Cholangiocarcinoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of the bile duct. The current standard first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma is gemcitabine and cisplatin. However, few effective treatment choices exist for refractory cholangiocarcinoma, and additional therapeutic drugs are urgently required. Our previous work demonstrated that the ALDH isoform 1A3 plays a vital role in the malignant behavior of cholangiocarcinoma and may serve as a new therapeutic target. In this study, we found a positive correlation between ALDH1A3 protein expression levels and cell migration abilities of three cholangiocarcinoma cell lines, which was verified using ALDH1A3-overexpressing and ALDH1A3-knockdown clones. We also used ALDH1A3-high and ALDH1A3-low populations of cholangiocarcinoma cell lines from the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) program and assessed the effects of ruxolitinib, a commercially available JAK2 inhibitor. Ruxolitinib had a higher cytotoxic effect when combined with gemcitabine. Furthermore, the nuclear translocation STAT1 and STAT3 heterodimers were markedly diminished by ruxolitinib treatment, possibly resulting in decreased ALDH1A3 activation. Notably, ruxolitinib alone or combined with gemcitabine led to significantly reduced tumor size and weight. Collectively, our studies suggest that ruxolitinib might suppress the ALDH1A3 activation through the JAK2/STAT1/3 pathway in cholangiocarcinoma, and trials should be undertaken to evaluate its efficacy in clinical therapy.

This paper proposes a single-stage asymmetrical half-bridge fly-back (AHBF) converter with resonant mode using dual-mode control. The presented converter has an integrated boost converter and asymmetrical half-bridge fly-back converter and operates in resonant mode. The boost-cell always operates in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to achieve high power factor. The presented converter operates simultaneously using a variable-frequency-controller (VFC) and pulse-width-modulation (PWM) controller. Unlike the conventional single-stage design, the intermediate bus voltage of this controller can be regulated depending on the main power switch duty ratio. The asymmetrical half-bridge fly-back converter utilizes a variable switching frequency controller to achieve the output voltage regulation. The asymmetrical half-bridge fly-back converter can achieve zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) operation and significantly reduce the switching losses. Detailed analysis and design of this single-stage asymmetrical half-bridge fly-back converter with resonant mode is described. A wide AC input voltage ranging from 90 to 264 Vrms and output 19 V/ 120 W prototype converter was built to verify the theoretical analysis and performance of the presented converter.

Background and Objectives: In the literature, relationships between being married and having prediabetes or diabetes are inconsistent. We aimed to investigate whether marriage is a protective or risk factor for prediabetes and to uncover new insights into its impact on prediabetes. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, questionnaires were distributed by email to 1,039 staff members who participated in an employee health check from a hospital affiliated with a medical university in Taiwan. Fasting blood glucose and triglyceride (TG) levels were checked and the questionnaires elicited basic demographic characteristics and included the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, logistic regression, and mediation analysis were conducted for statistical analysis. Results: Among the group aged 20–37 years, married, obesity, neck and shoulder pain, and elevated TG levels were independent risk factors for prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose). For those >38 years old, overweight, obesity, and elevated triglyceride (TG) were the independent risk factors for impaired fasting glucose. Increased TG levels serve as a mediating factor linking marriage to an increased risk of prediabetes for the group aged 20–37 years. Conclusions: TG play a significant role in the association between marriage and prediabetes among the group aged 20–37 years. Therefore, dietary habits, especially those of young adult couples should be considered. Our findings connect marital status to prediabetes, facilitating advances in diabetes prevention.

Reactions of Co(OAc)24H2O, N‚N'-bis(3-pyridylmethyl)oxalamide (L) and 4,4’-sulfonyldibenzoic acid (H2SDA) afforded four coordination polymers with the same mixed ligands, {[Co(L)(SDA)(H2O)2]·H2O·CH3OH}n, 1, {[Co(L)0.5(SDA)]·2H2O·0.5L}n, 2, {[Co(L)1.5(SDA)(H2O)]·H2O}n, 3, and {[Co2(L)1.5(SDA)2(H2O)2]·4H2O}n, 4, which have been structurally characterized by using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Complexes 1 – 4 are 2D layers, revealing the topologies of sql, 2,6L1, (4,4)Ia and 6L12, respectively, and demonstrating that the metal to ligand ratio, solvent system and reaction temperature are important in determining the structural diversity. Immersion of these complexes into various solvents show that the structural types govern the chemical stabilities of 1 – 4. Reversible structural transformation can be shown for complexes 1 and 2 upon solvent removal and adsorption, while those of 3 and 4 are irreversible.

Background: Only few studies have studied the link between risk perception and sleep in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the effect of two distinct risk appraisals—risk perception and perception of collective coordinated defense (PCCD) on Chinese adults’ sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and tested COVID-19-related fear and rumination as potential mediators of the relationships. Methods: Data were collected using a self-report online questionnaire from a sample of 224 Chinese adults during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Results: COVID-19 risk perception and PCCD were related to poor sleep quality. Mediation analysis showed that both fear and rumination mediated the relationship between risk perception and sleep quality, whereas only fear mediated the relationship between PCCD and sleep quality. The model showed an excellent fit to the data and accounted for 44% of the variance in sleep quality in Chinese adults. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the distinct perceptual processes—risk appraisals in particular—contributed to poor sleep quality in Chinese adults during the COVID-19 public emergencies. These findings would be helpful for policy makers to address the sleep problems induced by psychological consequences of the pandemic.

Super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) is used for manufacturing large valves and pipes in offshore plants because of its excellent strength and corrosion resistance. Large valves and pipes are manufactured by forging after casting, and the outside and inside microstructures are different owing to the difference in the cooling rate caused by the thermal conductivity. This microstructural variation causes cracks during solution annealing, which breaks the materials. To study toe corrosion resistance of the SDSS forged material, the microstructure was conducted based on the difference in the cooling rate between the inside and outside of the cast SDSS. To analyze the effects of the secondary phase fraction before solution annealing on the solution and corrosion resistance, the corrosion resistance with and without solution annealing was measured using the potentiodynamic polarization test and critical temperature test after the precipitation of the secondary phase. In the potentiodynamic polarization test, the secondary phase decreased the activation polarization and increased the corrosion rate. The critical pitting temperature exhibited the effect of the secondary phase.

In pursuit of sustainable human survival, the effective utilization of renewable energy has become critical to technological advancement. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology, which generates electricity by leveraging the temperature differential between surface and deep ocean waters, enables stable power generation around the clock. In this domain, the combination of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and heat exchangers has exhibited immense potential for ameliorating the deficiencies of conventional OTEC. This study uses numerical simulation to investigate the fluid dynamics characteristics of heat exchangers with flat fins and different types of longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs) under the same number of fins. The research encompasses heat exchangers with rectangular, triangular, and trapezoidal LVGs. Concurrently, the analysis examines how the vortices generated by the LVGs influence the thermoelectric performance of the TEGs. The results demonstrate that heat exchangers integrating flat fins and LVGs can enhance the power generation efficiency of TEGs. However, the pumping power required by the LVGs constrains the thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Compared to rectangular and triangular LVGs, trapezoidal LVGs achieve a superior balance between output and pumping power. Heat exchangers utilizing trapezoidal LVGs can attain the highest TEG thermoelectric conversion efficiency with a specific seawater flow velocity. Overall, these findings provide valuable reference information for applying TEGs and heat exchangers in OTEC design.

The thermoelectric generator (TEG) has much potential as a renewable energy technology that could be used in ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). This technique employs TEGs and heat exchangers as substitutes for the intricate elements found in conventional OTEC systems, including pressure valves, evaporators, condensers, and turbine generators. By harnessing the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater, it facilitates the conversion of this thermal gradient into electrical energy. This study used computer simulations to look at and compare three different types of heat exchangers: a cavity-type heat exchanger, a heat exchanger with flat fins, and a heat exchanger with longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs). The objective was to evaluate the influence of these designs on the thermoelectric conversion performance when implemented in OTEC systems. The study's findings indicate that using heat exchanger configurations featuring flat fins, or LVGs, enhances the efficiency of thermal energy transfer from warm seawater to TEGs, resulting in a notable enhancement in the output power of TEGs. Furthermore, the efficiency of TEG thermoelectric conversion is influenced by varying seawater flow rates in relation to the performance of flat fins and LVGs. In contrast to the cavity-type heat exchanger, the utilization of a heat exchanger equipped with flat fins has been found to yield a notable enhancement in the output power of TEGs by approximately 22.92%. Furthermore, this configuration demonstrates a substantial improvement in thermoelectric conversion efficiency, exhibiting an increase of around 40.01%. These improvements are observed under certain conditions pertaining to flow rates and fin heights. Utilizing heat exchangers equipped with LVGs has been found to enhance the output power of TEGs by 13.02% and improve the overall thermoelectric conversion efficiency by 17.72%. These improvements are observed under certain conditions, including specific flow rates, LVG tilt angles, and locations.

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.

A novel five-surface phosphor-in-glass (FS-PiG) for high illumination and excellent color uniformity in larger-scale LEDs for sensor light source application is demonstrated. YAG phosphor (Y3Al5O12:Ce3+) was uniformly mixed with ceramic and sintered at 680°C to form a phosphor wafer. A sophisticated laser engraving was employed on the phosphor wafer to form a saddle-shaped large-scale FS-PiG LEDs. The performance of the FS-PiG LEDs exhibited the illumination of 401lm, average color temperature (CCT) of 5488K±110K, and color coordinates (CIE) of (0.3179±0.003, 0.3352±0.003). In contrast to convention single-surface phosphor-in-glass (SS-PiG) LEDs, the performance exhibited the illumination of 380lm, average CCT of 5830K±758K, and CIE of (0.3083±0.07, 0.3172±0.07). These indicated that the performance of the FS-PiG LEDs was higher than the SS-PiG LEDs for illumination, CCT, and CIE of 1.7, 7, and 23 times, respectively. Furthermore, the FS-PiG LEDs demonstrate lower lumen loss of 2% and less chromaticity shift of 5.4x10-3 under accelerated aging at 350°C for 1008 hours, owing to the high ceramic melting temperature of up to 510°C. In this study, the proposed FS-PiG larger-scale LEDs having excellent optical performance and high reliability may be the promising candidates to replace the convention phosphor-in-organic silicone material used in high-power LEDs for the next generation of sensor light sources, display, and headlight applications.

Objectives: Robotic bilateral axillary breast approach (BABA) thyroid surgery began in 2008 and is now one of the most widely used remote-access thyroid surgeries worldwide. This study aimed to analyze the results of 500 robotic BABA thyroid surgeries performed in a single institution in Korea compared with open thyroid surgery. Methods: From December 2018 to March 2020, 502 robotic BABA thyroidectomies (RTs) and 531 conventional open thyroidectomies (OTs) were performed in our institution by a single endocrine surgeon. We retrospectively reviewed patient medical records and performed a comparative analysis of OT and RT. Results: The RT group was younger (43.41±11.41 versus 54.28±13.41 years, p<0.001) and had a higher proportion of females (84.3% versus 69.3%, p<0.001), a lower BMI (24.66±3.97 versus 25.83±4.07 kg/m2), a higher proportion of lobectomies (52.6% versus 45.2%) and a lower proportion of lateral neck dissections (3.4% versus 10.0%, p<0.001). The RT group had a lnger operation time (145.33±40.80 versus 93.39±43.55 minutes, p<0.001) and higher surgical cost. Although the OT group had a larger tumor size and higher proportion of extrathyroidal extension, the numbers of retrieved lymph nodes were not significantly different between the two groups. Additionally, there was no difference in the stimulated thyroglobulin level before radioactive iodine therapy (7.01±35.73 versus 8.39±58.77, p=0.782). The rates of transient vocal cord palsy and transient hypoparathyroidism were significantly lower in the RT group, and those of scar-related complications were higher in the OT group. Conclusion: Robotic BABA thyroid surgery has advantages not only in better cosmetic outcomes but also in lower rates of vocal cord palsy and hypoparathyroidism, with comparable lymph node retrieval and serum thyroglobulin levels.

Toward the standardization of O. biennis sprout extract (OBS-E), we aimed to obtain indicator compounds, using a validated method. HPLC-UVD allowed simultaneous quantification of indicator compounds quercetin 3-glucuronide and ellagic acid. The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and limit of detection/limit of quantification (LOD/LOQ). High specificity and linearity was demonstrated, with correlation coefficients of 1.0000 for quercetin 3-glucuronide and 0.9998 for ellagic acid. The LOD/LOQ values were 0.486/1.472 μg/mL for quercetin 3-glucuronide and 1.003/3.039 μg/mL for ellagic acid. Intra-day and inter-day variability tests produced relative standard deviation for each compound of &lt;2%, a generally accepted precision criterion. High recovery rate were also obtained, indicating accuracy validation. The OBS-E prepared using various concentrations of ethanol were then analyzed. The 50% ethanol extract had highest content of quercetin 3-glucuronide, whereas the 70% ethanol extract possessed the lowest. However, the ellagic acid content was highest in the 70% ethanol extract and lowest in the 90% ethanol extract. Thus, quercetin 3-glucuronide and ellagic acid can be used industrially as indicator compounds for O. biennis sprout products, and our validated method can be used to establish indicator compounds for other natural products.

Recently, generative adversarial networks (GANs) can be used to generate the photo-realistic image from a low-dimension random noise. It is very dangerous that the synthesized or generated image is used on inappropriate contents in social media network. In order to successfully detect such fake image, an effective and efficient image forgery detector is desired. However, conventional image forgery detectors are failed to recognize the synthesized or generated images by using GAN-based generator since they are all generated but manipulation from the source. Therefore, we propose a deep learning-based approach to detect the fake image by combining the contrastive loss. First, several state-of-the-art GANs will be collected to generate the fake-real image pairs. Then, the contrastive will be used on the proposed common fake feature network (CFFN)to learn the discriminative feature between the fake image and real image (i.e., paired information). Finally, a smaller network will be concatenated to the CFFN to determine whether the feature of the input image is fake or real. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art fake image detectors.

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.

In this study, we demonstrate a high luminous efficacy of 118 lm/W and high reliability through 450°C thermal aging of white LEDs (WLEDs) utilizing four-inch YAG: Ce3+ phosphor-in-glass (PiG) plates designed for vehicle headlights. The sintering process of mixing glass and phosphor typically generates pores, which can scatter light and reduce the luminous efficacy of the fabricated PiG. In this study, we produced four-inch PiG plates under four different fabrication conditions to evaluate their luminous efficacy. Our results revealed that the PiG plate with a thin thickness of 0.08 mm exhibited a 16.83% increase in luminous efficacy compared to the 0.15 mm plate, attributed to reduced light interaction with the pores. Unlike silicone-based phosphor WLEDs, which offer high performance but lower reliability due to the silicone resin's low transition temperature (150°C), our novel thin PiG plate achieves high performance and reliability. This advancement suggests that the proposed thin PiG plate could replace traditional silicone-based phosphors, enabling the development of high-quality WLEDs for vehicle headlights in automotive applications.

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.

Accurate expression of bracket prescription is important for successful orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of digital scan images of brackets produced by four different intraoral scanners (IOSs) in terms of the height, position, and angle of the bracket slot when scanning the surface of dental model attached with bracket materials made from different composition of materials. Brackets made from stainless steel, polycrystalline alumina, composite and composite/stainless steel slot were considered, which have been scanned from 4 different IOSs (Primescan, Trios, CS3600 and i500). SEM images were used as references. Each bracket axis was set in the reference scan image, and the axis was set identically by superimposing with the IOS image, and then only the brackets were divided and analyzed. The difference between the manufacturer's nominal torque and bracket slot base angle was 0.39 in SEM, 1.96 in Primescan, 2.04 in Trios, and 5.21 in CS3600 (P <0.001). The parallelism, which is the difference between the upper and lower angles of the slot wall, was 0.55 in SEM, 7.55 in Primescan, 6.74 in Trios3, 6.59 in CS3600, and 24.95 in i500 (p <0.001). This study evaluated the accuracy of the bracket only and it must be admitted that there is some error in recognizing slots through scanning in general

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the application and optimization of automotive thermoelectric generators (ATEGs), focusing on the crucial role of heat exchangers in enhancing energy conversion efficiency. Recognizing the substantial waste of thermal energy in internal combustion engines, our research delves into the potential of TEGs to convert engine waste heat into electrical energy, thereby improving fuel efficiency and reducing environmental impact. We meticulously analyze various heat exchanger designs, assessing their influence on the TEG's output power under different exhaust gas flow rates and temperatures. Furthermore, we explore the impact of TEG material properties on the overall energy conversion effectiveness. Our findings reveal that specific heat exchanger designs significantly enhance the efficiency of waste gas heat exchange, leading to an improved performance of the TEG system. We also highlight the importance of thermal insulation in maximizing TEG output. This study not only contributes to the ongoing efforts to develop more sustainable and efficient vehicles but also provides valuable insights into the practical application of thermoelectric technology in automotive engineering. Through this research, we aim to pave the way for more environmentally friendly transportation solutions, aligning with global efforts to reduce fossil fuel dependence and mitigate environmental pollution.

A novel five-surface phosphor-in-ceramic (FS-PiC) for high illumination and excellent color uniformity in larger-scale LEDs for sensor light source application is demonstrated. YAG phosphor (Y3Al5O12:Ce3+) was uniformly mixed with ceramic and sintered at 680°C to form a phosphor wafer. A sophisticated laser engraving was employed on the phosphor wafer to form a saddle-shaped large-scale FS-PiC LEDs. The performance of the FS-PiC LEDs exhibited the illumination of 401lm, average color temperature (CCT) of 5488K±110K, and color coordinates (CIE) of (0.3179±0.003, 0.3352±0.003). In contrast to convention single-surface phosphor-in-ceramic (SS-PiC) LEDs, the performance exhibited the illumination of 380lm, average CCT of 5830K±758K, and CIE of (0.3083±0.07, 0.3172±0.07). These indicated that the performance of the FS-PiC LEDs was higher than the SS-PiC LEDs for illumination, CCT, and CIE of 1.1, 7, and 23 times, respectively. Furthermore, the FS-PiC LEDs demonstrate lower lumen loss of 2% and less chromaticity shift of 5.4x10-3 under accelerated aging at 350°C for 1008 hours, owing to the high ceramic melting temperature of up to 510°C. In this study, the proposed FS-PiC larger-scale LEDs having excellent optical performance and high reliability may be the promising candidates to replace the convention phosphor-in-organic silicone material used in high-power LEDs for the next generation of sensor light sources, display, and headlight applications.

Due to the impacts from climate change, the allocation of water resources must urgently be optimized worldwide to ensure that the needs of both water managers and farmers are balanced. In this study, manager-oriented and farmer-oriented assessment models were developed for irrigation water optimization and allocation. The distance from water sources and hydraulic head were the main factors in the manager-oriented assessment model; crop value, water demand of crops, and soil type were additional factors in the farmer-oriented assessment model. The developed assessment models were used to assess irrigation water allocation in five villages in Neimen District. Cadasters at high elevation were discovered to not be suitable for cultivation of crops because of the difficulties in constructing irrigation facilities and the loss of irrigation water during transportation. The result obtained from the manager-oriented assessment system was related to the costs involved in the construction and maintenance of irrigation facilities, which indicated that cadasters located at long distances from water sources and at high elevation are unsuitable for cultivation. By contrast, the result obtained from the farmer-oriented assessment system was related to the profits of farmers and revealed that more cadasters would be suitable for cultivation if suitable crops were chosen.

This study aimed to develop a carbon yield model for a Makino bamboo plantation and addressed a monoculture Makino bamboo plantation in central Taiwan. We established a long-term trial to monitor the stand dynamic following thinning. A total of 16 plots were installed based on four thinning treatments, each sharing four plots. After thinning, data were collected from two investigations, resulting in 32 records. We calculated the number of culms (N), mean diameter at breast height (MDBH), and basal area (BA) for each record. An allometric function developed by previous research was used to predict aboveground biomass and to obtain aboveground carbon storage (AGCS). The model used the N, MDBH, and BA with various types (reciprocal and natural logarithm types) as independent variables to predict ln(AGCS) by the stepwise method. According to the Radj2 value, the best predictive models were: ln(ABCS) = -0.004 + 0.820 ln(MDBH) + 1.008 ln(BA), and ln(ABCS) = 7.550 - 0.820 ln(N) + 1.828 ln(BA). From these two models, we found the factors, either BA and MDBH or BA and N, can effectively predict AGCS. It indicated that stand density was critical in affecting AGCS, especially the variable BA.

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.

Vascular calcification (VC) is associated with increased cardiovascular risks in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, like empagliflozin, can improve cardiovascular and renal outcomes. We assessed the expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in inorganic phosphate–induced VC in mouse VSMCs to investigate the mechanisms underlying empagliflozin’s therapeutic effects. We evaluated biochemical parameters, mean artery pressure (MAP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), transcutaneous glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and histology in an in vivo mouse model with VC induced by an oral high-phosphorus diet following a 5/6 nephrectomy in ApoE−/− mice. Compared to the control group, empagliflozin-treated mice showed significant reductions in blood glucose, MAP, PWV, and calcification, as well as increased calcium and GFR levels. Empagliflozin inhibited osteogenic trans-differentiation by decreasing inflammatory cytokine expression and increasing AMPK, Nrf2, and HO-1 levels. Empagliflozin mitigates high phosphate–induced calcification in mouse VSMCs through the Nrf2/HO-1 anti-inflammatory pathway by activating AMPK. Animal experiments suggested that empagliflozin reduces VC in CKD ApoE−/− mice on a high-phosphate diet.

The reactions of the angular ligand 4,4’-oxybis(N-(pyridin-3-yl)benzamide (L1) and 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (1,4-H2NDC) with divalent metal salts yielded three distinct coordination polymers (CPs): {[Zn2(L1)(1,4-NDC)2]MeOH}n, 1, {[Cu(L1)(1,4-NDC)(H2O)]3H2O}n, 2, and {[Cd(L1)(1,4-NDC)]2H2O}n, 3. Complex 1 features a 2-fold interpenetrated 3D framework with the (412.63)-pcu topology, while complex 2 reveals a 1D triple-strained helical chain, and complex 3 displays a 3-fold interpenetrated 3D framework with (66)-dia topology. Additionally, the reactions of the flexible ligand N‚N’-bis(3-methylpyridyl)adipoamide (L2) afforded {[Co4(L2)0.5(1,4-NDC)3(H2O)3(µ3-OH)2]·EtOH·2H2O}n, 4, {[Zn2(L2)(1,4-NDC)2]·2CH3OH}n, 5, and [Cd(L2)(adipic)(H2O)]n (H2adipic = adipic acid), 6, exhibiting a self-catenated 3D framework with the (420.68)-8T32 topology, a 2D layer with the (413·62)-(4,4)IIb topology, and a 2D layer with the (44·62)-sql topology, respectively. The structural diversity observed in complexes 1 - 6 highlights the pivotal influence of the metal center on the degree of entanglement in CPs within mixed-ligand systems. The thermal stability and luminescent properties of complexes 1 - 3, 4, and 6 are also discussed.

The concentration of cerebrospinal fluid total protein (CSF-TP) is important for the diagnosis of neurological emergencies. Recently, some Western studies have shown that the current upper reference limit of CSF-TP is quite low for older patients. However, little is reported about the concentration of CSF-TP in older Asian population. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the CSF-TP concentrations in Japanese healthy older volunteers. CSF samples in 69 healthy Japanese volunteers (age range: 55–73 years) were collected by lumbar puncture, and the data of CSF were retrospectively analyzed. The mean (standard deviation) CSF-TP was 41.7 (12.3) mg/dL. The older group (≥ 65 years old) had higher CSF-TP concentration than the younger group (55–64 years old). The 2.5th percentile and 97.5th percentile of CSF-TP were estimated as 22.5 and 73.2 mg/dL, respectively, which were higher than the current reference range in Japan (10–40 mg/dL).

With recent advancements in network technology and spread of Internet, use of social network services and Internet of Things devices has flourished, leading to a continuous generation of large volumes of graph stream data, where changes, such as additions or deletions of vertices and edges occur over time. Additionally, owing to the need for efficient use of storage space and security requirements, graph stream data compression has become essential in various applications. Even though various studies on graph compression methods have been conducted, most of them do not fully reflect the dynamic characteristics of graph streams and complexity of large graphs. In this paper, we propose a compression scheme using provenance data to efficiently process and analyze large graph stream data. It obtains provenance data by analyzing graph stream data and builds a pattern dictionary based on this to perform dictionary-based compression. By improving the existing dictionary-based graph compression methods, it enables more efficient dictionary management through tracking pattern changes and evaluating their importance using provenance. Furthermore, it considers the relationships among sub-patterns using an FP-tree and performs pattern dictionary management that updates pattern scores based on time. Our experiments show that the proposed scheme outperforms existing graph compression methods in key performance metrics, such as compression rate and processing time.

Traditional Chinese medicine requires decoction and consumption, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Scientific Chinese medicine (SCM), on the other hand, uses concentrated granules that can be taken with hot water, making it widely welcomed. With the widespread adoption of SCM, the packaging technology has started to receive attention. Whether it is manpower allocation, operation time, or the uniformity and residue of the medicine powder, these factors can become bottlenecks in the process. A traditional SCM pharmacy machine is purely mechanically hardwired. This paper proposes SCMtalk, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based SCM mechanism designed to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of SCM medicine packets generation. We show how SCMtalk develops IoT hardware and software modules for medicine selection, mixing, dispensing, packaging, and cleaning. We also explain how the mechanical IoT hardware is integrated with the corresponding software module to become an individual IoT device. These IoT devices can be transparently replaced, allowing us to easily upgrade the individual components of the SCM packet generation through the IoT concept. Finally, we address quality control issues by leveraging IoT. One contribution of this paper is to introduce an interesting SCM application to IoT experts and to demonstrate how we collaborated with pharmacists and mechanical experts to use a powerful IoT platform to create a smart pharmacy.

Background: Despite its global eradication in 1977, smallpox remains a concern owing to its potential as a biological agent, thereby prompting the ongoing development and utilization of its vaccine. Vaccination with the Vaccinia virus induces immunity against variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox; however, this immunity does not extend to viruses of different genera within the Poxviridae family. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method utilizing Vaccinia virus and recombinant A27L antigen for detecting antibodies against smallpox. Methods. Analysis of serum from 20 individuals pre- and post-vaccination with the CJ strain (CJ50300) revealed neutralizing antibodies, which were confirmed using the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). The ELISA method, validated with a PRNT50 cut-off value of &gt;4, exhibited a sensitivity and specificity of &gt;95% and was particularly reactive with the inactivated virus. Furthermore, adherence to the smallpox vaccination policy revealed significant differences in Orthopoxvirus antibody levels among 300 individuals of different age groups. These findings highlight the reliability and efficacy of the ELISA method in detecting post-vaccination antibodies and contribute significantly to diagnostic methods to prepare for potential smallpox resurgence and bioterrorism threats.

Praeruptorin A(PA), a naturally existing pyranocumarin, is isolated from the dried root of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn. So far the anti-cancer effect and molecular mechanism behind Praeruptorin A action in human cervical cancer HeLa cells remain unknown. In the present study, we find that PA reduces cell proliferation and colony formation of human cervical cancer HeLa cells through inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. PA-upregulated p21 and p27 proteins are observed, accompanied with inhibition of cyclin D1 and S-phase kinase-associated protein 2(Skp2) proteins expression. PA could significantly inhibit migration and invasion of human HeLa cells. Meanwhile, PA significantly reduces invasive protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and increases protein expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2). PA is observed to possess the capacity in suppressing ERK1/2 activation. PD98059 (ERK specific inhibitor) significantly enhances PA-induced downregulation of MMP-2 expression, and upregulation of TIMP-2 expression. Moreover, we found that PA treatment notably inhibits 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate(TPA)-upregulated ERK1/2 activation, MMP-2 expression, cellular migration and invasion in human HeLa cells. Taken together, these findings are the first to demonstrate the anti-cancer activity of PA, which may act as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of human cervical cancer.

Background Diabetic patients have an increased risk of infections; however, the association between type 2 diabetes and hospital outcomes of sepsis remains controversial when the diabetes severity is not considered. We examined this association using nationwide and hospital-based databases concomitantly. Methods The first part of this study was conducted using 2 nationwide databases: the Longitudinal Cohort of Diabetes Patients and the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. The diabetic complication burden was evaluated using the adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index score (aDCSI score). In the second part, we used the hospital-based database with laboratory data, such as initial blood glucose and HbA1c levels, to make comparisons between surviving and dead patients with type 2 diabetes and sepsis. Results The nationwide study included 19,719 type 2 diabetic sepsis patients and an equal number of non-diabetic patients. The diabetic sepsis patients had an increased odds ratio (OR) of 1.14 (95% CI 1.1-1.19) for hospital mortality. The OR for mortality increased as the complication burden increased (diabetic sepsis patients with aDCSI scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5 had ORs of 0.91, 0.87, 1.14, 1.25, 1.56, and 1.77 for mortality, respectively (all P<0.001 and P for trend <0.001)). A total of 1,054 diabetic sepsis patients were included from the hospital-based database. Initial blood glucose levels in the surviving and dead diabetic sepsis patients did not differ significantly: 273.9 ± 180.3 versus 266.1 ± 200.2 (mg/dL) (P=0.095). Moreover, the surviving diabetic sepsis patients did not have a lower HbA1c (%): 8.4 ± 2.6 versus 8.0 ± 2.5 (P=0.078). Conclusions In the case of type 2 diabetic sepsis patients, the diabetes-related complication burden is the major determinant of hospital mortality rather than the diabetes itself. Contrary to popular belief, initial blood glucose and HbA1c levels may not be as important as previously thought.

This study aimed to elucidate the antibacterial efficacy and unique chemical compositions generated from plasma-activated water (PAW) when utilized a novel vaginal cleansing device. We conducted an analysis of antibacterial activity against probiotics and several chemical compositions including ions under various operational parameters of PAW, including electrical power (12 and 24 V), treatment duration (1, 10, and 20 min), and stay duration (immediate, 30 and 60 min). Our findings revealed that as treatment duration increased, hypochlorous acid (HOCl), Ca2+, and Mg2+ concentrations increased and Cl−concentrations decreased. Higher electrical power and longer treatment duration resulted in increased HOCl levels, which acts to prevent the growth of general microorganisms. Notably, PAW exhibited no antibacterial effects against a type of probiotic, Lactobacillus reuteri that produces lactic acid for vaginal health. This result demonstrated the ability of the vaginal cleaning device to generate ions, primarily HOCl and some cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+), thereby providing vaginal mucosa protecting and cleansing effects with the vaginal environment.

An outbreak of occupational methanol poisoning occurred in small-scale 3rd tier factories of large-scale smartphone manufacturer, in the Republic of Korea, in 2016. To investigate the working environment and the health effect of the methanol exposure among co-workers of the methanol poisoning cases, we performed a cross sectional study on 155 workers at the five aluminum CNC cutting factories. Air and urinary methanol concentration were measured by gas chromatography, and health examination included symptoms, ophthalmological examinations and neurobehavioral tests. Multiple logistic regression analyses controlled for age and sex were conducted for revealing association of employment duration with symptoms. Air concentrations of methanol in factory A and E were ranged from 228.5 to 2220.0 ppm. Mean urinary methanol concentrations of the workers in each factory were from 3.5 mg/L up to 91.2 mg/L. The odds ratios for symptom of deteriorating vision and CNS increased, according to the employment duration, after adjusting for age and sex. Four cases with injured optic nerve and two cases with decreased neurobehavioral function were founded among co-workers of the victims. This study showed that the methanol exposure under poor environmental control not only produce eye and CNS symptoms but also affect neurobehavioral function and optic nerve.

With the development of human-computer interaction, the importance of emotion recognition is increasing. Emotion recognition technology provides practical benefits in various industries such as improving user experience, education, and organizational productivity. In education, emotion recognition can enable real-time understanding of students' emotional states and provide tailored feedback, and in the workplace, by monitoring employees' emotional states, it can improve work performance and job satisfaction. Therefore, multimodal-based research that combines text, speech, and video data for emotion recognition is being conducted in various industries. In this study, we propose an emotion recognition method that combines text and speech data, reflecting the characteristics of the Korean language. For text, KoELECTRA is used to perform embedding, and for speech, MFCC and pitch analysis are used to extract features. Finally, a multimodal transformer model is proposed that combines these two data types to perform emotion recognition. The multimodal transformer model processes text and speech data separately, and then learns the interaction between the two modalities through a Cross-Modal Attention mechanism. Through this, the complementary information from text and speech is effectively combined, improving emotion recognition performance. Experimental results show that the proposed model outperforms single-modality models, achieving a high accuracy of 73.13% and an F1-Score of 0.7344 in emotion classification. This study contributes to the advancement of emotion recognition technology by combining various language and modality data, and higher performance can be expected through the integration of additional modalities in the future.

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.

Background: The study aimed to explore the association between the prognostic nutrition index (PNI) and in-hospital complication and mortality in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from the Changhua Christian Hospital Clinical Research Database (CCHRD) between January 2015 and December 2022. 2402 patients were included, with the median PNI value set at 42.77. The restricted cubic spline model, Kaplan-Meier and ROC analysis for overall survival were used to evaluate the association of PNI with medical complications and mortality. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to balance these clinical variables between groups, which could reduce potential bias to some extent. Results: PNI was significantly associated with in-hospital complications and 28-day and 90-day mortality in multivariate analysis. The main finding of our study is that a low PNI score at admission was independently associated with a poor ICH outcome. The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed higher survival rates in the high PNI group. PNI demonstrated sensitivity to predict medical complications and mortality based on ROC analysis. Conclusions Our study suggests that PNI could serve as a valuable marker for predicting medical complications and mortality in patients with spontaneous ICH.

Globally, the use of whole-cell matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) in clinical microbiology laboratories has increased considerably. With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence technology, there is an increasing number of areas devoted to solving problems by implementing machine learning-based methods. Applying the use of artificial intelligence to the analysis of the massive amount of information obtained in the mass spectrum derived from MALDI-TOF MS should be a breakthrough in clinical microbiology. Specifically, it would facilitate a more rapid and accurate strain typing or antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) based on whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS spectra, and hence, it is a promising solution. Even though the reproducibility of peaks could result in some critical problems, computational methods have been developed to address this issue. Therefore, clinical microbiologists are able to perform strain typing or an AST as smoothly and easily as identifying species by using MALDI-TOF MS and artificial intelligence.

EGFR mutations are heterogenous but all carry the same weighting in the Lung-molGPA. The aim of this study was to elucidate the different prognostic implications of molecular subtypes and frontline TKIs in EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma with synchronous brain metastases (BM) using the Lung-molGPA. Medical records were searched in hospital databases from 2011 to 2015. Patients with EGFR-mutated adenocarcinoma and brain metastases who received TKIs were included. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 256 patients were included with a median overall survival (OS) of 17.2 months. In multivariate analysis of OS, only age (70 versus &lt;70 years, HR:1.71, 95% CI:1.25-2.35, p&lt;0.001), KPS (&lt;70 versus 70, HR:1.71, 95% CI:1.26-2.31, p&lt;0.001), and rare mutations (other versus exon 19 deletions, HR:1.78, 95% CI:1.04-3.05, p=0.037) remained statistically significant. In patients with a Lung-molGPA score 2.5, EGFR molecular subtypes had different median OS (exon 19 deletions versus Leu858Arg versus other, 18.8 vs 12.4 vs 12.1 months, p=0.021). In conclusion, different molecular subtypes treated with frontline TKIs have different prognostic implications in the Lung-molGPA. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings.

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.

The open burning of sugarcane residue is commonly used as a low-cost and fast method during pre-harvest and post-harvest periods. However, this practice releases various pollutants, including dioxins. This study aims to predict polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, or dioxins) emissions using the Grey Model (GM (1,1)) and to map the annual flux spatial distribution at the provincial level from 2023 to 2028. Using the activity rate of dry crop residue from national agencies and literature, and following the guidelines set by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), an annual emission inventory was developed at the provincial level. The distribution of emissions from 2016 to 2022 was then mapped. The average PCDD/Fs emission values exhibit significant variation among the provinces, averaging 309 pg TEQ/year. Spatially, in line sugarcane production, South Sumatra and East Jawa consistently show high emissions, often exceeding 400 pg/m². Emissions based on the UNEP emission factor tend to be higher compared to other factors, due to its generic nature and lack of regional specificity. The emission predictions using the Grey Model GM (1,1) indicate that North Sumatra is expected to experience a steady increase in PCDD/Fs emissions, whereas South Sumatra and Lampung are projected to see a slight decline. This forecast assumes there will be any changes in regional intervention strategies. Most regions in Jawa Island show a gradual increase in emissions, except for East Jawa, which is predicted to have a slight decline from 416 pg/year in 2023 to 397 pg/year in 2028. Additionally, regions like Gorontalo and parts of East Jawa are projected to remain "hotspots" with consistently high emissions, suggesting the need for targeted interventions. Future studies should consider developing monthly emissions profiles to account for local agricultural practices and seasonal conditions. The emission data generated in this study, which includes both spatial and temporal distributions, is valuable for air quality modeling studies. Utilizing this data can help assess the impact of current and future emissions on ambient air quality.

This study was to identify clinical cancer biomarkers for recurrent gastric cancer survivors using artificial intel-ligence. From a hospital-based cancer registry database in Taiwan, the datasets of the incidence of recurrence and clinical risk features were included in 2476 gastric cancer survivors. We benchmarked Random forest with MLP, C4.5, AdaBoost, and Bagging algorithms on metrics and leveraged synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) for imbalanced dataset issues, cost-sensitive learning for risk assessment, and SHapley Additive ex-Planations (SHAP) for feature importance analysis in this study. Our proposed Random forest outperformed the other models with an accuracy of 87.9%, a recall rate of 90.5%, an accuracy rate of 86% and F1 of 88.2% on re-current category by a 10-fold cross-validation in a balanced dataset. We identified clinical features of recurrent gastric cancer, which are the top five features, stage, number of regional lymph node involvement, Helicobacter pylori, BMI(body mass index), and gender, which significantly affect the prediction model's output, are worth paying attention to in the following causal effect analysis. Using an artificial intelligence model, the risk factors for recurrent gastric cancer could be identified and cost-effectively ranked according to their feature importance. In addition, they should be crucial clinical features to provide physicians with the knowledge to screen high-risk patients in gastric cancer survivors as well.

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.

Betel quid (BQ) use disorder (BUD) is prevalent in many Asian countries, impacting approximately 600 million people. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to analyze the impact of MAOA genetic variations on the severity of BQ craving. This was measured using DSM-5 criteria and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale modified for betel-quid (Y-BOCS-BQ). Participants were grouped according to the severity of BUD and MAOA gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs5953210 genotypes. Y-BOCS-BQ were assessed at baseline (week 0) and during follow-up at weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8. The AA genotype group showed significantly greater reductions in Y-BOCS-BQ at weeks 2 (p=0.0194), 4 (p=0.0078), 6 (p=0.0277), and 8 (p=0.0376) compared to the GG genotype group. Additionally, within the antidepressant group, the AA genotype showed significant reductions in Y-BOCS-BQ at weeks 2 (p=0.0313), 4 (p=0.0134), 6 (p=0.0061), and 8 (p=0.0241) compared to the GG genotype. Statistical analysis revealed a significant interaction between the treatment and placebo groups based on MAOA genotypes, with the AA genotype in the treatment group exhibiting a more pronounced decrease in Y-BOCS-BQ (p interaction <0.05) at week 6. These findings highlight the importance of considering genetic factors when developing personalized treatment plans for BUD.

You Only Look One (YOLO) and its variants have emerged as the most popular real-time object detection algorithms. They have been widely used in real-time smart transportation applications due to their low-latency detection and high accuracy. However, because of the diverse characteristics of YOLO models, choosing selecting the optimal model according to various applications and environments in smart transportation is critical. In this article, we conduct an empirical evaluation and analysis study for most YOLO versions to assess their performance in smart transportation. To achieve this, we first measure the average precision of YOLO models across multiple datasets (e.g., COCO, PASCAL VOC). Second, we analyze the performance of YOLO models on multiple object categories within each dataset, focusing on classes relevant to road transportation such as those commonly used in smart transportation applications. Third, multiple intersection-over-union (IoU) thresholds are considered in our performance measurement and analysis. By examining the performance of various YOLO models across datasets, IoU thresholds, and object classes, we make six observations on these three aspects while aiming to identify optimal models for road transportation scenarios. Thus, YOLOv5 and YOLOv8 outperform other models in all three aspects due to their novel performance features. For instance, YOLOv5 achieves stable performance thanks to its cross-stage partial darknet-53 (CSPDarknet53) backbone, auto-anchor mechanism, and efficient loss functions including IoU loss, complete IoU loss, focal loss, gradient harmonizing mechanism loss. Similarly, YOLOv8 outperforms others with its upgraded CSPDarknet53 backbone, anchor-free mechanism, and efficient loss functions like complete IoU loss and distribution focal loss.

The Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT) phenotype, identified as a significant clinical indicator in cancer, manifests as a biological process where cells transition from epithelial to mesenchymal characteristics. Physiologically, EMT plays a crucial role in tissue remodeling, promoting healing, repair, and responding to various tissue damages. This study investigates the impact of BNE-RRC on oral cancer cells (KB) and reveals its significant effects on cancer cell growth, migration, invasion, and EMT. BNE-RRC induces the epithelial-like morphology in KB cells, effectively reversing EMT to Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition (MET). Extraordinarily, sustained culture of cancer cells with BNE-RRC for 14 days maintains an epithelial status even after treatment withdrawal, suggesting BNE-RRC as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer. These findings highligh the promise of BNE-RRC as a comprehensive therapeutic agent in cancer treatment by inhibiting cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion, while also orchestrating a reversal of the EMT process. The study proposes that BNE-RRC could be effective agent for cancer treatment.

Perilla frutense var. acuta (Lamiaceae) has been used to treat indigestion, asthma, and allergies in traditional medicine. In this study, luteolin 7-O-diglucuronide (1), apigenin 7-O-diglucuronide (2), and rosmarinic acid (3) were isolated from the leaves of P. frutescens var. acuta. Various approaches were performed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds (1-3) and their working mechanisms. In silico docking simulation demonstrated that 1-3 would work as a PPAR-α/δ/γ agonist, and in vitro PPAR-α/δ/γ transcriptional assay showed that the Perilla extract and 3 increased PPAR-α luciferase activity [1.71 and 1.61 times of the control (PPAR-α + PPRE, p < 0.001)]. In the NF-κB luciferase assay, 1 suppressed NF-κB activity the most (56.83 % at 5 µM; 74.96 % at 10 µM; 79.86 % at 50 µM). In addition, 1 and 2 inhibited the mRNA expression of NF-κB target genes, including Il6, Mcp1, and Tnfa, at 50 µM, and 3 suppressed the genes at the mRNA level in a dose-dependent manner. We report that 1 and 2 exert anti-inflammatory effects through NF-κB inhibition, and PPAR-α/NF-κB signaling pathway is related to the anti-inflammatory activity of 3.

This study aimed to conduct importance-performance analyses (IPAs) based on the perception of Korean middle-school students toward health management awareness during the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. Data were collected from 867 Korean middle-school students via online and offline surveys between May and June 2023. A frequency analysis, a reliability analysis, an IPA based on the entire target students, and an IPA depending on sex were carried out with the collected data, and they revealed the following. First, the IPA results regardless of sex indicated that four factors of the mental health were located in the third quadrant with one factor of the same variable in the fourth quadrant. The three factors of the disease management were located in the third quadrant. As for physical activity, two factors were located in the first quadrant, one in the second quadrant, and one in the third quadrant. As for sleep management, two factors were located in the second quadrant, one in the third quadrant, and one in the first quadrant. As for the eating management, two factors were located in the third quadrant, and one in the fourth quadrant. As for the social distancing variable, all four factors were located in the third quadrant. As for the hygiene management, two factors were located in the first quadrant, one in the third quadrant, and one in the fourth quadrant. Furthermore, the IPA results indicated gender differences in regular sports and vigorous movement activities associated with the physical activity. Additionally, a gender difference was observed in regular diet associated with the eating management. This study proposed possible measures for encouraging adolescents to recognize the importance of health and increase their health-related performance during the COVID-19 endemic phase.

The development of using mitochondrial transplantation in medical therapy are currently discussed. According to the endosymbiotic theory, the movement of mitochondria between different cells is possible. Therefore, an idea of transferring the mitochondria purified from the cells with a limited lifespan to shorten the lifespan of immortal cancer cells was generated. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) is a kind of primary cell with a limited lifespan. In the present study, the mitochondria purified from HUVEC were applied to alter the malignance of B16F10 melanoma cell. In the comparison of the basic function of mitochondria, HUVEC mitochondria exhibited a higher mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), while the lower levels in ATP, mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) and mitochondrial protein (mt-protein) as compared to melanoma B16F10. After transplanted the B16F10 with HUVEC mitochondria, the migration, invasion, and the proteins involved in cancer stemness were decreased, however, the proteins involved in cell proliferation, such as cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 were increased. In addition, the levels of ATP, mt-DNA and mt-protein of B16F10 were also reduced. As for the dynamics of mitochondria, the reduced expressions of DRP1 and LC3 II revealed that transferred mitochondria can attenuate the mitophagy of B16F10. In mice, inoculated the B16F10 carrying the transplanted HUVEC mitochondria resulted in the larger size of tumor, which is corresponded to the higher levels of cyclin D1 and E1. Interestingly, the lower expressions of N-cadherin, α-SMA and MMP-9 reveled the tumor were decreased in mesenchymal characteristics. Therefore, despite the HUVEC mitochondria did not inhibit the proliferation of B16F10, the metastatic characteristic was reduced.

Cancer immunotherapy reaches a remarkable achievement in various cancer types and brings new possibilities to improve cancer patients’ long-term survival. However, outcomes vary from case to case, and the present protocol benefits a small fraction of patients. One notable factor is the tumor microenvironment, especially the immune cell components, that may reflect the immune response's status quo on site. Thus, understanding the content of infiltrating immune cells in tumors is not only for research interesting but also a crucial subject toward precision medicine. We implement an algorithm for resolving relative proportions of twenty-one immune cell subclasses from a human tissue profiled transcriptome by microarray technology to reach the goal above. By selecting gene features and then adopting ?-Support Vector Regression, we can construct a deconvolution model and resolve the immune cell context. The excellent consistency between the estimated values and the correct immune-cell composition further demonstrates this approach provides a more natural alternative to revealing samples' immune cell content and reliable results like recent single-cell technologies. Based on this algorithm, the web-based deconvolution tool implemented named mySORT provides a user-friendly interface for estimating the immune cell content by uploading gene expression profiling. We also present comprehensive visualization 2D/3D plots in mySORT so that users can easily make a comparison between different samples. Finally, we synthesized pseudo-bulk expression data from single-cell transcriptomic datasets of 17 melanoma and 16 head and neck cancer patients. The deconvolution results of microarray-based data in the previous study and synthetic pseudo-bulk data all proved the excellent performance of mySORT. We believe that mySORT can help researchers in all fields easily understand complex immune microenvironment. The website of mySORT is freely accessible on https://symbiosis.iis.sinica.edu.tw/mySORT/.

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.

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

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.

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.

Anti-interferon (IFN)-γ autoantibodies are linked to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection. Given the elevated risks of herpes zoster (HZ) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), we aimed to examine the relationship between anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies with HZ development in JAKi-treated patients. In twenty-four RA patients with new-onset HZ and forty-two without HZ, serum titers of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies, plasma levels of IFN-γ, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and IFN-γ inducible protein-10 (IP-10) were measured by ELISA. Significantly lower MCP-1 levels were observed in patients with HZ compared to those without (median, 98.21pg/ml, interquartile range (IQR) 77.63-150.30pg/ml versus 142.3pg/ml, IQR 106.7-175.6pg/ml, p&lt;0.05). There was no significant difference in anti-IFN-γ titers, IFN-γ levels, or IP-10 levels between patients with and without HZ. Three of 24 patients with HZ had severe HZ with multi-dermatomal involvement. Anti-IFN-γ titers were significantly higher in patients with severe HZ than in those with non-severe HZ (median 24.8ng/ml, IQR 21.0-38.2ng/ml versus 10.5ng/ml, IQR 9.9-15.0ng/ml, p&lt;0.005). In conclusion, patients with HZ had significantly lower MCP-1 levels than those without HZ, and patients with severe HZ had significantly higher titers of anti-IFN-γ than those with non-severe HZ. Given small sample size, our results need further validation in future studies.

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.

A new power receiving unit (PRU) is proposed in this paper for the resonant wireless power transfer (WPT), which is characterized by the capability of attracting high power from the power transmitting unit (PTU). The resonant WPT is designed for delivering the electrical power to the PRU attached on an electrical vehicle (EV) chassis 50cm away from a PTU installed on the ground. The proposed PRU uses only the passive elements such as inductors, diodes and the capacitors, which needs no initial power from the EV. It is then applicable for charging a battery to several hundred volts for even a first-time charging battery. At a switching frequency of the resonant WPT in the experiment being 4MHz, the proposed PRU behaves itself as a negative impedance converter (NIC) in the subharmonics of 4MHz. The NIC effect plus the subharmonic oscillation causes an instability current charging the battery connected to the PRU. In this paper, we simulated the PRU and performed the experiment. The experiment demonstrates a battery charging of 150W from 50cm away using three D-mode GaN HEMT transistors via the instability current ramp. The power transfer efficiency (PTE) improved as the power delivered to load (PDL) goes higher. The best power transfer efficiency (PTE) is 65% in the present findings. The simulation analysis shows that the circuit allows itself be used to much higher power transfer when it is implemented with more GaN HEMT transistors connected in parallel. The theoretical derivation of the PRU circuit is also used to support both the experimental and simulation results.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an active diterpenoid compound that is extracted from the leaves and stem of Cannabis sativa. Previous studies show that CBD is a non-psychotropic compound with significant anti-cancer effects. This study determines its cytotoxic effect on oral cancer cells and OECM1 cells and compares the outcomes with a chemotherapeutic drug, cisplatin. This study determines the effect of CBD on the viability, apoptosis, morphology and migration of OECM1 cells. Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) is used to measure the change in cell impedance for cells that are treated with a series concentration of CBD for 24 hours. AlamarBlue and annexin V/7-AAD staining assays show that CBD has a cytotoxic effect on cell viability and induces cell apoptosis. ECIS analysis shows that CBD decreases the overall resistance and morphological parameters at 4 kHz in a concentration-dependent manner. There is a significant reduction in the wound-healing recovery rate for cells that are treated with 30 μM CBD. This study demonstrates that ECIS can be used for in vitro screening of anticancer drugs and is more sensitive, functional and comprehensive than traditional biochemical assays. CBD also increases cytotoxicity on cell survival and the migration of oral cancer cells, so it may be a therapeutic drug for oral cancer

: In the realm of data management, data preservation stands as a critical undertaking aimed at preserving and upholding the integrity of data. Regardless of whether it concerns personal or enterprise data, the detrimental effects of malicious alterations implemented by attackers cannot be overlooked. Particularly in conventional industrial control environments, the prevalent practice involves the transmission of data from sensors to databases for storage purposes. However, it is essential to recognize that this process exposes the data to various vulnerabilities. Thus, to ensure the long-term security and reliability of the data, it becomes imperative to implement robust data preservation strategies within these industrial control systems. However, the reliance of these databases on physical hard disks introduces inherent vulnerabilities, including the potential for data loss due to disk damage or targeted malicious attacks. Consequently, it becomes imperative to prioritize the implementation of robust data preservation measures. These measures are crucial in mitigating the risk of disruptions and protecting critical data from compromise. By establishing effective data backup systems, employing advanced security protocols, and implementing proactive monitoring mechanisms, organizations can bolster their data preservation capabilities and safeguard against potential threats to data integrity and availability. As a result, many enterprises opt to store their data with third-party providers to ensure data integrity. However, this approach carries inherent risks. If the third-party service experiences an attack or if the data is tampered with, it becomes challenging to verify the integrity of the data. To address these concerns and ensure data preservation within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), a growing number of individuals are integrating IoT with Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). By leveraging DLT, the integrity of data can be ensured, reducing reliance on centralized third-party storage and enhancing security in the IoT ecosystem. In this article, IOTA is the DLT, which employs Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) to store transaction information. Compared to Ethereum or other blockchain technologies, IOTA offers notable advantages in terms of transaction verification speed, making it highly suitable for real-time IoT environments. However, the conventional transmission path from sensors to IOTA nodes entails a complex route, involving multiple hardware devices before reaching the intended destination. This complexity poses challenges in ensuring data integrity during transmission and introduces vulnerabilities such as man-in-the-middle attacks or SQL injection attacks. To address these issues, we propose a method to streamline the transmission path between sensors and IOTA, specifically tailored for industrial fields with numerous IoT devices. Our approach involves preprocessing the data stored on the server using our method before uploading, ensuring data confidentiality, and leveraging IOTA to guarantee data integrity. To achieve the shortest path between IoT and DLT nodes, it becomes necessary to establish IOTA nodes on lower-level devices, such as Raspberry Pi or IoT controllers. By simplifying the transmission path, we can reduce the potential for tampering and enhance overall data security. Implementing our proposed method enables the assurance of data confidentiality and integrity during both transmission and storage on the server, strengthening the trustworthiness of the IoT, and IOTA integration.

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.

Recent studies have indicated that several anti-hypertensive drugs may delay the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the relationships among AD, hypertension, and oxidative stress remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether treatment with resveratrol reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the brain, thereby reducing cognitive impairment in rats with angiotensin II (Ang-II)-induced early AD. Male WKY rats with Ang-II-induced AD were treated with losartan or resveratrol for 2 weeks. Our results revealed that treatment with resveratrol (10 mg/kg/day) decreased blood pressure, increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, and decreased ROS production in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in the Ang-II groups. In addition, inhibition of Tau^T231 phosphorylation in the hippocampus using resveratrol significantly abolished Ang-II-induced expression of Ab precursors, active caspase 3, and glycogen synthase kinase 3b (GSK-3b)^Y216 while increasing Akt^S473 phosphorylation. Notably, resveratrol reversed impairments in hippocampal-dependent contextual memory induced by deleting NADPH oxidase and NOX2. Overall, our results suggest that resveratrol exerts neuroprotective effects against memory impairment and hippocampal damage in a rat model of early stage AD by reducing oxidative stress. These novel findings indicate that resveratrol may represent a pharmacological option for patients with hypertension at a risk of AD during old age.

Oral cancer ranks sixth among Taiwan's top 10 cancers, and most patients with poor prognosis acquire metastases. The essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has been found to diminish many cancer properties. However, the anti-cancer activity of ALA in oral cancer has yet to be determined. Migration and invasion assays confirmed OSCC cells' EMT capabilities, whereas flow cytometry and Western blotting identified the molecular pathways. ALA dramatically reduced cell growth in a concentration dependent manner, according to the findings. Low concentrations of ALA (100 or 200 μM) inhibit colony formation, expression of Twist and EMT-related proteins, expression of MMP2/-9 proteins and enzyme activity, as well as cell migration and invasion. Treatment with high concentrations of ALA (200 or 400 μM) greatly increases JNK phosphorylation and c-jun nuclear accumulation, then upregulates the FasL/caspase8/caspase3 and Bid/cytochrome c/caspase9/caspase3 pathways, leading to cell death. Low concentrations of ALA inhibit SAS and GNM cell migration and invasion by suppressing Twist and downregulating EMT-related proteins, or by decreasing the protein expression and enzyme activity of MMP-2/-9, whereas high concentrations of ALA promote apoptosis by activating the JNK/FasL/caspase 8/caspase 3-extrinsic pathway and the Bid/cytochrome c/caspase 9 pathway. ALA demonstrates potential as a treatment for OSCC patients.

Land use and cover change (LUCC) is an important method to investigate the causes of global environment change. We utilized the emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model to construct a land-use change model to be used as a systematic measuring tool for monitoring sustainable development trends. In particular, we estimated the eco-security of the Cing-jing region as a case study so that responsible agencies can use it to maintain a balance between ecological preservation and tourism development. The results indicated the following: First, the ecological environment of the Cing-jing region satisfied the safety standard in 2008–2014; however, the related indices increased considerably. Second, the grey model predicted a decrease in 2015–2024 ecological carrying capacities of Cing-jing and a large increase in capita EFs, resulting in a larger ecological deficit and higher EFI. The eco-security from 2015–2024 was higher compared to 7 years ago and is predicted to reach the Grade 2 intermediate level in 2022; thus the Cing-jing region is gradually becoming ecologically unsustainable. Strengths of our study included the use of EEF theory in a quantitative analysis of slope lands for the effective evaluation of ecological security. Finally, we expanded our research to include ecological security issues.

For semiconducting two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, carrier transport proper-ties of the material are affected by strain engineering. In this work, we investigate the carrier mo-bility of monolayer hafnium disulphide (HfS2) under different biaxial strains by first-principles calculations combined with Kubo-Greenwood mobility approach and compact band model. The decrease/increase in effective mass of conduction band of monolayer HfS2 caused by biaxial ten-sile/compressive strain is the major reason for the enhancement/degradation of its electron mobil-ity. Lower hole effective mass of valence bands in the monolayer HfS2 under biaxial compressive strain results in the better hole transport performance of monolayer HfS2 than the one with biaxial tensile strain. In summary, biaxial compressive strain decreases both effective mass and phonon scattering rate of monolayer HfS2, resulting in an increase in carrier mobility. When the biaxial compressive strain reaches 4%, for the conduction band of monolayer HfS2, electron mobility en-hancement ratio is ~90%. For the valence band of monolayer HfS2, the maximum hole mobility enhancement ratio appears ~13% at biaxial compressive strain of 4%. Our results indicate that the carrier transport performance of monolayer HfS2 can be greatly improved by the strain engineer-ing.

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.

The morphological and compositional complexities of keratinized components make feathers ingenious skin appendages adapted to diverse ecological needs. Frizzling feathers, characterized by their distinct curling phenotypes, offer a unique model to explore the intricate morphogenesis in developing a keratin-based bioarchitecture over a wide range of morphospace. Here, we investigated the heterogeneous allocation of α- and β-keratins in flight feather shafts of homozygous and heterozygous frizzle chickens by analyzing the medulla-cortex integrations using quantitative morphology characterizations across scales. Our results reveal intriguing construction of frizzling feather shaft through modified medulla development, leading to a perturbed balance of the internal biomechanics and, therefore, introducing the inherent natural frizzling compared to those from wild-type chickens. We elucidate how the localized developmental suppression of the α-keratin in the medulla interferes with the growth of the hierarchical keratin organization by changing the internal stress in the frizzling feather shaft. This research not only offers insights into the morphogenetic origin of the inherent bending of frizzling feathers but also facilitates our in-depth understanding of the developmental strategies toward the diverse integuments adapted for ecological needs.

Objectives: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) negatively affects the quality of life and sexual function in women. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) therapy in reducing SUI symptoms and its impact on sexual function. Methods: Thirty-four women with SUI were enrolled and underwent a single RF treatment session using the Viveve® System (Viveve Medical Inc., USA) with parameters of 90 J/cm² and 220 pulses per hour. Assessments at baseline and 6 months post-treatment included perineal ultrasound and personal interviews to evaluate lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual function. Urodynamic studies, voiding diaries, and questionnaires such as the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Overactive Bladder Symp-tom Score (OABSS), Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Question-naire-7 (IIQ-7), and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) measured outcomes. Results: RF therapy significantly improved sexual function, with higher FSFI scores in all domains except pain at 6 months. SUI symptoms were significantly re-duced, as indicated by improved scores on OABSS, UDI-6, IIQ-7, and ICIQ-SF, alongside better voiding diary results. Anatomical changes included reduced bladder neck mobility, decreased vaginal width, and a reduced rotation angle of the proximal urethra. Conclusions: RF therapy is effective and safe for treating mild to moderate SUI and enhances sexual function, potentially due to changes in vaginal topography. These results suggest RF therapy as a viable non-surgical op-tion for managing SUI and improving sexual health.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the textile industry by improving the prediction of fabric properties and handfeel, which are essential for assessing textile quality and performance. However, the practical application and translation of AI-predicted results into real-world textile production remain unclear, posing challenges for widespread adoption. This paper systematically reviews AI-driven techniques for predicting these characteristics by focusing on model mechanisms, dataset diversity, and prediction accuracy. Among 811 papers initially identified, 26 were selected for in-depth analysis through both bibliometric and content analysis. The review categorizes and evaluates various AI approaches, including machine learning, deep learning, and hybrid models, across different types of fabric. Despite significant advances, challenges remain, such as ensuring model generalization and managing complex fabric behavior. Future research should focus on developing more robust models, integrating sustainability, and refining feature extraction techniques. This review highlights the critical gaps in the literature and provides practical insights to enhance AI-driven prediction of fabric properties, thus guiding future textile innovations.

Host immunological pathways have been proposed including TH1, TH2, TH3, TH9, TH17, TH22, TH1-like, and THαβ immune reactions. Besides TH2 and TH9 immune responses which are against multicellular parasites, host immunological pathways against viruses, intracellular micro-organisms (bacteria, protozoa, and fungi), and extracellular micro-organisms can use programmed cell death pathways to trigger immune reactions or to execute effective strategies to eliminate these pathogens. These programmed cell deaths include apoptosis, autophagic death, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and NETosis. Apoptosis is related to host anti-virus eradicable THαβ immunity. Autophagic death is related to host anti-virus tolerable TH3 immunity. Pyroptosis is related to host anti-intracellular micro-organism eradicable TH1 immunity. Ferroptosis is related to host anti-intracellular micro-organism tolerable TH1-like immunity. Necroptosis is related to host anti-extracellular micro-organism eradicable TH22 immunity. NETosis is related to host anti-extracellular micro-organism tolerable TH17 immunity.

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.

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.

Refractive index measurements have been an important task for a long time because that index plays an essential role in describing the optical properties of a material. Many methods have been developed to perform that task. Some of them use interferometry to achieve high precision, however these configurations are complicated. Some measure the critical angle using simple structures, but the accuracy is not satisfactory because it is difficult to judge the exact critical angle with intensity variations. Here we propose several new schemes based on measuring the polarization change in the total internal reflection. The proposed method has the merits of simple structure and easy incident angle determination that gives the maximum phase change. Additionally, it is possible to find the material dispersion by measuring the wavelength dependence of the polarization ellipticity. Some useful formulas relating the refractive index with the maximum phase change are obtained. This work can provide valuable alternatives for index measurement.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is commonly used for super-selective analysis through nanostructured silver layers in the environment, food quality, biomedicine, and materials science. To fabricate a high-sensitivity but more accessible device of SERS, dc magnetron sputtering technology was used to realize high sensitivity, low cost, stable deposition rate, and rapid mass production. This study investigated various thicknesses of a silver film ranging from 3.0 to 12.1 nm by field-emission-scanning-electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In the rhodamine 6G (R6G) testing irradiated by a He-Ne laser beam, the analytical enhancement factor (AEF) of 9.35x108, the limit of detection (LOD) of 10-8 M, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.61% were better than other SERS substrates fabricated by the same dc sputtering process because the results show that the 6 nm thickness silver layer has the highest sensitivity, stability, and lifetime. The paraquat and acetylcholine analytes were further investigated and high sensitivity was also achievable. The proposed SERS samples were evaluated and stored in a low humidity environment for up to forty weeks, and no spectrum attenuation could be detected. Soon, the proposed technology to fabricate high sensitivity, repeatability, and robust SERS substrate will be an optimized process technology in multiple applications.

Combining Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) spectra data and artificial intelligence (AI) has been introduced for rapid prediction on antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) of S. aureus. Based on the AI predictive probability, the cases with probabilities between low and high cut-offs are defined as “grey zone”. We aimed to investigate the underlying reasons of unconfident (grey zone) or wrong predictive AST. A total 479 S. aureus isolates were collected, analyzed by MALDI-TOF, and AST prediction, standard AST were obtained in a tertiary medical center. The predictions were categorized into the correct prediction group, wrong prediction group, and grey zone group. We analyzed the association between the predictive results and the demographic data, spectral data, and strain types. For MRSA, larger cefoxitin zone size was found in the wrong prediction group. MLST of the MRSA isolates in the grey zone group revealed that uncommon strain types composed 80%. Amid MSSA isolates in the grey zone group, the majority (60%) was composed of over 10 different strain types. In predicting AST based on MALDI-TOF AI, uncommon strains and high diversity would contribute to suboptimal predictive performance.

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine has gradually evolved as a promising therapeutic strategy to the modern healthcare of the aging and diseased population. In this study, we developed a novel nano-fibrous scaffold and verified its application in the critical bone defect regeneration. The metformin-incorporated nano-gelatin/hydroxyapatite fibers (NGF) was produced by electrospinning, cross-linked, and then characterized by XRD and FTIR. Cytotoxicity, cells adhesion, cell differentiation, and quantitative osteogenic gene and protein expression were analyzed by bone marrow stem cells from rat. Rat forearm critical bone defect model was performed for the in vivo study. The nano-gelatin/hydroxyapatite fibers (NGF) were characterized by their porous structures with proper interconnectivity without significant cytotoxic effects; the adhesion of bone marrow stem cells on the nano-gelatin/hydroxyapatite fibers (NGF) could be enhanced. The osteogenic gene and protein expression were upregulated. Post implantation, the new regenerated bone in bone defect was well demonstrated in the NGF samples. We demonstrated that the metformin-incorporated nano-gelatin-hydroxyapatite fibers greatly improved healing potential on the critical sized bone defect. Although metformin-incorporated nano-gelatin/hydroxyapatite fibers had advantageous effectiveness during bone regeneration, further validation is required before it can be applied to clinical applications.

This research studies the impact of shopping tourism on retail sales and rents, using the Covid-19 pandemic as a quasi-experiment. Shopping tourism refers to individuals who travel primarily for shopping purposes, and their spending patterns can have significant effects on the retail sector. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted global travel and resulted in a decline in shopping tourist arrivals, leading to a downturn in sales for retailers dependent on shopping tourism. Additionally, the decline in shopping tourism affected retail rents, as the reduced demand for retail spaces posed challenges for property owners in attracting tenants. The study focuses on Hong Kong, a prominent shopping destination, which experienced a significant decline in tourist arrivals and retail sales during the pandemic. The research analyzes the relationship between tourist arrivals, retail sales, and rents using time series analysis and identifies the impact of shopping tourism on retail spaces and rents. The findings suggest a positive association between tourist arrivals and retail sales, particularly during the period of shopping tourism growth. However, the pandemic severely reduced this effect, revealing the impact of shopping tourists on the retail sector. The study concludes by discussing the implications on retail resilience and highlighting the need for further research on the impacts of shopping tourists on retail sales and rents.

3D printing is a non-traditional additive manufacturing process. It is different from the traditional subtractive manufacturing process. It offers exceptional rapid prototyping capabilities and results that traditional subtractive manufacturing methods cannot attain, especially in applications involving curved or intricately shaped components. Despite its advantages, metal 3D printing will face porosity, warpage, and surface roughness issues. These issues will affect the future practical application of the parts indirectly, for example, the structural strength and the parts assembly ca-pability. Therefore, this study compares the qualities of the warpage, weight, and surface rough-ness after milling and grinding processes under the same materials (316L stainless steel) between general rolled steel and 3D additive steel. Experimental results show that 3D printing parts are approximately 13% to 14% lighter than the general rolled steel. The surface roughness performance of 3D printing steel is better than general rolled steel under the same material after milling or grinding processing. The hardness of the 3D printing steel is better than that of the gen-eral rolled steel. The research verifies that 3D additive manufacturing can use surface processing to optimize surface performance and achieve the functions of lightness and hardness.

Regulatory T cells are key immune cells to initiate tolerable immune responses. TGFβ is the key cytokine of regulatory T cells. TGFβ is also the master cytokine to stimulate tissue fibrosis. Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease related to overt organ fibrosis. Thus, systemic sclerosis is a disease related to regulatory T cell over-representation. Besides, many end stage organ failures including heart failure, liver cirrhosis, uremia, and pulmonary fibrosis also related to tissue fibrosis. Thus, TGFβ producing regulatory T cells are also involved in the pathogenesis of these end stage organ failure. Once we know the significance of TGFβ and it induced tolerable immune reactions in the pathophysiology of end organ failure, we can develop better prevention or therapeutic strategies to combat these detrimental disorders.

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.

Minimally invasive surgery for adult spinal deformities (MIS deformity surgery) utilizes MIS lumbar interbody fusion and percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) without posterior corrective osteotomy. While MIS reduces issues associated with open deformity surgery, it has limitations in correcting sagittal imbalance. This review discusses the limitations and solutions of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and introduces our experience in addressing marked sagittal deformities. We reviewed the literature and incorporated our clinical experience to evaluate the efficacy of recent MIS techniques, particularly focusing on oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) at L1-5 and L5-S1. The use of higher profile and greater angle cages and the application of PPSF with curved rods and percutaneous rod compression were discussed. Advances in MIS techniques, such as OLIF, have enabled significant improvements in increasing disc height and angle. Combining these new techniques and concepts, we successfully corrected marked sagittal deformities using MIS deformity surgery. Early onset of proximal junctional kyphosis was identified as a notable complication. Although recent advancements in MIS deformity surgery have shown promise in correcting sagittal deformities, further clinical experience and data are necessary to enhance outcomes and mitigate complications such as proximal junctional kyphosis.

In previous researches, Job Crafting questionnaire to develop is consists of 3 factors which are Task Crafting, Cognitive Crafting, and Relationship Crafting with 12 to 17 items. The purpose of study is to develop JCQ for leisure sports instructor of Korean. 274 valid samples are used for analysis. Data collecting is purposeful sampling. At result, for Korean Sports Instructor Job Crafting Scale is constructed 3 factors with 12 items is constructed by 3 step procedure. KSIJCQ is confirmed on convergent discriminant validity evidence. In conclusion, KSIJCQ is a valid scale of the measuring and distributes Job Crafting of generalization in sports.

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.

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 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.

There is no doubt that seagrass beds constitute one of the most productive ecosystems in shallow coastal waters. Despite this, picoplankton in seagrass ecosystems has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to compare picoplankton growth and mortality rates between seagrass and unvegetated habitats using chamber incubations. We tested two main hypotheses: (i) incubation with seagrass would result in higher bacterial growth rates due to increased DOM release from seagrass photosynthesis, and (ii) Synechococcus spp. would be lower in the presence of seagrass due to competition for inorganic nutrients. Our results showed bacterial growth rates of 2.31 and 2.44 d–1 without and with seagrass, respectively. In seagrass chambers, bacterial growth was higher than that in non-seagrass chambers, suggesting that organic carbon coming from the seagrass community may support bacterial production. Furthermore, we observed a negative Synechococcus spp. growth rate (-0.9 d–1) in the seagrass treatment, likely reflecting nutrient competition with the seagrass. Small-scale chambers proved to be a useful tool for studying the factors controlling spatial and temporal patterns of picoplankton across different habitats. Furthermore, future studies should examine picoplankton growth over a wider range of spatial scales in seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated sediment.

Semi-continuous data are very common in the social science and economics. In this paper, a Bayesian variable selection procedure is developed to assess the influence of exogenous factors including observed and unobserved on the semi-continuous data. Our formulation is based on the two-part latent variable model with polytomous response. We consider two schemes for the penalties of regression coefficients and factor loadings: the Bayesian spike and slab bimodal prior and the Bayesian lasso prior. Within the Bayesian framework, we implement Markov Chains Monte Carlo sampling method to conduct posterior inference. To facilitate posterior sampling, we recast the logistic model in part one as the norm-like mixture model. Gibbs sampler is designed to draw observations from the posterior. Our empirical results show that with suitable hyper-parameters, the spike and slab bimodal method slightly outperforms the Bayesian lasso in the current analysis. Finally, a real example related to the China household finance survey is analyzed to illustrate the application of the methodology.. .

This study explores the public library service evaluation domain through user-generated content on Google Maps, highlighting digital feedback's significant yet underexplored potential in understanding public library patronage across Taiwan's six major cities. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, this study integrates Google Maps review content analysis with Social Network Analysis to delineate public perceptions and identify areas for service enhancement in public libraries. It innovatively leverages personal experiences extracted from over 60,000 Google Maps reviews to evaluate public library services in cities such as Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. The research taps into the National Library of Taiwan's National Library Statistics System to provide a robust analysis of library performance and user satisfaction, offering a novel perspective by emphasizing user-centric feedback from Google Maps as a primary data source. This approach provides quantitative data on library usage and geographic distribution and enriches our understanding of the qualitative experiences of library users. In analyzing the keywords from Google Maps reviews of public libraries, we categorize and interpret these under the three core LibQUAL+ dimensions—Affect of Service, Information Control, and Library as Place. The findings expose variances in perceived service quality among the cities, with Kaohsiung and Taichung receiving the highest accolades for service satisfaction. Simultaneously, the study identifies potential areas for improvement, particularly in cities with lower satisfaction ratings like Taipei. This personalized feedback illustrates the intimate relationship between public libraries and their communities, offering invaluable insights for policymakers and library management to enhance service delivery and user experience.

： Anti-MDA5 antibody bearing (anti-MDA5+)-dermatomyositis (DM) or polymyositis (PM) is notorious for causing rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD) &amp;/or cancers with high mortality rate. However, anti-MDA5 antibodies (Abs) are also found in other connective tissue diseases and their link with RPILD especially with regards to the mortality rate are unknown. We retrospectively recruited 71 patients bearing anti-MDA5-Abs in serum, stratified them in terms of a presence or absence of RPILD, and evaluated their clinical features, laboratory findings, associated myositis antibodies, concurrent connective tissue disease (CTD) as well as newly developed malignancies. Thirty-nine (55%) patients presented with DM/PM but 32 (45%) didn’t. Twenty-two of the former and 11 of the latter developed RPILD eventually, accounting for a total of 46% of all MDA5 bearing patients. On the other hand, 15 of all 71 (21.1%) patients had cancers. Among 32 patients who didn’t have DM/PM, 27 (38.0% of all 71) had other CTDs, indicating that only 5 (7.0% of 71) patients did not have CTDs. Senility (odds ratio [OR]=1.816, P=0.032), presence of anti-Ro-52 antibody (OR=1.676, P=0.018), elevated C-reactive protein (CRP, OR= 4.354, P&lt;0.001) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA, OR=2.625, P=0.005) posed risks for RPILD. High lactose dehydrogenase (LDH, p=0.009), CRP (p=0.001), CEA (p=0.001), ferritin (p ≤ 0.001) and low albumin (p ≤ 0.001) were significantly associated with mortality. Anti-SAE antibodies were negatively correlated with RPILD as analyzed by univariate (OR=0.245, P=0.017) and multivariate (OR= 0.058, P=0.036) regressions, indicating that they may be a protective factor from RPILD (OR= 0.543, P=0.008) or fatality (OR= 0.707, P=0.012), which was also demonstrated in subgroup analyses. In contrast to various risk factors for RPILD or mortality, anti-SAE antibodies might be conversely a protective factor in anti-MDA5+ patients.

The mechanism of immune activation and de-activation is very important. Host should trigger effective immunity against pathogen infection. And, host cannot trigger immunity against self-antigens that will lead to detrimental autoimmune disorders. Spleen and liver have opposite roles in mediating immune responses. Spleen is the organ involving in immune activation, and liver is the organ involving in immune de-activation. Sympathetic nerve system and parasympathetic nerve system have opposite roles in mediating immune responses. Sympathetic nerve system is involving in pro-inflammatory, and parasympathetic nerve system is involving in anti-inflammatory. ACTH and glucocorticosteroid have opposite roles in mediating immune responses. ACTH is involving in activating adaptive immunity with inhibiting innate immunity, and glucocorticosteroid is involving in activating innate immunity with inhibiting adaptive immunity. The molecular chaperons, heat shock proteins, which are induced by fever, have the vital roles in immune activation. On the contrary, IgD B cells and gamma-delta T cells are causing immune de-activation via the mechanism of clonal anergy. These mechanism can help us the know the work of immunological pathways better for better control of infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders.

In mesoscale eddies, chemical properties and biological composition are different from those in surrounding water, due to their unique physical processes. It is unclear how physical-biological coupling occurs in warm-core eddies, particularly since no study has examined the relationship between bacteria and viruses. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of anticyclonic warm eddy on the relationship between bacterial and viral abundances as well as viral activity (viral production) in different depths. In the core of warm eddy, bacterial abundance (0.48 to 2.82 ×105 cells mL−1) fluctuated less than that of the outside eddy (1.12 to 7.03×105 cells mL−1). In particular, there was four-folds higher of viral-bacterial abundance ratio (VBR) estimated within the eddy below DCM than the outside eddy. We suggest that prevailing physical forces with downwelling at the center of the anticyclonic warm eddy, viruses can also be transmitted into the deep ocean directly through adsorption on particulate organic matter during sinking. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the interaction between bacterial and viral communities and their ecological mechanism within the warm eddy.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), with poor prognosis and high mortality rates, is one of the most diagnosed head and neck cancers. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) - epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) loop is increasingly implicated in the therapy-resistance, relapse, and metastasis of OSCC patients. Accumulating evidence indicate that aberrantly expressed CD47 is associated with cell-death evasion, invasion and cancer metastasis; however, the role of CD47 in the modulation of CSCs-like phenotypes, including therapy-resistance and metastasis, with its underlying mechanism in OSCC remains largely underexplored. Methods: This study investigated the CSCs- modulating potential of CD47 in OSCC cell lines SAS, TW2.6, HSC-3 and FaDu using bioinformatics approach, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence staining, migration, invasion, colony and orosphere formation, as well as radiosensitivity assays. Results: We demonstrated that the characteristic ectopic expression of CD47 in OSCC patients was associated with ~ 20% 2-year survival disadvantage (p = 0.01) and positively correlated with the expression of pluripotency factors; while shRNA silencing of CD47 significantly suppressed cell viability and markedly inhibited orosphere formation, resulting in smaller and fewer orospheres, and downregulated CD133, SOX2, OCT4 and c-Myc mRNA and protein expression levels. We also showed that CD47 downregulation attenuates EMT, migration and clonogenicity of OSCC cells, with associated E-cadherin upregulation and suppression of Vimentin, Slug, Snail, and N-cadherin expression. Conclusion: Of therapeutic relevance, combined with radiotherapy, CD47 knockdown enhanced the anti-OSCC effect of radiotherapy. Thus, we demonstrate the therapeutic feasibility of a CD47-mediated anti-CSCs strategy, and suggest a role for CD47 suppression in potentiating the therapeutic efficacy of radiation therapy in OSCC patients.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a zoonotic parasite, can invade the human central nervous system (CNS) and cause acute eosinophilic meningitis or eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Mice infected with A. cantonensis show elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, plasminogen activators, and matrix metalloproteinase-9, resulting in disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and immune cell infiltration into the CNS. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) regulates the permeability of the BBB, which affects immune cells and cerebrospinal fluid. This intricate interaction ultimately fuels the progression of brain damage and edema. This study aims to investigate the regulatory role of Cav-1 in the pathogenesis of meningoencephalitis induced by A. cantonensis infection. We investigate pathological alterations by triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride, brain water content, BBB permeability, Western blot analysis, and gelatin zymography in BALB/c mice after A. cantonensis. The study evaluates the critical role of Cav-1 regulation through the TLR4 / MyD88 signaling pathway, modulates tight junction proteins, influences BBB permeability, and contributes to brain damage in A. cantonensis-induced meningoencephalitis.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Traditional penile venous surgery and enhancement have been controversial. Based on De Novo penile fibrovascular assembly, we report on penile venous stripping (PVS) and factual penile girth enhancement (FPGE). Methods: From 2013 to 2023, 18 men underwent PVS and FPGE, all confirmed with veno-occlusive dysfunction (VOD). PVS involves the stripping of erection-related veins. FPGE was performed along the tunica albuginea bilaterally; then, the two tunic defects were repaired with a 70.0x30.0 mm venous stripe and covered with either autologous venous walls (AVW, n=10) or Surgiform (SF, n=8). The penile girth was measured, and radio-opaque contrast was used. The abridged 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score and the Erection Hardness Scale (EHS) were used yearly during follow-up via the Internet. Results: The follow-up period was 5.3±1.5 years. Radiopacity was consistently enhanced. Although there was indifference between AVW and SF, there was a significant improvement (both P＜0.01) in IIEF-5 and EHS scores (9.7±2.8 vs. 20.8±2.3; 1.7±0.6 vs. 3.2±0.2, respectively). Both the diameters of the glans and penile shaft increased (28.0±2.3mm and 28.3±2.1mm vs 35.3±2.2mm and 36.3±2.1mm respectively). The satisfaction rate was 81.3% (13/16). Conclusions: This novel combination of PVS and FPGE is promising, although a larger sample size is needed for further validation.

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

The research fills the policy research gap for the women entrepreneurship and sustainability performance for examining key successful factors. Previous women entrepreneurship research fails to offer policy recommendations. The research purpose is to investigate these factors affect women entrepreneurship capabilities and sustainability performance by using SEM analysis and making policy recommendation. This research employs online and mail survey and obtains 175 women entrepreneur sample. The study finds that family support and motivation have positive effect on women entrepreneurship capabilities and sustainability performance. Barriers have no effect on performance. Hopefully, the research can provide the guidance to contribute to women’s entrepreneurship opportunities for achieving SDGs. Policy recommendation and managerial implication are discussed in the article.

Technology can be seen everywhere and has been integrated into our lives.We are always using technology and enjoying the convenience brought by technology. However, physical retailers and e-commerce companies are also gradually adopting advanced technologies. Technology improves the purchasing environment and purchasing experience. Virtual reality and augmented reality have been hotly discussed in recent years. Technology, although virtual reality and augmented reality technology have not yet matured, it can be said that they will in the future It has great development potential. Virtual reality and augmented reality are also beginning to sprout in the retail industry. However, research on the acceptance of the use of virtual reality and augmented reality in the apparel shopping process is still lacking because This study explores how usefulness, ease of use, hedonicity, customer experience, customer engagement and satisfaction. To influence customer loyalty, this study adopted questionnaire survey and convenience sampling methods, and collected a total of 308 valid questionnaires. The analysis method used confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model to verify the research hypothesis relationship. The results of this study found. Hedonic has a significant impact on customer loyalty, while usefulness, ease of use, customer experience, customer engagement and satisfaction Satisfaction does not have a significant impact on customer loyalty. This study explains the academic contribution of the research results. The practical implications in marketing are put forward, and specific suggestions and directions for future research are given.

Abstract: This study estimates consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainability turfgrass attributes such as low-input and stress-tolerance attributes, while considering potential trade-off relationships between aesthetic attributes and sustainability attributes. To address our objectives, our study conducts a choice experiment and estimates two mixed logit models. The first model includes low-input, winter kill, and shade-tolerance attributes as predictor variables, and the second model extends the first model by adding interaction terms between aesthetic and sustainability attributes. Another choice experiment is conducted under water policies with various water rate increase and watering restriction scenarios. Results from the mixed logit models show that overall, higher low-input cost reduction, less winter-damaged, and more shade-tolerance grasses are preferred, the direct effect of aesthetic attributes on consumers’ preference is strong, but the indirect effect represented by the interaction terms are generally statistically insignificant. Our results indicate that consumers like to have a pretty lawn, but no strong consideration is given to the aesthetics of their lawn when selecting low-input and stress-tolerance turfgrasses. Our choice experiment under water policy scenarios suggests that water pricing is more effective than watering restriction in increasing consumer demand for water-conserving turfgrasses.

Bat feces were reported in ancient Chinese medicine books to have the effect of reducing heat and improving eyesight, but the mechanism of vision improvement still needs further research. To this end, we used 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to analyze the antioxidant capacity of and the types of vitamins in bat feces. We hoped to screen the pharmacological components of bat feces, and to explain the role that these components may play in the treatment of visual deterioration. Our results found that bat feces had a good antioxidant capacity and mainly contain vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinamide), B3 (nicotinic acid), and B5 (pantothenic acid). Although these vitamins may help maintain the health of the optic nerve and cornea, the vitamin content of bat feces is low, but the heavy metal content is high, as shown using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. Therefore, we suggest that the use of bat feces as traditional Chinese medicine to improve vision should be strictly restricted.

The quality of healthcare services is a very important indicator of social welfare in developed and emerging countries. Good quality levels are critical to ensuring patient safety, improving health outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, optimizing resource utilization, and meeting regulatory requirements. The stable and sustainable operation of medical institutions urgently requires the establishment of a reliable and effective medical quality performance evaluation platform. However, the complexity of the evaluation process, involving numerous evaluators and the consideration of different subjective and objective criteria, poses significant challenges and essentially constitutes a group multi-criteria decision-making problem. This article uses the overall medical environment of the institution, medical service attitude, medical security, administrative service measures, etc. as measurement standards to deal with this challenge. It proposes a medical service quality measurement model suitable for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. In view of the heterogeneity of information, the two-tuple fuzzy language calculation method is introduced to enable evaluators to skillfully manage diverse information and effectively avoid potential information omission problems in the subjective evaluation integration process. The effectiveness and feasibility of the model were demonstrated by applying it to the operational framework of a medical institution in central Taiwan.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare disease with high mortality despite recent therapeutic advances. The disease is caused by both genetic and environmental factors, and likely gene x environment interactions. While PAH can manifest across the lifespan, pediatric-onset disease is particularly challenging because it is frequently associated with a more severe clinical course and comorbidities including lung/heart developmental anomalies. In light of these differences, it is perhaps not surprising that emerging data from genetic studies of pediatric-onset PAH indicate that the genetic basis is different than that of adults. There is a greater genetic burden in children, with rare genetic factors contributing to at least 36% of pediatric-onset idiopathic PAH (IPAH) compared to ~11% of adult-onset IPAH. De novo variants are frequently associated with PAH in children, and contribute to at least 15% of all pediatric cases. The standard of medical care for pediatric PAH patients is based on extrapolations from adult data. However, the increased etiologic heterogeneity, poorer prognosis and increased genetic burden for pediatric-onset PAH calls for a dedicated pediatric research agenda to improve molecular diagnosis and clinical management. A genomics-first approach will improve the understanding of pediatric PAH and how it is related to other rare pediatric genetic disorders.

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.

In this paper we present the exploration of indoor positioning technologies for UAVs, and navigation techniques for path planning and obstacle avoidance. The objective is to perform warehouse inventory tasks using a drone to search for barcodes or markers to identify the objects. For the indoor positioning techniques, we employ Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), AprilTag fiducial markers, and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). These algorithms encompass global positioning, local positioning, and pre-mapping positioning, comparing the merits and drawbacks of various techniques and trajectories. In UAV navigation, we combine SLAM-based RTAB-Map indoor mapping and navigation path planning of the ROS for indoor environments. This system enables precise drone positioning indoors and utilizes global and local path planners to generate flight paths that avoid dynamic, static, unknown, and known obstacles, demonstrating high practicality and feasibility. To achieve the warehouse inventory inspection, a reinforcement learning approach is proposed to recognize the markers by adjusting the UAV's viewpoint. We address several main problems in inventory management, including efficiently planning paths while ensuring a certain level of detection rate. Two reinforcement learning techniques, AC (Actor-Critic) and PPO (Proximal Policy Optimization), are implemented based on AprilTag identification. Testing is performed in both simulated and real-world environments, and the effectiveness of the proposed method is validated.Code is available at https://github.com/kellen080/Navigation and https://github.com/kellen080/Indoor\_Positioning.