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Background & purpose: Tremor is a common movement disorder diagnosed employing electrophysiological methods. Today, machine learning (ML) algorithms can efficiently analyze image-based data. Thus, we subjected the dynamics of essential tremor (ET) to video-based analysis. Methods: We enrolled 59 ET patients and 48 age-matched normal controls. The Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor was used to score tremors. All subjects used a smartphone to record an image designed especially for this study while both stationary and in motion. The trajectories were divided into lower bandpass-filtered and bandpass-filtered (BPF) groups based on the frequency. We extracted seven trajectory features, including the angle, velocity, homogeneity, pitch, power, entropy, and cosine. We used Student's t-test to compare the features of the ET patients and normal controls. A Random Forest model was employed to rank feature importance. Five ML models (random forest, k-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, decision tree, and multi-layer perceptron) were applied to estimate diagnostic accuracy. Results: Significant differences in most of the features of the BPF signals were evident between the two groups. The velocity and homogeneity of the BPF trajectory were highest in the stationary and motion phases, respectively. The highest accuracy levels in the stationary, motion, and combined phases for predicting ET were 0.901, 0.757, and 0.892, respectively. Conclusions: Features of ET tremor were evident in image-based data, enabling analysis of the tremor dynamics. ML analyses distinguished ET subjects from normal controls; however, more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-energy impacts, like vehicle crashes or falls, can lead to pelvic ring injuries. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are crucial due to the risks of severe bleeding and organ damage. Pelvic radiography promptly assesses fracture extent and location, but struggles to diagnose bleeding. The AO/OTA classification system grades pelvic instability, but its complexity limits its use in emergency settings. This study develops and evaluates a deep learning algorithm to classify pelvic fractures on radiographs per the AO/OTA system. Pelvic radiographs of 773 patients with pelvic fractures and 167 patients without pelvic fractures were retrospectively analyzed at a single center. Pelvic fractures were classified into types A, B, and C using medical records categorized by an orthopedic surgeon according to the AO/OTA classification system. Accuracy, Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), and F1 score were measured to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the deep learning algorithms. The segmentation model showed high performance with 0.98 accuracy and 0.96–0.97 DSC. The AO/OTA classification model demonstrated effective performance with a 0.47–0.80 F1 score and 0.69–0.88 accuracy. Additionally, the classification model had a macro average of 0.77–0.94. Performance evaluation of the models showed relatively favorable results, which can aid in early classification of pelvic fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet-type Li6.1Ga0.3La3Zr2O12 (LGLZO) exhibits high ionic conductivity and extremely low electronic conductivity. The electrochemical properties strongly depend on the characteristics of the grain boundaries and pores in the oxide–ceramic electrolyte. Currently, the main issue of LGLZO is its large grain boundary resistance due to high-temperature sintering. Herein, we propose an effective method for reinforcing the chemical and structural characteristics of the grain boundaries using a Li2O-B2O3-Al2O3 (LBA) sintering aid. In this study, the LBA sintering aid is critical because it fills grain boundaries and void spaces. As a result, LGLZO solid-state electrolytes with sintering aids significantly enhance the ionic conductivity and reduce the activation energy, especially in the grain boundary region. Another crucial issue is the formation of Li dendrites in LGLZO. Since dendritic Li propagates along the grain boundaries, the optimized LGLZO solid-state electrolyte demonstrates excellent stability against Li metals. Overall, the LGLZO electrolyte with the LBA sintering aid exhibits stable long-term cycling performance due to the well-designed grain boundaries. The addition of Li2O-B2O3-Al2O3 (LBA) sintering aid to Li6.1Ga0.3La3Zr2O12 (LGLZO) solid electrolytes enhances grain boundary characteristics and reduces porosity. This modification leads to a substantial increase in ionic conductivity and mechanical stability, while effectively preventing Li dendrite formation. The optimized LGLZO sample with LBA exhibits improved long-term cycling performance, making it a promising candidate for high-performance all-solid-state batteries. These findings underscore the critical role of grain boundary engineering in enhancing the electrochemical properties of garnet-type electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to establish a deep learning-based predictive model for the prognosis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Data from 1108 patients with SSNHL between January 2015 and May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients underwent standardized treatment protocols including high-dose steroid therapy and hearing outcomes were assessed after three months using Siegel's criteria and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) classification. For predicting patient recovery, a two-layered classification process was implemented. Initially, a set of 22 Multilayer Perceptrons (MLP) networks was employed to categorize the patients. The outcomes from this initial categorization were subsequently relayed to a second-layer meta-classifier for final prognosis determination. The validity of this methodology was ascertained through a K-fold cross-validation procedure executed with 10 distinct splits. The prediction model for complete recovery, based on Siegel's criteria, demonstrated an accuracy of 0.892 and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.922. For the class A prediction, according to AAO-HNS classification, the model showed an accuracy of 0.847 and AUC of 0.918. These results suggest that the model may have the potential to contribute to the establishment of tailored patient management strategies by predicting hearing recovery in patients with SSNHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The borehole shear test (BST) is an in-situ test method to estimate shear strength and its parameters of geomaterials (i.e., cohesion and friction angle). The shear plate with wedges is an important component of the BST for shearing the ground. It is well known that the wedge type of the shear plate affects the shear strength evaluation; therefore, various wedge types of shear plates have been developed according to target geomaterials (i.e., clay, silt, sand, and rock). However, a wedge type for intermediate geomaterials, such as highly to completely weathered rock and residual soil, has not yet been developed. In this study, a series of modified shear tests (MSTs) simulating the shearing mode of the BST was conducted on highly to completely weathered granite and very dense residual soil. The effect of wedge spacing on the shear strength and parameters was evaluated with varying wedge spacings of the shear plate. The MST results were compared with the results of the direct shear test (DST) to determine the optimal wedge spacing for the highly to completely weathered rock and residual soil. The optimal wedge spacing-to-wedge length ratio was determined to be 5 since the shear plane was clearly formed between the wedges, and the shear strength and parameters agreed well with the results of the DST in the case of a wedge spacing ratio of 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human blood vessel organoids (hBVOs) offer a promising platform for investigating vascular diseases and identifying therapeutic targets. In this study, we focused on in vitro modeling and therapeutic target finding of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), the most common form of hereditary stroke disorder caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene. Despite the identification of these mutations, the underlying pathological mechanism is elusive, and effective therapeutic approaches are lacking. CADASIL primarily affects the blood vessels in the brain, leading to ischemic strokes, migraines, and dementia. By employing CRISPR/Cas9 base-editing technology, we generated human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) carrying Notch3 mutations. These mutant hiPSCs were differentiated into hBVOs. The NOTCH3 mutated hBVOs exhibited CADASIL-like pathology, characterized by a reduced vessel diameter and degeneration of mural cells. Furthermore, we observed an accumulation of Notch3 extracellular domain (Notch3ECD), increased apoptosis, and cytoskeletal alterations in the NOTCH3 mutant hBVOs. Notably, treatment with ROCK inhibitors partially restored the disconnection between endothelial cells and mural cells in the mutant hBVOs. These findings shed light on the pathogenesis of CADASIL and highlight the potential of hBVOs for studying and developing therapeutic interventions for this debilitating human vascular disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-Hydroxyacyl-CoA lyase/synthase (HACL/S) is a thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent versatile enzyme originally discovered in the mammalian α-oxidation pathway. HACL/S natively cleaves 2-hydroxyacyl-CoAs and, in its reverse direction, condenses formyl-CoA with aldehydes or ketones. The one-carbon elongation biochemistry based on HACL/S has enabled the use of molecules derived from greenhouse gases as biomanufacturing feedstocks. We investigated several HACL/S family members with high activity in the condensation of formyl-CoA and aldehydes, and distinct chain-length specificities and kinetic parameters. Our analysis revealed the structures of enzymes in complex with acyl-CoA substrates and products, several covalent intermediates, bound ThDP and ADP, as well as the C-terminal active site region. One of these observed states corresponds to the intermediary α–carbanion with hydroxymethyl-CoA covalently attached to ThDP. This research distinguishes HACL/S from related sub-families and identifies key residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis. These findings expand our knowledge of acyloin-condensation biochemistry and offer attractive prospects for biocatalysis using carbon elongation. 2-Hydroxyacyl-CoA lyase/synthase (HACL/S) is known to catalyze the condensation of formyl-CoA with aldehydes or ketones, however, the mechanism of one-carbon elongation biochemistry is not well understood. Here, the authors report the structures of enzymes in complex with co-factors, substrates, and products, revealing key intermediates and the C-terminal active site region, and distinguishing them from related sub-families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Unazuki Belt, Southwest Japan, is a part of the Hida Belt, which is characterized as a plutono-metamorphic complex with a continental affinity formed between the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic. The Unazuki Belt is known to be an important tectonic unit for the tectonic correlation between the proto-Japan and East Asian continents as it records Permo–Triassic tectono-thermal events, however, comprehensive chronology of the Unazuki Belt including the timing of the initiation of this Belt is yet unclear. The present study reveals certain Carboniferous magmatic and sedimentation events from the Unazuki Belt and their tectonic implications for the first time as follows. Zircon U–Pb age dating results and whole-rock geochemical compositions show that the protoliths of metagranite and metatrachyandesite in the Unazuki Belt formed at 328.2 ± 4.4 Ma and 332.8 ± 2.2 Ma, respectively, in an arc tectonic setting. Most metasedimentary rocks of the Unazuki Belt have the youngest detrital zircon grains of ~ 300 Ma with the Carboniferous single cluster at ~ 340–300 Ma without any Pre-360 Ma detrital zircon grains. However, one metasedimentary rock with Precambrian detrital zircons (~ 20%) has the youngest detrital zircon age of ~ 252 Ma, and ~ 66% of detrital zircons show a Permian age. Most of the εHf(t) values of zircon grains from all the studied Unazuki Belt samples, including the metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks with Carboniferous ages (~ 360–300 Ma) are positive (+ 6– + 18), whereas those of the zircon grains with Permian ages (~ 280–260 Ma) show wide variations between + 16 and -23. The whole-rock geochemical compositions of the ~ 300 Ma metasedimentary rocks of the Unazuki Belt show an island arc tectonic setting, whereas those of ~ 252 Ma metasedimentary rock have a continental arc affinity. These new data suggest that (1) igneous and sedimentary rocks in the Unazuki Belt formed in the island arc tectonic setting separated from the margin of continental crust during the Carboniferous but shifted to the continental arc tectonic setting during the latest Permian, (2) the collision between the island arc and continental arc may have caused the intermediate-P/T metamorphism during the Permian in the Unazuki Belt. The Carboniferous island arc tectonic setting in the Unazuki Belt indicates that the Hida Belt, including the Unazuki Belt, formed not at the margin of the South China Craton where Carboniferous subduction is absent but on the continuous subduction zone located along the eastern margin of the North China Craton, including the eastern margin of the northern Korean Peninsula where Carboniferous subduction occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure and damage caused by noise have been reported in many countries around the world. However, few nationwide studies explored the association of residential environmental noise with depressive symptoms, this study aims to examine this association. The Korean Community Health Survey at the individual-level and the Korean Environmental Noise Measurement Database at the regional-level were used. A total of 30,630 individuals were eligible for the analysis. Multilevel model framework was applied to account for the clustered structure of the regional-level data in which individual-level data containing demographic characteristics and health information were nested. As a result of the analysis, Individuals living in the highest environmental noise area had a 1.55 times higher likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms than those living in the lowest environmental noise area (95% CI, 1.04–2.31). After stratified analysis according to depressive symptom severity, individuals residing in areas with the highest environmental noise exposure had significantly higher odds of mild (aOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02–2.07) and moderate symptoms (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.00–2.91). In conclusion, the higher the residential environmental noise, the higher the possibility of mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest the need for continued attention to and management of noise pollution, which has the potential to adversely affect individual's mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were esterified using long-chain fatty acid chlorides (octanoyl chloride, lauroyl chloride, and palmitoyl chloride) and composited with a biodegradable polymer, polybutylene succinate (PBS). The composite material was fabricated into nano-scale fibers and films via electrospinning and electrospraying processes using chloroform as a solvent. The influence of process conditions, CNF type and CNF amount on morphologies were investigated. The diameter of the electrospun fibers was ranged from 648 to 975 nm and fibers with the lowest diameters were produced at 10% concentration, 15 kV voltage and 30 µL/min flow rate. Further, PBS to CNF ratio of 95/5 and CNF esterified with lauryl chloride produced the best results. Electrospraying was achieved at a concentration of 5% or less and the tensile properties of the resulting electrosprayed films were investigated. The highest increase in tensile strength was observed at a PBS to CNF ratio of 99/1, while the most significant enhancement in elastic modulus occurred at the 95/5 ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of boiling water treatment on the physical properties of Quercus variabilis virgin cork (Qv VC) were examined and compared with those of Quercus suber reproduction cork (Qs RC). The water treatment was conducted at 100 °C for 1 h. Qv VC showed a significantly higher dimensional change in the three directions and lower weight loss than Qs RC by boiling water treatment. Untreated and boiled Qv VC showed higher density, air-dried moisture content, red/green (a*) and yellow/blue (b*) chromaticity, overall color change, shrinkage in all three directions, moisture adsorption on the entire surface, and swelling per 1% moisture content than untreated and boiled Qs RC. However, the lightness (L*) and water absorption on each surface were higher for Qs RC than for Qv VC. Moisture adsorption on each surface was comparable before and after heat treatment for both species. After boiling water treatment, the air-dried moisture content, dimensions, volume shrinkage, water absorption, and moisture adsorption on each surface and the entire surface increased, whereas L*, a*, b*, and swelling per 1% moisture content decreased. The results of the present study could be useful for further utilization of Qv cork growing in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Arterial stiffness, represented by estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV), is the independent surrogate marker for cardiovascular event. The aim of the study was to investigate the significance of ePWV in the treatment outcome of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Methods: One hundred and ten patients with idiopathic SSNHL who hospitalized between April 2019 and March 2022 were evaluated. Arterial stiffness was calculated with formula for ePWV and other cardiovascular parameters of body mass index (BMI), and serum lipid level was determined. All patients received systemic high-dose steroid therapy and intratympanic steroid injections as a salvage management. Treatment outcome was assessed at 6 months after treatment, and classified as recovery and nonrecovery groups according to hearing recovery. Results: The initial pure-tone hearing threshold was 72.6 ± 23.8 dB and final hearing threshold was 52.63 ± 31.10 dB. After treatment, 60 (54.5%) patients included in recovery group and other 50 (45.5%) were classified as nonrecovery group. Age, days of onset to treatment, BMI, waist circumference, and ePWV were higher in the nonrecovery group compared to recovery group in univariate analysis (p = 0.039, p = 0.049, p = 0.003, p = 0.004, p = 0.007, respectively). In multivariate analysis, days of onset to treatment, BMI, and ePWV were associated with recovery (p = 0.030, p = 0.007, p = 0.022). Conclusion: Higher ePWV, a measure of arterial stiffness, was associated with a poor hearing recovery of SSNHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure-tone audiometry (PTA) is the gold standard for assessing hearing loss. However, traditional PTA tests require specialized equipment, trained personnel, and a soundproof environment. Recently, smartphone-based PTA tests have been developed as an alternative method for hearing assessment. The aim of this study was to validate the accuracy and reliability of a smartphone application-based audiometry test. This study was conducted to assess the performance of application-based audiometry from November 2021 to January 2022. Pure-tone thresholds were measured using a smartphone application-based PTA test and compared with results obtained using a traditional audiometer in a sound-treated booth. The smartphone application used in this study was the "Care4Ear (Care4ear, version 1.0.6, MIJ Co., Ltd.)". Hearing thresholds less than 35 dB HL were classified as group A, 35-64 dB HL as group B, and 65 dB HL or greater as group C for the classification of hearing levels. We evaluated the accuracy of smartphone audiometry for each group and compared the results of frequency-specific hearing tests. Additionally, we examined the results of smartphone audiometry in individuals (n = 27) with asymmetric hearing loss. Seventy subjects completed both conventional audiometry and smartphone application-based hearing tests. Among the ears assessed, 55.7% were classified as group A, while 25.7% and 18.6% were classified as group B and group C, respectively. The average hearing threshold obtained from conventional pure-tone audiometry was 37.7 ± 25.2 dB HL, whereas the application-based hearing test yielded thresholds of 21.0 ± 23.0 dB HL. A significant correlation (r = 0.69, p < 0.01) was found between the average hearing thresholds obtained from the application-based and conventional pure-tone audiometry tests. The application-based test achieved a 97.4% hit rate for classifying hearing thresholds as class A, but lower rates of 22.2% for class B and 38.5% for class C. Notably, a discrepancy was observed between the hearing threshold measured by the application and the conventional audiometry for the worse ear with asymmetric hearing. The smartphone-based audiometry is a feasible method for hearing evaluation especially in persons with normal hearing. In cases of hearing loss or asymmetric hearing loss, the results of the application-based audiometry may be inaccurate, limiting its diagnostic utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intravesical treatment using either reovirus or natural killer (NK) cells serves as an efficient strategy for the treatment of bladder cancer cells (BCCs); however, corresponding monotherapies have often shown modest cytotoxicity. The potential of a locoregional combination using high-dose reovirus and NK cell therapy in an intravesical approach has not yet been studied. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of reoviruses and expanded NK cells (eNK) as potential strategies for the treatment of bladder cancer. The anti-tumor effects of mono-treatment with reovirus type 3 Dearing strain (RC402 and RP116) and in combination with interleukin (IL)-18/-21-pretreated eNK cells were investigated on BCC lines (5637, HT-1376, and 253J-BV) using intravesical therapy to simulate in vitro model. RP116 and IL-18/-21-pretreated eNK cells exhibited effective cytotoxicity against grade 1 carcinoma (5637 cells) when used alone, but not against HT-1376 (grade 2 carcinoma) and 253J-BV cells (derived from a metastatic site). Notably, combining RP116 with IL-18/-21-pretreated eNK cells displayed effective cytotoxicity against both HT-1376 and 253J-BV cells. Our findings underscore the potential of a combination therapy using reoviruses and NK cells as a promising strategy for treating bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic evidence, especially evidence based on short tandem repeats, is of paramount importance for human identification in forensic inferences. In recent years, the identification of kinship using DNA evidence has drawn much attention in various fields. In particular, it is employed, using a criminal database, to confirm blood relations in forensics. The interpretation of the likelihood ratio when identifying an individual or a relationship depends on the allele frequencies that are used, and thus, it is crucial to obtain an accurate estimate of allele frequency. Each organization such as Supreme Prosecutors' Office and Korean National Police Agency in Korea provides different statistical interpretations due to differing estimations of the allele frequency, which can lead to confusion in forensic identification. Therefore, it is very important to estimate allele frequency accurately, and doing so requires a certain amount of information. However, simply using a weighted average for each allele frequency may not be sufficient to determine biological independence. In this study, we propose a new statistical method for estimating allele frequency by integrating the data obtained from several organizations, and we analyze biological independence and differences in allele frequency relative to the weighted average of allele frequencies in various subgroups. Finally, our proposed method is illustrated using real data from 576 Korean individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CRISPR-Cas nickase system for genome editing has attracted considerable attention owing to its safety, efficiency, and versatility. Although alternative effectors to Cas9 have the potential to expand the scope of genome editing, their application has not been optimized. Herein, we used an enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a nickase system to induce mutations by targeting genes in a human-derived cell line. The optimized CRISPR-Cas12a nickase system effectively introduced mutations into target genes under a specific directionality and distance between nickases. In particular, the single-mode Cas12a nickase system can induce the target-specific mutations with less DNA double-strand breaks. By inducing mutations in the Thymine-rich target genes in single- or dual-mode, Cas12a nickase compensates the limitations of Cas9 nickase and is expected to contribute to the development of future genome editing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors can contribute to the environmental and economic performance of organizations in terms of investment and sustainability. This article thoroughly reviews the following factors influencing decisions regarding ESG policy by businesses: economic performance, environmental sustainability, pollution and waste, corporate social responsibility, gender, and governance structure. Moreover, we review the impact of these factors considering ESG disclosure, the global pandemic, religion, governing board and size, national interest, and technological advancements. The literature reports that ESG disclosures of environmental, economic, and social sustainability performance can strengthen business sustainability and performance. Religion-based businesses demonstrated better socio-environmental performance but not governance. An independent governing board has a positive impact; however, dual-gender boards negatively impact ESG disclosure. Significant diversification potential in ESG investments was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting an ESG policy enhances the innovation capacity, innovative activities, value creation, and financial performance of businesses. Overall, the social and environmental performance demonstrated a significantly positive relationship with business sustainability, indicating that business economy and creating value for society are mutually dependent. The literature summary presented in this review will help future research on ESG factors that influence business investments and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystalline characteristics, chemical composition, and thermal decomposition of elements in Quercus variabilis (Qv) virgin cork were investigated using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric methods, respectively, and compared with those of elements in Quercus suber (Qs) reproduction cork. Samples of cork elements, including pure cork, lenticular filling tissue (LFT), dark-brown zone (DBZ), and sclereids, were prepared. The X-ray diffractograms of pure cork from both species showed an amorphous pattern, whereas those of LFT, DBZ, and sclereid showed a crystalline cellulose I pattern. The relative crystallinity of DBZ was significantly lower than that of Qv LFT and the sclereid. In the FTIR spectra, Qv pure cork tended to show weaker band intensities for the suberin, lignin, and carbohydrate compounds than Qs pure cork. The pure corks of both species showed stronger suberin bands than LFT, DBZ, and the sclereid. In the thermogravimetric analyses, the peaks of hemicellulose and cellulose decomposition in both pure corks were weaker than those in LFT, DBZ, and sclereid, whereas the peaks of suberin decomposition in both pure corks were the highest among all elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between prediabetes and dementia remains controversial. We aimed to examine the association between cumulative exposure to impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and the risk of dementia in the general population. 1,463,066 middle-aged and elderly subjects who had had health examinations for four consecutive years were identified from a Korean nationwide population-based cohort database. IFG was defined as fasting blood glucose 100–125 mg/dL, and the risk of dementia—according to the number of IFG exposure (range 0–4)—was analyzed using the multivariable Cox proportional-hazards model. During the median 6.4 years of follow-up, 7614 cases of all-cause dementia, 5603 cases of Alzheimer's disease, and 1257 cases of vascular dementia occurred. There was a significant trend towards a higher risk of all-cause dementia (P for trend = 0.014) and Alzheimer's disease (Pfor trend = 0.005) according to the cumulative exposure to IFG, but with a modest (approximately 7–14%) increase in the hazards. A significant stepwise increase in the risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease was seen in non-obese subjects, whereas no significant association was observed in obese subjects. This study supports the association between prediabetes and incident dementia and emphasizes that even mild hyperglycemia should not be overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More people use the internet for medical information, especially YouTube. Nevertheless, no study has been conducted to analyze the quality of YouTube videos about tinnitus in Korea. This study aims to review the contents and quality of YouTube videos on tinnitus. The top 100 Korean YouTube videos on tinnitus were reviewed by a tinnitus expert. This study assessed video details: title, creator, length, and popularity indicators—subscribers, views, and likes. The contents of the video clips were analyzed to determine the relevance, understandability, actionability, and quality of information. Out of 100 tinnitus videos, 27 were created by otolaryngologists, 25 by traditional Korean medicine doctors, 25 by other medical professionals, and 3 by lay persons. Sensorineural tinnitus was frequently dealt, and hearing loss, stress, and noise were introduced as main causes of tinnitus. Otolaryngologists' videos covered verified treatments, but others suggested unproven therapies including herbal medicine or acupressure. Otolaryngologists' videos showed significantly higher understandability and quality of information compared to others (p < 0.001). This study found that tinnitus YouTube videos frequently present low-quality and incorrect material, which could have an adverse effect on patients. Results highlight the need for tinnitus specialists to provide accurate information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-learning approaches with data augmentation have been widely used when developing neuroimaging-based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems. To prevent the inflated diagnostic performance caused by data leakage, a correct cross-validation (CV) method should be employed, but this has been still overlooked in recent deep-learning-based CAD studies. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of correct and incorrect CV methods on the diagnostic performance of deep-learning-based CAD systems after data augmentation. To this end, resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) data recorded from post-traumatic stress disorder patients and healthy controls were augmented using a cropping method with different window sizes, respectively. Four different CV approaches were used to estimate the diagnostic performance of the CAD system, i.e., subject-wise CV (sCV), overlapped sCV (oSCV), trial-wise CV (tCV), and overlapped tCV (otCV). Diagnostic performances were evaluated using two deep-learning models based on convolutional neural network. Data augmentation can increase the performance with all CVs, but inflated diagnostic performances were observed when using incorrect CVs (tCV and otCV) due to data leakage. Therefore, the correct CV (sCV and osCV) should be used to develop a deep-learning-based CAD system. We expect that our investigation can provide deep-insight for researchers who plan to develop neuroimaging-based CAD systems for psychiatric disorders using deep-learning algorithms with data augmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance element welding (REW) has been applied to join various dissimilar materials such as steel and aluminum alloy. In this study, we propose a monitoring methodology that can predict misalignment between electrodes and a rivet in the REW of a three-sheet stack-up, where visual inspection technologies are not available for measuring the misalignment between electrodes and a rivet element. To that end, the effects of the misalignment between electrodes and a rivet on REW joint quality (tensile shear strength, nugget diameter) were investigated using a three-sheet stack-up of SPFC590 sheet (top sheet), Al6061 sheet (middle sheet) with a rivet inserted, and SABC1470 sheet (bottom sheet). A pre-contact process designed to predict the misalignment was added before the REW process. The characteristic of dynamic resistance and welding power according to the misalignment distance was analyzed, and features of dynamic resistance waveform in the pre-contact process were extracted to be used as input to a deep neural network (DNN) model that can predict the misalignment between electrodes and a rivet. A DNN model predicting the state of the misalignment between electrodes and a rivet was designed and trained, and the misalignment was predicted with 100% accuracy from the DNN model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of air heat treatment on the morphological, physical, chemical, and thermal decomposition properties of balsa fruit fibers (BFF). BFF were heat-treated in air at 100 ℃, 200 ℃, 240 ℃, 280 ℃, 300 ℃, 320 ℃, and 340 ℃. Color changes, weight loss, and moisture adsorption were also examined. The color of BFF was light brown below 200 ℃, brown at 240 ℃, dark brown at 280 ℃, and black from 320 ℃. The total color change (ΔE*) of BFF increased rapidly until 280 ℃ and became from 280 ℃ constant until 400 ℃. The microfibrils in the fibers were observed below 240 ℃ and disappeared at 280 ℃, and the fibers heat-treated above 280 ℃ showed an amorphous-like cell wall. The fibers below 240 ℃ showed a straight form with a smooth surface, whereas the fibers at 240 and 280 ℃ showed an uneven form with lumps on their surface due to melted wax. With increasing temperature, the weight and width of the fibers decreased. The vapor adsorption property of the BFF increased with increasing treatment temperatures. X-ray diffractograms of BFF showed cellulose I crystalline structure until 320 ℃, which changed to amorphous at 340 ℃. Holocellulose, α-cellulose, and hemicellulose were detected in fibers below 240 ℃ but not in samples treated at 280 ℃. The wax content of the BFF decreased as temperatures increased. FT-IR spectra showed the peaks of plant wax and carbohydrate compounds in BFF until 320 ℃ and the peaks of lignin at all temperatures. The thermal decomposition properties of BFF noticeably changed after heat treatment above 240 ℃. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-rich ternary oxide cathode (LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, NCM) is highly promising candidate for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its relatively large specific capacity and high energy density. Nevertheless, intrinsic structural/chemical instability and unwanted side reactions on the surface during charge/discharge, leading to rapid capacity fading and inferior cycle performance, severely impeded its commercialization. Herein, we demonstrated an interfacial/surface dual modification strategy, one of the most important techniques for fabricating LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, NCM cathode materials via Li2SnO3 surface coating and Sn4+ gradient doping. The electrochemical results deliver that the Sn dual-modified NCM exhibits the highest discharge capacity of 86.5% at 6.0 C and superior initial discharge capacity of 177.8 mAh g−1. In addition, Sn-modified NCM811 cathode shows an improved reversible capacity of 144.9 mAh g−1 and excellent electrode kinetics after 200 cycles. The dual modification strategy proposes a novel approach that can accelerate commercialization by simultaneously alleviating the surface instability and bulk structural degradation of Ni-rich cathode materials for state-of-the-art LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with young-onset Type 2 diabetes (YOD, diagnosed age < 40 years). We enrolled 84,384 patients aged 20–64 who started anti-diabetic medication between 2010 and 2011 from the Korea National Health Insurance Sharing Service; patients with Type 1 diabetes or a history of CKD were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to adjust for YOD-distinct variables and compare the incidence of CKD between YOD and late-onset diabetes (LOD, diagnosed age ≥ 40 years). During the median observation period of 5.16 years (interquartile range: 4.58–5.77 years), 1480 out of 77,039 LOD patients and 34 out of 7345 YOD patients developed CKD. Patients with YOD had distinct baseline characteristics compared with the patients with LOD. The odds ratio of developing CKD in patients with YOD over LOD was 1.70 (95% CI 1.15–2.51) after adjusting clinically distinct variables. The increased CKD odds in YOD compared with LOD was greater in the non-smoking group (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.26–3.26) than in the smoking group (OR 1.49, 95% CI 0.74–2.98, p = 0.0393 for interaction). Among YOD patients, hypertension (34.76% vs. 64.71%, p = 0.0003), dyslipidemia (46.87% vs. 73.53%, p = 0.0019), and sulfonylurea use (35.54% vs. 52.94%, p = 0.0345) were associated with CKD development. YOD patients have a greater risk of developing CKD than LOD patients after adjusting clinically distinct variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formate can be envisioned at the core of a carbon-neutral bioeconomy, where it is produced from CO2 by (electro-)chemical means and converted into value-added products by enzymatic cascades or engineered microbes. A key step in expanding synthetic formate assimilation is its thermodynamically challenging reduction to formaldehyde. Here, we develop a two-enzyme route in which formate is activated to formyl phosphate and subsequently reduced to formaldehyde. Exploiting the promiscuity of acetate kinase and N-acetyl-γ-glutamyl phosphate reductase, we demonstrate this phosphate (Pi)-based route in vitro and in vivo. We further engineer a formyl phosphate reductase variant with improved formyl phosphate conversion in vivo by suppressing cross-talk with native metabolism and interface the Pi route with a recently developed formaldehyde assimilation pathway to enable C2 compound formation from formate as the sole carbon source in Escherichia coli. The Pi route therefore offers a potent tool in expanding the landscape of synthetic formate assimilation. A key step in the assimilation of formate is its reduction into formaldehyde. Here, the authors develop a two-enzyme route in which formate is activated into formyl phosphate and reduced by NAD(P)H into formaldehyde and confirm its functionality in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein for the first time, lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) were prepared from pine-wood powder using microwave (MW)-assisted deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment coupled with high-pressure homogenization. A DES based on choline chloride and lactic acid was employed, and LCNFs prepared by conventional DES pretreatment at 110 °C (LCNF-110) and 130 °C (LCNF-130) were used for comparison. Although MW treatment offered a high removal of lignin (70%) and hemicellulose (90%) within a short time (110 s), the morphological observations by scanning and transmission electron microscopies revealed excellent nanofibrillation of the conventionally heat-treated samples. Likewise, LCNF-110 and LCNF-130 exhibited high tensile strengths of 154.6 ± 5.0 and 136.8 ± 1.2 MPa, respectively, whereas that of LCNF-MW was only 75.6 ± 1.4 MPa. Interestingly, LCNF-MW with a lignin content between that of LCNF-110 and LCNF-130 exhibited high thermal stability (Tmax 309.6 °C) and potent antioxidant properties. However, the lignin contents of the LCNFs determined their UV-radiation blocking efficiency, where LCNF-110 > LCNF-MW > LCNF-130. Furthermore, all LCNF films exhibited good visible-light transparency, flexibility, and water contact angles (> 87°), indicating their promising potential for packaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of aluminum in the mobile industry is driving development of aluminum alloys. Among the additive elements of aluminum alloy, magnesium is a crucial component commonly included in various commercial aluminum alloys. Because of its ability to enhance solid solution strengthening and work hardening, many researchers are investigating methods to increase the magnesium content in aluminum applications. Almag6 contains more than 6 wt% of magnesium and exhibits excellent structural properties; it possesses higher yield and tensile strengths than the commercial 5XXX series of aluminum materials. However, work-hardening alloys are vulnerable to welding heat. In this study, laser and tungsten arc welding processes were performed to study the effect of welding heat on the mechanical and microstructure properties of Almag6. It was found that the mechanical strength and hardness of the welds reduced significantly. Similar to other work-hardening aluminum alloys, the lowest hardness was measured in the fusion zone with a strength of over 200 MPa. Relatively low breaking strengths were measured in the tungsten arc welding specimens owing to grain coarsening in the welds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), known as one of the most abundant terrestrial resources of nanocellulose, has excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. In addition, since CNC has various properties such as ultrafine structure, high transparency, high purity, high crystallinity and high strength, it is being applied in various fields such as pharmaceuticals and food. In this study, we developed CNC/Zinc/DNA (CZD) nanocomplex using a method to incorporate CNC into DNA without the need for chemical conjugations by utilizing a ligand-to-metal charge transfer transition (LMCT), which occurs between divalent metal ions and the phosphate groups in CNC and DNA. Divalent metal ions should be first introduced to DNA for application of the LMCT transition to the incorporation of DNA into CNC. We optimized the conditions for CZD formation and confirmed gene transfection efficacy in the myocardial and skin cells. DNA was effectively delivered into cells by CZD and highly expressed in the cell. This complex using CNC might be useful as a gene delivery system without chemical conjugation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Effects of boiling water treatment on the physical properties of Quercus variabilis virgin cork grown in Korea" published in Scientific Reports. The correction addresses errors in the reference list of the original article. Three references were incorrectly cited and have been corrected in this notice. The authors of the original article are listed as Denni Prasetia, Byantara Darsan Purusatama, Jong Ho Kim, Jae Hyuk Jang, Se-Yeong Park, Seung-Hwan Lee, Apri Heri Iswanto, and Nam Hun Kim. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, a deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment using choline chloride (ChCl)/lactic acid (LA), betaine (BE)/LA, and potassium carbonate (PC)/glycerol (GLY) was used to prepare lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF). An increase in the reaction temperature (100, 120, and 130 °C) and time (6, 12, and 24 h) caused a decrease in the content of lignin and hemicellulose in lignocellulose (Pinus densiflora S. et Z.). Lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) were prepared from the DES-treated products using a high-pressure homogenizer. As the lignin content of the DES-treated products decreased, the defibrillation efficiency of the LCNFs improved, resulting in a smaller diameter, longer filtration time, larger specific surface area, higher water retention value, and higher viscosity. DES pretreatment using ChCl/LA was more effective for delignification and improvement of defibrillation efficiency than pretreatment using BE/LA and PC/GLY. A decrease in the lignin content caused an increase in the crystallinity index and crystallite size. The significant delignification due to the ChCl/LA treatment can be attributed to the improved tensile properties of the LCNF nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine and compare the effects of heat treatment in palm oil and air on the physical and mechanical properties of Paulownia tomentosa and Pinus koraiensis wood. The heat treatment was conducted at 180, 200, and 220 °C for 1, 2, and 3 h. The characteristics of the wood before and after heat treatment, such as density, volume shrinkage, abrasion, axial compressive strength, and hardness, were investigated. Heat treatment in oil caused a significant increase in wood density, whereas the density of air heat-treated wood decreased. Oil heat-treated wood exhibited lower volume shrinkage and weight loss in abrasion compared to air-heat-treated wood. The axial compressive strength of both wood samples heat-treated in oil and air was the highest at 180 °C, and then gradually decreased as the temperature and treatment duration increased. Oil heat treatment increased the hardness of Pinus koraiensis wood, in contrast to Paulownia tomentosa wood. The hardness of both wood samples decreased with air heat treatment. In conclusion, it was revealed that there were some differences in the effect of physical and mechanical properties by heat treatment methods between wood species. Oil heat treatment was a more effective method for improving the properties of both woods compared to air heat treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effect of specific surface area on the electrochemical properties of NiCo2O4 (NCO) for glucose detection. NCO nanomaterials with controlled specific surface areas were prepared by additive-assisted hydrothermal synthesis, and self-assembled nanostructures with urchin-, pine-needle-, tremella-, and flower-like morphologies were obtained. The novelty of this method is the systematic control of chemical reaction routes assisted by the addition of different additives during synthesis, which results in the spontaneous formation of various morphologies without any difference in the crystal structure and chemical states of the constituent elements. Such morphological control of NCO nanomaterials leads to considerable changes in the electrochemical performance for glucose detection. Combined with materials characterization, the relationship between the specific surface area and the electrochemical performance is discussed for glucose detection. This work can provide scientific insights for tailoring the surface area of nanostructures, which determines their functionality for potential applications in glucose biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the general framework of the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a hierarchical clustering algorithm is commonly used to module definition. However, hierarchical clustering depends strongly on the topological overlap measure. In other words, this algorithm may assign two genes with low topological overlap to different modules even though their expression patterns are similar. Here, a novel gene module clustering algorithm for WGCNA is proposed. We develop a gene module clustering network (gmcNet), which simultaneously addresses single-level expression and topological overlap measure. The proposed gmcNet includes a "co-expression pattern recognizer" (CEPR) and "module classifier". The CEPR incorporates expression features of single genes into the topological features of co-expressed ones. Given this CEPR-embedded feature, the module classifier computes module assignment probabilities. We validated gmcNet performance using 4,976 genes from 20 native Korean cattle. We observed that the CEPR generates more robust features than single-level expression or topological overlap measure. Given the CEPR-embedded feature, gmcNet achieved the best performance in terms of modularity (0.261) and the differentially expressed signal (27.739) compared with other clustering methods tested. Furthermore, gmcNet detected some interesting biological functionalities for carcass weight, backfat thickness, intramuscular fat, and beef tenderness of Korean native cattle. Therefore, gmcNet is a useful framework for WGCNA module clustering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) plantations in Indonesia are increasing over the past few years. After economic productivity, however, the unproductive oil palm trunks are felled and mostly go to waste, especially the inner part of the oil palm trunk (IOPT). There are several modification methods to utilize IOPT, such as impregnation and densification. Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is a common resin used for impregnation in composite industries because it is non-toxic and has excellent physical and mechanical properties but it has never been applied for the impregnation of IOPT. This study aimed to analyze the effect of densification on the physical and mechanical properties of the inner part of oil palm trunk (IOPT) impregnated using methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) resin to obtain valuable information regarding the efficient utilization of unproductive oil palm trunks. IOPT was densified and compregnated with compression ratios (CRs) of 20% and 30%. The physical properties (density, moisture content (MC), and water absorption (WA)) and mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and hardness) of the compregnated samples were better than those of the densified samples. The density and mechanical properties at CR 30% were higher than those at CR 20%. The improvements in density, MC, and WA of the compregnated IOPT with CR 30% were 127%, 54%, and 70%, respectively, compared to that in untreated IOPT. Furthermore, improvements in the MOE, MOR, and hardness of the compregnated IOPT with CR 30% were 489%, 379%, and 393%, respectively. The mechanical properties of the compregnated IOPT at CR 20% and 30% increased two- to three-fold from strength class V in control IOPT to strength class III in compregnated IOPT with CR 20% and to strength class II in compregnated IOPT with CR 30%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the fracture morphology in hardness test of compression (CW), lateral (LW), and opposite woods (OW) of Pinus merkusii and Agathis loranthifolia growing in Indonesia. The hardness of the transverse, radial, and tangential surfaces was examined using Brinell's method, according to the Korean standard. The fracture surfaces of hardness tested samples were observed by scanning electron and optical microscopy. On all surfaces from both species, CW showed the highest hardness, and no significant differences were detected between LW and OW. On the transverse surface, CW of P. merkusii showed brittle-fractured cell wall, while that of A. loranthifolia displayed smooth cell wall. CW of both species showed intercellular and intrawall failures and a narrow lumen opening. LW of both species and OW of P. merkusii showed folded earlywood tracheids with a crack, whereas in the latewood of P. merkusii, LW and OW displayed smooth cell wall and a narrow lumen opening. OW of A. loranthifolia showed collapsed cell wall. On the radial surface, CW of both species showed buckling tracheids in the tangential direction. LW and OW of both species exhibited shortening earlywood tracheids with folded cell walls, while LW and OW of P. merkusii exhibited buckling latewood tracheids in the radial direction. On the tangential surface, buckling tracheids occurred near the fractured rays in all parts of both species. In conclusion, CW exhibited distinctive hardness and fracture morphologies compared with LW and OW in P. merkusii and A. loranthifolia; in addition, hardness and fracture morphology differed between the two species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Korean government started to cover part of the price of hearing aids ($200) for individuals with hearing disabilities in 1997, and the reimbursement for a hearing aid increased in 2005 ($300) and again in 2015 ($1000). The aim of this study was to evaluate the annual trend of newly-registered individuals with hearing disability according to the changes of the hearing aid provision scheme. Subjects with newly-registered hearing disabilities were assessed using Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS) data from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2018. A total of 271,742 individuals were newly registered during the index period. Records of hearing aid prescriptions and hearing aid subsidies were used to assess the adoption of hearing aids. This study also assessed the intervals between registration of hearing disability and the adoption of hearing aids, as well as the number of hearing aid subsidies provided. From 2004 to 2009 there was a slight increase in the number of individuals newly registered with hearing disabilities, and from 2011 to 2015, the number showed a tendency to decrease. Then, from 2015, the number of individuals with hearing disabilities increased abruptly, and the proportion of subjects receiving hearing aid subsidies also increased. Between 2004 and 2018, the time interval from hearing disability registration to hearing aid adoption showed a decreasing trend. We conclude that the annual number of individuals with newly-registered hearing disabilities is affected by the level of the hearing aid subsidy, and there is much unregistered or unaddressed hearing loss prior to the introduction of realistic hearing aid provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present a method for synthesizing Ni-rich LiNi0.93Co0.04Al0.03O2 (NCA) with a high-energy cathode material by the solid-phase method. The sintering temperature plays a very important role in the electrochemical performance of the LiNi0.93Co0.04Al0.03O2 since it affects the crystallinity and structural stability. Therefore, various sintering temperatures (660 °C/690 °C/720 °C/750 °C/780 °C/810 °C) are studied to get optimum electrochemical performances. The electrochemical performance of LiNi0.93Co0.04Al0.03O2 sintered at 720 °C shows the highest discharge capacity of 217.48 mAh g−1 with excellent Coulombic efficiency of 87.84% at 0.1 C. Moreover, the LiNi0.93Co0.04Al0.03O2 sintered at 720 °C exhibits excellent rate-capability (181.1 mAh g−1 at 2.0 C) as well as superior cycle stability (95.4% after 80 cycles at 0.5 C). This is because optimized sintering temperature leads to good structural stability with low cation disorder and residual lithium content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-negative synthesis of biochemical products has the potential to mitigate global CO2 emissions. An attractive route to do this is the reverse β-oxidation (r-BOX) pathway coupled to the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Here, we optimize and implement r-BOX for the synthesis of C4-C6 acids and alcohols. With a high-throughput in vitro prototyping workflow, we screen 762 unique pathway combinations using cell-free extracts tailored for r-BOX to identify enzyme sets for enhanced product selectivity. Implementation of these pathways into Escherichia coli generates designer strains for the selective production of butanoic acid (4.9 ± 0.1 gL−1), as well as hexanoic acid (3.06 ± 0.03 gL−1) and 1-hexanol (1.0 ± 0.1 gL−1) at the best performance reported to date in this bacterium. We also generate Clostridium autoethanogenum strains able to produce 1-hexanol from syngas, achieving a titer of 0.26 gL−1 in a 1.5 L continuous fermentation. Our strategy enables optimization of r-BOX derived products for biomanufacturing and industrial biotechnology. An attractive route for carbon-negative synthesis of biochemical products is the reverse β-oxidation pathway coupled to the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Here the authors use a high-throughput in vitro prototyping workflow to screen 762 unique pathway combinations using cell-free extracts tailored for r-BOX to identify enzyme sets for enhanced product selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Korean breeds such as Hanwoo (Korean) cattle have adapted to their local environment during the past 5000 years. In the 1980s, the National Genetic Improvement Program was established to develop a modern economic breed for beef production in Korea through artificial selection. This process is thought to have altered the genomic structure of breeding traits over time. The detection of genetic variants under selection could help to elucidate the genetic mechanism of artificial selection in modern cattle breeds. Indigenous Hanwoo cattle have adapted in response to local natural and artificial selection during a 40-year breeding program. We analyzed genomic changes in the selection signatures of an unselected population (USP; n = 362) and a selected population (KPN; n = 667) of Hanwoo cattle. Genomic changes due to long-term artificial selection were identified using a genome-wide integrated haplotype score (iHS) and a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Signatures of recent selection were detected as positive (piHS > 6) or negative (piHS < –6) iHS scores spanning more than 46 related genes in KPN cattle, but none in USP cattle. A region adjacent to the PLAG1 gene was found to be under strong selection for carcass weight. The GWAS results also showed a selection signature on BTA14, but none on BTA13. Pathway and quantitative trait locus analysis results identified candidate genes related to energy metabolism, feed efficiency, and reproductive traits in Hanwoo cattle. Strong selection significantly altered Hanwoo cattle genome structural properties such as linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotypes through causal mutation for target traits. Haplotype changes of genome structure which are changes of ancestral allele to derived alleles due to selection were clearly identified on BTA13 and BTA14; however, the structure of the LD block was not clearly observed except BTA14. Thus, selection based on EBVs would be working very well in Hanwoo cattle breeding program appears to have been highly successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy is a promising treatment approach for multiple myeloma (MM), but obtaining a sufficient number of activated NK cells remains challenging. Here, we report an improved method to generate ex vivo expanded NK (eNK) cells from MM patients based on genetic engineering of K562 cells to express OX40 ligand and membrane-bound (mb) IL-18 and IL-21. Methods: K562-OX40L-mbIL-18/-21 cells were generated by transducing K562-OX40L cells with a lentiviral vector encoding mbIL-18 and mbIL-21, and these were used as feeder cells to expand NK cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors (HDs) and MM patients in the presence of IL-2/IL-15. Purity, expansion rate, receptor expression, and functions of eNK cells were determined over four weeks of culture. Results: NK cell expansion was enhanced by short exposure of soluble IL-18 and IL-21 with K562-OX40L cells. Co-culture of NK cells with K562-OX40L-mbIL-18/-21 cells resulted in remarkable expansion of NK cells from HDs (9,860-fold) and MM patients (4,929-fold) over the 28-day culture period. Moreover, eNK cells showed increased expression of major activation markers and enhanced cytotoxicity towards target K562, U266, and RPMI8226 cells. Conclusions: Our data suggest that genetically engineered K562 cells expressing OX40L, mbIL-18, and mbIL-21 improve the expansion of NK cells, increase activation signals, and enhance their cytolytic activity towards MM cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin film-based optical sensors have been attracting increasing interest for use in developing technologies such as biometrics. Multilayered dielectric thin films with different refractive indices have been utilized to modulate the optical properties in specific wavelength bands for spectral selectivity of Thin Film Narrow Bandpass Filters (TFNBFs). Progress in TFNBF design has been made with the incorporation of metallic thin films. Narrower bandwidths with higher transmittance have been achieved in specific spectral bands. In this work, Ti/TiO2/SiO2 based multilayer thin films were prepared using pulsed-DC reactive sputtering. Computer simulations using the Essential Macleod Program allowed the optimal number of layers and thickness of the multilayer thin films to be determined to efficiently tailor the optical path transmitting specific wavelength bands. The addition of Ti metal layers within dielectric (TiO2/SiO2) multilayer thin films significantly changes the cutoff frequency of transmittance at specific wavelengths. Representative 26 multilayer films consisting of Ti, TiO2, and SiO2 show lower transmittance of 10.29% at 400 nm and 10.48% at 680 nm. High transmittance of 80.42% at 485 nm was observed, which is expected to improve the spectral selectivity of the TFNBF. This work provides a contribution to future simulation based design strategy based on experimental thin film engineering for potential industrial development opportunities such as optical biometrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]