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The oxidation of copper and its surface oxides are gaining increasing attention due to the enhanced CO2reduction reaction (CO2RR) activity exhibited by partially oxidized copper among the copper-based catalysts. The “8” surface oxide on Cu(111) is seen as a promising structure for further study due to its resemblance to the highly active Cu2O(110) surface in the C–C coupling of the CO2RR, setting it apart from other O/Cu(111) surface oxides resembling Cu2O(111). However, recent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis challenges the currently accepted atomic structure of the “8” surface oxide, prompting a need for reevaluation. This study highlights the limitations of conventional methods when addressing such challenges, leading us to adopt global optimization search techniques. After a rigorous process to ensure robustness, the unbiased global minimum of the “8” surface oxide is identified. Interestingly, this configuration differs significantly from other surface oxides and also from previous “8” models while retaining similarities to the Cu2O(110) surface.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a single fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet containing dapagliflozin and rosuvastatin, given the increasing use of combined treatment for cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases, as well as diabetes and dyslipidemia. Methods: Various crystals of dapagliflozin were evaluated for their thermal properties and stability to identify the most stable option. Six different FDC tablets were formulated using excipients determined through compatibility studies, and their dissolution profiles were compared to reference products (Forxiga®and Crestor®). Accelerated stability testing and pharmacokinetic studies in beagle dogs were conducted for the selected FDC tablet. Results: Dapagliflozin citric acid was identified as the most suitable crystal, exhibiting the highest melting point and stability. The manufactured FDC tablets met common compendial properties of solid oral immediate-release tablets. The selected FDC tablet demonstrated comparable dissolution to reference products and superior stability in a 6-month accelerated stability testing. Pharmacokinetic studies confirmed the bioequivalence of the FDC tablet to reference products in beagle dogs. Conclusion: The developed FDC single tablet of dapagliflozin/rosuvastatin offers a convenient alternative to taking two separate pills and provides insights for developing similar FDC tablets with dapagliflozin or rosuvastatin.

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Nevus flammeus is present in Sturge–Weber and Klippel–Trenaunay syndromes, both associated with diffuse choroidal hemangioma. It is also associated with ocular melanocytosis, predisposing patients with phakomatosis pigmentovascularis to uveal melanoma. Given the overlap between these conditions, patients with nevus flammeus and an intraocular mass should be assessed for uveal melanoma.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of cefetamet pivoxil for the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in Korean patients compared to treatment with cefdinir.Methods: A prospective, multicenter, randomized double-blind, comparative study was conducted by the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at 17 hospitals or universities in the Republic of Korea from March 2017 to April 2019. A total of 309 patients were screened and 249 patients participated in the study.Results: Treatment with cefetamet pivoxil for 2 weeks showed 82.4% clinical cure and improvement rates in patients with acute bacterial rhinosinusitis compared to 84.68% in those taking cefdinir for 2 weeks, showing that cefetamet pivoxil administered twice a day for 2 weeks was as effective as cefdinir 3 times a day for 2 weeks for the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. The overall adverse reaction rates of both drugs were 10.56% in the cefetamet pivoxil group and 15.49% in the cefdinir group, without serious adverse events or drug reactions.Conclusions: Cefetamet pivoxil twice a day was as efficacious and safe as cefdinir 3 times a day for the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis, which suggested that cefetamet pivoxil may be a suitable alternative to cefdinir.

Skeletal muscle atrophy can occur in response to numerous factors, such as ageing and certain medications, and produces a major socio‐economic burden. At present, there are no approved drugs for treating skeletal muscle atrophy. Arachidonate 5‐lipoxygenase (Alox5) is a drug target for a number of diseases. However, pharmacological targeting of Alox5, and its role in skeletal muscle atrophy, is unclear. The potential effects of gene knockdown and pharmacological targeting of Alox5 on skeletal muscle atrophy were investigated using cell‐based models, animal models and human skeletal muscle primary cells. Malotilate, a clinically safe drug developed for enhancing liver regeneration and Alox5 inhibitor, was investigated as a repurposing candidate. Mechanism(s) of action in skeletal muscle atrophy was assessed by measuring the expression level or activation status of key regulatory pathways and validated using gene knockdown and RNA sequencing. Myotubes treated with the atrophy‐inducing glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, were protected from catabolic responses by treatment with malotilate (+41.29%, P< 0.01). Similar anti‐atrophy effects were achieved by gene knockdown of Alox5 (+30.4%, P< 0.05). Malotilate produced anti‐atrophy effects without affecting the myogenic differentiation programme. In an in vivo model of skeletal muscle atrophy, malotilate treatment preserved muscle force/strength (grip strength: +35.72%, latency to fall: +553.1%, P< 0.05), increased mass and fibre cross‐sectional area (quadriceps: +23.72%, soleus: +33.3%, P< 0.01) and down‐regulated atrogene expression (Atrogin‐1: −61.58%, Murf‐1: ‐66.06%, P< 0.01). Similar, beneficial effects of malotilate treatment were observed in an ageing muscle model, which also showed the preservation of fast‐twitch fibres (Type 2a: +56.48%, Type 2b: +37.32%, P< 0.01). Leukotriene B4, a product of Alox5 activity with inflammatory and catabolic functions, was found to be elevated in skeletal muscle undergoing atrophy (quadriceps: +224.4%, P< 0.001). Cellular transcriptome analysis showed that targeting Alox5 up‐regulated biological processes regulating organogenesis and increased the expression of insulin‐like growth factor‐1, a key anti‐atrophy hormone (+226.5%, P< 0.05). Interestingly, these effects were restricted to the atrophy condition and not observed in normal skeletal muscle cultures with Alox5 inhibition. Human myotubes were also protected from atrophy by pharmacological targeting of Alox5 (+23.68%, P< 0.05). These results shed new light on novel drug targets and mechanisms underpinning skeletal muscle atrophy. Alox5 is a regulator and drug target for muscle atrophy, and malotilate is an attractive compound for repurposing studies to treat this disease.

Context Labile soil carbon and nitrogen are important indicators for evaluating carbon sequestration and nutrient availability under forest management such as thinning. Aims This study assessed the effects of thinning on labile soil carbon and nitrogen indices in a naturally regenerated oak forest. Methods Un-thinned control, 15% thinning, and 30% thinning were set up, and labile soil carbon and nitrogen (microbial biomass, permanganate oxidisable carbon, dissolved carbon and nitrogen, and inorganic nitrogen) and C:N balance indices (C:N ratio and threshold element ratio) were measured after 6years. Key results Thinning generally increased labile soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations (P P P Conclusions Overall, results demonstrate that deadwood retention and soil microclimatic changes could be the significant factors affecting soil carbon and nitrogen storage and the associated microbial affinity in thinned forests. Implications Therefore, sustainable forestry strategies for thinning residue management should be addressed to reinforce soil carbon and nitrogen conditions and the forest ecosystem functions.

Hybrid nanostructures are promising for ultrasound-triggered drug delivery and treatment, called sonotheranostics. Structures based on plasmonic nanoparticles for photothermal-induced microbubble inflation for ultrasound imaging exist. However, they have limited therapeutic applications because of short microbubble lifetimes and limited contrast. Photochemistry-based sonotheranostics is an attractive alternative, but building near-infrared (NIR)-responsive echogenic nanostructures for deep tissue applications is challenging because photolysis requires high-energy (UV–visible) photons. Here, we report a photochemistry-based echogenic nanoparticle for in situNIR-controlled ultrasound imaging and ultrasound-mediated drug delivery. Our nanoparticle has an upconversion nanoparticle core and an organic shell carrying gas generator molecules and drugs. The core converts low-energy NIR photons into ultraviolet emission for photolysis of the gas generator. Carbon dioxide gases generated in the tumor-penetrated nanoparticle inflate into microbubbles for sonotheranostics. Using different NIR laser power allows dual-modal upconversion luminescence planar imaging and cross-sectional ultrasonography. Low-frequency (10 MHz) ultrasound stimulated microbubble collapse, releasing drugs deep inside the tumor through cavitation-induced transport. We believe that the photoechogenic inflatable hierarchical nanostructure approach introduced here can have broad applications for image-guided multimodal theranostics.

Objective: In this study, an analysis was performed to observe the effect of resistance exercise and exopolymers purified from Aureobasidium pullulans(EAP) intake for 12 weeks on muscle reduction and improvement of muscle function in the elderly. Methods: A total of 45 elderly individuals (age distribution: 60–78 years; average age: 67.24 years) were randomized into 15 subjects in the high-dosage (1 g/d) intake and exercise group, 15 subjects in the low-dosage (0.5 g/d) intake and exercise group, and 15 subjects in the placebo intake and exercise group. Body composition, physical strength, isokinetic muscle function, blood lipids and blood pressure, and muscle metabolism-related hormones were measured in all three groups before and after the same 12-week exercise–nutrition program. Results: Resistance exercise for 12 weeks and 1 g/day intake of EAP improved physical strength, isokinetic muscle function, blood lipids, blood pressure, and some parameters related to muscle metabolism. In the hormones related to muscle metabolism, the catabolic hormones CK and LDH significantly decreased (p&lt; 0.05), and otherwise, the anabolic hormone GH significantly increased (p&lt; 0.05). Conclusion: It was confirmed that resistance exercise and EAP intake for 12 weeks can have positive and synergistic effects on muscle reduction and muscle improvement in the elderly.

With the rapid development of wearable and flexible electronics, graphene has been intensively studied for the transparent, hole transport electrode layer (HTL) of field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes, and organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. To modulate the sheet resistance and the work function of graphene as a HTL, the surface doping is versatile while retaining high transparency. In this work, we used a chemical doping method to control the charge carrier density, band gap, and work function of graphene with minimizing the damage of the carbon network, for which metal chlorides (NaCl, KCl, and AuCl3) were used as chemical dopants. The high-quality graphene flakes were synthesized with large lateral sizes of more than 5 μm using ternary graphite intercalation compounds. Interestingly, the AuCl3-doped graphene flake film with a film thickness of about 20 nm showed the lowest reported sheet resistance of ∼249 Ω/sq with ∼75% transmittance. Furthermore, it could control the work function from 4.32 to 5.1 eV. The interfacial dipole complexes of metal cations with a low work function and the reactive radicals such as −OH were discussed to explain this result. For the practical application, an OPV device using the AuCl3-doped graphene flake film as the HTL was fabricated and it demonstrated enhanced power conversion efficiency while maintaining high optical transparency in visible light.

Skeletal muscle comprises the major organ system in our bodies and is the effector tissue for fundamental processes, such as movement, breathing and glucose homeostasis. However, muscle regeneration can be insufficient to repair major injuries or become exhausted by the ongoing fiber damage that occurs in muscular dystrophy. Cell therapy to provide a source of myogenic stem cells that repopulate the lost muscle fibers is an attractive option to treat skeletal muscle injury or dystrophy. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the potential to be an ideal source of donor muscle cells. This review will discuss major research applications of iPSCs to facilitate skeletal muscle repair, which involve myogenic cell transplantation, in vitro modeling of normal and dystrophic muscle tissue, and drug screening protocols. Recent advances in these fields will be discussed in this review, such as the production of neuromuscular junctions between muscle fibers and motor neurons, along with an overview of the problems that currently prevent iPSCs from being a clinically valid source of transplantable skeletal muscle stem cells. Potential future applications of iPSCs to enhance skeletal muscle regeneration will also be discussed.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) older adults and their care partners, compared to the general population, face unique vulnerabilities that exacerbate living with dementia, including elevated disparities in comorbidities, social isolation, and structural inequities, such as discrimination and lack of access to supports.

AbstractThis study was conducted to establish reasonable forest management plan by developing site index curves about Pinus densiflorastands that is major species growing in Jeolla-do in Republic of Korea. A total of 613 Pinus densifloraplots and 20m × 20m sampling plot was installed for each stand. The altitude height, slope, orientation bearing, soil type, the height and diameter at breast height (1.2 m from the ground) of a dominant tree, and the age of trees were measured. After developing site index curves using Chapman-Richards, Schumacher and Gompertz models, top three geographical factors were added to asymptote and shape parameters. In results, Gompertz model for Pinus densiflorastands was chosen for best model of height and site index model. Also, soil type, parent rock and topography were added into Gompertz model for Pinus densiflorastand as the independent variables, using the random forest analysis method. As result of adding geographical factors to asymptote and shape of Gompertz model for Pinus densiflorastand, the precision of the model has increased with decreasing MSE. As hybrid site index model including geographical factors indicated influence growth of Pinus densiflora, reasonable forest management plan is determined.

One of the implicit assumptions in survey research is lower response rates by sexual minorities than by nonminorities. With rapidly changing public attitudes toward same-sex marriage, we reconsider this assumption. We used data from the 2013 and 2014 National Health Interview Survey that include contact history data for all sample families as well as sexual orientation information about adults sampled from responding families. We created proxy nonresponse indicators based on contact efforts and reluctance from contact history data and linked them to sexual orientation of the sample adult and simulated nonresponse. The data did not support the assumption: Straight adults were more difficult to get cooperation from than nonstraights. With female sexual minorities showing higher nonresponse than their male counterparts, special considerations are required. Replication analyses may provide insights into what factors influence study participation decisions, which will inform how nonresponse may impact the accuracy of research findings.

AbstractIn this study, we aimed to develop site index curves and a height growth model using forest data with the measured height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and age targeting a Larix kaempferistand located on Mt. Deogyu in Muju, Jeollabuk-do. The site index estimation was calculated using Chapman-Richards equation. The coefficients were found to be α = 20.7837, β = 0.0566, γ = 1.6607, and MSE = 1.2034. The height growth model of the dominant trees depending on the DBH was determined to be α = 0.4872, β = 0.3687, and MSE = 1.8212 using the Petterson growth model. The Mean residual values for above two models were analyzed as 0.00004 and −0.00007, respectively. When comparing the skewness and kurtosis of the residual, the skewness values were 0.1659 and −0.1272, and the kurtosis values were −0.2310 and −0.5543. Therefore, the fitness was considered to be good because they were close to the normal distribution. The results of Shapiro-Wilk test showed P-values (0.77 for the height growth model and 0.62 for the height-DBH model) significantly higher than the alpha level of 0.05, and the residual form of the estimated values for the measured values showed uniform distribution indicating that the fitness of the two models was excellent.

ABSTRACTThis study was carried out to investigate the potential of timber production in private forest that is typically small in size, and to schedule timber yield for sustainable forest management. The study target areas were 1424 ha of Jinan-gun pioneer forest management sites in Jeollabuk-do, Korea. To schedule the timber yield, analysis and statistical processing were conducted based on materials obtained from the Forest Resources Inventory Center of the National Forestry Cooperatives Federation. The timber yield schedule, which induced legal forest state using the concept of maturity based on resource analysis, showed that total maturity level of Quercusspecies was 2108.5. The total maturity level of Pinus densifloraat that time was 1335.4, which was higher than 1316, the total maturity level under legal state. By suggesting solutions of systematic management through private forest management scaling, for private forest promotion equivalent to 68.1% of Korean forest, the economic feasibility on timber yield simulation was developed. In the economic analysis, the net present value (NPV) of Quercusspecies was 1410 billion KRW. The benefit–cost ratio (BCR) was 2.0 and Pinus densiflorawas 3150 billion KRW in NPV and had a BCR of 4.0, showing economic feasibility.

ABSTRACTThe study was conducted to analyze the effects of thinning intensity on understory vegetation in Chamaecyparis obtusastands. The site was located on Mt Moonsu in Gochang-gun, South Korea and consisted of five treatment plots: 5 m × 5 m quadrats were installed in each plot. The total flora of the C.obtusastand included 47 families, 60 genera, and 70 species. Three classes of floristic regional indicator plants were verified: six taxa in class I, one taxon in class II, and one taxon in class III. Also, Phytolacca americanaand Robinia poseudoacaciaappeared as naturalized plants in heavy thinning and control plots, respectively. Their Naturalized Index and Urbanization Index were shown as 1.00% and 0.74%, respectively. Within the treatment plots, the greatest number of species appeared in the heavily thinned plots (31 species). Chamaecyparis obtusashowed the highest dominance index of 4.67. Regarding species richness of understory vegetation, there was a very distinct difference between the thinned and non-thinned plots, whereas there was no significant differences among the treatment plots such as light thinning, normal thinning, heavy thinning, and super heavy thinning plots. Thus, understory vegetation was influenced by the presence of thinning, but not influenced by thinning intensity in this study.

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to estimate C storage and CO2absorption by developing allometric equations for Quercus acutain South Korea. Carbon content and CO2absorption were estimated according to climate change using data such as volume, stem density, and biomass expansion factor (BEF). Three kinds of BEFs were applied for this calculation: the national factor (NF, 1.22); the factor in this study (1.3275); and the biomass expansion regression equation (BRE) in this study. BRE among BEFs was developed to calculate BEF related to diameter at breast height (DBH) because BEF had a significantly positive relationship with DBH; the bigger DBH grew, the higher BEF increased. When applying the NF, C content and CO2absorption were the lowest as 64.0455 t C ha−1and 234.6840 t CO2ha−1, respectively; whereas these were 69.6865 t C ha−1and 255.5165 t CO2ha−1for the factor in this study. The highest values of C content and CO2absorption were shown as 74.9280 t C ha−1and 274.7365 t CO2ha−1when using the BRE. Carbon content prediction equations were also developed using these BEFs. Thus, BRE is suitable for developing an allometric equation for C content prediction with the greatest R2adjusted of 0.9815.

Motivated by a desire to resolve the needs of sustainable energy resources, remote sensing electronics, wireless autonomous devices, mobile internet of things (IoT) and portable self-power generators, triboelectric nanogenerators have recently been suggested. However, more specialized target applications to biomedical and wearable devices will require biocompatible and eco-friendly triboelectric materials in power generators. Herein, we report for the first time a bio-triboelectric nanogenerator based on an eco-friendly and naturally abundant biomaterial, bacterial nanocellulose. Initially, bacterial cellulose pellicles were produced in a gel state by Acetobacter xylinumKJ1 in the Glu-Fruc medium and then a bacterial nanocellulose film having transparent and flexible functionalities was regenerated on a current collector viaa solubilization process. The bacterial nanocellulose triboelectric nanogenerator was investigated with various input conditions and structural aspects. The working mechanism was also considered by measuring the contact angle and the surface potential of the friction materials. We believe that this study provides new insights to advancing the biocompatible and eco-friendly triboelectric power generator and optimization strategies to achieve high performance of triboelectric nanogenerators.

We developed and validated an optimized method for quantifying lignans using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and performs correlation analysis of growth characteristics and contents of lignans. The methods for determining lignans were validated by measuring the linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, and precision using UPLC. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r2≥ 0.9998) within the tested ranges. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.003–0.02 µg/mL and 0.01–0.07 µg/mL, respectively. The precision of analysis was less than 3%. The recoveries of quantified compounds ranged from 98.4 to 101.68%. Growth characteristics of fruits were negatively correlated with content of total marker compounds. The results of this study can be used to quality-control of S. chinensisfruits used as medicinal raw materials.

Atomic-scale defects on carbon nanostructures have been considered as detrimental factors and critical problems to be eliminated in order to fully utilize their intrinsic material properties such as ultrahigh mechanical stiffness and electrical conductivity. However, defects that can be intentionally controlled through chemical and physical treatments are reasonably expected to bring benefits in various practical engineering applications such as desalination thin membranes, photochemical catalysts, and energy storage materials. Herein, we report a defect-engineered self-assembly procedure to produce a three-dimensionally nanohole-structured and palladium-embedded porous graphene hetero-nanostructure having ultrahigh hydrogen storage and CO oxidation multifunctionalities. Under multistep microwave reactions, agglomerated palladium nanoparticles having diameters of ∼10 nm produce physical nanoholes in the basal-plane structure of graphene sheets, while much smaller palladium nanoparticles are readily impregnated inside graphene layers and bonded on graphene surfaces. The present results show that the defect-engineered hetero-nanostructure has a ∼5.4 wt % hydrogen storage capacity under 7.5 MPa and CO oxidation catalytic activity at 190 °C. The defect-laden graphene can be highly functionalized for multipurpose applications such as molecule absorption, electrochemical energy storage, and catalytic activity, resulting in a pathway to nanoengineering based on underlying atomic scale and physical defects.

Ionic polymer actuators driven by electrical stimuli have been widely investigated for use in practical applications such as bioinspired robots, sensors, and biomedical devices. However, conventional ionic polymer–metal composite actuators have a serious drawback of poor durability under long-term actuation in open air, mainly because of the leakage of the inner electrolyte and hydrated cations through cracks in the metallic electrodes. Here, we developed a highly durable and water-floatable ionic polymer artificial muscle by employing hydrophobic and asymmetrically laser-scribed reduced graphene oxide paper electrodes (HLrGOP). The highly conductive, flexible, and cost-effective HLrGOP electrodes have asymmetrically smooth hydrophobic outer and rough inner surfaces, resulting in liquid-impermeable and water-floatable functionalities and strong bonding between an ionic polymer and the electrodes. More interestingly, the HLrGOP electrode, which has a unique functionality to prevent the leakage of the vaporized or liquid electrolyte and mobile ions during electrical stimuli, greatly contributes to an exceptionally durable ionic polymer–graphene composite actuator that is a prerequisite for practical applications in active biomedical devices, biomimetic robots, touch-feedback haptic systems, and flexible soft electronics.

The purpose of this study is to assess the combined exercise programs (12 weeks' physical exercise training, resistance and aerobic) and 6 weeks' detraining on the correlation of metabolic syndrome (MS) markers and plasma adiponectin level in two groups.

With growing environmental pollution caused in part by increase in particulate matter (PM), indoor air quality is becoming an important issue in modern society particularly as health and environment consciousness rises. In addition, as the need for a mask has emerged to prevent the spread of viruses such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the dreaded COVID-19, filter technology has become the focus of considerable research attention. In this study, we introduce a functional fiber that can improve the energy-efficiency for PM adhesion while lowering the pressure drop in an existing commercial high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filter. Nanofibers made of polymer and metal nanoparticles were produced by electrospinning; the triboelectricity generated by friction between fibers and air was used to capture the PM. The PM adhesion performance and pressure loss of the developed filter (PVDF/Au) and the commercial HEPA filter were compared, and the charging effect of the filters was analyzed by comparing the power generation performance of the triboelectric nanogenerator. Compared to HEPA filter, PVDF/Au filter reduced pressure drop by about 25%, but, the PM adhesion-energy efficiency of PVDF/Au was superior to that of HEPA by 28.6% based on 90% PM2.5 removal. As a filter that increases the PM adhesion effect while lowering the energy consumption and the pressure drop of the filter, PVDF/Au is expected to be effectively utilized in the existing filtration type filter system.

This study investigated the bactericidal effects of plasma-activated acetic acid (PAAA) on SalmonellaTyphimurium and its impact on the physicochemical traits of chicken meat. Twenty milliliters of 0.8% (v/v) acetic acid (AA) was treated with plasma (2.2 kHz and 8.4 kVpp) for 30 min. The chicken skins, breasts, and drumsticks, inoculated with S.Typhimurium,were immersed in AA or PAAA and incubated for 10 min. The S. Typhimurium on the breasts and drumsticks were significantly susceptible to treatment with AA and PAAA, compared to the control group (deionized water treatment), and the population of bacterial cells in PAAA-treated chicken breasts and drumsticks decreased by 0.98 and 1.19 log CFU/g, respectively, compared with AA. The values for pH and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of PAAA-treated samples decreased significantly compared to the control group. The lightness (L*) values of the chicken breasts after AA and PAAA treatments increased compared to the control group, whereas the value for yellowness (b*) decreased. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images and the results for volatile compounds in chicken meat revealed similar patterns, with no significant differences between AA and PAAA treatments. In conclusion, we found that PAAA was more effective than AA and synergistic PAAA treatment of chicken caused to the reduction of S. Typhimurium and improve the meat quality. Therefore, PAAA could be utilized as a promising decontaminant for the chicken meat industry.

Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) is often accompanied by multiple ocular symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of ocular symptoms and the impact of ocular symptoms on the quality of life in patients with AR.Methods One thousand one hundred seventy-four patients with AR were enrolled from 24 centers in Korea. They were classified into four groups according to the Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guideline and also classified into perennial AR (PAR) and seasonal AR groups. All patients were asked to complete the questionnaire regarding the presence of ocular symptoms, such as eye itching, watery eyes, and red eyes. The correlation between ocular symptoms and the rest of the quality-of-life areas in the Mini-Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini-RQLQ) was also asked.Results Seven hundred nineteen (61.2%) of 1174 patients had ocular symptoms. In detail, the numbers of patients with eye itching, watery eyes, red eyes, and other ocular symptoms were 605 (51.5%), 313 (26.7%), 207 (17.6%), and 66 (5.6%), respectively. Female patients (72.5%) complained of ocular symptoms more commonly than male patients (55.1%). The patients with moderate–severe persistent AR showed the highest prevalence of ocular symptoms. The correlation coefficients between ocular symptoms and the rest of the quality-of-life areas in the Mini-RQLQ were statistically significant (p < 0.05).Conclusion Sixty-one percent of Korean AR patients experienced ocular symptoms. The patients who were women and had PAR and more severe AR showed higher prevalence of ocular symptoms. The ocular symptoms might have a significant impact on the quality of life in patients with AR.

Height model of the dominant tree was developed and derived site index curves of Pinus thunbergii, which is the main species of windbreak forests along the west coast of Korea. The site index of a tree is affected by various environmental factors. In the present study, however, the soil characteristics of P. thunbergiistands, which are scattered along the west coast of Korea were used. Eight sites of windbreak forest were investigated from October 2011 to October 2012. The Schumacher polymorphic equation was the most suitable equation to develop a site index model of P. thunbergiistands, and it was the best site index model when Ca-P and fungus were applied to the asymptotic parameter (α). The equation yielded site index curves using the developed model, which is based on trees aged 50 years, considering the soil characteristic factors of P. thunbergiistands in different areas. The site index model and site index curves suggest important growth information, such as windbreak forests, green spaces development, and height growth estimation, which are needed for management of the stands, with consideration of the proposed soil characteristic factors of this study.