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Introduction: Relatively little research has explored non-Western women workers and their career transitions within their unique cultural contexts. Thus, more context-sensitive approaches to women’s career trajectories are needed. Methods: Based on Bian and Wang’s Career Decision Tree Model (2019) as a conceptual framework, the reasons for South Korean women workers’ career transitions and influencing factors were explored using a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with 35 South Korean women workers at various career stages. Results and Discussion: Their main motive of career transitions was difficulty maintaining their physical and mental health, which stemmed from their demanding work life. A typical issue, the burden of child rearing and family responsibilities, was also reported, but it was not the primary reason for their career transitions. Instead, the women workers often mentioned these responsibilities along with other reasons. Other reasons were unresolved career interests and expectations associated with their lack of career goals and preparation prior to joining the labor market. These factors led to significant changes in women’s values and priorities along their career path, which finally triggered a decision to make a career transition. South Korean socio-cultural characteristics embedded in the South Korean women’s personal and organizational lives provide insights on how to interpret the findings. Although on the surface some of our findings appeared to confirm previous studies on women’s career transitions in Western-based literature, noteworthy differences were discovered when delving deeper into women’s career transitions in the South Korean context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paradigm for structural design has been shifted from traditional engineering-oriented to more comprehensive holistic designs that consider visual aspects. Such trends need an integrated strategy to design a structure that follows force flow resulting in a pleasing visual appearance. Graphic statics is perfect for designing structural forms while visualizing structural behavior. Despite the advantages of graphic statics, there are limitations to its use manually in conceptual design, where various design alternatives must be created and compared. The objective of this study is to present the conceptual design of cable-stayed bridges by exploiting the novelty of graphic statics. It also focuses on the rapid prototyping of computer-supported design to overcome the problem of tedious and iterative manual tasks. The generation of form and force diagrams for some representative cable-stayed bridges is first discussed. This is for parametric modeling to generate structural forms with genetic information and to develop into a family of design alternatives by varying the values for predefined input parameters. Then, the information and tasks involved in the development of the form and force diagrams are formalized by using the concept of entity-based model for the computer-supported graphic simulation. The formalized entities are further implemented into the generative algorithms of graphics software that link form and force diagrams through dynamic binding. It is expected that the implemented design tool support designers to perform conceptual design iteratively and interactively by considering structural behaviour and visual silhouette in a balanced way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Older Black adults experience a high burden of depressive symptoms and cerebrovascular disease but the specific neurobiological substrates underlying the association between late-life depressive symptoms and brain integrity are understudied, particularly in within-group designs. Methods: Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and diffusion-tensor imaging, within-Black variation in the association between latelife depressive symptoms and white matter structural integrity was examined in 297 older Black participants without dementia that were enrolled across three epidemiological studies of aging and dementia. Linear regression models were used to test associations with DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy, trace of the diffusion tensor) as the outcomes and depressive symptoms as the predictor, while adjusting for age, sex, education, scanner, serotonin-reuptake inhibitor use, total volume of white-matter hyperintensities normalized by intracranial volume, and presence of white-matter hyperintensities at the voxel level. Results: Higher level of self-reported late-life depressive symptoms was associated with greater diffusion-tensor trace (reduced white matter integrity) in connections between commissural pathways and contralateral prefrontal regions (superior and middle frontal/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), association pathways connecting dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with insular, striatal and thalamic regions, and association pathways connecting the parietal, temporal and occipital lobes and the thalamus. Discussion: This study demonstrated a discernable pattern of compromised white matter structural integrity underlying late-life depressive symptoms within older Black adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to identify changes in the diagnosis and subtype classification of Korean patients with BCR-ABL1-negative MPN related to the revision of the WHO classification in 2016. Methods: We evaluated 76 Korean patients with BCR-ABL1-negative MPN who underwent diagnostic work-ups, including bone marrow (BM) examinations and JAK2 V617F mutation analysis, from January 2013 to June 2018. Additionally, we reclassified the subtype of 43 patients who were diagnosed based on the WHO 2008 classification. Results: From January 2013 to April 2016, 43 patients were diagnosed with BCR-ABL1-negative MPN (12 PV, 17 ET, 14 PMF) according to the 2008 WHO classification, and from May 2016 to June 2018, 33 patients were diagnosed according to the 2016 classification (15 PV, 11 ET, 7 PMF). With the application of 2016 classification, 3 cases of ET were reclassified as pre-PMF, and the proportion of PV increased from 27.9% to 45.5%. There were significant differences in CBC between pre-PMF and overt PMF, between ET and overt-PMF, but no difference between ET and pre-PMF. Conclusions: The overall characteristics of BCR-ABL1-negative MPN patients were not significantly different from those of previous reports. 'Masked PV', which could not be diagnosed according to the WHO 2008 classification, may have been diagnosed as PV since 2016 due to the increase in the diagnostic value of the BM findings and the lowering of the hemoglobin (Hb) threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets is an X-linked dominantly inherited disorder characterized by defects in renal phosphate transport leading to phosphate wasting and hypophosphatemia. In this report, we describe a case of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets in a patient with a rare pathogenic PHEX variant. The 25-year-old female patient came to our clinic for genetic counseling regarding presumed genetic disease and pregnancy. When she was 9 years old, she had been diagnosed with vitamin D-resistant rickets based on laboratory results and symptoms. She had undergone orthopedic surgery due to bowing leg deformities. Since then, she was intermittently self-prescribing oral phosphate and calcium supplements. At 25 years old, she was diagnosed with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets with a rare pathogenic PHEX variant (c.1483-1G>C) by next-generation sequencing. This is the second report of the c.1483-1G>C variant to date, and her pathogenicity was confirmed based on the most recent guideline. Traditionally, the disease had been diagnosed mostly based on clinical findings. However, with advancements in genetic testing, genetic confirmation has become an imperative part of diagnostic workup. Herein, we report a 25-year-old female Korean patient diagnosed with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets harboring a rare pathogenic PHEX variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Consonant repetitions within words are a wellattested speech error pattern in children's early speech acquisition. We investigated the role of intervening vowel context in understanding speech forms containing consonant repetitions in early words. Intrasyllabic consonant--vowel (CV) sequences within consonant--vowel--consonant (CVC) and consonant--vowel--consonant--vowel (CVCV) forms containing consonant repetitions were analyzed to evaluate whether children's lack of independent movement control for the tongue in word-level sequences might contribute to these observed speech patterns. Method: Spontaneous speech data produced by 10 typically developing children learning American English were analyzed longitudinally from the onset of word use to 36 months. Overall patterns and word shape effects for nine CV combinations occurring in their CVC and CVCV word shapes that contained repeated nonadjacent consonants and the intervening vowel were analyzed. Results: Three CV combinations--coronal-front vowel, labial-central vowel, and dorsal-back vowel--occurred at above-chance levels. Preference for these CV patterns was strong in CVCV but not in CVC word shapes. These CV combinations occurred frequently at all time periods analyzed for CVCV's while decreasing across time for CVC's. Conclusions: Analysis of intrasyllabic patterns within word forms containing consonant repetitions revealed that consonant repetitions in many early words occurred at above-chance levels in the context of articulatorily compatible vowels. Results suggest that children's production system capacities are an important contributing principle accounting for vowel context effects within word forms containing consonant repetitions during earliest speech acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a point seroprevalence survey of measles among healthcare workers (HCWs) at two Korean teaching hospitals in 2019. A total of 2,830 HCWs underwent an antibody test. The overall seropositivity of measles was 93.1%. The seroprevalence of measles was lowest in HCWs aged 20 - 24 years (81.2%), followed by those aged 25 - 29 years (90.1%). The rates of anti-measles IgG positivity were significantly different between the two hospitals (97.0% vs. 89.4%, P <0.001). These results suggest that the seropositivity of measles in HCWs may differ depending on the hospital's vaccination policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs, viral RNA was detectable at high concentration for >3 weeks in fecal samples from 12 mildly symptomatic and asymptomatic children with COVID-19 in Seoul, South Korea. Saliva also tested positive during the early phase of infection. If proven infectious, feces and saliva could serve as transmission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is increasingly evident that bidirectional interactions exist among the gastrointestinal tract, the enteric nervous system, and the central nervous system. Recent preclinical and clinical trials have shown that gut microbiota plays an important role in these gut-brain interactions. Furthermore, alterations in gut microbiota composition may be associated with pathogenesis of various neurological disorders, including stress, autism, depression, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the concepts of the microbiota-gut-brain axis is emerging. Here, we review the role of gut microbiota in bidirectional interactions between the gut and the brain, including neural, immune-mediated, and metabolic mechanisms. We highlight recent advances in the understanding of probiotic modulation of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders via the gut-brain axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperthyroidism is associated with increased thrombotic risk. As contact system activation through formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) has emerged as an important trigger of thrombosis, we hypothesized that the contact system is activated along with active NET formation in hyperthyroidism and that their markers correlate with disease severity. Subjects and methods: In 61 patients with hyperthyroidism and 40 normal controls, the levels of coagulation factors (fibrinogen, and factor VII, VIII, IX, XI and XII), D-dimer, thrombin generation assay (TGA) markers, NET formation markers (histone–DNA complex, double-stranded DNA and neutrophil elastase) and contact system markers (activated factor XII (XIIa), high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK), prekallikrein and bradykinin) were measured. Results: Patients with hyperthyroidism showed higher levels of fibrinogen (median (interquartile range), 315 (280–344) vs 262 (223–300), P = 0.001), D-dimer (103.8 (64.8–151.5) vs 50.7 (37.4–76.0), P < 0.001), peak thrombin (131.9 (102.2– 159.4) vs 31.6 (14.8–83.7), P < 0.001) and endogenous thrombin potential (649 (538–736) vs 367 (197–1147), P = 0.021) in TGA with 1 pM tissue factor, neutrophil elastase (1.10 (0.39–2.18) vs 0.23 (0.20–0.35), P < 0.001), factor XIIa (66.9 (52.8–87.0) vs 73.0 (57.1–86.6), P < 0.001), HMWK (6.11 (4.95–7.98) vs 3.83 (2.60–5.68), P < 0.001), prekallikrein (2.15 (1.00–6.36) vs 1.41 (0.63–2.22), P = 0.026) and bradykinin (152.4 (137.6–180.4) vs 118.3 (97.1–137.9), P < 0.001) than did normal controls. In age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression analysis, fibrinogen, factor VIII, IX and XIIa, D-dimer, peak thrombin, neutrophil elastase, HMWK and bradykinin showed significant odds ratios representing hyperthyroidism’s contribution to coagulation and contact system activation. Free T4 was significantly correlated with factors VIII and IX, D-dimer, double-stranded DNA and bradykinin. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that contact system activation and abundant NET formation occurred in the high thrombin generation state in hyperthyroidism and were correlated with free T4 level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexural bond failure and anchorage failure, which are combined with shear failure at simple supports or near cutoff points, are investigated for bar detailing of positive and negative moment reinforcement in terms of development length and additional embedment length beyond the point of zero moment. The flexural bond requirement for safe bar development and the shear reinforcement necessary for the anchorage forces of cutoff flexural reinforcement at critical sections are drawn by consideration of the bond strength along straight or hook bars and its additional embedment length beyond zero moment. The proposed design equations and failure mode diagrams lead to safe bar detailing of reinforced concrete beams with inherent discontinuities of flexural reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of cereblon (CRBN) in T cells is not well understood. We generated mice with a deletion in Crbn and found cereblon to be an important antagonist of T-cell activation. In mice lacking CRBN, CD4+ T cells show increased activation and IL-2 production on T-cell receptor stimulation, ultimately resulting in increased potassium flux and calcium-mediated signaling. CRBN restricts T-cell activation via epigenetic modification of Kcna3, which encodes the Kv1.3 potassium channel required for robust calcium influx in T cells. CRBN binds directly to conserved DNA elements adjacent to Kcna3 via a previously uncharacterized DNA-binding motif. Consequently, in the absence of CRBN, the expression of Kv1.3 is derepressed, resulting in increased Kv1.3 expression, potassium flux, and CD4+ T-cell hyperactivation. In addition, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in T-cell-specific Crbn-deficient mice was exacerbated by increased T-cell activation via Kv1.3. Thus, CRBN limits CD4+ T-cell activation via epigenetic regulation of Kv1.3 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural design paradigm has evolved from an engineering-oriented approach to a holistic one that accommodates various concerns including form, function, behavior, economy, efficiency, and elegance. Because as many aspects as possible must be considered in the early design stages to reduce downstream problems afterward, the design tool for this stage has to be iterative and interactive with designers to manipulate various alternatives. In addition, the advancement of computer graphics software together with generative algorithms provide rapid dynamic simulation that enables efficient interactive design. This research has focused on rapid prototyping for the development of a computer-supported design tool that helps to perform the conceptual design of suspension bridges from the designer's concept to computer simulation during the conceptual design stage. The design information and tasks in conceptual design are formalized in terms of entities using the concept of an entity-based model, and these entities are further implemented into the generative algorithms of graphic software. Thanks to the dynamic simulation of the implemented design tool, conceptual design can be done interactively and iteratively while generating and selecting design alternatives following a graphical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by the SFTS virus; primary manifestations are fever, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and gastrointestinal symptoms. Before an aetiological diagnosis is made, SFTS patients can undergo bone marrow examination due to cytopenias. Although several studies have reported on bone marrow examination in SFTS patients, most do not provide adequate details. Bone marrow findings in SFTS patients were investigated in this study. Methods: An observational study was conducted in SFTS patients who were hospitalised between 2013 and 2014 in two university hospitals in South Korea. Patients were included in the study if SFTS was confirmed by real-time PCR for the SFTS virus and a bone marrow examination was conducted. The morphologic findings of the bone marrow samples were reviewed. Results: Three cases met the study inclusion criteria. One patient died of multiple organ failure. Haemophagocytosis was evident in the bone marrow samples of all three patients. Histiocytic hyperplasia and haemophagocytosis were more pronounced in the fatal case. One patient was diagnosed as having haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Conclusions: Haemophagocytosis in the bone marrow of SFTS patients may be common. In SFTS endemic areas, SFTS should be one of the differential diagnoses of fever of unknown origin with haemophagocytosis in the bone marrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In countless number of clinical trials, measurements of outcomes rely on instrument questionnaire items which however often suffer measurement error problems which in turn affect statistical power of study designs. The Cronbach alpha or coefficient alpha, here denoted by C(α), can be used as a measure of internal consistency of parallel instrument items that are developed to measure a target unidimensional outcome construct. Scale score for the target construct is often represented by the sum of the item scores. However, power functions based on C(α) have been lacking for various study designs.Methods: We formulate a statistical model for parallel items to derive power functions as a function of C(α) under several study designs. To this end, we assume fixed true score variance assumption as opposed to usual fixed total variance assumption. That assumption is critical and practically relevant to show that smaller measurement errors are inversely associated with higher inter-item correlations, and thus that greater C(α) is associated with greater statistical power. We compare the derived theoretical statistical power with empirical power obtained through Monte Carlo simulations for the following comparisons: one-sample comparison of pre- and post-treatment mean differences, two-sample comparison of pre-post mean differences between groups, and two-sample comparison of mean differences between groups.Results: It is shown that C(α) is the same as a test-retest correlation of the scale scores of parallel items, which enables testing significance of C(α). Closed-form power functions and samples size determination formulas are derived in terms of C(α), for all of the aforementioned comparisons. Power functions are shown to be an increasing function of C(α), regardless of comparison of interest. The derived power functions are well validated by simulation studies that show that the magnitudes of theoretical power are virtually identical to those of the empirical power.Conclusion: Regardless of research designs or settings, in order to increase statistical power, development and use of instruments with greater C(α), or equivalently with greater inter-item correlations, is crucial for trials that intend to use questionnaire items for measuring research outcomes.Discussion: Further development of the power functions for binary or ordinal item scores and under more general item correlation strutures reflecting more real world situations would be a valuable future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A current challenge in RNA structure prediction is the description of global helical arrangements compatible with a given secondary structure. Here we address this problem by developing a hierarchical graph sampling/data mining approach to reduce conformational space and accelerate global sampling of candidate topologies. Starting from a 2D structure, we construct an initial graph from size measures deduced from solved RNAs and junction topologies predicted by our data-mining algorithm RNAJAG trained on known RNAs. We sample these graphs in 3D space guided by knowledge-based statistical potentials derived from bending and torsion measures of internal loops as well as radii of gyration for known RNAs. Graph sampling results for 30 representative RNAs are analyzed and compared with reference graphs from both solved structures and predicted structures by available programs. This comparison indicates promise for our graph-based sampling approach for characterizing global helical arrangements in large RNAs: graph rmsds range from 2.52 to 28.24 Å for RNAs of size 25-158 nucleotides, and more than half of our graph predictions improve upon other programs. The efficiency in graph sampling, however, implies an additional step of translating candidate graphs into atomic models. Such models can be built with the same idea of graph partitioning and build-up procedures we used for RNA design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to develop a method for using the single-well natural gradient drift test (SWNGDT) in the field to assess in situ aerobic cometabolism of trichloroethylene (TCE) and to analyze microbial community changes. The SWNGDT was performed in a monitoring well installed in a TCE-contaminated aquifer in Wonju, South Korea. The natural gradient drift biostimulation test (NGDBT) and surrogate test (NGDST) were performed by injecting dissolved solutes (bromide (a tracer), toluene (a growth substrate), ethylene (a nontoxic surrogate substrate to probe for TCE transformation activity), dissolved oxygen (DO, an electron acceptor), and nitrate (nutrient)) into the aquifer. Push-pull blocking tests (PPBT) were also performed to examine whether the monooxygenase of toluene oxidizers is involved in the degradation of toluene and the transformation of ethylene. Through the NGDBT, NGDST, and PPBT, we confirmed that the addition of toluene and oxygen in these field tests stimulated indigenous toluene utilizers to cometabolize aerobically TCE, with the following results: (1) the observed simultaneous utilization of toluene and DO; (2) the transformation of ethylene to ethylene oxide and propylene to propylene oxide; and (3) the transformation of TCE. Furthermore, the results of restriction fragment length polymorphism suggested that the microbial community shifts and the microbes capable of transforming TCE are stimulated by injecting the growth substrate, toluene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old stone bridges in Korea are becoming short of safety while their cultural significance is becoming more important. Unlike existing modern bridges requiring strengthening mainly for structural safety, old stone bridges must be treated from both the points of view of historic significance and safety to advocate for the preservation of cultural and engineering landmarks-monuments for the people and communities. Therefore, engineers must balance preservation principles demanding authenticity of materials and visual characteristics with code requiring safety, strength, and stability and historic significance for the maintenance of historic bridges. This article proposes a framework for developing management plans for old stone bridges to consider cultural significance values as decision variables. To verify the concepts proposed in this article, a case study was simulated for the Supyo Bridge management plan, which is under consideration by the office of Seoul Metropolitan cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Time series methods are commonly used to detect disease outbreak signatures (e.g., signals due to influenza outbreaks and anthrax attacks) from varying respiratory-related diagnostic or syndromic data sources. Typically this involves two components: (i) Using time series methods to model the baseline background distribution (the time series process that is assumed to contain no outbreak signatures), (ii) Detecting outbreak signatures using filter-based time series methods. Methods: We consider time series models for chest radiograph data obtained from Midwest children's emergency departments. These models incorporate available covariate information such as patient visit counts and smoothed ambient temperature series, as well as time series dependencies on daily and weekly seasonal scales. Respiratory-related outbreak signature detection is based on filtering the one-step-ahead prediction errors obtained from the time series models for the respiratory-complaint background. Results: Using simulation experiments based on a stochastic model for an anthrax attack, we illustrate the effect of the choice of filter and the statistical models upon radiograph-attributed outbreak signature detection. Conclusion: We demonstrate the importance of using seasonal autoregressive integrated average time series models (SARIMA) with covariates in the modeling of respiratory-related time series data. We find some homogeneity in the time series models for the respiratory-complaint backgrounds across the Midwest emergency departments studied. Our simulations show that the balance between specificity, sensitivity, and timeliness to detect an outbreak signature differs by the emergency department and the choice of filter. The linear and exponential filters provide a good balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proliferation of structural and functional studies of RNA has revealed an increasing range of RNA's structural repertoire. Toward the objective of systematic cataloguing of RNA's structural repertoire, we have recently described the basis of a graphical approach for organizing RNA secondary structures, including existing and hypothetical motifs. Description: We now present an RNA motif database based on graph theory, termed RAG for RNA-As-Graphs, to catalogue and rank all theoretically possible, including existing, candidate and hypothetical, RNA secondary motifs. The candidate motifs are predicted using a clustering algorithm that classifies RNA graphs into RNA-like and non-RNA groups. All RNA motifs are filed according to their graph vertex number (RNA length) and ranked by topological complexity. Conclusions: RAG's quantitative cataloguing allows facile retrieval of all classes of RNA secondary motifs, assists identification of structural and functional properties of user-supplied RNA sequences, and helps stimulate the search for novel RNAs based on predicted candidate motifs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outlines an entity-based approach for representing both computer-aided design information and activities. Concepts of semantic data models and related abstraction mechanisms; Extension of the concept of an entity to include design activities; Organization of design information into corresponding entities; Use of the formal modeling concepts in the development of integrated computer-aided design systems.

Bone-soft tissue friction is an important factor affecting several musculoskeletal disorders, frictional syndromes and the ability of a bone fracture to heal. However, this parameter is difficult to determine using non-invasive imaging modalities, especially in clinical settings. Ultrasound axial shear strain elastography is a non-invasive imaging modality that has been used in the recent past to estimate the bonding between different tissue layers. As most elastography methods, axial shear strain elastography is primarily used in soft tissues. More recently, this technique has been proposed to assess the bone-soft tissue interface. In this paper, we investigate the effect of a variation in bone-soft tissue friction coefficient in the resulting axial shear strain elastograms. Finite element poroelastic models of bone specimens exhibiting different bone-soft tissue friction coefficients were created and mechanically analyzed. These models were then imported to an ultrasound elastography simulation module to assess the presence of axial shear strain patterns. In vitro experiments were performed to corroborate selected simulation results. The results of this study show that the normalized axial shear strain estimated at the bone-soft tissue interface is statistically correlated to the bone-soft tissue coefficient of friction. This information may prove useful to better interpret ultrasound elastography results obtained in bone-related applications and, possibly, monitor bone healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Our RNA-As-Graph-Pools (RagPools) web server offers a theoretical companion tool for RNA in vitro selection and related problems. Specifically, it suggests how to construct RNA sequence/structure pools with user-specified properties and assists in analyzing resulting distributions. This utility follows our recently developed approach for engineering sequence pools that links RNA sequence space regions with corresponding structural distributions via a ‘mixing matrix’ approach combined with a graph theory analysis of RNA secondary-structure space; the mixing matrix specifies nucleotide transition rates, and graph theory links sequences to simple graphical objects representing RNA motifs. The companion RagPools web server (‘Designer’ component) provides optimized starting sequences, mixing matrices and associated weights in response to a user-specified target pool structure distribution. In addition, RagPools (‘Analyzer’ component) analyzes the motif distribution of pools generated from user-specified starting sequences and mixing matrices. Thus, RagPools serves as a guide to researchers who aim to synthesize RNA pools with desired properties and/or experiment in silico with various designs by our approach. Availability: The web server is accessible on the web at http://rubin2.biomath.nyu.edu Contact: schlick@nyu.edu [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]