm is designed to provide data integrity and flexibility in the integration process, considerable time reduction on building and changing database, and practical use in a construction site. It is expected that the proposed method can transform the current way that field engineers regard information management as one of the troublesome tasks in a data-friendly way.

BMAP-18, derived from the N-terminal region of bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide BMAP-27, demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity without cytotoxicity. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory properties of BMAP-18, rich in aromatic phenylalanine residues, with its aliphatic analogue, BMAP-18-FL. Both aromatic BMAP-18 and aliphatic BMAP-18-FL exhibited equally potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA). Mechanistic investigations employing SYTOX green uptake, DNA binding, and FACScan analysis revealed that both peptides acted by inducing membrane permeabilization and subsequent intracellular targeting. Moreover, both BMAP-18 and BMAP-18-FL effectively prevented biofilm formation and eradicated existing biofilms of MRSA and MDRPA. Notably, BMAP-18-FL displayed superior anti-inflammatory activity compared to BMAP-18, significantly reducing the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. This study emphasizes the similarities and differences in the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory properties between aromatic BMAP-18 and aliphatic BMAP-18-FL, providing valuable insights for the development of multifunctional antimicrobial peptides against drug-resistant bacteria.

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

The prevalence of obesity in Korean adults was 56.1% in 2019. This study aimed to find obesity phenotypes from the KNHANES(2015–2019) and determine the risk factors associated with each type. In 15,179 participants, three obesity phenotypes, high BMI (short heavy obesity, n=1,685), high waist circumference (WC) (tall abdominal obesity, n=549), and BMI/WC combination (heavy abdominal obesity, n=3,538), were compared to non-OB (n=9,425). Marital status, lower income and education levels were highly associated with abdominal obesity. Insufficient exercise or skipping breakfast were associated with the WC or BMI/WC obesity type. The BMI/WC risk was 3.25 times higher in males with high TG and 4.6–4.8 times higher in females with high FAS or TG, and the risk increased to 7-8 times higher in three combinations (HYP+HDLc+FBS) compared to the control. The K-Score to test balanced diets was lower in BMI/WC than in others. Low intakes of FI-4(fruits) in men and FI-2(meat), FI-3 (vegetables), and FI-5 (milk/milk products) in women with BMI/WC and WC types, but BMI type was not associated with diets. Compared to BMI, the BMI/WC or WC obesity type was an indicator of metabolically unhealthy obesity associated with obesogenic environments including food/diets pattern and unhealthy behaviors.

Recently, various applications of indoor location-based services using Wi-Fi fingerprint data have been studied. However, since fingerprint data collected at a specific location does not have continuous information between signals and correlation information between signals, path data cannot exist in principle. Therefore, most indoor positioning technologies are based on predicting the position of a stationary positioner at a specific location based on signal data collected at a specific location in the indoor space. Due to the discontinuous nature of these signals, they are unable to account for user movement. Therefore, there is a need for techniques to improve the accuracy of indoor positioning in moving situations. This paper proposes a method for enriching all data points with relevant information to obtain improved indoor positioning results and an improved technique for generating movement path data. The proposed technique generates relevant information with continuity by expressing data points as Bounding Boxes (BB) and subsequently clustering them using grid cells. Through the proposed method, we represented and expanded the indoor location data, which consists of data points, as BB. However, data points represented by BB do not have any adjacency information with each other, and as a result, it is not possible to create a movement path between neighboring BB. To solve the problem, we used clustering, a machine learning technique that categorizes data points into groups, to group BBs. This was done by constructing a YOLO (You Only Look Once) grid cell that included all BBs and clustered them into grid cells that were divided into specific regions through the suggestion phase. The clustering results align with the indoor structure of the building, indicating that the data points have been appropriately clustered. BBs inside a grid cell are contained within a moveable area and have related information. We also generated association information between neighboring grid cells through the proposal technique, and then generated path information that can be traveled between grid cells. In this paper, we use the movement path information generated from a dataset as training data for machine learning, and through this, we propose an enhanced indoor positioning technology.

In Korea’s air pollutant inventory, construction machinery is a major emission source in the non-road sector. Since 2004, the Korean government has introduced and reinforced emission regulations to reduce the air pollutants emitted from their diesel engines. Since the engine dynamometer test method used in emission regulations has limitations in reflecting emission characteristics under the diverse working conditions of construction machinery, it is necessary to examine the effectiveness of emission regulations and the validity of the emission factors applied as inputs to the air pollutants inventory. This could be done by evaluating engine operation and emission characteristics under real-world working conditions. In this study, 14 units were selected among the excavators, wheel loaders, and forklifts that represent approximately 90% of the registered construction machines in Korea. They were equipped with a portable emission measurement system (PEMS) to measure gaseous emissions and collect engine data under various real-world working conditions. With the reinforcement of emission regulations for the construction machinery from K-tier3 to K-tier4 in Korea, exhaust after-treatment technologies, such as selective catalytic reduction and diesel oxidation catalyst, were applied. Real world NOx were reduced by approximately 83%, and THC 77% and CO by 73%, respectively. Real world NOx + THC of the K-tier3 machines exceeded the laboratory emission limit, but the K-tier4 machines considerably improved despite some differences. The emission factors applied to the air pollutant inventory have been developed using the engine dynamometer test method, but they were considerably underestimated compared with emissions under real-world working conditions. The difference was even larger for the K-tier4 machines. In this study, the possibility of developing emission factor equations that use the engine load factor as a parameter was confirmed by using the engine work 1 g/kW·h segment moving averaging window (MAW) method.

This study aimed to demonstrate the existence of antiviral RNA silencing mechanisms in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by probing wild-type and RNA-silencing-deficient strains of the fungus with an RNA virus and a circular DNA virus. Key silencing-related genes, specifically dicers, were disrupted in order to dissect the RNA silencing pathway and provide useful information on fungal control. Dicers Dcl-1, Dcl-2, and both Dcl-1/Dcl-2- genes were displaced by selective marker(s). Disruption mutants were then compared for changes in phenotype, virulence, susceptibility to viral infection, and small RNA accumulation compared to the wild-type strain. Disruption of Dcl-1 or Dcl-2 resulted in no changes in phenotype compared to wild-type S. sclerotiorum; however, the double dicer mutant strain exhibited slower growth. To examine the effect of viral infection on strains containing null-mutations of Dcl-1, Dcl-2 or both genes, mutants were transfected with full-length RNA transcripts of a hypovirus SsHV2L and copies of a single-stranded DNA mycovirus- SsHADV-1 as a synthetic virus. Results indicate that the ΔDcl-1/Dcl-2 double mutant which was slow growing without virus infection exhibited much more severe debilitation following virus infection. Altered colony morphology including: reduced pigmentation, significantly slower growth, and delayed sclerotial formation. Additionally, there is an absence of virus-derived small RNAs in the virus-infected ∆Dcl-1/Dcl-2 mutant compared to the virus-infected wild-type strain which displays a high percentage of virus-derived small RNA. The findings of these studies suggest that if both dicers are silenced, invasive nucleic acids which include mycoviruses ubiquitous in nature- can greatly debilitate the virulence of fungal plant pathogens.

Oligonol is a low-molecular-weight polyphenol derived from lychee fruit. This study was conducted to examine whether oligonol has an ameliorative effect on diabetes-induced pancreatic damage via oxidative stress-induced inflammation. Oligonol was orally administered at 10 or 20 mg/kg body weight/day for 10 days to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and changes in serum glucose, C-peptide, insulin, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels as well as body weight and food and water consumption were assessed. Furthermore, rat pancreases were analyzed for weight, ROS generation, TBARS level, insulin content, and protein expressions of phosphor (p)-p38, p-extracellular-signal regulated kinase 1/2, p-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa Bα, nuclear factor-kappa Bp65, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6. Markers of diabetes were shown to be decreased by oligonol administration and histological damage in the pancreas was also ameliorated. These results indicate that oligonol exerts antidiabetic activities, which may be mediated via antioxidative, stress-related, anti-inflammatory signaling.

Recent technological improvements have made abundant changes in construction industry. In specific, some technical applications, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) opens up many possibilities. Some studies have articulated the use of BIM and its advantages in construction, but most of them are theoretical, not practical. This study is to provide an insight to such obstacles in BIM research. By investigating a real project that could utilize BIM in planning and construction phases, the authors try to investigate a possible outline of advantages in BIM implementation. The study area was set to a railway construction site in South Korea. The site covers a multiple railway tracks, stations, telecommunication facilities, infrastructure facilities, railway structures, and so numerous. In the site, the authors have identified 12 errors in 7 projects that could be prevented if BIM was utilized before the construction. The total upfront costs required to provide a BIM for 7 projects were $116,348. On the other hand, the total costs required to fix the errors in 7 projects were $166,486. This can be regarded as the benefits of using BIM because if BIM was implemented then the associated errors are easily replaced. Therefore, the benefit-cost ratio can be estimated as 1.32 for one-month delay and 1.36 for a three-month delay.

The studies regarding macrophage lncRNAs described in this review can help provide valuable information for developing treatments for various pathological conditions involving macrophages. Over the past century, molecular biology's focus has transitioned from proteins to DNA, and now to RNA. Once considered merely a genetic information carrier, RNA is now recognized as both a vital element in early cellular life and a regulator in complex organisms. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are over 200 bases long but do not code for proteins, play roles in gene expression regulation and signal transduction by inducing epigenetic changes or interacting with various proteins and RNAs. These interactions exhibit a range of functions in various cell types including macrophages. Notably, some macrophage lncRNAs influence the activation of NF-κB, a crucial transcription factor governing immune and inflammatory responses. Macrophage NF-κB is instrumental in the progression of various pathological conditions including sepsis, atherosclerosis, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and hypersensitivity. It orchestrates gene expression related to immune responses, inflammation, cell survival, and proliferation. Consequently, its malfunction is a key contributor to the onset and development of these diseases. This review summarizes the role of lncRNAs that regulate NF-κB in macrophage activation and inflammation, especially focusing on their implications in human diseases and their potential as therapeutic targets

The fluctuations in both time and space of the fish larvae community in relation to hydrographic characteristics in the waters surrounding the Taiwan Bank were studied in October 2021 (autumn) and March 2022 (spring). Throughout the study period, we identified a total of 149 taxa of fish larvae, encompassing 96 genera and 71 families. Engraulis japonicus, Diaphus slender type, unidentified Gobiidae, Apogon sp., unidentified Clupeidae, and Benthosema pterotum were the six most dominant taxa, together constituted 47.39% of the total catch. No significant temporal difference in abundance of fish larvae was found, but the species number of fish larvae was more diverse in spring than in autumn. There was a notable difference in species composition between the cruises, and the cluster analysis unveiled a distinct temporal structure in the assemblage of fish larvae. The dynamics of prevailing currents induced by seasonal monsoons play an important role in the transport of fish larvae. The distribution of fish larvae was closely linked to hydrographic features, where seawater temperature and salinity emerged as the primary explanatory factors influencing the composition of fish larvae assemblages in the waters surrounding the Taiwan Bank. While the increased influx of nutrients from upwelling ensures abundant food availability, the hydrographic conditions may not be suitable for every fish larva.

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

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

The educational and play-related activities of children are proceeded mainly indoors in a kin-dergarten. The exposure of children to high concentrations of PM2.5 and CO2 indoors have leaded to various harmful effects and negatively impact educational outcomes in a kindergarten. Therefore, this study presents a numerical model of CO2 and PM2.5 concentration based on two classrooms in a kindergarten. Using this numerical model, we present different scenarios of oper-ating mechanical ventilation and air purifiers in kindergartens with the aim of optimizing for reducing the concentrations of CO2 and PM2.5. We found that the amount of ventilation required to maintain good air quality, per child, was approximately 20.4 m3/h. However, we also found that as the amount of ventilation increased, so did the concentration of indoor PM2.5; we found that this issue can be resolved through the use of a high-grade filter (i.e., a MERV 13 grade filter with a collection efficiency of 75%). This study provides a scientific basis for reducing PM2.5concentrations in kindergartens, while keeping CO2 levels low.

Sialyllactose (SL) is a functional human milk oligosaccharide essential for immune support, brain development, intestinal maturation, and antiviral defense. However, despite its established health benefits, the effect of SL on exercise performance and muscle mass in mice remains unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate, for the first time, the effects of 6′-SL on muscle functions. Seven-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were administered 100 mg/kg 6′-SL for 12 weeks, after which exhaustive treadmill performance, muscle strength, and muscle phenotype were examined. The administration of 6′-SL significantly improved exhaustive treadmill performance metrics, including distance and exhaustion time. Grip strength was also increased by 6′-SL administration. Additionally, 6′-SL increased muscle mass in both the gastrocnemius (GAS) and soleus. 6′-SL administration led to an increase in the minimum Feret’s diameter and the protein expression of total myosin heavy chain in the GAS muscle. In conclusion, 6′-SL administration in vivo led to increased running distance and time by increasing muscle mass and strength. These findings collectively indicate that 6′-SL is a potential agent for improving muscle health and exercise performance.

Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) can help predict the neurologic outcome of patients with post-cardiac arrest (CA) return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). We aimed to investigate the effect of ONSD changes before and after CA on neurologic outcomes in patients with ROSC after CA using brain computed tomography (CT). The study included patients hospitalized after CA, who had undergone pre- and post-CA brain CT from January 2001 to September 2020. The patients were divided into good and poor neurologic outcome (GNO and PNO, respectively) groups based on the neurologic outcome at hospital discharge. We performed between-group comparisons of the amount and rate of ONSD changes on brain CT and calculated the area under the curve (AUC) to determine their predictive value for neurologic outcomes. Among the 96 enrolled patients, 25 had GNO. Compared to the GNO group, the PNO group showed significantly higher amount (0.30 vs. 0.63 mm; p=0.030) and rate of change (5.26 vs. 12.29 %; p=0.041). The AUC for predicting PNO was 0.64 (95% CI=0.53–0.73; p=0.04) and patients with a rate of ONSD change &gt;27.2% had PNO with 100% specificity and positive predictive value. Hence, ONSD changes may predict neurologic outcomes in patients with post-CA ROSC.

A lot of previous research have proposed various frameworks and algorithms to optimize routes to reduce the total transportation cost, which accounts for over 70% of overall logistics cost. However, it is very hard to find the cases applied the mathematical models or algorithms to the practical business environment cases, especially daily operating logistics services like convenient stores. Most of previous research have considered the developing an optimal algorithm which can solve the mathematical problem within the practical time while satisfying all constraints such as the capacity of delivery and pick-up, and time windows. For the daily pick-up and delivery service like supporting several convenient stores, it is required to consider the unit transporting container as well as the demand, capacity of trucks, traveling distance and traffic congestion. Especially, the reusable transporting container, trays, should be regarded as the important asset of logistics center. However, if the mathematical model focuses on only satisfying constraints related delivery and not considering the cost of trays, it is often to leave the empty trays on the pick-up points when there is not enough space in the track. In this research, it has been proposed to build the mathematical model for optimizing pick-up and delivery plans by extending the general vehicle routing problem of simultaneous delivery and pickup with time windows while considering left-over cost. With the numerical experiments, it has been proved that the proposed model may reduce the total delivery cost. It may be possible to apply the proposed approach to the various logistics business which uses the reusable transporting container like shipping containers, refrigerating containers, trays, and pallets.

Due to the inherent risks associated with tunnel construction, including potential collapse, various types of work activities, and challenging visibility and communication conditions, safety management in tunnel projects requires significant investment in terms of cost and time. In this research, we propose and demonstrate a novel smart construction system that utilizes worker location monitoring technology to enhance safety in tunnel construction. The system comprises a wearable beacon integrated into safety helmets, scanners strategically placed at regular intervals inside the tunnel, environmental sensors for monitoring temperature, pressure, and air quality, and mobile devices for collecting and analyzing data on workers and the environment. Through a field demonstration conducted in a Korean tunnel construction site, we validated the effectiveness of the proposed system, which demonstrated real-time monitoring of workers and reliable communication capabilities, leading to improved safety and cost-efficiency in tunnel construction. By implementing the proposed system, we achieved a significant reduction of 37% in monthly construction costs and 77% in annual construction costs compared to conventional methods.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become globally prevalent and is the leading cause of chronic liver disease. Although NAFLD is reversible in the early stage without medical intervention, the condition could be sequentially worsened to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and, in the end, cirrhosis and hepatic cancer. The progression of NAFLD is related to various factors such as genetics, pre-disposed metabolic disorders, and immunologic factors. Because of the complexity of the disease, the treatment options are very limited, and, unfortunately, there is yet no clinically available drug. Thankfully, to date, there have been accumulating research efforts and, as a result, different classes of potent drug candidates have been discovered. Besides, there have also been various attempts to explore pharmaceutical strategies to make the drug candidates to be better drugs. In this review, we provided a brief overview of the drug candidates that have undergone clinical trials. In the latter part, the strategies for developing better drugs are discussed.

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

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

Herein, we developed a highly sensitive and specific bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC)-based influenza A virus (IAV) sensing system created by combining a galactose/glucose-binding protein (GGBP) with an N-terminal large domain (YN1-172) and a C-terminal small domain (YC173-239) of enhanced yellow fluorescence protein (eYFP). The GGBP-based BiFC reporter exhibits the fluorescence reconstitution as a result of conformational changes in GGBP when lactose, derived from 6’-silalyllactose used as a substrate for neuraminidase (NA), binds to GGBP in the presence of IAV. The system showed a linear dynamic range from 1 x 100 TCID50/mL to 1 x 107 TCID50/mL, with a detection limit of 4 x 101 TCID50/mL for IAV (H1N1), demonstrating ultra-high sensitivity. Our system exhibited fluorescence intensity enhancements in the presence of IAV, while displaying weak fluorescence signals when exposed to NA-deficient viruses such as RSV A, RSV B, adenovirus and rhinovirus, thereby indicating selective responses for IAV detection. Taken together, our system provides a simple, highly sensitive and specific IAV detection platform based on BiFC capable of detecting the ligand-induced protein conformational changes, obviating the need for virus culture or RNA extraction processes.

Purpose: To compare refractive prediction error (PE)s between phacotrabeculectomy and phacoemulsification. Methods: Refractive PE was defined as the difference of spherical equivalent between the predicted value using the Barrett Universal II formula and the actual value obtained at postoperative one month. Forty-eight eyes that had undergone phacotrabeculectomy (19 eyes, open-angle glaucoma; 29 eyes, angle-closure glaucoma) were matched with 48 eyes that had undergone phacoemulsification by age, average keratometry value and axial length (AL), and their PEs were compared. The factors associated with PE were analyzed by multivariable regression analyses. Results: Phacotrabeculectomy group showed a larger absolute PE compared to the phacoemulsification group (0.51 ± 0.37 Diopters vs. 0.38 ± 0.22, P=0.033). Larger absolute PE was associated with longer AL (P=0.010) and higher intraocular pressure (IOP) difference (P=0.012). Hyperopic shift (PE>0) was associated with shallower preoperative anterior chamber depth (ACD) (P=0.024) and larger IOP difference (P=0.031). In the phacotrabeculectomy group, the PE was inversely correlated with AL: long eyes showed myopic shift and short eyes hyperopic shift (P=0.002). Conclusions: Surgeons should be aware of the possibility of worse refractive outcomes when planning phacotrabeculectomy especially in eyes with high preoperative IOP, shallow ACD, and/or extreme AL.

Axonal degeneration resulting from optic nerve damage can lead to the progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), culminating in irreversible vision loss. We contrasted two methods for inducing optic nerve damage: optic nerve compression (ONCo) and optic nerve crush (ONCr). These were assessed for their respective merits in simulating traumatic optic neuropathies and neurodegeneration. We also administered neural progenitor cells (NPCs) into the subtenon space to validate their potential in mitigating optic nerve damage. Our findings indicate that both ONCo and ONCr successfully induced optic nerve damage, as shown by increased ischemia and expression of genes linked to neuronal regeneration. Post NPCs injection, recovery in the expression of neuronal regeneration-related genes was more pronounced in the ONCo model than in the ONCr model, while inflammation-related gene expression saw a better recovery in ONCr. In addition, proteomic analysis of R28 cells in hypoxic conditions identified Vps35 and Syntaxin12 genes. Vps35 preserved mitochondrial function in ONCo, while Syntaxin12 appeared to restrain inflammation via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in ONCr. NPCs managed to restore damaged RGCs by elevating neuroprotection factors and controlling inflammation through mitochondrial homeostasis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hypoxia-injured R28 cells and in both animal models. Our results suggest that ischemic injury and crush injury cause optic nerve damage via different mechanisms, which can be effectively simulated using ONCo and ONCr, respectively. Moreover, cell-based therapies such as NPCs may offer promising avenues for treating various optic neuropathies, including ischemic and crush injuries.

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

Agriculture (crop production, land use, and livestock) is the second most important greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sector after the energy sector. Agriculture is also recognized as the source and sink of GHGs. Evidence demonstrates that the application of high amounts of nitrogen-rich fertilizers enhances methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, which are potent GHGs with a high global warming potential (GWP). Considering its global contribution to the climate crisis, reducing GHG emissions in agriculture would considerably lower its share of the global GHG emission records, which may lead to enormous benefits for the environment and food production systems. Several diverging and controversial views questioning the actual role of plants in the current global GHG budget continue to nourish the debate globally. We must acknowledge that considering the beneficial roles of major GHGs to plants at a certain level of accumulation, implementing GHG mitigation measures from agriculture is indeed a complex task. This review seeks to provide key approaches for GHG mitigation in the literature (environmentally friendly crop cultivation and residue management practices, improvement of plants nutrients/fertilizer use efficiency, exploring the genetic diversity for low GHG emission, soil methane-producing bacteria, integrated soil fertility management, improved livestock feeding efficiency, and production, etc.). This work gathers key approaches from 275 peer-reviewed publications, including experimental research papers, review articles, and books, discussing greenhouse gas emissions mechanisms and mitigation to unravel effective strategies for GHG mitigation, proven to be effective or carry the potential to mitigate GHG generation from agriculture. This review also discusses in depth the significance and the dynamics of strategies regarded as game changers with a high potential to enhance, in a sustainable manner, the resilience of agricultural systems. Agricultural GHG mitigation approaches discussed in this work can serve as game changers in global efforts to reducing GHG emissions and alleviating the impact of climate change through sustainable agriculture and informed-decision making.

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

A turbomachinery is essential part in the power generation cycle. But, it is main noise source to annoy workers and users and to make environmental problem. Thus it is important to reduce this noise for operating the power generation cycle. This noise is created by flow instability on rotor blade trailing edge. An airfoil that becomes a section of a rotor blade of a rotating machine is manufactured as a blunt trailing edge (TE) with a round or flatback shape rather than the ideal sharp TE shape for the purposes of producibility and durability. This increases the tonal noise and flow-induced vibration at low frequency owing to vortex shedding behind TE when compared with a sharp TE. In order to overcome this problem, this study investigates the oblique TE shape using numerical simulation. In order to do so, the flow was simulated using large eddy simulation (LES) and the noise was analysed by acoustic analogy coupled with LES result. Once the simulation results were verified using the flatback airfoil measurements of Sandia National Laboratories, numerical prediction was performed for airfoils modified to have oblique trailing edge angles of 60°, 45°, and 30° to analyse the flow and noise characteristics. From the simulation results for an airfoil having an oblique TE, it could be seen that the vortex shedding frequency moves in accordance with the oblique angle and that the vortex shedding noise characteristics change according to this angle when compared to the flatback TE airfoil. Therefore, it is considered that modifying the flatback TE airfoil to have an appropriate oblique angle can reduce noise and change the tonal frequency to a bandwidth that is suitable for mechanical systems.

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

The molecular dynamics simulation has been used to investigate the structural and transport properties of (Ba_0.5-xSr_x)La_0.5InO_3-δ (x=0, 0.1, 0.2) oxygen-ion conductor. The previous studies reported that the ionic conductivity of Ba-doped LaInO3 decreases because Ba dopant forms narrow oxygen path in the lattice, which could hinder the diffusion of oxygen ion. In this study, we reveal the mechanism to improve the ionic conductivity by Ba and Sr co-doping on La site in LaInO3 perovskite oxide. The results show that the ionic conductivity of (Ba_0.5-xSr_x)La_0.5InO_3-δ increases with increasing numbers of Sr ions, which oxygen diffusion paths including Sr ion have larger critical radius than Ba ions. The RDF calculations showed the heights of peak in composition including Sr ions is lower and broaden, so oxygen ions moved easily into other oxygen sites.

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.

Fexuprazan is a potassium-competitive acid blocker approved for treating gastric acid-related diseases. Herein, we evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of single-dose and multiple-dose oral administration of fexuprazan 10 mg tablets in healthy subjects (Part 1) and investigated the bioequivalence between fexuprazan 10 mg and 40 mg tablets (Part 2). Part 1 comprised a single- and multiple-dose, 1-sequence, and 2-period design, and Part 2 comprised a single-dose, 2×2 crossover design. Eight and 23 subjects completed Parts 1 and 2, respectively. In Part 1, multiple doses accumulated twice as much as single doses. In Part 2, the geometric mean ratios [90% confidence intervals] for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration–time curve from zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUClast) of four fexuprazan 10 mg tablets to those of one fexuprazan 40 mg tablet were 1.0290 (0.9352–1.1321) and 1.0290 (0.9476–1.1174), respectively, which met bioequivalence criteria. Overall, favorable PK was observed after single and multiple administrations of one fexuprazan 10 mg tablet, and four fexuprazan 10 mg tablets were pharmacokinetically equivalent to one fexuprazan 40 mg tablet.

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).

Abstract: Global ecological concern regarding the transfer of fouling organisms to ship hulls is increasing. This study investigated the species composition, dominant species, distribution patterns, community structure, and life-cycle differences of hull-fouling macroinvertebrates on five research vessels (R/Vs: Isabu, Onnuri, Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2) operated by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). Hull-fouling macroinvertebrates were collected three to five times on quadrats from the upper and middle sectors of the hull sides, bottom, and niche areas (the propellers and shafts and the thrusters). A total of 47 macroinvertebrate species were identified, represented by 8,519 individuals(ind.)/m2 and a biomass of 1,967 gWWt/m2 on the five vessels. The number of species, density, and biomass were greater on the coastal vessels the Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2 than on the ocean-going vessels the Isabu and Onnuri. Among the coastal vessels, barnacles were the most abundant and had the greatest density, while mollusks had the highest biomass. Differences between hull sectors showed that the highest species abundance and density appeared on all hulls in ports and bays where the Jangmok 1 operated, while the highest species abundance, density, and biomass were identified in the niche areas of the Eardo, which operated farther from the coast. The hull-fouling macroinvertebrates that exceeded 1% of all organisms were the barnacles Amphibalanus amphitrite, Balanus trigonus, and Amphibalanus improvisus; the polychaete Hydroides ezoensis; the bivalves Magallana gigas and Mytilus galloprovincialis; and the amphipod Jassa slatteryi. The dominant species were cosmopolitan and globally distributed, and many of them were cryptogenic. Six native species were identified: M. gigas, H. ezoensis, the amphipod Melita koreana, the isopod Cirolana ko-reana, and the barnacle B. trigonus and F. kondakovi. Eight non-indigenous species (NIS) were de-tected: barnacles A. amphitrite and A. improvisus, the bivalve M. galloprovincialis, the polychaete Perinereis nuntia, amphipods J. slatteryi and Caprella californica, and bryozoans Bugulina californica and Bugula neritina. Of the fouling macroinvertebrates found on the vessel hulls, 13% were native and 17% were NIS. The nMDS ordination analysis of the five vessels showed four clusters of fouling macroinvertebrate communities: two ocean clusters (the Isabu and Onnuri), one coastal cluster (the Eardo and Jangmok 2), and one local cluster (the Jangmok 1). More diverse communities developed on the hulls of vessels that operated locally rather than globally or in deep oceans. Spearman rank correlation showed that biological indices such as number of species, density, and biomass correlated highly and positively with the numbers of days on coastal operations and negatively with the number days on ocean operations. The species diversity index correlated positively with the total number of anchoring days and coastal operation days and negatively with the total number of operation days and ocean operation days. The macroinvertebrates differed by the area of operation, the port of anchorage, the number of days in operation and at anchor, and the hull sectors. There is no previous research data on hull-fouling macroinvertebrates in the Republic of Korea, and this study provides a basis for future studies to identify introduced species and their differences based on operation area.

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

Regional declines of the Korean fir (Abies koreana) have been observed since the 1980s on the subalpine region. To explain this decline, it is fundamental to investigate the degree to which environmental factors have contributed to plant distributions on diverse spatial scales. We applied a hierarchical regression model to determine quantitatively the relationship between the abundance of Korean fir (seedlings) and diverse environmental factors across two different ecological scales. We measured Korean fir density and the occurrence of its seedlings in 102 (84) plots nested at five sites and collected a range of environmental factors at the same plots. Our model included hierarchical explanatory variables at both site-level (weather conditions) and plot-level (micro-topographic factors, soil properties, and competing species). The occurrence of Korean fir seedlings was positively associated with moss cover and rock cover but negatively related to dwarf bamboo cover. On site-level, winter precipitation was significantly positively related to the occurrence of seedlings. A hierarchical Poisson regression model revealed that Korean fir density were negatively associated with slope aspect, topographic position index, Quercus mongolica cover, and mean summer temperature. Our results suggest that drought and competition with other species are factors which halt the survival of Korean fir. We can predict that the population of Korean fir will continue to decline on the Korean Peninsula due to rising temperatures and seasonal drought, and only a few Korean fir will survive on northern slopes or valleys where competition with dwarf bamboo and Q. mongolica can be avoided.

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

Concerns associated with global warming and the depleting reserves of fossil fuels have highlighted the importance of high-performance energy storage systems (ESSs) for efficient energy usage. ESSs such as supercapacitors can contribute to improved power quality of an energy generation system, which is characterized by a slow load response. Composite materials are primarily used as supercapacitor electrodes because they can compensate for the disadvantages of carbon or metal oxide electrode materials. In this study, a composite of oxide nanoparticles loaded on a carbon nanofiber support was used as an electrode material for a hybrid supercapacitor. The addition of a small amount of hydrophobic Fe- and N-doped graphene nanoplates modified the surface properties of carbon nanofibers prepared by electrospinning. Accordingly, the effects of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic surface properties of the nanofiber support on the morphology of Co3O4 nanoparticles loaded on the nanofiber, as well as the performance of the supercapacitor, were systematically investigated.

The effects of chemical composition and solidification rate on the solidification behavior of high-Cr white irons were investigated through directional solidification. Increasing the solidi-fication rate in hypoeutectic alloys caused the finer dendrite arm spacing as expected. The eutec-tic structure which formed in the interdendritic region comprised of M7C3 and austenite, how-ever, secondary dendrite arms of hypoeutectic alloys contained a few M7C3 particles that solidi-fied prior to the eutectic structure. The transition from cellular to dendritic solidification oc-curred at a solidification rate between 50 µm/s and 100 µm/s in a near eutectic alloy. In the near eutectic alloy with cellular solidification, a directionally arrayed in-situ composite of M7C3/austenite formed within the cell. Speckle-like feature appeared in the intercellular region due to M23C6 carbide precipitation during subsequent cooling after freezing. Like dendrite arm spacing in hypoeutectic alloys, the inter-speckle spacing and the inter-fibre spacing became finer with increasing solidification rate in the cellular solidification range.

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

Thalassemia is a heterogeneous congenital hemoglobinopathy common in the Mediterranean region, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia with increasing incidence in Northern Europe and North America due to immigration. Iron overloading is one of the major long-term complications in patients with thalassemia and can lead to organ damage and carcin-ogenesis. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in both transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) and non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT). The incidence of HCC in patients with thalassemia has increased over time, as better chelation therapy confers a sufficiently long lifespan for the development of HCC. The mechanisms of iron overloading-associated HCC development include the increased　reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammation cytokines, dysregulated hepcidin, and ferroportin metabolism. The treat-ment of HCC in patients with thalassemia was basically similar to those in general population. However, due to the younger age of HCC onset in thalassemia, regular surveillance for HCC development is mandatory in TDT and NTDT. Other supplemental therapy and experience of novel treatment for HCC in thalassemia population were also reviewed in this article.

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

Background: Even though a number of studies have verified the positive effect of physical activity (PA) on self-related health (SRH) no previous research has examined this association among pediatric patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between regular physical activity (PA) and self-rated health (SRH) in pediatric patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) who lacked diabetes care. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study among pediatric patients with T1DM who lacked diabetes care and were enrolled in a diabetes education program between January 2011 to January 2015 at the endocrinology clinic of Seoul National University Children’s Hospital in South Korea. The eligible participants for this study were 37 pediatric patients with T1DM aged 9 to 17 years. PA was divided into regular PA and muscle strength exercise to analyze the relationship with SRH using binomial logistic regression analysis. Results: The results showed SRH of pediatric patients with T1DM who did not engage in regular PA was significantly lower than those who did (OR in regular PA = .199 [95% CI: .040, .995]; OR in regular muscle strength exercise = .097 [95% CI: .023, .825]). Conclusions: In conclusion, regular PA and muscle strength exercise in pediatric patients with T1DM who lacked diabetes care were effective in improving their SRH. A systematic plan is required to enhance regular PA for pediatric patients with T1DM.

A new compound containing a triene, a tetrahydropyran ring and glycine ester functionalities, restricticin B (1), together with four known compounds (2-5) were obtained from the EtOAc extract of the marine fungus Penicillium janthinellum. The planar structure of 1 was determined by detailed analyses of MS, 1D and 2D NMR data. The relative and absolute configurations of 1 were established via analyses of NOESY spectroscopy data, comparison of optical rotation values with those of restricticin derivatives reported and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). All the compounds were screened for their anti-neuroinflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 microglia cells. Restricticin B (1) and N-acetyl restricticin (2) exhibited anti-neuroinflammatory effects by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in activated microglial cells.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between various asbestos exposure routes and asbestos-related disorders (ARDs). The study population comprised 11,186 residents of a metropolitan city who lived near asbestos factories, shipyards, or in slate roof-dense areas. ARDs were defined from chest X-rays indicating lower lung fibrosis (LFF), pleural disease (PD), and lung masses (LMs). Of the subjects, 11.2%, 10.4%, 67.2% and 8.3% were exposed to asbestos via occupational, household, neighborhood, and slate roof routes, respectively. Regarding adjusted confounders and other exposure routes, the odds ratio (OR) of PD from household exposure (i.e., living with asbestos-producing workers) was 1.9 (95% confidence interval: 0.9–4.2), and that of LLF and PD from neighborhood exposure, or residing near asbestos factories) for <19 or >20 years, or near a mine, were 4.1 (2.8–5.8) and 4.8 (3.4–6.7), 8.3 (5.5–12.3) and 8.0 (5.5–11.6), and 4.8 (2.7–8.5) and 9.0 (5.6–14.4), respectively. The ORs of LLF, PD, and LM among those residing in slate-dense areas were 5.5 (3.3–9.0), 8.8 (5.6–13.8), and 20.5 (10.4–40.4), respectively. Substantial proportions of citizens residing in industrialized city have potentially been exposed to asbestos, and various exposure routes are associated with the development of ARDs. Notably, this may be the first finding of the health effects of slate roof exposure. However, given the limitations of this study, including potential confounders such as socioeconomic status, further research is needed.

The inter-subspecific crossing between indica and japonica subspecies in rice have been utilized to improve the yield potential of temperate rice. In this study, a comparative study of the genomic regions in the eight high-yielding varieties (HYVs) was conducted with those of the four non-HYVs. The Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) mapping on the Nipponbare reference genome identified a total of 14 common genomic regions of japonica-originated alleles. Interestingly, the HYVs shared japonica-originated genomic regions on nine chromosomes, although they were developed through different breeding programs. A panel of 94 varieties was classified into four varietal groups with 38 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from 38 genes residing in the japonica-originated genomic regions and 16 additional trait-specific SNPs. As expected, the japonica-originated genomic regions were only present in the japonica (JAP) and HYV groups, except for Chr4-1 and Chr4-2. The Wx gene, located within Chr6-1, was present in the HYV and JAP variety groups, while the yield-related genes were conserved as indica alleles in HYVs. The japonica-originated genomic regions and alleles shared by HYVs can be employed in molecular breeding programs to further develop the HYVs in temperate rice.

Cell membrane-derived liposomes, termed Memposomes, serve as promising carriers for drug delivery due to their ability to closely mimic cells and efficiently target specific cells. Liposomes derived from cancer cell membranes, in particular, exhibit homologous targeting capabilities, making them potential candidates for cancer-specific drug delivery. However, the underlying mechanisms and specific proteins responsible for this homologous targeting phenomenon remain debated. This study focuses on the role of E-cadherin, a cell adhesion molecule implicated in homophilic adhesion, in influencing the homologous targeting ability of Memposomes derived from cancer cell membranes. E-cadherin expression patterns were assessed in various cell lines, categorizing them into E-cadherin-positive and -negative groups. Memposomes were produced for each group, and their targeting tendencies were evaluated. The study confirmed that E-cadherin expression significantly influenced the homologous targeting ability of Memposomes. Cell lines with higher E-cadherin expression levels exhibited a more pronounced homologous targeting effect. This research demonstrates that cell adhesion molecules, particularly E-cadherin involved in homophilic adhesion, play a pivotal role in influencing the cell targeting ability of Memposomes. The study further validates the stability, safety, and purity of Memposomes, emphasizing their potential as effective drug delivery vehicles for the development of cell-specific therapies.

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

Sign Language Recognition (SLR) aims to bridge speech-impaired and general communities by recognizing signs from given videos. Researchers still face challenges developing efficient SLR systems because of the video’s complex background, light illumination, and subject structures. Recently many researchers developed a skeleton-based sign language recognition system to overcome the subject and background variation of hand gesture signs. However, skeleton-based SLR is still under exploration due to the lack of information and annotations on hand key points. More recently, researchers included body and face information with the hand gesture for the SLR, but their performance and efficiency are unsatisfactory. We proposed a Multi-Stream Graph-based Deep Neural Network (SL-GDN) for a skeleton-based SLR system to overcome the problems. The main purpose of the proposed SL-GDN approach is to improve the efficiency and performance of the SLR system with a low computational cost based on the human body pose in the form of 2D landmark locations. In the procedure, firstly, we constructed a skeleton graph based on the selected 27 whole-body key points among 67 key points to solve the inefficiency problems. Then we proposed multi-stream SL-GDN to extract features from the whole-body skeleton graph for four streams. Finally, we concatenated the four different features and applied a classification module to refine the feature and recognize corresponding sign classes. Our data-driven and graph construction method increases the system’s flexibility and brings high generability to adapt various data samples. We used three large-scale benchmark SLR datasets to evaluate the proposed model: WLASL, AUTSL and CSL. The demonstrated performance accuracy table proved the superiority of the proposed model, and we believe this will be considered a great invention in the SLR domain.

Laser shock peening is a process which can reduce stress corrosion cracking and improve fatigue life by forming compressive residual stress on the surface of the material. In a computational FE simulation of laser shock peening, during applying the pressure load generated by the laser pulse to the surface of simulation geometry, the peening is simulated by explicit analysis and then convert to implicit analysis to dissipate the dynamic energy remaining in the geometry. In this study, static damping is applied to dissipate residual dynamic energy without converting it into an implicit analysis. The compressive residual stress distribution is compared between the simulation results for the stainless steel 304 material and the same material subjected to actual laser shock peening. The laser shock peening parameters were 4.2J laser pulse energy, 50% overlap of 3mm diameter of the laser beam and water as a confinement layer. As a result, the compressive residual stress from the surface to the depth direction is similar to both the simulation and the experimental result measured by the hole drilling method.

This study delves into the critical domain of public procurement, specifically focusing on Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations within the context of South Korea. The aim of this research is to empirically scrutinize the factors influencing the impact index of SPP, with a particular emphasis on services related to labor standards. The investigation spans three years, from January 1, 2019, to July 31, 2021, encompassing state agency orders and post-implementation legal changes. Leveraging the comprehensive Korea On-line E-Procurement Sys-tem(KONEPS) platform, we meticulously collected data, ultimately culminating in 21,573 services meeting our criteria, from which 250 cases underwent an in-depth analysis. The study sheds light on the influence of social responsibility evaluation cri-teria on overall procurement scores, while also uncovering the moderating effects of various factors. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights into the impact index of social responsibility evaluation criteria within South Korea's public procurement landscape. Factors including procurement year, classification, service period, and estimated price were identified as significant influencers. Moreover, the number and location of evalu-ation criteria items, inclusion of sincerity elements, and the evaluating agency were deemed pivotal determinants of the influence index. These findings hold profound implications for policymakers, procurement practitioners, and researchers and provide a roadmap for optimizing the utilization of social responsibility evaluation criteria to advance responsible and sustainable procurement practices. Future research avenues include conducting further study of additional moderat-ing variables, expanding datasets to encompass a broader spectrum of procurement contexts, and evaluating the long-term repercussions of social responsibility evaluation on procurement outcomes. These endeavors promise to further refine and advance public procurement practices in South Korea and beyond.

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

Capsizing accidents are regarded as marine accidents with a high rate of casualties per accident. Approximately 89% of all such accidents occur in small ships (vessels with gross tonnage less than 10 tons). Stability calculations are critical for assessing the risk of capsizing incidents and evaluating a ship's seaworthiness. Despite the high frequency of capsizing accidents involving small ships, they are generally exempt from adhering to stability regulations, thus remaining systemically exposed to the risk of capsizing. Moreover, the absence of essential design documents complicates direct ship stability calculations. This study utilizes hull form feature data—obtained from the general arrangement of small ships—as input for a deep learning model. The model is structured as a multilayer neural network and aims to infer hydrostatic curves, which is required data for stability calculations.

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

Ecological city is currently a hot topic in urban planning research. How to balance urban development and ecological environment protection has become a focus and difficulty of research. Traditional urban planning is mainly based on experience, but its disadvantage is that it is easy to overlook key geographical factors such as terrain and vegetation, and cannot fully reflect the actual spatial characteristics of the city. Therefore, this article applied the combination of urban and rural planning and environmental remote sensing technology to urban planning and design, obtaining a massive amount of data. Through the actual analysis of Langfang, this paper monitored the vegetation, water, land and landscape data of Langfang through environmental remote sensing technology. By using these data to identify existing problems, this article proposed reasonable planning for the problems, in order to achieve the effective goal of ecological city planning and design. It provided a more accurate analysis of urban structure, including urban planning and urban ecological landscape planning. Among them, ecological landscape planning includes renovating ecological embankments, protecting ecological green belts around the city, and creating characteristic landscape areas, thereby providing more scientific basis for urban planning and design, making urban planning and design more reasonable and scientific. This paper investigated the planned Langfang City, and the average errors of vegetation, soil, water quality, and landscape data obtained from traditional field surveys were 0.35, 0.33, 0.34, and 0.31, respectively. The average errors of remote sensing technology in obtaining vegetation, soil, water quality, and landscape data were 0.16, 0.15, 0.17, and 0.15, respectively. The total suspended solids content of waterscape 1-10 before planning was 5.51mg/L and 7.41mg/L, respectively. After planning, the total suspended solids content of waterscape 1-10 was 3.60mg/L and 4.47mg/L, respectively. From this, it can be seen that the error in obtaining data after planning has decreased, and the total suspended solids content has also decreased.

This study delves into the essential characteristics of the Metaverse and its impact on the real world. The Metaverse, a parallel universe composed of countless 3D virtual worlds, has become a hot topic in technology. With the development of advanced technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence, the Metaverse is gradually changing people's lifestyles and work methods, expanding the boundaries of the digital economy. This study profoundly investigates the attributes of the Metaverse, such as asset digitization, application scenario-based, scope economy, industry universality, integrated innovation, and the platform ecosystem. Additionally, we propose a theoretical framework to aid in understanding and shaping this emerging field. We conducted a thorough study and analysis of a specific case, explored the key features of the Metaverse, unveiled the profound impact of Metaverse characteristics on social and economic development, and verified our theoretical framework with this case. This research provides new perspectives and methods for academic studies and offers robust support and guidance for practical applications and decision-making.

In the TANGO study, the long-term noninferior efficacy of switching to dolutegravir/lamivudine (DTG/3TC) compared to continuing tenofovir alafenamide–based regimens was demonstrated in treatment-experienced adults with HIV. However, there is limited real-world data comparing the effectiveness and safety of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (BIC/FTC/TAF) and DTG/3TC in Asia. This retrospective observational study, conducted at a designated HIV-care hospital from March 2019 to January 2023, aimed to address this gap. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, including HIV viral loads and lipid profiles, were collected and analyzed. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with HIV RNA <50 copies/mL at week 48 in both groups, utilizing a snapshot, per-protocol–exposed population. A total of 1086 patients were included, with 511 in the DTG/3TC group and 575 in the BIC/FTC/TAF group. At week 48, 98% of patients in the DTG/3TC group and 94% in the BIC/FTC/TAF group achieved HIV RNA <50 copies/mL (p <0.01). Logistic regression analysis identified risk factors for detectable viral loads at week 48, including HIV RNA >100,000 copies/mL (AOR 5.13, 95% CI 1.42–18.53), low-level viremia (AOR 3.91, 95% CI 1.07–14.25), and record of virologic failure ≥2 times (AOR 4.21, 95% CI 1.64–10.85) before the switch. Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the DTG/3TC and BIC/FTC/TAF regimens (AOR: 1.51, 95% CI 0.70–3.24). In conclusion, the study demonstrates that the effectiveness and safety profiles of DTG/3TC and BIC/FTC/TAF were comparable in treatment-experienced adults with HIV, particularly among those with undetectable viral loads at baseline.

Previously, we demonstrated that IR triggers the invasion/migration of A549 cells via activation of an EGFR–p38/ERK–STAT3/CREB-1–EMT pathway. Here, we have demonstrated the involvement of a novel intracellular signaling mechanism in γ-ionizing radiation (IR)-induced migration/invasion. Expression of receptor-interacting protein (RIP) 1 was initially increased upon exposure of A549, a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, to IR. IR-induced RIP1 is located downstream of EGFR and involved in the expression/activity of matrix metalloproteases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and vimentin, suggesting a role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our experiments showed that IR-induced RIP1 sequentially induces Src-STAT3-EMT to promote invasion/migration. Inhibition of RIP1 kinase activity and expression blocked induction of EMT by IR and suppressed the levels and activities of MMP-2, MMP-9, and vimentin. IR-induced RIP1 activation was additionally associated with stimulation of the transcriptional factor NF-κB. Specifically, exposure to IR triggered NF-κB activation and inhibition of NF-κB suppressed IR-induced RIP1 expression followed by a decrease in invasion/migration as well as EMT. Based on the collective results, we propose that IR concomitantly activates EGFR and NF-κB and subsequently triggers the RIP1–Src/STAT3–EMT pathway, ultimately promoting metastasis.

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

This case report describes the successful repair of a radial bone fracture and skin defect in a dog using an ulnar bone graft and an advancement flap. A one-year-old spayed female Poodle dog weighing 1.7 kg was brought in with non-weight-bearing lameness, an open wound, and a frac-ture in the right forelimb. The dog had fallen off the bicycle being ridden by its owner, causing its right forelimb to be caught in the wheel. The treatment included surgical debridement of the necrotic tissue, skin reconstruction with an advancement flap, and radial bone reconstruction with an ulnar bone graft, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), humeral cancellous bone and a ti-tanium T-shaped plate. Postoperative management included antibiotics, pain medication, and activity restriction. The dog made a good recovery and was able to bear weight on the affected limb four months after surgery.

The menopausal transition often accompanies distressing manifestations, including vasomotor symptoms, sleep disruptions, and depressive syndrome. Omega-3 fatty acids have emerged as a potential intervention to alleviate these symptoms. This review aimed to comprehensively assess the impact of omega-3 supplementation on vasomotor symptoms, sleep quality, and depression among postmenopausal women. We conducted a systematic search focusing on randomized control trials across the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and SCOPUS databases from inception to August 2023. Among the initial pool of 163 studies, 9 studies met the inclusion criteria and were incorporated into this review. Four studies suggested potential benefits of omega-3 intake for improving hot flashes and night sweats. Sleep quality outcomes displayed heterogeneity across the studies. Incorporating diverse scales such as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-21, the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 for depression outcomes, the review found inconclusive evidence on omega-3's impact on depression. Overall, the combined analysis of these studies did not provide substantial evidence to support the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in improving vasomotor symptoms, sleep quality, and depression. Further well-designed RCTs with larger participant groups are crucial to validate and generalize these results.

With the widespread Application of Virtual Reality (VR) in education, optimizing foreign language learning in VR has become a focal point of research. This paper introduces a comprehensive theoretical framework (VR-CCL) based on constructivism and cognitive load theory to enhance foreign language learning in VR. Through a literature review, we explore the applications of VR in education, foreign language learning theories, and prior works on technology-assisted language learning. We further detail the three main components of the VR-CCL framework and validate its effectiveness through two case studies: Duolingo VR and Rosetta Stone VR. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limitations of the framework and its implications for educators and developers.

The possibility of deep radiochemical purification of Li2CO3 has been examined in the frame of the purification program of AMoRE collaboration. In this experiment, commercial Li2CO3 was converted into LiNO3. Co-precipitation with inorganic salt-based carriers followed by membrane filtration and sorption using MDM inorganic sorbent methods were tested for the removal of alkaline-earth and transition metals, potassium, magnesium, aluminum, uranium, thorium, and radium. The calcium molybdate-based carrier was the most efficient for removing Th, U, and K. Subsequently, the radium, calcium, and barium contaminations were removed with MDM sorbent. After the impurities’ removal, the final Li2CO3 product was synthesized with NH4HCO3 sludge. The separation factors were derived by means of ICP-MS and HPGe analyses of the initial material, intermediate and final products. The study showed the optimum conditions of co-precipitation and sorption to reach a high yield and radiopurity of lithium carbonate used for low radioactive background experiments.

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

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is known to cause severe liver diseases such as acute or chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a major health problem with nearly 300 million individuals infected worldwide. Currently, nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) and interferon alpha are clinically approved treatments for HBV infection. NAs are potent antiviral agents that bind to HBV polymerase and block viral reverse transcription and replication. Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV) is a newly developed NA against HBV in the form of acyclic nucleotide phosphonate that is available for oral administration similar to adefovir and tenofovir. Until now, resistance to BSV treatment has not been reported. In this study, we found a CHB patient who showed viral breakthrough after long-term treatment with BSV. The isolated HBV DNA from patient’s serum were cloned into the replication-competent HBV 1.2mer and the sequence of reverse transcriptase (RT) domain of HBV polymerase were analyzed. We also examined the drug susceptibility of generated clones in vitro. Several mutations were identified in HBV RT domain. A particular mutant harboring ten RT mutations showed resistance to BSV treatment in vitro. The ten mutations include rtV23I (I), rtH55R (R), rtY124H (H), rtD134E (E), rtN139K (K), rtL180M (M), rtM204V (V), rtQ267L (L), rtL269I (I) and rtL336M (M). To further identify the responsible mutations for BSV resistance, we performed in vitro drug susceptibility assay on several artificial clones. As a result, our study revealed that rtL180M (M) and rtM204V (V) mutations, already known as lamivudine-resistant mutations, confer resistance to BSV in the CHB patient.

The primary cilium plays critical roles in homeostasis and development of neurons. Recent studies demonstrate that cilia length is regulated by the metabolic state of cells, as dictated by processes such as glucose flux and O-GlcNAcylation (OGN). The study of cilia length regulation during neuron development, however, has been an area left largely unexplored. This project aims to elucidate the roles of O-GlcNAc in neuronal development through its regulation of the primary cilium. Here, we present findings suggesting that OGN levels negatively regulate cilia length on differentiated cortical neurons derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. In neurons, cilia length increased significantly during neurons maturation (after day 35), while OGN levels began to drop. Long-term perturbation of OGN via drugs, which inhibit or promote its cycling, during neuron development also have varying effects. Diminishing OGN levels increases cilia length until day 25, when neural stem cells expand and undergo early neurogenesis, before causing cell cycle exit defects and multinucleation. Elevating OGN levels induces greater primary cilia assembly but ultimately results in the development of premature neurons, which have higher insulin sensitivity. These results indicate that OGN levels and primary cilia length are jointly critical in proper neuron development and function. Understanding the interplays between these two nutrient sensors, O-GlcNAc and the primary cilium, during neuron development is important in paving connections between dysfunctional nutrient-sensing and early neurological disorders.

Daylighting has been widely adopted in recent years due to its potential to improve the indoor environment in terms of visual comfort and energy-saving. One of the energy-saving techniques for energy-efficient buildings is the integration of louver systems. Louvers are considered more efficient for providing daylight in the interior as compared to other daylighting systems. Here, this paper presents the design of a louver system for conducting energy simulations for lighting and cooling requirements in office spaces. The simulation results indicate that the use of louvers in different opening configurations can lead to energy savings, particularly in the lighting aspect. The louver system in office spaces with a 50% louver opening leads to 27.0% energy savings. Further, the results are presented for different louver openings to calculate the lighting and cooling energy savings. The overall performance of the system is better in terms of providing consistent daylight, which eventually improves energy saving.

We evaluated hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) for use in radio frequency (RF) applications in which liquid crystals (LCs) are used in layered structures that have various cell gap conditions. HTAB is a surfactant that can self-align vertically on the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates, and can induce homeotropic alignment of the LCs. For implementing RF devices with HTAB and LCs, we should consider limitations caused by the design conditions which are different from conventional liquid crystal displays such as cell gap. We quantified the concentration of HTAB ([HTAB]) that is necessary to form and maintain a sufficiently dense vertical alignment of 5CB (4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl). The required [HTAB] for full-homeotropic alignment was proportional to the cell gap until it was too large to support the transfer of the surface alignment to the LC, due to the weak anchoring nature of HTAB. We also showed the phase-change characteristic of the LC mixture depended on [HTAB] for the design of RF devices driven by light or heat. This work may help to guide the development of new approaches to designing efficient RF devices that use LCs.

In order to assess the range of impact of thermal wastewater discharge from the third Nuclear Power Plant (NP_No.3) on the local ecosystem, a three-dimensional ocean model (MITgcm) driven by tidal and climatological forcings is employed to study the present work. Tides and daily wind forcings are incorporated into the MITgcm model to examine their effects on the thermal plume and the water circulation in Nan Wan Bay. The model results reveal that the thermal plume is most likely to disperse to the southwest in summer; it is unlikely to drift to the southeast or northeast because of the presence of gentle southwesterly monsoon. In winter, the thermal plume is most likely to be directed to the southwest but barely visible in the northeast or southeast directions because of prevailing northeasterly monsoon. Additionally, it is worth emphasizing that strong tidal currents generate a pair of counter-rotating eddies that significantly dominate the dispersal of the thermal plume. However, seasonal monsoons also play an essential role in modifying the plume’s direction and dispersion. The model results reveal that the flow field and thermal plume agree well with observational data.

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

The role of coalesced bainite in hydrogen embrittlement of tempered martensitic steels was investigated. Results showed that the coalesced bainite significantly enhanced the hydrogen embrittlement resistance by restricting hydrogen accumulation at the prior austenite grain boundaries, thus shifting the hydrogen-assisted failure mode from intergranular to transgranular fracture.

Background: Pathologic complete response (pCR) of breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is highly related to molecular subtypes. Patients who achieved tumor pCR after NAC have a better prognosis. However, despite of better prognosis, pCR patients have a potential for recurrence. There is little evidence of risk factors of recurrence in patients with pCR. We aim to analyze factors associated with tumor recurrence in patients who achieved pCR. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the data of patients diagnosed with breast cancer who achieved pCR after receiving NAC between January 2009 and December 2018 in Samsung Medical Center. pCR was defined as no residual invasive cancer in the breast and axillary nodes even if there is residual ductal carcinoma in situ (ypT0 or ypTis with ypN0). Breast cancers are classified into 4 subtypes based on hormone receptors (HR) and human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. Patients who had bilateral breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, distant metastasis, unknown subtype, and histologically unique case were excluded from the study. Results: In total 483 patients were included in this study except for patients who corresponded to the exclusion criteria. The median follow-up duration was 59.0 months (range, 0.5-153.3 months). Breast cancer recurred in 4.1% of patients (20 of 483). There was a significant difference in clinical T (p = .004) and clinical N (p = .034) stage in the Kaplan-Meier curve for disease-free survival. Molecular subtypes (p = .573), Ki67 (p = 1.000), and breast surgery type (p = .574) were not associated with tumor recurrence in patients who achieved pCR after NAC. In the clinical T stage and clinical N stage, there was a significant difference between recurrence and no-recurrence groups (clinical T stage; p = .045, clinical N stage; p = .002). Univariable Cox regression revealed statistical significance in the clinical T stage (p = .049) and clinical N stage (p = .010), while multivariable Cox regression demonstrated non-significance in the clinical T stage (p = .320) and clinical N stage (p = .073). Conclusion: Results in this study showed that clinical T, clinical N stage, and molecular subtypes were not statistically significant predictors of recurrence in patients who achieved pCR after NAC. It is hypothesized that a multicenter-based study would lead to the identification of factors as predictors of recurrence after achieving pCR.

Gastric mixing relies both on enzymatic reactions and mechanical solicitations through antral contraction waves (ACWs). This work aims at discussing the influence of ACWs frequency and digesta viscosity on human gastric mixing efficiency by comparison with that of a soft elastic reactor (SER), that induces mixing by vibration of its wall in a similar way as ACWs promote stomach motility. The SER mixing curve was considered in order to determine the flow regime reached during gastric mixing. The number of contractions required to achieve homogenization was found to depend on the viscosity of the stomach content and the ACWs amplitude. Moreover, it was deduced from the same range of SER and ACWs operating points that the mechanical solicitation provided by human peristalsis was low and that gastric mixing was confined in laminar regime. Further efforts are needed to investigate the role of other physiological processes such as gastric secretions and emptying in overall gastric mixing performance.

Spices rich in polyphenols are metabolized to a convergent group of phenolic acids. We conducted a dose-exposure nutrikinetic study to investigate associations between mixed spices intake and plasma concentrations of selected, unconjugated phenolic acids. In a randomized crossover study, 20 Chinese males consumed a curry meal containing 0 g, 6 g, and 12 g of mixed spices. Postprandial blood was drawn up to 7 h at regular intervals and plasma phenolic acids were quantified via LC-MS/MS. Cinnamic acid (CNA, p < 0.0001) and phenylacetic acid (PAA, p < 0.0005) concentrations were significantly increased with mixed spices consumption, although none of the other measured phenolic acids differ significantly between treatments. CNA displayed a high dose-exposure association (R² > 0.8, p < 0.0001). The adjusted mean AUC_{0-7 h} for CNA during the 3 increasing doses were 8.4 ± 3.4, 376.1 ± 104.7 and 875.7 ± 291.9 nM·h respectively. Plasma CNA concentration may be used as a biomarker of spice intake.

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

Numerous structures at the nano- and microscale manifest distinctive properties with far-reaching implications across diverse fields, including electronics, electricity, medicine, and surface engi-neering. Established methods such as nanoimprint lithography, photolithography, and self-assembly play crucial roles in the fabrication of nano- and microstructures; however, they exhibit limitations in generating high-aspect-ratio structures when utilizing high-viscosity pho-tocurable resins. In response to this inherent challenge, we propose a highly cost-effective ap-proach facilitating the direct replication of high-aspect-ratio structures, specifically nanowires, through the utilization of anodized aluminum substrates. This study elucidates the streamlined fabrication process for multiscale porous surfaces achieved through the evaporation-induced in-tegration of solid nanowires printed with high-viscosity photocurable resin.

Depression is considered a widespread mental health problem worldwide. Moreover, anxiety symptoms are very closely related to depression patients, and it is known that the coexistence rate of depression and anxiety diagnosed simultaneously is high. Treatment and preventive management of depression and anxiety are essential for public health. Forest healing is attracting attention as a form of low-cost preventive medicine that is safe and has no side effects. However, although the physiological and psychological effects have been scientifically proven, it is insufficient to reveal a direct relationship between forest healing and depression. This study investigated the benefits of an urban forest healing program on depression and anxiety symptoms of depressive disorders. We employed a randomized controlled trial design. Forty-seven depression patients were randomly divided into an urban forest healing program group and a control group. Measures included the Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. Our results revealed that the combination of general treatment and forest healing programs for patients with depression is more effective in improving depression and anxiety than routine treatment alone. We expect our work to serve as a starting point for more sophisticated research in discussing the availability of non-pharmacological treatments in forest healing.

The role of upfront primary tumor resection (PTR) in patients with unresectable metastatic col-orectal cancer (CRC) without severe symptoms remains controversial. We retrospectively ana-lyzed the role of PTR in overall survival (OS) in different subgroups. Among 331 patients diag-nosed with synchronous metastatic CRC between 2010 and 2020, 223 were analyzed. The PTR group (n = 42) showed better performance (p = 0.038); higher frequencies of right-sided origin (p = 0.014), T4 stage (p = 0.005), M1a stage (p = 0.015), and <2 organ metastases (p = 0.002); and re-ceived fewer targeted agents (p < 0.001) than the chemotherapy group (n = 181). The PTR group showed longer OS (20.5 versus 14.0 months, p = 0.016), but PTR was marginally related to OS in multivariate analysis (p = 0.060). Male sex (p = 0.022), good performance status (p = 0.07), left-sided tumor (p = 0.069), low serum carcinoembryonic antigen level (p = 0.092), T3 stage (p = 0.029), M1a stage (p = 0.025), <2 organ metastases (p = 0.017), and administration of targeted agents, especially bevacizumab (p = 0.024), were related to survival benefit after PTR. Upfront PTR should be considered when selecting patients with favorable prognoses for bevacizumab administration.

β-apopicropodophyllin (APP), a derivative of podophyllotoxin (PPT), has been identified as a potential anti-cancer drug. This study tested whether APP acts as an an-ti-cancer drug and can sensitize colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to radiation treatment. APP had an anti-cancer effect against the CRC cell lines HCT116, and DLD-1, SW480 and COLO320DM with IC50 values of 7.88 nM, and 8.22 nM, 9.84 nM and 7.757 nM, respec-tively induction of DNA damage. Colonogenic and cell counting assays indicated that the combined treatment of APP and γ-ionizing radiation (IR) showed greater retardation of cell growth than either alone, suggesting that APP sensitizes CRC cells to IR. Annexin V-propidium iodide (PI) assays and immunoblot analysis showed that the combined treatment of APP and IR increased apoptosis in CRC cells compared with either APP or IR alone. Results obtained from the xenograft experiments also indicated that the combination of APP and IR enhanced apoptosis in in vivo animal model. Apoptosis induction by the combined treatment of APP and IR resulted from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Inhibition of ROS by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) restored cell viability and decreased the induction of apoptosis by APP and IR in CRC cells. Taken together, these results indicate that a combined treatment of APP and IR might promote apoptosis by inducing ROS in CRC cells.

We generalize the idea of quantum clock time to quantum spacetime reference frame via physical realization of a reference system by quantum rulers and clocks. Omitting the internal degrees of freedom (such as spins) of the physical rulers and clocks, only considering their metric properties, the spacetime reference frame is described by a bosonic non-linear sigma model (NLSM). We study the quantum behavior of the system under approximations, and obtain (1) a cosmological constant valued (2/π)ρ_c0 (ρ_c0 the critical density at near current epoch) which is very close to the observations; (2) an effective Einstein-Hilbert term; (3) the ratio of variance to mean-squared of spacetime interval tends to a universal constant 2/π in the infrared region. This effect is testable by observing a linear dependence between the inherent quantum variance and mean-squared of the redshifts from cosmic distant spectral lines. The proportionality is expected to be the observed percentage of the dark energy. The equivalence principle is also generalized to the quantum level.

Aiming at the problems of inaccurate segmentation of long object and information loss of small object in real-time semantic segmentation algorithm, this paper proposes a lightweight multi-branch real-time semantic segmentation network based on BiseNetV2. The new auxiliary branch makes full use of spatial details and context information to cover the long object in the field of view. Meanwhile, in order to ensure the inference speed of the model, the asymmetric convolution is used in each stage of the auxiliary branch to design a structure with low computational complexity. In the multi-branch fusion stage, the alignment and fusion module is designed to provide guidance information for deep and shallow feature mapping, so as to make up for the problem of feature misalignment in the fusion of information at different scales, and thus reduce the loss of small target information. In order to further improve the model’s awareness of key information, a global context module is designed to capture the most important features in the input data. The proposed network uses NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU experiment, on the road street view data set Cityscapes and CamVid average occurring simultaneously ratio reached 77.1% and 78.4% respectively, with running speed of 127 frames/s respectively and 112 frames/s. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve real-time segmentation and improve the accuracy significantly, showing good semantic segmentation performance

Using the method of the beta function, Sun has recently evaluated some series of the type $\sum_{k=0}^{\infty}(ak+b)x^k/\binom{mk}{nk}$. By factorization of the polynomial $t^{m-n}(1-t)^n-x$, we will give a general method to find new $\pi$-series.

Smartphone-based point-of-care testing (POCT) is rapidly emerging as an alternative to traditional screening and laboratory testing, particularly in resource-limited settings. In this proof-of-concept study, we present a smartphone- and cloud-based artificial intelligence quantitative analysis system (SCAISY) for relative quantification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific IgG antibody lateral flow assays that enables rapid and accurate evaluation of test strips. By capturing an image with a smartphone camera, SCAISY quantitatively analyzes antibody levels and provides results to the user. We analyzed changes in antibody levels over time in over 248 individuals, including vaccine type, number of doses, and infection status, with a standard deviation of less than 10%. We also tracked antibody levels in six participants before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Finally, we examined the effects of lighting conditions, camera angle, and smartphone type to ensure consistency and reproducibility. This study suggests that SCAISY is a simple and powerful tool for real-time public health surveillance, enabling the acceleration of quantifying SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies generated by either vaccination or infection and tracking of personal immunity levels.

This study introduces the Data-Driven Personalized Learning Model (DDPLM), a sophisticated framework designed to enhance foreign language acquisition through the integration of big data analytics. Implemented within the educational platforms Edmodo and Duolingo, DDPLM utilizes real-time data processing to tailor learning paths and content dynamically to individual learner needs. Our findings indicate significant improvements in language learning efficiency, engagement, and retention. The model's adaptability across different digital environments showcases its potential scalability and effectiveness in various educational contexts. Additionally, the research addresses the critical role of personalized feedback and adaptive challenges in maintaining learner motivation and promoting deeper linguistic comprehension. The outcomes suggest that DDPLM significantly transforms traditional language education, making it more personalized, efficient, and aligned with individual learning preferences.

Based on research data from the renovation of old residential areas in Chengdu, China, this study provides empirical evidence regarding the causal relationship between urban renewal and the transformation of residents' pro-environmental behaviors. The research findings demonstrate a significant enhancement in residents' engagement in pro-environmental behaviors due to the renovation of old residential areas. Robustness tests based on replacement samples and two-stage difference-in-difference models also confirm the reliability of the conclusions. The preliminary mechanism test indicates that the mechanism of the impact of renovation of old residential areas on the transformation of residents' pro-environmental behaviors can be attributed to two main factors. Firstly, the improvement of environmental infrastructure provides residents with better conditions for participating in pro-environmental activities. Secondly, there is an elevation in residents' environmental protection awareness, prompting a more voluntary engagement in pro-environmental behavior. This study suggests that decision-makers should fully recognize that urban renewal activities nationwide are not only a process of improving urban hardware and functionality, but also a realistic and vivid "environmental education" course for the whole nation. Taking urban renewal as an opportunity to enhance citizens' awareness of environmental protection will effectively promote the transformation of pro-environmental behaviors among residents.

In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhimurium in fried fish paste using floating electrode-dielectric barrier discharge (FE-DBD) plasma (1.1 kV, 43 kHz, N2 1.5 m/s, 1-60 min). In addition, quality evaluation (pH, VBN) of fried fish paste was conducted after FE-DBD plasma treatment. When FE-DBD plasma was treated for 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 min, S. aureus decreased by 0.16-1.13 log10 CFU/g, and S. Typhimurium decreased 0.25-1.13 log10 CFU/g. Both decreased &gt; log10 CFU/g at 60 min. The D-value was 58.92 and R2 was 0.97 for S. aureus using first-order kinetics, and the D-value was 43.60 and R2 was 0.97 for S. Typhimurium using the Weibull model. There was no significant difference in pH after FE-DBD plasma treatment (p &gt; 0.05). However, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) significantly decreased as the treatment time increased (p &lt; 0.05), and it was the lowest at 60 min to 3.46. Therefore, FE-DBD plasma treatment could be considered as a technology for preserving the quality of processed foods.

This study introduces the Dynamic Feedback-Driven Learning Optimization Framework (DFDLOF), an innovative machine learning-based approach to personalize educational pathways. DFDLOF leverages advanced algorithms for in-depth analysis of learner data, enabling the dynamic customization of educational content and methodologies. Its application in diverse online platforms, including Khan Academy and Coursera, underscores its adaptability and scalability. DFDLOF enhances learner engagement and outcomes by providing tailored learning experiences and real-time feedback. Key insights reveal its strengths in personalized education, particularly in dynamically adapting learning paths and the importance of real-time feedback. Challenges identified include integration complexities and data privacy concerns. Future research directions emphasize the need for longitudinal impact studies and broader demographic applications. This study contributes significantly to the evolving domain of adaptive learning technologies, demonstrating the transformative potential of machine learning in personalizing education.

This study proposes a short- and medium-term electricity consumption prediction algorithm by combining the GRU model suitable for long-term forecasting and the Prophet model suitable for seasonality and event handling. (1) Manufacturing Company B's Electricity consumption data and meteorological data in Naju, Jeollanam-do, South Korea are collected and preprocessed. (2) The preprocessed data proposes the Prophet model in the first step for seasonality and event handling prediction. (3) In the second step, seven multivariate data are experimented with GRU. Specifically, the seven multivariate data consist of six meteorological data and the residuals between the predicted data from the proposed Prophet model in Step 1 and the observed data. These are utilized to predict electricity consumption at 15-minute intervals. (4) Electricity consumption is predicted for short-term (2 days and 7 days) and medium-term (15 days and 30 days) scenarios. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the conventional Prophet model by more than 23 times and the modified GRU model by more than 2 times in terms of MAPE.

This research paper investigates ultra-wideband (UWB) localization systems by focusing on the use of average filter (AVG), Kalman filter (KF), and extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithms, as well as a novel integrated filtering method that incorporates low-pass filter (LPF) into AVG, KF, and EKF. The study aims to improve localization loss in indoor environments using a TurtleBot robot equipped with a camera to observe ground truth positions. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms, a comprehensive comparison of the raw and filtered data with the camera-based ground truth observations is performed. Quantitative analyses of the results, including max, min, max-min, and mean error, are performed to evaluate the localization performance of the algorithms and the integrated filtering method. The results reveal that the integrated filtering method has performed better accuracy in comparison with existing methods.

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.

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