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

Citrus peel has been used in Asian traditional medicine for the treatment of cough, asthma, and bronchial disorders. However, the anti-inflammatory effect of quercetogetin (QUE), a polymethoxylated flavone isolated from the peel of citrus unshui is poorly understood. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effect and the molecular mechanisms of QUE in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. QUE inhibited the production of NO and prostaglandin E2 by suppressing the LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 at both the mRNA and protein levels. QUE suppressed the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. QUE also inhibited the translocation of the nuclear factor kappa B subunit, p65, into the nucleus by interrupting the phosphorylation of IκB-α in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Based on the finding that QUE significantly decreased p-ERK protein expression in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, we confirmed that suppression of the inflammatory process by QUE was mediated through the MAPK pathway. This is the first report on the strong anti-inflammatory effects of QUE, which is a compound that can potentially be used as a therapeutic agent for inflammatory diseases.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and allergic skin disease, however, there is no cure for the disease. Many studies have shown anti-AD potentials of red ginseng, while red ginseng marc (RGM) remained after the ginseng extraction is discarded as industrial waste. However, it is recently reported that RGM, particularly fermented RGM (fRGM), still contains the bioactive properties. Thus, anti-allergic effects of fRGM were examined in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced AD-like mice model. The model was topically treated with distilled water (control), dexamethasone, or fRGM for six weeks. The treatments of fRGM alleviated the skin lesions and reduced serum IgE levels, compared with the control. The fRGM also reduced skin levels of lipid peroxidation and superoxide anion, however, increased glutathione contents, with down-regulated gene expressions for inflammatory mediators. The histopathological analyses demonstrated that fRGM suppressed the epidermal thickening, collagen deposition, and inflammatory cell and mast cell infiltration, which involved the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects. Further, fRGM suppressed hypertrophic changes and inflammatory responses in the spleen and lymph node. The beneficial effects were observed in the dexamethasone and fRGM groups, however, the antioxidant effects were evident only in the fRGM treatments. These provide useful information for developing fRGM as therapeutic sources for AD.

Chilling injury (CI), which causes seed browning in pepper, may arise following long-term cold storage, and is a major cause of postharvest losses. To explore potential strategies of minimizing the associated postharvest losses, the present study investigated the optimal pepper harvest time that could reduce levels of seed browning, in addition to the relationship between fruit maturity and seed browning. Fruit harvested 15 days after flowering (DAF) were sensitive to cold storage at 4°C and exhibited 100% seed browning (CI index, 4.0); in contrast, the seed browning rate of fruit harvested 35 DAF was 10% (CI index, 0.4) within 7 d of cold storage. Seed antioxidant activity was higher in seeds harvested at early stages (15 DAF to 20 DAF) than in seeds harvested at later stages (40 DAF to 50 DAF) at the beginning of storage. Pericarps of fruit harvested at 50 DAF exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Lipoxygenase, catalase, and peroxidase activity, and the expression levels of cell wall-related genes, pectin methylesterase-like protein, and endo-β-1,4-glucanase were higher in seeds of immature fruit harvested 15 DAF than in seeds of mature fruit harvested 35 DAF. The endosperm separated from the seed coat in fruit harvested 35 DAF and the seeds did not brown under low-temperature storage. The lack of seed browning observed in mature fruit under low-temperature storage could be attributed to physical protection provided by the seed coat rather than cold stress resistance conferred by antioxidants.

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

Recently, astroviruses (AstVs) have been associated with neurological symptoms in pigs, cattle, sheep, minks, muskoxes, alpacas, and humans. To investigate genotypes of porcine astrovirus (PAstV) and neuroinvasive (Ni) PAstV in South Korea, five domestic pigs with neurological symptoms from three farms were tested using reverse transcriptase PCR, histopathology, and in situ hybridization (ISH). All five genotypes of PAstV were detected in brain tissues and coinfection of PAstV with multiple genotypes was observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report pig infection by Ni-PAstV with multiple genotypes in South Korea.

We performed Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to suggest frontline treatments for patients with high PD-L1 expression (at least 50%). A total of 5,237 patients from 22 studies were included in this NMA. In terms of progression-free survival, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus bevacizumab plus chemotherapy had the highest surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) value (98.1%), followed by ICI plus chemotherapy (82.9%). In terms of overall survival (OS), dual immunotherapy plus chemotherapy had the highest SUCRA value (79.1%), followed by ICI plus bevacizumab plus chemotherapy (73.4%). However, there was no significant difference of survival outcomes among treatment regimens combined with immunotherapy. Moreover, ICI plus chemotherapy failed to reveal a significant OS superiority to ICI monotherapy (hazard ratio = 0.978, 95% credible internal: 0.771-1.259). In conclusion, this NMA indicates that ICI plus chemotherapy with/without bevacizumab might to be the best options in terms of OS for NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression. Considering there was no significant difference of survival outcomes among treatment regimens incorporating immunotherapy and ICI plus chemotherapy failed to show significant survival benefits over ICI monotherapy, however, ICI monotherapy may be reasonable as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression and no targetable aberrations.

The band gap research in graphene is still a very important topic for materials application. Here, we report a band gap opening and p-type semiconducting property of the graphene by using an electrochemical doping on graphene surface. The manganese-oxide nanopar-ticles adsorbed on the graphene were used as the dopants in an electrolyte, which induce the band gap opening and the change of electronic structure. In addition, the fabricated graphene FET shows the p-type semiconductor behaviors. The temperature dependent conductivity of the p-type doped graphene at applied potential of 1.5 V during electro-chemical doping shows the formation of band gap of 0.23 eV, which is obtained from the fitting of conductivity equation. The semiconducting properties of manganese-oxide doped graphene is attributed to the formation of manganese-oxide nanoparticle on the surface of graphene.

The traditional herbal medicine, Hochu-ekki-to, has been shown to have preventive effects on viral infection and stress. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of Hochu-ekki-to on two stress-related rat models of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control and treatment groups, the latter of which were subjected to stress induced by exposure to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or cold temperatures. After these stress inductions, rats were orally treated with dissolved Hochu-ekki-to once per day for 7 days. Rats subjected to the two different stressors exhibited upregulation of steroid hormone receptors (in ovaries) and reproductive hormones (in blood), and consequent stimulation of abnormal follicle development accompanied by elevation of Hsp 90 expression (in ovaries). Treatment with Hochu-ekki-to for 7 days after stress induction increased immune functions, reduced the stress-induced activation of Hsp 90, and normalized the levels of the tested steroid hormone receptors and reproductive hormones. Our findings suggest that stress stimulations may promote the activation of Hsp 90 via the dysregulation of steroid hormone receptors and reproductive hormones, but that post-stress treatment with Hochu-ekki-to improves reproductive and immune functions in the ovaries of stressed rats.

Glaucoma is a group of ocular diseases that causes irreversible blindness worldwide and is characterized by a multifactorial degeneration of optic nerve and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), leading to vision loss. One of the significant risk factors in glaucoma pathogenesis is glia-driven neuroinflammation. Impairment of mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergetics is associated with glaucomatous neurodegeneration and is linked to neuroinflammation. Apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (AIBP) binds to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and facilitates the removal of excess cholesterol from the plasma membrane in activated cells, suggesting the regulation of cholesterol-driven inflammation by inhibiting the TLR4-associated lipid rafts. AIBP is localized in mitochondria and regulates mitophagy by ubiquitination of mitofusin 1 and 2. We observed elevated intraocular pressure-induced AIBP deficiency in glaucomatous neurodegeneration. We also observed that AIBP deficiency activated TLR4 in Müller glia, triggered mitochondrial dysfunction in both RGCs and Müller glia and impaired visual function. In mouse models of glaucoma, AIBP treatment protects RGCs by reducing inflammatory responses. Here, our review focuses on investigating the role of AIBP in the retina and examining the underlying mechanism by which AIBP contributes to the pathogenesis of glaucoma, aiming to provide new insight into the therapeutic potential for the treatment of glaucoma.

Placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PD-MSCs) have been highlighted as therapeutic sources in several degenerative diseases. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) were mediated one of the therapeutic mechanisms of PD-MSCs in regenerative medicine. To enhance the therapeutic effects of PD-MSCs, we established functionally enhanced PD-MSCs with phosphatase of regenerating liver-1 overexpression (PRL-1(+)). However, the profile and functions of miRNAs induced by PRL-1(+) PD-MSCs in a rat model with hepatic failure prepared by bile duct ligation (BDL) remained unclear. Hence, the objectives of the present study were to analyze the expression of miRNAs and investigate their therapeutic mechanisms for hepatic regeneration via PRL-1(+) in a rat model with BDL. We selected candidate miRNAs based on microarray analysis. Under hypoxic conditions, compared with invaded naïve PD-MSCs, invaded PRL-1(+) PD-MSCs showed improved integrin-dependent migration ability through RHO family-targeted miRNA expression (e.g., hsa-miR-30a-5p, 340-5p, and 146a-3p). Moreover, rno-miR-30a-5p and 340-5p regulated engraftment into injured rat liver by transplanted PRL-1(+) PD-MSCs through the integrin family. Additionally, an increase in PDGFRA by suppressing rno-miR-27a-3p improved vascular structure in rat liver tissues after PRL-1(+) PD-MSCs transplantation. Furthermore, decreased rno-miR-122-5p was significantly correlated with increased proliferation of hepatocytes in liver tissues by PRL-1(+) PD-MSCs by activating IL-6 signaling pathway through the repression of rno-miR-21-5p. Taken together, these findings improve the understanding of therapeutic mechanisms based on miRNA-mediated stem cell therapy in liver diseases.

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) form a bacterial film on the surface of alcoholic solutions and ferment ethanol to acetic acid while also producing bioactive compounds. To discover functional AAB for industrial use, we isolated and selected strains from farm-produced vinegars using a CaCO3-containing medium. The seven strains belonged to Acetobacter cerevisiae and A. pasteurianus. Physiological properties were determined, including ethanol tolerance at up to 12% (v/v). Acidification at a growth temperature of 40 ℃ was seen for GHA 7, GYA 23, JGB 21-17, and GHA 20 strains, which may be useful in vinegar production where thermotolerant AAB are required. The seven AAB isolates had strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Antioxidant activity was 2- and 4-fold higher, respectively, for A cerevisiae and A. pasteurianus than for the control, 1% acetic acid. We also observed 91.3% inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity for the KSO 5 strain, higher than that for the positive control, 0.1% captopril (76.9%). All strains showed complete inhibition of α-glucosidase, except JGB 21-17 and GHA 7 with 98.3% inhibition. Our work suggests usefulness of the strains selected as seed strains for highly efficient production of functional vinegar and illustrates identification of useful functional characteristics on a scientific basis.

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

Corresponding to the principles of biological synapses, an essential prerequisite for hardware neural networks using electronics devices is continuous regulation of conductance. We implemented artificial synaptic characteristics in a (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM with a superlattice structure under optimized identical pulse trains. Based on atomically controlling the Ge switch in the phase transition that appears in the GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattice structure, multiple conductance states were implemented by applying the appropriate electrical pulses. Furthermore, we found that the bidirectional switching behavior of a (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM can achieve a desired resistance level using the pulse width. Therefore, we also fabricated a Ge2Sb2Te5 PCM and designed a pulse scheme based on the phase transition mechanism to compare to the (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM. We designed an identical pulse scheme that implements linear and symmetrical LTP and LTD based on the iPCM mechanism. As a result, the (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM showed relatively excellent synaptic characteristics by implementing gradual conductance modulation, a nonlinearity value of 0.32, and LTP/LTD 40 conductance states using identical pulses trains. Our results demonstrate the general applicability of the artificial synaptic device for potential use in neuro-inspired computing and next generation non-volatile memory.

The incidence of right-turning pedestrian accidents is increasing in South Korea. Most of the accidents occurred when the larger vehicle was turning right, and the main cause of the accidents was found to be the driver's limited field of vision. After these accidents, the government has implemented a series of institutional measures with the objective of preventing such accidents. However, despite the institutional arrangements in place, pedestrian accidents continue to occur. We focused on the many limitations that autonomous vehicles, like humans, can face in such situations. To address this issue, we propose a right-turn pedestrian collision avoidance system by installing a LiDAR sensor in the center of the intersection to facilitate pedestrian detection. Furthermore, the urban road environment is considered, as this provides the optimal conditions for the model to perform at its best. During this research, we collected data on right-turn accidents using the CARLA simulator and ROS interface and demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach in preventing such incidents. Our results suggest that the implementation of this method can effectively reduce the incidence of right-turn accidents in autonomous vehicles.

Recent epidemiologic studies have revealed an upward trend in young-onset colorectal cancer (YOCRC) overall, whereas specific data on young-onset colorectal neuroendocrine neoplasms (YONEN) remain limited. This study investigates demographic characteristics and survival trends in YONEN and compares these with those of young-onset colorectal adenocarcinoma (YOADC), the most common histologic subtype of YOCRC. A retrospective analysis was conducted from 2000 to 2019 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Survival outcomes were assessed using univariate and multivariable Cox proportional models, with demographic differences evaluated via Wilcoxon Rank Sum and Chi-square tests. Out of 61,705 patients aged 20-49 with colorectal cancer, 8% had NEN, and 92% had adenocarcinoma. The YONEN cohort had a higher proportion of Black patients and a lower proportion of White patients than the YOADC cohort (21% vs. 13% and 44% vs. 57%, respectively). NEN was more commonly found in the rectum (79%), and adenocarcinoma was mostly colonic (57%) in origin. YONEN patients had better survival than YOADC patients. Multivariate analysis in YONEN patients revealed that Hispanic patients had better overall survival compared to White patients (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.95, p=0.024). Racial disparities should be investigated further to aid in policymaking and targeted interventions.

Developing low-cost and stable materials for converting solar energy into electricity is vital in meeting the world's energy demand. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained attention for solar cells due to their natural porous architectures and tunable chemical structures. This review commences with an exploration of the synthetic methods of MOFs. Moreover, we discuss the various roles of MOFs, including photoanodes and counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells and interfacial layers and charge carriers in perovskite solar cells. Ultimately, burdensome tasks and possible directions for advancing MOFs-based nanomaterials are provided for solar cells.

The blended perfluorinated sulfonic acid ionomers are prepared to have equivalent weight (EW) ~1000, 980, and 830. The catalyst layers (CLs) using blended PFSA ionomers with different side chain lengths and EWs are investigated, compared to the CLs utilizing single ionomers. The IEC results indicate that the blended ionomers have the targeted EWs. As a result, it is found that the blended ionomers exhibit higher ion conductivity than the single ionomers at all temperatures due to higher water uptake of the blended ionomers. Even though they have a similar EW, it implies that the blended ionomers have bulk structure to form competent free volume. The blended ionomers with short side chain (SSC) and low EW can help reduce the activation energy due to the enhanced hydrophobic and hydrophilic segregation. In addition, it is observed that the catalyst layers using the blended ionomer form more porous microstructure to help reduce the resistance of oxygen transport and attributes to lower mass transfer loss. This effect is significantly revealed in the fuel cell operation at not the lower temperature (70 °C) and full humidification (100%) but the elevated temperature (80 °C) and lower relative humidity (50 and 75%). The blended ionomer-based catalyst layers with higher water uptake and porous CL structure result in higher fuel cell performance and better mass transport than the single ionomer-based catalyst layers.

This study investigates the cooling effects of water facilities installed in urban parks, focusing on Sangju Namsan Park. The park features a water path and a cooling fog system, introduced as part of an environmental adaptation project to mitigate urban heat. Microclimate data were collected during the hot summer months of 2023 to assess the impact of these facilities on air temperature, humidity, and perceived thermal comfort. Results indicate that the water path and fog system reduced surface temperatures by up to 1.08°C, with additional benefits in reducing fine particulate matter and CO2 levels. The findings suggest that strategically placed water features can enhance thermal comfort and air quality in urban parks, offering a practical approach to climate change adaptation in urban planning. These insights are crucial for urban planners and policymakers aiming to improve public health and quality of life in the face of climate change.

Traditional grain vinegar is fermented using multiple acetic acid bacteria (AAB) at various temperatures. A single AAB showed high acid–producing ability at 30 °C with a 5% alcohol concentration and an initial pH adjusted to 4.0. Multiple AAB were similar to single AAB, but the optimal initial pH was 3.0. Acid production ability according to the type of AAB was higher in multiple AAB than that for single AAB. That is, using multiple AAB helped to increase the titratable acidity of traditional grain vinegar. In addition, increasing the titratable acidity and content of volatile flavor compounds was advantageous when two, rather than four, AAB types were mixed and used. Titratable acidity was high at medium temperatures (30 °C), but volatile flavor compounds increased at low temperatures (20 °C) under multiple AAB. A 16S rDNA–based microbiome taxonomic profiling analysis identified differences in beta diversity due to multiple AAB and fermentation temperatures. In particular, beta diversity analysis revealed a specific pattern when a mixture of Acetobacter ascedens GV–8 and Acetobacter pasteurianus GV–22 were fermented at low temperature (20 °C). Therefore, we propose the application of multiple AAB with acidic and flavor–producing properties in traditional grain vinegar.

Surgical techniques are gaining attention for treating physical diseases in aquaculture and aquarium fish. Sturgeon is a suitable species for surgical experiments due to its industrial significance. Maintaining homeostasis is crucial during surgical procedures, and the liver plays a major role in immune regulation. High temperature is suggested to improve physiological activity and wound healing. This study investigated differences in hepatectomy sturgeons' tolerance and histopathological responses of internal organs. Moreover, this study investigated the effects of high temperature on wound healing and hematopoietic recovery in fish undergoing surgical procedures. The liver condition was found to play a pivotal role in the analysis, and cortisol levels were affected by anesthesia. The results showed that high temperature facilitated hematopoietic recovery and wound healing, but excessive induction of physiological activity caused damage. Managing high temperatures and liver condition induced a remarkable improvement in wound healing. However, anesthesia itself can be a significant stressor for fish, and wound healing requires a greater amount of energy. Further research is needed to understand the stress factors caused by surgical procedures and anesthesia and to promote animal welfare in fisheries products.

Inotodiol, a lanostane-type triterpenoid, and many phytochemicals from Chaga mushroom have been investigated for various allergic diseases. However, antiaging and anti-inflammatory activities of inotodiol under different types of oxidative stress and impact of inotodiol on collagen and hyaluronan synthesis are not sufficiently studied. Lanostane triterpenoids-rich concentrate, which contained 10% inotodiol as major (the inotodiol concentrate), was prepared from Chaga and compared with pure inotodiol in terms of anti-inflammatory activities on a human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT cells, under various stimulation such as stimulation with ultraviolet (UV) B or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. In stimulation with TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 genes were significantly repressed by 0.44~4.0 μg/mL of pure inotodiol. UVB irradiation induced overexpressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but those genes were significantly suppressed by pure inotodiol or inotodiol concentrate. Moreover, pure inotodiol/inotodiol concentrate could also modulate synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid by controlling COL1A2 and HAS2/3 expression, which implies a crucial role of pure inotodiol/inotodiol concentrate in prevention of skin aging. These results enlighten anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effect of pure inotodiol/inotodiol concentrate, and it is highly conceivable that pure inotodiol and inotodiol concentrate could be promising natural bioactive substances to be incorporated in therapeutic and beautifying applications.

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of paediatric dentistry programmes on children and adolescents to reduce oral health inequalities. It measures and assesses the improvement effects of paediatric dentistry programmes on the oral health of children and adolescents as part of the efforts to decrease oral health disparities in this age group. It included 406 individuals who participated in student and paediatric dentistry programmes between 2013 and 2019 at screening facilities in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Frequency analysis was conducted for demographic characteristics, and binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing the prevalence of dental caries as the dependent variable. Data were analysed using PASW Statistics with the statistical significance level set at α=0.05. Regarding oral health indicators based on the frequency of participation in paediatric dentistry programmes for children and adolescents, participants with seven or more sessions had lower prevalence rates of dental caries, malocclusion, and periodontal disease than those with only one session. Second, when comparing oral health indicators in paediatric dentistry programmes between primary and adolescent age groups, individuals under continuous management showed a decrease in permanent teeth affected by dental caries, dental caries prevalence, and malocclusion prevalence (excluding primary school age). Third, binary logistic regression analysis revealed significant influences (p

This study developed Makgeolli (Korean traditional alcoholic beverage) by adding raw 20% Codium fragile (Cf), a green seaweed, to a mixed base consisting of rice and oats (1:1 ratio) (COM) and analyzed its quality characteristics and antioxidant activity. The rice based Makgeolli supplemented with raw 20% Cf was designated as control (CRM). The physicochemical (pH, acidity), microbiological (yeast, lactic acid bacteria), antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS), and sensory properties (7-henodonic scale) of CRM and COM were investigated during 7 days of fermentation. The pH/acidity levels of CRM and COM reached 3.66/0.68 and 3.69/0.95 after 7 days of fermentation, respectively. Compared to CRM, COM had lower alcohol and sugar contents (P < 0.05) (CRM: 14.5%/9.8 Brix, COM: 11.2%/7.4 Brix). However, COM contained more yeast and lactic acid bacteria (P < 0.05) (CRM: 1.30/4.28 log, COM: 6.04/6.09 log) compared to CRM. The antioxidant activity of DPPH/ABTS (P < 0.05) in COM was approximately 1.5 times that of CRM (CRM: 40.00/51.57%, COM: 56.76/70.91%). In addition, COM had an excellent sensory preference score (P < 0.05) due to its overall fresh flavor and savory taste (CRM: 4.93, COM: 6.06). Therefore, COM was shown to be Makgeolli with enhanced antioxidant function, with yeast and lactic acid bacteria, and improved flavor, suggesting the possibility of commercializing this Makgeolli.

In this work, alkylammonium-functionalized hollow mesoporous silica as nonocarrier of drugs was synthesized to realize enhanced cancer therapy by pH stimuli for sustained drug release. First, functionalized hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Hollow MSNs) were synthesized using dodecyl dimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (DDAPS), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and triethanolamine as structure-directing agents, and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and N-trimethoxysilypropyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (TMAPS) as silica sources under basic condition via the sol-gel process. The structure and morphology of the alkylammonium-functionalized hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Hollow MSN-N+CH3) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The functionalized hollow MSNs had a particle size of about 450 nm and a shell thickness of about 60 nm with uniform size. The nanoparticle had a surface area of 408 m2g-1, pore volume of 0.8 cm3g-1 and a uniform pore diameter of 45.9 Å. In the cancer cell viability test with MCF-7 cell, fludarabine-incorporated and alkylammonium-functionalized hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Flu/Hollow MSN-N+CH3) showed excellent cancer cell death comparable with pure fludarabine drug with the controlled drug release by pH stimuli. It is considered that our current materials have the potential applicability as pH-responsive nanocarriers in the field of cancer therapy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of implants placed in horizontally augmented alveolar ridges using porcine bone grafts and to investigate the long-term stability of the porcine bone grafts. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 55 sites that underwent horizontal ridge augmentation using porcine bone grafts and implant placement with a follow-up period longer than 5 years. Furthermore, additional analysis was conducted on 24 sites where porcine bone grafts were used exclusively and implants were placed simultaneously with horizontal ridge augmentation. The mean follow-up period after prosthesis loading was 67.3 months, with a mean marginal bone loss of 0.18 mm at 1 year and a cumulative mean marginal bone loss of 0.37 mm over the entire follow-up period. Of the 55 implants, 2 were lost and 4 did not meet the success criteria, resulting in a survival rate of 96.4% and a success rate of 89.1%. In 24 sites, the mean marginal bone loss was 0.22 mm at 1 year and 0.40 mm at 65.8 months, with 100% survival and success rates. Porcine bone grafts can be successfully used in horizontal ridge augmentation for implant placement in cases of ridges with insufficient horizontal width.

The oral cavity is the gateway for microorganisms into your body where they disseminate not only to the directly connected respiratory and digestive tracts, but also to the many remote organs. Oral microbiota, traveling to the end of the intestine and circulating our body through blood vessels, not only affect a gut microbiome profile, but also many systemic diseases. By gathering information accumulated from the era of focal infection theory to the age of revolution in microbiome research, we propose a pivotal role of “leaky gum”, as an analogy of “leaky gut”, to underscore the importance of the oral cavity in systemic health. The oral cavity has unique structures, the gingival sulcus (GS) and the junctional epithelium (JE) below the GS, which are rarely found anywhere else in our body. The JE is attached to the tooth enamel and cementum by hemidesmosome (HD), which is structurally weaker than desmosome and is thus vulnerable to microbial infiltration. In the GS, microbial biofilms can build up for life, unlike the biofilms on the skin and intestinal mucosa that fall off by natural process. Thus, we emphasize that the GS and the JE are the weakest leaky point for microbes to invade human body, making the leaky gum just as important as, or even more important than, the leaky gut.

This study focused on the predictive models incorporating machine learning techniques that induce new dynamics for forecasting energy generation, enabling effective planning, financing, and system monitoring. The research developed a machine learning-based power generation prediction model tailored explicitly for Kenya's Garissa solar power plant. The selected model demonstrated a root mean squared error of 5.23 during evaluation, resulting in a prediction accuracy of 90.42%. This high accuracy indicates that the model can be relied upon for precise generation prediction, facilitating effective planning, and system performance monitoring

Objective: There are currently no known treatment methods for ensuring complete recovery from facial nerve damage. Thus, various basic and clinical studies continue to be conducted to achieve this end. As part of this research, autophagy is being investigated for its role in nerve regeneration. Here, we review the existing literature regarding the involvement and signifi-cance of autophagy in facial nerve injury and regeneration. Methods: A comprehensive litera-ture review was conducted to assess the induction and role of autophagy in facial nerve injury and subsequent regeneration. Results: Studies conducted on rats and mice have demonstrated activation of autophagy and expression of related factors in facial and sciatic nerves. Among the most studied of these factors in relation to degeneration and regeneration of facial and sciatic nerves are LC3II/I, PI3K, mTOR, Beclin-1, ATG3, ATG5, ATG7, ATG9, and ATG12. Conclusion: This analysis indicates that autophagy is involved in the process of nerve regeneration follow-ing facial and sciatic nerve damage. Inadequate autophagy induction or failure of autophagy re-sponses can result in regeneration issues after facial or sciatic nerve damage. Animal studies suggest that autophagy plays an important role in facial and sciatic nerve degeneration and re-generation.

Multiplex genome editing may induce genotoxicity and chromosomal rearrangements due to double-strand DNA breaks at multiple loci simultaneously induced by programmable nucleases, including CRISPR/Cas9. However, recently developed base-editing systems can directly substitute target sequences without double-strand breaks. Thus, the base-editing system is expected to be a safer method for multiplex genome-editing platforms for livestock. Target-AID is a base editing system composed of PmCDA1, a cytidine deaminase from sea lampreys, fused to Cas9 nickase. It can be used to substitute cytosine for thymine in 3-5 base editing windows, 18 bases upstream of the protospacer-adjacent motif site. In the current study, we demonstrated Target-AID-mediated base editing in porcine cells for the first time. We targeted multiple loci in the porcine genome using the Target-AID system and successfully induced target-specific base substitutions with up to 63.15% efficiency. This system can be used for the further production of various genome-engineered pigs.

Background: We conducted research on the newly developed personalized recommendation service (PRS) of the global network of Korean scientists and engineers (KOSEN) in order to explore the information usage behavior and importance of the PRS used by Korean scientists and engineers. Methods: In order to understand information usage behavior, we gathered data from 513 survey results and analyzed them in terms of information usage behavior and the corresponding importance in each of the service quality areas. Results: We analyzed the 321 outcomes that indicated non-use of the PRS in order to understand the underlying reason(s); we employed 192 results that demonstrated the use of functionality to examine information usage behavior and importance. They found that the predominant motive for non-use of the service resulted from the respondents not knowing how to use it. According to demographic characteristics, the usage behavior of the PRS showed a difference regarding the purpose of using the service in the categories of gender and major field of study. Furthermore, users were concerned with various components of the PRS such as ease of use, design, relevance of content, user support, and interactivity. Conclusions: We suggest reinforcing user education degree and promotion to enhance the PRS. Since users were concerned with ease of use, design, relevance, user support, and interactivity, we recommend these as major points for improvement.

Background: This study aimed to examine the obesity¬ stress, weight control behavior, and self-control in overweight and obese female university students, and identify the mediating effect of self-control in the relationship between obesity stress and weight control behavior. Methods: This study employed a descriptive correlational design. A total of 109 female university students who were overweight and obese participated in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, and Bootstrapping using Hayes' PROCESS macro for mediation. Results: Significant relationships between obesity stress and weight control behavior (r=0.25, p<0.001), obesity stress and self-control (r=-0.36, p<0.001), and weight control behavior and self-control (r=.26, p<.001) were observed. Self-control showed indirect mediating effect on the relationship between obesity stress and weight control behavior. Conclusion: Therefore, development of programs and strategies for improving self-control is necessary in order to decrease obesity among female university students.

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.

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

High temperature (HT) significantly affects the crop physiological traits and reduces the 12 productivity in plants. To increase yields as well as survival of crops under HT, developing heat13 tolerant plants is one of the main targets in crop breeding programs. The present study attempted 14 to investigate the linkage of the heat tolerance between the seedling and the reproductive growth 15 stages of tomato cultivars ’Dafnis‘ and ’Minichal’. This research was undertaken to evaluate heat 16 tolerance under two experimental designs such as screening at seedling stage and screening from 17 reproductive traits in greenhouses. Survival rate and physiological responses in seedlings of 18 tomatoes with 4-5 true leaf were estimated under HT (40 °C, RH 70%, day/night, respectively) and 19 under two control and HT greenhouse conditions (day time 28 °C and 40 °C, respectively). Heat 20 stress significantly affected physiological-chemical (photosynthesis, electrolyte conductivity, 21 proline) and vegetative parameters (plant height, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight) in all 22 tomatoes seedlings. The finding revealed that regardless of tomato cultivars the photosynthesis, 23 chlorophyll, total proline and electrical conductivity parameters were varied in seedlings during the 24 heat stress period. The heat tolerance rate of tomatoes in the seedling stage might not be associated 25 always with reproductive parameters. HT reduced the fruit parameters likeas fruit weight (31.9%), 26 fruit length (14.1%), fruit diameter (19.1%) and fruit hardness (9.1%) in compared to NT under HT 27 in heat susceptible tomato cultivar ‘Dafnis’, while in heat tolerant cultivar ‘Minichal’ fruit length 28 (7.1%) and fruit diameter (12.1%) was decreased by the affect of HT but on the contrary fruit weight 29 (3.6%) and fruit hardness (8.3%) were increased. In conclusion, screening and selection for tomatoes 30 should be evaluated at the vegetative and reproductive stages with consideration of reproductive 31 parameters.

Understanding the mechanism for heat tolerance is important for the hot pepper breeding program to develop heat-tolerant cultivars in changing climate. This study was conducted to investigate physiological and biochemical parameters related to heat tolerance and to determine leaf heat damage levels critical for selecting heat-tolerant genotypes. Seedlings of two commercial cultivars, heat-tolerant ‘NW Bigarim’ (NB) and susceptible ‘Chyung Yang’ (CY), were grown in 42 °C for ten days. Photosynthesis, electrolyte conductivity, proline content were measured among seedlings during heat treatment. Photosynthetic rate was significantly reduced in ‘CY’ but not in ‘NB’ seedlings in 42 °C. Stomatal conductivity and transpiration rate was significantly higher in ‘NB’ than ‘CY’. Proline content was also significantly higher in ‘NB’. After heat treatment, leaf heat damages were determined as 0, 25, 50 and 75% and plants with different leaf heat damages were moved to a glasshouse (30–32/22–24 °C in day/night). The growth and developmental parameters were investigated until 70 days. ‘NB’ was significantly affected by leaf heat damages only in fruit yield while ‘CY’ was in fruit set, number and yield. ‘NB’ showed fast recovery after heat stress compared to ‘CY’. These results suggest that constant photosynthetic rate via increased transpiration rate as well as high proline content in heat stress condition confer faster recovery from heat damage of heat-tolerant cultivars in seedlings stages.

In this paper, we proposed a novel saddle type FinFET (S-FinFET) to effectively solve problems occurring under the capacitor node of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) cell and showed how its structure was superior to conventional S-FinFETs in terms of short channel effect (SCE), subthreshold slope (SS), and gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL). The proposed FinFET exhibited 4 times lower Ioff than modified S-FinFET called RFinFET with more improved DIBL characteristics while minimizing Ion reduction compared to RFinFET. Our results also confirmed that the proposed device showed improved DIBL and Ioff characteristics as gate channel length decreased.

White spot lesions (WSLs), a side effect of orthodontic treatment, can result in reversible and unaesthetic results. Graphene oxide (GO) with a bioactive glass (BAG) mixture(BAG@GO) was added to Low Viscosity Transbond XT(LV) in a ratio of 1, 3, 5%. The composite’s characterization and its physical and biological properties were verified with scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD); its microhardness, shear bond stress (SBS), cell viability, and adhesive remnant index (ARI) were also assessed. Efficiency in reducing WSL was evaluated using antibacterial activity of S. mutans. Anti-demineralization was analyzed using a cycle of the acid-base solution. Adhesives with 3 or 5 wt.% of BAG@GO showed significant increase in microhardness compared with LV. The sample and LV groups showed no significant differences in SBS or ARI. The cell viability test confirmed that none of the sample groups showed higher toxicity compared to the LV group. Antibacterial activity was higher in the 48-hour group than in the 24-hour group; the 48-hour test showed that BAG@GO had a high antibacterial effect, which was more pronounced in 5 wt.% of BAG@GO. Anti-demineralization effect was higher in the BAG@GO-group than in the LV-group; the higher the BAG@GO concentration, the higher the anti-demineralization effect.

In this work, polyacrylic acid-functionalized MCM-41 was synthesized, which was further interacted with calcium ions, to realize enhanced pH-responsive nanocarrier for sustained drug release. First, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were prepared by the sol-gel method. Afterward, (3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) modified surface was prepared by using the post-grafting method, then polymerization of acrylic acid was proceeded. After adding calcium chloride solution, polyacrylic acid-functionalized MSNs with calcium-carboxyl ionic bonds in the polymeric layer, which can prevent the cargo from leaking out of the mesopore, were prepared. The structure and morphology of the modified nanoparticles (PAA-MSNs) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, etc. The controlled release of guest molecules was studied by using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The drug molecules-incorporated nanoparticles showed different releasing rates under different pH conditions. It is considered that our current materials have the potential as pH-responsive targeted nanocarriers in the field of medical treatment.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the causes of cost variation in natural disaster prevention projects (NDPP) in Gyeongsangbuk-do and to develop effective cost and risk management strategies. The study collected data by conducting an online survey of 244 stakeholders. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of various variables on cost deviation, in-cluding project management risk (PMR), project costing and execution risk (PCER), project exe-cution strategy risk (PESR), construction project risk (CPR), project cost and schedule risk (PCSR), project management challenges (PMC), and construction project subcontractor and safety man-agement (CPSSM). The results showed that PMR (OR=3.744, 95% C.I. [1.657, 8.457]), PCER (OR=5.068, 95% C.I. [2.236, 11.484]), PESR (OR=3.447, 95% C.I. [1. 853, 6.413]), CPR (OR=2.292, 95% C.I. [1.020, 5.151]), PCSR (OR=4.817, 95% C.I. [2.250, 10.317]), PMC (OR=2.954, 95% C.I. [1.452, 6. 013]), and CPSSM (OR=2.419, 95% C.I. [1.297, 4.515]) had statistically significant effects on cost deviation. In particular, PMR, PCER, and PESR were identified as the main causes, and the effects of additional factors such as CPSSM were also important. The developed predictive model plays an important role in helping stakeholders of NDPP to manage risks in advance and take appro-priate preventive measures to ensure the success of the project. This study empirically supports the theoretical hypotheses of previous studies and provides a clear understanding of the causes of cost deviation in NDPP, which provides important insights for strategic decision-making and provides a new perspective on risk management.

Background and Objectives: The arthroscopic biceps rerouting (BR) technique was introduced as a novel technique for large-to-massive rotator cuff tears (LMRCT). This method can restore shoulder stability, and its biomechanical effect was verified in a cadaver experiment. Recent reports have shown favourable clinical outcomes. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of partial repair with those of BR technique in LMRCT. Materials and Methods: We included 72 patients who had undergone LMRCT. Arthroscopic partial repair was performed in 31 patients (group I), while repair with the BR technique was performed in 41 patients (group II). Functional and imaging outcomes were evaluated and compared using a visual analogue scale for pain, range of motion (ROM), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant score, and Korean Shoulder Score (KSS) before the surgery and at 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery and at the last follow-up. Tendon integrity was investigated using magnetic resonance in all the patients at 12 months postoperative. Results: Mean follow-up period was 22.11 ± 10.47 months (range, 12–53 months). Forward flexion (P=0.02) and external rotation at the side (P=0.04) were significantly higher in group II than in group I on postoperative day (POD) 12. For internal rotation, group II showed significant improvement compared to group I on POD 3 (P=0.002) and at six months postoperative (P=0.01). On POD 12, the ASES (P=0.047) and KSS (P=0.048) were better in group II. Significant improvements in pain and clinical scores were observed in both groups at the last follow-up. However, there were no significant differences in pain, clinical scores, or ROM between the two groups at the last follow-up. Retear of the repaired tendon was observed in nine patients in group I (29.03%) and 8 in group II (19.51%, P = 0.35). Conclusions: Partial repair and repair using the BR technique effectively improved clinical and radiologic outcomes. The BR technique revealed early recovery of ROM and better clinical results than partial repair until one year postoperatively. This could be a useful method in LMRCT.

In this study, the effect of NaOCl (10–200 ppm of Cl2) on the inactivation of human norovirus (HuNV) GII.4 and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in groundwater was investigated using PMA/RT­qPCR. Initially, 4.00 log copies/μL of HuNV GII.4 or 5.50 log copies/μL of HAV were artificially inoculated in ground water. The titers of HuNV GII.4 and HAV decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing Cl2 concentrations. Ground water was treated with 10, 30, 50, 100, 150, and 200 ppm of Cl2, and the viable HuNV GII.4 was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced to 3.28 (0.21 log reduction), 3.18 (0.31 log reduction), 3.01 (0.48 log reduction), 2.75 (0.74 log reduction), 2.54 (0.95 log reduction), and 2.34 (1.15 log reduction) log copies/μL, respectively. The viable HAV was also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced to 4.99 (0.23 log reduction), 4.76 (0.46 log reduction), 4.55 (0.67 log reduction), 4.21 (1.01 log reduction), 3.89 (1.33 log reduction), and 3.64 (1.58 log reduction) log copies/μL, respectively. The decimal reduction time (D-value) (1-log reduction) of HuNV GII.4 and HAV infectivity in ground water was predicted as 116.7 and 98.9 ppm of Cl2, respectively using the first-order kinetics model (HuNV GII.4 ; y = - 0.0054x + 3.3585, R2= 0.97, HAV ; y = - 0.0091x + 5.0470, R2= 0.97). The result specifically suggests that 150–200 ppm Cl2 can potentially be used for the inactivation of > 1 log copies/μL HuNV GII.4 and HAV in ground water.

The degradation of Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) gasket materials is crucial in electric vehicles as it can cause hazardous hydrogen fuel leaks, which are usually due to high temperatures, pressures, and hydrogen fuel exposure. Degradation of gasket materials in PEMFC presents a critical concern for electric vehicle safety due to potential hydrogen fuel leaks. This study utilizes finite element analysis (FEA) to assess the suitability of gasket materials for PEMFC applications, focusing on aging and tensile conditions. The dual degradation framework, incorporating contact pressure and von Mises stress, is employed to evaluate Liquid Silicon Rubber (LSR) and Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) materials. Under aging techniques, the Yeoh model exhibits the least Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and computational cost of 0.27 seconds, while the Ogden model records the highest computational cost of 0.89 seconds. In evaluating MAE, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and R-squared metrics, LSR and EPDM materials demonstrate respective averages of 0.25%, 0.275%, 0.945%, and 0.815%, 0.685%, 0.77%. Tensile testing (Uniaxial) reveals RMSE and MAE values of 0.30%, 0.40%, and 0.50%, 0.40%, respectively. FEA proves instrumental in identifying suitable gasket materials for PEMFC applications. LSR emerges as the superior choice, demonstrating enhanced FEA modelling performance under aging and tensile conditions. These findings contribute valuable insights to the design and development of improved gasket materials, bolstering the safety and reliability of electric vehicles.

In this study, a natural-based gelling agent comprised of blended flax seed gum (FSG), konjac glucomannan (KG), and agar gel (AG) was developed for application to control the textural properties of foods. The compound gels, including FSG, KG, and AG, were investigated to determine their physicochemical properties, including minimum gelling concentration, water binding capacity, water soluble index, and swelling power. In addition, we analyzed the rheological properties of the compound gel through texture analysis, frequency sweep, and creep and recovery. The microstructure of the compound gel was identified and compared with the viscoelastic properties of the gel. Overall, these results showed that the F4K6 (4:6:2 of FSG:KG:AG) could serve as an excellent gelling agent, which endowed food gel with the promoted elastic properties, water capacity, and rigid surface morphology. This work suggests that novel gelling agents, including FSG, KGM, and AG, successfully prepared food gels with improved physicochemical properties.

A heat pump with thermal storage system is a system that operates a heat pump during night-time using inexpensive electricity; during this time, the generated thermal energy is stored in a thermal storage tank. The stored thermal energy is used by the heat pump during daytime. Based on a model of a dual latent heat storage tank and a heat pump, this study conducts control simulations using both conventional and advanced methods for heating in a building. Conventional methods include the thermal storage priority method and the heat pump priority method, while advanced approaches include the region control method and the dynamic programming method. The heating load required for an office building is identified using TRNSYS, used for simulations of various control methods. The thermal storage priority method shows a low coefficient of performance (COP), while the heat pump priority method leads to high electricity costs due to the low use of thermal storage. In contrast, electricity costs are lower for the region control method, which operates using the optimal part load ratio of the heat pump, and for dynamic programming, which operates the system by following the minimum cost path. According to simulation results for the winter season, the electricity costs using the dynamic programming method are 17% and 9% lower than those of the heat pump priority and thermal storage priority methods, respectively. The region control method shows results similar to the dynamic programming method with respect to electricity costs. In conclusion, advanced control methods are proven to have advantages over conventional methods in terms of power consumption and electricity costs.

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

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

Temperature differences between the atmosphere and river water allow rivers to be used as a hydrothermal energy source. The river-water heat pump system is a relatively non-invasive renewable energy source; however, effluent discharged from the heat pump can cause downstream temperature changes which may impact sensitive fluvial ecosystems. In this study, the water temperature recovery distance of the effluent was estimated for a river section in the Han River Basin, Korea, using the heat transfer equation and the Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code (EFDC) model. Results showed that, compared to the EFDC model, the heat transfer equation tended to overestimate the water temperature recovery distance due to its simplified assumptions. The water temperature recovery distance could also be used as an objective indicator to decide the reuse of downstream river water. Furthermore, as the river system was found to support an endangered fish species that is sensitive to water environment changes, care should be taken to exclude the habitats of protected species affected by water temperatures within water temperature recovery distance.

Angiogenesis mediated by proteins such as Fibroblast Growth Factor – 2 (FGF-2) is a vital component of normal physiological processes and has also been implicated in contributing to disease state associated with various microbial infections. Previous studies by our group and others have shown that Candida albicans, a common agent of candidiasis, induces FGF-2 expression in vitro, and angiogenesis in brains and kidneys during systemic infections. However, the underlying mechanism(s) via which the fungus increases FGF-2 expression and the role(s) that FGF-2/angiogenesis plays in C. albicans disease remain unknown. Here we show, for the first time, that C. albicans hyphae (and not yeast cells) increase the FGF-2 response in human endothelial cells. Moreover, candidalysin, a toxin secreted exclusively by C. albicans in the hyphal state is required to induce this response. Our in vivo studies show that, in the systemic C. albicans infection model, mice treated with FGF-2 exhibit significantly higher mortality rates when compared to untreated mice not given the angiogenic growth factor. Even treatment with fluconazole could not fully rescue infected animals that were administered FGF-2. Our data suggest that the increase of FGF-2 production/angiogenesis induced by candidalysin contributes to the pathogenicity of C. albicans.

Background: Angelica gigas Nakai, Korean dang-gui, has long been widely used in traditional treatment methods. There have been a number of studies of the health effects of A. gigas and related compounds, but studies addressing effects on blood triglycerides (TG) are lacking. To investigate the effects of A. gigas Nakai extract (AGNE) on TG in Korean subjects, we carried out a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods: Subjects who met the inclusion criterion (130 mg/dL ≤ fasting blood TG ≤ 200 mg/dL) were recruited for this study. One hundred subjects were assigned to the AGNE group (n=50) or the placebo group (n=50), who were given 1g/day of AGNE (as a gigas Nakai extract 200mg/d) in capsules, and the control group for 12 weeks. Outcomes were efficacy TG, lipid profiles, atherogenic index, and safety parameters were assessed initially for a baseline measurement and after 12 weeks. Results: After 12 weeks of supplementation, TG and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentration and TG/HDL-C ratio in the AGNE group were significantly reduced compared to the placebo group (p <0.05). No significant changes in any safety parameter were observed. Conclusions: These results suggest that ingestion of AGNE may improve TG and be useful to manage or prevent hypertriglyceridemia.

Controversy exists on whether animal and plant proteins influence obesity differently. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between total, animal, and plant protein intake with the obesity index and renal function in Korean adults. Study participants included Korean adults aged 60 years or older from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2013-2014. Height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. One-day 24-hour recall data were used to estimate the daily total, animal, and plant protein intake. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated by using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. General linear modellings were used to assess the relationships between protein intake, BMI and WC. The mean age was 69.2 ± 0.2 years, 44.2% were male. The total daily protein intake was 1.1 ± 0.02 g/kg/d and 0.9 ± 0.02 g/kg/d for males and females, respectively. Only one third of protein intake was from animal sources. In males, BMI (p < 0.001, p = 0.016, p < 0.001 respectively) and WC (p < 0.001, p = 0.010, p < 0.001, respectively) decreased as daily intake of plant protein (g/kg/d), animal protein (g/kg/d) and total protein (g/kg/d) increased. Similar associations were shown in Korean female. GFR was not associated with protein intake regardless of protein source in both sexes. In Korean adults aged 60 years or older, the protein intake was associated with a favorable obesity index without decrease in renal function. The effect was similar in both male and females, with both animal and plant proteins.

Inflammation is a natural protective process through which the immune system responds to injury, infection, or irritation. However, hyperinflammation or long-term inflammatory response can cause various inflammatory diseases. Although idebenone was initially developed for the treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia, it is currently used to treat various diseases. However, its anti-inflammatory effects and regulatory functions in inflammatory diseases is yet to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of idebenone in cecal ligation puncture-induced sepsis and lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation. Murine models of cecal ligation puncture-induced sepsis and lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation were generated, followed by treatment with various concentrations of idebenone. Additionally, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages were treated with idebenone to elucidate its anti-inflammatory effects at the cellular level. Idebenone treatment significantly improved survival rate, protected against tissue damage, and decreased the expression of inflammatory enzymes and cytokines in mice models of sepsis and systemic inflammation. Additionally, idebenone treatment suppressed inflammatory responses in macrophages, inhibited the NF-κB signaling pathway, reduced reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, and normalized the activities of antioxidant enzyme. Idebenone possesses potential therapeutic application as a novel anti-inflammatory agent in systemic inflammatory diseases and sepsis.

Corrosion is considered as one of the main factors in the structural performance deterioration of steel members. In this study, experimental and numerical methods were used to assess the reduction in compressive strength of short tubular steel columns with local corrosion damage. The corrosion damage was varied with different depths (0, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 4.5, and 6 mm), height (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, and 180 mm), circumference (0, 90, 180, 270, and 360°), and location along the column. A parametric numerical study was performed to establish a correlation between the residual compressive strength and the severity of corrosion damage. The results showed that as the corrosion depth, height and circumference increased, the compressive strength decreased linearly. As for the corrosion height, the residual compressive strength became constant after decreasing linearly when the corrosion height was greater than the half-wavelength of buckling of the short columns. An equation is presented to evaluate the residual compressive strength of short columns with local corrosion wherein the volume of the corrosion damage was used as a reduction factor in calculating the compressive strength. The percentage error using the presented equation was found to be within 11.4%.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of potassium poly-γ-glutamate (PGA-K) on mice fed a high-fat diet consisting of 60% of total calories for a duration of 12 weeks. PGA-K administration reduced the increase in body weight, epididymal fat, and liver weight caused by a high-fat diet compared to the obese group. The triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, which are blood lipid indicators, were significantly increased in the obese group but were significantly decreased in the PGA-K-treated group. The administration of PGA-K resulted in a significant inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6. Moreover, the levels of leptin and insulin, which are insulin resistance indicators, significantly increased in the obese group but were significantly decreased in the PGA-K-treated group. These results suggest that PGA-K exhibits a protective effect against obesity induced by a high-fat diet, underscoring its potential as a candidate for obesity treatment.

We evaluated the association of blood pressure with blood levels of cadmium, lead, and cadmium and lead together (cadmium+lead) in a representative sample of adolescents from Korea by use of 2010-2016 data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). This cross-sectional study enrolled adolescents aged at 10-18 years-old who completed a health examination survey and had blood measurements of lead and cadmium. The association of adjusted mean differences in diastolic and systolic blood pressure with doubling of blood lead and cadmium were estimated by regression of blood pressure against log₂-transformed blood metals and their quartiles after covariate adjustment. Adjusted odds ratios for prehypertension were calculated for log₂-transformed blood levels of lead and cadmium and their quartiles. Our analysis of adolescents in Korea indicated that blood levels of lead and cadmium were not significantly associated with increased blood pressure or risk of pre-hypertension. However, the cadmium+lead level was associated with pre-hypertension. Previous studies showed that blood levels of lead and cadmium were associated with increased blood pressure and risk of hypertension in adult populations. We found no such effect in Korean adolescents, although the cadmium+lead level was associated with prehypertension. These differences may be because adolescents generally have lower levels of these blood metals or because adolescents only rarely have hypertension.

An elevated level of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is considered an aggravating factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To develop an ER stress attenuator that is effective against colitis, 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA), a chemical chaperone that alleviates ER stress, was conjugated with acidic amino acids to yield a 4-PBA-glutamic acid conjugate (PBA-GA) and a 4-PBA-aspartic acid conjugate (PBA-AA). The PBA derivatives were converted to 4-PBA in the cecal contents, where the conversion was greater with PBA-GA. After oral administration of PBA-GA (oral PBA-GA), millimolar levels of PBA were accumulated in the cecum, whereas 4-PBA was not detected in the blood, indicating the targeting of PBA-GA to the large intestine. At concentrations in the cecum achievable by oral PBA-GA, 4-PBA effectively attenuated ER stress in human colon epithelial cells. In 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis in rats, oral PBA-GA alleviated the damage and inflammation in the colon. Moreover, oral PBA-GA substantially reduced the elevated levels of ER stress marker proteins in the inflamed colon. Moreover, PBA-GA was as effective as the currently used anti-IBD drug, sulfasalazine. In conclusion, PBA-GA is a colon-targeted prodrug of 4-PBA and is effective against rat colitis probably through the attenuation of ER stress in the inflamed colon.

Honey bees are vital organisms that provide ecological and economic value to humans. However, in recent years, the increase in honey bee losses due to various environmental factors, including pesticides, has become a growing concern. In Europe, neonicotinoid pesticides that are banned are being used without restrictions in the domestic setting, leading to ongoing damages as a result. Ongoing research is continually being conducted to demonstrate the risks associated with neonicotinoid pesticides. However, validation of the actual damages and impact in the field remains absent. Therefore, in this study, we observed changes in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies located near rice cultivation areas as they progressed beyond the rice pesticide application period. Furthermore, we collected honey bees exposed to the clothianidin and analyzed their stress-related gene expression. The results showed that the foraging behavior of honey bee colonies located near rice cultivation areas did not exhibit significant differences between the treatment site (Cheongyang and Gimje) and the control site (Wanju) during the experimental period. However, it was observed that the expression levels of stress-related genes in honey bees collected from the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control. Most of the stress-related genes were associated with detoxification processes in response to pesticides. As a result, pesticide treatment in proximity to rice cultivation areas did not cause direct damage to honey bees but had an indirect impact, suggesting the potential for ongoing chronic damage.

In this study, the changes in mass, compressive strength and length were analyzed to investigate sulfate resistance according to ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) blending ratio and type of sulfate solution. All alkali activated mortars showed excellent sulfate resistance when immersed in sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) solution. However, when immersed in magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) solution, different sulfate resistance results were obtained depending on the presence of GGBFS. Alkali activated GGBFS blended mortars showed a tendency to increase mass, increase length and decrease compressive strength when immersed in magnesium sulfate solution, but the alkali activated FA mortars did not show any significant difference depending on the types of sulfate solution. The deterioration of alkali activated GGBFS blended mortars in the immersion of magnesium sulfate solution was confirmed by the decomposition of C-S-H which is the reaction product by magnesium ion and the formation of gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O) and brucite (Mg(OH)₂).

A systematic approach for model updating using the modal identification results is proposed. Modal identification provides mode shapes for physical quantities (acceleration strain, etc.) measured in specific directions at the location of the sensors. Besides, model updating involves the use of the mode shapes related to the nodal degrees-of-freedom of the finite element analytic model. Consequently, the mode shapes obtained by modal identification and the mode shapes of the model updating process do not coincide even for the same mode. Therefore, a method constructing transform matrices that distinguish the cases where measurement is done by acceleration, velocity and displacement sensors and the case where measurement is done by strain sensors is proposed to remedy such disagreement between the mode shapes. The so-constructed transform matrices are then applied when the mode shape residual is used as objective function or for mode pairing in the model updating process. The feasibility of the proposed approach is verified by means of a numerical example in which the strain or acceleration of a simple beam is measured and a numerical example in which the strain of a bridge is measured. Using the proposed approach, it is possible to model the structure regardless of the position of the sensors and to select the location of the sensors independently from the model.

Background: Malnutrition in critically ill paitents is closely linked with clinical outcomes. During acute inflammatory states, nutrition cannot reverse the loss of body cell mass completely. Studies on nutritional screening and strategy considering metabolic changes not yet been conducted. We aimed to identify nutrition strategies using the modified Nutrition Risk in the Critically ill (mNUTIRC) score. Methods: Nutrition support data, laboratory nutrition indicators, and prognosis indices were prospectively collected on the 2nd and 7th day after admission. It is to identify the effect of changes on the metabolic status and critical target of nutrition intervention. To discriminate the high-risk group of malnutrition, receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted. Risk factors associated with 28 day-mortality were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: A total of 490 and 266 patients were analyzed on the 2nd and 7th day, respectively. Only the mNUTRIC score showed significant differences in nutritional risk stratification. The use of vasopressors, hypo-protein supply (< 1.0 g/kg/day), high mNUTRIC score and hypoalbuminemia (<2.5 mg/dl) in the recovery phase was strongly associated with 28-day mortality. Conclusions: The implementation of the mNUTRIC score and protein supply in the post-acute phase is critical to improve 28-day mortality in critically ill patients.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most common sensory disorder in the elderly. It is associated with aging and hair cell death due to oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Although transgenic mice and long-term cultures for induction of aging have been used to study ARHL, there are presently no ARHL animal models stimulated by intermittent environmental change for aging. In this study, an ARHL animal model was established by inducing continuous oxidative stress to promote short-term aging of cells, determined based on the expression of the hearing loss-induced phenotype and aging related factors in the short term. The incidence of hearing loss was significantly different among the groups subjected to intermittent hypoxic environment, high-fat diet (HFD), and injection with D-galactose. Continuous oxidative stress and HFD were factors that accelerated cellular aging. Increase in UCP2 affected oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. CDH23, SLC26A4, KCNQ4, Myo7a, and Myo6, which are ARHL-related factors, were modified by oxidative stress in cells of the hearing organ. We found that intermittent hypoxic, HFD, and galactose injection accelerated cellular aging in the short term. Thus, we anticipate that the development of this hearing loss animal model, which reflects intermittent environmental changes, will benefit future research on ARHL.

Novel genetic and epigenetic factors involved in the development and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been identified. We previously observed that EPB41L3 increased in the lung fibroblasts of IPF patients. Thus, we investigated the role of EPB41L3 in IPF by comparing EPB41L3 mRNA and protein expression of lung fibroblast between patients with IPF and controls. We also investigated the regulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in an epithelial cell line (A549), and the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT) in a fibroblast cell line (MRC5), by overexpressing and silencing EPB41L3. EPB41L3 mRNA and protein levels, as measured by RT-PCR, real-time PCR, and western blot, were significantly higher in fibroblasts derived from 14 IPF patients than in those from 10 controls. The mRNA and protein expression of EPB41L3 was upregulated during transforming growth factor-β-induced EMT and FMT. Overexpression of EPB41L3 in A549 cells using lenti-EPB41L3 transfection suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of N-cadherin and COL1A1. Treatment with EPB41L3 siRNA upregulated mRNA and protein expression of N-cadherin. Overexpression of EPB41L3 in MRC5 cells using lenti-EPB41L3 transfection suppressed mRNA and protein expression of fibronectin and α-SMA. Finally, treatment with EPB41L3 siRNA upregulated mRNA and protein expression of FN1, COL1A1, and VIM. Overall, these data strongly support an inhibitory effect of EPB41L3 on the process of fibrosis and suggest therapeutic potential of EPB41L3 as an anti-fibrotic mediator.

Emergence of more virulent forms of human pathogenic bacteria with multi drug resistance is a serious global issue and requires alternative control strategies. The current study was focused to investigate the antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of ferulic acid grafted chitosan (CFA) against Listeria monocytogenes (LM), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA). The present result showed that CFA at 64 µg/mL concentration exhibit bactericidal action against LM and SA (>4 log reduction) and bacteriostatic action against PA (<2 log CFU) within 24 h of incubation. Further studies based on propidium iodide uptake assay, measurement of material released from the cell, and electron microscopic analysis revealed that the bactericidal action of CFA was due to the altered membrane integrity and permeability. CFA dose-dependently inhibited biofilm formation (52-89% range), its metabolic activity (30.8-75.1% range) and eradicated mature biofilms, and reduced viability (71-82% range) of the test bacteria. Also, the swarming motility of LM was differentially affected at sub-MIC concentration of CFA. In the present study, the ability of CFA to kill and alter the virulence production in human pathogenic bacteria will insight a new scope for the application of these biomaterials in healthcare to effectively treat bacterial infections.

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

In South Korea, demolition waste (DW) management has become increasingly significant owing to the rising number of old buildings. Effective DW management requires an efficient approach that accurately quantifies and predicts the generation of DW (DWG) of various types, which necessitates access to the required information or technology capable of achieving this. Hence, we developed an artificial intelligence-based model that predicts the generation of ten DW types, specifically from buildings in redevelopment areas. We used an artificial neural network algorithm with < 10 neurons in the hidden layer to derive individual input variables and optimal hyperparameters for each DW type. All DWG prediction models achieved an average validation and test prediction performance (R²) of 0.970 and 0.952, respectively, with their ratios of percent deviation ≥ 2.5, ver-ifying them as excellent models. Moreover, a Shapley additive explanations analysis revealed that DWG was most impacted by the floor area for all the DW types, with a positive correlation with DWG. Conversely, other factors showed either a positive or negative correlation with DWG de-pending on the DW type. The study findings will enable demolition companies and local gov-ernments in making informed decisions for efficient DW management and resource allocation by accurately predicting the generation of various types of DW.

Depressive disorder is a disease that causes a decrease in daily function, and the prevalence of depressive disorder in Korea is the highest among OECD countries. However, due to lack of manpower and negative social awareness, timely treatment is not being performed properly. As a solution to this, AI counseling chatbots are emerging, and it is essential to use labeled datasets to create chatbots. Currently, many countries around the world, including Korea, use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition, DSM-5, but there are no nine labeled datasets according to the DSM-5 depression disorder diagnosis criteria. This study collects sympathetic datasets, analyzes morphemes using Kind Korean Morpheme Analyzer and augments and builds a word dictionary using Word2Vec. As a result, we have labeled the dataset with nine criteria for diagnosing DSM-5 depressive disorder, which will enhance the performance of the counseling chatbot.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) express complex behavioral patterns (aggressiveness) to exhibit defensive mechanisms for their survival. Their phenotypic expression of aggressive behavior is influenced by internal and external stimuli. Knowledge of this behavior is recently important though beekeepers are still faced with the challenges of selecting aggressive and less-aggressive bred lines. Field evaluation of aggressiveness among bred lines of honey bees is required to overcome the challenges. Chemical cues (alarm pheromone and isopentyl acetate mixed with paraffin oil), physical and visual stimuli (dark leather suede, colony marbling and suede jiggling) were used to evaluate aggressiveness and orientation among five bred lines of honeybee colonies. Our results showed that both chemical assays recruited bees but the time of recruitment was significantly lower for alarm pheromone. Honeybees’ response to both assays culminated to stings which differed among bred lines for alarm pheromone and paraffin when colonies were marbled. Honeybee aggression varied among bred lines and was higher in more aggressive bred lines compared to less-aggressive bred lines. Our findings suggest that it is crucial to repeatedly evaluate orientation aggressiveness at the colony level and among bred lines when selecting breeding colonies.

There is a lack of data comparing sugammadex with anticholinesterase for the quality of anaesthesia recovery, especially following a single bolus dose of rocuronium. Thus, we evaluated the influence of reversal with sugammadex or neostigmine on post-operative quality of recovery by using the Post-operative Quality Recovery Scale (PQRS). A total of 86 patients undergoing trans-pars plana vitrectomy (TPPV) under general anaesthesia were intubated following a single bolus dose of rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg). At the end of surgery, patients were received either neostigmine or sugammadex. The quality of recovery was assessed using the PQRS at 15 minutes and 40 minutes after surgery, and on post-operative day 1. The recovery rate in the physiological domain was higher in the sugammadex group at 15 minutes after surgery (P = 0.02). Though there were no significant differences in the overall cognitive recovery domain, patients in the sugammadex group could recall more numbers in reverse order. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in the other domains of the PQRS. The use of sugammadex may increase the quality of the post-operative physiological recovery at early post-operative periods compared with neostigmine use following a single bolus dose of rocuronium in patients undergoing TPPV with general anaesthesia.

We fabricated the nano-aperture plasmonic platforms for single molecule detection and other various applications such as infrared thermal emission device. The nano-apertures including the nanopores on the pyramid, and the nano-slits on the Au flat membrane were fabricated using a Ga ion focused ion beam drilling technique, followed by high energy electron beam irradiations dependent upon the electron beam current density. The nanopores with a few nanometer size and the nanoslit array with order of ~ 100 nm width were fabricated. Optical characteristics for the various nanoslits were examined dependent upon the slit opening width and sample thickness. The broad emission spectra from the (7x 7) slit array are obtained from spp-mediated emission in the visible and infrared region. A sharp strong infrared emission peak is also obtained due to Au nanoparticle. The fabricated Au platform can be utilized as single molecule sensor and infrared thermal emission device.

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

Purpose Immune responses for cancer cells can be altered according to genetic variation of human leukocyte antigen (HLA). Association of HLA polymorphism with risk of various cancer types is well known. However, the association between HLA and glioblastoma (GBM) remains uncertain. We sought to evaluate the association of HLA polymorphism with risk of GBM development in Koreans. Materials and Methods A case-control study was performed to identify the odds ratios (OR) of HLA class I and II genes for GBM. The control group consisted of 142 healthy Korean volunteers, and the GBM group was 80 patients with newly diagnosed GBM at our institution. HLA class I (-A, -B, and –C) and class II (-DR, -DQ, and –DP) genotyping was performed by high-resolution polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) methods. Results There were significantly decreased frequencies of HLA-A*26:02 (OR 0.22 CI 0.05-0.98), HLA-C*08:01 (OR 0.29 CI 0.10-0.87), and HLA-DRB1*08:03 (OR 0.32 CI 0.11-0.98), while there was significantly increased frequency of HLA-C*04:01 (OR 2.29 CI 1.05-4.97). In analysis of haplotypes, the frequency of DRB1*14:05-DQB1*05:03 was significantly decreased (OR 0.22 CI 0.05-0.98). Conclusion This study suggests that genetic variations of HLA may affect GBM development in Koreans. Further investigations with larger sample sizes are needed to delineate any potential role of the HLA polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of GBM development.

Research on piezo-composite actuators has been actively conducted over the past two decades as a response to strong demand for light, compact actuators to replace electro-magnetic motor actuators in micro robots, small flying drones, and compact missile systems. Layered piezo-composite unimorph actuators have been studied to provide active vibration control of thin-walled aerospace structures, control the shapes of aircraft wing airfoils, and control the fins of small missiles, because they require less space and provide better frequency responses than conventional electro-magnetic motor actuator systems. However, based on the limited actuation strains of conventional piezo-composite unimorph actuators with poly-crystalline piezoelectric ceramic layers, they have not been implemented effectively as actuators for small aerospace vehicles. In this study, a lightweight piezo-composite unimorph actuator (LIPCA-S2) was manufactured and analyzed to predict its flexural actuation displacement. It was found that the actuated tip displacement of a piezo-composite cantilever could be predicted accurately using the proposed prediction model based on the nonlinear properties of the piezoelectric strain coefficient and elastic modulus of a piezoelectric single crystal.

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

Brown leaf spot disease caused by Alternaria spp. is among the most common diseases in potato crops. Typical brown spot symptoms were observed in commercial potato-cultivated areas of northern Korea during June 2021–2022. In total, 77 isolates were collected, and based on sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the collected isolates were identified as Alternaria spp. (83.1%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that a majority of these isolates clustered within a clade that included A. alternata. Additionally, the ITS region and rpb2 yielded the most informative sequences for the identification of A. alternata. Pathogenicity tests confirmed that the collected pathogens elicited identical symptoms in the field. In the pathogenicity test performed on seven commercial cultivars, the pathogens exhibited strong virulence in both wound and non-wound inoculations. Among the cultivars tested, Arirang-1ho, Arirang-2ho, and Golden Ball were resistant to the pathogens. Furthermore, when testing effective fungicides in vitro, mancozeb and difenoconazole were found to be effective agents for inhibiting mycelial growth. In summary, our findings suggest that A. alternata plays a critical role in leaf disease in potato crop regions and emphasise the necessity for continuous monitoring and management to protect against this disease in South Korea.

Astroviruses (AstVs) have been detected in a wide range of animal species, including mammals and birds. Recently, a novel AstVs associated with neurological symptoms has been detected in the brain of some mammals. Raccoon dog AstV has been reported recently in China. However, there have been no reports in South Korea. Therefore, the present study aimed to detect and genetically characterize AstVs in intestine and brain tissues of 133 wild raccoon dogs collected in Korea between 2017 and 2019. Seven wild raccoon dogs were positive for AstV, four of which were also detected in brain tissue. Analysis of the capsid protein amino acid sequences of raccoon dog AstVs detected in Korea revealed a high similarity to canine AstVs, suggesting possible interspecies transmission between raccoon dogs and dogs. Phylogenetic and capsid protein amino acid sequence analysis of raccoon dog AstVs detected in brain 17-148B strain belonged to the HMO clade and exhibited conserved sequences found in neurotropic AstVs (NT-AstVs), indicating their potential as NT-AstVs. However, the pathogenicity and transmission routes of the raccoon dog AstV detected in Korea have not yet been elucidated, so further research and continued surveillance for AstV in wild raccoon dogs are needed.

Recently, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been shown to act as precursors of secondary organic particles that react with ultraviolet rays in the atmosphere and contribute to photochemical smog, global warming, odor, and human health risks, highlighting the importance of VOC management. In this study, we measured VOC concentrations in various contexts including industrial and residential areas of Bucheon, Korea, through mobile laboratory and proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry methods to determine winter VOC concentrations, visualized the data based on spatial information, and used the results to develop an air quality management plan. For this purpose, global information system (GIS)-based air quality data and various environmental variables were comprehensively reviewed to assess spatial and temporal concentrations in three dimensions rather than in tables and graphs. Among VOCs, the levels of toluene, methanol, and n+i-butene were relatively high, with average concentrations of 48.3 ± 67.2, 34.4 ± 102.7, and 32.6 ± 57.7 ppb, respectively, at the end of the working day. The highest concentrations occurred near the Ojeong Industrial Complex. Mobile pollution sources are also a major driver of VOCs, highlighting the necessity of comprehensively reviewing traffic variables such as road level, estimated traffic volume, and average speed when identifying hotspots of air pollution. GIS-based visualization analysis techniques will improve the efficiency of air quality management.

Bioelectric effect is known as combinatorial biofilm treatment with low dose of antibiotics with small electricity. When external electric field or current are applied, biofilms can be affected by the electrostatic force, non-uniform distribution of essential electrolytes, induction of low activity of enzyme, and increase of permeability of biofilms. In this work, we have focused on the reduction of applied electric power consumption that could avoid water electrolysis which was one of major challenges for biomedical applications. We have developed a new type of electrical signal that enhances the efficacy of biofilm removal. The results show combination of alternating and direct current remove biofilm effectively without causing electrolysis. We further developed an oral healthcare device as a bioelectric toothbrush and tested in dental clinic. The results demonstrated 75% reduction of gingivitis. In addition, we have tested a mimicked air conditioner biofilms that are root causes of aerobic hygiene infection. The result demonstrates 81.8% increased biofilm removal. In conclusion, a new bioelectric technology has been developed and demonstrated the biofilm removal efficacy without the electrolysis.

The synergistic efficacy of combined treatment mild heat (MH) and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma in Bacillus cereus-contaminated red pepper powder was tested. A cocktail of three strains of B. cereus (NCCP 10623, NCCP 14579, ATCC 11778) was inoculated onto red pepper powder and then treated with MH (60 ℃ for 5-20 min) and DBD plasma (5-20 min). Treatment with MH and DBD plasma alone for 5~20 min resulted in reductions of 0.23~1.43 and 0.12~0.96 log CFU/g, respectively. Combined treatment with MH and DBD plasma was the most effective at reducing B. cereus counts on red pepper powder and resulted in log-reductions of ≥ 6.0 log CFU/g. The largest synergistic values (4.24-4.42 log) against B. cereus in red pepper powder were obtained by the combination of 20 min MH and 5~15 min DBD plasma. Hunter color ‘‘L’’, ‘‘a’’, and ‘‘b’’ values of the combination-treated samples were not significantly different from those of non-treated samples. Also, no significant (p > 0.05) differences in pH values between samples were observed. Therefore, these results suggest that the combination of MH treatment and DBD plasma can be potentially utilized in the food industry to effectively inactivate B. cereus without incurring quality deterioration of red pepper powder.

We report the development of an extrinsic self-healing coating system that shows no fluorescence from the intact coating, yellowish fluorescence in cracked regions, and greenish fluorescence in healed regions, thus allowing the separate monitoring of cracking and healing of coatings. This fluorescence monitoring self-healing system consisted of a top coating, an epoxy matrix resin containing mixed dye-loaded in single microcapsule. The dye-loaded microcapsules consisted of a poly(urea-formaldehyde) shell encapsulating a healing agent containing MAT-PDMS and styrene, a photo-initiator and a mixture of two dyes, one that fluoresces only in the solid state (DCM) and a second that fluoresces dramatically increased in the solid than solution state (4-TPAE). A mixture of the healing agent, photo-initiator and the two dyes was yellow due to fluorescence from DCM. On UV curing of this mixture, however, the color changed from yellow to green and the fluorescence intensity increased due to fluorescence from 4-TPAE in the solid state. When a self-healing coating embedded with microcapsules containing the DCM/4-TPAE dye mixture was scratched, the damaged region exhibited a yellowish color that changed to green after healing. Thus, the self-healing system reported here allows the separate monitoring of cracking and healing based on changes in fluorescence color.

This study investigates the synergistic impact of fermenting kale juice with Limosilactobacillus strains on its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Kale's rich nutrient profile, especially its flavonoids, offers potential health benefits. Probiotic lactic acid bacteria are employed in kale fermentation to enhance nutrient bioavailability and generate bioactive compounds. Kale juices fermented with L. reuteri EFEL6901 or L. fermentum EFEL6800 exhibited superior microbial growth. Free sugars and amino acids were converted to alcohols and organic acids, affecting the organoleptic and health-related properties of product. In addition, fermentation increased quercetin and kaempferol content, indicating improved availability. Furthermore, the fermented juice exhibited notable antioxidant activity and suppressed NO production, revealing anti-inflammatory potential. Gene expression analysis confirmed reduced pro-inflammatory markers and elevated anti-inflammatory cytokines. This research highlights the promising potential of fermented kale juice, enriched with Limosilactobacillus strains, as a functional food with combined antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

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

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

We successfully fabricated Ag@Cu2O core-shell decorated on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites (ACRN) by a simple and convenient in situ substitution method. The properties of these ACRN with heterostructure layers were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopies and absorption spectroscopy. We used p-nitrophenol (4-NP) as a probe molecule to determine the chemical catalytic activity of the ACRN. Upon introduction of rGO, a high electron transfer efficiency was achieved; thus, the catalytic activity was improved significantly. Therefore, the ACRN exhibited significantly improved catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-NP and showed the high application value in the removal of toxic and harmful substances from water. In addition, the fabricated ACRN was used for the reduction of organic dyes and explosive pollutants to generate nontoxic products. Furthermore, the high charge redistribution and transfer among Ag, Cu2O and rGO in the ACRN induced the high catalytic reduction of organic pollutants, indicating the excellent potential of these materials for applications in water pollution treatment.

Herein, we introduce a boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS)-reinforced cellulose nanofiber (CNF) film as a sustainable oxygen barrier film that can potentially be applied in food packaging. Most of commodity plastics are oxygen-permeable. CNF exhibits an ideal oxygen transmittance rate (OTR) of <1 cc/m²/day in highly controlled conditions. A CNF film typically fabricated by the air drying of a CNF aqueous solution reveals an OTR of 19.08 cc/m²/day. The addition of 0-5 wt% BNNS to the CNF dispersion before drying results in a composite film with highly improved OTR, 4.7 cc/m²/day, which is sufficient for meat and cheese packaging. BNNS as a 2D nanomaterial increases the pathway of oxygen gas and reduces the chances of pin-hole formation during film fabrication involving water drying. In addition, BNNS improves the mechanical properties of the CNF films (Young’s modulus and tensile strength) without significant elongation reductions, probably due to the good miscibility of CNF and BNNS in the aqueous solution. BNNS addition also produces negligible color change, which is important for film aesthetics. An in vitro cell experiment was performed to reveal the low cytotoxicity of the CNF/BNNS composite. This composite film has great potential as a sustainable high-performance food packaging material.

In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether an automated molecular diagnostic method based on PCR-reverse blot hybridization assay can discriminate between human Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-positive and -negative FFPE tissues and to compare the relative mRNA expression levels of various host immune markers between MTB-infected and uninfected human tissues using quantitative reverse transcription (qRT) PCR. A total of 52 human FFPE tissue samples from various regions of the body, including the lungs, lymph nodes, tendons, colon, and appendix, were collected and used for the molecular identification of Mycobacterium species and analysis of cytokine mRNA expression. As a result, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IP-10, CXCL9, CXCL11, and GM-CSF mRNA expression levels in MTB-infected tissues were significantly higher than those in uninfected samples. Additionally, the differences in the mRNA expression levels of IFN-γ, CXCL9, and GM-CSF between MTB-infected and uninfected tissues were statistically significant were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Correlation curve analysis indicated that the mRNA expression of IFN-γ was inversely proportional to that of IP-10 and that the mRNA expression levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, CXCL9, CXCL11, GM-CSF, and TNFR were proportional and well-correlated. Furthermore, to establish marker profiles for detecting MTB infection, the statistically significant expression levels of three markers were combined. We confirmed that the combined profile of IFN-γ, CXCL9, and GM-CSF expression levels was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Although the mRNA expression patterns of host immune markers may vary according to MTB infection status, these patterns may be highly correlated and can be simultaneously used as an additional indicator for diagnosing TB.

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

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

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

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

Rice cultivation serves as a significant anthropogenic source of methane (CH4), a primary greenhouse gas, and nitrous oxide (N2O), a secondary greenhouse gas. Although N2O emissions remain relatively small compared to CH4 emissions, they are remarkably affected by nitrogen-fertilized soil conditions during rice cultivation. To date, investigations are very limited concerning N2O emissions from rice cultivation in relation to environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, and soil properties. In this case study, we investigated the characteristics of N2O emissions in the central region of South Korea, where a single rice cropping cycle occurs annually over a span of three years, from May 2020 to May 2023. We investigated the impact of variations in temperature and soil moisture on N2O emissions during rice cultivation. In this context, we attempted to discover the complex dynamics of N2O emissions by comparing longer fallow periods with the rice cultivation periods and extended non-dry periods with irrigated periods. We observed that extremely high N₂O flux events encountered during the fallow period appeared to have a substantial impact on the yearly cumulative N₂O emissions, surpassing the impact of cumulative N₂O emissions during the rice cultivation period. We found that high N₂O flux events arose not only from artificial nitrogen inputs but also due to temperature and soil moisture variations influenced by weather conditions. We concluded that assessing N₂O emissions solely based on the rice cultivation period would underestimate annual emissions. To prevent underestimation of N₂O emissions, continual gas collection throughout a year covering both rice cultivation and fallow phases is required in align with monitoring of varying temperature and soil moisture conditions. Based on our findings, we recommend that at least a three whole year evaluation period is needed to ensure estimation accuracy of N₂O emissions under varying nitrogen fertilization rates. Also, the findings from this study would help prepare a further revision or refinement of N2O emission factor from rice cultivation in the national greenhouse gas inventories defined by the inter-governmental panel on climate change (IPCC).

Introduction: Left atrial hypertension is one of the pathophysiologies of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We hypothesized that left atrial pressure response (LAPR) to incremental pacing is higher in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and can predict left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Methods: Patients requiring left atrial access as a part of a therapeutic procedure for AF (n=204, AF group) or supraventricular tachycardia (n=34, control group) were analyzed (male n=183, 54±12 years old). LAPR was measured during incremental pacing. Results: Baseline left atrial pressure and LAPR at all pacing rates were not different between the AF and control groups. They were higher in patients with a high E/e’ (≥ 8) than in those with a low E/e’ (&lt; 8). LAPR at a pacing interval of 400ms and E/e' were positively correlated (r=0.373, p&lt;0.001). Body mass index and a high E/e' were independent predictors of pacing-induced left atrial hypertension. Conclusions: The LAPR to incremental pacing was constant regardless of AF. The non-invasive echocardiographic marker E/e' reflected pacing-induced left atrial hypertension.

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

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.

A simple approach was developed to predict corn yields using the MoDerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data product from two geographically separate major corn crop production regions: Illinois, USA and Heilongjiang, China. The MOD09A1 data product, which are 8-day interval surface reflectance data, were obtained from day of the year (DOY) 89 to 337 to calculate the leaf area index (LAI). The sum of the LAI from early in the season to a given date in the season [end of DOY (EOD)] was well fitted to a logistic function and represented seasonal changes in leaf area duration (LAD). A simple phenology model was derived to estimate the dates of emergence and maturity using the logistic function parameters b1 and b2, which represented the rate of increase in LAI and the date of maximum LAI, respectively. The phenology model predicted emergence and maturity dates fairly well, with root mean square error (RMSE) values of 6.3 and 4.9 days for the validation dataset, respectively. Two simple linear regression models (YP and YF) were established using LAD as the variable to predict corn yield; the yield model (YP) used LAD from predicted emergence to maturity, and the yield model (YF) used LAD for a predetermined period from DOY 89 to a particular EOD. When state/province corn yields for the validation dataset were predicted at DOY 321, near completion of the corn harvest, the YP model performed much better than the YF model, with RMSE values of 0.68 t/ha and 0.66 t/ha for Illinois and Heilongjiang, respectively. The YP model showed a similar or better performance, even for the much earlier yield prediction at DOY 257, compared to that of the YF model. In conclusion, the phenology and yield models were developed based only on logistic changes in remote sensing-derived LAD, and predicted phenological dates and corn yields with considerable accuracy and precision for the two regions selected for this study. However, these models must be examined for spatial portability in more diverse agro-climatic regions.

The non-structural protein (NS) and nucleoprotein (NP) of the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) encoded by the S segment are crucial for viral pathogenesis. They reside in viroplasm-like structures (VLS), but their interaction and their significance in viral propagation remain unclear. Here, we investigated the significance of the association between NS and NP during viral infection through in-silico and in-vitro analyses. Through in-silico analysis, three possible binding sites were predicted, at NSs1-32, NSs56-82, and NSs207-237. Rationally, three mutant NSs were developed by site-directed mutagenesis and tested for NP interaction by co-immunoprecipitation. NSsW61Y failed to interact with the nucleoprotein, which was substantiated by the conformational changes observed in the structural analyses. Additionally, molecular docking analysis corroborated that the NSW61Y mutant protein does not interact well compared to wild-type NS. Over-expression of wild-type NS in HeLa cells increased the SFTSV replication by five folds, but NSsW61Y exhibited 1.9-folds less viral replication than wild-type. We demonstrated that the W61Y alteration was implicated in the reduction of NS-NP interaction and viral replication. Thus, the present study identified a critical NS site, which could be targeted for development of therapeutic regimens against SFTSV.

Purpose: Therapeutic targeting of RAF1 is promising, but it requires further investigation for the relation between clinical features and RAF1 aberrations regarding the MAPK signaling pathway in various solid tumors to realize the precision medicine. Methods: Between October 2019 and June 2023, Samsung Medical Center, 3,895 patients with metastatic cancer patients received a next-generation sequencing (NGS) using TruSight Oncology 500 (TSO500) assay as a routine clinical practice. We surveyed the incidence of RAF1 aberration including mutation (single-nucleotide variant [SNV]), amplification (copy-number variation), and fusion. Results: In 3,895 metastatic cancer patients, 77 (2.0%) had RAF1 aberrations in their tumor specimen. Of 77 patients, 44 (1.1%) had RAF1 mutations (SNV), 25 (0.6%) had RAF1 amplification and 10 (0.3%) had RAF1 fusions. Among 10 patients with RAF1 fusion, concurrent RAF1 amplification and RAF1 mutation were detected in one patient each. The most common tumor types were bladder cancer (11.5%), followed by ampulla of Vater (AoV) cancer (5.3%), melanoma (3.0%), gallbladder (GB) cancer (2.6%), and gastric cancer (2.3%). Microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) tumors were found in 5 out of 76 patients (6.6%) with RAF1 aberration, while MSI-H tumors were found only in 2.1% of patients with wild-type RAF1 cancer (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: We showed that when patients with metastatic solid cancer receive NGS test, approximately 2.0% have RAF1 aberrations in their tumor specimen.

This paper proposes a cognitive radio engine platform for making exploitation of available frequency channels usable for a tactical wireless sensor network in presence of incumbent communication devices known as the primary user (PU) required to be protected from undesired harmful interference. In the field of tactical communication networks, it is desperate to find available frequencies for opportunistic and dynamic access to channels in which PU is in active. This paper introduces a cognitive engine plaform for determining available channels on the basis of case-based reasoning technique deployable as core functionality on cognitive radio engine to enable dynamic spectrum access (DSA) with high fidelity. Towards this, this paper introduces a plausible learning engine to characterize channel usage pattern to extract best channel candiates for the tactical cognitive radio node (TCRN). Performance of the proposed cognitive engine is verified by conducting simulation tests which confirm the reliability in functional aspect of the proposed cognitive engine covering the learning engine as well as the case-based reasoning engine with showing how well TCRN can avoid the collision against the PU operation considered as the etiquette secondary user (SU) should have.

Shear connectors are used in steel beam–concrete slabs of composite frame and bridge structures to transfer shear force according to design loads. The existing Y-type perfobond rib shear connectors are designed for girder slabs of composite bridges. Therefore, the rib and transverse rebars of the conventional Y-type perfobond rib shear connectors are extremely large for the composite frames of building structures. We performed push-out tests of stubby Y-type perfobond rib shear connectors for composite frames. These shear connectors have relatively small ribs than conventional Y-type perfobond rib shear connectors. To confirm the shear resistance of these stubby shear connectors, we performed an experiment by using transverse rebars D13 and D16. The results indicate that these shear connectors have suitable shear strength and ductility for application in composite frame structures. The shear strengths obtained using D13 and D16 were not significantly different. However, the ductility of the shear connectors with D16 was 45.1% higher than that of the shear connectors with D13.

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

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (lupus) and B-cell lymphoma (lymphoma) are serious diseases. Lupus and lymphoma co-occur at higher-than-expected rates and primarily depend on B-cells for their pathology, implicating shared inflammation-related B-cell molecular mechanisms as a potential cause of co-occurrence. We consequently implemented a novel Immune Imbalance Transcriptomics (IIT) algorithm and applied IIT to lupus, lymphoma, and healthy B-cell RNA-seq data to find shared- and contrasting mechanisms potentially targetable for treatment. We observed 8,562 genes significantly dysregulated in both lupus and lymphoma. Of those genes, we found 5,335 to have a significant immune imbalance, defined as significant dysregulation by both diseases, as determined by IIT. Gene Ontology (GO) term and pathway enrichment of IIT genes yielded immune-related “Neutrophil Degranulation” and “Adaptive Immune System”, validating that the IIT algorithm isolates biologically relevant genes in immunity and inflammation. We found that 389 IIT gene products are drug-targetable with established or repurposed drugs. Among our results, we found 40 known and 349 novel lupus targets, along with 151 known and 238 novel lymphoma targets. Known disease drug targets in our IIT results further validate that IIT isolates genes with disease-relevant mechanisms. We anticipate the IIT algorithm and shared and contrasting gene mechanisms uncovered here will contribute to the development of immune-related therapeutic options for lupus and lymphoma patients.