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In this study, a swash-zone model, using Larson and Wamsley formula (LW07), was combined into the Telemac-2D model system to examine the performance of modeling swash-zone processes through comparisons with field observation data. The experimental site was the Haeundae Beach in South Korea where Typhoon Phanfone occurred in October 2014, and bathymetric surveys were performed before and after the typhoon. Hydrodynamic data were also measured to validate the modeled data. The performance of LW07 was tested by running the model in two modes, with and without LW07. First, the model was run to simulate the shoreline response to an imaginary coastal breakwater. The result showed a clear discrepancy between the two modes as the sediments were considerably cumulated behind the breakwater in the case with the swash-zone formula (LW07) in the wide range along the shoreline behind the breakwater, indicating that the sediments more actively and rapidly responded to the shadowing by the breakwater with LW07. The model was also run for a realistic case from August to October 2014, which included the typhoon’s period during 2–6 October. The results showed that the morphological changes at both ends of the beach in the swash zone were simulated with higher accuracy with LW07, supporting the effectiveness of LW07 in simulating the short-term morphological changes induced by the typhoon attack. In particular, the successful simulation of the sand accumulation at the end sides of the beach’s swash zone indicates that LW07 was effective in estimating not only the cross-shore transport but also longshore transport, which was likely due to the characteristics of LW07 that calculated sand transport in both directions. The enhanced modeling performance with LW07 was likely due to the adjustment of the sediment transport rate to the instantaneous changes in the local beach slope, which could successfully control the erosion/accretion process in the swash zone more realistically.

In 2021 the East Sea experienced its highest July sea level (65.09 cm), as well as the highest July sea surface and atmospheric temperatures, in the 29 years between 1993 and 2021. We present several methodologies to identify the more important causes of sea level change (SLC) in a semi-enclosed sea and explore the critical fluctuation of ocean mass transport divergence during a period of rapid sea level rise. Based on satellite altimeter data in the East Sea, the SLC, as reflected in the absolute dynamic topography (ADT), which is the ADT difference between the last and first days of a month, was 7.18 cm in July 2021. This may reflect a combination of oceanic and atmospheric factors: ocean heat transport divergence among the Korea, Tsugaru, and Soya Straits was found to contribute 2.32 cm of SLC, atmospheric heat flux at the sea surface contributed 2.87 cm of SLC, and mass divergence (including errors) accounted for 1.98 cm of SLC. The monthly mean sea level (ADT) variation in the East Sea should be examined in terms of the oceanic and atmospheric fluxes, and the SLC sources can additionally be divided into heat and others (mass + errors). The proportional contribution of heat to SLC from 1994 to 2021 was 97.4%. Although the contributions of mass and errors were small, there were substantial temporal fluctuations, as their standard deviation reached up to 96.7% of that of SLC in ADT. In the near future, a more precise analysis of the contributions of mass and errors to SLC is required.

Infragravity waves (IGWs) that have lower wave frequencies than short waves (SWs) can cause significant impacts on coastal processes, such as beach erosion, when their amplitude increases toward the shore, specifically under energetic wave conditions. Therefore, it is important to precisely predict IGW shoaling based on SW conditions for scientific and engineering purposes. In this study, shoaling of IGWs was observed at three different sites along the east coast of South Korea based on continuous wave observations at various water depths. The nearshore IGW shoaling was dominant over the SWs, which was likely due to the energy transfer between the SWs and IGWs. Two types of SW parameters were employed to examine their correlations with IGWs, and linear dependences were observed for both types. However, the determination coefficient showed the opposite pattern between the two types, as it increased with decreasing depth with the wave energy flux. The comparison showed that the energy flux could be a preferred parameter type to represent the correlations of the IGW height in these calculations, as one formula could be developed for the depth-dependent proportional coefficients of the linear correlations when the energy flux was used. However, a discrepancy was also observed in the magnitude of the proportional coefficients, indicating that the IGW height over the SW parameters was higher in the sandy beaches than in the rocky seabed. Therefore, it could be assumed that seabed conditions may be an important factor for the process of IGW shoaling, but further evidence is needed.

Coastal erosion caused by extreme storms can reduce the value of beaches. Under the scenario of climate change, the storm intensity may increase and the resulting severe erosion can lead to disastrous damages on the beaches. Therefore, it is crucial to find appropriate measures and adaptation plans to conserve the beach from storm attacks. In this study, numerical models were applied to analyze the dune erosion in Boggil Beach, Korea, occurred by Typhoon Tapah in September 2019. Two models were used as Telemac-2D was run in larger domains for producing forcing conditions. XBeach was then applied to simulate the 2019 dune erosion after validation using observational data from a post-event field experiment performed in 2020. The model results showed reasonable agreement with the observational data except for the overestimation of erosion that was likely caused by characteristic pattern of sediment that was a mixture of sand and gravel and the accuracy of model results decreased due to the existence of gravel. The results also confirmed the locality of erosional damage by which the dune erosion was severest in the southern part of the beach. This locality was caused because the water depth was steeper in this area, which kept the wave energy in this area higher than that in the northern part. The uneven distribution of depth was induced by natural and anthropogenic causes. Three cases of model tests were performed to determine an appropriate measure to preserve the beach from future storm attacks – two were to place a submerged breakwater (SB), and one to place a submerged groin(SG). Although the SBs could directly protect the shore from erosion in the lee of the SBs, they could cause additional erosions at unexpected seabed areas. Although the SG was not the best in protecting the beach from the dune erosion, it could minimize the side effect. This measure was also environmentally friendly by keeping the sediments within the coastal cell around the SG so that the beach maintenance could be feasible through replenishment. In addition, the SG could also save the initial cost by reducing its size, and would be more effective, if the recovery process considered, because the SBs would disturb the onshore sediment motions under milder wave conditions. The results of this study can be applied for decision-making to establish future adaptation plans from storm impacts in Bonggil Beach.

Severe shoreline erosions are commonly observed due to the side effects of breakwaters constructed to protect the habitat. These breakwaters can cause wave energy differences behind the structure due to diffraction, inducing longshore sediment transport and resulting in shoreline changes. Therefore, it is essential to correctly simulate the effect of wave transformation in the lee side of structures, but such studies reporting performance of models in the field have been relatively rare. In this study, two wave models of the TELEMAC system were used to investigate the accuracy of modeling the wave transformation effect in a lee area of a breakwater built to secure the harbor’s tranquility, near Jukbyeon Port in Korea, through comparisons with field observations. Two cases of wave conditions with different wave heights and directions were tested. In both cases, the TEL EMAC–ARTEMIS model had lower errors than TELEMAC–TOMAWAC at the onshore wave location, confirming that the phase-resolving ARTEMIS showed better performance in simulating the wave transformation than the phase-averaged TOMAWAC, as expected. However, ARTEMIS had slightly higher errors than TOMAWAC at the offshore location, probably due to the interference by reflected waves from the complex coastlines formed by the different coastal structures. The results also provide various implications learned from the numerical experiments, which can be usefully applied to engineering aspects, such as for the estimation of harbor tranquility.

The East Sea (ES; Sea of Japan) meridional overturning circulation (MOC) serves as a crucial mechanism for the transportation of dissolved, colloidal, and suspended particulate matters, including pollutants, on the surface to deep waters via thermohaline circulation. Therefore, understanding the structure of the ES MOC is critical for characterizing its temporal and spatial distribution. Numerous studies have estimated these parameters indirectly using chemical tracers, severely limiting the accuracy of the results. In this study, we provide a method for directly estimating the turnover times of the ES MOC using the stream functions calculated from HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) reanalysis data by averaging the flow pattern in the meridional 2-D plane. Because the flow pattern is not consistent but various over time, three cases of stream function fields were computed over a 20-year period. The turnover time was estimated by calculating the time required for water particles to circulate along the streamlines. In the cases of multiple (two or three) convection cells, we considered all possible scenarios of the exchange of water particles between adjacent cells, so that they circulated over those cells until finally returning to the original position and completing the journey on the ES MOC. Three different cell cases were tested, and each case had different water particle exchange scenarios. The resulting turnover times were 17.91–58.59 years, 26.41–37.28 years, and 8.68–45.44 years for the mean, deep, and shallow convection cases, respectively. The maximum turnover time, namely 58.59 years, was obtained when circulating the water particle over all three cells, and it was approximately half of that estimated by the chemical tracers in previous studies (∼100 years). This underestimation arose because the streamlines and water particle movement were not calculated in the shallow (3,000 m) in this study. Regardless, the results of this study provide insight into the ES MOC dynamics and indicate that the traditional chemical turnover time represents only one of the various turnover scenarios that could exist in the ES.

The effect of a detached breakwater, which was constructed to improve harbor tranquility inside Pohang New Port, was examined through the comparison of wave data measured before and after the construction of the breakwater. The observation data showed that the wave energy was effectively reduced by the breakwater, although the wave height measured outside the breakwater was higher after its construction. The wave energy was reduced in all of the measured wave-propagating directions, but it was also observed that the breakwater became less effective in protecting against northeastwaves than in protecting against NNE waves. The BOUSS-2D Boussinesq-type wave model was employed to analyze the pattern of wave propagation, showing that, before the breakwater’s construction, NE waves could directly enter the port, increasing the wave energy inside the port. After the breakwater’s construction, simulations showed that the detached breakwater effectively blocked the waves approaching the port from both the NNE and NE directions, although the wave heights of the waves from the extreme NE direction inside the port increased. Considering that the estimated probability of failing to preserve the port tranquility was only 0.2–0.5% for these extreme NE waves, it was concluded that no secondary structures were necessary, and the existing breakwater was sufficient for the protection of the port.

The west coast of South Korea is characterized by a wide macrotidal area with a maximum tidal range of ∼10 m. The sea surface elevation varies with the tidal phase, which leads to significant changes in the vertical structure of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the water column, especially when the interaction by waves and/or the freshwater and sediment input from the river increases. Under such conditions, it is difficult to carry out continuous and consistent measurements of the vertical structures of the water qualities using a conventional observation system that is fixed to the seabed or sea surface because the thickness of the water column constantly changes. Based on the demand for long-term observations of the vertical structures of the water properties in macrotidal environments, the Intelligent Buoy System (INBUS) was developed by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). INBUS is a buoy equipped with an instrument frame, which is similar to other buoys that are fixed to the sea surface. During every measurement, INBUS detects the water depth and sends the frame down to the seabed to measure the water quality at every vertical level set up in the system. For example, if N levels are set in INBUS, the water depth of each measurement is divided by N layers and the instruments in the lifting frame measure the water properties of each of the N layers while they are descending to the bottom. Based on this procedure, the vertical structure of the water column is consistently measured in N layers regardless of changes of the water depth due to tides and waves. The lifting and measuring process is automatically controlled by INBUS once it is set up in the system. In addition, because INBUS allows bidirectional communication through code division multiple access (CDMA), the system can be controlled by stations on land. If the CDMA communication becomes inoperable owing to extreme wave conditions or the buoy is lost because of incidents such as a collision with a ship, the location of INBUS can be tracked by low-earth-orbit satellites.

This paper reports the results of hydrodynamic measurements at two different water depths to observe wave properties in the course of wave propagation, especially during storm periods, in Hujeong Beach, Korea. In addition to hydrodynamic measurements, video monitoring data and satellite images from Sentinel-II were employed to compare the temporal changes in shoreline positions and shallow water bathymetry during the storms. Through combination of a variety of observational data sets, the accuracy of analysis could be enhanced by preventing possible misinterpretation. Two significant storms were observed from two experiments conducted at different times and locations of the beach. The hydrodynamic conditions were similar in both of the periods in terms of wave and current conditions as well as wave nonlinearity such as skewness. However, the response of shoreline during the two storms was the opposite because it was eroded during the first storm but advanced during the second storm. This suggests that other controlling factors such as storm duration need to be investigated to support the analysis of cross-shore sediment transport and consequent shoreline evolution for future studies.

Video monitoring systems (VMS) have been used for beach status observation but are not effective for examining detailed beach processes as they only measure changes to the shoreline and backshore. Here, we extracted longshore sediment transport (LST) from VMS in order to investigate long- and short-term littoral processes on a pocket beach. LST estimated by applying one-line theory, wave power, and the oblique angle of incident waves were used to understand shoreline changes caused by severe winter storms. The estimated LST showed good agreement with the shoreline changes because the sediments were trapped at one end of the pocket beach and the alongshore direction of transported sediments was corresponded to the direction of LST. The results also showed that the beach that was severely eroded during storms was also rapidly recovered following the evolution of LST, which indicates that the LST may play a role in the recovery process while the erosion was mainly caused by the cross-shore transport due to storm waves. After the beach was nourished, beach changes became more active, even under lower wave energy conditions, owing to the equilibrium process. The analysis presented in this study could be applied to study inhomogeneous beach processes at other sites.

CLN2 Batten disease (BD) is one of a broad class of lysosomal storage disorders that is characterized by the deficiency of lysosomal enzyme, TPP1, resulting in a build-up of toxic intracellular storage material in all organs and subsequent damage. A major challenge for BD therapeutics is delivery of enzymatically active TPP1 to the brain to attenuate progressive loss of neurological functions. To accomplish this daunting task, we propose the harnessing of naturally occurring nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles (EVs). Herein, we incorporated TPP1 into EVs released by immune cells, macrophages, and examined biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy of EV-TPP1 in BD mouse model, using various routes of administration. Administration through intrathecal and intranasal routes resulted in high TPP1 accumulation in the brain, decreased neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, and reduced aggregation of lysosomal storage material in BD mouse model, CLN2 knock-out mice. Parenteral intravenous and intraperitoneal administrations led to TPP1 delivery to peripheral organs: liver, kidney, spleen, and lungs. A combination of intrathecal and intraperitoneal EV-TPP1 injections significantly prolonged lifespan in BD mice. Overall, the optimization of treatment strategies is crucial for successful applications of EVs-based therapeutics for BD.

Although there have been a number of studies investigating fundamental characteristics of infragravity waves in coastal zones, a proper method of deciding period ranges that are associated with gravity or infragravity waves remains uncertain. In this study, we proposed an empirical method of separating spectral energies of gravity and infragravity waves by analyzing the wave observation data acquired off Gyeongpo beach on the Korean east coast. The fundamental principle of the suggested method is to represent the separation period discriminating gravity and infragravity waves as a function of the significant wave period, rather than a fixed value that was conventionally applied in previous studies. As a consequence of using the new method, the relationships between heights and periods of gravity and infragravity waves were more clearly identified.

In this study, a numerical simulation is performed to produce wave hindcasting data from 2007 to 2018 for the assessment of wave energy resources in the sea waters of Korea. The hindcasting data are obtained with a relatively fine spatial resolution of 1/20° covering 120−150 °E longitude and 22.4−47.6 °N latitude using the Simulating WAves Nearshore wave model (SWAN). Three different wind fields, those of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather (ECMWF), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), are used for the numerical wave simulation. It is observed that the wind field dataset of JMA exhibits the best agreement with available field observation data. For this reason, the wave energy resources are evaluated based on the data hindcasted using the JMA wind field. It is found that the overall magnitudes of wave energy are larger in winter than in summer. The wave energy in August, however, is comparable to the mean wave energy during winter because of the influence of frequent high wave events caused by typhoons. The highest monthly average wave power around Yellow Sea, South Sea, East Sea, and Jeju Island are 13.3, 18.2, 13.7, and 40 kW/m, respectively.

Red blood cell microparticles (RMPs) is a high potency hemostatic agent, which may serve as a viable therapeutic approach. They generate thrombin in vitro and effective in arresting bleeding in animal bleeding models. However, prior to ascertaining the clinical efficacy of RMPs, detailed preclinical evaluation is necessary. Therefore, we aimed to characterize RMPs, ascertain their stability, and determine their pharmacokinetics in rats. RMPs were prepared from human RBCs by a high-pressure extrusion method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were computed from groups receiving various RMPs dosing regimens. Volume of distribution, elimination rate constant, and clearance for RMPs were also assessed. Major portion of prepared microparticles were RMPs and a very small portion of particles were from platelets and leukocytes. RMPs were stable when stored at 5 and -20°C for at least 12 months. In vivo half-life was found to vary for each paradigm, but in general, was less than 2 min for most of the paradigms evaluated. Our results demonstrate that RMPs are stable during prolonged storage and have a short half-life. Therefore, the clinical use of RMPs as a hemostatic agent, within a tailored treatment paradigm, may be advantageous in achieving prolonged systemic therapeutic benefit without provoking any thrombotic complications.

Shoreline processes observed by a video monitoring system were investigated under different wave conditions. A 30 m-high tower equipped with video cameras was constructed in Hujeong Beach, South Korea, where coastal erosion was suspected to occur. Two-year shoreline data since December 2016 showed that beach area, Ab, has decreased, but periods of rapid increase in Ab were also observed. Shoreline change was closely related to the wave propagation directions and bottom topography. Ab increased when waves approached the shore obliquely, whereas it decreased when they approached in a normal direction. The shoreline became undulated when Ab increased, while it became flatter when Ab decreased. The undulation process was influenced by nearshore bedforms because the shoreline protruded in the lee area where underwater rocks or nearshore sandbars actively developed, with a sheltering effect on waves. Specifically, the locations of shoreline accretion corresponded to the locations where the sandbar horns (location where a crescentic sandbar protrudes toward the shore) developed, confirming the out-of-phase coupling between sandbars and shoreline. When waves with higher energy approached normal to the shore, the sheltering effect of sandbars and underwater rocks became weaker and offshore sediment transport occurred uniformly along the coast, resulting in flatter shorelines.

Abstract Background Paranasal sinus retention cysts are non‐neoplastic psuedocysts that accumulate nasal fluids. Since most of these cysts are incidentally diagnosed and may even diminish spontaneously, no further diagnosis or therapies are needed for most patients. In contrast, when an abrupt, unilateral, watery nasal discharge is noticed, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea should be suspected, which is a true “red flag sign,” since ignored CSF rhinorrhea may be fatal. Case Report Herein we report a case of a 42‐year‐old male with an acute, unilateral, profusely projectile serous rhinorrhea without any trauma or sinonasal surgery history. Following an urgent computed tomography, no skull base abnormalities were seen, ruling out the possibility of CSF rhinorrhea. However, a “ruptured” retention cyst in the maxillary sinus was noticed. Thus, it was concluded that the patient’s projectile unilateral serous rhinorrhea was due to a rupturing of the retention cyst in the affected maxillary sinus. The patient remained asymptomatic afterwards, negating the surgical removal or further follow‐up visits. Conclusion While the majority of paranasal sinus retention cyst cases are symptomless, spontaneous rupture of these cysts may take place and result in a sudden and vigorous release of nasal secretions, mimicking CSF rhinorrhea, as seen in our case.

In this study, we first produced the Korean-specific dose coefficients (DCs) for soil contamination using the Mesh-type Reference Korean Phantoms (MRKPs). The Korean DCs were compared with the values in ICRP Publication 144 produced using the Caucasian-based ICRP reference phantoms to investigate dosimetric impact due to the racial difference (Korean/Asian vs Caucasian). Monte Carlo dose calculations using the Geant4 code were conducted where the photon and electron sources in the phase-space data used for the ICRP-144 DC calculations were irradiated to the MRKPs. For photons, the organ DCs of the MRKPs showed a good agreement with the ICRP-144 DCs (deviations 20 % for most cases). The effective DCs of the MRKPs showed an excellent agreement with the ICRP-144 DCs for photons (deviations

Abstract Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is an emerging technology with extensive applications in biomedicine, including treatment of abnormal pigmentation. However, very few studies have investigated how plasma induces anti-melanogenesis. Here, liquid plasma was prepared by treating an NTP jet with helium and oxygen (as carrier gases) for 15 min in serum-free culture media. In the zebrafish model, pigmentation ratio was observed with or without liquid plasma. The anti-melanogenic effect of liquid plasma was evaluated in human melanocytes by assessing the expression of melanogenesis-related genes using western blotting, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Liquid plasma reduced pigmentation in the zebrafish model and inhibited melanin synthesis in primary human melanocytes. Intracellular reactive oxygen species levels decreased and Nrf2 expression increased in liquid plasma–treated melanocytes. Liquid plasma affected microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase mRNA and protein levels, tyrosinase activity, and melanin content. Considering the role of Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt pathways in melanogenesis, the effect of liquid plasma on this pathway was determined; liquid plasma decreased active β-catenin, LEF1/TCF4, MITF, and tyrosinase levels in a time-dependent manner and inhibited the nuclear translocation of β-catenin. This inhibition subsequently suppressed melanogenesis by downregulating MITF and tyrosinase. These results suggest that liquid plasma may be used for treating pigmentary disorders.

Abstract Although GaP, a III-V compound semiconductor, has been extensively utilized in the optoelectronic industry for decades as a traditional material, the inherent indirect bandgap nature of GaP limits its efficiency. Here, we demonstrate an indirect-to-direct bandgap transition of GaP through the formation of quantum shells on the surface of ZnS nanocrystals. The ZnS/GaP quantum shell with a reverse-type I heterojunction, consisting of a monolayer-thin GaP shell grown atop a ZnS core, exhibits a record-high photoluminescence quantum yield of 45.4% in the violet emission range (wavelength = 409 nm), validating its direct bandgap nature. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that ZnS nanocrystals, as the growth platform for GaP quantum shells, play a crucial role in the direct bandgap formation through hybridization of electronic states with GaP. These findings suggest potential for achieving direct bandgaps in compounds that are constrained by their inherent indirect energy gaps, offering a strategy for tailoring energy structures to significantly improve efficiencies in optoelectronics and photovoltaics.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive program designed to reduce nursing students’ perceived stress and improve self-efficacy and readiness to professionally address incivility during clinical practice. Background: Incivility in clinical settings adversely impacts learners, educators, institutions, and healthcare systems, undermining safety and the teaching–learning process. Despite its increasing global prevalence, effective interventions remain largely unexplored. Methods: Our mixed-methods study, conducted from March to April 2024, involved senior baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing students (N = 35) from a California State University. The three-week, one-hour-per-week, interactive clinical incivility management program was developed through an extensive literature review. Pre- and post-intervention differences were assessed using a 10 min self-administered online survey that included the Uncivil Behavior in Clinical Nursing Education (UBCNE; 12 items), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; 10 items), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE; 10 items), and a sample characteristics questionnaire (11 items). A one-hour face-to-face focus group (n = 11) then provided qualitative data on personal experiences of clinical incivility. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, while qualitative data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: Clinical incivility prevalence was 71.4% (n = 25 out of 35). No statistically significant differences were found in UBCNE, PSS, and GSE scores between pre- and post-intervention. However, professional responses to clinical incivility significantly improved after the intervention (t = −12.907, p < 0.001). Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: (a) uncivil behaviors or language from nurses, (b) emotional discouragement and low self-confidence, (c) resource and personnel shortages at clinical sites for education, and (d) the necessity for interventions to manage clinical incivility. Conclusions: Nursing schools and clinical agencies should collaborate to establish monitoring systems, enhance communication, and implement evidence-based policies and interactive interventions to prevent and manage clinical incivility experienced by nursing students from clinical sites.

Abstract Three-dimensional optical nanostructures have garnered significant interest in photonics due to their extraordinary capabilities to manipulate the amplitude, phase, and polarization states of light. However, achieving complex three-dimensional optical nanostructures with bottom-up fabrication has remained challenging, despite its nanoscale precision and cost-effectiveness, mainly due to inherent limitations in structural controllability. Here, we report the optical characteristics of intricate two- and three-dimensional nanoarchitectures made of colloidal quantum dots fabricated with multi-dimensional transfer printing. Our customizable fabrication platform, directed by tailored interface polarity, enables flexible geometric control over a variety of one-, two-, and three-dimensional quantum dot architectures, achieving tunable and advanced optical features. For example, we demonstrate a two-dimensional quantum dot nanomesh with tuned subwavelength square perforations designed by finite-difference time-domain calculations, achieving an 8-fold enhanced photoluminescence due to the maximized optical resonance. Furthermore, a three-dimensional quantum dot chiral structure is also created via asymmetric stacking of one-dimensional quantum dot layers, realizing a pronounced circular dichroism intensity exceeding 20°.

International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recently developed the adult and pediatric mesh-type reference computational phantoms (MRCPs) in high-quality/fidelity mesh format, featuring high deformability into various body sizes and poses. Utilizing this feature, the adult MRCPs-based body-size-dependent phantom library was developed for individualized dosimetry. To complete the full phantom library set, the present study produced the pediatric-MRCPs-based body-size-dependent pediatric phantom library. The library comprises a total of 637 phantoms (356 males and 281 females) with varying standing heights and body weights, covering a wide range of body sizes (i.e., including from 1st to 99th percentile height and weight values) for infants, children, and adolescents, offering a realistic representation of body shapes by reflecting ten secondary anthropometric parameters. The phantoms were automatically constructed utilizing automatic deformation program. The dosimetric impact of the library was investigated by calculating organ doses for external exposures to broad parallel photon beams in anterior-posterior direction. Compared with the values of the pediatric MRCPs, significant differences were observed at energies

In July 2022, stem rot symptom was found in a peony plant grown in a pot under a greenhouse at Jinju, Gyeongnam Province, South Korea. Two fungal species were isolated from the infected peony stems and cultured on 1/2-strength potato dextrose agar for identification. The morphological characteristics of the fungal isolates were examined, and nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region, β-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1-α were analysed. The pathogenicity of the two isolates was confirmed in detached peony leaves, according to Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the report of Neopestalotiopsis clavispora and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum as the causal agents of peony stem rots. Antifungal activity of chemical fungicide propineb and rhizobacterium Bacillus siamensis H30-3 was shown against the two plant pathogenic fungi N. clavispora and S. sclerotiorum. Unidentified diffusible and volatile compounds from B. siamensis H30-3 could suppress in vitro mycelial growths of N. clavispora JJ 8-2-1 and S. sclerotiorum JJ 8-2-2.

Background : This study investigates the relationship between changes in physical activity levels and risk of metabolic syndrome. Methods : This study examined 1,686 adults aged 40 to 69 years from a community-based cohort study with complete 1st to 4th follow-up data between 2011 and 2020. Changes in physical activity were evaluated through baseline and follow-up surveys using physical activity questionnaires. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. A survival analysis was conducted using a multivariate extended Cox regression model with a significance level set at P420 minutes per week at first follow-up) had a 25% decrease in the HR for metabolic syndrome compared with the consistently inactive group (walking ≤420 minutes per week at both baseline and first follow-up) (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.98). Conclusion : Changes in physical activity levels are associated with risk of metabolic syndrome. These results provide important insights for future investigations into the link between physical activity changes and disease occurrence.