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Abstract Obesity has emerged as a prominent risk factor for the development of malignant tumors. However, the existing literature on the role of adipocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to elucidate the correlation between obesity and cancer remains insufficient. Here, we aim to investigate the formation of cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs) and their contribution to tumor growth using mouse models harboring dysfunctional adipocytes. Specifically, we employ adipocyte-specific BECN1 KO (BaKO) mice, which exhibit lipodystrophy due to dysfunctional adipocytes. Our results reveal the activation of YAP/TAZ signaling in both CAAs and BECN1-deficient adipocytes, inducing adipocyte dedifferentiation and formation of a malignant TME. The additional deletion of YAP/TAZ from BaKO mice significantly restores the lipodystrophy and inflammatory phenotypes, leading to tumor regression. Furthermore, mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) exhibit decreased BECN1 and increased YAP/TAZ expression in their adipose tissues. Treatment with the YAP/TAZ inhibitor, verteporfin, suppresses tumor progression in BaKO and HFD-fed mice, highlighting its efficacy against mice with metabolic dysregulation. Overall, our findings provide insights into the key mediators of CAA and their significance in developing a TME, thereby suggesting a viable approach targeting adipocyte homeostasis to suppress cancer growth.

Time-series clustering remains a challenge in data mining. Although novel deep-learning-based representation learning integrated with deep clustering methods have considerably enhanced the performance of time-series clustering, efficiently capturing the various temporal patterns inherent in the data is difficult in representation learning for time-series data. In this study, we proposed a novel representation learning method called temporal multi-features representation learning (TMRL) to capture various temporal patterns embedded in time-series data. Based on TMRL, we introduce the temporal multi-features representation clustering (TMRC) framework for performing time-series clustering. The proposed framework decomposes the input time-series data into k temporal patterns and uses k LSTM autoencoders to extract specialized features for each decomposed diverse temporal pattern through TMRL. Variational-mode decomposition is used to extract temporal multi-features. Finally, temporal multi-features derived from TMRL are ensembled for time-series clustering. To evaluate the superiority of the proposed method, comparative experiments were conducted with 36 publicly available time-series datasets against 16 baseline models. In the comparative experiments, we achieved the highest RI and normalized mutual information values in 12 time-series datasets. Particularly, on datasets consisting of eight types of motion- and spectro-types, the proposed method attained the highest RI and NMI values in six datasets. Furthermore, visualization results of the learned features through TMRL demonstrated superior representation learning compared with existing methods. These results indicated that the proposed TMRC framework is highly suitable for the learning representations of time-series data and can be effectively used for time-series clustering.

Abstract Background H2A.X is an H2A variant histone in eukaryotes, unique for its ability to respond to DNA damage, initiating the DNA repair pathway. H2A.X replacement within the histone octamer is mediated by the FAcilitates Chromatin Transactions (FACT) complex, a key chromatin remodeler. FACT is required for DEMETER (DME)-mediated DNA demethylation at certain loci in Arabidopsis thaliana female gametophytes during reproduction. Here, we sought to investigate whether H2A.X is involved in DME- and FACT-mediated DNA demethylation during reproduction. Results H2A.X is encoded by two genes in Arabidopsis genome, HTA3 and HTA5. We generated h2a.x double mutants, which displayed a normal growth profile, whereby flowering time, seed development, and root tip organization, S-phase progression and proliferation were all normal. However, h2a.x mutants were more sensitive to genotoxic stress, consistent with previous reports. H2A.X fused to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) under the H2A.X promoter was highly expressed especially in newly developing Arabidopsis tissues, including in male and female gametophytes, where DME is also expressed. We examined DNA methylation in h2a.x developing seeds and seedlings using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, and found that CG DNA methylation is decreased genome-wide in h2a.x mutant endosperm. Hypomethylation was most striking in transposon bodies, and occurred on both parental alleles in the developing endosperm, but not the embryo or seedling. h2a.x-mediated hypomethylated sites overlapped DME targets, but also included other loci, predominately located in heterochromatic transposons and intergenic DNA. Conclusions Our genome-wide methylation analyses suggest that H2A.X could function in preventing access of the DME demethylase to non-canonical sites. Overall, our data suggest that H2A.X is required to maintain DNA methylation homeostasis in the unique chromatin environment of the Arabidopsis endosperm.

Abstract The introduction of alkoxy side chains into the backbone of conjugated polymers is an effective way to change their properties. While the impact on the structure and optoelectronic properties of polymer thin films was well‐studied in organic solar cells and transistors, limited research has been conducted on their effects on doping and thermoelectric properties. In this study, the effects of methoxy functionalization of conjugated backbones on the doping and thermoelectric properties are investigated through a comparative study of diketopyrrolopyrrole‐based conjugated polymers with and without methoxy groups (P29DPP‐BTOM and P29DPP‐BT, respectively). Methoxy‐functionalization significantly enhances doping efficiency, converting undopable pairs to dopable ones. This dramatic change is attributed to the structural changes in the polymer film caused by the methoxy groups, which increases the lamellar spacing and facilitates the incorporation of dopants within the polymer crystals. Moreover, methoxy‐functionalization is advantageous in improving the Seebeck coefficient and power factor of the doped polymers, because it induces a bimodal orientational distribution in the polymer, which contributes to the increased splitting of Fermi and charge transport levels. This study demonstrates the impact of methoxy‐functionalization of a conjugated polymer on doping behavior and thermoelectric properties, providing a guideline for designing high‐performance conjugated polymers for thermoelectric applications.

Charitable fundraising increasingly relies on online crowdfunding platforms. Project images of charitable crowdfunding use emotional appeals to promote helping behavior. Negative emotions are commonly used to motivate helping behavior because the image of a happy child may not motivate donors to donate as willingly. However, some research has found that happy images can be more beneficial. These contradictory results suggest that the emotional valence of project imagery and how fundraisers frame project images effectively remain debatable. Thus, we compared and analyzed brain activation differences in the prefrontal cortex governing human emotions depending on donation decisions using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, a neuroimaging device. We advance existing theory on charitable behavior by demonstrating that little correlation exists in donation intentions and brain activity between negative and positive project images, which is consistent with survey results on donation intentions by victim image. We also discovered quantitative brain hemodynamic signal variations between donors and nondonors, which can predict and detect donor mental brain functioning using functional connectivity, that is, the statistical dependence between the time series of electrophysiological activity and oxygenated hemodynamic levels in the prefrontal cortex. These findings are critical in developing future marketing strategies for online charitable crowdfunding platforms, especially project images.

The necessity of reliable measurement data assessment in the realm of human life has experienced exponential growth due to its extensive utilization in health monitoring, rehabilitation, surgery, and long-term treatment. As a result, the significance of kinematic biosensors has substantially increased across various domains, including wearable devices, human-machine interaction, and bioengineering. Traditionally, the fabrication of skin-mounted biosensors involved complex and costly processes such as lithography and deposition, which required extensive preparation. However, the advent of additive manufacturing has revolutionized biosensor production by facilitating customized manufacturing, expedited processes, and streamlined fabrication. AM technology enables the development of highly sensitive biosensors capable of measuring a wide range of kinematic signals while maintaining a low-cost aspect. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art noninvasive kinematic biosensors created using diverse AM technologies. The detailed development process and the specifics of different types of kinematic biosensors are also discussed. Unlike previous review articles that primarily focused on the applications of additively manufactured sensors based on their sensing data, this article adopts a unique approach by categorizing and describing their applications according to their sensing frequencies. Although AM technology has opened new possibilities for biosensor fabrication, the field still faces several challenges that need to be addressed. Consequently, this paper also outlines these challenges and provides an overview of future applications in the field. This review article offers researchers in academia and industry a comprehensive overview of the innovative opportunities presented by kinematic biosensors fabricated through additive manufacturing technologies.

Denitrifying bioreactors (DNBRs) are widely used to reduce excess nitrate from agricultural drainage. Their performance depends on the physical and chemical properties of the substrate. Common substrate types have been partly reviewed in previous studies. However, few studies have attempted to determine a generalized pattern for the role of substrate type in nitrate removal. This study summarizes 41 types of substrates using a dataset collected from 63 peer-reviewed articles, which include 219 independent DNBR units. The substrates are classified into four groups: ① natural carbon (NC), such as woodchips; ② non-natural carbon (NNC), such as biodegradable polymers (e.g., polycaprolactone (PCL), and waste products (e.g., cardboard); ③ inorganic materials (IMs), such as non-carbon materials (e.g., iron oxide); and ④ multiple materials (MMs), such as a mixture of the above materials. These materials are compared and evaluated through a meta-analysis of nitrate removal rate (NRR; N removal (g∙m−3∙d–1)) and nitrate removal efficiency (NRE). This study reviews substrate performance (NRR and NRE), potential mechanisms, pollution swapping, and cost analysis. Our analysis indicates that woodchips and corncobs are the most cost-effective substrates among NCs. In a comparison of all the studied substrates, MM substrates are recommended as the optimal substrates, especially woodchip-based and corncob-based substrates, which have great potential for improvement. This analysis can assist in optimizing the design of DNBRs to meet the environmental, economic, and practical requirements of users.

Recent advances in functional neuroimaging techniques, including methodologies such as fNIRS, have enabled the evaluation of inter-brain synchrony (IBS) induced by interpersonal interactions. However, the social interactions assumed in existing dyadic hyperscanning studies do not sufficiently emulate polyadic social interactions in the real world. Therefore, we devised an experimental paradigm that incorporates the Korean folk board game “Yut-nori” to reproduce social interactions that emulate social activities in the real world. We recruited 72 participants aged 25.2 ± 3.9 years (mean ± standard deviation) and divided them into 24 triads to play Yut-nori, following the standard or modified rules. The participants either competed against an opponent (standard rule) or cooperated with an opponent (modified rule) to achieve a goal efficiently. Three different fNIRS devices were employed to record cortical hemodynamic activations in the prefrontal cortex both individually and simultaneously. Wavelet transform coherence (WTC) analyses were performed to assess prefrontal IBS within a frequency range of 0.05–0.2 Hz. Consequently, we observed that cooperative interactions increased prefrontal IBS across overall frequency bands of interest. In addition, we also found that different purposes for cooperation generated different spectral characteristics of IBS depending on the frequency bands. Moreover, IBS in the frontopolar cortex (FPC) reflected the influence of verbal interactions. The findings of our study suggest that future hyperscanning studies should consider polyadic social interactions to reveal the properties of IBS in real-world interactions.

Abstract Background Several studies showed genome-wide DNA methylation during Arabidopsis embryogenesis and germination. Although it has been known that the change of DNA methylation mainly occurs at CHH context mediated by small RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway during seed ripening and germination, the causality of the methylation difference exhibited in natural Arabidopsis ecotypes has not been thoroughly studied. Results In this study we compared DNA methylation difference using comparative pairwise multi-omics dynamics in Columbia-0 (Col) and Cape Verde Island (Cvi) ecotypes. Arabidopsis genome was divided into two regions, common regions in both ecotypes and Col-specific regions, depending on the reads mapping of whole genome bisulfite sequencing libraries from both ecotypes. Ecotype comparison was conducted within common regions and the levels of DNA methylation on common regions and Col-specific regions were also compared. we confirmed transcriptome were relatively dynamic in stage-wise whereas the DNA methylome and small RNAome were more ecotype-dependent. While the global CG methylation remains steady during maturation and germination, we found genic CG methylation differs the most between the two accessions. We also found that ecotype-specific differentially methylated regions (eDMR) are positively correlated with ecotype-specifically expressed 24-nt small RNA clusters. In addition, we discovered that Col-specific regions enriched with transposable elements (TEs) and structural variants that tend to become hypermethylated, and TEs in Col-specific regions were longer in size, more pericentromeric, and more hypermethylated than those in the common regions. Through the analysis of RdDM machinery mutants, we confirmed methylation on Col-specific region as well as on eDMRs in common region are contributed by RdDM pathway. Lastly, we demonstrated that highly variable sequences between ecotypes (HOT regions) were also affected by RdDM-mediated regulation. Conclusions Through ecotype comparison, we revealed differences and similarities of their transcriptome, methylome and small RNAome both in global and local regions. We validated the contribution of RdDM causing differential methylation of common regions. Hypermethylated ecotype-specific regions contributed by RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway largely depend on the presence of TEs and copy-gain structural variations. These ecotype-specific regions are frequently associated with HOT regions, providing evolutionary insights into the epigenome dynamics within a species.

Whey protein (WP) in milk shows physiologically active functions such as cholesterol control and immune system strengthening. In this study, we performed hydrolysis and peptide polarity fractionation to enhance the efficacy and diversity of its physiological activities, using the digesting enzyme, pancreatin. Our results indicate that hydrolysis significantly increased the cell proliferation of the WP fractions, with the lower-polarity fractions showing greater efficacy in this regard. Our results indicate that hydrolysis significantly increases cell proliferation of the WP fractions. Additionally, we confirmed differences in the antioxidant activity of the WP fractions as a function of polarity was confirmed via scavenging 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay in vitro. WP itself did not show anti-inflammatory efficacy. However, all the hydrolyzed fractions downregulated the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines in all treated cell lines and, based on a senescence-associated (SA)-β-galactosidase assay, the fraction with the lowest polarity (F6) inhibited cellular senescence to the greatest extent. Furthermore, we identified the peptide sequences with various physiological activities from whey protein hydrolysates through mass spectrometry. Taken together, our results indicate that the fractionation of WP via hydrolysis generates novel functions including promoting cellular cell proliferation, anti-inflammatory effects, and enhancing antioxidant and anti-cellular senescence.

Abstract This study provides a novel approach to understand human perception changes in their experiences of and interactions with public greenspaces during the early months of COVID-19. Using social media data and machine learning techniques, the study delivers new understandings of how people began to feel differently about their experiences compared to pre-COVID times. The study illuminates a renewed appreciation of nature as well as an emerging but prominent pattern of emotional and spiritual experiences expressed through a social media platform. Given that most park and recreational studies have almost exclusively examined whether park use increased or decreased during the pandemic, this research provides meaningful implications beyond the simple extensional visit pattern and lends weight to the growing evidences on changing perceptions over and the positive psychological impacts of nature. The study highlights the preeminent roles parks and greenspaces play during the pandemic and guides a new direction in future park development to support more natural elements and nature-oriented experiences from which emotional and spiritual well-being outcomes can be drawn.

CHH methylation (mCHH) increases gradually during embryogenesis across dicotyledonous plants, indicating conserved mechanisms of targeting and conferral. Although it is suggested that methylation increase during embryogenesis enhances transposable element silencing, the detailed epigenetic pathways underlying this process remain unclear. In Arabidopsis, mCHH is regulated by both small RNA-dependent DNA methylation (RdDM) and RNA-independent Chromomethylase 2 (CMT2) pathways. Here, we conducted DNA methylome profiling at five stages of Arabidopsis embryogenesis, and classified mCHH regions into groups based on their dependency on different methylation pathways. Our analysis revealed that the gradual increase in mCHH in embryos coincided with the expansion of small RNA expression and regional mCHH spreading to nearby sites at numerous loci. We identified distinct methylation dynamics in different groups of mCHH targets, which vary according to transposon length, location, and cytosine frequency. Finally, we highlight the characteristics of transposable element loci that are targeted by different mCHH machinery, showing that short, heterochromatic TEs with lower mCHG levels are enriched in loci that switch from CMT2 regulation in leaves, to RdDM regulation during embryogenesis. Our findings highlight the interplay between the length, location, and cytosine frequency of transposons and the mCHH machinery in modulating mCHH dynamics during embryogenesis.

Purpose: This study aimed to report the results of femorofemoral bypass (FFB) using a great saphenous vein (GSV) graft as an alternative to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts. Materials and Methods : From January 2012 to December 2021, 168 patients who underwent FFB (PTFE, 143; GSV, 25) were included. The patients’ demographic features and surgical intervention results were retrospectively reviewed. Results : There were no intergroup differences in patients’ demographic features. In GSV vs. PTFE grafts, the superficial femoral artery provided statistically significant inflow and outflow (P

In this paper, we propose three-dimensional(3D) visualization of objects in heavy scattering media by using peplography and wavelet transform. Conventional haze removal techniques can remove the light haze in the image by using various image processing algorithms or machine learning techniques. However, they may not provide a clear image under heavy scattering media. On the other hand, peplography can visualize the object by detecting ballistic object photons from heavy scattering media. Then, 3D image can be generated by integral imaging. However, it may not visualize 3D object information accurately because of the noise photons from scattering media. Therefore, the image quality for 3D object visualization may be degraded. To solve this problem, we use the discrete wavelet transform in peplography. It can detect the object photon signals from the scattering media and enhance 3D image contrast ratio by using a specific coefficient threshold technique. To prove our method, we carry out optical experiments and compare results with the conventional haze removal method and peplography by using various image quality metrics such as correlation, structural similarity, and peak signal-to-noise ratio.

Clinical trials conducted with incarcerated populations are rare. We present a case example of one such jail-based cancer prevention clinical trial to demonstrate the importance of including a theory-driven approach to intervention framing, novel experimental designs to boost access to low-risk trials, and retention strategies for long-term follow-up of hard-to-reach populations. As such we offer a social determinant of health framework to ensure cancer prevention research is conducted through the lenses of health promotion and health equity. Deviations from the gold-standard randomized control design, transparent systematic allotment, and street-based outreach retention strategies contribute to the feasibility of conducting clinical trials in carceral settings and after people leave jail. Best practices presented can be used in design and conduct of future clinical trials with criminal legal system-involved populations.

We propose bandpass filters (BPFs) with mixed electromagnetic coupling paths (MEMCPs) that comprise two coupled vertical split-ring resonators (VSRRs) and present the equivalent circuit models of the coupled VSRRs. We demonstrate that the dominant coupling modes for the top and bottom layers of the VSRRs are magnetic (M) and electric (E), respectively, and that M-dominant coupling is required for high-selectivity BPFs. BPFs with narrow and wide bandwidths were designed based on the generalized coupling matrix. The proposed BPFs were fabricated and measured, and it is verified that the proposed BPFs have high selectivity due to the transmission zeros and a small circuit footprint due to the vertical structure of resonators. The fabricated narrow- and wide-band BPFs have the fractional bandwidths of 3.62% and 5.81%, respectively, with the overall size of 0.29λg×0.043λg.

Long-term no-tillage systems enhance cotton yield resilience to climate extremes through improved soil quality in Tennessee, USA, according to a 29-year rain-fed plot-scale cotton experiment.

In this paper, we propose three-dimensional (3D) photon counting double random phase encryption (DRPE) with enhanced visual quality and security level. Conventional 3D photon counting DRPE can quickly encrypt the data by using the 4f optical system and random phase masks with enhanced security because the 3D photon counting technique is used. 3D photon counting DRPE extracts photons from the encrypted data by using statistical methods such as the Poisson random process, and the visual quality of the decrypted data can be enhanced through the 3D reconstruction process. However, it still has a problem to visualize the data when we extract extremely a few photons. To improve the security and the visual quality of the decrypted data, we propose the random amplitude reconstruction process in the encryption stage. Our proposed method reconstructs the amplitude of the encrypted data at a random depth. Thus, the shifting pixel value and depth information can be another important key for decryption through the random process. Therefore, it can effectively decrypt data securely, and the visual quality of the decrypted data can be enhanced. Finally, through the random reconstruction process in the decryption stage, our proposed method can simultaneously enhance the security and visual quality. To verify our proposed method, we carry out the simulation and optical experiment.

Abstract Background Post-transplant weight gain affects 50–90% of kidney transplant recipients adversely affecting survival, quality of life, and risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diet modification and physical activity may help prevent post-transplant weight gain. Methods for effective implementation of these lifestyle modifications are needed. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a remotely delivered nutrition and physical activity intervention among kidney transplant recipients. Secondary aims were to estimate the effectiveness of the intervention in producing changes in physical activity, qualify of life, fruit and vegetable intake, and consumption of whole grains and water from baseline to 6 months. Methods A randomized controlled study for stable kidney transplant recipients between 6 and 12 months post-transplantation was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to a technology-based, lifestyle modification program (intervention) or to enhanced usual care (control). Results The first 10 kidney transplant recipients screened were eligible and randomized into the intervention and control groups with no significant between-group differences at baseline. Health coaching attendance (78%) and adherence to reporting healthy behaviors (86%) were high. All participants returned for final assessments. The weight in controls remained stable, while the intervention arm showed weight gain at 3 and 6 months. Improvements were found for physical activity, quality of life, and fruit and vegetable intake in both groups. All participants would recommend the program to other transplant recipients. Conclusions Our data suggest that a remotely delivered televideo nutrition and physical activity intervention is feasible and valued by patients. These findings will aid in the development of a larger, more prescriptive, randomized trial to address weight gain prevention. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT03697317 . Retrospectively registered on October 5, 2018.

Abstract Background Cold hemagglutinin disease (CHAD) is a rare autoimmune disease, in which patients manifest symptoms when the body temperature decreases. It causes critical problems with blood clotting and hemolysis during hypothermia in cardiac surgery. Although various methods are recommended, the CHAD discovered incidentally during cardiac surgery is still a clinical challenge. Case presentation A 76-year-old male visited our hospital for chest pain. Angiography revealed unstable angina, left-main and three-vessel disease. We performed coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass after heparin injection. Shortly after aorta cross-clamping (ACC) and infusion of cold blood cardioplegia, we found massive blood clots in the cardioplegia line. Upon suspicion of CHAD, we raised the temperature and infused warm blood cardioplegia in a retrograde manner. After performing cardiac arrest, we opened the coronary artery and found blood clots in the coronary artery. We eliminated the clots and washed with warm crystalloid cardioplegia simultaneously in an antegrade and retrograde manner. During the ACC, warm cardioplegia was infused every 15 min, via retrograde and antegrade techniques simultaneously. After distal anastomosis of the saphenous venous graft (SVG) to the coronary artery, we performed a direct SVG warm cardioplegia infusion. Finally, before the proximal SVG anastomosis to the aorta, we used warm cardioplegia to eliminate the remaining microemboli. The cold reactive protein test showed a positive result. The patient was discharged without any complications. Conclusion In this rare case, we incidentally discovered CHAD associated with massive blood clots in the cardioplegia line and the coronary artery, during CABG. However, we performed CABG without any complications using a reasonable and appropriate cardioplegia infusion technique, including direct SVG warm cardioplegia infusion.

Micro-displays based on micro-LEDs are becoming more and more attractive in AR/MR (Augmented/Mixed Reality) applications. A display size of 0.5 to 0.7-inch is preferred, with 5,000 PPI (Pixel Per Inch) or higher. Due to this pixel density and size, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Silicon) backplane is an ideal solution to drive these pixelized micro-LEDs. As the required pixel size gets smaller, the design of the appropriate pixel circuit becomes more challenging. The simplest 2T1C (2 transistors & 1 capacitor) pixel circuit has potential problems, due to the leakage current of the switch transistor and the voltage drop on the matrix array layout. In this paper, a pixel circuit is proposed as a solution to overcome these two issues. Our simulation results show that the variation of the driving current to the LED is improved by 95 %, and the IR drop error rate is around 2.2 % compared to the 2T1C circuit. The test results also show that the error rate of IPIXEL for the whole region of display is under 2.5 %. This work is verified using a test chip implementation with 180 nm CMOS process technology.

Objective: A pre/post pilot study was designed to investigate neurobiological mechanisms and plasma metabolites in an 8-week Tai-Chi (TC) group intervention in subjects with knee osteoarthritis.Methods: Twelve postmenopausal women underwent Tai-Chi group exercise for 8 weeks (60 min/session, three times/week). Outcomes were measured before and after Tai Chi intervention including pain intensity (VAS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), plasma metabolites (amino acids and lipids), as well as resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI, 10 min, eyes open), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, 12 min), and structural MRI (4.5 min) in a subgroup. Clinical data was analyzed using paired t-tests; plasma metabolites were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests; and rs-fMRI data were analyzed using seed-based correlations of the left and right amygdala in a two-level mixed-effects model (FSL software). Correlations between amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) connectivity and corresponding changes in clinical outcomes were examined. DTI connectivity of each amygdala was modeled using a Bayesian approach and probabilistic tractography. The associations between neurobiological effects and pain/physical function were examined.Results: Significant pre/post changes were observed with reduced knee pain (VAS with most pain: p = 0.018; WOMAC-pain: p = 0.021; BPI with worst level: p = 0.018) and stiffness (WOMAC-stiffness, p = 0.020), that likely contributed to improved physical function (WOMAC-physical function: p = 0.018) with TC. Moderate to large effect sizes pre/post increase in rs-fMRI connectivity were observed between bilateral mPFC and the amygdala seed regions (i.e., left: d = 0.988, p = 0.355; right: d = 0.600, p = 0.282). Increased DTI connectivity was observed between bilateral mPFC and left amygdala (d = 0.720, p = 0.156). There were moderate-high correlations (r = 0.28–0.60) between TC-associated pre-post changes in amygdala-mPFC functional connectivity and pain/physical function improvement. Significantly higher levels of lysophosphatidylcholines were observed after TC but lower levels of some essential amino acids. Amino acid levels (alanine, lysine, and methionine) were lower after 8 weeks of TC and many of the lipid metabolites were higher after TC. Further, plasma non-HDL cholesterol levels were lower after TC.Conclusion: This pilot study showed moderate to large effect sizes, suggesting an important role that cortico-amygdala interactions related to TC have on pain and physical function in subjects with knee osteoarthritis pain. Metabolite analyses revealed a metabolic shift of higher lyso-lipids and lower amino acids that might suggest greater fatty acid catabolism, protein turnover and changes in lipid redistribution in response to TC exercise. The results also support therapeutic strategies aimed at strengthening functional and structural connectivity between the mPFC and the amygdala. Controlled clinical trials are warranted to confirm these observed preliminary effects.

Teacher buy-in is a critical component for the success of any educational reform, especially one involving evaluation and compensation. We report on an instrument developed to measure teacher buy-in for district-developed designation plans associated with a state pay-for-performance (PFP) program, and teacher responses. We used modern test theory to investigate the instrument’s psychometric properties, a procedure often missing from research reports of self-designed surveys. A sample of 3,001 elementary, middle school, and high school teachers in Texas school districts participated in the survey. Our results suggest satisfactory reliability of the instrument and adequate discriminant validity in measuring distinct but related aspects of teacher buy-in. In addition, we found that teacher support for PFP as instantiated in their particular districts was generally high, but still buy-in levels varied significantly among different teacher groupings, pointing the way for future developers of pay-for-performance schemes to improve or maximize their acceptance.

A female English bulldog was gave birth two neonates by cesarean section on the sixty one days after mating, but both neonates were died soon after birth. The bodies of neonates were diagnosed using radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography and necropsy immediately after death. Both neonates had caudal regression syndrome, butterfly vertebra, hydrocephalus, umbilical hernia, cleft palate and bow-legged hind-limb. At necropsy, neonates had mild fetal anasarca, cleft lip and the skull was remained non-union. At thoracic cavity, only three ribs and thoracic spines were existed and patent ductus arteriosus was found. At abnormal cavity, the renal ectopia was found with abnormal morphology. In the present case, those English bulldog neonates with multiple congenital malformation syndromes seriously suffered vertebral column anomalies and that may induced by neural tube defects in during embryonic period. To prevent congenital malformation occurring in English bulldog, further in depth studies are needed for the breed specific genetic diversity and for the reason of behind genetic abnormality in these breed.

Abstract p16 Ink4a /CDKN2A is a tumor suppressor that critically regulates the cell cycle. Indeed, p16 Ink4a deficiency promotes tumor formation in various tissues. We now report that p16 Ink4a deficiency in female mice, but not male mice, induces leanness especially in old age, as indicated by lower body weight and smaller white adipose tissue, although other major organs are unaffected. Unexpectedly, the integrity, number, and sizes of adipocytes in white adipose tissue were unaffected, as was macrophage infiltration. Hence, hypermobility appeared to be accountable for the phenotype, since food consumption was not altered. Histological analysis of the cerebellum and deep cerebellar nuclei, a vital sensorimotor control center, revealed increased proliferation of neuronal cells and improved cerebellum integrity. Expression of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) and PCNA also increased in deep cerebellar nuclei, implying crosstalk between p16 Ink4a and ERβ. Furthermore, p16 Ink4a deficiency expands LC3B+ cells and GFAP+ astrocytes in response to estrogen. Collectively, the data suggest that loss of p16 INK4a induces sexually dimorphic leanness in female mice, which appears to be due to protection against cerebellar senescence by promoting neuronal proliferation and homeostasis via ERβ.

Abstract Background In genome-wide association studies (GWASs), meta-analysis has been widely used to improve statistical power by combining the results of different studies. Meta-analysis can detect phenotype associated variants that are failed to be detected in single studies. Especially, in biomedical sciences, meta-analysis is often necessary not only for improving statistical power, but also for reducing unavoidable limitation in data collection. As next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has been developed, meta-analysis of rare variants is proceeding briskly along with meta-analysis of common variants in GWASs. However, meta-analysis on a single variant that is commonly used in common variant association test is improper for rare variants. A sparse signal of rare variant undermines the association signal and its large number causes multiple testing problem. To over-come these problems, we propose a meta-analysis method at the gene-level rather than variant level. Results Among many methods that have been developed, we used the unified quadratic tests (Q-tests); Q-test is more powerful than or as powerful as other tests such as Sequence Kernel Association Tests (SKAT). Since there are three different versions of Q-test (QTest1, QTest2, QTest3), each assumes different relationships among multiple rare variants, we extended them into meta-study accordingly. For meta-analysis, we consider two types of approaches, the one is to combine regression coefficients and the other is to combine test statistics from each single study. We extend the Q-test for meta-analysis, proposing Meta Quadratic Test (Meta-Qtest). Meta Q-test avoids the limitations of MetaSKAT. It does not only consider genetic heterogeneity among studies as MetaSKAT but also reflects diverse real situations; since we extend three different Q-tests into meta-analysis respectively, flexible Meta Q-test suggests way to deal with gene-level rare variant meta-analysis efficiently From the results of real data analysis of blood pressure trait, our meta-analysis could successfully discovered genes, KCNA5 and CABIN1 that are already well known for relevance with hypertension disease and they are not detected in MetaSKAT. Conclusion As exemplified by an application to T2D Genes projects data set, Meta-Qtest more effectively identified genes associated with hypertension disease than MetaSKAT did.

Microstrip signal lines covered with a dielectric layer are used to reduce far-end crosstalk (FEXT) noise from adjacent lines. When minimizing FEXT noise, the permittivity of the dielectric layer should be higher than that of the substrate. When the permittivity is close to that of the substrate, the thickness of the covering dielectric layer is much larger than that of the substrate. We here present a novel means of reducing FEXT noise in microstrip lines covered with a dielectric layer using a rectangular (R)-shaped groove. When an R-shaped groove is created in the covering dielectric layer or substrate of the microstrip lines, FEXT noise is suppressed in the absence of the above conditions. To analyze the underlying mechanism, we studied the circuit parameters and electric field distribution in the microstrip lines. To confirm the improvements afforded by our methods, we compared simulated and measured data of our new structures to those of other structures.

The construction industry experiences the highest rate of casualties from safety-related accidents at construction sites despite continuous social interest in safety management. Accordingly, various studies have been conducted on safety management, wherein recent studies have focused on its integration with Machine Learning (ML). In this study, we proposed a technology for recognizing struck-by hazards between construction equipment and workers, where a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and sound recognition were combined to analyze the changes in the Doppler effect caused by the movements of a subject. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the recognition performance in indoor and outdoor environments with respect to movement state, direction, speed, and near-miss situations. The proposed technology was able to classify the movement direction and speed with 84.4–97.4% accuracy and near-misses with 78.9% accuracy. This technology can be implemented using data obtained through the microphone of a smartphone, thus it is highly applicable and is also effective at ensuring that a worker becomes aware of a struck-by hazard near construction equipment. The findings of this study are expected to be applicable for the prevention of struck-by accidents occurring in various forms at construction sites in the vicinity of construction equipment.

Abstract Cell cycle dysfunction can cause severe diseases, including neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors controlling the G1 phase of the cell cycle are prevalent in various cancers. Mice lacking the tumor suppressors p16Ink4a (Cdkn2a, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2a), p19Arf (an alternative reading frame product of Cdkn2a,), and p27Kip1 (Cdkn1b, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1b) result in malignant progression of epithelial cancers, sarcomas, and melanomas, respectively. Here, we generated knockout mouse models for each of these three cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors using engineered nucleases. The p16Ink4a and p19Arf knockout mice were generated via transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and p27Kip1 knockout mice via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9). These gene editing technologies were targeted to the first exon of each gene, to induce frameshifts producing premature termination codons. Unlike preexisting embryonic stem cell-based knockout mice, our mouse models are free from selectable markers or other external gene insertions, permitting more precise study of cell cycle-related diseases without confounding influences of foreign DNA.

Abstract Placenta specific 8 (PLAC8, also known as ONZIN) is a multi-functional protein that is highly expressed in the intestine, lung, spleen, and innate immune cells, and is involved in various diseases, including cancers, obesity, and innate immune deficiency. Here, we generated a Plac8 knockout mouse using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The Cas9 mRNA and two single guide RNAs targeting a region near the translation start codon at Plac8 exon 2 were microinjected into mouse zygotes. This successfully eliminated the conventional translation start site, as confirmed by Sanger sequencing and PCR genotyping analysis. Unlike the previous Plac8 deficient models displaying increased adipose tissue and body weights, our male Plac8 knockout mice showed rather lower body weight than sex-matched littermate controls, though the only difference between these two mouse models is genetic context. Differently from the previously constructed embryonic stem cell-derived Plac8 knockout mouse that contains a neomycin resistance cassette, this knockout mouse model is free from a negative selection marker or other external insertions, which will be useful in future studies aimed at elucidating the multi-functional and physiological roles of PLAC8 in various diseases, without interference from exogenous foreign DNA.

Abstract Trefoil factor 1 (TFF1, also known as pS2) is strongly expressed in the gastrointestinal mucosa and plays a critical role in the differentiation of gastric glands. Since approximately 50% of all human gastric cancers are associated with decreased TFF1 expression, it is considered a tumor suppressor gene. Tff1 deficiency in mice results in histological changes in the antral and pyloric gastric mucosa, with severe hyperplasia and dysplasia of epithelial cells, resulting in the development of antropyloric adenoma. Here, we generated Tff1-knockout (KO) mice, without a neomycin resistant (NeoR) cassette, using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (CRSIPR/Cas9) system. Though our Tff1-KO mice showed phenotypes very similar to the previous embryonic stem (ES)-cell-based KO mice, they differed from the previous reports in that a reduction in body weight was observed in males. These results demonstrate that these newly established Tff1-KO mice are useful tools for investigating genetic and environmental factors influencing gastric cancer, without the effects of artificial gene insertion. Furthermore, these findings suggest a novel hypothesis that Tff1 expression influences gender differences.

A fundamental assumption underlying latent class analysis (LCA) is that class indicators are conditionally independent of each other, given latent class membership. Bayesian LCA enables researchers to detect and accommodate violations of this assumption by estimating any number of correlations among indicators with proper prior distributions. However, little is known about how the choice of prior may affect the performance of Bayesian LCA. This article presents a Monte Carlo simulation study that investigates (1) the utility of priors in a range of prior variances (i.e., strongly non-informative to strongly informative priors) in terms of Type I error and power for detecting conditional dependence and (2) the influence of imposing approximate independence on model fit of Bayesian LCA. Simulation results favored the use of a weakly informative prior with large variance–model fit (posterior predictive p–value) was always satisfactory when the class indicators were either independent or dependent. Based on the current findings and the additional literature, this article offers methodological guidelines and suggestions for applied researchers.

IntroductionObesity is a major health concern in postmenopausal women, and chronic low-grade inflammation contributes to the development of obesity. Cellular studies and high-fat-diet-induced obese mouse model mimicking obesity show the antiobesity effect of annatto-extracted tocotrienols (TT) with antioxidant capability. We aim to assess the safety and efficacy of TT consumption for lipid-related parameters in obese postmenopausal women.Methods and analysisEligible obese postmenopausal women will be randomly assigned to placebo group (430 mg olive oil) and TT group (DeltaGold Tocotrienol 70%) for 24 weeks. In the present study, the primary outcome is total/regional fat mass and visceral adipose tissue. The secondary outcomes include lipid profile in serum, mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A in fat tissue, oxylipins and endocannabinoids in plasma and adipose tissue, abundance and composition of intestinal microbiome in faeces, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in serum and leptin in serum. Every participant will be evaluated at 0 (prior to starting intervention) and 24 weeks of intervention, except for serum lipid profile and hs-CRP at 0, 12 and 24 weeks. ‘Intent-to-treat’ principle is employed for data analysis. Hierarchical linear modelling is used to estimate the effects of dietary TT supplementation while properly accounting for dependency of data and identified covariates. To our knowledge, this is the first randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study to determine dietary TT supplementation on an obese population. If successful, this study will guide the future efficacy TT interventions and TT can be implemented as an alternative for obese population in antiobesity management.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock. An informed consent form will be signed by a participant before enrolling in the study. The results from this trial will be actively disseminated through academic conference presentation and peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT03705845.

Abstract Seasonal flooding following heavy rain deposits large amounts of sediments on productive lands in the lower parts of fields in western Tennessee. The deposited sediments have high proportion of sand particles that negatively affect soil physiochemical properties, which make the soil uneconomic for farming. Soil amendments such as biochar, a by‐product of renewable energy production from organic waste materials, have the potential to remediate sandy soil left after flood events and improve crop yields by increasing water holding capacity and soil nutrient content. The objective of this project was to evaluate the effect of biochar produced from two types of hardwood feedstocks on water retention and corn (Zea mays L.) growth in sandy soil. A greenhouse experiment quantifying the growth of corn was conducted in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Sandy soil was amended with three biochar rates (0, 10, and 20% by volume) under two irrigation levels. The irrigation levels were control and a dry treatment based on the past 10 yr of rainfall data. Biochar application greatly improved water retention in the flooded sandy soil. Biochar increased soil K and P concentration. However, at the end of the study, corn growth was not different in biochar amended and non‐amended sandy soil. This research demonstrated that biochar as a soil amendment has the potential to improve quality attributes of poor soil, such as the soil water and nutrient concentration in a previously flooded sandy soils.

Abstract Weed communities may potentially reduce row‐crop yields resulting in a loss of revenue for producers. Studies have reported a decrease in the efficacy of chemical methods of weed control due to increased weed resistance. With the goal of reducing reliance on chemical weed control and promoting sustainable crop production in mind, we evaluated different winter cover crop (CC) types (single‐, double‐, and multi‐species) and CC planting methods (broadcasting vs. drilling) on CC and weed groundcover and row‐crop yield in a no‐till corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation system in Tennessee from 2013 to 2017. Our results showed that winter CC reduced spring weed ground coverage by 64–76% compared with winter fallow with no herbicide application. A five‐species CC mixture increased soybean yields by 6 to 8.5% across seeding method treatments compared with other CC treatments and winter fallow. This yield increase was more visible in a drought year. Corn, grown in years with normal weather patterns, did not show a yield response to CC types. From this study, cover cropping was found to be an effective strategy for weed control compared with leaving the field fallow without herbicide application following row‐crop harvest; however, no consistent species‐specific trends were observed on weed suppression and row‐crop yield. Future research should focus on understanding CC species composition and biomass production in double‐ and multi‐species mixtures from this field experiment to draw robust conclusions on agronomic responses of individual CC species and planting methods.

Ships entering designated emission control areas are required to reduce emission gases drastically, in accordance with international maritime organization regulations or local policies. In this regard, a hybrid power system, which is a combination of conventional generators and lithium-ion batteries as a type of energy storage system (ESS), has been applied to ships. However, this hybrid concept has been focused on small-sized coastal ships, because they have a short voyage time or require high peak power for a short time. And by extension, this paper demonstrates the potential of a hybrid power system for mediumsized oceangoing ships. First, a medium-sized container ship is selected as a target ship. The electric load profile near ports is defined to select the optimum capacity of the ESS and generators. Then, to verify the advantage of the proposed system, this paper uses MATLAB/Simulink software for simulation. Finally, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are compared between the proposed power system and the conventional one which uses only generators. The results show that overall, 8.6% ~ 20.7% CO2 emissions can be reduced, depending on the electric load conditions of a ship. Hence, a hybrid power system can be an eco-friendly solution for medium-sized oceangoing ships, as well as small-sized coastal ships.

Purpose: We investigated factors affecting testosterone recovery after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) withdrawal in patients with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: The medical records of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy with ADT were retrospectively reviewed. In all, 221 patients were included in the analysis. Testosterone recovery was defined as supra-castration (SC) (testosterone levels in serum >50 ng/dL) or out of hypogonadism (OH) (>300 ng/dL) after ADT withdrawal. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate testosterone recovery after ADT cessation. Cox regression analyses were used to determine the factors affecting the recovery of testosterone. Results: After ADT, 206 patients (93.2%) recovered to the SC level and 122 patients (55.2%) recovered to the OH level. Patients treated with ADT for ≤18 months recovered to OH in a mean of 6.8 months (74.6%), but patients treated with ADT for >18 months recovered in a mean of 9.7 months (27.5%). In multivariate analyses, age (hazard ratio [HR], 0.915; p

Advanced microelectromechanical system (MEMS) magnetic field sensor applications demand ultra-high detectivity down to the low magnetic fields. To enhance the detection limit of the magnetic sensor, a resistance compensator integrated self-balanced bridge type sensor was devised for low-frequency noise reduction in the frequency range of 0.5 Hz to 200 Hz. The self-balanced bridge sensor was a NiFe (10 nm)/IrMn (10 nm) bilayer structure in the framework of planar Hall magnetoresistance (PHMR) technology. The proposed resistance compensator integrated with a self-bridge sensor architecture presented a compact and cheaper alternative to marketable MEMS MR sensors, adjusting the offset voltage compensation at the wafer level, and led to substantial improvement in the sensor noise level. Moreover, the sensor noise components of electronic and magnetic origin were identified by measuring the sensor noise spectral density as a function of temperature and operating power. The lowest achievable noise in this device architecture was estimated at ~3.34 nV/Hz at 100 Hz.

Abstract We study CFT data of 3-dimensional superconformal field theories (SCFTs) arising from wrapped two M5-branes on closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds. Via so-called 3d/3d correspondence, central charges of these SCFTs are related to a SL(2) Chern-Simons (CS) invariant on the 3-manifolds. After developing a state-integral model for the invariant, we numerically evaluate the central charges for several closed 3-manifolds with small hyperbolic volume. The computation suggests that the wrapped M5-brane systems give infinitely many discrete SCFTs with small central charges.

Jailed women are four-five times more likely to have had cervical cancer compared to women without criminal justice histories. Previous research has shown that an important contributor to cervical cancer risk, and perhaps lack of follow-up, is incarcerated women's low health literacy about broader reproductive health issues. Little work has been done to address this disparity. Thus, the objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of an intervention to improve incarcerated women's cervical health literacy and ultimately address cervical cancer disparities. Using a waitlist control design, we compared changes in cervical health literacy (knowledge, beliefs, self-efficacy, and confidence for screening and follow-up) among 188 incarcerated women who completed a 10-hour intervention between 2014 and 2016 in three Kansas City jails. We used bivariate tests and multivariate analyses that controlled for baseline cervical health literacy level and key covariates. Women in the intervention group showed significant gains in seven out of eight cervical health literacy domains (all p

Generalized structured component analysis (GSCA) is a theoretically well-founded approach to component-based structural equation modeling (SEM). This approach utilizes the bootstrap method to estimate the confidence intervals of its parameter estimates without recourse to distributional assumptions, such as multivariate normality. It currently provides the bootstrap percentile confidence intervals only. Recently, the potential usefulness of the bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap (BCa) confidence intervals (CIs) over the percentile method has attracted attention for another component-based SEM approach—partial least squares path modeling. Thus, in this study, we implemented the BCa CI method into GSCA and conducted a rigorous simulation to evaluate the performance of three bootstrap CI methods, including percentile, BCa, and Student's t methods, in terms of coverage and balance. We found that the percentile method produced CIs closer to the desired level of coverage than the other methods, while the BCa method was less prone to imbalance than the other two methods. Study findings and implications are discussed, as well as limitations and directions for future research.

A simulation based comparative study was designed to compare two alternative approaches to structural equation modeling—generalized structured component analysis (GSCA) with the alternating least squares (ALS) estimator vs. covariance structure analysis (CSA) with the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator or the weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator—in terms of parameter recovery with ordinal observed variables. The simulated conditions included the number of response categories in observed variables, distribution of ordinal observed variables, sample size, and model misspecification. The simulation outcomes focused on average root mean square error (RMSE) and average relative bias (RB) in parameter estimates. The results indicated that, by and large, GSCA-ALS recovered structural path coefficients more accurately than CSA-ML and CSA-WLSMV in either a correctly or incorrectly specified model, regardless of the number of response categories, observed variable distribution, and sample size. In terms of loadings, CSA-WLSMV outperformed GSCA-ALS and CSA-ML in almost all conditions. Implications and limitations of the current findings are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is difficult to detect in the early stages; thus, identifying specific and sensitive biomarkers for PC diagnosis is crucial, especially in the case of early-stage tumors. Circulating microRNAs are promising non-invasive biomarkers. Therefore, we aimed to identify non-invasive miRNA biomarkers and build a model for PC diagnosis. For the training model, blood serum samples from 63 PC patients and 63 control subjects were used. We selected 39 miRNA markers using a smoothly clipped absolute deviation-based penalized support vector machine and built a PC diagnosis model. From the double cross-validation, the average test AUC was 0.98. We validated the diagnosis model using independent samples from 25 PC patients and 81 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and compared the results with those obtained from the diagnosis using carbohydrate antigen 19-9. For the markers miR-155-5p, miR-4284, miR-346, miR-7145-5p, miR-5100, miR-661, miR-22-3p, miR-4486, let-7b-5p, and miR-4703-5p, we conducted quantitative reverse transcription PCR using samples from 17 independent PC patients, 8 ICC patients, and 8 healthy individuals. Differential expression was observed in samples from PC patients. The diagnosis model based on the identified markers showed high sensitivity and specificity for PC detection and is potentially useful for early PC diagnosis.

Traditional in-app virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) applications pose a challenge of reaching users due to their dependency on operating systems (Android, iOS). Besides, it is difficult for general users to create their own VR/AR applications and foster their creative ideas without advanced programming skills. This paper addresses these issues by proposing an interactive extended reality toolkit, named BlocklyXR. The objective of this research is to provide general users with a visual programming environment to build an extended reality application for digital storytelling. The contextual design was generated from real-world map data retrieved from Mapbox GL. ThreeJS was used for setting up, rendering 3D environments, and controlling animations. A block-based programming approach was adapted to let users design their own story. The capability of BlocklyXR was illustrated with a use case where users were able to replicate the existing PalmitoAR utilizing the block-based authoring toolkit with fewer efforts in programming. The technology acceptance model was used to evaluate the adoption and use of the interactive extended reality toolkit. The findings showed that visual design and task technology fit had significantly positive effects on user motivation factors (perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness). In turn, perceived usefulness had statistically significant and positive effects on intention to use, while there was no significant impact of perceived ease of use on intention to use. Study implications and future research directions are discussed.

Inflammation is a biological response of the immune system to defend the body from negative stimulation. However, the excessive inflammatory response can damage host tissues and pose serious threats. Exopolysaccharide (EPS), one of the postbiotics, is secreted from lactic acid bacteria. Although many studies have described the beneficial effects of EPS, such as its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, its underlying mechanisms have remained to be poorly understood. Thus, we identified that EPS obtained from Lactobacillus plantarum L-14 was a homogeneous polysaccharide primarily comprised of glucose. To examine these anti-inflammatory effects, an inflammatory response was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration to mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells that were pretreated with EPS. The anti-inflammatory effects of EPS were identified by analyzing the changes within inflammatory markers at the molecular level. We demonstrate here that EPS suppressed proinflammatory mediators, such as cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β, and downregulated the expression of an inducible nitric oxide synthase known to lead to oxidative stress. It was also confirmed that EPS had anti-inflammatory effects by blocking the interaction of LPS with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), as demonstrated by using the known TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242. In addition, we found that EPS itself could suppress the expression of TLR4. Consequently, our data suggest that EPS can be a potential target for the development of natural product-derived medicine for treating inflammatory diseases related to TLR4.

For years, educational practitioners and decision-makers have encouraged teachers to implement a balanced literacy approach in class. However, the effects of balanced literacy on the reading comprehension of students from different backgrounds have not been carefully examined in the current literature. Using the large data sets from the 2016 International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), this study examines the effects of balanced literacy on the performance in getting direct information and interpreting skills of native-English speakers and English Language Learners (ELLs). This study indicates that teacher-directed activities benefited 4th-grade native-English speakers and ELLs' reading outcomes in getting direct information and interpreting skills. However, the other components of balanced literacy, including student-centered instructions and independent learning activities, could not contribute to 4th-grade students' reading performance in getting direct information and interpreting skills.

Human malignant melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer with high metastatic ability. Despite several traditional therapies, the mortality rate remains high. Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum), a species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is being studied for human health, including cancer treatment. However, few studies have elucidated the relationship between L. plantarum extract and human malignant melanoma. To investigate the effects of L. plantarum on human melanoma cells, A375 human melanoma cells were used and treated with L. plantarum L-14 extract. After the treatment, viability, migration ability, molecular changes of migration- and apoptosis-related genes, and the location of cytochrome c was evaluated. The L-14 extract inhibited the viability, migration of A375 cells as well as reduced expression of migration-related genes. In addition, it was confirmed that the L-14 extract induced intrinsic apoptosis in A375 cells. This study demonstrated that the L-14 extract exerted anticancer effects on A375 cells. Therefore, these data suggest that the L-14 extract is worth studying for the development of melanoma drugs using LAB.