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Abstract In this study, we introduce a method for replacing the glass used in existing display electronic materials, lighting, and solar cells by synthesizing a colorless and transparent polyimide (CPI) film with excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability using a combination of new monomers. Poly(amic acid) (PAA) was synthesized using dianhydride 4,4′-biphthalic anhydride (BPA) and diamine 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (AHP). Various contents of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) and mica were dispersed in PAA solution through solution intercalation, and then CPI hybrid films were prepared through multi-step thermal imidization. The organoclays synthesized to prepare CPI hybrid films were Cloisite 93A (CS-MMT) and hexadimethrine-mica (HM-Mica) based on MMT and mica, respectively. In particular, the diamine monomer AHP containing a –OH group was selected to increase the dispersibility and compatibility between the hydrophilic clays and the CPI matrix. To demonstrate the characteristics of CPI, the overall polymer structure was bent and a strong electron withdrawing –CF3 group was used as a substituent. The thermomechanical properties, morphology of clay dispersion, and optical transparency of the CPI hybrid films were investigated and compared according to the type and content of organoclays. Two types of organoclays, CS-MMT and HM-Mica, were dispersed in a CPI matrix at 1 to 7 wt%, respectively. In electron microscopy, most of the clays were uniformly dispersed in a plate-like shape of less than 20 nm at a certain critical content of the two types of organoclays, but agglomeration of the clays was observed when the content was higher than the critical content. Hybrids using HM-Mica had better thermomechanical properties and hybrids containing CS-MMT had better optical transparency.

Abstract Poly(amic acid) (PAA) was synthesized using dianhydride 4,4’-oxydiphthalic anhydride and diamine 3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine, and polyimide (PI) hybrid films were synthesized by dispersing organo-mica in PAA through a solution intercalation method. Hexadimethrine-mica (HM-Mica), 1,2-dimethylhexadecylimidazolium-mica (MI-Mica), and didodecyldiphenylammonium-mica (DP-Mica), which were obtained via the organic modification of pristine mica, were used as the organo-micas for the PI hybrid films. The organo-mica content was varied from 0.5 to 3.0 wt% with respect to the PI matrix. The thermomechanical properties, morphology, and optical transparency of the resultant PI hybrid films were measured and compared. Dispersion of even small amounts of organo-mica effectively improved the physical properties of the PI hybrids, and maximum enhancements in physical properties were observed at a specific critical content. Electron microscopy of the hybrid films revealed that the organo-mica uniformly dispersed throughout the polymer matrix at the nanoscale level when added at low contents but aggregated in the matrix when added at levels above the critical content. Structural changes in the organo-mica closely influenced the changes in the physical properties of the hybrid films. All PI hybrid films with various organo-mica contents showed similar optical properties, but that prepared with MI-Mica demonstrated the best thermomechanical properties. All synthesized PI hybrid films were transparent regardless of the type and content of organo-mica used.

Abstract Multiple paternity is common in many species. While its benefits for males are obvious, for females they are less clear. Female indirect benefits may include acquiring ‘good genes’ for offspring or increasing litter genetic diversity. The nutria (Myocastor coypus) is a successful invasive species. In its native habitat, it is polygynous, with larger and more aggressive males monopolizing paternity. Here, using culled nutria we genetically examined multiple paternity in-utero and found a high incidence of multiple paternity and maintenance of the number of fathers throughout gestation. Moreover, male fetuses sired by the prominent male have higher testosterone levels. Despite being retained, male fetuses of ‘rare’ fathers, siring commonly only one of the fetuses in the litter, have lower testosterone levels. Considering the reproductive skew of nutria males, if females are selected for sons with higher future reproductive success, low testosterone male fetuses are expected to be selected against. A possible ultimate explanation for maintaining multiple paternity could be that nutria females select for litter genetic diversity e.g., a bet-hedging strategy, even at the possible cost of reducing the reproductive success of some of their sons. Reproductive strategies that maintain genetic diversity may be especially beneficial for invasive species, as they often invade through a genetic bottleneck.

Abstract Group movement leadership is associated with higher risks for those in the front. Leaders are the first to explore new areas and may be exposed to predation. Individual differences in risk-taking behavior may be related to hormonal differences. In challenging circumstances, such as risk-taking leadership that may pose a cost to the leader, cortisol is secreted both to increase the likelihood of survival by restoring homeostasis, and to mediate cooperative behavior. Testosterone too has a well-established role in risk-taking behavior, and the dual-hormone hypothesis posits that the interaction of testosterone and cortisol can predict social behavior. Based on the dual-hormone hypothesis, we investigated here whether the interaction between testosterone and cortisol can predict risk-taking leadership behavior in wild rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis). We used proximity loggers, observations, and playback trials to characterize hyrax leaders in three different leadership contexts that varied in their risk levels. In support of the dual-hormone hypothesis, we found that cortisol and testosterone interactions predict leadership that involves risk. Across different circumstances that involved low or high levels of risk, testosterone was positively related to leadership, but only in individuals (both males and females) with low levels of cortisol. We also found an interaction between these hormone levels and age at the low-risk scenarios. We suggest that the close social interactions and affiliative behavior among hyrax females within small egalitarian groups may make female leadership less risky, and therefore less stressful, and allow female leaders to influence group activities.

Abstract A series of thermotropic liquid crystal copolyesters (Co-TLCPs) was prepared by melt polymerization using 2,5-diethoxyterephthalic acid (DTA), 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) monomers, where the HBA content was varied (0–5 mol). At 3 mol HBA, the Co-TLCPs formed nematic mesophases, while below this concentration, the liquid crystalline phase did not appear. The Co-TLCP sample with 3 mol HBA was subjected to melt spinning and heat-treated under various conditions (temperature and time) to investigate their effect on the thermo–mechanical properties and degree of crystallinity. The objective was to determine the critical heat treatment condition that can maximize the properties of the spun Co-TLCP fibers. The microstructure of the heat-treated fiber was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, and the optimal annealing conditions were confirmed based on the morphology of the fiber, which exhibited a skin–core structure owing to the varying heat and pressure conditions applied during spinning.

Abstract To support the development of eco-friendly hybrid perovskite solar cells, structural, thermal, and physical properties of the lead-free hybrid perovskite [NH3(CH2)3NH3]CuBr4 were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The crystal structure confirmed by XRD was monoclinic, and thermodynamic stability was observed at approximately 500 K without any phase transition. The large changes in the 1H chemical shifts of NH3 and those in C2 close to N are affected by N–H∙∙∙Br hydrogen bonds because the structural geometry of CuBr4 changed significantly. The 1H and 13C spin–lattice relaxation times (T1ρ) showed very similar molecular motions according to the Bloembergen–Purcell–Pound theory at low temperatures; however, the 1H T1ρ values representing energy transfer were about 10 times lesser than those of 13C T1ρ. Finally, the 1H and 13C T1ρ values of [NH3(CH2)3NH3]MeBr4 (Me = Cu, Zn, and Cd) were compared with those reported previously. 1H T1ρ was affected by the paramagnetic ion of the anion, while 13C T1ρ was affected by the MeBr4 structure of the anion; 13C T1ρ values in Me = Cu and Cd with the octahedral MeBr6 structure had longer values than those in Me = Zn with the tetrahedral MeBr4 structure. We believe that these detailed insights on the physical properties will play a crucial role in the development of eco-friendly hybrid perovskite solar cells.

Abstract Ocean plankton comprise organisms from viruses to fish larvae that are fundamental to ecosystem functioning and the provision of marine services such as fisheries and CO2 sequestration. The latter services are partly governed by variations in plankton community composition and the expression of traits such as body size at community-level. While community assembly has been thoroughly studied for the smaller end of the plankton size spectrum, the larger end comprises ectotherms that are often studied at the species, or group-level, rather than as communities. The body size of marine ectotherms decreases with temperature, but controls on community-level traits remain elusive, hindering the predictability of marine services provision. Here, we leverage Tara Oceans datasets to determine how zooplankton community composition and size structure varies with latitude, temperature and productivity-related covariates in the global surface ocean. Zooplankton abundance and median size decreased towards warmer and less productive environments, as a result of changes in copepod composition. However, some clades displayed the opposite relationships, which may be ascribed to alternative feeding strategies. Given that climate models predict increasingly warmed and stratified oceans, our findings suggest that zooplankton communities will shift towards smaller organisms which might weaken their contribution to the biological carbon pump.

Abstract Thermotropic liquid crystal copolyester (TLCP) was synthesized using a melt polymerization method, with a molar ratio composition of 2,5-diethoxy terephthalic acid (ETA), hydroquinone (HQ), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) of 1:1:3. TLCP exhibited nematic liquid crystalline mesophase and maintained nematic textures under all heat treatment conditions applied. The synthesized TLCP was processed into fibers using a capillary rheometer. The liquid crystalline mesophase, thermo-mechanical properties, and morphology of TLCP fibers obtained under various heat treatment conditions were investigated. The thermo-mechanical properties of the heat-treated fibers were improved compared to those of the as-spun fibers. The best results were obtained for TLCP fibers annealed at 230 °C for 9 h. The heat-treated fibers showed a well-developed microfiber morphology compared to the as-spun fibers. In the spun fibers, a skin–core morphology was observed regardless of the heat treatment conditions, and a well-developed fiber morphology better than the core area was observed in the skin area. The diameter of the fiber heat-treated at 230 °C for 9 h was approximately 60–110 nm.

Low dimensionality, broken symmetry and easily-modulated carrier concentrations provoke novel electronic phase emergence at oxide interfaces. However, the spatial extent of such reconstructions - i.e. the interfacial ''depth'' - remains unclear. Examining LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures at previously unexplored carrier densities n2D ≥6.9 * 1014 cm-2, we observe a Shubnikov-de Haas effect for small in-plane fields, characteristic of an anisotropic 3D Fermi surface with preferentialdxz,yz orbital occupancy extending over at least 100 nm perpendicular to the interface. Quantum oscillations from the 3D Fermi surface of bulk doped SrTiO3 emerge simultaneously at higher n2D. We distinguish three areas in doped perovskite heterostructures: narrow (<20 nm) 2D interfaces housing superconductivity and/or other emergent phases, electronically isotropic regions far (>120 nm) from the interface and new intermediate zones where interfacial proximity renormalises the electronic structure relative to the bulk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realization of phase discontinuities across metasurfaces has led to a new class of reflection and refraction. Here we present theory and experiment on the discontinuous propagation of wavepackets across subwavelength-thickness meta-atoms. Using acoustic waves, we observe the process of wavepackets traversing a meta-atom with abrupt displacements, which appear as path discontinuities on a space-time diagram. We construct a tunable meta-atom from two coupled resonators at ,500 Hz, map the spatiotemporal trajectories of individual sonic pulses, and reveal discontinuities at the meta-atom where the pulses exit at a time ,50 ms ahead or behind their arrivals. Applications include thin acoustic metasurface lenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The study of animal vocal signals can either focus on the properties of distinct vocal elements or address the signal as a whole. Although some attention has been given to the continuous progression patterns of bird songs, such patterns in mammalian vocalisations have been largely overlooked. We examined temporal changes in structural and acoustic parameters in male rock hyrax songs. We found a gradual increase in call frequency and amplitude towards the song ending, as well as an abrupt increase in bout syntactic complexity, peaking in the last quintile of a song. In musical terms, such a pattern can be described as a crescendo (amplitude increase) with a terminal climax. In Western music, crescendos are used to maintain attention and direct the listeners towards a memorable highpoint of the musical piece. This structure may have an analogous function in animal communication, recruiting audience attention towards the climactic and potentially most informative part of the signal. Our playback experiments revealed that hyrax males tend to reply more to songs with a climactic ending, indicating that this progression pattern is important for hyrax communication. We suggest that animal vocal communication research can benefit from adding musical concepts to the analysis toolbox.

The effect of frailty transition and burden on the risk of all-cause mortality in South Korea remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the risk of all-cause mortality using the most recent frailty index (FI), changes in FI, and frailty burden. We analyzed data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (2013-2020). A total of 3,134 participants aged 53-87 years with a computable FI based on the osteoporotic fracture index during their initial visit. The FI was updated biennially during re-examinations and changes between the initial and last visits were categorized into four groups: (1) improved or maintained to non-frail, (2) worsened to pre-frail, (3) improved or maintained to pre-frail, and (4) worsened or maintained to frail. We used the Cox proportional hazards model, adjusted for age, sex, education, lifestyle factors, and diseases. During the follow-up, 218 participants died. Compared to those who were robust at the last visit, pre-frailty and frailty were associated with an increased risk of all-cause death. Of those who visited > 2 times, 62.3% improved or remained robust, and had a decreased risk of all-cause death. Those with > 63% of pre-frailty or frailty burden significantly higher risk of death, with > 60% increase compared to their non-frail counterparts. Maintaining or achieving robustness is associated with a decreased risk of mortality. To prevent premature death and extend healthy life expectancy, identifying biological aging through surrogate measures and implementing interventions to maintain or achieve a robust health status are needed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Research on Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) as a neurological adverse effect of vaccines on a global scale is scarce, highlighting the need for further investigation to evaluate its long-term impact and associated risk factors comprehensively. Hence, this study aims to assess the global burden of vaccine-associated GBS and its associated vaccines. This study utilized data from VigiBase, the World Health Organization global database of adverse event reports of medicines and vaccines, encompassing the period from 1967 to 2023 (total reports, n = 131,255,418) to investigate vaccine-associated GBS. Reported odds ratios (ROR) and information components (IC) were analyzed to assess the association between 19 vaccines and the occurrence of vaccine-associated GBS over 170 countries. We identified 15,377 (8072 males [52.49%]) reports of vaccine-associated GBS among 22,616 reports of all drugs-cause GBS from 1978 to 2023. Cumulative reports of vaccine-associated GBS have been increasing steadily over time, with a notable surge observed since the commencement of COVID-19 vaccines administration in 2020. Most vaccines showed significant associations with GBS such as Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccines (ROR, 14.88; IC, 3.66), COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (ROR, 9.66; IC, 2.84), and inactivated whole-virus COVID-19 vaccines (ROR, 3,29; IC 1.69). Influenza vaccines showed the highest association (ROR, 77.91; IC 5.98). Regarding age-and sex-specific risks, the association remained similar regardless of sex, with an increased association observed with advancing age. The mean time to onset was 5.5 days. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the reports of GBS surged in response to widespread COVID-19 vaccination. Nonetheless, COVID-19 vaccines exhibited the lowest association compared to other vaccines. Vigilance for at least one-week post-vaccination is crucial, particularly for older adults. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking vaccines and GBS., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Wastewater-based epidemiology has been used in pathogen surveillance for microorganisms at the community level. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and trends of infectious pathogens in sewage from Yongin city and the relationships between these pathogens and the incidence of infectious diseases in the community. From December 2022 to November 2023, we collected inflow water from six wastewater treatment plants in Yongin city twice a month. The analyzed microorganisms included 15 respiratory viruses, 7 pneumonia-causing bacteria, 19 acute diarrhea-causing pathogens, SARS-CoV-2, Zika virus, hepatitis A virus, poliovirus, Mpox, and measles. They were detected through real-time PCR and conventional PCR. The concentrations of 9 pathogens among them were additionally analyzed using quantitative real time PCR. The correlation was confirmed through statistical analysis with the rate of detection for pathogens reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Influenza A virus, human adenovirus, and human rhinovirus were moderately correlated (rho values of 0.45 to 0.58). Campylobacter spp. and sapovirus were strong correlated (rho values of 0.62, 0.63). Enteropathogenic E. coli, human coronavirus, and norovirus GII were very strong correlated (rho values of 0.86 to 0.92). We were able to identify the prevalence of respiratory viral infections, pneumonia, and acute diarrhea-causing pathogens in the community through wastewater-based epidemiology data. This study will be helpful in establishing a system for future surveillance of infectious diseases present in sewage., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Pioneering the use of the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer's (GEMS) observation data in air quality modeling, we adjusted Asia's NO x emissions inventory by leveraging the instrument's unprecedented sampling frequency. GEMS tropospheric NO 2 columns served as top-down constraints, guiding our Bayesian inversion to constrain NO x emissions in Asia during spring 2022. This enabled the model to better capture the diurnal variation in NO x emissions, such as its morning rush hour peak, particularly when more retrievals were available each day, improving the simulation accuracy to a certain extent. The GEMS-informed adjustment reduced the extent of model underestimation of surface NO 2 concentrations from 17.38 to 5.58% in Korea and from 13.05 to 4.54% in China, showing about 9.40% and 5.77% greater improvements, respectively, compared to the adjustment based on the sun-synchronous low earth orbit observation proxy. Our findings highlight the potential of geostationary observation data in refining the diurnal cycle of inventoried NO x emissions, thereby more effectively improving the accuracy of air quality simulations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Studies investigating the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and central adiposity are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate trends in type 2 diabetes mellitus stratified by central adiposity using waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Trends in type 2 diabetes mellitus were examined by central adiposity, using WHtR, with data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2022). Individuals aged 30 years and over who participated in the survey were selected. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was identified based on serum glucose or HbA1c levels, the use of diabetes medications, or a prior diagnosis by a physician. Weighted β-coefficients or odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess changes in disease prevalence. A total of 79,368 participants were included in the database (female: 45,163 [56.9%]). from 2005 to 2022, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus increased from 3.3 to 5.8% in the healthy central adiposity group, from 11.2 to 17.1% in the increased central adiposity group, and from 18.0 to 26.7% in the high central adiposity group. Males, older population, lower education level, lower household income, and smoking are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. In the high central adiposity group, overweight and obese individuals had higher susceptibility than underweight or normal-weight individuals, with ORs of 5.85 (95% CI, 2.54-13.47) and 8.24 (3.79-17.94), respectively. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus has increased in all central adiposity groups in the past decade. This underscores the need for tailored interventions to address disparities and improve diabetes management in at-risk populations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to investigate the association between non-traditional lipid profiles and the risk of 1-year vascular events in patients who were already using statins before stroke and had admission LDL-C < 100 mg/dL. This study was an analysis of a prospective, multicenter, nationwide registry of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke patients who treated with statin before index stroke and LDL-C < 100 mg/dL on admission. Non-traditional lipid profiles including non-HDL, TC/HDL ratio, LDL/HDL ratio, and TG/HDL ratio were analyzed as a continuous or categorical variable. The primary vascular outcome within one year was a composite of recurrent stroke (either hemorrhagic or ischemic), myocardial infarction (MI) and all-cause mortality. Hazard ratios (95% Cis) for 1-year vascular outcomes were analyzed using the Cox PH model for each non-traditional lipid profiles groups. A total of 7028 patients (age 70.3 ± 10.8years, male 59.8%) were finally analyzed for the study. In unadjusted analysis, no significant associations were observed in the quartiles of LDL/HDL ratio and 1-year primary outcome. However, after adjustment of relevant variables, compared with Q1 of the LDL/HDL ratio, Q4 was significantly associated with increasing the risk of 1-year primary outcome (HR 1.48 [1.19-1.83]). For the LDL/HDL ratio, a linear relationship was observed (P for linearity < 0.001). Higher quartiles of the LDL/HDL ratio were significantly and linearly associated with increasing the risk of 1-year primary vascular outcomes. These findings suggest that even during statin therapy with LDL-C < 100 mg/dl on admission, there should be consideration for residual risk based on the LDL/HDL ratio, following stroke., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a prevalent complication of diabetes, often resulting in vision loss and blindness. Existing treatments primarily aim to control blood sugar levels and inhibit angiogenesis. However, current therapies for DR, such as anti-VEGF and laser photocoagulation, are frequently invasive, and can cause adverse side effects. Consequently, there is a critical need for new preventive therapeutics to address DR more effectively. This study aimed to examine the therapeutic potential of a histamine H 4 receptor (HRH4) antagonist as a preventive treatment for DR in mice. A mouse model of DR was established by intraperitoneally injecting 200 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ). Immune cell infiltration into the retina of mice with STZ-induced diabetes was measured using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) 12 weeks after STZ injection. The preventive effects of the HRH4 antagonist on inflammation and pathological retinal vessel leakage were determined in a mouse model of DR. Infiltration of HRH4-expressing macrophages increased in the retina of mice with STZ-induced DR. The HRH4 antagonist prevented macrophage infiltration and retinal vascular leakage to prevent STZ-induced DR in mice without causing any retinal toxicity. The infiltration of macrophages increased in the retina of mice with STZ-induced diabetes through HRH4, indicating that HRH4 is potentially a novel preventative therapeutic target in DR. These findings suggest that targeting HRH4 is a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of DR., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

It is uncertain whether the prognostic power of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on post-stroke outcomes is modulated as a function of initial neurological severity, a critical determinant of outcome after stroke. This multi-center MRI study tested if higher WMH quintiles were associated with 3-month poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≥ 3) for mild versus moderate-to-severe ischemic stroke. Mild and moderate-to-severe stroke were defined as admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores of 1-4 and ≥ 5, respectively. Mean age of the enrolled patients (n = 8918) was 67.2 ± 12.6 years and 60.1% male. The association between WMH quintiles and poor functional outcome was modified by stroke severity (p-for-interaction = 0.008). In mild stroke (n = 4994), WMH quintiles associated with the 3-month outcome in a dose-dependent manner for the 2nd to 5th quintile versus the 1st quintile, with adjusted-odds-ratios (aOR [95% confidence interval]) being 1.29 [0.96-1.73], 1.37 [1.02-1.82], 1.60 [1.19-2.13], and 1.89 [1.41-2.53], respectively. In moderate-to-severe stroke (n = 3924), however, there seemed to be a threshold effect: only the highest versus the lowest WMH quintile was significantly associated with poor functional outcome (aOR 1.69 [1.29-2.21]). WMH burden aggravates 3-month functional outcome after mild stroke, but has a lesser modulatory effect for moderate-to-severe stroke, likely due to saturation effects., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

COVID-19 case rates in the US wax and wane in wave-like patterns over time, but the spatial patterns of these temporal epidemic waves have not been well characterized. By analyzing state- and county-level COVID-19 case rate data for spatiotemporal decomposition modes and oscillatory patterns, we demonstrate that the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 feature recurrent spatiotemporal patterns. In addition to the well-recognized national-level annual mid-winter surges, we demonstrate a prominent but previously unrecognized six-month north-south oscillation in the eastern US (Eastern US COVID-19 Oscillator-EUCO) that gives rise to regional sub-epidemics and travelling epidemic waves. We also demonstrate a second less prominent pattern that oscillates east-west in the northern US (Northern US COVID-19 Oscillator-NUCO). The drivers of these newly recognized oscillatory epidemic patterns remain to be elucidated., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

After the occurrences of large-scale earthquakes, secondary damage (e.g., fire following earthquake) can result in tremendous losses of life, properties, and buildings. To reduce these disaster risks, fire following earthquake assessment methods composed of ignition and fire-burned rate estimation models have been utilized. However, previous methods required for large amounts of building and GIS information, and complex modeling and analysis processes, leading to significant time consumption. This paper proposed a static analysis-based rapid fire following earthquake assessment method using simple information and implemented it in Pohang City, South Korea. Based on previous studies, the best-fit model for the ignition rate estimation was selected, and a cluster-based fire-burned rate estimation model was developed using simple building information (e.g., construction year, building occupancy, story, and total floor area) from the public building database (e.g., building registration data). For the fire-burned rate estimation model, fire-resistant structure types were defined using simple building information, and this was utilized to generate clusters of buildings at a regional level by comparing fire-spread distances for each fire-resistant structure type with adjacent distances among the buildings. This proposed method was applied to Pohang City, South Korea, and validated as follows: (1) the selected ignition rate model predicted similar ignition numbers to the actual reported number (actual number of ignitions = 4 vs. predicted number of ignitions = 3), and (2) the fire-burned rate model estimated fire-burned areas with a marginal difference compared to the fire spread simulation (fire-burned area using the proposed model = 13,703.6 m 2 vs. results of fire spread simulation = 16,800.0 m 2 , with an error of approximately 18%)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Immune checkpoint blockades are actively adopted in diverse cancer types including metastatic melanoma and lung cancer. Despite of durable response in 20-30% of patients, we still lack molecular markers that could predict the patient responses reliably before treatment. Here we present a composite model for predicting anti-PD-1 response based on tumor mutation burden (TMB) and transcriptome sequencing data of 85 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients who received anti-PD-(L)1 treatment. We found that TMB was a good predictor (AUC = 0.81) for PD-L1 negative patients (n = 20). For PD-L1 positive patients (n = 65), we built an ensemble model of 100 XGBoost learning machines where gene expression, gene set activities and cell type composition were used as input features. The transcriptome-based models showed excellent accuracy (AUC > 0.9) and highlighted the contribution of T cell activities. Importantly, nonresponder patients with high prediction score turned out to have high CTLA4 expression, which suggested that neoadjuvant CTLA4 combination therapy might be effective for these patients. Our data and analysis results provide valuable insights into developing biomarkers and strategies for treating LUAD patients using immune checkpoint inhibitors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Recent advances in imaging suggested that spatial organization of hematopoietic cells in their bone marrow microenvironment (niche) regulates cell expansion, governing progression, and leukemic transformation of hematological clonal disorders. However, our ability to interrogate the niche in pre-malignant conditions has been limited, as standard murine models of these diseases rely largely on transplantation of the mutant clones into conditioned mice where the marrow microenvironment is compromised. Here, we leveraged live-animal microscopy and ultralow dose whole body or focal irradiation to capture single cells and early expansion of benign/pre-malignant clones in the functionally preserved microenvironment. 0.5 Gy whole body irradiation (WBI) allowed steady engraftment of cells beyond 30 weeks compared to non-conditioned controls. In-vivo tracking and functional analyses of the microenvironment showed no change in vessel integrity, cell viability, and HSC-supportive functions of the stromal cells, suggesting minimal inflammation after the radiation insult. The approach enabled in vivo imaging of Tet2 +/- and its healthy counterpart, showing preferential localization within a shared microenvironment while forming discrete micro-niches. Notably, stationary association with the niche only occurred in a subset of cells and would not be identified without live imaging. This strategy may be broadly applied to study clonal disorders in a spatial context., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cuticle quality can affect food safety by protecting poultry eggs from bacterial infection in the modern poultry industry. However, genetic factors related to cuticle nanostructure are not much reported due to limited bird models. In the current study, the genome-edited quail targeting myostatin (MSTN) gene was used to investigate the effect of MSTN mutation on the cuticle nanostructure and quality. To analyze nanostructure of the cuticle layer of the MSTN mutant and wild-type (WT) quail eggs, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images was taken. Thickness of the cuticle layer did not differ between the MSTN mutant and WT groups, but the size of the nanospheres in the surface of the cuticle layer was increased by MSTN mutation. In addition, increased size of the nanospheres in the MSTN mutant group was also shown in the upper region of the cross-sectional cuticle layer. Notably, both groups showed similar small-sized nanospheres in the lower region of the cuticle layer and the size was increased as they ascended to the upper region. The data suggested that MSTN mutation increased the size of the nanosphere in the upper region of the cuticle layer at a late phase rather than increasing the size of nanospheres in the lower region of the cuticle layer at an early phase of cuticle formation. However, the number of Escherichia coli attached to the surface did not differ between the two groups indicating no association between nanosphere size and bacterial attachment in quail eggs. The current study demonstrated a new function of the MSTN gene on regulation of cuticle nanostructure, for the first time. These results advanced our knowledge on the association between genetic factors and cuticle nanostructure and can be served as a reference to study the mechanism of cuticle formation in the future study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

It has been reported that the retinal vessel and macular region of the retina are displaced after macular hole (MH) surgery. However, there is no detailed information for correlations between retinal and choroidal displacements. We obtained optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and en-face optical coherence tomography (OCT) images from 24 eyes to measure the retinal and choroidal vascular displacement before and after surgery. These images were merged into infrared images using blood vessel patterns. The same vascular bifurcation points were automatically selected for each follow-up image, and the displacements of the bifurcation points were analyzed as a vector unit for prespecified grid regions in a semi-automated fashion. The results showed displacements of the choroidal intermediate vessels and retinal vessels following MH surgery (p = 0.002, p < 0.001). The topographic changes showed inferior, nasal, and centripetal displacement of the retina and inferiorly displaced choroid. The ILM peeling size and basal MH size were significantly associated with the retinal displacement (p < 0.001 and p = 0.010). Additionally, changes in the amount of the choroidal displacement were significantly correlated with that of the retinal displacements (p = 0.002). Clinicians should keep in mind that there might be topographic discrepancies of the displacement between retina and choroid when analyzing them following surgery., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The bidirectional effect of hyperuricemia on chronic kidney disease (CKD) underscores the importance of hyperuricemia as a risk factor for CKD. We evaluated the effect of hyperuricemia on the presence and development of CKD after considering genetic background by calculating polygenic risk scores (PRSs). We employed genome-wide association study summary statistics-excluding the United Kingdom Biobank (UKB) datasets among published CKD Gen Consortium papers-to calculate the PRSs for CKD in white background subjects. To validate PRS performance, we divided the UKB into two datasets to validate and test the data. We used logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association between hyperuricemia and CKD, and performed Kaplan-Meier survival analysis exclusively for subjects with available follow-up data. In total, 438,253 clinical data and 4,307,940 single nucleotide polymorphisms from 459,155 samples were included. We observed a significant positive association between PRS and CKD and the presence and development of CKD. Hyperuricemia significantly increased CKD risk (adjusted odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.48-1.61). The impact of hyperuricemia on CKD was maintained irrespective of PRS range. In addition, negative interaction between hyperuricemia and PRS for CKD was found. Survival analysis indicates that the presence of hyperuricemia significantly increased the risk of CKD development. The PRS for CKD thoroughly reflects the risk of CKD development. Hyperuricemia is a significant indicator of CKD risk, even after incorporating the genetic risk score for CKD. Irrespective of genetic risk, patients with a prospective risk of developing CKD require uric acid monitoring and management., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

There is limited evidence regarding the causal inference of emphysema and functional small airway disease in the subsequent progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients consisting of two independent cohorts diagnosed with COPD and underwent two serial chest CT scans were included. Total percent emphysema (PRM Emph ) and fSAD (PRM fSAD ) was quantified via PRM. To investigate the progression of emphysema, we divided COPD patients with PRM Emph  < 10% into low and high PRM fSAD group, matched with similar baseline characteristics, and conducted nonparametric hypothesis tests based on randomization inference using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Huber's M statistics. In patients with baseline PRMEmph < 10%, there were 26 and 16 patients in the low PRM fSA group and 52 and 64 patients in the high PRM fSA in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. In the both low and high PRM fSAD  groups, there were 0.11 and 1.43 percentage point increases (Huber's M statistic p = 0.016) and 0.58 and 2.09 percentage point increases (p = 0.038) in the proportion of emphysema in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. On the contrary, among patients with baseline PRM fSAD  < 20%, there was no significant differences in the interval changes of PRM fSAD between the low and high PRM Emph groups in both cohorts. In COPD patients with low emphysema, group with baseline high PRM fSAD showed greater change of PRM Emph than those with low PRM fSAD in both the derivation and validation cohorts. Imaging-based longitudinal quantitative analysis may provide important evidence that small airway disease precedes emphysema in CT-based early COPD patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Consumer spray products (CSPs) are widely used in daily life, yet it is challenging to find products that fully disclose all components posing health risks. Existing studies primarily focus on product components or VOC quantities emitted during use. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the VOC concentrations emitted by CSPs at varying distances. 47 CSPs available in the Korean market were selected, spanning three spray groups: antiseptics/insecticides (11), aromatic deodorants (16), and coating/polishing agents (20). VOC in air samples were collected using Tenax TA tube at a distance of 1 and 3 m from the sprayed CSPs and then analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system. Discrepancies were found between labeled and actual product components. Aromatic deodorants exhibited the highest total VOCs (TVOCs), while antiseptic/insecticide sprays exhibited the lowest. In the antiseptic/insecticide group and coating/polishing agent group, benzene as a propellant had a maximum concentration (30.9 ± 25.6 ppb), and as trigger, its concentration was 33.7 ± 30.7 ppb. Quantitative analysis using advanced analytical instruments only explained 26.1 ± 20.4% of toluene-equivalent TVOCs, suggesting the presence of additional substances. Concentrations varied by distance due to substance volatility and usage. Maintaining a distance of at least 1 m from CSPs is recommended., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A lack of adherence to long-term antiretroviral therapy may impact viral suppression. The current study examined the relationship between medication adherence and clinical outcomes in people with human immunodeficiency virus infection (PWH) receiving bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (B/F/TAF). A retrospective cohort study using two Japanese claims databases was conducted. Adherence was measured by the proportion of days covered (PDC). Patients were grouped into 3 PDC category and persistence was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analysis was performed to investigate whether the PDC was associated with treatment discontinuation. Among 952 patients, 820 (86.1%), 95 (10.0%), and 37 (3.9%) patients were grouped into the PDC ≥ 90%, 80- < 90%, and < 80% groups, respectively. Across all PDC groups, more than 90% of patients who received B/F/TAF were receiving treatment at 1 year. There was no significant difference in the risk of discontinuation between the lower PDC groups (80- < 90% and < 80%) and the PDC ≥ 90% group (0.400 [0.096, 1.661]; 2.244 [0.663, 7.594], hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], respectively). A drug resistance test was implemented for 15 patients, none of whom discontinued B/F/TAF after the test. The results suggest that events that could cause discontinuation, such as virologic failure, were not associated with PDC., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The purpose of this study was to examine how demographics, etiology, and clinical examination findings are related to visual outcomes in subjects with open globe injury (OGI) across a large and generalizable sample. A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using data collected from the electronic medical records of four tertiary university centers for subjects with OGI presenting from 2018 to 2021. Demographic information, injury mechanisms, clinical exam findings, visual acuity (VA) at presentation and most recent follow-up were recorded. In subjects with bilateral OGIs, only right eyes were included. A modified ocular trauma score (OTS) using presenting VA, the presence of perforating injury, OGI, and afferent pupillary defect was calculated. The risk of subjects' demographic characteristics, ocular trauma etiology, clinical findings and modified OTS on the presence of monocular blindness at follow-up were assessed using univariable and multivariable regression models. 1426 eyes were identified. The mean age was 48.3 years (SD: ± 22.4 years) and the majority of subjects were men (N = 1069, 75.0%). Univariable analysis demonstrated that subjects of Black race were 66% (OR: 1.66 [1.25-2.20]; P < 0.001) more likely to have monocular blindness relative to White race at follow-up. OTS Class 1 was the strongest predictor of blindness (OR: 38.35 [21.33-68.93]; P < 0.001). Based on multivariable analysis, lower OTS category (OTS Class 1 OR: 23.88 [16.44-45.85]; P < 0.001) moderately predicted visual outcomes (R 2  = 0.275, P < 0.001). OGI has many risks of poor visual outcome across patient groups that vary by demographic category, mechanism of injury, and clinical presentation. Our findings validate that a modified OTS remains a strong predictor of visual prognosis following OGI in a large and generalizable sample., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study aims to figure out the worldwide prevalence of anticancer therapy-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) and tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) and the relative risk of each cancer drug. We conducted an analysis of VigiBase, the World Health Organization pharmacovigilance database, 1967-2023 via disproportionate Bayesian reporting method. We further categorized the anticancer drugs into four groups: cytotoxic therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Reporting odds ratio (ROR) and information component (IC) compares observed and expected values to investigate the associations of each category of anticancer drugs with AKI and TIN. We identified 32,722 and 2056 reports (male, n = 17,829 and 1,293) of anticancer therapy-associated AKI and TIN, respectively, among 4,592,036 reports of all-drug caused AKI and TIN. There has been a significant increase in reports since 2010, primarily due to increased reports of targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Immunotherapy exhibited a significant association with both AKI (ROR: 8.92; IC 0.25 : 3.06) and TIN (21.74; 4.24), followed by cytotoxic therapy (7.14; 2.68), targeted therapy (5.83; 2.40), and hormone therapy (2.59; 1.24) for AKI, and by cytotoxic therapy (2.60; 1.21) and targeted therapy (1.54; 0.61) for TIN. AKI and TIN were more prevalent among individuals under 45 years of age, with a female preponderance for AKI and males for TIN. These events were reported in close temporal relationship after initiation of the respective drug (16.53 days for AKI and 27.97 days for TIN), and exhibited a high fatality rate, with 23.6% for AKI and 16.3% for TIN. These findings underscore that kidney-related adverse drug reactions are of prognostic significance and strategies to mitigate such side effects are required to optimize anticancer therapy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this study, we conducted a numerical analysis on catheter sizes using computational fluid dynamics to assess urinary flow rates during intermittent catheterization (IC). The results revealed that the fluid (urine) movement within a catheter is driven by intravesical pressure, with friction against the catheter walls being the main hindrance to fluid movement. Higher-viscosity fluids experienced increased friction with increasing intravesical pressure, resulting in reduced fluid velocity, whereas lower-viscosity fluids experienced reduced friction under similar pressure, leading to increased fluid velocity. Regarding urine characteristics, the results indicated that bacteriuria, with lower viscosity, exhibited higher flow rates, whereas glucosuria exhibited the lowest flow rates. Additionally, velocity gradients decreased with increasing catheter diameters, reducing friction and enhancing fluid speed, while the friction increased with decreasing diameters, reducing fluid velocity. These findings confirm that flow rates increased with larger catheter sizes. Furthermore, in terms of specific gravity, the results showed that a 12Fr catheter did not meet the ISO-suggested average flow rate (50 cc/min). The significance of this study lies in its application of fluid dynamics to nursing, examining urinary flow characteristics in catheterization. It is expected to aid nurses in selecting appropriate catheters for intermittent catheterization based on urinary test results., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

What determines the price of an artwork? This article leverages a comprehensive and novel dataset on art auctions of contemporary artists to examine the impact of social and visual features on the valuation of artworks across global markets. Our findings indicate that social signals allow us to predict the price of artwork exceptionally well, even approaching the professionals' prediction accuracy, while the visual features play a marginal role. This pattern is especially pronounced in emerging markets, supporting the idea that social signals become more critical when it is more difficult to assess the quality. These results strongly support that the value of artwork is largely shaped by social factors, particularly in emerging markets where a stronger preference for "buying an artist" than "buying an artwork." Additionally, our study shows that it is possible to boost experts' performance, highlighting the potential benefits of human-machine models in uncertain or rapidly changing markets, where expert knowledge is limited., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Anemia is common in critically ill patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). We investigated the impact of anemia requiring red blood cell (RBC) transfusion or erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) on patient outcomes after hospital discharge in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring CRRT. In this retrospective cohort study using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database of South Korea, 10,923 adult patients who received CRRT for 3 days or more between 2010 and 2019 and discharged alive were included. Anemia was defined as the need for RBC transfusion or ESAs. Outcomes included cardiovascular events (CVEs) and all-cause mortality after discharge. The anemia group showed a tendency to be older with more females and had more comorbidities compared to the control group. Anemia was not associated with an increased risk of CVEs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-1.29), but was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (aHR: 1.41; 95% CI 1.30-1.53). For critically ill patients with AKI requiring CRRT, anemia, defined as requirement for RBC transfusion or ESAs, may increase the long-term risk of all-cause mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)