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This paper proposes a supervised learning with a class-balancing loss function (SL-CBL) approach for fault detection and feature-similarity-based recipe optimization (FSRO) for a plastic injection molding process. SL-CBL is a novel method that can accurately classify an input sample as a normal or fault condition, even when the training data are severely class-imbalanced. The proposed class-balancing loss function consists of the weighted focal loss and the loss of the F1 score; together, these are used to correctly classify even a small number of faulty samples. SL-CBL is investigated with four classifiers of different structures; the classifiers consist of several fully connected and batch normalization layers. FSRO is an optimization scheme that finds the optimal recipe whose feature is similar to the features of normal samples. The optimal solution is obtained by minimizing the Euclidean distance to the centroid of the normal features. In this research, the proposed SL-CBL and FSRO methods are validated by applying them to an industrial plastic injection molding dataset. The validation results show that the proposed SL-CBL approach achieves the highest F1 score with the lowest misclassification rate, as compared to the alternative methods. When visualizing the feature space, the optimal recipe found by the FSRO scheme was found to be close to the centroid of the normal features, even if the initial recipe is classified as a fault. Furthermore, each variable of the optimized recipe lies within the confidence interval of 3${\rm{\sigma }}$ for the normal condition. This indicates that the optimal recipe is statistically similar to the normal samples.

The COVID-19 pandemic has a substantial impact on the physical and mental health status of patients with COVID-19. This study's objective was to evaluate the factors associated with mental health in patients isolated with COVID-19.It is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. One hundred and two patients discharged from COVID-19 hospitalization in Korea were analyzed. The primary outcome was the correlation between psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and fear of stigma and physical symptoms such as respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, and fever. Mental and physical symptoms were ascertained using closed and multiple-choice questions. The secondary outcome was the correlation between mental issues, demographic factors, and disease severity. Hypoxia and the need for oxygen therapy, a need for remdesivir antiviral treatment, and indications of pneumonia progression on chest x-ray were confirmed through a review of medical records and used to measure disease severity.Patients with COVID-19 indicated feelings of depression (48.1%), anxiety (49.1%), and fear of stigma (60.45%), and some continued to experience physical symptoms even after discharge. Logistic regression revealed that gastrointestinal symptoms positively correlated with depression (p lt; .05) and headache positively correlated with fear of stigma (p lt; .05), while the other factors were not statistically significant (p gt; .05).This study showed that psychological symptoms persisted even after discharge. Gastrointestinal symptoms and headache were influential factors in predicting depression and fear of stigma. Based on this, dedicated COVID-19 hospitals should provide mental health support and preventive management.

Background/Aims: Drugs with anticholinergic properties (DAPs) are associated with adverse health outcomes in older patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the factors that determine the prescribing of more DAPs in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) in Korea. In addition, the current patterns of DAP prescription were explored using a novel platform, which can collect data from LTCHs.Methods: This was a Health-RESPECT (integrated caRE Systems for elderly PatiEnts using iCT) sub-study, which is a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, controlled trial. The Health-RESPECT platform was used to collect prescribed medication data of 466 patients (aged ≥ 65 years) from seven LTCHs. DAPs were identified using the Korean Anticholinergic Burden Scale (KABS). Physical frailty, cognitive function, functional status, and quality of life were evaluated.Results: Among 466 LTCH patients, 88.8% (n = 414) were prescribed DAPs, and the prevalence of high KABS (≥ 3) was 70.4% (n = 328). The drugs that contributed most to the total KABS were quetiapine (20.7%), chlorpheniramine (19.5%), tramadol (9.8%), cimetidine (5.8%), and furosemide (3.6%). Polypharmacy, higher body mass index, less dependence, better communication and cognitive functions, and poorer quality of life were associated with high KABS.Conclusions: Although the patients with a high burden of DAPs were less dependent and had better cognitive and communication functions, they had poorer quality of life. DAP use in LTCH patients should be monitored carefully, and the risk/ benefit relationship for their use should be considered.

In this research, a camber changing mechanism feasible for use in a flapping hydrofoil tidal stream turbine is suggested to generate high lift force and subsequently a large flapping angle as a dynamic response. The hydrodynamic characteristics of rigid and variable-camber hydrofoils, which mainly affect the response, were numerically obtained using XFOIL. The flapping responses of the hydrofoils were estimated by a validated nonlinear dynamic model with the hydrodynamic characteristics. The estimated responses of a variable-camber hydrofoil were compared with the measured responses of the rigid hydrofoil from a previous study as well as the estimated responses of a rigid hydrofoil. It was shown from these comparisons that the variable-camber hydrofoil produced a much higher flapping angle amplitude with the same pitch angle relative to that of the rigid wing due to the cambered shape of the former. Moreover, the variable-camber hydrofoil could generate considerable flapping responses compared to experimental data, even when a relative small input pitch angle was applied in the estimation.

Graphene has immense potential as a material for electronic devices owing to its unique electrical properties. However, large-area graphene produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) must be transferred from the as-grown copper substrate to an arbitrary substrate for device fabrication. The conventional wet transfer technique, which uses FeCl3 as a Cu etchant, leaves microscale impurities from the substrate, and the etchant adheres to graphene, thereby degrading its electrical performance. To address this limitation, this study introduces a modified transfer process that utilizes a temporary UV-treated SiO2 substrate to adsorb impurities from graphene before transferring it onto the final substrate. Optical microscopy and Raman mapping confirmed the adhesion of impurities to the temporary substrate, leading to a clean graphene/substrate interface. The retransferred graphene shows a reduction in electron–hole asymmetry and sheet resistance compared to conventionally transferred graphene, as confirmed by the transmission line model (TLM) and Hall effect measurements (HEMs). These results indicate that only the substrate effects remain in action in the retransferred graphene, and most of the effects of the impurities are eliminated. Overall, the modified transfer process is a promising method for obtaining high-quality graphene suitable for industrial-scale utilization in electronic devices.

Objective To improve the mental health of isolated patients with COVID-19 by face-to-face psychological rehabilitation program. Design Randomized controlled study. Setting Single community-based hospital. Participants 109 patients (52 in experimental group, 57 in control group) with COVID-19 were recruited from May 27 to September 17, 2021. Interventions A psychological rehabilitation program that consists of education, craft, and physical activity. The activity program was provided by a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team of doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. The purpose of the education was to provide accurate information about COVID-19, and craft and physical activity were for improving physical health, occupational balance, participation in activities, and reducing boredom. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was degree of anxiety assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Secondary outcomes were severity of depression, and quality of sleep assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Visual Analysis Scale (VAS), and the Korean version of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI-K). Results Isolated patients complained of anxiety, depression, and insomnia the most in the early stages of hospitalization and isolation. In addition, the psychological rehabilitation program significantly improved mental health scale, including scores of SAS (F = 12.46, p = .001), SDS (F = 6.76, p = .01), and ISI-K (F = 4.41, p = .04). Conclusions The psychological rehabilitation program is effective for improving anxiety, depression, and quality of sleep for isolated patients with COVID-19.

본 연구의 목적은 청소년의 스마트폰 의존도가 삶의 만족도에 미치는 영향과 이들 사이에서 공격성의 매개효과를 알아보고자 하였다. 이를 위해 한국청소년정책연구원(National Youth Policy Institute, NYPI)에서 수행한 한국아동ㆍ청소년패널조사 2018(Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018, KCYPS 2018) 자료를 활용하여, 중학교 1학년 2,590명의 패널 데이터를 사용하였다. 자료분석은 IBM SPSS Statistics 25 통계 프로그램을 사용하여 빈도분석, 신뢰도측정, 상관관계분석, T-test 및 회귀분석을 실시하였다. 분석결과, 스마트폰 의존도는 공격성에 정적으로, 삶의 만족도에 부적으로 유의미한 영향을 미치는 것을 알 수 있었다. 청소년의 스마트폰 의존도와 삶의 만족도 관계에서 공격성은 부분매개 효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 청소년의 공격성은 삶의 만족도에 대한 직접적인 영향뿐만 아니라 스마트폰 의존도를 통한 간접적인 영향도 가지고 있음을 규명하였다. 이러한 결과를 토대로 결론 및 논의에서 실천적ㆍ정책적 방안을 제시하였다.

Background In this study, we sought to evaluate whether systemic propentofylline (PPF) has antiallodynic effects in a rat model of postoperative pain, and to assess the mechanism involved. Methods After plantar incision, rats were intraperitoneally injected with various doses of PPF to evaluate its antiallodynic effect. To investigate the involved mechanism, rats were intraperitoneally injected with yohimbine, dexmedetomidine, prazosin, naloxone, atropine or mecamylamine, following the incision of the rat hind paws, and then PPF was administered intraperitoneally. The mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) was evaluated using von Frey filaments at various time points and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were measured to determine the inflammatory response level. Results MWT was significantly increased after intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg of PPF when compared with the control group. Injection of PPF and yohimbine, atropine or mecamylamine showed significant decreases in the MWT, while injection of PPF and dexmedetomidine showed a significant increase. Systemic administration of PPF inhibited the post-incisional increase in serum level of TNF-α and IL-1β. Conclusions Systemic administration of PPF following surgery presented antiallodynic effects in a rat model of postoperative pain. The antiallodynic effects against mechanical allodynia could be mediated by α-adrenergic and cholinergic receptors.

Background Korea, as one of the fastest-aging countries worldwide, requires an improved healthcare service model for older adults. We evaluated the current healthcare system and developed a service model based on information and communication technologies (ICT) for use in older patients in long-term care facilities (LTCF). Methods We conducted a qualitative literature review, focus group interviews (FGIs), and structured survey to identify the current technology use and status of healthcare systems. We then developed a web-based platform with necessary, high-priority, and usable content for the care of older patients in LTCF. Results We reviewed 60 (23 hypertension, 18 diabetes, and 19 heart failure) articles on information and communication technologies (ICT)-based disease management for clinical effectiveness and improved patient satisfaction. FGIs and structured surveys were used to evaluate the inconvenience in patient and medical information transfer between hospitals and cost and time required for its process. Accordingly, we confirmed the unmet need for an ICT-based service model for management, monitoring, and consultation among older patients and developed the Health-RESPECT (integrated caRE Systems for elderly PatiEnts using iCT), a service platform for older patients residing in LTCF. The medical information exchange system was used to transfer medical information. Health-RESPECT includes an established algorithm for evidence-based comprehensive geriatric assessment and customized management; chronic disease management; management of potentially inappropriate medications; rehabilitation; and consultation and videoconferencing. Conclusion This study identified the current status and unmet needs of healthcare systems for older adults. We developed an ICT-based system to manage older institutionalized patients. However, the Health-RESPECT service model requires further validation.

In this study, the visualization of the flow inside a Taylor cone formed during an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) spraying is conducted to analyze its stability among five liquid candidates. A micro-PIV with a micro-nozzle is used for the visualization, and the physical properties as well as measured values are utilized in the analysis. First, in forming the Taylor cone, the electrohydrodynamic force is required to be sufficiently large in order to overcome the surface tension of the liquid. Thus, among the five liquids tested here, three, in this case IPA, EtOH, and MeOH, form a Taylor cone due to the relatively low surface tension levels as compared to the others. Once electrohydrodynamic jetting occurs, the average and maximum velocities become monotonically proportional to the average current. As the velocities are the smallest in using IPA, the circulation flow becomes superior to the extrusive flow, which yields the stable formation of a Taylor cone. Also, low fluctuation of the instantaneous currents supports the stable formation of IPA. Consequently, IPA shows the most stable formation of the Taylor cone in our condition due to the lowest average current and low-level surface tension. Eventually, micro-PIV would be a good tool in choosing an optimal fluid for stable EHD spraying.

On-demand NW light sources in a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) have faced several practical challenges. Here, we report on an all-graphene-contact, electrically pumped, on-demand transferrable NW source that is fabricated by implementing an all-graphene-contact approach in combination with a highly accurate microtransfer printing technique. A vertically p-i-n-doped top-down-fabricated semiconductor NW with optical gain structures is electrically pumped through the patterned multilayered graphene contacts. Electroluminescence (EL) spectroscopy results reveal that the electrically driven NW device exhibits strong EL emission between the contacts and displays waveguiding properties. Further, a single NW device is precisely integrated into an existing photonic waveguide to perform light coupling and waveguiding experiments. Three-dimensional numerical simulation results show a good agreement with experimental observations. We believe that our all-graphene-contact approach is readily applicable to various micro/nanostructures and devices, which facilitates stable electrical operation and thus extends their practical applicability in compact integrated circuits.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the blood–brain barrier dysfunction has been suggested as a key pathological feature of the disease. Our research group successfully established a synthetic protocol for oleracones, a novel series of flavonoids isolated from the plant extract of Portulaca oleracea L. (PO). PO extract was reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, enhancing cognitive function. Thus, we investigated the effects and mechanism of oleracones on cognition using AD model transgenic mice (Tg; APPswe/PSEN1dE9). Oleracone F treatment significantly improved memory dysfunction in Tg mice. Oleracone F decreased the number, burden, and immunoreactivity of amyloid plaques and amyloid precursor protein (APP) protein levels in the brains of Tg mice compared to wild-type mice. Oleracone F also alleviated inflammation observed in Tg mice brains. In vitro studies in human microvascular endothelial cells (HBMVECs) demonstrated that oleracones D, E, and F blocked the elevations in VCAM-1 protein induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), hindering leukocyte adhesion to HBMVECs. Taken together, our results suggest that oleracones ameliorated cognitive impairment by blocking TNF-α-induced increases in VCAM-1, thereby reducing leukocyte infiltration to the brain and modulating brain inflammation.

Rubusoside, which is used as a natural sweetener or a solubilizing agent for water-insoluble functional materials, is currently expensive to produce owing to the high cost of the membrane-based technologies needed for its extraction and purification from the sweet tea plant (Rubus suavissimus S. Lee). Therefore, this study was carried out to screen for lactic acid bacteria that possess enzymes capable of bio-transforming stevioside into rubusoside. Subsequently, one such rubusoside-producing enzyme was isolated from Lactobacillus plantarum GS100. Located on the bacterial cell surface, this enzyme was stable at pH 4.5–6.5 and 30–40 °C, and it produced rubusoside as a major product through its stevioside-hydrolyzing activity. Importantly, the enzyme showed higher β-glucosidase activity toward the β-linked glucosidic bond of stevioside than toward other β-linked glucobioses. Under optimal conditions, 70 U/L of the rubusoside-producing enzyme could produce 69.03 mM rubusoside from 190 mM stevioside. The β-glucosidase activity on the cell surface was high at 35 h of culture. This is the first report detailing the production of rubusoside from stevioside by an enzyme derived from a food-grade lactic acid bacterium. The application of this β-glucosidase could greatly reduce the cost of rubusoside production, hence benefiting all industries that use this natural product.

Rebaudioside A was modified via glucosylation by recombinant dextransucrase of Leuconostoc lactis EG001 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), forming single O-α-D-glucosyl-(1″→6') rebaudioside A with yield of 86%. O-α-D-glucosyl-(1″→6') rebaudioside A was purified using HPLC and Diaion HP-20 and its properties were characterized for possible use as a food ingredient. Almost 98% of O-α-D-glucosyl-(1″→6') rebaudioside A was dissolved after 15 days of storage at room temperature, compared to only 11% for rebaudioside A. Compared to rebaudioside A, O-α-D-glucosyl-(1″→6') rebaudioside A showed similar or improved acidic or thermal stability in commercial drinks. Thus, O-α-D-glucosyl-(1″→6') rebaudioside A could be used as a highly pure and improved sweetener with high stability in commercial drinks. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The proposed method can be used to generate glucosyl rebaudioside A by enzymatic glucosylation. Simple glucosyl rebaudioside A exhibited high acid/thermal stability and improved sweetener in commercialized drinks. This method can be applied to obtain high value-added bioactive compounds by enzymatic modification.

Objective: To investigate the neurological and functional recovery patterns of ischemic spinal cord injury (ISCI) compared with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in the acute to chronic phase. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Settings: Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Rehabilitation Medicine at a tertiary hospital. Participants: Fifty-four patients with ISCI and 86 patients with TSCI. Interventions: Not applicable. Outcome measures: MRI findings, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Korean Spinal Cord Independence Measure (KSCIM), ambulatory status, and bladder status were reviewed. The functional outcomes were measured at admission, discharge, and >6 months after discharge. Results: AIS classification did not significantly change after 6 months in both ISCI and TSCI groups. Between admission and discharge, the proportion of patients needing a wheelchair or assistive device to ambulate decreased more in the ISCI group compared with the TSCI group [odds ratio (OR) 0.40, P = 0.04]. In addition, the proportion of catheterized voiding in the ISCI group was significantly higher than in the TSCI group at all time points (OR 5.12, P 6 months post discharge. Conclusion: The ISCI group showed better recovery of mobility during inpatient rehabilitation period and worse recovery of bladder function as demonstrated by higher number of patients requiring bladder catheterization at all time points when compared with the TSCI group.

The aims of the study were to identify the differences of forces in the hip adductors between with or without the abduction bar and to evaluate the effect of hip compression bandage on the spasticity of the adductor muscles.Thirty-three patients with cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Functional Classification System IV and V) were prospectively included. Surface electromyography was taken by attaching electromyography on the adductor and abductor muscles. Theraband was used as hip compression bandage. Surface electromyography were taken when spasticity provoked with and without abduction bar, as well as with both abduction bar and hip compression bandage. Root mean square values were measured.Root mean square values were significantly increased with abduction bar in the adductor longus, adductor magnus, and tensor fascia lata muscles. Adductor Sum and Net Adduction Index showed significant increases after the use of abduction bar. After applying hip compression bandage, the Net Adduction Index was significantly decreased.Our results showed significant changes in the adductor muscles' amplitude, Adduction Sum, and Net Adduction Index. These results indicate that forces that worsen hip dislocation may develop, and therefore, abduction bar should either not be used for spastic cerebral palsy patients or should only be used with hip compression wrapping in place as well.

This work focuses on the hydrodynamic performance analyses of three different types of flapping hydrofoils, in this case the pitch-heave (PH), left-swing (LS), and right-swing (RS) types, in their power extraction regimes via two dimensional CFD simulations. The power extraction performance is presented in an isocontour parametric map and is investigated from a comparison of the kinematics parameters and the development of unsteady vortices among the three types. It is found from the parametric analysis and comparison that the LS-type of flapping hydrofoil outperforms the PH and RS-types due to relatively high forces as well as the good synchronization of the forces and moment with the translational velocity and pitch angular rate, respectively upon the different aspects of the vortex development. Consequently, the power extraction performance improves from the LS to the PH and then to the RS-types. It is also recognized from another isocontour parametric map that the maximum power-extraction efficiency is achieved at a similar maximum effective angle of attack, at the maximum effective angle of attack rate, and at the maximum pitch angle rate for the LS and RS types, while the range of the maximum effective angle of attack rate is lower in the PH-type hydrofoil.

Objective To evaluate whether medial knee support (MKS) in seating systems aggravates hip displacement in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Rehabilitation department of tertiary university hospital. Participants Children with CP (N=76) using seating systems (intervention group, n=42; mean age 6.86y) and using regular wheelchairs (control group, n=34; mean age 8.15y). Interventions The intervention group was provided with a seating system with MKS. We enrolled children who did not use a seating system in the control group, retrospectively. Main Outcome Measures By radiographic images, Reimer’s migration index (MI), lateral center edge angle (CEA), and femur neck shaft angle (NSA) were measured. We compared the demographic data, clinical variables, and radiographs between the 2 groups. Results In the intervention group, there was a significant deterioration in the MI, from 26.89% to 44.18% after using the system (P Conclusion We should consider the possibility that seating systems with MKS may exacerbate hip displacement in children with CP.

Recently, substantial research has explored the development of deep-learning-based methods to diagnose faults in rotating machinery. For these diagnosis methods, it is difficult to obtain high target diagnosis accuracy when the amount of labeled data obtained pertaining to the rotating machinery under study is insufficient or in cases involving a discrepancy in the distribution types found in the training and test data sets. To deal with this research need, the paper outlines a new method, a domain adaptation with semantic clustering (DASC), capable of diagnosing faults in rotating machinery. The method outlined in this research learns both domain-invariant and discriminative features. The method reduces the domain discrepancy by minimizing the domain-related loss. In addition, by defining an additional loss, which is called semantic clustering loss, and reducing it at multiple feature levels, the DASC method learns features that make samples better semantically clustered, according to their health conditions. Consequently, fault diagnosis performance for target rotating machinery can be enhanced through the use of the DASC approach. The effectiveness of the DASC approach is confirmed by examining various fault diagnosis situations with domain discrepancies across the source and target domains, using experimental data from three bearing systems. Also, various analyses are explored to better understand the advantages of the DASC method.

This study proposes an ensemble denoising auto-encoder-based dynamic threshold (EDAE-DT) to overcome the false alarm issue in anomaly detection. The proposed ensemble denoising auto-encoder can model the normal condition well through a denoising task and an ensemble technique. The dynamic threshold sets a time-varying threshold that considers the variation of normal data. Performance metrics for anomaly detection are newly proposed to quantitatively verify the performance. A new sensitivity is defined from the dynamic threshold to identify which signal is related to the change that arises due to an anomaly. The diagnostic performance of the proposed approach is compared using metrics for classification and a confusion matrix. Validation results, which examined thermal power plant datasets, show that the proposed modeling method outperforms both the auto-encoder and denoising auto-encoder approaches. Additionally, the proposed method can significantly reduce the false alarm rate, as compared to conventional methods, while detecting anomalies faster than experts. The anomaly-related signals are identified successfully through the newly defined sensitivity. Finally, the diagnositc results demonstrate that the proposed approach is more accurate than conventional methods.

Despite the recent success of deep-learning-based fault diagnosis of rotating machinery, to enable accurate and robust diagnosis models, existing approaches proceed with the assumption that training and test data follow the same distribution. However, in practical industrial settings, variations in operating conditions and environmental noise can cause changes in the characteristics of the training and test data, called domain shift, resulting in performance degradation of the test data. To deal with these issues, this paper proposes an asymmetric inter-intra domain alignments (AIIDA) approach for fault diagnosis under various levels of domain shift. First, inter-domain alignment is conducted by minimizing the maximum mean discrepancy loss and domain adversarial loss. Next, intra-domain alignment is performed by adjusting the inconsistency loss. This approach allows the proposed AIIDA method to learn features that have lower inter-domain distance and higher intra-domain distance; thus, the fault diagnosis performance in the target domain can be significantly improved. Extensive experimental assessment that examines various scenarios across three bearing datasets is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Furthermore, a study comparing the proposed method with other existing methods demonstrates that the proposed method outperforms other methods.

Cycloisomaltooligosaccharide glucanotransferase (CITase) was isolated from alkaliphilic Paenibacillus daejeonensis via an amino acid homology search for the reported CITase. The recombinant alkaliphilic CITase (PDCITase) from P. daejeonensis was expressed in an Escherichia coli expression system and purified as a single protein band of 111 kDa. PDCITase showed optimum activity at pH 8.0 and retained 100% of activity within a broad pH range (7.0-11.5) after 18 h, indicating alkaliphilic or alkalistable CITase properties. In addition, PDCITase produced CI-7 to CI-17, CI-18, and CI-19, which are relatively large cycloisomaltooligosaccharides yet to be reported. Therefore, these large cycloisomaltooligosaccharides can be applied to the improvement of water solubility of pharmaceutical biomaterials.

Contagious equine metritis is a highly transmissible venereal disease of horses caused by the bacterium, Taylorella equigenitalis. After the first identification of T. equigenitalis in Korea in 2015, targeted surveillance of Thoroughbreds was conducted using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Initially, the prevalence of T. equigenitalis in the Thoroughbred population tested was 13.5% (71/526). All positive animals were placed under quarantine and treated according to previously described protocols (Jeoung et al., J Equine Vet Sci, 2016; 47:42–6). After the initial outbreak identification, annual national surveillance for T. equigenitalis was conducted from 2015 to 2017, and by 2017, prevalence was reduced to 1.0% (22/2,171). Most positive cases were located in Jeju province, the major horse-rearing region in Korea. A total of 12 T. equigenitalis strains were isolated during the surveillance period, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and eBURST analysis were applied to determine epidemiological characteristics. All Korean strains showed a unique MLST allelic profile (1-2-1-2-2-2-1; gltA-gyrB-fh-shmt-tyrB-adk in order) and were classified as sequence type 55. In addition, they showed little relationship with T. equigenitalis strains isolated from other countries. Considering the unique biological and genetic characteristics of the Korean isolates, effective quarantine measures and continued surveillance will be required to eradicate the disease and prevent incursions of additional T. equigenitalis strains into Korea.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of etomidate vs propofol sedation for electrical cardioversion. Methods The authors searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, Koreamed, and KMBASE databases to identify all randomized controlled trials that compared etomidate and propofol sedation for cardioversion in adult patients. Induction and recovery time, success rate, number of shocks, and cumulative energy were evaluated. Adverse effects, including respiratory and cardiovascular complications, myoclonus, and nausea and vomiting, were also assessed. Results A total of nine studies, involving a total of 430 patients, were included. Induction and recovery time, success rate, number of shocks, and cumulative energy were similar. The incidences of hypotension and respiratory depression were significantly higher in the propofol group than in the etomidate group (risk ratio [RR] = 0.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.02-0.74, I2 = 0%; RR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.32-0.77, I2 = 47%, respectively). The incidences of myoclonus and nausea or vomiting were significantly higher in the etomidate group than in the propofol group (RR = 8.89, 95% CI = 4.59-17.23, I2 = 9%; RR = 5.13, 95% CI = 1.72-15.31, I2 = 31%, respectively). Conclusions Issues affecting efficacy, including induction and recovery time, success rate, number of shocks, and cumulative energy, were comparable between etomidate and propofol sedation. Regarding safety issues, propofol sedation resulted in hypotension and respiratory depression more frequently; however, initiation of positive pressure ventilation was comparable. Etomidate sedation caused myoclonus and nausea or vomiting more frequently.

Recently, an alginate hydrogel containing amphiphilic liposomes was suggested for application to an antifouling coating. In this study, we investigate the shaping characteristics of the alginate hydrogel by a spraying method for application to the coating. Sodium alginate droplets from the spraying nozzle are known to be differently shaped by several external forces during the encapsulation process when such a droplet impacts onto the surfaces of liquid containing calcium ions. We adopted a two-fluid spraying method for fast alginate droplets with a scalable size suitable for mass production. Various shapes, such as mushroom, petal, sphere, and thin-sheet alginate hydrogel shapes containing liposomes, were obtained via this experimental approach. Supported by a theoretical analysis, we determined regimes for the various shapes depending on the droplet size and the concentration of the sodium alginate solution. Alginate hydrogel of different shapes based on the regimes will be used for the coating throughout a different post-processing.

This paper suggests label-based, mini-batch methods for convolutional neural network (CNN) based diagnosis of fluid-film bearing rotor systems. Rather than using random mini-batches in the training process, mini-batches are generated based on the label information. Label information is a critical factor for robust diagnosis. Five different types of label-based mini-batches are proposed and their performance is compared to the conventional random mini-batch method. In addition, sensitivity analysis of kernels in convolutional neural networks is suggested as a method to analyze the performance variation. A case study of a fluid-film bearing rotor system is used to show the effect of the proposed methods. The case study results indicate a wide range of performance variation among the proposed mini-batch methods. Of the examined methods, the equally labeled mini-batch approach presents the best performance. Moreover, the results of the kernel sensitivity analysis show that the use of properly sensitive kernels does positively affect the overall performance of the CNN.

In this work, we report on the structural design of a 5-m-long composite blade intended for use in a horizontal-axis tidal turbine. The blade geometry is constructed through an optimization process to obtain the maximum power coefficient at the desired tip speed ratio of 4.5 by applying the blade element-momentum theory (BEMT). The blade is primarily designed using a NACA 63-424 hydrofoil. The blade structure is designed by using the BEMT to compute the loading conditions at various inflow velocities. Two parallel spars were chosen to produce the blade structure grid, and the preliminary lay-up structure of the composite blade was determined according to the thickness distribution identified using the twisted beam theory under the assumption that the two spars plus the upper and lower skins mostly contribute to the flap-wise bending stiffness while withstanding an external load. Then, high-strength unidirectional and double-bias fiber glass/epoxy materials were chosen to fabricate the blade. The final blade structure was then analyzed in ANSYS Workbench using the finite element method. The results show that the blade structure can withstand the applied load with failure indices

Caffeic acid was modified via transglucosylation using sucrose and dextransucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512FMCM. Following enzymatic modification, a caffeic acid glucoside was isolated by butanol separation, silica gel chromatography, and preparative HPLC. The synthesized caffeic acid glucoside had a molecular mass-to-charge ratio of 365 m/z, and its structure was identified as caffeic acid-3-O-α-d-glucopyranoside. The production of this caffeic acid-3-O-α-d-glucopyranoside at a concentration of 153 mM was optimized using 325 mM caffeic acid, 355 mM sucrose, and 650 mU mL–1 dextransucrase in the synthesis reaction. In comparison with the caffeic acid, the caffeic acid-3-O-α-d-glucopyranoside displayed 3-fold higher water solubility, 1.66-fold higher antilipid peroxidation effect, 15% stronger inhibition of colon cancer cell growth, and 11.5-fold higher browning resistance. These results indicate that this caffeic acid-3-O-α-d-glucopyranoside may be a suitable functional component of food and ph...