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We present a novel framework for audio-guided localized image stylization. Sound often provides information about the specific context of a scene and is closely related to a certain part of the scene or object. However, existing image stylization works have focused on stylizing the entire image using an image or text input. Stylizing a particular part of the image based on audio input is natural but challenging. This work proposes a framework in which a user provides an audio input to localize the target in the input image and another to locally stylize the target object or scene. We first produce a fine localization map using an audio-visual localization network leveraging CLIP embedding space. We then utilize an implicit neural representation (INR) along with the predicted localization map to stylize the target based on sound information. The INR manipulates local pixel values to be semantically consistent with the provided audio input. Our experiments show that the proposed framework outperforms other audio-guided stylization methods. Moreover, we observe that our method constructs concise localization maps and naturally manipulates the target object or scene in accordance with the given audio input.

Metal halide perovskites are promising for optoelectronic applications but face challenges like lead toxicity, poor stability, and low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Cs3CeBr6, a non-toxic rare-earth material, is a potential lead-free alternative. As the synthesis of Cs3CeBr6traditionally requires high temperatures, this study presents a low-temperature, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method for its formation. The material exhibits a narrow UV excitation range (280–370 nm) and emits violet light with an impressive PLQY of ∼89% and a photoluminescence (PL) decay time of 28.3 ns. Utilizing these properties, an efficient spectrum-selective visible-blind UV photodetector was developed, demonstrating exceptional responsivity (2.05 A/W) and high detectivity (1013Jones) at low bias voltage (1 V). The device shows long-term stability and energy efficiency. This study explores carrier transport and defect dynamics in thin films to enhance UV responsiveness, marking a significant advancement in low-power-consumption device technology.

Fluorescence imaging is a widely used technique for detecting pathophysiological microenvironments and guiding fluorescence-guided therapy owing to its noninvasiveness, high spatiotemporal resolution, ease of operation, and real-time monitoring capabilities. In particular, NIR-II materials are promising for fluorescence imaging applications because they exhibit reduced light scattering and absorption by biological tissues, enabling deeper imaging with improved spatial resolution and contrast compared to visible or first near-infrared imaging. NIR-II materials refer to those that emit in the second near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, spanning wavelengths from approximately 1000 to 1700 nm. The emission peaks of organic fluorophores within the NIR-II window are of particular interest due to their minimal biotoxicity, in vivo biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In this study, we investigated a new series of NIR-II fluorescent polymethine-based dyes and their NIR-II absorption properties using density functional theory and the GW-BSE approximation. Our calculated maximum absorption peak under the GW-BSE approximation showed good agreement with experimental results, demonstrating the potential of these dyes for NIR-II fluorescence imaging applications.

This paper presents a spatiotemporal spacing policy with decentralized predecessor-following control for heterogeneous vehicle platooning. The spatiotemporal spacing policy is for range control between vehicles with the function of reducing the speed (legitimately) required at hazardous locations. Motivated by many studies on vehicle platoons and the absence of such spacing policies, this paper establishes the basic theory of the spatiotemporal spacing policy and string stability thereof. In addition to theoretical research, computational experiments are conducted to test the proposed spatiotemporal spacing policy and demonstrate its usefulness. An application example verifies that the spatiotemporal spacing policy accomplishes range control between vehicles and speed control required at hazard locations.

3-D electrode arrays, with heights of several $100~\mu $ m, can be placed near target areas for localized measurements. However, their height poses challenges in regions with diverse nerve cells, like the retina, and their uniform height limits depth-specific measurements. To address these challenges, this article presents a fabrication method for a multiheight microneedle electrode array that can be easily produced by combining anisotropic and isotropic silicon etching processes. In particular, by adjusting the diameter of the micropillars and the spacing between the micropillar and dummies, multiheight microneedles can be fabricated, providing fine control of the height variations within a range of several tens of micrometers. In addition, electrode arrays of various shapes, such as concave and convex profiles, can be produced. The electrode structures of the proposed electrode array of multiheight microneedles feature exposed electrode surfaces only at the tips of the microneedles, with the remaining area covered by an insulating material, making it advantageous for electrical measurements. The fabrication of the exposed electrode array utilizes a self-aligned etching technique that relies on the shape of the microneedle tips, enabling precise exposure of the electrode at the microneedle tips. Finally, the multiheight microneedle electrode array is validated using cyclic voltammetry.

Staphylococcus aureuscan cause local or systemic infections as an opportunistic pathogen and induce the activation of inflammasomes, leading to the secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β. Since S. aureusis part of the normal flora, it is essential to control it using safe, non-antibiotic substances like Korean Red Ginseng Extract (RGE). This study investigated the effects of maltol, a non-saponin compound found in RGE, on S. aureus-mediated inflammasome signaling.

Although the importance of primary percutaneous coronary intervention has been emphasized for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the appropriateness of the cardiac catheterization laboratory activation remains suboptimal. This study aimed to develop a precise artificial intelligence (AI) model for the diagnosis of STEMI and accurate cardiac catheterization laboratory activation.

Background This study’s aim was to show the feasibility and safety of robotic liver resection (RLR) even without extensive experience in major laparoscopic liver resection (LLR).Methods A single center, retrospective analysis was performed for consecutive liver resections for solid liver tumors from 2014 to 2022.Results The analysis included 226 liver resections, comprising 127 (56.2%) open surgeries, 28 (12.4%) LLR, and 71 (31.4%) RLR. The rate of RLR increased and that of LLR decreased over time. In a comparison between propensity score matching-selected open liver resection and RLR (41:41), RLR had significantly less blood loss (384 ± 413 vs 649 ± 646 mL, P= .030) and shorter hospital stay (4.4 ± 3.0 vs 6.4 ± 3.7 days, P= .010), as well as comparable operative time (289 ± 123 vs 290 ± 132 mins, P= .954). A comparison between LLR and RLR showed comparable perioperative outcomes, even with more surgeries with higher difficulty score included in RLR (5.2 ± 2.7 vs 4.3 ± 2.5, P= .147). The analysis of the learning curve in RLR demonstrated that blood loss, conversion rate, and complication rate consistently improved over time, with the case number required to achieve the learning curve appearing to be 60 cases.Conclusions The findings suggest that RLR is a feasible, safe, and acceptable platform for liver resection, and that the safe implementation and dissemination of RLR can be achieved without solid experience of LLR.

With the growing demand for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries, lithium metal anodes have reemerged as a promising alternative to conventional graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Lithium metal boasts exceptional energy storage characteristics, yet its practical application has been impeded by dendritic growth issues. Extensive research has explored various solutions, including electrode engineering through surface modification and 3D structural hosts, which often involve intricate designs and processes. This study introduces an effective approach to govern lithium metal nucleation and growth, leveraging the synergistic effects of a lithiophilic layer and surface energy diversification. Inspired by the structure of standard copper mesh grids used in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we illustrate how subtle topographic modifications can provide a viable path to anode-free lithium metal batteries. This research represents a significant stride towards accelerated advancements in lithium metal batteries, promising higher energy density and enhanced safety for energy storage solutions.

There is a growing interest in understanding the association between the gut microbiota and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Natural compounds, such as Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), show promise for IBD treatment because of their ability to influence gut microbiota. This study explored the effects of KRG on gut microbiota modulation and subsequent intestinal epithelial cell regeneration in an experimental colitis model.

Layered halide perovskites (LHPs) are emerging semiconductor materials due to their superior environmental stability compared to that of traditional halide perovskites. While LHPs have tunable optoelectronic properties, quantum and dielectric confinement effects due to organic spacer layers limit their application. Recent attempts to mitigate the high exciton binding energy (Eb) of LHPs by organic cation engineering have been demonstrated; however, systematic studies to decouple the influence of interlayer spacing and molecular dipole are very limited. Here, we designed a new class of organic spacer employing a malononitrile (MN) functionality giving a calculated dipole moment of 7.9 D. Malononitrile phenethylammonium (MNPEA) was successfully incorporated into lead iodide-based LHPs thin films and as single crystals. Comparing the MNPEA-based LHP to phenethylammonium (PEA) and biphenethylammonium (BPEA), selected as reference cations to elucidate the influence of increased dipole moment while excluding the contribution of increased interlayer distance, clarified the effect of the large organic dipole. Binding energies, Eb, estimated by temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectroscopy for MNPEA2PbI4, PEA2PbI4, and BPEA2PbI4were 122, 354, and 183 meV, respectively. Moreover, the similar interlayer spacing of BPEA2PbI4and MNPEA2PbI4(21.04 and 21.36 Å, respectively) confirms the importance of dipole in tuning the optoelectronic properties. Photovoltaic devices with n= 1 LHPs demonstrated a higher fill factor and open circuit voltage with MNPEA2PbI4compared to the reference layered perovskites, likely due to the favored charge dissociation and transport afforded by the malononitrile-based cation.

The consumption of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has considerably increased over the past decade, leading to a rapid increase in the number of spent LIBs. Exposing spent LIBs to the environment can cause serious environmental harm; however, there is a lack of experimentally obtained information regarding the environmental impacts of abandoned cathode materials. Here, we report the interactions between Shewanella putrefaciens, a microorganism commonly found in diverse low-oxygen natural settings, and LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2(NCM622) under anaerobic conditions. We present compelling evidence that the anaerobic respiration of Shewanella putrefacienstriggers ∼59 and ∼78% dissolution of 0.2 g/L pristine and spent NCM622, respectively. We observed that Shewanella putrefaciensinteracted with the pristine and the spent NCM622 under anaerobic conditions at a neutral pH and room temperature and induced the reduction of Ni, Co, and Mn, resulting in the subsequent dissolution of Li, Ni, Co, and Mn. Moreover, we found that secondary mineralization occurred on the surface of reacted NCM622. These findings not only shed light on the substantial impact of microbial respiration on the fate of discarded cathode materials in anaerobic environments but also reveal the potential for sustainable bioleaching of cathodes in spent LIBs.

Formulating learning systems for the detection of real-world anomalous events using only video-level labels is a challenging task mainly due to the presence of noisy labels as well as the rare occurrence of anomalous events in the training data. We propose a weakly supervised anomaly detection system that has multiple contributions including a random batch selection mechanism to reduce interbatch correlation and a normalcy suppression block (NSB) which learns to minimize anomaly scores over normal regions of a video by utilizing the overall information available in a training batch. In addition, a clustering loss block (CLB) is proposed to mitigate the label noise and to improve the representation learning for the anomalous and normal regions. This block encourages the backbone network to produce two distinct feature clusters representing normal and anomalous events. An extensive analysis of the proposed approach is provided using three popular anomaly detection datasets including UCF-Crime, ShanghaiTech, and UCSD Ped2. The experiments demonstrate the superior anomaly detection capability of our approach.

We consider eddy current heating of thin conductive objects that are placed in time-varying magnetic fields generated by multiple, independent field coils. This setting is particularly relevant to passive heating of metallic objects, such as radio frequency (RF) shields, in the bore of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. Previous studies have primarily focused on eddy current induced by a single driving coil or in a spatially uniform field. When multiple coils act on an object simultaneously, electric field interference needs to be properly accounted for in order to obtain accurate prediction of heating. Motivated by eddy current from MRI gradient coils, we focus on the low-frequency regime, where the conductive objects’ response is predominantly resistive. Based on the time-domain Maxwell’s equations, we derive a systematic method to calculate spatially resolved heating power density inside a conductive object. The method was tested against experimental measurement of temperature rise of stainless steel mesh in the bore of a human brain MRI scanner. The proposed method can be used to predict and mitigate heating of metallic components used in medical and scientific instruments that employ time-dependent and spatially varying magnetic fields.

The conventional CLLC resonant converters have been generally operated by the pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) method, which changes switching frequency according to the load conditions. However, it causes high switching losses and the first harmonic approximation error, particularly for step-down operations. To handle these issues, several studies, which combines the PFM and phase-shift modulation (PSM) methods, have been reported. Nevertheless, they still have the problem with so-called inoperative region, which degrades overall efficiency and reliability during mode changes in wide ranges of voltage. To overcome this limitation, this article proposes the new voltage conversion ratio (VCR) based PFM-PSM hybrid control (VFSHC) method for the CLLC resonant converters applied to electric vehicles. It can effectively eliminate the inoperative region by changing the PFM and PSM methods based on the reference VCR, which is mathematically determined. Therefore, two methods can be changed seamlessly and successfully without causing undesired transients. Also, it is able to improve overall efficiency by applying the PSM method when the required VCR is lower than the reference VCR. The comprehensive study of proposed VFSHC method is theoretically made, and its practical effectiveness is verified by experimental tests on the hardware prototype of 1.5 KW.

In this step-by-step I will demonstrate how to make a stylised character in 3D, sculpting in ZBrush, retopologizing in Maya and texturing in Substance Painter. Starting from a Tpose in [...]

To investigate the factors associated with treatment outcomes of postcataract surgery fungal endophthalmitis outbreaks related to contaminated viscoelastics.

Byline: Seung. Lee, Hansang. Lee, Min. Kim A 25-year-old woman with no known systemic diseases experienced sudden vision impairment in the left eye (Snellen VA 20/200). Fundus photography (A) and [...]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an important global health challenge in the 21st century. A previous study has quantified the global and regional burden of AMR for 2019, followed with additional publications that provided more detailed estimates for several WHO regions by country. To date, there have been no studies that produce comprehensive estimates of AMR burden across locations that encompass historical trends and future forecasts.

Despite the detailed imaging information provided by optical coherence tomography (OCT) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), clinical benefits of this imaging technique in this setting remain uncertain. The aim of the OCCUPI trial was to compare the clinical benefits of OCT-guided versus angiography-guided PCI for complex lesions, assessed as the rate of major adverse cardiac events at 1 year.

The development of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries is highly dependent on overcoming the technical issues such as the shuttling behavior of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). In this work, we report a multifunctional layer composed of MXene/ZIF-8 (MXZ) nanohybrids to enhance the electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries. During the preparation of MXZ, ZIF-8 is hybridized with Ti3C2TxMXene, where the ZIF-8 is decorated on the surface of Ti3C2TxMXene by in situ growth. During thermal treatment, MXZ developed a hybrid phase of TiO2(brookite and rutile) as well as N-doped carbon microstructures. Spectroscopic analysis confirms that the complementary contribution by the hybrid phase of TiO2, N-doped carbon microstructures, plays a critical role as electrocatalysts via efficient adsorption and conversion of LiPSs to fulfill high-performance Li–S batteries.

Advancements in electronic devices demand materials capable of exceptional performance in various challenging environments. This study presents polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nonwoven membranes with controlled porosity, created using an air-guided electrospinning method, followed by a calendaring process. These membranes exhibit a combination of water-repellent properties and sound transmission capabilities, making them ideal candidates for use in air and acoustic vents in electronic systems. A key feature of our membrane is the three-dimensional nanostructured pores, ranging from 0.20 to 0.76 μm, with a mean pore size of 0.51 μm, achieved through the formation of randomly arranged long nanofibers. By employing both experimental and theoretical methods, we achieved impressive performance metrics: air permeability of 0.86 cm3/cm2/s, water contact angles up to 139.3°, and breakthrough pressure as low as 0.27 MPa. Our PVDF nonwoven membranes maintain an optimal balance of stiffness, density, and air permeability, leading to exceptionally low sound transmission loss values ranging between −10 and −40 dBV/Pa, all while preserving their structural integrity. These findings contribute to the development of next-generation waterproof and acoustically permeable membranes, offering enhanced performance capabilities in demanding operational scenarios. This work advances the field of nanomaterials, environmental engineering, and acoustic technologies, with the potential to influence the design of future electronic devices.

The pyrazole ring structure is extensively spotted as a pharmacophore and fortify‐cation of the modern organic synthesis toolbox, which demands synthetic tactics to generate its derivatives. Especially, pyrazolo‐pyrimidinones are crucial part to synthesize phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) such as sildenafil and lodenafil. Herein, we report a simple and efficient route for Sildenafil and derivatives from easily available materials. We report the synthesis of pyrazolo‐pyrimidiones as sildenafil and its derivatives. Four types of compounds were synthesized with a simplified and efficient synthetic route. The use of readily available starting materials highlights the practicality of this method. In addition, this approach facilitates further exploration and applications in medicinal chemistry and drug development.

We present a V-band $1\times 8$ on-chip miniaturized cavity coplanar folded slot antenna (CFSA) array with high efficiency and reduced mutual coupling. Substrate-integrated air cavities (SICs) are used to enhance efficiency and gain, diminish element-to-element coupling, and counter parasitic parallel-plate modes to improve CFSA efficiency. We developed CPW corporate feeds using SiO2 bridges and rounded bends to demonstrate beamsteering. The E- and H-planes of the radiation pattern were measured with a custom robotic setup. The measured CFSA single element -10-dB bandwidth is 55.4–60.3 GHz (8.5%) with an efficiency of 93%. The measured broadside array’s bandwidth spans 52–60.2 GHz (14.6%), with a total efficiency of 67% and 11.0-dBi gain. This study marks the first demonstration of beamsteering using on-chip antennas (OCAs) with SICs, steering up to 45°, and corresponding gains of 8.1, 8.9, and 9.2 dBi.

A new transformerless multilevel inductive power transfer (IPT) system was proposed in 2022. It consisted of a multilevel converter, multiple excitation coils, and impedance-matching networks instead of high-frequency transformers. The prior work was limited in introducing the new IPT system and the design methodology for a transformerless IPT system has not been investigated yet. In this study, a new design methodology for transformerless multilevel IPT systems is proposed. The properties and design considerations for the system are identified in the initial stage. It is shown that the harmonic current, parameter-sensitive input impedance, load-dependent output voltage, and efficiency are the main issues of the system. The new design method determines the circuit parameters regarding those main issues and their tradeoffs. The viability of this design methodology was evaluated using simulation results of a medium-voltage input (22.9 kVrms), 1-MW, 42-level online IPT system. In addition, an experimental test bed of 800-W, 4-level IPT system was constructed for the evaluation. The simulation and experimental results showed a good agreement with the theoretical results as well.

Small gantries and long, thin scintillation pixels are used in preclinical positron emission tomography, resulting in parallax errors outside the system’s field of view. To solve this problem, a detector for measuring the depth of interaction (DOI) was developed. In addition, conduct of research on methods for DOI measurement through deep learning is underway. In this study, we designed a detector for measurement of DOI, consisting of two layers of scintillation pixel arrays and developed a method for specifying 3-dimensional (3D) position through deep learning. DETECT2000 simulation was performed to assess the 3D-positioning accuracy of the designed detector. Data acquired through DETECT2000 simulation wereused for learning a deep learning model, and assessment of location specification accuracy was performed using data generated at a new location and the deep learning model. According to the result, the 3D-position measurement accuracy was calculated as 94.48% on average.

A taxonomic study of two Korean staphylinid species is presented. Baeocera satanaNakane is identified for the first time in the Korean Peninsula and diagnosed with illustrations of its diagnostic characters. Dalotia coriaria(Kraatz) is newly discovered in South Korea and is redescribed with illustrations of its diagnostic characters.

Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency that poses a large clinical and economic burden. Understanding the global burden of appendicitis is crucial for evaluating unmet needs and implementing and scaling up intervention services to reduce adverse health outcomes. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the global, regional, and national burden of appendicitis, by age and sex, from 1990 to 2021.

A new method for reducing the cost and the fabrication time of source material required for SiC crystal growth has been proposed through a heat treatment of recycled powder bulk in this study. The actual crystal growth with using a conventional powder and a recycled powder bulk source has been performed under identical growth condition and then systematically compared in terms of the crystal quality. With applying the recycled powder bulk for SiC crystal growth, similar growth results were obtained as a result grown by conventional high-purity powder source. In terms of crystal defects, slight improvement was observed when high purity recycled powder bulk source was applied.

A modified process condition has been proposed for the growth of high-quality 6-inch 4H-SiC single crystal. Temperature gradient (dT[°C] = Tbottom-Tupper) was controlled by changing coil position in order to investigate the effect of the temperature gradient on the SiC crystal quality. SiC ingot surface and etch pit density (EPD) of etched SiC wafer were investigated according to different dT conditions at the initial stage of SiC crystal growth. The surface of SiC crystal ingots grown with different dT for 10h were observed by OM and etched SiC wafers were prepared from SiC crystal ingots after main growth step for 100h. Different dT conditions in the initial growth stage resulted in dramatically different surface images and the crystal quality evaluated by EPD.

The modified design using an air-pocket existing on inside of crucible has been proposed for the growth of 6-inch SiC single crystal. The actual growth has been performed for conventional, focus ring design and modified hot-zone designs under the same growth conditions and then three SiC crystals were systematically compared in terms of crystal quality. Since stacking faults and polytype inclusions, which could cause dislocation formation, were suppressed by the suitable C/Si ratio control, it was possible to grow SiC ingots with reduced defect density and excellent crystal quality with crucible structures proposed in this study.

Transition metal ion was added to CMP (chemical-mechanical polishing) slurry without abrasive particle to solve the problem of CMP. MRR (material removal rate) value of SiC substrate processed using non-abrasive slurry was comparable to MRR values of SiC substrates using abrasive slurries. The scratch formation was successfully suppressed in SiC substrate polished with using non-abrasive slurry and no residual particle resulting from agglomeration of abrasive particles could suppress scratches and forms a good quality of SiC substrate surface. Uniform and high-quality SiC substrates could be prepared through the non-abrasive CMP process.

The utilization of biomaterials for the separation of rare earth elements (REEs) has attracted considerable interest due to their inherent advantages, including diverse molecular structures for selective binding and the use of eco-friendly materials for sustainable systems. We present a pioneering methodology for developing a safe virus to selectively bind REEs and facilitate their release through pH modulation. We engineered the major coat protein of M13 bacteriophage (phage) to incorporate a lanthanide-binding peptide. The engineered lanthanide-binding phage (LBPh), presenting ∼3300 copies of the peptide, serves as an effective biological template for REE separation. Our findings demonstrate the LBPh’s preferential binding for heavy REEs over light REEs. Moreover, the LBPh exhibits remarkable robustness with excellent recyclability and stability across multiple cycles of separations. This study underscores the potential of genetically integrating virus templates with selective binding motifs for REE separation, offering a promising avenue for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient separation processes.

Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) is an effective treatment for patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) when other interventions are unsuccessful. CP has many etiologies including heredity. Metabolic and pain relief outcomes after TPIAT are presented among patients with a genetic CP etiology compared with those with a nongenetic etiology in a large cohort of patients who underwent this procedure at our center.

AbstractA fungal strain designated KNUF-22-014, belonging to the family Ophiocordycipitaceae, was isolated from a soil sample collected in Sobaeksan National Park, South Korea. Phylogenetic trees based on the combined sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the large subunit of 28S rRNA (LSU) gene, as well as on five concatenated loci (LSU, ITS, translation elongation factor 1α, β-tubulin, and subunit 1 of RNA polymerase II), revealed that the isolate falls within the clade containing the genus Tolypocladiumbut occupies a distinct phylogenetic position. Its closest relative is T. tropicale. Morphologically, strain KNUF-22-014 can be distinguished from T. tropicaleby the shape of its phialides (subcylindrical vs. lageniform), its conidiophore type (arborescent or unbranched vs. trichodermatoid), and its larger conidia size (2.1 ± 0.1 µm vs. 1.5 ± 0.1 µm). Phylogenetic analysis and morphological observations indicate that KNUF-22-014 represents a novel species in the genus Tolypocladium, for which the name Tolypocladium sobaeksanensesp. nov. is proposed.

AbstractThe order Chaetothyriales encompasses black yeasts and related fungi known for their diverse morphologies, asexual reproduction, and habitat preferences. In this study, we isolated two fungal strains belonging to Chaetothyriales, designated KNUF-23-13A and KNUF-22-020, from a longhorn beetle (Cyrtoclytus capra) and soil sample, respectively, in Korea. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions and partial sequences of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA, β-tubulin (TUB2), and actin (ACT) genes revealed that the strains were grouped with strains of Trichomeriumand Exophiala, respectively. For strain KNUF-23-13A, cultural and morphological differences were observed in the shape and size of mycelium between it and its phylogenetically closest species, Trichomerium lapideumCGMCC 3.17311T, supporting the novelty of this isolated species. In the case of strain KNUF-22-020, the cultural and morphological characteristics were similar to those previously reported for E. radicisP2854T. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses, we revealed KNUF-23-13A as a novel species, which we describe and name T. koreanumsp. nov., and KNUF-22-020 as Exophiala radicis, a previously unreported species in Korea.

Although early rhythm control (ERC) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) reduces the risk of stroke, there is no evidence thus far on whether ERC reduces the risk of developing dementia in patients with AF and prior stroke.

The recently developed CRISPR activator (CRISPRa) system uses a CRISPR-Cas effector-based transcriptional activator to effectively control the expression of target genes without causing DNA damage. However, existing CRISPRa systems based on Cas9/Cas12a necessitate improvement in terms of efficacy and accuracy due to limitations associated with the CRISPR-Cas module itself. To overcome these limitations and effectively and accurately regulate gene expression, we developed an efficient CRISPRa system based on the small CRISPR-Cas effector Candidatus WoesearchaeotaCas12f (CWCas12f). By engineering the CRISPR-Cas module, linking activation domains, and using various combinations of linkers and nuclear localization signal sequences, the optimized eCWCas12f-VPR system enabled effective and target-specific regulation of gene expression compared with that using the existing CRISPRa system. The eCWCas12f-VPR system developed in this study has substantial potential for controlling the transcription of endogenous genes in living organisms and serves as a foundation for future gene therapy and biological research.

We developed lead gloves that minimize radiation dose to the operator's hands during interventional radiological procedures and that do not impede the operator's surgical capabilities. Existing lead gloves can protect the operator's hands by shielding radiation, but use of such gloves may impair preception sensitivity, resulting in a reduction in the operator's surgical ability. Accordingly, in this study, we developed modified lead gloves that can reduce radiation dose while maintaining operator sensitivity during procedures by modifying the operator's main surgical finger area in existing lead gloves. To evaluate the performance of developed modified lead gloves, radiation was applied in surgical conditions without gloves and with surgical gloves, lead gloves, and modified lead gloves. The radiation dose was evaluated for each condition. When the modified lead gloves were worn, the degree of shielding was similar to when conventional lead gloves were worn. Based on these results, if the operator wears modified lead gloves during interventional radiological procedures, they will protect the hands from radiation while maintaining physical sensitivity in the hands.

We have proposed peripheral dimming technology that reduces the image brightness in peripheral area based on the human visual system. This study presents how peripheral dimming should be applied depending on the screen field of view (FoV) the user watches. Threshold conditions for peripheral dimming of various FoVs are derived through user study in an environment simulating virtual reality.

Predicting temperature and power consumption in panels and modules under high brightness has long been a daunting and time‐intensive task, often requiring over a week of simulation work. Addressing this challenge, our study introduces a novel machine learning framework, bifurcated into panel and module stages, to streamline the data acquisition process. A key innovation in our approach is the use of symbolic regression to overcome the limitations posed by the reliance on real‐world measurements for power consumption and heat generation. Employing SPICE simulations, we estimated the current density within the panel, with subsequent validation through Explainable AI (XAI) analysis. This revealed a significant correlation between current density and panel heat generation. Our research also revisits the traditionally neglected areas outside the panel's center, uncovering their impact on heat generation. The layered complexity in modules, previously a barrier to physical sample creation and measurement, was navigated using simulation. XAI insights demonstrated the crucial roles of graphite and metal layers in heat dissipation, and the drive IC as a primary heat source. This integrated approach of real and computational data in machine learning significantly reduced the analysis timeframe from a week to mere minutes, marking a breakthrough in predictive accuracy and efficiency for high‐brightness scenarios.