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Background: The lack of headforms that accurately reflect the head characteristics of Koreans and the demographic composition of the Korean population can lead to inadequate FFR testing and reduced effectiveness of FFRs. Method: Direct measurements of 5,110 individuals and 3D measurements of 2,044 individuals, aged between 9 and 69 years, were sampled from the data pool of Size Korea surveys based on the age and gender ratios of the Korean resident demographics. Seven head dimensions were selected based on the ISO 16976-2, availability of Size Korea measurements, and their relevance to the fit performance of FFRs. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using the direct measurements to extract the main factors explaining the head characteristics and then the main factors were standardized and remapped to 3D measurements, creating five size categories representing Korean head shapes. Lastly, representative 3D headforms were constructed by averaging five head shapes for each size category. Results: The study identified two main factors explaining Korean head characteristics by the PCA procedure specified in ISO 16976-2 and developed five representative headforms reflecting the anthropometric features of Korean heads: medium, small, large, short & wide, and long & narrow. Conclusion: This study developed representative headforms tailored to the Korean population for conducting total inward leakage (TIL) tests on filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). The representative headforms can be used for TIL testing by employing robotic headforms to enhance the performance of FFRs for the Korean target population.

Purpose: Friction underwear was developed by adding small silicon dots in front of the underwear to decrease the time for pulling down underwear in elderly patients with urge incontinence. We studied about the effects of the friction underwear for elderly overactive bladder (OAB) patients. Materials and Methods: Male patients over 60 years of age diagnosed with OAB were prospectively enrolled and randomized to either the friction underwear first group (measuring for the time taken to pull down the friction underwear first and the non-friction underwear second) or the friction underwear later group (non-friction underwear first and the friction underwear second). An investigator measured the time to pulling down the underwear. And we measured the coefficient of friction of underwear. Results: A total of 56 male patients were randomly divided into two groups using a random number table envelope method. There were no significant differences in demographics and clinical characteristics between the two groups. Of the total 56 patients, the time taken to pull down underwear for the friction underwear (3.79±0.15 seconds) was found significantly shorter than that for the non-friction underwear (4.10±0.17 seconds) (p=0.03). The static and dynamic coefficients of friction of the friction were 4.21 and 2.88, respectively, while those of the non-friction underwear were 0.64 and 0.45, respectively. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that friction underwear significantly shortened the time to pull down underwear. This functional underwear may be effective in preventing the underwear from getting wet in patients who suffer from urge incontinence.

This study presents a systematic investigation of miscibility, rheological, and physical/optical properties of polycarbonate (PC)/poly (methyl methacrylate-co-phenyl methacrylate) (PMMA-co-PPhMA) blends with varying copolymer composition and blend weight percentage (wt%). Herein, single glass transition behavior from miscible blends was confirmed through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), while further analysis revealed differences in blend homogeneity. X-ray scattering and rheometer measurements complemented this different phase homogeneity in the blends. PMMA-co-PPhMA with 14 mol% of PhMA (denoted as PMPA-2) demonstrated the most favorable miscibility and phase homogeneity among the prepared blends. Enhanced scratch resistance was achieved by increasing the wt% of PMMA-co-PPhMA, but phase inhomogeneity resulted in decreased optical transparency. The blend between PC and PMPA-2 exhibited optimal rheological, mechanical, and optical properties. This study provides insights into the PC-based blend materials for applications in various industrial fields.

Primary infection of a plant with a pathogen that causes high accumulation of salicylic acid in the plant typically via a hypersensitive response confers enhanced resistance against secondary infection with a broad spectrum of pathogens, including viruses. This phenomenon is called systemic acquired resistance (SAR), which is a plant priming for adaption to repeated biotic stress. However, the molecular mechanisms of SAR-mediated enhanced inhibition, especially of virus infection, remain unclear. Here, we show that SAR against cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum) involves a calmodulin-like protein, rgs-CaM. We previously reported the antiviral function of rgs-CaM, which binds to and directs degradation of viral RNA silencing suppressors (RSSs), including CMV 2b, via autophagy. We found that rgs-CaM-mediated immunity is ineffective against CMV infection in normally growing tobacco plants but is activated as a result of SAR induction via salicylic acid signaling. We then analyzed the effect of overexpression of rgs- CaM on salicylic acid signaling. Overexpressed and ectopically expressed rgs-CaM induced defense reactions, including cell death, generation of reactive oxygen species, and salicylic acid signaling. Further analysis using a combination of the salicylic acid analogue benzo-(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) and the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 revealed that rgs-CaM functions as an immune receptor that induces salicylic acid signaling by simultaneously perceiving both viral RSS and Ca2+ influx as infection cues, implying its autoactivation. Thus, secondary infection of SAR-induced tobacco plants with CMV seems to be effectively inhibited through 2b recognition and degradation by rgs-CaM, leading to reinforcement of antiviral RNA silencing and other salicylic acid-mediated antiviral responses. IMPORTANCE Even without an acquired immune system like that in vertebrates, plants show enhanced whole-plant resistance against secondary infection with pathogens; this so-called systemic acquired resistance (SAR) has been known for more than half a century and continues to be extensively studied. SAR-induced plants strongly and rapidly express a number of antibiotics and pathogenesis-related proteins targeted against secondary infection, which can account for enhanced resistance against bacterial and fungal pathogens but are not thought to control viral infection. This study showed that enhanced resistance against cucumber mosaic virus is caused by a tobacco calmodulin-like protein, rgs-CaM, which detects and counteracts the major viral virulence factor (RNA silencing suppressor) after SAR induction. rgs-CaM-mediated SAR illustrates the growth versus defense trade-off in plants, as it targets the major virulence factor only under specific biotic stress conditions, thus avoiding the cost of constitutive activation while reducing the damage from virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of diaper dermatitis (DD), knowledge of DD prevention and treatment, and diaper hygiene practices among mothers with diaper-wearing children. Methods: The participants were 176 mothers who presented to an outpatient clinic at a children’s hospital with diaper-wearing children. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Results: The percent of correct answer for knowledge about DD was 59.7%. Almost half of the participants’ children had experienced at least 1 episode of DD during the last 6 months. Inappropriate diaper hygiene practices, such as using talcum powder on DD and rubbing with a dry towel after cleansing, were reported. Moreover, only 37% of mothers used the recommended skin barrier to prevent DD. Although many children suffer from DD, levels of educational experience and perceived need for education on this topic were low. Almost 70% of mothers obtained DD-related information through internet sites. Conclusion: Educating parents about the etiology of DD and evidence-based diaper hygiene practices is an important aspect of effective DD prevention and treatment. Internet sites or smartphone apps may be effective methods for education on DD prevention and treatment considering parents’ preferences for ways to obtain health information.

Objective: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is an assisted reproductive technique for couples carrying genetic risks. Charcot-Marie- Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common hereditary neuropathy, with a prevalence rate of 1/2,500. In this study, we report on our experience with PGD cycles performed for CMT types 1A and 2F. Methods: Before clinical PGD, we assessed the amplification rate and allele drop-out (ADO) rate of multiplex fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by fragment analysis or sequencing using single lymphocytes. We performed six cycles of PGD for CMT1A and one cycle for CMT2F. Results: Two duplex and two triplex protocols were developed according to the available markers for each CMT1A couple. Depending on the PCR protocols, the amplification rates and ADO rates ranged from 90.0% to 98.3% and 0.0% to 11.1%, respectively. For CMT2F, the amplification rates and ADO rates were 93.3% and 4.8%, respectively. In case of CMT1A, 60 out of 63 embryos (95.2%) were diagnosed and 13 out of 21 unaffected embryos were transferred in five cycles. Two pregnancies were achieved and three babies were delivered without any complications. In the case of CMT2F, a total of eight embryos were analyzed and diagnosed. Seven embryos were diagnosed as unaffected and four embryos were transferred, resulting in a twin pregnancy. Two healthy babies were delivered. Conclusion: This is the first report of successful pregnancy and delivery after specific PGD for CMT disease in Korea. Our PGD procedure could provide healthy babies to couples with a high risk of transmitting genetic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) karyotypes of the non-genetically modified (GM) parental rice line, 'Nakdong' (Oryza sativa L. japonica), and its four GM rice lines, LS28 (event LS30-32-20-1), Cry1Ac1 (event C7-1-9-1), and LS28 × Cry1Ac1 (events L/C1-1-3-1 and L/C1-3-1-1) were analyzed using 5S and 45S rDNAs as probes. Both parental and transgenic lines were diploids (2n=24) with one satellite chromosome pair. The lengths of the prometaphase chromosomes ranged from 1.50 to 6.30 μm. Four submetacentric and eight metacentric pairs comprised the karyotype of 'Nakdong' and its four GM lines. One pair of 5S rDNA signals was detected near the centromeric region of chromosome g in both the parental and transgenic lines. The 45S rDNA signals were detected on the secondary constrictions of the satellite chromosome pair in both the parental and transgenic lines. There was no significant difference in chromosome size, length, and composition between 'Nakdong' and its four GM lines. This research was conducted as a preliminary study for chromosomal detection of transgenes in GM rice lines and would be useful for their breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peas carrying the cyv1 recessive resistance gene are resistant to clover yellow vein virus (ClYVV) isolates No.30 (Cl-No.30) and 90-1 (Cl-90-1) but can be infected by a derivative of Cl-90-1 (Cl-90-1 Br2). The main determinant for the breaking of cyv1 resistance by Cl-90-1 Br2 is P3N-PIPO produced from the P3 gene via transcriptional slippage, and the higher level of P3N-PIPO produced by Cl-90-1 Br2 than by Cl-No.30 contributes to the breaking of resistance. Here we show that P3N-PIPO is also a major virulence determinant in susceptible peas that possess another resistance gene, Cyn1, which does not inhibit systemic infection with ClYVV but causes hypersensitive reaction-like lethal systemic cell death. We previously assumed that the susceptible pea cultivar PI 226564 has a weak allele of Cyn1. Cl-No.30 did not induce cell death, but Cl-90-1 Br2 killed the plants. Our results suggest that P3N-PIPO is recognized by Cyn1 and induces cell death. Unexpectedly, heterologously strongly expressed P3NPIPO of Cl-No.30 appears to be recognized by Cyn1 in PI 226564. The level of P3N-PIPO accumulation from the P3 gene of Cl- No.30 was significantly lower than that of Cl-90-1 Br2 in a Nicotiana benthamiana transient assay. Therefore, Cyn1-mediated cell death also appears to be determined by the level of P3N-PIPO. The more efficiently a ClYVV isolate broke cyv1 resistance, the more it induced cell death systemically (resulting in a loss of the environment for virus accumulation) in susceptible peas carrying Cyn1, suggesting that antagonistic pleiotropy of P3N-PIPO controls the resistance breaking of ClYVV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]