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Vertical bony step (VBS) occurs between proximal and distal segments of the mandible during mandibular setback surgery with bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether VBS is correlated with the relapse of mandibular setback using 3-dimensional models constructed from cone-beam computed tomography.The subjects consisted of 30 patients who underwent bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy for a mandibular setback. Double jaw surgery was performed in 18 patients, and isolated mandibular setback surgery was performed in 12 patients. Cone-beam computed tomography scans were taken at pretreatment (T0), postsurgery (T1), and posttreatment (T2). Treatment changes and the correlations between measurements were evaluated.The mean mandibular setback was -11.9 mm, and the mean VBS was -5.6 mm. Correlations with the relapse of mandibular setback were found in the amount of mandibular setback (T1 - T0), development of VBS (T1 - T0), posterior movement of the proximal segment (T1 - T0), counterclockwise rotation of symphysis (T2 - T1), and the resolution of VBS (T2 - T1).The development and resolution of VBS were correlated with the relapse of mandibular setback. Minimizing VBS is recommended to reduce the relapse of mandibular setback.

Objective Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a clinical disease that is diagnosed by the loss of ovarian function before the age of 40. Despite recent progress in molecular diagnosis, the genetic etiology of POI is not well established. The aim of this study is to reveal pathogenic genetic variants involved in POI. Study design and main outcome measures To reveal pathogenic genetic variants involved in POI, whole exome sequencing was performed in nonconsanguineous family members with POI. Constitutional variants were filtered against population databases and a missense mutation of natriuretic peptide C (NPPC) (c.131A>G, p.Q44R) was selected as a convincing candidate mutation among 14 heterozygous mutant alleles in 13 genes. Results The wild-type NPPC and mutant NPPC (NPPC131A>G) were expressed in HeLa cells, and cells expressing NPPC131A>G secreted unique peptides. The ProP 1.0 Server, a neural network prediction tool, predicted the presence of a cleavage site at the substituted arginine residue (p.Q44R) of NPPC. The molecular weight of predicted cleaved peptides processed from mutant NPPC precursor corresponded to that of the actual mutant peptide. The cGMP synthetic activity of NPR2-expressing cells was significantly decreased by interaction with the mutant NPPC peptide compared with wild-type NPPC. Conclusions The peptide generated by a rare mutation of NPPC might influence paracrine C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP)-mediated preantral follicle development and/or sustain meiotic arrest in oocytes. We therefore suggest that a mutation of the NPPC gene is involved in the pathogenesis of POI.

To identify the incidence, associated factors, and impact of hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) among patients who have undergone orthopedic surgery.We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all adults patients who underwent orthopedic surgery from January 2016 through December 2017 at a tertiary hospital.Of 7,363 patients who underwent orthopedic surgical procedures, 52 (0.7%) developed hospital-acquired CDI. The independent factors associated with CDI were age ≥65 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.4; P.001), preoperative hospital stay ≥3 days (aOR, 3.7; P.001), operating time ≥3 hours (aOR, 2.5; P.005), and antibiotic use for infection treatment (aOR, 4.3; P.001). After adjusting for the timing of CDI using a multistate model, the mean excess LOS attributable to CDI was 2.8 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4-5.3). The impact of CDI on excess LOS was more evident among patients aged ≥65 years (4.4 days; 95% CI, 1.8-7.0) and those with any comorbidity (5.6 days; 95% CI, 3.0-8.1).The overall incidence of CDI after orthopedic surgery was 0.7%. The occurrence of CDI after orthopedic surgery contributes to increased LOS. The greatest impact of CDI on LOS occurs among elderly patients and patients with comorbidities.

Tumor angiogenesis is regarded as a promising target for limiting cancer progression because tumor-associated vasculature supplies blood and provides a path for metastasis. Thus, in vitro recapitulation of vascularized tumors is critical to understand the pathology of cancer and identify the mechanisms by which tumor cells proliferate, metastasize, and respond to drugs. In this study, we microengineered a vascularized tumor spheroid (VTS) model to reproduce the pathological features of solid tumors. We first generated tumor-EC hybrid spheroids with self-assembled intratumoral vessels, which enhanced the uniformity of the spheroids and peritumoral angiogenic capacity compared to spheroids composed only with cancer cells. Notably, the hybrid spheroids also exhibited expression profiles associated with aggressive behavior. The blood vessels sprouting around the hybrid spheroids on the VTS chip displayed the distinctive characteristics of leaky tumor vessels. With the VTS chip showing a progressive tumor phenotype, we validated the suppressive effects of axitinib on tumor growth and angiogenesis, which depended on exposure dose and time, highlighting the significance of tumor vascularization to predict the efficacy of anticancer drugs. Ultimately, we effectively induced both lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis around the tumor spheroid by promoting interstitial flow. Thus, our VTS model is a valuable platform with which to investigate the interactions between tumor microenvironments and explore therapeutic strategies in cancer. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We conducted an integrative study within a vascularized tumor spheroid (VTS) model. We first generated tumor-EC hybrid spheroids with self-assembled intratumoral vessels, which enhanced the uniformity of the spheroids and peritumoral angiogenic capacity compared to spheroids composed only with cancer cells. Through RNA sequencing, we elucidated that the tumor-EC hybrid spheroids exhibited expression profiles associated with aggressive behavior such as cancer progression, invasion and metastasis. The blood vessels sprouting around the hybrid spheroids on the VTS chip displayed the distinctive characteristics of leaky tumor vessels. We further validated the suppressive effects of axitinib on tumor growth and angiogenesis, depending on exposure dose and time. Ultimately, we effectively induced both lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis around the tumor spheroid by promoting interstitial flow.

Background The ultimate goal of cancer screening is to diagnose invasive cancers early, while they are still curable. We aimed to validate the diagnostic value of blood-derived protein biomarkers that we developed for six common cancer in Korea. Methods We have discovered 12 protein biomarkers that are useful in differentiating cancer patients from healthy controls using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS), and literature review. Cancer patients (stomach, colon, liver, lung, breast, and prostate) and control subjects were collected and tested data sets were used to generate predictive models that identify risk scores for each cancer. The validation study was done in serum samples of an independent patient cohort Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the biomarker combinations. Results The AUCs of the model in the test set were 0.971, 0.960, 0.969, 0.942, 0.834, and 0.985 for stomach, colon, liver, lung, breast, and prostate cancer, respectively. Conclusions Combining multiple tumor and systemic inflammatory biomarkers proved to be a valid strategy in the diagnosis of six common cancers in Korea. Further validation of appropriate screening populations through large-scale clinical trials are warranted.

A facile method was introduced and demonstrated to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) as an electron transporting layer (ETL) for organic solar cells (OSCs). Hydrothermal synthesis of the NRs showed a constant growth rate of 5.5 nm min−1 from germination to sub-micrometer length. The properties were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), absorption spectrophotometry and so on. Based on these measurements, the germinant growth mechanism and its corresponding orientation characteristics were investigated. As an ETL of the OSCs, ZnO NRs enhance the charge extraction from the active layer due to their increased interfacial surface area, but there is an optimal length because of the shunt path formation and UV absorption of long ZnO NRs. As a result, the OSC with the ZnO NRs as ETL shows power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 6.2%. The J-V characteristics and incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) measurement also reveal that the efficiency enhancement is an assembly of individual results from optical, physical and electrical characteristic of the ZnO NRs.

Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) is highly effective as a sagittal correction approach in patients with adult spinal deformity, but relevant issues such as surgical complexity and long-term complications limit its applicability. Recently, minimally invasive techniques have been reported to be useful for surgical treatment of adult spinal deformity; however, few reports have directly compared these techniques with PSO.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiological and clinical efficacies of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) with posterior column osteotomy (PCO) using stiff rods (6.35-mm cobalt chrome [CoCr]).Retrospective comparative study.One-hundred six patients (average age 71.3 years) diagnosed with adult spinal deformity presenting with sagittal imbalance for whom follow-up of over 2 years after sagittal correction (between 2013 and 2017) was available.Description and analysis of X-ray, computed tomography scans, operative time, estimated blood loss, and clinical outcomes (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI] and Visual Analog Scale [VAS]).A comparative analysis was performed evaluating spinopelvic parameters and clinical outcomes including the ODI, VAS, and complications in patients who underwent PSO (PSO group; n=65) or multilevel prepsoas OLIF combined with PCO and open posterior spinal fusion using 6.35-mm CoCr rods (OLIF group; n=41). The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.There were no differences in preoperative spinopelvic parameters between the PSO and OLIF groups. Although no differences were observed between the two groups in terms of postoperative SVA (-12.66 mm vs. -16.44 mm), postoperative lumbar lordosis (-71.46° vs. -72.55°), lumbar lordosis correction (77.96° vs. 73.54°), or postoperative pelvic tilt (9.35° vs. 7.17°), the estimated blood loss was significantly lower in the OLIF group (2824 mL vs. 1736 mL, p.05). No differences were observed in clinical outcomes (ODI, VAS, and clinical complications), proximal junctional kyphosis, and spinopelvic parameters between the two groups 2 years after surgery. However, pseudarthrosis during the follow-up period, including rod fracture, occurred less frequently in the OLIF group compared with that in the PSO group (p.05). OLIF was performed from the T12-L1 to L5-S1 regions (124 segments), with an average of three segments per patient. The computed tomography scans immediately after surgery showed an average segmental correction of -18° and 12.9% (16 segments) of 124 segments showed a correction angle of30°.Multilevel OLIF with PCO using a stiff rod to treat severe sagittal imbalance resulted in similar levels of sagittal balance and lordosis correction as obtained by PSO. Multilevel OLIF with PCO using a stiff rod can be an effective alternative to PSO for patients with severe sagittal imbalance.

Stem cell-based therapy is one of the most attractive approaches to ischemic heart diseases, such as myocardial infarction (MI). We evaluated the cardio-protective effects of the human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) stably expressing lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1; LEF1/hUCB-MSCs) in a rat model of MI. LEF1 overexpression in hUCB-MSCs promoted cell-proliferation and anti-apoptotic effects in hypoxic conditions. For the application of its therapeutic effects in vivo, the LEF1 gene was introduced into an adeno-associated virus integration site 1 (AAVS1) locus, known as a safe harbor site on chromosome 19 by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene integration in hUCB-MSCs. Transplantation of LEF1/hUCB-MSCs onto the infarction region in the rat model significantly improved overall survival. The cardio-protective effect of LEF1/hUCB-MSCs was proven by echocardiogram parameters, including greatly improved left-ventricle ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS). Moreover, histology and immunohistochemistry successfully presented reduced MI region and fibrosis by LEF1/hUCB-MSCs. We found that these overall positive effects of LEF1/hUCB-MSCs are attributed by increased proliferation and survival of stem cells in oxidative stress conditions and by the secretion of various growth factors by LEF1. In conclusion, this study suggests that the stem cell-based therapy, conjugated with genome editing of transcription factor LEF1, which promotes cell survival, could be an effective therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular disease. Keywords: LEF1, hUCB-MSCs, CRISPR/Cas9, myocardial infarction, cardio-protection, growth factors

The major pathologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau. The deposition of amyloid plaques leads to synaptic dysfunction, neuronal cell death, and cognitive impairment. Among the neurotransmitters, glutamate is the most abundant in the mammalian brain and plays an important role in synaptic plasticity. With respect to synaptic transmission, metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) is highly affected by amyloid pathology. However, the neuropathologic changes in the protein expression of mGluR5 in AD remain unclear. Therefore, to elucidate the alteration in mGluR5 expression with the progression of AD, we performed serial behavioral tests, longitudinal imaging studies, and histopathological immunoassay for both 5xFAD (n = 14) mice and age-matched wild-type mice (n = 14). The 5xFAD mice started showing severe hyperactivity and memory impairment from 7 months of age. In addition, mGluR5 positron emission tomography revealed that while the binding values in the wild-type mice were similar over time, those in 5xFAD mice fluctuated from 5 months of age. Furthermore, the 5xFAD mice presented a 35% decrease in the binding values of their cortical and subcortical areas at 9 months of age compared with those at 3 months of age. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and histopathological studies showed similar changes. In conclusion, mGluR5 availability changes with age, and mGluR5 positron emission tomography could successfully detect this synaptic change in the 5xFAD mice.

Decellularized esophageal matrices are ideal scaffolds for esophageal tissue engineering. Unfortunately, in order to improve transplantation possibilities, they require modification to reduce their degradation rate and immunogenicity. To date, no modifying agent has been approved to overcome these limitations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to improve the structural stability and biocompatibility of decellularized rat esophagi. AgNPs have the advantage over currently used agents in that they bind with collagen fibers in a highly ordered manner, via non-covalent binding mechanisms forming multiple binding sites, while other agents provide only two-point connections between collagen molecules. Rat esophagi were decellularized, loaded with 5 μg/mL of AgNPs (100 nm), and then treated with an immobilization-complex buffer composed of ethyl carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS). Then, they were evaluated in terms of ultra-structural morphology, water uptake, in vitro resistance to enzymatic and thermal degradation, indentation strength, in vitro anti-calcification, cytocompatibility with rat bone marrow derived stromal cells (rat-BMSCs), angiogenic properties, and in vivo biocompatibility, and compared to scaffolds modified using glutaraldehyde and EDC/NHS complex buffer alone. AgNP-modified scaffolds showed an improved ultrastructure, good water uptake, and considerable resistance against in vitro degradation and indentation, and a high resistance against in vitro calcification. Moreover, they were cytocompatible for allogeneic rat-BMSCs. Additionally, AgNPs did not alter the angiogenic properties of the modified scaffolds and decreased host immune responses after their subcutaneous implantation. The structural properties and biocompatibility of decellularized esophageal matrices could be improved by conjugation with AgNPs.

Malignant brain tumors constitute nearly one-third of cancer diagnoses in children and have recently surpassed hematologic malignancies as the most lethal neoplasm in the pediatric population. Outcomes for children with brain tumors are unacceptably poor and current standards of care—surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation—are associated with significant long-term morbidity. Oncolytic virotherapy has emerged as a promising immunotherapy for the treatment of brain tumors. While the majority of brain tumor clinical trials utilizing oncolytic virotherapy have been in adults, five viruses are being tested in pediatric brain tumor clinical trials: herpes simplex virus (G207), reovirus (pelareorep/Reolysin), measles virus (MV-NIS), poliovirus (PVSRIPO), and adenovirus (DNX-2401, AloCELYVIR). Herein, we review past and current pediatric immunovirotherapy brain tumor trials including the relevant preclinical and clinical research that contributed to their development. We describe mechanisms by which the viruses may overcome barriers in treating pediatric brain tumors, examine challenges associated with achieving effective, durable responses, highlight unique aspects and successes of the trials, and discuss future directions of immunovirotherapy research for the treatment of pediatric brain tumors.

Glioblastoma is considered one of the most aggressive and dangerous brain tumors. However, treatment of GBM has been still challenged due to blood-brain barrier (BBB). BBB prevents that the chemotherapeutic molecules are extravasated to brain. In this study, sonosensitive liposome encapsulating doxorubicin (DOX) was developed for enhancement of GBM penetration in combination with focused ultrasound (FUS) and microbubbles. Upon ultrasound (US) irradiation, microbubbles induce cavitation resulting in the tight junction of BBB endothelium to temporarily open. In addition, the composition of sonosensitive liposome was optimized by comparison of sonosensitivity and intracellular uptake to U87MG cells. The optimal sonosensitive liposome, IMP301-DC, resulted 123.9 ± 38.2 nm in size distribution and 98.2 % in loading efficiency. Related to sonosensitivity of IMP301-DC, US-triggered release ratio of doxorubicin was 69.2 ± 12.3 % at 92 W/cm

Resistance random-access memory (RRAM) is a promising candidate for both the next-generation non-volatile memory and the key element of neural networks. In this article, different types of Mott-transition (the transition between the Mott insulator and metallic states) mechanisms and Mott-transition-based RRAM are reviewed. Mott insulators and some related doped systems can undergo an insulator-to-metal transition or metal-to-insulator transition under various excitation methods, such as pressure, temperature, and voltage. A summary of these driving forces that induce Mott-transition is presented together with their specific transition mechanisms for different materials. This is followed by a dynamics study of oxygen vacancy migration in voltage-driven non-volatile Mott-transition and the related resistive switching performance. We distinguish between a filling-controlled Mott-transition, which corresponds to the conventional valence change memory effect in band-insulators, and a bandwidth-controlled Mott-transition, which is due to a change in the bandwidth in the Mott system. Last, different types of Mott-RRAM-based neural network concepts are also discussed. The results in this review provide guidelines for the understanding, and further study and design of Mott-transition-based RRAM materials and their correlated devices.

Highlights • RNA adjuvant was developed from the CrPV intergenic region IRES. • The RNA adjuvant functioned as an adjuvant with protein-based vaccines. • The RNA adjuvant increased vaccine efficacy and induced balanced Th1/Th2 response. • The RNA adjuvant enhanced APC chemotaxis., An ideal adjuvant should increase vaccine efficacy through balanced Th1/Th2 responses and be safe to use. Recombinant protein-based vaccines are usually formulated with aluminum (alum)-based adjuvants to ensure an adequate immune response. However, use of alum triggers a Th2-biased immune induction, and hence is not optimal. Although the adjuvanticity of RNA has been reported, a systematic and overall investigation on its efficacy is lacking. We found that single strand RNA (termed RNA adjuvant) derived from cricket paralysis virus intergenic region internal ribosome entry site induced the expression of various adjuvant-function-related genes, such as type 1 and 2 interferon (IFN) and toll-like receptor (TLR), T cell activation, and leukocyte chemotaxis in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells; furthermore, its innate and IFN transcriptome profile patterns were similar to those of a live-attenuated yellow fever vaccine. This suggests that protein-based vaccines formulated using RNA adjuvant function as live-attenuated vaccines. Application of the RNA adjuvant in mouse enhanced the efficacy of Middle East respiratory syndrome spike protein, a protein-subunit vaccine and human papillomavirus L1 protein, a virus-like particle vaccine, by activating innate immune response through TLR7 and enhancing pAPC chemotaxis, leading to a balanced Th1/Th2 responses. Moreover, the combination of alum and the RNA adjuvant synergistically induced humoral and cellular immune responses and endowed long-term immunity. Therefore, RNA adjuvants have broad applicability and can be used with all conventional vaccines to improve vaccine efficacy qualitatively and quantitively.

Decellularization of a whole organ is an attractive process that has been used to create 3D scaffolds structurally and micro-architecturally similar to the native one. Currently used decellularization protocols exhibit disrupted extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and denatured ECM proteins. Therefore, maintaining a balance between ECM preservation and cellular removal is a major challenge. The aim of this study was to optimize a multistep Triton X-100 based protocol (either using Triton X-100/ammonium hydroxide mixture alone or after its modification with DNase, sodium dodecyl sulfate or trypsin) that could achieve maximum decellularization with minimal liver ECM destruction suitable for subsequent organ implantation without immune rejection. Based on our findings, Triton X-100 multistep protocol was insufficient for whole liver decellularization and needed to be modified with other detergents. Among all Triton X-100 modified protocols, a Triton X-100/DNase-based one was considered the most suitable. It maintains a gradual but sufficient removal of cells to generate decellularized biocompatible liver scaffolds without any significant alteration to ECM micro- and ultra-structure.

We utilize thermal transfer technology to suggest a novel baking process for the emitting layer (EML) of residual-solvent-free organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). We deposited the EML onto an intermediate substrate using a conventional spin-coating process, after which the EML was transferred to the device by evaporating the EML through heating of the intermediate substrate. The EML films were fully transferred from an intermediate substrate to the target substrate at a temperature exceeding 350 °C under both a low vacuum of ∼10−3 Torr and a high vacuum of ∼10−6 Torr. The quantity of residual solvent was carefully investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis methods. While residual solvent peaks were found to exist 1.69 min after the beginning of the measurement process in the conventional spin-coating EML films despite the baking condition of 150 °C, solvent peaks were not observed in the EML films created with the novel baking process under conditions identical to those used in the GC-MS measurement. Moreover, according to the NMR analysis, the solvent peak of toluene at 2.3 ppm was not found in the thermally transferred EML films. Furthermore, we investigated the device performance capabilities between samples fabricated using the conventional baking process and those created with the novel thermal transfer process. In spite of low pressure of ∼10−3 Torr, the current efficiency and the lifetime of the OLED device created via the thermal transfer process were enhanced owing to the elimination of the residual solvent.

Dendrobium plants are the most important orchids used in horticultural industries and oriental medicine. Recently, several Dendrobium mutant genotypes with improved horticultural traits have been developed using various mutagens such as gamma irradiation, somaclonal variation, and aerospace mutagenesis. This study investigated genetic diversity and variations among 7 Dendrobium mutant genotypes and 11 commercial Dendrobium cultivars using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers generated from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis. In addition, the SNPs were converted into a competitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assay to discriminate the Dendrobium genotypes. A total of 67,669,394 clean data reads were generated, with 3.7 million reads per genotype on average, and 38,168,915 (56.4%) mapped reads. A total of 517,660 SNPs were detected, which included 443,305 homozygous and 74,355 heterozygous loci. The frequency of transition substitutions was shown to be higher than that of transversions, and the transition:transversion ratio is 1.34. A set of 37,721 filtered SNPs was used to perform a phylogenetic analysis, which showed that there were clear differences among the Dendrobium genotypes based on their species. A total of 18 SNPs were used for the development of KASP assay sets, of which 10 were successfully applied to distinguish among Dendrobium genotypes. This study demonstrated that the SNPs and KASP assay sets are an economically efficient tool for mutant screening and for selection of elite genotypes in Dendrobium breeding programs.

In this study, we manufactured silicon PIN photodiodes coupled with a scintillator for X-ray detection in cargo inspections. The classification of photodiodes is made based on their depletion characteristics into two categories: fully depleted (FD) sensor and non-fully depleted (NFD) sensor. We manufactured the photodiodes on an n-type silicon wafer of diameter 6-in., a high resistivity ( > 5 k Ω cm ) and low resistivity ( > 100 Ω cm ) for the FD and NFD sensors, respectively. The light entrance windows for the scintillation light were designed on the ohmic and junction sides of the FD and NFD sensors, respectively. Since the NFD sensor is not fully depleted, it can be operated at a lower bias voltage, and therefore has a lower leakage current. We measured the electrical characteristics, quantum efficiencies, and energy resolutions of the fabricated FD and NFD photodiodes coupled with or without a CsI(Tl) crystal using alpha particles from a 241Am radioactive source. We present results of the comparison between the FD and NFD sensors.

High operational efficiency in the use of hoists is crucial for the successful completion of high-rise building projects. Simply increasing the number of hoists may not be possible because of insufficient space or budget limits. However, adopting the “double-deck” concept can be an effective approach to improving the operational efficiency of hoists in projects with such constraints. This study proposes a flexible double-cage hoist for use in such projects. In a case study, we found that combining the proposed hoist with existing single-cage hoists enabled a smaller number of hoists to achieve significantly higher efficiency at lower cost than a group of single-cage hoists. The optimal combination showed a 16.6% decrease in total operational costs and a 7.9% increase in operational efficiency. Using the proposed hoist could therefore enable the successful completion of high-rise building projects at lower cost.

We investigated the color conversion characteristics of a quantum dot/organic light-emitting diode (QD/OLED) by altering blue emission using the microcavity effect. Compared to the ITO-based OLED, the WO3/Ag/WO3 (WAW)-based OLED has a narrow shape of resonance and high cavity enhancement factor. As a result, the peak emission intensity wavelength remarkably shifts as the thickness of the WO3 layer increases and the WAW-based OLED with inner WO3 thickness of 120 nm shows an additional emission peak at 420 nm due to the second resonance. As the thickness of the WO3 layer increases, the color coordinates of the hybrid QD/OLED with the ITO anode are nearly unchanged. However, hybrid WAW-based devices exhibit distinct color coordinates, such as nearly blue light, nearly green light and nearly white light with color coordinates of (0.31, 0.37).

This study investigated whether Heshouwu (Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.) root ethanol extract (PME) has anti-obesity activity using 3T3-L1 cells and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Treatment with PME (5 and 10 μg/mL) dose-dependently suppressed 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte differentiation to adipocytes and cellular triglyceride contents. In addition, PME inhibited mRNA and protein expression of adipogenic transcription factors such as CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), which led to down-regulation of fatty acid synthase gene expression. After feeding mice PME (0.05%) with HFD for 12 weeks, their visceral fat mass, size and body weight were significantly reduced compared with the HFD group. Furthermore, PME supplementation significantly up-regulated the PPARα, CPT1, CPT2, UCP1 and HSL mRNA levels compared with the HFD group, whereas it down-regulated expression of the PPARγ and DGAT2 genes. Finally, HFD increased serum leptin, insulin, glucose and insulin and glucose levels; however, PME reversed these changes. These results demonstrated that PME might relieve obesity that occurs via inhibition of adipogenesis and lipogenesis as well as through lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation in 3T3-L1 cells and HFD-induced obese mice.

A series of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) with the same molecular weight but different soft/hard ratios were synthesized by in-situ condensation polymerization using poly (tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG) as the polyol and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as the isocyanate. The weight fractions of the hard segments were varied from 0.0 to 0.4. The structures of the TPU series were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The changes in the thermal and optical properties due to the hard segment crystallinity were also measured by differential scanning calorimetry and UV–vis spectroscopy. Increasing the hard content promoted phase separation and served as absorption blocks in the TPU. The water vapor permeability of the TPU films with different soft/hard ratios ranged from 223.63 to 116.26 g/m2 day.

Over the past decade, graphene-based solar cells have received increasing exploration. In particular, the metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS)-type solar cells have an inherent cost advantage compared to the p-n junction solar cells. However, the technological progress in graphene solar cells based on the MIS junction is currently facing a number of serious challenges, including long-term stability, surface recombination at the interface level, and surface defects. To overcome these barriers, a simple, cost-effective method is developed herein for the interfacial single-component passivation of Al2O3 with NH3 or H2O2, and co-passivation with NH3 and H2O2 together. The interfacial layer between the silicon and the directly-grown graphene operates as an effective electron blocking layer, thus leading to the minimization of surface recombination. Further, the NH3-H2O2 co-passivated Al2O3 performs the dual role of providing a good platform for the growth of graphene and enhancing the performance of the fabricated solar cell. Moreover, in a proof of concept demonstration, the fabricated graphene-silicon (Gr/Si) Schottky junction with an NH3-H2O2 co-passivated Al2O3 interfacial layer exhibits an efficiency of 9.49%, which is a major enhancement over that of the Gr/Si solar cell without an interfacial layer (i.e., 3.19%). These results demonstrate that the control of oxygen-related defects containing non-lattice oxygen in the Al2O3 interfacial layer remarkably impacts the charge transfer resistance and electron recombination processes. This work can be viewed as an elegant interface engineering approach to the co-passivation of Al2O3 for optoelectronic applications.

An X-ray detector system was fabricated with an organic small molecule photodetector and a terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd2O2S:Tb) scintillating screen. Though the microsphere cluster structure of the Gd2O2S film had advantage in low material cost, wavelength matching to the proper photodetector is challenging due to its scintillating performance property in the relatively narrow emission spectrum range. To tune the absorption spectrum of the organic photodetector to that of the emission spectrum of the Gd2O2S, a microcavity effect was applied by controlling the thickness of the C60 layer. The peak wavelength of the absorption spectrum was tuned over a broad region of wavelengths, from 461 nm to 776 nm. The fabricated X-ray detector system was demonstrated in a medical X-ray radiography system.

Background Clinical subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been empirically defined based on the prominent motor symptoms. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of non-motor symptoms across PD motor subtypes in patients with PD. Methods A total of 192 patients with de novo PD were included. The patients were classified into the tremor-dominant/mixed/akinetic-rigid (TD/mixed/AR) and tremor-dominant/mixed/postural instability and gait disturbance (TD/mixed/PIGD) subtypes, according to previous reports. Results In the TD/mixed/AR classification, scores for scales related to motor symptoms and activities of daily living (ADL) were significantly different among the groups, and patients with the AR subtype demonstrated more severe scores than patients with the TD subtype. In the TD/mixed/PIGD classification, age, age at symptom onset, scores on motor-related scales, ADL, and non-motor symptoms were significantly different among the groups. Scores including the modified Hoehn and Yahr stages, the motor and ADL subscores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Non-Motor Symptom Assessment Scale were significantly different after adjustments for age and age at symptom onset, and patients with the PIGD subtype obtained more severe scores than patients with the TD subtype. Conclusion The TD/mixed/PIGD classification seems to be more suitable for identifying non-motor abnormalities than the TD/mixed/AR classification.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films with co-doped Ga and F were deposited using atomic layer deposition. Structural, electrical, and optical properties of the ZnO thin films were analyzed for different F doping amounts under the condition that the Ga doping amount remained fixed. From the X-ray diffraction analysis results, it was confirmed that the preferred orientation changed from (002) to (100) with changing F amounts. The electrical properties, i.e., carrier concentration and mobility of these co-doped ZnO thin films improved with the F doping amount, resulting in a decrease in the electrical resistivity. The reason for this improved resistivity is that Ga and F atoms replace Zn and O in the lattice sites, respectively, despite a slight decrease in the mobility. An increase in the carrier concentration widened the optical bandgap of ZnO thin films by the Moss-Burstein effect.

Owing to oxygen vacancies, the as-prepared ZnO normally shows n-type semiconducting characteristic. This has restricted the preparation of high-quality p-type ZnO and the application of ZnO optoelectronic devices. Therefore, we studied a method of using H2O2 as an oxygen source to passivate oxygen vacancies (Vo) in ZnO films via atomic layer deposition (ALD). The temperature range for the self-limited growth of crystalline ZnO thin films by ALD using diethylzinc and H2O2 was found to be in the range of 80 to 150 °C. Our results show that the use of H2O2 as an oxygen source can provide an O-rich condition (instead of H2O) for the growth of ZnO film, with a total preferential (002) orientation of the growth plane and decreased grain size. Further, the O-rich growth environment can suppress the formation of Vo and zinc interstitials and decrease the carrier concentration in ZnO (from 2.525 × 1019 cm−3 to 1.695 × 1012 cm−3). This can lead to an increase in the film resistivity from 1.717 × 10−2 Ω·cm for a ZnO film prepared using H2O to 1.348 × 104 Ω·cm for a ZnO film prepared using H2O2. Thus, H2O2 could be used to passivate Vo in ZnO at a low temperature, and it could be beneficial for the preparation of p-type ZnO films.

With the ever-increasing growth in the number of US multinational restaurant firms, the need for a better understanding of CSR initiatives enacted in those countries is actively gaining in importance. A firm's CSR is influenced by the cultural context of a given society and, according to the upper echelons theory, the characteristics of its corporate executives. However, there was no empirical evidence on the moderating role of CEO narcissism, a common CEO characteristic in many cases, on the national culture-CSR relationship. This study finds that a firm with more properties in high-UA societies has less involvement in CSR and that CEO narcissism positively moderates the relationship. The results provide a meaningful empirical addition to the upper echelons literature by demonstrating how CEO traits can serve as a boundary condition in examining the impact of uncertainty avoidance, as a contextual factor, on CSR, as an organizational outcome, in the restaurant industry.

The present study focused on nitrogen doped Al2O3 thin films using atomic layer deposition, varying the deposition temperature from 55 to 170 °C. Al2O3 thin film growth rate and electrical properties were mostly dependent on deposition temperature. Nitrogen concentration decreased from 2.7 to 2.4% with increasing deposition temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis confirmed that nitrogen doping in Al2O3 decreased formation of oxygen related defects, including non-lattice oxygen. Surface morphology analyses also showed that N-doping reduced Al2O3 film surface roughness. Reduced oxygen related defects significantly reduced leakage current by 1000 times when comparing with as-deposited films. Minimum leakage current (5 × 10−10 A/cm2) was observed for N-doped Al2O3 film deposited at 170 °C and post-annealed at 400 °C, including a decrease by 10 times through N-doping.

An early-warning performance monitoring system (EPMS) is proposed to objectively measure and monitor the performance of a project for early detection of inherent poor performance problems. The EPMS is built based on project progress data and consists of a database of business information, an optimized theoretical model used as a performance measurement baseline, and an index for monitoring and forecasting the performance. By monitoring the performance through an application of the EPMS to the Korean construction project, the quarterly variation of index was found to differ by project type. These results could explain the environmental changes in the project execution. Therefore, the EPMS is expected to be an alternative for objective performance monitoring and forecasting while applying the existing methods is difficult because of the limited available data on performance indicators. The development procedures may also be useful to researchers interested in approaches to quantitatively analyze trends in various industries.

The 2-fold purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of acid etching and calcium chloride immersion on removal torque and the bone-cutting ability of orthodontic mini-implants (OMIs).For the removal torque part of the study, 3 types of OMIs (titanium alloy) were evaluated in a rabbit model: OMIs with acid surface etching with and without calcium chloride immersion (ECG and EG, respectively) and a control group (CG), in which the OMIs had an untreated, machined surface. We inserted 126 OMIs (42 OMIs per type) into both tibias of 21 male rabbits (5 months of age) with body weights of 3.0 to 3.5 kg. Removal torque was evaluated after 1, 4, and 7 weeks. To determine the OMIs' bone-cutting ability, total insertion time to place an OMI 6 mm into artificial bone was measured (6 OMIs per group).Removal torque values for the EG (3.97 ± 0.52 Ncm) and ECG (4.21 ± 0.44 Ncm) were statistically and significantly higher than those of the CG (3.02 ± 0.53 Ncm) 1 week after implantation (P 0.05). The ECG (6.54 ± 0.50, 6.61 ± 0.66 Ncm) showed the highest removal torque value followed by the EG (5.68 ± 0.58, 5.89 ± 0.70 Ncm) and CG (3.43 ± 0.62, 3.38 ± 0.54 Ncm) at 4 and 7 weeks after implantation (P 0.05). Removal torque did not change over time with the CG, but with the ECG and EG, it was significantly higher in weeks 4 and 7 than in week 1 (P 0.05). Total insertion time was significantly greater for the EG than for the ECG and CG (P 0.05).Treating OMIs with a calcium chloride solution improved the initial bone reaction by preventing contamination of the implant surface, and increasing the surface roughness of OMIs by acid etching enhanced their stability without decreasing the bone-cutting ability compared with OMIs without surface treatment.

Purpose To evaluate an automated segmentation algorithm with a convolutional neural network (CNN) to quantify and detect intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid (SRF), pigment epithelial detachment (PED), and subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) through analyses of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images from patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Design Reliability and validity analysis of a diagnostic tool. Methods We constructed a dataset including 930 B-scans from 93 eyes of 93 patients with nAMD. A CNN-based deep neural network was trained using 11 550 augmented images derived from 550 B-scans. The performance of the trained network was evaluated using a validation set including 140 B-scans and a test set of 240 B-scans. The Dice coefficient, positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, relative area difference (RAD), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate segmentation and detection performance. Results Good agreement was observed for both segmentation and detection of lesions between the trained network and clinicians. The Dice coefficients for segmentation of IRF, SRF, SHRM, and PED were 0.78, 0.82, 0.75, and 0.80, respectively; the PPVs were 0.79, 0.80, 0.75, and 0.80, respectively; and the sensitivities were 0.77, 0.84, 0.73, and 0.81, respectively. The RADs were −4.32%, −10.29%, 4.13%, and 0.34%, respectively, and the ICCs were 0.98, 0.98, 0.97, and 0.98, respectively. All lesions were detected with high PPVs (range 0.94-0.99) and sensitivities (range 0.97-0.99). Conclusions A CNN-based network provides clinicians with quantitative data regarding nAMD through automatic segmentation and detection of pathologic lesions, including IRF, SRF, PED, and SHRM.

In this study, we introduce a thermal sintering process using a heated inert gas as a new sintering method. The heated gas flow is formed by passing nitrogen (N2) gas through a heating head of 300 to 700 °C, and the desired substrates are then exposed to the heated gas flow through a 400 mm long and 5 mm wide slit-nozzle. Sintering performance of Ag films was characterized by analyzing the electrical resistivity and metallographic structures according to the temperature change of the heating head. The temperature distribution of the heating region is analyzed by infrared (IR) thermal imaging and surface temperature measured by thermo-label tape. To test the feasibility of the proposed method for application to printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing, we performed a reliability evaluation using the printed Ag patterns under the standard of the Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuit (IPC), TM650. Various reliability test patterns were created by Ag inkjet-printing on both a rigid flame retardant 4 (FR4) substrate and a flexible polyimide (PI) film substrate. The reliability evaluation includes withstanding voltage, adhesive strength, thermal shock, pressure cooker, and bending tests. The surface wettability of the substrates was controlled to obtain high quality fine and uniform patterns by UV/O3 treatment after coating a fluoropolymer thin film.

In spite of the growing importance of promotion utilizing non-gaming products in the US casino industry, research on the effect of promotion for casino tourists on gaming revenue has been sparse. Especially, an examination of interaction effects among promotions utilizing non-gaming products on gaming revenue of US casino firms has been rare in the literature. Thus, this study aims to investigate the individual effect from each non-gaming product on gaming revenue in the US casino industry. Further, this study examines interaction effects of each pair of promotions utilizing non-gaming products on gaming revenue. The results of this study show a positive and significant effect of hotel room promotion on gaming revenue. In addition, promotions of hotel room and other businesses except for F&B in combination significantly contribute to an increase of gaming revenue.

For last 15 years, the market size of high-rise building construction has rapidly increased by four times. Many global contractors are investing in the development of high-rise building construction technology, which needs more advanced construction technology than ordinary building construction to secure competiveness in the market. It is significant for contractors to prospect the promising field of technology for strategic investment. Therefore, this study analyzed patents to forecast promising technology fields in future high-rise building construction. 2875 patents related to high-rise building construction that were applied for in the US, Europe, Korea, China and Japan during 1995–2013 were analyzed for market prospect and promising technology. As a result of the market analysis, Korea and China are in the developing phase of the technology market; and in particular, the Chinese market is showing the most drastic growth. On the other hand, the analysis of technology suggests the following technologies offer promising technology: 1) monitoring technology to enhance the efficiency of high-rise building construction; 2) information modeling technology and energy reduction technology in the construction phase based on information modeling technology; and 3) safety management technology based on information modeling technology. This study is intended to provide directions for high-rise building construction technology investment, and objective data for decision making for future global contractors.

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the components of test-retest reliability including time interval, sample size, and statistical methods used in patient-reported outcome measures in older people and to provide suggestions on the methodology for calculating test-retest reliability for patient-reported outcomes in older people. Design This was a systematic literature review. Data sources MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from January 1, 2000 to August 10, 2017 by an information specialist. Review methods This systematic review was guided by both the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist and the guideline for systematic review published by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency in Korea. The methodological quality was assessed by the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments checklist box B. Results Ninety-five out of 12,641 studies were selected for the analysis. The median time interval for test-retest reliability was 14days, and the ratio of sample size for test-retest reliability to the number of items in each measure ranged from 1:1 to 1:4. The most frequently used statistical methods for continuous scores was intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Among the 63 studies that used ICCs, 21 studies presented models for ICC calculations and 30 studies reported 95% confidence intervals of the ICCs. Additional analyses using 17 studies that reported a strong ICC (>0.09) showed that the mean time interval was 12.88days and the mean ratio of the number of items to sample size was 1:5.37. Conclusions When researchers plan to assess the test-retest reliability of patient-reported outcome measures for older people, they need to consider an adequate time interval of approximately 13days and the sample size of about 5 times the number of items. Particularly, statistical methods should not only be selected based on the types of scores of the patient-reported outcome measures, but should also be described clearly in the studies that report the results of test-retest reliability.

Background: Hypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and associated mortality, and postmenopausal women are at a high risk of hypertension. We aim to investigate the hypotensive effect and safety of acupuncture, focusing on postmenopausal women with prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. In addition, we aim to investigate whether the effect of acupuncture treatment differed, depending on Sasang Constitution and cold–heat pattern. Methods: This study is designed as an intervention cohort study. Two hundred postmenopausal women aged

Si-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were fabricated via atomic layer deposition (ALD) using diethylzinc, Tris(dimethylamino)silane, and H2O as Zn, Si, and O sources, respectively. The ALD cycle of the (Zn-O) step and the (Zn-Si-O) step were separated and the Si concentration was controlled via changing the (Zn-Si-O) pulse cycle compared to the (Zn-O) step. This Si source pulse sequence (Zn-Si-O) is different from the conventional (O-Si) pulse sequence and was specially selected in this study to maximize the properties of the thin film. All of the films showed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO with the (1 0 0) plane producing the main diffraction peak when ALD was performed at 200 ℃. As the Si-doping concentration increased, the crystallinity of the films deteriorated and the Scherrer size was reduced from 29.69 to 28.10 nm, there were improvements in the electrical characteristics, the carrier concentration increased up to 8.10 × 1020 cm−3, and the resistivity decreased to 5.15 × 10-4 Ω·cm, which is lower than the lowest previously reported result for Si-ZnO thin films fabricated via ALD (9.29 × 10-4 Ω·cm). Moreover, the carrier mobility increased at first (Si-ZnO 1:29 supercycles) and then decreased with increasing Si concentration. The average transmittance of all of the films was above 80% and the optical band gap increased from 3.29 to 3.47 eV. The increased carrier concentration according to the Burstein-Moss effect was linearly related to the band gap shift while up-shifting the EF (Fermi level) toward the conduction band. We expect that our approach in this study will provide an experimental basis to optimize ZnO thin-film characteristics via modification of Si pulsing sequence.

We report the biological activity of the ethanolic extractions of Suaeda japonica Makino. The layer fraction contains hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butyl alcohol, and H2O and dried the samples. The antioxidant and reducing potential activity as well as the polyphenolic, tannin and flavonoid compounds extracted from Suaeda japonica Makino were evaluated by different assays. The subterranean parts was used for these standardized assays. The maximum antioxidant activity was observed in ethyl acetate. The total phenolic and total flavonoid content were highest with ethyl acetate and the butyl alcohol fraction. High reducing potential was observed in the ethyl acetate fraction. A positive correlation was observed between the antioxidant activity and polyphenolic compounds (total phenolic content and total flavonoid content). Similarly, there was significant correlation between antioxidant activities and reducing potential indicating that the reducers present in the ethyl acetate fraction are major contributors to the antioxidant potential. Thus, the ethyl acetate fraction of this plant could be used for pharmaceutical and functional materials applications.

Dominant negative mutations in CLCN7, which encodes a homodimeric chloride channel needed for matrix acidification by osteoclasts, cause Albers-Schonberg disease (also known as autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type 2). More than 25 different CLCN7 mutations have been identified in patients affected with Albers-Schonberg disease, but only one mutation (Clcn7G213R) has been introduced in mice to create an animal model of this disease. Here we describe a mouse with a different osteopetrosis-causing mutation (Clcn7F318L). Compared to Clcn7+/+ mice, 12-week-old Clcn7F318L/+ mice have significantly increased trabecular bone volume, consistent with Clcn7F318L acting as a dominant negative mutation. Clcn7F318L/F318L and Clcn7F318L/G213R mice die by 1month of age and resemble Clcn7 knockout mice, which indicate that p.F318L mutant protein is non-functional and p.F318L and p.G213R mutant proteins do not complement one another. Since it has been reported that treatment with interferon gamma (IFN-G) improves bone properties in Clcn7G213R/+ mice, we treated Clcn7F318L/+ mice with IFN-G and observed a decrease in osteoclast number and mineral apposition rate, but no overall improvement in bone properties. Our results suggest that the benefits of IFN-G therapy in patients with Albers-Schonberg disease may be mutation-specific.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of mRNA targets and play a part in the post-transcriptional silencing. To date, the prominent roles of miRNAs in stem cells have been investigated in a wide range of biological processes, including self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation. In this commentary, we first demonstrate the causes and mechanisms of somatic stem cell aging in a new aspect of miRNAs. The functions of stem cells decline with age in diverse tissues due to cellular damages and congenital disorders. The somatic stem cells exhibit type-specific phenotypes with cellular senescence during the aging process. We explore the specific miRNAs regulating stem cell aging and age-related diseases. The functional investigations of the miRNAs in somatic stem cells and degenerative diseases might facilitate the translation of knowledge into clinical practice for the regulation of stem cell aging and aging-related diseases.

Pain is a frequent and troublesome non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) and has a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the relative impact of pain or a specific pain subtype on the QoL of patients with PD. We included 161 patients with PD. Pain was assessed using the patients' descriptions, a structured interview, and a detailed neurological examination. QoL was assessed using the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). One hundred and twenty (74.5%) patients with PD had chronic pain. Musculoskeletal pain was the most prevalent type, followed by radicular/neuropathic, dystonic, and central pain. PD patients with pain, regardless of the pain subtype, had a worse PDQ-39 score than those without pain. Multivariate regression analysis after adjusting for disease-related factors and motor characteristics showed that younger PD onset age and the high scores of part II of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Visual Analogue Scale were significant predictors of the poor PDQ-39 score. Pain along with depression, poor activities of daily living, and younger age of PD symptom onset are associated with poor QoL. All subtypes of pain affect QoL of patients with PD. Pain should be considered during the management of patients with PD.