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There are limited studies on the association of COVID-19 vaccination with neuralgic amyotrophy (NA). Therefore, we evaluated the association between COVID-19 vaccination and the occurrence of NA.We explored unexpected safety signals for NA related to COVID-19 vaccination through disproportionality analysis using VigiBase, the World Health Organization's pharmacovigilance database.On October 15, 2021, 335 cases of NA were identified in the database. The median time to onset of NA after vaccination was around 2 weeks. A significant signal of disproportionality of NA was observed for the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca) (information component [IC]A weak association was observed between NA and COVID-19 vaccines. However, the risk did not surpass that of influenza vaccines.

This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological quality of kimchi seasoning products purchased from an online shopping mall, using cluster analysis to inform consumers about the quality of commercial kimchi seasoning and enable them to make informed purchasing decisions. The clusters were classified into four groups: CKS02 to 03 (group I), CKS04 to 05 (group II), CKS07 to 09 (group III), and others (CKS01, CKS06, and CKS10) (group IV). Principal component analysis (PCA) validated the cluster characteristics and a strong correlation between the moisture content in group I, salinity in group II, capsaicinoids content in group III, and pH in group IV. Highly significant correlations were observed between the L (lightness) and b (yellowness) values, solid and moisture content, and viscosity and solid content of kimchi seasoning. The findings of this study provide information on the baseline quality of commercially available seasoning products, and it is expected that items with a high correlation among the seasoning qualities can be used as management indicators to ensure consistency.

Immune-mediated neuropathies are a heterogenous group of inflammatory peripheral nerve disorders. They can be classified according to the domain where the autoimmune process begins: the internode, paranode, or node. However, conventional diagnostic tools, electrodiagnosis (EDX), and autoantibody testing do not fully address this issue. In this institutional cohort study, we investigated the value of dermal myelinated fiber analysis for target domain-based classification. Twenty-seven consecutive patients with immune-mediated neuropathies underwent skin biopsies. The sections were stained with antibodies representative of myelinated fiber domains and were scanned using a confocal microscope. Clinical and pathological features of each patient were reviewed comprehensively. Quantitative morphometric parameters were subjected to clustering analysis, which stratified patients into 3 groups. Cluster 1 ("internodopathy") was characterized by prominent internodal disruption, intact nodes and paranodes, demyelinating EDX pattern, and absence of nodal-paranodal antibodies. Cluster 2 ("paranodopathy") was characterized by paranodal disruption and corresponding antibodies. Morphological changes were restricted to the nodes in cluster 3; we designated this cluster as "nodopathy." This report highlights the utility of skin biopsy as a diagnostic aid to gain pathogenic insight and classify patients with immune-mediated neuropathies.

Individuals who are unable to walk independently spend most of the day in a wheelchair. This population is at high risk for developing pressure injuries caused by sitting. However, early diagnosis and prevention of these injuries still remain challenging. Herein, we introduce battery-free, wireless, multimodal sensors and a movable system for continuous measurement of pressure, temperature, and hydration at skin interfaces. The device design includes a crack-activated pressure sensor with nanoscale encapsulations for enhanced sensitivity, a temperature sensor for measuring skin temperature, and a galvanic skin response sensor for measuring skin hydration levels. The movable system enables power harvesting, and data communication to multiple wireless devices mounted at skin-cushion interfaces of wheelchair users over full body coverage. Experimental evaluations and numerical simulations of the devices, together with clinical trials for wheelchair patients, demonstrate the feasibility and stability of the sensor system for preventing pressure injuries caused by sitting.

The intellectual activities of creativity and critical thinking are essential in the complex problem-solving process of modern society. This article starts from the position that it is necessary to develop courses and assessment tools that is needed for simultaneously facilitating creativity and critical thinking skills at the same time in universities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a starting point for discussion on the development of creative competency courses and assessment tools required to link creativity and critical thinking skills. In Korea, there are many studies dealing with creativity and critical thinking separately, while in foreign countries, there is an active discussion taking place about the development of courses and assessment tools. To this end, based on the creative competency area set as a core competency in the liberal arts education of a university, the discussion was conducted by citing relevant domestic and foreign materials.First, in the process of arranging the connection between creativity and critical thinking, the necessity of linking these two skills to solve creative problems was confirmed. Next, the direction of the development of courses that can foster creativity and critical thinking abilities together was explored, focusing on lesson goals, contents, and methods. In order to simultaneously enhance creativity and critical thinking abilities among our students, it is necessary to design an activity-centered curriculum that combines both skills based on the existing creativity education and critical thinking education. Finally, the method of developing an assessment tool that can authentically measure the students’ creativity and critical thinking ability is described mainly using existing tools and in terms of employing technologies. Research on how to integrate previously developed tools for measuring creativity and measuring critical thinking skills should be continued. In particular, it is necessary to prepare a plan to solve technical problems in order to use technology in the course management and development of assessment tools.Classes for cultivating creativity and critical thinking abilities in our students can be more effective in liberal arts education for the simple reason that lessons within their majors emphasize the acquisition of specialized knowledge. Thus, there is a limit to creative competency education. Since modern and future societies require us to possess the ability to generate creative ideas in abundance in order to solve complex problems, as well as the ability to critically reflect and evaluate ideas and apply them to problem solving, it is urgent to develop courses and assessment tools that can align creativity with critical thinking. Designing effective classes through in-depth discussions on the development of courses and assessment tools remains as a theme for further research.

Background Natural polymer scaffolds used to promote rotator cuff healing have limitations in terms of their mechanical and biochemical properties. This animal study aimed to investigate the effects of combined graphene oxide (GO) and alginate scaffold and the toxicity of GO on rotator cuff healing in a rat model. Methods First, the mechanical properties of a GO/alginate scaffold and a pure alginate scaffold were compared. The in vitro cytotoxicity of and proliferation of human tenocytes with the GO/alginate scaffold were evaluated by CCK-8 assay. For the in vivo experiment, 20 male rats were randomly divided into two groups ( n = 10 each), and supraspinatus repair was performed: group 1 underwent supraspinatus repair alone, and group 2 underwent supraspinatus repair with the GO/alginate scaffold. Biomechanical and histological analyses were performed to evaluate the quality of tendon-to-bone healing 8 weeks after rotator cuff repair. Results The GO/alginate scaffold exhibited an increased maximum load ( p = .001) and tensile strength ( p = .001). In the cytotoxicity test, the cell survival rate with the GO/alginate scaffold was 102.08%. The proliferation rate of human tenocytes was no significant difference between the GO/alginate and alginate groups for 1, 3, 5, and 7 days. Biomechanically, group 2 exhibited a significantly greater ultimate failure load ( p < .001), ultimate stress ( p < .001), and stiffness ( p < .001) than group 1. The histological analysis revealed that the tendon-to-bone interface in group 2 showed more collagen fibers bridging, tendon-to-bone integration, longitudinally oriented collagen fibers, and fibrocartilage formation than in group 1. Conclusion A small amount of GO added to alginate improved the mechanical properties of the scaffold without evidence of cytotoxicity. At 8 weeks after rotator cuff repair, the GO/alginate scaffold improved tendon-to-bone healing without causing any signs of toxicity in a rat model.

Stony corals often harbor intracellular photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae that receive dissolved inorganic nutrients. However, Dendrophyllia cribrosa is a nonsymbiotic stony coral distributed in the western Pacific. We assembled a chromosome-level D. cribrosa genome using PacBio and Hi-C technologies. The final assembly was 625 Mb, distributed on 14 chromosomes, and contained 30,493 protein-coding genes. The Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs analysis revealed a percentage of 96.8 of the metazoan genome. A comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed that D. cribrosa, which lacks symbionts, evolved to acquire cellular energy by expanding genes related to acyl-CoA metabolism and carbohydrate transporters. This species also has expanded immune-related genes involved in the receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathway. In addition, we observed a specific expansion of calcification genes, such as coral acid-rich proteins and carbonic anhydrase, in D. cribrosa. This high-quality reference genome and comparative analysis provides insights into the ecology and evolution of nonsymbiotic stony corals.

The taste of kimchi is greatly affected by the salt type used during fermentation. Here, we investigated the effects of salts with different mineral contents on the microbial community and metabolite profiles of fermented kimchi using multivariate statistical analysis. We evaluated different types of salt used to prepare kimchi, namely, solar salt aged for 1 year, solar salt aged for 3 years, dehydrated solar salt, and purified salt. The main microorganisms detected in kimchi were

Objective To analyze the incidence patterns of nervous system diseases in survivors of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning using nationwide claims data from South Korea. Methods A national cohort was abstracted from a database that includes patients diagnosed with CO poisoning between January 2012 and December 2018. For all nervous system diseases, we investigated the frequency, pattern of incidence, effect of intensive care unit admission, and the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) to estimate the risk of nervous system disease after CO poisoning. Results Of 26,778 patients, 18,720 (69.9%) were diagnosed with nervous system diseases after CO poisoning. The most common disease was disorders of sleep initiation and maintenance (n=701, 3.74%), followed by tension-type headache (n=477, 2.55%) and anoxic brain injury (n=406, 2.17%). Over half of the nervous system diseases occurred within the first year after CO poisoning. The cumulative hazard ratio for nervous system diseases in patients admitted to the intensive care unit was 2.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.07-2.44). Among the frequent nervous system diseases after CO poisoning, patients had a higher risk of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (SIR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.52-1.71), tension-type headache (SIR, 2.41; 95% CI, 2.23-2.61), anoxic brain injury (SIR, 58.76; 95% CI, 53.95-63.88), and post-zoster neuralgia (SIR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.70-2.20). Conclusion Patients who experience CO poisoning are at higher risk for several nervous system diseases. Therefore, monitoring for specific nervous system diseases is important after CO poisoning within the first year.

In this study, we investigated the effects of cooling rate during storage on spring kimchi cabbage from an economic perspective. For long-term storage, kimchi cabbage (KC) should be maintained at a low temperature immediately after harvest; however, a sudden change in temperature during storage may lead to chilling injury in KC. The optimal cooling rate is important for the long-term storage of KC. To identify the optimal cooling rate, KC was cooled at different cooling rates (1oC, 2oC, 4oC, 6oC, 8oC, and 24 oC/day), and then stored at 1oC for 90 days. Thereafter, weight, trimming, total loss, pH, free sugar content, and total bacterial count changes were measured. Spring KC stored at the cooling rate of 6 oC/day presented a lower total loss and better sensory properties than KC stored at other cooling rates; thus, 6 oC/day is an appropriate cooling rate for long-term storage of KC.

In this study, a high-performance bio-organic memristor with a crossbar array structure using milk as a resistive switching layer (RSL) is proposed. To ensure compatibility with the complementary metal oxide semiconductor process of milk RSL, a high

Biomarkers are needed to predict prognosis and disease activity in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The complement system is a key player in the pathogenesis of GBS. This study aimed to assess the potential utility of serum complement proteins as novel biomarkers in GBS.We reviewed the medical records of 76 GBS patients with C3 and C4 measurements during hospitalization between 2010 and 2021. Clinical outcomes were correlated with baseline serum C3, C4, and seven additional predictors: four existing biomarkers (GM1, albumin, immunoglobulin G, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio) and three clinical factors from the modified Erasmus GBS outcome score model. Five complement activation products (C3a, C4a, C5a, soluble C5b-9, factor Bb) were measured in 35 patients and were compared with C3 and C4 levels. Longitudinal changes in C3 and C4 levels were compared with the disease course in 12 patients.Higher C3, but not C4, was associated with poorer outcomes: lower Medical Research Council sum scores (MRCSS), higher GBS disability score (GBSDS), longer hospitalization, and more frequent treatment-related fluctuations. Age, MRCSS at admission, and baseline serum C3 were significant independent indicators of 1- and 3-month GBSDS. We found that C3 was positively correlated with C3a (r = 0.32) and C5a (r = 0.37), which indicates an activated complement cascade with high C3. Longitudinal change of C3 coincided with clinical severity of the disease course.This study highlights the use of serum C3 as a novel mechanistic biomarker in GBS. Larger prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

Mine waste from abandoned mines poses a risk to soil ecosystems due to the dispersion of arsenic (As) in the mine waste to the nearby soil environment. Because the bioavailability of As varies depending on the As chemical fraction and exposure conditions, chemical assessment of As fractions in soil around mine waste is essential to understand their impact on soil ecosystem. Here, six sites around the mine waste were selected for investigating toxic effects of As-contaminant soil on Collembola community. To measure the As chemical fraction in soil and bioavailability, Wenzel sequential extraction employed. Meanwhile, the collembolans that live in each sampling site were identified at the species level, and the characteristics and composition of the collembola community were investigated. The mobility fraction (F1 + F2 + F3; MF) was related to the risk to the collembolan community, and the adverse impact of high MF appeared to lead to a decrease in abundance, richness, and Shannon index. According to non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, F1, F2, F3, and pH were shown as the significant factor explaining the NMDS space. Especially, the sampling site with the highest concentration of F3 showed statistically different species composition from the other sites. In the case of As-contaminated soil around the old mine waste, the toxic effects of the remaining F3 in soil, as well as that of F1 and F2, should be fully considered. This study suggested that collembolan community could be used for understanding the impact of bioavailable As fraction in the old abandoned mine area.