Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) showed in vitro mesoderm-lineage differentiation and self-renew capacity. However, no comparative study was reported on the biological characteristics of stem cells derived from skeletal muscle (SM-MSCs), dermal skin (DS-MSCs), and adipose tissues (A-MSCs) from a single donor in camels. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of MSCs source on stem cell characteristics. We evaluated proliferation capacity and mesoderm-lineage differentiation potential from SM-MSCs, DS-MSCs, and A-MSCs. They showed spindle-like morphology after homogenization. The proliferation ability was no significant difference in all groups. Furthermore, the portion of the cell cycle and expression of pluripotent markers (Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog) were similar in all cell lines at passage 3. The differentiation capacity of A-MSCs into adipocytes was significantly higher than that of SM-MSCs and DS-MSCs. However, the osteoblast differentiation capacity of A-MSCs was significantly lower than that of SM-MSCs and DS-MSCs. Additionally, after osteoblast differentiation, the ALP activity and calcium content was significantly decreased in A-MSCs as compared to SM-MSCs and DS-MSCs. To the best of our knowledge, we primally established MSCs from the single camel and demonstrated their comparative characteristics including expression of pluripotent factors and proliferation, and in vitro differentiation capacity into adipocytes and osteoblasts.

Pinosylvin and its methylated derivatives, pinosylvin monomethyl ether (PME) and dihydropinosylvin monomethyl ether (DPME), are representative phytoalexins found in Pinus species. Both PME and DPME have strong nematicidal activity against pine wood nematodes (PWNs). In this study, we investigated the resistance of Pinus densiflora to PWN after trunk injection or soil drenching with a fungal elicitor prepared from Penicillium chrysogenum. Fungal elicitor treatment by soil drenching resulted in increased accumulation of PME and DPME in the needles of the plants. When the pine trees without fungal elicitor pretreatment were inoculated with PWNs, 67.9% died after five months, but only 33.3% died among the plants pretreated with the fungal elicitor. Injection of the fungal elicitor into the trunks of P. densiflora trees also strongly increased the synthesis of PMEs. The concentration of PME in the leaves of P. densiflora reached a maximum (155.4 µg/g DW) after 4 weeks of fungal elicitor injection. The second injection of the elicitor after the first injection of the fungal elicitor also increased the accumulation of PME. To investigate PWN resistance in P. densiflora after two months of trunk injection of elicitor, the downward movement of PWNs from the top of branches to the bottom was monitored after PWNs were inoculated on the holes of the upper internodal segments of branches. The number and mobility of PWNs that moved from the bottom of branches were highly reduced in fungal elicitor-injected pine plants. This result suggests an eco-friendly approach for eliciting-induced PWN resistance in PWN-susceptible P. densiflora via fungal elicitor treatment.

This study investigates the impact of thin flame combustor design on hydrogen flame characteristics and combustion performance through numerical simulations. Variations in flame shape and combustibility between 100% methane and 100% hydrogen combustion are analyzed. Three combustor header shapes (flat, concave, and convex) are modeled to assess their influence on flame behavior. Results show distinct flow patterns, with concave headers promoting strong central flows and convex headers dispersing the flow outward. Temperature field analysis indicates that hydrogen flames have higher temperatures and shorter quenching distances compared to methane flames. A comparative analysis of combustion products is conducted to evaluate combustion performance and NOx emissions. Consequently, the concave header has high combustibility and increases temperatures and NOx fraction in hydrogen combustion.

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

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.

We propose a wave-like design on the surface of cathode channels (wave form cathode channels) to improve oxidant delivery to gas diffusion layers (GDLs) [1-2]. We performed experiments using PEMFCs combined with wave form surface design on cathodes. We varied the factors of the distance between wave-bumps (the Adhesive distance, AD), and the size of the wave-bumps (the Expansion ratio, ER). The ADs are 3, 4, and 5 times the size of the half-circle bump’s radius, and the ERs are 1/1.5, 1/2, and 1/3 times the channel’s height. We evaluated the performances of the fuel cells, and compared the current-voltage (I-V) relations. For comparison, we prepared PEMFCs with conventional flat-surfaced oxygen channels. Our aim in this work is to identify fuel cell operation by modifying the surface design of channels, and ultimately to find the optimal design of cathode channels that will maximize fuel cell performance.

Developing high performance HVAC system using natural refrigerants including carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been important in respect of environmental preservation and associated technologies. Thus studies to optimize the HVAC (heating ventilation air conditioner) system using natural refrigerants through clarifying the cycle performance characteristics are necessary. The CO₂ heat pump system using air and water sources was consisted to examine its performance characteristics, and by varying conditions of several factors that affect or characterize the system performance like the amount of refrigerant charge, EEV (electronic expansion valve) opening, and internal heat exchanger under cooling mode. The performance characteristics of CO₂ heat pump system were tested by using an air enthalpy calorimeter. In the case of the CO₂ heat pump system without internal heat exchanger, the opening of #3 EEV and #4 EEV was 60% and refrigerant charge amount was 5,600g. However, in the case of that with internal heat exchanger, the best performance was obtained when the opening of #2 EEV is 20%. From the present studies, it was observed that the performance variation and operational characteristics of the CO₂ heat pump system were affected by design factors like refrigerant charge amount, EEV opening, and internal heat exchanger and thereby, the configuration on an optimal operation conditions of the system was enabled.

This study focuses on the nuanced phenomenon of gendered parenting by exploring “how” and “when” maternal son preference associates with depressive symptoms among Chinese early adolescents. Focusing on 1,093 junior high school students from a relatively affluent city in western China, the research examined the mediating roles of mother-child attachment and father-child attachment, as well as the moderating role of school connectedness in the relationship between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms. The results revealed a noteworthy positive correlation between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms among female adolescents, with no significant association observed in males. In addition, mother-child attachment and father-child attachment mediated the relationship between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms, which supported the “spillover effect” and “crossover effect”. Moreover, moderation effect analysis indicated that higher level of school connectedness can buffer the effect of maternal son preference on girls’ depressive symptoms, while lower level of school connectedness can enhance the effect of maternal son preference on girls’ depressive symptoms. These insights help to enhance people's understanding of gendered parenting, emphasizing the enduring necessity of addressing son preference within the broader context of promoting gender equality.

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.

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.

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

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

A high-performance Lead-free Piezoelectric Energy Harvester (LPEH) based on a Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3 + CuO 0.3 wt% (BCTZC0.3) composite was fabricated by sintering at 1450℃. The BCTZC0.3 composite, which has an enhanced high-energy-conversion constant (〖d_33×g〗_33), shows improved piezoelectric power-generation performance when compared with conventional piezoelectric energy harvesters. The BCTZC0.3-based LPEH produces instantaneous maximum power of 8.2 mW and an energy density of 107.9 mW/cm3 in a weak magnetic field of 250 μT. This energy harvester can be used to charge a capacitor and operate a wireless sensor network (WSN) system to provide temperature sensing and radio-frequency (RF) transmission in a 250 μT magnetic field. The proposed LPEH is a promising green-energy device for potentially self-powering WSN systems when applied.

Background and Objectives: High rates of psychiatric disorders and comorbidities have been reported in juvenile detainees which have been associated with repeat offenses. However, research on this topic has been limited to Asian countries. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and sexual differences among juvenile detainees in a detention center in South Korea. Materials and Method: The participants comprised 54 males and 46 females, with a minimum intelligence score of 80. Psychiatric diagnosis was determined using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID). The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2 (MAYSI-2) was used to investigate gender differences. Results: Using the MINI-KID, the most frequent diseases were conduct disorder (CD), alcohol dependence, suicidal tendency, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with statistically significant differences between men and women. Only alcohol abuse was higher in men while the rest were higher in women. The items with a statistically significant gender difference in MAYSI-2, were alcohol/drug use, feeling depressed/anxious, somatic complaints, suicidal ideation, and traumatic experience. All items for which the gender difference was statistically significant were higher in the proportion of women. Conclusions: Juvenile detainees exhibit high rates of psychiatric disorders and comorbidities. CDs, alcohol dependence and ADHD are the most common psychiatric disorders among juvenile detainees in South Korea. Assessment of and intervention in psychiatric disorders may help prevent further offenses. These findings highlight the importance of diagnosing and intervening in psychiatric disorders within juvenile detention systems.

In this study, the effect of hot stamping forming process on the properties change of compound layer in Al–Si coated high-strength steel sheet with different thickness was investigated. The coating layer in hot stamped high-strength steel sheet was composed of a diffusion layer and a compound layer. As the hot stamping temperature and holding time for forming increased, the thickness of the compound layer in the Al–Si coated high-strength steel sheet increased. The thickness of coating layer with the hot stamping for 500 sec at 890, 910 and 950 °C was obtained 8.9, 11.8, and 20.6 micrometer, respectively. The thickness of coating layer with hot stamping for 180, 500 and 550 sec at 910 ^oC was obtained 5.7, 11.8, and 17.8 micrometer, respectively. The compound layer in hot stamped high-strength steel sheet with Al–Si coating layer consists of Al_5.4Fe₂ and Fe₂Si phases. In the compound layer, Al and Si were irregularly distributed.

Background and Objectives: Although there has been growing interest in the association of ADHD with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-esteem, there is a lack of consistent results and these associations remain unclear. This study investigated the differential patterns of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-esteem with regard to the presence of ADHD. Materials and Methods: The subjects were divided into a patient group and a control group. The patient group included 49 patients diagnosed with ADHD at the department of psychiatry of one university hospital. For the control group, 3,727 students were invited to complete a questionnaire. Of the 1,717 students who responded to the questionnaire, 245 were selected for patient-controlled studies. All the subjects were instructed to complete the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale, Children's Depression Inventory, Beck’s Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results: ADHD subjects experienced more anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation as well as lower self-esteem compared to the control group comprising participants without ADHD. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ADHD symptoms may contribute to greater suicidal ideation through experienced depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem in school-aged children. Therefore, appropriate ADHD symptom management is necessary to reduce suicidal ideation among school-aged children with ADHD symptoms.

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.

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

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.

Supplementation with 200% of the recommended daily dietary quantity of copper modified vascular contraction and relaxation through increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and prostaglandin formation, which modified the antioxidant status of middle–aged rats. In this study, young (1 month old) male Wistar rats (n/group = 10) received a diet supplemented with 6.45 mg copper/kg (100%—Group A) for 8 weeks. The experimental group received 12.9 mg copper/kg of diet (200%—Group B). Experimental supplementation with 200% copper increased the copper concentration in the blood, liver, and kidneys; increased the ROS concentration in the aortic rings; and enhanced the sensitivity of the aortic rings to acetylcholine. We observed increased participation of nitric oxide (NO) derived from inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in vascular contraction and a decreased net effect of vasodilator prostanoids derived from cyclooxygenase–2 (COX–2) in vascular relaxation. Supplementation with 200% copper was less significant than expected after previous studies conducted with middle–aged rats.

During 2021 and 2022 summers, we measured the total and dissolved (< 0.45 mm) concentration of 25 elements in Utah Lake using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Utah regulates twelve of these elements. ICP-OES sensitivity is at the ppb-level but is not the approved regulatory method. All regulations are for dissolved concentrations; except aluminum (Al) and phosphorus (P) which are for total recovery. We found total Al concentrations above allowable, but dissolved concentrations were well below allowable concentrations. We attribute high total concentrations to suspended clays. Dissolved copper (Cu) concentrations were below regulatory levels in 2021, but some samples were above regulatory levels in 2022. This could be related to the use of Cu-based algaecide treatments, or from other sources. Lead (Pb) data were inconclusive; dissolved Pb concentrations were well below the acute (1-hour average) limit, but the chronic concentration limit (4-hour average) is below the ICP-OES minimal detection limit. Arsenic (As) concentrations exhibit a seasonal trend that we attribute to groundwater inflows. This ppb-level study provides insight into regulated elements in Utah Lake previously not available due to the high sensitivity of the method and measurements of both total and dissolved concentrations.

In this paper, we investigate the structural, microstructural, dielectric, and energy storage properties of Nd and Mn co-doped Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 [(Ba0.7Sr0.3)1-xNdxTi1-yMnyO3 (BSNTM) ceramics (x = 0, 0.005, and y = 0, 0.0025, 0.005, and 0.01)] via a defect dipole engineering method. The complex defect dipoles (MnTi"-VO∙∙)∙ and (MnTi"-VO∙∙) between acceptor ions and oxygen vacancies capture electrons, enhancing the breakdown electric field and energy storage performances. XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and microscopic investigations of BSNTM ceramics revealed the formation of a tetragonal phase, increased oxygen vacancies, and reduced grain size with Mn dopant, respectively. The BSNTM ceramics with x=0.005 and y=0 exhibit a high dielectric constant of 2058 and a dielectric loss of 0.026 at 1 kHz. These values gradually decreased to 1876 and 0.019 for x=0.005 and y=0.01 due to the Mn2+ ions at Ti4+-site, which facilitates the formation of oxygen vacancies, and prevents the decrease of Ti4+. In addition, the defect dipoles act as a driving force for depolarization to tailor the domain formation energy and domain wall energy, which provides a high difference between the maximum polarization of Pmax and remnant polarization of Pr (ΔP=10.39 µC/cm2). Moreover, the complex defect dipoles with optimum oxygen vacancies in BSNTM ceramics can provide not only a high ΔP but also reduce grain size, which together improve the breakdown strength from 60.4 to 110.6 kV/cm, giving rise to a high energy storage density of 0.41 J/cm3 and high efficiency of 84.6% for x=0.005 and y=0.01. These findings demonstrate that defect dipoles engineering is an effective method to enhance the energy storage performance of dielectrics for capacitor applications.

Background: Patients with burn scars often suffer from a ‘vicious cycle’ in which their skin becomes dry and pruritus. This greatly reduces patients' quality of life, but there is no well-known mechanism yet, and the development of drugs for effective treatment is necessary. Objective: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of cosmetic formulation containing arginine glutamate ion pair (named as RE:pair) on epidermal barrier function and reducing pruritus. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 patients [15 male and 5 female; average age 48.35 ± 13.13 years] participated in evaluating the effectiveness of using the RE:pair formula topically twice daily for up to 4 weeks after burn pruritus. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for itching and pain, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration, Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) evaluation, and the patient’s overall satisfaction. Results: This formula was well-tolerated, with significant relief of NRS for itching and pain score after 2nd weeks and 4th weeks of application (p < 0.05). The itching score was high in some patients, and overall, it decreased significantly after 4 weeks compared to before application. Also, the personal pain score decreased after 4th weeks. Overall TEWL showed 35 % improvement after 4th week, and 52 % improvement was confirmed in arms and 19 % in legs. The overall improvement effect of skin hydration was also 45 % (p = 0.0012), and the improvement effect was 40 % (p = 0.0371) in areas including arms and 54 % (p = 0.0313) in areas including legs. All patient satisfactory evaluations were "excellent". Conclusions: RE:pair formula was safe and effective in improving skin barrier and itch relief, and if further studies are conducted, it can be used as an excellent topical treatment for post-burn scar that strengthens the skin barrier.

Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is common among postmenopausal women and is frequently treated with Letrozole. Letrozole inhibits aromatase from synthesizing estrogen from androgens. Decreased estrogen slows the growth of tumors and can be an effective treatment. Letrozole resistance is increasingly being observed, which poses a unique problem for patients. We reanalyzed transcriptomic data comparing individuals who responded to Letrozole therapy (responders) to those who were resistant to treatment (non-responders). We identified SOX11 and S100A9 as two genes that significantly differed between these patients; with “PLK1 signaling events” being the most significant signaling pathway. We also identified PRDX4 and E2F8 as the top transcriptional biomarkers for ER+ treatment resistance. Many of the other significant gene products play a known role in ER+ breast cancer or other types of cancer, which partially validate our results. Several of the gene products we identified do not have a characterized role in ER+ breast cancer. Our analysis identified a set of genes that warrant further research to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Letrozole resistance in this patient population, as well as novel high-performing biomarkers. We anticipate that these findings could contribute to improved therapeutic outcomes in human patients.

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

Microglia are resident immune cells of the central nervous system such as brain-specific macrophages and also known to regulate the innate immune functions of astrocytes through secretory molecules. This conversation plays an important role in brain functions and homeostasis as well as in neuropathologic disease. In this study, we aimed to elucidate whether astrocytes and microglia can cross-talk to induce microglial polarization and proliferation, which can be further regulated under the brain stroke-mimic microenvironment. Microglia in mixed glial culture increased their survival and proliferation and altered to the M2 microglia, whose role was provided by CD11b-GFAP+ astrocytes by showing approximately tenfold increase in microglia cell proliferation after the astrocyte reconstitution. Furthermore, GM-CSF stimulated microglial proliferation approximately tenfold and induced to CCR7+ M1 microglia, whose phenotype could be suppressed by anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4, IL-10, and Substance-P. Also, astrocyte in the microglia co-culture revealed A2 phenotype, which could be activated to A1 astrocyte by TNFα and IFNγ under the stroke-mimic condition. Altogether, astrocyte in the mixed glial culture stimulated the microglia proliferation and M2 polarization possibly through its acquisition of A2 phenotype, both of which could be converted to M1 microglia and A1 astrocytes under the inflammatory stroke-mimic environment. This study demonstrated that microglia and astrocyte can be polarized to M2 microglia and A2 astrocytes respectively through the cross-talk in vitro and provided a system to explore how microglia and astrocyte may behave in the inflammatory disease milieu after in vivo transplantation.

Groundwater is becoming increasingly important in the Pacific Northwest of the USA due to declining snowpack volumes and shifts in precipitation type and timing, all connected with climate change. The Upper Williamson Basin of the Klamath Watershed is a groundwater dominated watershed with massive fluctuations in year-to-year streamflow volumes over the past four decades, including the complete absence of any live flow for several years. The precise relationship between groundwater and streamflow in the basin has been difficult to assess due to a limited number of monitoring wells and significant gaps in the water level time history. To address this challenge, we use a novel imputation technique that leverages Earth observations and machine learning to impute gaps in water level records. We use these more complete datasets to compute a groundwater storage change time series for the basin. We show that groundwater storage is highly correlated to streamflow and that groundwater storage is correlated to rainfall with a three- to four-year delay that appears variable depending on groundwater storage volumes. The tools and relationships we present make it possible for water managers to estimate when streamflows will return to the basin and be more informed to support better management.

The principal minimum horizontal stress plays an important role in the study of reservoir characteristics, modeling of oil and gas reservoir, drilling, production and stimulating wells. However, it is currently not possible to measure the minimum horizontal stress along the wellbore as a geophysical parameter logging. Minimum horizontal stress is measured by leak-off test (LOT) at only several points in a well. In order to have the values all along the wellbore, experimental formulas were established to determine the minimum horizontal stresses for different fields. Then these formulas must be calibrated with LOT data whose number is usually limited, even sometimes unavailable. On the other hand, the empirical formulas of one field might not be accurate for another. This study presents a new approach to solve the problem of minimum horizontal stress estimation by a combination of artificial intelligence and geostatistics. The method consists of using artificial neural network (ANN) to build a model of minimum horizontal stress estimation from relevant parameters such as true vertical depth, pore pressure and vertical stress, then combined with Kriging interpolation to obtain the distribution in space of the minimum horizontal stress. Hence, this method can estimate the minimum horizontal stress with a limited amount of available data and therefore we do not need to drill new wells or to find empirical formulas for each survey area. The method was then applied in a case study involved real geomechanical dataset of Hai Thach - Moc Tinh field in Nam Con Son basin, Vietnam.

The National Agrobiodiversity Center under the Rural Development Administration (RDA) in Jeonju, Republic of Korea, is the largest international genebank of Korea. The National Agrobi-odiversity Center has continuously been making efforts to introduce overseas genetic resources to its collection and has currently grown into a world-class PGR holding genebank. Currently, several steps are undertaken to, improve the accessibility of the collection to national as well as international researchers, improve data available on the resources and amend the passport in-formation of the accessions. With the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, the origin of ge-netic resources is being highlighted as an important input in the passport information of germplasms. The RDA-Genebank actively responds to the Nagoya Protocol by supplementing passport data of resources lacking information on the origin of germplasm. In addition, a large number of conserved resources are continuously multiplied, and agronomic traits are investi-gated concurrently. With the traditional methods of characterization of the germplasm requiring a significant amount of time and effort, we have intiated high-throughput phenotyping using digital techniques to improve our germplasm data. Primarily, we have started adding seed phenotype information followed by measuring root phenotypes which are stored under agro-nomic traits. This may be the initial step for a germplasm center to use large-scale high-throughput techniques for their collection. In this shortcommunication, we aim to provide an introduction to the RDA- Genebank, adopted international standards, and establishment of high throughput phenotyping techniques for improvement of passport information.

The aim of this study was to analyze glucosinolates (GSLs) in germplasms that are currently conserved at the RDA-Genebank. The analysis focused on the glucosinolate diversity among the analyzed germplasms, with the goal of identifying those that would be most useful for future breeding efforts to produce nutritionally rich Choy sum plants..Twenty-three accessions of Choy sum which possessed ample background passport information were selected. By analyzing the glucosinolate content for 17 different glucosinolates, we observed aliphatic GSLs to be the most common. We identified one accession, IT228140 to synthesize high quantities of glucobrassi-canapin and progoitrin which have been reported to contain several therapeutic applications. Overall, this study highlights the importance of conserving and analyzing plant genetic re-sources, such as those held in national genebanks, for the purpose of developing new varieties of crops that are both nutritious and beneficial for human health. The identification of excellent germplasms for breeding material and the confirmation of the anticancer effects of glucosin-olates are significant contributions to the field of agricultural research and have the potential to positively impact public health.

Typically, a diesel generator on the merchant ship, composed of a wound rotor synchronous generator and a four-stroke diesel engine, supplies electrical power to various loads. Recently, shaft generators for merchant vessels are increasingly replacing diesel generators to reduce CO2 emissions through fuel efficiency improvement. In particular, permanent magnet generators replace induction generators due to their high-efficiency characteristics at light loads. The surface-mounted permanent magnet can be a suitable rotor topology due to the relatively short constant power range. This generator can also operate as a motor according to the propulsion mode, so minimizing the harmonics of the induced voltage and the torque ripple is necessary. This paper proposes an alternative NdFeB magnet pole topology combined with the modular step-skewed rotor. The step-skewed rotor affects to reduce higher-order harmonics, and the modular pole reduces the permanent magnet assembly process and harmonics in voltage and torque. A 2-D finite element method is used to evaluate the harmonics of induced voltage and torque pulsation for the proposed topology. The topology shows harmonic minimization effect by comparing the characteristics of three flatted-bottom magnets. Compared to the tapered bread-loaf magnet, voltage harmonics to the 100th component are almost the same, and the torque ripple is reduced by more than 12% at the same residual flux density. The analysis method is verified by comparing test and analysis results for prototype machines with similar specifications.

This study was to investigate and assess salivary biomarkers as a means of diagnosing periodontitis. A total of 121 subjects were included: 28 periodontally healthy subjects, 24 with stage I, 24 with stage II, 23 with stage III, and 22 with stage IV periodontitis. Salivary proteins including active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), pro-MMP-8, total MMP-8, C-reactive protein, secretory immunoglobulin A and planktonic bacteria including Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas nigrescens, Parvimonas micra, Campylobacter rectus, Eubacterium nodatum, Eikenella corrodens, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Actinomyces viscosus were measured from salivary samples. The performance of the diagnostic models was assessed by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the ROC curve (AUC) analysis. The diagnostic models were constructed based on the subjects’ proteins and/or microbial profiles, resulting in two potential diagnosis models, which achieved better diagnostic powers with an AUC value > 0.750 for the diagnosis of stage II, III, and IV periodontitis (Model PC-I; AUC: 0.796, sensitivity: 0.754, specificity: 0.712) and for the diagnosis of stage III and IV periodontitis (Model PC-II; AUC: 0.796, sensitivity: 0.756, specificity: 0.868). This study can contribute to screening for periodontitis based on salivary biomarkers.

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

The normal growth and development of skeletal muscle is essential for the health of the body. The regulation of skeletal muscle by intestinal microorganisms and their metabolites has been continuously revealed. Acetate is the predominant short-chain fatty acid synthesized by gut microbiota through the fermentation of dietary fiber, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms governing the interaction between acetate and skeletal muscle during rapid growth stage remain to be further elucidated; Here, specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, germ-free (GF) mice, and germ-free mice supplemented with sodium acetate (GS) were used to evaluate the effects of acetate on skeletal muscle growth and development of young mice with gut microbiota deficiency; We found the concentration of serum acetate, body mass gain, succinate dehydrogenase activity and expression of myogenesis maker gene of skeletal muscle in the GS group was higher than GF group following sodium acetate supplement. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis revealed that acetate activated biological processes regulating skeletal muscle growth and development in GF group that are inhibited due to gut microbiota deficiency. In vitro experiment, we proved that acetate up-regulated Gm16062 to promote skeletal muscle cell differentiation; Overall, our findings proved that acetate promote skeletal muscle growth and development in young mice via increase Gm16062 expression.

Hydraulic fracturing has enabled production from unconventional reservoirs in the U.S., but production rates often decline sharply, limiting recovery factors to under 10%. This study optimizes the CO2 huff-n-puff process for multistage-fractured horizontal wells in Wolfcamp A formation in the Delaware Basin. The potential for enhanced oil recovery and CO2 sequestration simultaneously was addressed using a coupled geomechanics-reservoir simulation. Geomechanical properties were derived from a 1D mechanical earth model and integrated into reservoir simulation to replicate hydraulic fracture geometries. The fracture model was validated using a robust production history matching. Fluid phase behavior analysis refined the equation of state, and 1D slim tube simulations determined a minimum miscibility pressure of 4300 psi for CO2 injection. After the primary production phase, various CO2 injection rates were tested from 1 to 25 MMSCFD/well, resulting in incremental oil recovery ranging from 6.3% to 69.3%. Different injection, soaking, and production cycles were analyzed to determine the ideal operating condition. The optimal scenario improved cumulative oil recovery by 68.8% while keeping the highest CO2 storage efficiency. The simulation approach proposed by this study provides a systematic workflow for evaluating and optimizing CO2 huff-n-puff in hydraulically fractured wells, enhancing the recovery factor of unconventional reservoirs.

Characters are one of the most important elements in composing digital animation. The appear-ance and voice of a character should be designed to express the personality and values of the character. However, it is not easy for animation producers to harmoniously match the appear-ance and voice of a character. Advances in deep learning technology have made it possible to overcome this limitation. To achieve this, firstly, an audio-visual dataset of characters is required. In this study, we construct and verify a Korean audio-visual dataset consisting of frontal face im-ages of various characters and short voice clips. We developed an application that can automati-cally extract the frontal face image and a short voice clip of a character by collecting videos up-loaded to YouTube. Through this, a dataset consisting of a total of 1,522 face images and a total of 7,999 seconds of voice clips was built based on 490 characters. Furthermore, we automatically la-bel characters by gender and age to validate the dataset. The dataset built in this study is expected to be used in various deep learning fields, such as classification, generative adversarial networks, and speech synthesis.

Abstract: Imaging devices of less than 300,000 pixels are mostly used for sewage conduit exploration due to the petty nature of the survey industry in Korea. P articular ly , devices of less than 100,000 pixels are still widely used, and the environment for image processing is very bitter . Since the sewage conduit image s covered in this study ha ve a very low resolution (240 × 320 = 76,800 pixels), it is very difficult to detect cracks. Because most of the resolution of the sewe r conduit images are very low in Korea, this problem of low resolution was selected as the subject of study. Cracks were detected through a total of six steps of improving the crack in Step 2, finding the optimal threshold value in Step 3, and applying an algorithm to detect cracks in Step 5. Cracks were effectively detected by the optimal parameters in Steps 2 and 3 and the user algorithm in Step 5. Desp ite the very low resolution, the cracked image s showed 96.4% accuracy of detection, and the non cracked image s showed 94.5% accuracy . Moreover, the analysis was excellent in quality , also . It is believed that the findings of this study can be effectively u sed for crack detection with low resolution images.

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.

We present a distributed optical-fiber temperature sensor with enhanced sensitivity based on an Al-coated fiber using the Rayleigh backscattering spectra (RBS) shift in optical frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR). The Al-coated sensing fiber with a higher thermal expansion coefficient compared to silica produces a strain-coupled shift in the RBS under an increase in temperature. This effect leads to an enhanced temperature sensitivity of the distributed measurement scheme. Our results revealed that the temperature sensitivity obtained using the Al-coated fiber in OFDR was ~56% higher relative to that of a single-mode fiber. Moreover, the minimum measurable temperature recorded was 1 °C with a spatial resolution of 5 cm.

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is positioning the standard for the management of networks due to its scalability and flexibility to program the network. The SDN provides many advantages but it also involves some specific security problems take down the controller using cyber attack and in result the whole network will shut down which makes it a single point of failure. In this paper, the DDoS attacks in SDN were detected using AI-enabled, machine and deep learning, models with some specific features for data-set under normal and DDoS traffic. In our approach, initial data-set is collected from 84 features on kaggle and then the 20 top most features are selected using permutation importance algorithm. The data-set were learned and tested with AI-enabled 5 models. Our experimental results showed that the use of machine learning based random forest model has achieved the highest accuracy rate of 99.97%, in DDoS attack detection in SDN. Our contributions through this study are, first, we found highest 20 attacks that absolutely contributed to DDoS attacks. Secondly, it can reduce the time and cost of comparing various learning models and performance required for determining a learning model suitable for DDoS detection. Finally, various experimental methods for evaluating the performance of the learning model are presented so that related researchers can utilize them.

Recently, two respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines based on the prefusion F (pre-F) antigen were approved in the United States. We developed and validated an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based protocol for the practical and large-scale evaluation of RSV vaccines. Two modified pre-F proteins (DS-Cav1 and SC-TM) were produced by genetic recombination and replication using an adenoviral vector. The protocol was established by optimizing the concentrations of the coating antigen (pre-F proteins), secondary antibodies, and choice of blocking buffer. To validate the protocol, we examined its accuracy, precision, and specificity using serum samples from 150 participants across various age groups and the standard serum provided by the National Institute of Health. In the linear correlation analysis, coating concentrations of 5 and 2.5 μg/mL of DS-Cav1 and SC-TM, respectively, showed high coefficients of determination (r2 = 0.90). Concentrations of secondary antibodies (alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-human immunoglobulin G, diluted 1:2000) and blocking reagents (5% skim milk/PBS-T) were optimized to minimize non-specific reactions. High accuracy was observed for DS-Cav1 (r2 = 0.90) and SC-TM (r2 = 0.86). Further, both antigens showed high precision (coefficient of variation < 15%). Inhibition ELISA revealed cross-reactivity of antibodies against DS-Cav1 and SC-TM but not with the attachment protein.

Research on high-volume fly ash concrete, which utilizes large quantities of fly ash, has been actively conducted to promote resource recycling and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, while cement mixed with fly ash exhibits different temperature sensitivities compared to traditional cement, its hydration and mechanical properties vary depending on curing conditions. Despite this, there is a significant gap in research on this topic. In this study, high-volume fly ash concrete was produced with fly ash replacement rates of 35 % and 55 %. Compression strength tests were performed at various curing ages under three different curing temperature conditions, and the results were analyzed. Additionally, an isothermal calorimeter was used to analyze hydration characteristics under different curing conditions. The results indicated that concrete with high fly ash content was more sensitive to curing temperature compared to ordinary Portland cement.

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

To accurately determine the refractive error of the eye, sufficient relaxation of eye accommodation is essential, either through the fogging technique or pharmacological cycloplegia. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical information revealed after cycloplegia and assess how age and non-cycloplegic refractive status influence the classification of eye refractive error. We analyzed the records of 472 non-population-based subjects aged 3–28 years (mean ± SD: 9.1 ± 4.6) who attended a private ophthalmology practice from January 2018 to December 2020. Cycloplegia was induced with one drop of cyclopentolate 1% in each eye, and refraction was measured 30 ± 5 min later using an objective autorefractometer. The average spherical equivalent (SE) difference (mean ± SD) induced by cycloplegia was 0.72 ± 0.73 D, with the highest difference observed in the 3-5 years age group (1.18 ± 0.85 D). Gender had no significant effect on the SE values before or after cycloplegia (p > 0.05). Cycloplegia caused a hyperopic refractive shift in 83% of participants, no shift in 12%, and a myopic refractive shift in 6%. This study highlights the importance of cycloplegia use in children and young adults.

The essay focuses, from a sociological perspective, on the phenomenon of depopulation of Inner Areas in Italy. In this areas, younger generations, live a great inequality that exposed them to risk of social vulnerability. So, on the one hand, the desire to leave their community is growing among younger, on the other hand, the desire to deal with extreme adverse conditions is falling down. The research aims to explore the depopulation phenomenon in the context of Southern Italy, considering it as an emerging social vulnerability that impacts very deeply onto the sustainability of a social, economic and community systems such as the Molise region one. The following paper therefore presents an empirical web-survey conducted in the Molise region. The methodology used is Quantitative, and the research design is Exploratory. The essay underlines how proximity welfare can act as a flywheel to counter the depopulation Inner Areas of Italy enacted by the younger generations.

Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between poor vitamin D status and respiratory infections and diarrhea among young children. Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) and diarrhea are among the two most important causes of death in under-5 children. In this analysis, we examine the extent to which vitamin-D deficiency (<10 ng/ml) predicts these outcomes using data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of daily folic acid and/ or vitamin B12 supplementation for six months in 6 to 30 months old children conducted in Delhi, India. Of the 960 subjects who had vitamin-D concentrations measured, 331(34.5%) were vitamin-D deficient. We found, after controlling for relevant potential confounders (age, sex, breastfeeding status, wasting, stunting, underweight, anemia status at base line and season), the risk of ALRI was significantly higher among vitamin-D deficient (OR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.55) compared to vitamin-D-replete children in the six months follow-up period. Vitamin-D status was not significantly associated with episodes of diarrhea and clinical pneumonia. The extent of causal relationship of vitamin-D status and ALRI needs to be explored in further studies.

Recently, methods to detect DoS and spoofing attacks that occur on in-vehicle networks using CAN Protocol are being studied through deep learning models such as CNN, RNN, and LSTM. These studies have produced significant results in the field of In-Vehicle Network attack detection using deep learning models. In addition, significant results are being achieved through research on applying time series-based deep learning models such as LSTM to detect DoS attacks and replay attacks occurring in in-drone networks by expanding them to drones using the UAVCAN protocol. In this paper, we conducted an experiment to detect in-drone network attacks through non-time series analysis using machine learning models and deep learning models, and through appropriate learning for each attack type, it can also be analyzed through non-time series analysis. The results showed that it was possible to detect attacks.

Quantitative analysis of human gait is critical for early discovery, progressive tracking, and rehabilitation of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, such as Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, and Cerebral Palsy. Gait analysis typically involves estimating gait characteristics, such as spatio-temporal gait parameters and gait health indicators (e.g., step time, length, symmetry, and balance). Traditional methods of gait analysis involve the use of cameras, wearables, and force plates, but are limited in operational requirements when applied in daily life - such as direct line-of-sight, carrying devices, and dense deployment. This paper introduces a novel approach for gait analysis by passively sensing footstep-induced floor vibrations during walking using vibration sensors mounted on the floor surface. Our approach is non-intrusive, scalable, and perceived as more privacy-friendly, making it suitable for continuous gait health monitoring in daily life. We developed a floor vibration-based gait analysis framework to estimate various gait parameters that are used as standard metrics in medical practices, including temporal parameters (step, stride, stance, swing, double-support, single-support time) and spatial parameters (step length, width, angle, stride length), and extracts gait health indicators (cadence/walking speed, left-right symmetry, gait balance, initial contact types). The main challenge is that floor vibrations are distinct across different floor types. To address this challenge, our approach develops floor-adaptive algorithms to extract floor-specific features and is designed to be generalizable to various settings, including homes, hospitals, and eldercare facilities. We evaluate our approach through real-world walking experiments with 20 adults with 12,231 labeled gait cycles across concrete and wooden floors. Our results show 90.5% (RMSE 0.08s), 71.3% (RMSE 0.38m), and 92.3% (RMSPE 7.7%) accuracy in estimating temporal, spatial parameters, and gait health indicators, respectively.

Cementitious materials exhibit excellent binding properties and micropore structures that support the stabilization of TiO2 nanoparticles within the matrix. Therefore, these materials are ideal for the development of functional construction products with TiO2 nanoparticles. This study investigated the degree of hydration, microstructure, and mechanical properties of cement-containing TiO2 nanoparticles. The experimental results demonstrated that TiO2 nanoparticles accelerated the hydration rate of cement, reducing the setting times. Moreover, TiO2 nanoparticles changed matrix microstructure, decreasing the porosity and improving early-age strength. Although TiO2 nanoparticles function as nucleation sites in the cement hydration reaction, the tendency of the particles to clump implies that proper dispersion should be ensured when mixing in large quantities. When developing new building materials incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles, considering the effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the hydration reaction of cementitious materials is crucial.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is an important candidate gene in musculoskeletal phenotypes. Polymorphisms in VDR have been previously associated with several pathologies and muscular strength in athletes and elderly people, however literature reported contradictory results. The object of this research is to verify the association between the most studied VDR variants (rs2228570, rs7975232, and rs1544410) and the increase of muscle mass in elite young soccer players. A sample of 55 soccer players (15-18 years old) form a professional team was selected for this study. DNA was extracted by salting out method and polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP, followed by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. To test the effect of the three SNPs, logistic regression analysis was applied. Body composition was carried out through skinfold thickness method, and muscular area of arm and lower limb were calculated using Frisancho formulas. All three polymorphisms met Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p &gt; 0.05) and their frequencies fell within the worldwide variability. A significant correlation between rs1544410 and increase of calf muscle mass was observed. Individuals carrying A allele showed higher calf muscular mass than those carrying the G allele (p = 0.034). Moreover, haplotype analysis applied to the two SNPs in linkage disequilibrium (rs7975232 and rs1544410), showed that AG haplotype resulted negatively correlated to calf muscle area. In conclusion, we confirm an association between VDR polymorphisms and muscular mass that could encourage the genetic screening of VDR gene to identify a potential risk of injury and for individual nutritional interventions.

Electrode is a key component in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) and it needs significant improvement for practical implementation of MEC. For effective development of electrode technology, accurate and reproducible analytical methods are very important. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) is an essential analytical method for evaluating electrode performance; however, it has not been firmly established yet in the MEC field. In this study, biological brush (BB), abiotic brush (AB), Pt wire (PtW), stainless steel wire (SSW) and mesh (SSM)) were tested to explore the most suitable counter electrode in different medium conditions. Coefficient of variation (CV) for Imax of LSV were comparatively analyzed. In BB-anode LSV, SSW (0.48%) and SSM (2.17%) showed higher reproducibility as a counter electrode. In SSM-cathode LSV, BB (1.76%) and PtW (2.01%) produced more reproducible results. In the Ni-AC-SSM-cathode LSV, PtW (3.54%) and BB (8.81%) produced more reproducible result. It shows electrode used in the operation is an appropriate counter electrode in the acetate-added condition. However, in the absence of acetate, PtW (1.24%) and BB (1.71%) produced more reproducible results in SSM cathode and PtW (0.61%) and SSW (1.21%) did in the Ni-AC-SSM-cathode, showing PtW is an appropriate counter electrode. These results also shows that PtW is an appropriate counter electrode in cathode LSV.

Accurate image registration is essential for eye movement compensation in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). The spatial resolution of an OCT instrument is typically anisotropic, i.e., different resolutions in the lateral and axial dimensions. When OCT images have anisotropic pixel resolution, residual distortion (RD) and false translation (FT) were always observed after image registration for rotational movement. In this study, RD and FT were quantitively analyzed over different degrees of rotational movement and various lateral and axial pixel resolution ratio (RL/RA) values. The theoretical analysis confirmed that the RD and FT increase significantly with the rotation degree and RL/RA. An image resizing assisting registration (RAR) strategy was proposed for accurate image registration. The performance of direct registration (DR) and RAR for retinal OCT and OCTA images were quantitatively compared. Experimental results confirmed that unnormalized RL/RA causes RD and FT, RAR can effectively improve the performance of OCT and OCTA image registration and distortion compensation.

Background: Implant surface topography is a key element in achieving osseointegration. Nanostructured surfaces have shown promising results in accelerating and improving bone healing around dental implants. The main objective of the present clinical and histological study is to compare, at 4 and 6 weeks, (w) bone-to-implant contact in implants having either machined surface (MAC), SLA medium roughness surface or a Nanostructured Calcium-Incorporated sur-face (XPEED®). Methods: 35 mini-implants with 3 different surface treatments (XPEED® (n=16) – SLA (n=13) – Machined (n=6), were placed in the posterior maxilla of 11 patients then, retrieved at either 4 or 6w in a randomized split-mouth study design. Results: The BIC rate measured at 4 and 6w respectively, was: 16.8 % (±5.0) and 29.0 % (±3.1) for MAC surface; 18.5 % (±2.3) and 33.7 % (±3.3) for SLA surface; 22.4 % (±1.3) and 38.6 % (±3.2) for XPEED® surface. In all types of in-vestigated surfaces, the time factor appeared to significantly increase the BIC rate (p < .05). XPEED® surface showed a significantly higher values when compared to both SLA and MAC values at 4w (p < .05). Also, at 6w, both roughened surfaces (SLA and XPEED® ) showed signifi-cantly higher values (p < .05) than turned surface (MAC). Conclusion: Nanostructured Calcium titanate coating is able to enhance bone deposition around implants at early healing stages.

As the penetration of renewable energies increases, their acceptance of the power grid system is becoming an important issue. In the case of South Korea, a 22.9kV transformer is frequently utilized to reduce the power loss of the generated renewable energy transmission, so the power quality at the point of common connection (PCC) is inevitably influenced by the nonlinearity of the transformer and the uncertainty of the inductance and resistance of the transmission line. In this paper, we present a point of common connection voltage-modulated direct power control (PCCVM-DPC) system that enhances power quality at the PCC. First, we present the mathematical dynamics of active and reactive power at the PCC side, which contains the step-up transformer’s nonlinearity, the grid voltage harmonics, and the parameter uncertainties. By analyzing the disturbance terms of the PCCVM-DPC system, we present the disturbance observer (DOB) for the PCCVM-DPC system. To assess the efficacy of our approach, we perform comparative studies of the PCCVM-DPC without DOB and PCCVM-DPC with DOB by constructing the simulation environment based on the commercial step-up transformer and ESS inverter datasheet. We have validated that the active and reactive power control performance of the PCCVM-DPC with DOB outperforms the PCCVM-DPC without DOB from the observation that the current total harmonic distortion reduced by more than 40% compared to the PCCVM-DPC without the DOB.

As the number of older adults with dementia increases, early diagnosis and intervention are crucially important. The purpose of this study was to conduct dementia screening on older adults to determine whether there are differences in daily activities of living, depression, loneliness, social support, and life satisfaction between older adults at high-risk for dementia compared with low-risk older adults. We hypothesized a negative relationship between high-risk older adults and these factors. This study also hypothesized a moderating effect for social support on the relationship between daily living activities and life satisfaction. This study used a cross-sectional design with survey data. Participants were recruited at 15 public community health centers in South Korea. A total of 609 older adults (male 208, female 401) living in the community were screened for early dementia, and 113 participants (18.9 %) were assigned to the high-risk group. As hypothesized, participants in the high-risk group showed significantly more negative results ​​in terms of activities of daily living, depression, loneliness, social support, and life satisfaction compared with participants in the low-risk group. The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for the importance of early screening for dementia and policies for effective dementia prevention.

This study explores the near-surface dispersion mechanisms of contaminants in coastal waters, leveraging a comprehensive method that includes using dye and drifters as tracers, coupled with diverse observational platforms like drones, satellites, in-situ sampling, and HF radar. The aim is to deepen our understanding of surface currents' impact on contaminant dispersion, thereby improving predictive models for environmental incident management, including pollutant releases. Rhodamine WT dye, chosen for its significant fluorescent properties and detectability, along with drifter data, allowed us to investigate the dynamics of near-surface physical phenomena such as the Ekman current, Stokes drift, and wind-driven currents. Our research emphasizes the importance of integrating scalar tracers and Lagrangian markers in experimental designs, revealing differential dispersion behaviors due to near-surface vertical shear caused by the Ekman current and Stokes drift. The elongation direction of the dye patch aligns with the Ekman current direction during slow current conditions. Analytical calculations of vertical shear, based on the Ekman current and Stokes drift, closely matched those derived from tracer observations. Over a 7-hour experiment, the vertical diffusivity of near-surface water was observed at 2×10-4 m2/s, and the horizontal eddy diffusivity of the dye patch and drifters reached the order of 1 m2/s and at a 1000m length scale. Particle tracking models demonstrate that while HF radar currents can effectively predict the trajectories of tracers near the surface, incorporating near-surface currents, including Ekman current, Stokes drift, and windage, is essential for a more accurate prediction of the fate of surface floats.

The ternary Bi2MoO6-reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-TiO2 catalyst were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. The improvement of the photocatalytic decomposition efficiency of Bi2MoO6-rGO-TiO2 composite is 92.3% than the pure and binary photocatalyst. The effects of operational parameters like catalyst ratio, the different catalyst, different ratio rGO and different pH, have been analyzed. As prepared ternary photocatalyst is low Photoluminescence and high photocurrent density responsible, it exhibited that photon-induced electron and hole-recombination were suppressed and also charged separation is effective. The present study shows the rGO is an excellent electron transfer performance and enhanced the photocatalytic reaction stability.

Understanding the ionic channel network of proton exchange membranes, which dictate fuel cell performance, is crucial when developing proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, itis difficult to characterize due to complicated nano structure and differing changes to their structure with different amounts of water uptake. Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) can map surface charge distribution as nano special resolution by measuring the electrostatic force between a vibrating conductive tip and a charged surface under an applied voltage, . In this study, the ionic channel network of a proton exchange membrane is analyzed using EFM. A mathematical approximation model of the ionic channel network is first derived, to explain changes in force gradient on the surface using EFM. The phase lag of dry and wet Nafion under stepwise changes to bias voltage is then measured. Based on the model, variations in the ionic channel network of Nafion with different amounts of water uptake are analyzed numerically. The mean surface charge density of both membranes, which is connected with the ionic channel network, is calculated using the model. The results show that the difference between the mean surface charge of the dry and wet membranes is consistent with the variation in their proton conductivity.

Turbine generator operates with complex cooling system due to the challenge in controlling the peak temperature of the stator bar caused by ohm loss, which is unavoidable. Therefore, it is important to characterise and quantifies the thermal performance of the cooling system. The focus of the present research is to investigate the heat transfer and pressure loss characteristics of typical cooling system, so-called stator ventilation duct. A real scale model was built at its operating conditions for the present study. The direction of cooling air is varied to consider its operation condition, so that there are (1) outward flow and (2) inward flow cases. In addition, the effect of (3) cross flow (inward with cross flow case) is also studied. The transient heat transfer method using thermochromic liquid crystals is implemented to measure full surface heat transfer distribution. A series of Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis is also conducted to support the observation from the experiment. For the inward flow case, the results suggest that the average Nusselt number of the 2nd duct is about 30% higher than the 3rd duct. The trend is similar with the effect of cross flow. The CFD results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Background: Little information exists regarding the differences in the clinical and laboratory characteristics of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) according to age. Objective: To evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of KFD according to age. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed with KFD at Pusan National University Hospital between 2010 and 2020. Results: Eighty patients (46 children and 34 adults) with a mean age of 21.5 ± 11.8 years (range, 3–49 years) were included in the study. Among children, the male sex ratio was higher, in adults, the female sex ratio was higher. Fever, tenderness in the lymph node, and skin rashes were more common in children, while myalgia and weight loss were more common in adults. In children, the recurrence rate was significantly higher among boys than among girls (15.8% vs 0.0%, P=0.001). EBV and ANA positivity rates were higher in boys than in girls. In adults, the recurrence rate was significantly higher in women than in men (18.2% vs 0.0%, P=0.005). ANA positivity rates were higher in women than in men. Conclusion: The clinical features, laboratory findings, and recurrence of KFD may differ depending on age and sex. Clinicians should be aware of this.

Training schedule is a factor that influences sports performance optimization. In a sport like soccer, there is often significant disparity in training schedules among different teams within the same club, without considering whether this may affect players' performance. The aim of this study was to describe differences in nutrient intake and body composition in elite youth soccer players from the Spanish league with different training schedules (morning and evening). A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine differences in anthropometric variables and dietary assessment in a sample of Spanish young soccer players. A total of 41 players participated in this study. After comparing the groups according to their training schedule, no differences were observed in body composition between both groups; the evening-night training group showed higher consumption of lipids and saturated fats. In summary, more experimental studies are needed to determine the effects on various health and performance parameters of different training schedules in young population.

Methylmercury (MeHg) intoxication is a global health concern. Although MeHg neurotoxicity is well-recognized, less is known about MeHg's effects on metabolism. In this study, we evaluated MeHg intoxication (20mg/L in drinking water for 20 days) effects on liver and epididymal white fat (EWF) in young ApoE knockout (ko) and wild-type mice. The former is well-known to show spontaneous dyslipidemia. Hg levels in hair, liver, and EWF were measured to assess the degree of MeHg exposure. We also evaluated body weight gain, plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol levels, and liver injury by assessing steatosis score, AST, ALT, SOD, and TBAR levels. To evaluate EWF, we analyzed mean wet weight and adipocyte diameter, plasma leptin levels and metabolomics. Hg levels were markedly higher among intoxicated mice. ApoE ko mice showed higher Hg in the hair but lower levels in the liver and EWF than wild-type controls. Among wild-type mice, MeHg compromised weight gain and increased liver TBAR levels compared to non-challenged controls. Among non-intoxicated mice, ApoE deficiency significantly increased triglyceride, total cholesterol, and liver transaminases with reduced EWF wet weight, hepatic SOD, and plasma leptin levels. MeHg accumulation together with ApoE deficiency elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides, hepatic transaminases, and TBARS. We found distinct EWF metabolite activity in different scenarios of ApoE deficiency and MeHg intoxication, highlighting increased cardiovascular risk especially when both challenges occur. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in these effects and the target nutritional interventions in most need to ameliorate them.

Land use/land cover (LULC) and climate changes are two main factors directly affecting hydrologic conditions. However, very few studies in Vietnam have investigated changes in hydrological process under the impact of climate and land use changes on a basin scale. The objective of this study is to assess the individual and combined impacts of land use and climate changes on hydrological processes for the Nam Rom river basin, Northwestern Viet Nam using Remote Sensing (RS) and Soil and Water Assessment Tools (SWAT) model. SWAT model was used for hydrological process simulation. Results indicated that SWAT proved to be a powerful tool in simulating the impacts of land use and climate change on catchment hydrology. The change in historical land use between 1992 and 2015 strongly contributed to increasing hydrological processes (ET, percolation, ground water, and water yield), whereas, climate change led to significant decrease of all hydrological components. The combination of land use and climate changes significantly reduced surface runoff (-16.9%), ground water (-5.7%), water yield (-9.2%), and sediment load (-4.9%). Overall climatic changes had more significant effect on hydrological components than land use changes in the Nam Rom river basin during the 1992–2015. Under impacts of projected land use and climate change scenarios in 2030 on hydrological process of the upper Nam Rom river basin indicate that ET and surface flow are more sensitive to the changes in land use and climate in the future. In conclusion, the findings of this study will basic knowledge of the effects of climate and land-use changes on the hydrology for future development of integrated land use and water management practices in Nam Rom river basin.

Tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) is a series of chemical reactions in aerobic organisms used to generate energy via the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fatty acids, and proteins. In the eukaryotic system, the TCA cycle completely occurs in mitochondria, while the intermediates of the TCA cycle are retained in mitochondria due to their polarity and hydrophilicity. Under conditions of cell stress, mitochondria become disrupted and release their contents, which act as danger signals in the cytosol. Of note, the TCA cycle intermediates may also leak from dysfunctioning mitochondria and regulate cellular processes. Increasing evidence shows that the metabolites of the TCA cycle are substantially involved in the regulation of immune responses. In this review, we aimed to provide a comprehensive systematic overview of the molecular mechanisms of each TCA cycle intermediate that may play key roles in regulating cellular immunity in cell stress and discuss their implications for immune activation and suppression.

Depending on the characteristics of the industrial area, toxicity evaluation of human body, risk assessment and health impact assessment may directly cause cancer due to air pollution. Environmental data collection is from August 2018 to January 31, 2019, and the average, minimum, and maximum values of air pollution data respectively. According to the global data on global trends using the Big Data, high blood pressure is confirmed at 33rd place in the world, and myocardial infarction among the environmental diseases is confirmed to be lower than Korea. Disease that occurred in Jeolla province industrial complex considering the characteristics of our country was identified as representative. Air pollutants are considered to be the causes of allergic diseases in Korea. PM10 was found to be higher than the control area (28.8804348 (㎍ / ㎥), 31.7065217 (㎍ / ㎥) and 32.8532609 (㎍ / ㎥). The mean concentrations of PM2.5 in the middle and high exposure areas were lower than those of the control areas, but the highest in the intermediate exposure areas was 16.5978261 (㎍ / ㎥), 16.1086957 (㎍ / ㎥) and 17.1847826 (㎍ / ㎥) respectively. The relationship between the major variables of environmental exposure in Yeosu was confirmed to be correlated with high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, cerebrovascular, diabetes, thyroid disease, sinus infection, anemia and pneumonia.

Amino acid sequences of native proteins are generally not palindromic. The protein molecule obtained as a result of reading the amino acid sequence backwards, i.e., a retro-protein, having the same amino acid composition and the same hydrophobicity profile as the native sequence may behave as a different molecule. Here we have used R4, a directed evolution product of Scfv-13, a protein that binds β-galactosidase, and report the properties of the retro-R4 (rR4). rR4 remains a binding protein and its new target is Glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (GLMS), a native E. coli protein. Additionally, a tight junction immunoglobulin domain- containing membrane protein, junctional adhesion molecule A (JAMA) retro-protein retains the ability to drive cell-cell interactions. Thus, protein engineering suggests a new potential application to retro-proteins of the immunoglobulin superfamily.

Pulmonary complications are frequently observed in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), with large airway disease being the most prevalent manifestation. In this case study, we explore the potential for Immunosuppressant, a monoclonal antibody, to induce pulmonary hemorrhage—a side effect not previously documented with its use. The subject, a young male in his twenties with a six-year history of UC, tragically died suddenly. Found in a pool of blood without external injuries, extensive post-mortem examinations were required to determine the cause of death. The patient had been on biologic therapy, receiving Immunosuppressant intermittently over the past two years, including an infusion five days prior to death. External examination revealed bloody, pinkish foamy material expelling from his nose and mouth. An autopsy supported an atypical presentation of UC, while histopathology confirmed diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage, marked by edema and emphysematous changes. Additionally, there was a notable lymphomonocytic infiltration around the arterial walls, and signs of bronchiolitis and focal pleural fibrosis were evident. We concluded that the cause of death was Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage (DAH), directly associated with the recent administration of Immunosuppressant. This finding underscores the need for vigilant pulmonary monitoring in patients treated with monoclonal antibodies to promptly identify and manage potential fatal adverse reactions.

Lipofibromatous hamartoma, first reported in 1953, is a rare, slowly-progressive soft tissue tumor, characteristics of which include enlargement of the affected nerve by epineurial and perineurial proliferation of adipose and fibrous tissues. Out of previously reported 200 cases of lipofibromatous hamartoma of the median nerve, there have been approximately 40 pediatric cases under the age of 18. Herein, we report a case of lipofibromatous hamatoma of the median nerve in a 3-year-old female patient, who was surgically decompressed by carpal tunnel release only and histologically confirmed. The patient was followed-up on outpatient clinic basis annually along with ultrasonography, and the postoperative 10th year follow-up did not show recurrence or any deficits in motor and sensory functions

The problem of scheduling is an area that has attracted a lot of attention from researchers for many years. Its goal is to optimize resources in the system. The assigning task to the lecturer is an example of the timetabling problem, a class of scheduling. This study introduces a mathematical model to assign fixed tasks (the time and required skills to be fixed) to university lecturers. Our model is capable of generating a calendar that maximizes faculty expectations. The formulated problem is in the form of a multi-objective problem that optimal makes decisions require the trade-off presence of trade-offs between two or more conflicting objectives. To solve this, we use the Compromise Programming approach to multi-objective programming. We then proposed the new version of the Genetic Algorithm to solve the introduced model. Finally, the model and algorithm tested with real scheduling data collected at the Computing Fundamental Department, FPT University, Hanoi, Vietnam.

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

Ocean surface waves have been utilized as fundamental information in various fields of oceanic research. In this paper, we suggest a simulation and modelling technique for generating an ocean surface wave using an inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT), and we subsequently verify the wave’s accuracy. The conventional method, linear superposition, requires recursive calculation because of the double summation and the time variable; to circumvent this issue, the new algorithm is presented. The Joint North Sea Wave Project (JONSWAP) spectrum is utilized for the ocean surface wave simulation example, and the parameters are the significant wave height (HS) and the zero-crossing wave period (TZ). A coordinate transform for the wavenumber domain was used to apply the inverse FFT algorithm. To verify the accuracy of the simulation result, the relative error between the input condition and the analysis result was calculated. The result for TZ is below 4% relative error, and the maximum relative error for HS is 7%. To avoid the Nyquist frequency for wave-field analysis and simulation, the minimum grid size was calculated by twice applying the maximum wavenumber.

Exercise has increasingly been recognized as an adjunctive therapy for alcohol-use disorder (AUD), yet our understanding of its underlying neurological mechanisms remains limited. This knowledge gap impedes the development of evidence-based exercise guidelines for AUD treatment. Chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure has been shown to upregulate and sensitize kappa opioid receptors (KORs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is innervated by dopamine (DA) neurons in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), which may contribute to AUD-related behaviors. In this study, we investigated the impact of voluntary exercise in EtOH-dependent mice on EtOH consumption, KOR and DOR expression in the NAc and VTA, and functional effects on EtOH-induced alterations in DA release in the NAc. Our findings reveal that voluntary exercise reduces EtOH consumption, reduces KOR and enhances DOR expression in the NAc, and modifies EtOH-induced adaptations in DA release, suggesting a competitive interaction between exercise-induced and EtOH-induced alterations in KOR expression. We also found changes to DOR expression in the NAc and VTA with voluntary exercise but no significant changes to DA release. These findings elucidate the complex interplay of AUD-related neurobiological processes, highlighting the potential for exercise as a therapeutic intervention for AUD.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of lupin flake supplementation on the growth, plasma parameters, carcass characteristics, and meat composition of late-fattening Hanwoo steers. The steers (n = 40) were randomly divided into the four groups with 10 steers each: LP0 (Lupin flake 0%), LP3 (lupin flake 3%), LP6 (Lupin flake 6%), and LP9 (lupin flake 9%). The total digestible nutriant intake increased as the concentration of lupin increased (linear and quadratic effects; P &lt; 0.05). The thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance content in the strip loins decreased as lupin flake supplementation levels increased (linear and quadratic effects; P &lt; 0.05), while carnosine levels increased linearly (P &lt; 0.05). As the lupin flake supplementation level increased, anserine and creatinine contents increased linearly and quadratically (P &lt; 0.05). Similarly, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) contents increased with increasing lupin flake supplementation levels in linear and quadratic effects (P &lt; 0.001). Palmitoleic acid content increased significantly with increasing lupin flake supplementation level (linear and quadratic effects; P &lt; 0.05). The content of oleic acid in the strip loin was not significant, but the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) (P &lt; 0.05) and n-6/n-3 ratio (P &lt; 0.05) increased. The results of this study indicated that although lupin flake supplementation did not markedly affect the growth, carcass characteristics, or meat composition of late-fattening Hanwoo steers, it exerted a positive effect on the flavor, taste profiles (anserine, creatinine, ATP, and AMP), hypotonicity(TBARS), and healthy meat production (UFA and n-6/n-3 ratio) related to beef.

In this study, the potential of whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) containing LDIQK peptide and treadmill exercise to prevent cognitive decline was investigated along with the neuroprotective mechanisms. Cognitive dysfunction was induced in mice by 1 mg/kg scopolamine, followed by administration of WPH at 100 and 200 mg/kg and/or treadmill exercise at 15 m/min for 30 min five days per week. Both WPH administration and treadmill exercise significantly improved memory in mice with scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment, which was attributed to several key mechanisms, including a reduction in oxidative stress based on decreased levels of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde in the brain tissue and an increase in acetylcholine by increasing choline acyltransferase and decreasing acetylcholine esterase levels. Exercise and WPH also exerted neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, enhancing the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and inhibiting apoptosis by reducing the Bax/Bcl2 ratio in conjunction with downregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Moreover, the impact of WPH and treadmill exercise extended to the gut microbiome, suggesting a potential link with cognitive improvement. These findings suggest that both WPH intake and treadmill exercise are effective strategies for mitigating cognitive impairment, providing promising avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Penile augmentation using filler injections is a growing trend; however, the foreign body reaction can cause complications such as ulcer and necrosis of the penis, which can requires reconstruction. The existing method of reconstruction of the penis focused on filling the deficit. We report a case involving a scrotal flap and autologous augmentation using a de-epithelialization technique for a soft tissue defect caused by delayed infection after a penile filler injection. The defect was reconstructed and an augmentation effect was achieved. The patient was a 41-year-old man who received an injection of Aquafilling® (Biomedica, Prague, Czech Republic) 7 years previously and developed a delayed infection. After debridement, the penile defect spanned the entire shaft, and the circumference of the penis was 7.5 cm. Using a bilateral scrotal flap technique, the inferior margins of both flaps were rolled inward after de-epithelialization to achieve autologous augmentation. No infection or flap necrosis occurred during the 3-month follow-up period after surgery. Additionally, the penis circumference was expanded to 12 cm, and the patient indicated that he was very satisfied with the result. This surgical technique can be widely applied as treatment for penile defects.

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

Human milk reduces risk for necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. Necrotizing enterocolitis occurs in the ileocecal region where thousands of milk protein-derived peptides have been released from digestion. Digestion-released peptides may exert bioactivity, such antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities, in the gut. In this study, we applied mass spectrometry-based peptidomics to characterize peptides present in colostrum before and after in vitro digestion. Sequence-based computational modeling was applied to predict peptides with antimicrobial activity. We identified more peptides in undigested samples, yet the abundances were much higher in the digested samples. Heatmapping demonstrated highly different peptide profiles between undigested and digested samples. Four peptides (αS1-casein [157–163], αS1-casein [157–165], β-casein [153–159] and plasminogen [591–597]) were selected, synthesized and tested against common pathogenic bacteria associated with necrotizing enterocolitis. All four exhibited bacteriostatic, though not bactericidal, activities against Klebsiella aerogenes, Citrobacter freundii and Serratia marcescens, but not Escherichia coli.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the impact of radiation dose on the outcomes of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for benign meningiomas and determine an optimal dosing strategy for balancing tumor control and treatment-related toxicity. Clinical data of 147 patients with 164 lesions treated between 2014 and 2022 were reviewed. Primary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), local control rate (LCR), and radiation-induced toxicity, with secondary outcomes focusing on LCR and radiation-induced peritumoral edema (PTE) in two dose groups (≥14 Gy and &lt;14 Gy). Results revealed a median follow-up duration of 47 months, with 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year PFS rates of 99.3%, 96.7%, and 93.8% respectively, and an overall LCR of 95.1%. Radiation-induced toxicity was observed in 24.5% of patients, primarily presenting mild symptoms. Notably, no significant difference in LCR was found between the two dose groups (P = 0.628), while Group 2 (&lt;14 Gy) exhibited significantly lower PTE (P = 0.039). The study concludes that SRS with a radiation dose &lt;14 Gy demonstrates comparable tumor control with reduced toxicity, advocating for consideration of such dosing to achieve a balance between therapeutic efficacy and safety.

(1) The purpose of this study was to compare the percentages of quarterly change for each of the variables analysed (height, weight, body fat percentage and muscle mass) as a function of the quarter in a sample of adolescent football players. (2) The sample consisted of young male football players of different categories belonging to a high-performance football academy, (more than 5 years in football and have spent 1 full year at the academy). (3) Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed for the anthropometric variable, P_value

This manuscript critically reviews the design and delivery of spray-dried particles for the achievement of high total lung doses (TLD) with a portable dry powder inhaler. We introduce a new metric termed the product density, which is simply the TLD of a drug divided by the volume of the receptacle it is contained within. The product density is given by the product of three terms: the packing density (the mass of powder divided by the volume of the receptacle), the drug loading (the mass of drug divided by the mass of powder), and the aerosol performance (the TLD divided by the mass of drug). This manuscript discusses strategies for maximizing each of these terms. Spray drying at low drying rates with small amounts of a shell-forming excipient (low Peclet Number) leads to formation of higher density particles with high packing densities. This enables ultrahigh TLD (>100 mg of drug) to be achieved from a single receptacle. Emptying of powder from capsules is directly proportional to the mass of powder in the receptacle, requiring an inhaled volume of about 1 L for fill masses between 40 and 50 mg and up to 3.2 L for a fill mass of 150 mg.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder that impairs memory and thinking skills, leading to significant economic and humanistic burdens. It is associated with various neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) such as anxiety, agitation, depression, aggression, apathy, and psychosis. NPSs are common in patients with AD, affecting up to 97% of individuals diagnosed with AD. The severity of NPS is linked to disease progression and cognitive decline. NPS in Alzheimer’s disease leads to increased morbidity, mortality, caregiver burden, earlier nursing home placement, and higher healthcare costs. Despite their significant impact, clinical research on NPS in AD is limited. In clinical settings, accurately distinguishing and diagnosing NPS related to AD remains a challenge. Additionally, conventional treatments for NPS in AD are often ineffective, highlighting the need for new therapies that target these specific symptoms. Understanding these comorbidities can aid in early diagnosis and better management of AD. In this review, we provide a summary of the various neurological and psychiatric symptoms (NPSs) associated with AD and new candidates under development for the treatment of NPSs based on their therapeutic targets and mechanisms. On top of the conventional NPSs studied far, this review adds recent advancements in the understanding of social functional impairment in AD. This review also provides information that can contribute to the advancement of studies and translational research in this field by emphasizing therapeutic targets and mechanism of action focused on AD-related NPS, rather than conventional mechanisms targeted in AD drug development. Above all, considering the relative lack of research in this new field despite the importance of clinical, medical, and translational research, it may increase interest in NPSs in AD, its pathophysiological mechanisms, and potential therapeutic candidates such as molecules with antioxidant potential.

Alopecia refers to the continuous shedding of hair from the scalp or other areas. Genetic factors are the most common of the variety of causes of alopecia. Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, is prevalent. Recently, the interest in hair loss treatment has increased due to the growing number of people experiencing anxiety and stress related to hair loss. Nepenthes kampotiana Lecomte is known for its anticancer effects, but its potential for preventing hair loss has not been researched. Therefore, this study focused on the hair loss prevention effects of N. kampotiana Lecomte ethanol extract (Nk-EE). The results showed that Nk-EE has a proliferative effect on human follicle dermal papilla cells and inhibited cell death. In vivo experiments using androgenic areata models showed that Nk-EE had a positive effect on a variety of biomarkers such as hair-to-skin ratio, hair type frequency, and hair thickness. The results of this study suggest that Nk-EE has the potential to be an effective treatment for androgenic alopecia.

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.

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that activate inflammatory responses by inducing pyroptosis and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Along with many previous studies on inflammatory responses and diseases induced by canonical inflammasomes, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that non-canonical inflammasomes, such as mouse caspase-11 and human caspase-4 inflammasomes, are emerging key players in inflammatory responses and various diseases. Flavonoids are natural bioactive compounds found in plants, fruits, vegetables, and teas and have pharmacological properties in a wide range of human diseases. Many studies have successfully demonstrated that flavonoids play an anti-inflammatory role and ameliorate many inflammatory diseases by inhibiting canonical inflammasomes. Others have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory roles of flavonoids in inflammatory responses and various diseases, with a new mechanism by which flavonoids inhibit non-canonical inflammasomes. This review discusses recent studies that have investigated the anti-inflammatory roles and pharmacological properties of flavonoids in inflammatory responses and diseases induced by non-canonical inflammasomes and further provides insight into developing flavonoid-based therapeutics as potential nutraceuticals against human inflammatory diseases.

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

This survey of research literature is an overview of the current state of science addressing DSM-5 diagnostic criteria as it relates to identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in young children. Selected sources are of high quality and have been published since 2020 in peer-reviewed journals relevant to children’s health. The narrative is organized from the earliest to the most recent publications and is divided into sections around categories and themes that highlight the main arguments, findings, and controversies identified by researchers. There are indications in the literature that while ASD can be identified and differentiated from other developmental disorders in young children, doing so requires that clinicians who have relied on the DSM-5 should also use multiple measures, including other formalized screening tools as assessments that gather observational input from parents and caregivers, as well as findings from physical examinations, laboratory investigations, and magnetic resonance imagining (MRI). This high level of corroboration points to an emerging diagnosis paradigm through which transdiagnostic approaches to early diagnosis and intervention may exist.

Background: To examine the association between income levels and mortality rates in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: We analyzed data obtained from 3,172 patients with chronic kidney disease obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database (2003–2009). Each patient was monitored until December 2010 or until death, whichever came first. Individual income was estimated from the national health insurance premium. Information on mortality was obtained from the Korean National Statistical Office. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare mortality rates between different income groups after adjusting for possible confounding risk factors. Results: A low income was significantly associated with a high mortality rate after adjusting for covariates (adjusted HR 1.298 [1.082–1.556]). In addition, dialysis patients who had low incomes were more likely to have higher mortality rates compared to those in dialysis patients who had high incomes (adjusted HR 1.528 [1.122–2.082]). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that chronic kidney disease patients with low incomes have the highest mortality risk. Promotion of targeted policies and priority health services for patients with low incomes may help reduce the mortality rate in this vulnerable group.

This study aims to investigate the effects of cement kiln dust (CKD) on the hydration reactions and mechanical properties of cement and to evaluate its potential for use as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). The key variables are the CKD type and incorporation rate. Cement paste and mortar specimens containing CKD were prepared to examine their effects on the cement hydration and mechanical properties. The impact on hydration was assessed using setting time measurements, heat of hydration tests, and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). In addition, compressive strength tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of CKD on the mechanical properties of the cement. The results indicated that CKD promoted early cement hydration and enhanced the early age mechanical properties. However, owing to its lack of pozzolanic reactivity, it did not significantly affect long-term hydration. Given that the effects of CKD vary slightly depending on its chemical composition, careful consideration of CKD's properties suggests that its potential use as a SCM is promising.

A scalable optical convolutional neural network (SOCNN) based on free-space optics and Koehler illumination was proposed to address the limitations of the previous 4f correlator system. Unlike Abbe illumination, Koehler illumination provides more uniform illumination and reduces crosstalk. SOCNN allows for scaling up of the input array and the use of incoherent light sources. Hence, the problems associated with 4f correlator systems can be avoided. We analyzed the limitations in scaling the kernel size and parallel throughput and found that SOCNN can offer a multilayer convolutional neural network with massive optical parallelism.

Legionella bacteria can proliferate in poorly maintained water systems, posing risks to users. All Legionella species are potentially pathogenic but Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is usually the primary focus of testing. However, Legionella anisa (L. anisa) also colonises water distribution systems, is frequently found with L. pneumophila and could be a good indicator for increased risk of nosocomial infection. Anonymized data from three commercial Legionella testing laboratories afforded analysis of 565,750 water samples. Data covered July 2019 to August 2021, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Results confirmed L. anisa commonly colonises water distribution systems, being the most frequently identified non-L. pneumophila species. Proportions of L. anisa and L. pneumophila generally remained similar but increases in L. pneumophila during COVID-19 lockdown suggests static water supplies might favour its growth. Disinfection of hospital water systems was effective but re-colonization did occur, appearing to favour L. pneumophila, although L. anisa colony numbers also increased as a proportion of the total. While L. pneumophila remains the main species of concern as a risk to human health, L. anisa’s role should not be under-estimated, either as a potential infection risk or as an indicator of the need to intervene to control Legionella colonization of water supplies.

Frailty, an age-related decline in homeostatic reserves, markedly proceeded during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. To continuously assess frailty status, a remote system is urgently required. We aimed to co-design/co-develop an online frailty check (FC) application alongside FC supporters who were facilitators in a pre-existing onsite FC program. The online FC included a screening measurement for sarcopenia and an 11-item questionnaire covering dietary, physical, and social behaviors. Using prototype applications, 55 opinions obtained from 32 FC supporters (median 74.0 years) were categorized and reflected refinement. Regarding the self-efficacy of FC supporters, a significant increase in social positioning was seen after the mock test (P=.031). For FC supporters and participants, the average system usability scale (SUS) score was 70.2±10.3 points, which was “marginally high” for acceptability and “good” for the adjective range. Multiple regression analysis showed that the SUS score was significantly correlated with online-onsite reliability but not online communication, even after adjusting by age, sex, education level, and ICT proficiency (b=0.400, 95% CI: 0.243-1.951, P=.013). Additionally, a significant association between onsite and online FC scores was observed (R=0.670, P=.001). Our online FC application was evaluated to be a valuable tool to practically assess frailty status remotely.

The importance of Muscovy ducks in industrial poultry production is growing; however, little is known about the physiology of their reproductive cycles. This study investigated the influence of male biostimulation on female ducks before the commencement of the laying phase. A total of 15 female Muscovites were kept in contact with a male duck until the point of laying, while 15 other females were kept without any contact with a male conspecific. Before reaching egg-laying maturity, the cloacae of 29 adult ducks were subjected to daily clinical assessments. The evaluations yielded four unique categories of outcomes, determined by assessing factors such as the degree of redness and protrusion of the mucous membrane, moisture level, and swelling of the cloacal sphincter muscle. In terms of biostimulation, the findings demonstrated that, on average, ducks in contact with males laid the first egg 16 days earlier than isolated ducks. Furthermore, there was no significant difference observed in the mean initial egg weight between both groups (p = 0.841). The changes in the cloacal morphology indicated significant morphological changes 25–26 days before laying. Efforts to improve Muscovy production and develop biotechnological techniques to modify the reproductive cycle will benefit from these advancements.

Ce³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions doped Ca₂Al₂SiO₇ (CAS) phosphors were prepared by the solid-state reaction at 12800C for 1h. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed a tetragonal crystalline structure. The luminescent spectra of CAS: Ce³⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphors consist a board band with peaking at 420 nm corresponding to the luminescence of Ce³⁺ ions and narrow lines of Dy³⁺ ions. The energy transfer from Ce³⁺ ion to Dy³⁺ ion is presented and discussed

Hutchison-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare genetic disorder caused by the mutant protein progerin, which is expressed by the abnormal splicing of LMNA gene. HGPS affects systemic levels, except cognition or brain development in children, showing that cellular aging can occur in the short term. However, the causes of aging that humanity is working to overcome remain poorly understood. Studying progeria could be useful for unraveling the causes of human aging (as well as fatal age-related disorders). Elucidating the clear cause of HGPS or the development of a therapeutic medicine will provide inconceivable comfort for young patients and enable them to live a normal life. This review aimed to: i) briefly describe how progerin was discovered as the causative agent of HGPS, ii) elucidate the puzzling observation of the absence of primary neurological disease in HGPS, iii) present several studies showing the deleterious effects of progerin and the beneficial effects of its inhibition, and iv) summarize research to develop a therapy for HGPS, and introduce clinical trials for its treatment.

As the major greenhouse gas, CO2 gas emission has been noticeably increased over the past decades resulting in global warming and climate change. As a result, it is imperative to reduce the excess CO2 in the atmosphere to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C (ideally 1.5°C) above pre-industrial levels set by the Paris Agreement on climate change. Among many ways, CO2 capture technology is considered as the most promising technology among the available technologies. Porous materials such as carbons, silica, zeolites, hollow fibers, and alumina are widely used as CO2 sorbents. However, among the available porous sloid sorbents, porous silica-based materials grabbed a significant attention due to their unique properties including high surface area, pore volume, good thermal and mechanical stability, and low cost. Therefore, development of porous silica materials as a promising CO2 absorbent is a continuously expanding research area in the current moment. Herein, we aim to visualize a full picture of the porous silica-based materials for CO2 capture. This review presents a comprehensive study of existing CO2 capture techniques and highlights the recent progress of different porous silica materials and synthesis processes. CO2 adsorption capacities of unmodified porous silica materials are less effective as compared with functionalized silica materials. Various research activities have been reported about functionalization of pours silica using amine groups. Therefore, in this review, different synthesis routes of amine-functionalized porous silica materials, CO2 adsorption capacities, gas selectivity and reusability were discussed. Moreover, the research challenges associated with the porous silica materials and future research directions are summarized.

This paper offers insights into the nexus of youth, masculinity and right-wing populism in Australia. Here we make reference to a wide body of international literature on the topic. There is some affinity between disenfranchised (white) working-class young men and the radical right. Survey data were collected for a project on masculinity and the far right in Australia. 203 young men worked primarily in “blue collar” sectors of the Australian labour force. Some survey responses locate them partly or potentially within the field of the populist right-wing, with many expressing anti-government sentiments and the discourse of white male victimhood. The majority were nostalgic for stereotypical masculinity. While right-wing populist movements across the world certainly differ, they often share a discourse promoting traditional gender roles.

Objectives: To investigate the etiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in an adult female patient. Methods: We conducted trio genome sequencing on a 35-year-old woman with progressive weakness in her left upper limb, as well as on her parents. Prior to sequencing, we performed a comprehensive neurological work-up on the patient, including neurological exam, electrophysiology, biomarker assessment, and brain and spinal cord MRI. Results : The propositus experienced weakness and atrophy in her left hand 6 months before the evaluation. This was associated with brisk reflexes and Hoffman sign in the same arm. Electroneuromyography revealed lower motor neuron involvement in three body regions. Neurofilament light chains were elevated in her cerebrospinal fluid. Brain imaging showed asymmetrical T2 hyperintensity of the corticospinal tracts and T2 linear hypointensity of the precentral gyri. Genome trio sequencing identified a likely pathogenic de novo variant in the propositus’s KIF1A gene (NM_001244008.2): c.574A&gt;G, p.(Ile192Val). Discussion: Pathogenic variants in the KIF1A gene have been associated with a wide range of neurological manifestations called KIF1A-associated neurological diseases (KAND). The present report describe a likely pathogenic de novo variant in KIF1A associated with ALS, expanding the phenotypic spectrum of KAND and our understanding of the pathophysiology of ALS.

Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) has been linked to a range of unfavorable outcomes, including the development of unhealthy personality traits and maladaptive coping mechanisms and behaviors. In this study, our objective was to investigate whether neuroticism and perfectionism act as mediators in the relationship between CEA and workaholism, while also evaluating the gender invariance of the hypothesized model. A cohort of 1176 young workers, with a balanced gender representation (50% female), aged 18-25, participated in the study by completing self-report questionnaires. The results revealed significant connections between all direct and indirect links, indicating a complex interplay between childhood emotional abuse, neuroticism, perfectionism, and workaholism. Importantly, the mediation model exhibited no significant differences between genders, suggesting that the identified relationships are consistent across both male and female participants. This research underscores the critical importance of early identification of childhood emotional abuse and advocates for the implementation of trauma-informed care to address the negative consequences of emotional abuse, ultimately aiming to prevent the development of workaholism. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the necessity for tailored prevention strategies, focusing on mitigating neuroticism and perfectionism as potential pathways for effective therapeutic interventions.

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

Objectives: To assess the short-term impact of a single global stretching session on plantar pressures and lumbar range of motion (RoM) over one week in sedentary university students. Design: A randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. Participants: Sixty-four university students were randomly assigned to a stretching group or control group. The stretching group received a single session of global stretching and the control group remained seated for the same length of time as the stretching session. Main outcome measures: Lumbar RoM and plantar pressures were assessed before, immediately after, 48 hours after, and 7 days after intervention. Results: Group-by-time interaction was significant for lumbar lateral flexion (p = 0.044), right maximal pressure (p = 0.003), left maximal pressure (p = 0.008), right mean pressure (p = 0.025), left mean pressure (p = 0.002), and maximal pressure minus mean pressure in right foot (p = 0.007). The model with plantar pressures showed a significant difference for group-by-time interaction (p = 0.010).Conclusion: Global stretching seems to counteract the ill-effects of prolonged sitting up to seven days with respect to plantar pressure in standing without improving lumbar ROM