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Synergistic effects of amyloid deposition and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) on the systematic disruption of large-scale brain anatomical organization are not well known. We investigated the brain structural covariance network (SCN) in 245 cognitively impaired older adults with the information of amyloid deposition and CSVD represented by white matter hyperintensities (WMH). We stratified the participants into 4 groups based on amyloid burden (A+/A -) and WMH severity (W+/W-). Using source-based morphometry analysis, we selected 13 independent components (ICs) in functional brain networks. SCNs between ICs were defined using Pearson correlations between individual weights; SCNs of the A+W+ group were compared with those of other groups using Fisher's r-to-z transformation. Our results revealed that SCN characteristics related to amyloid burden with CSVD could be represented by decreased intra- and increased cortico-subcortical inter-network connectivity in the salience (SN) and default mode networks (DMN), decreased cortico-subcortical internetwork connectivity in the central executive network (CEN), and altered internetwork connectivity among DMN-SN-CEN. Amyloid deposition and CSVD maybe associated with altered connectivity in structural networks in the brain and should be considered when assessing network disruption.

We previously developed a novel machine-learning-based brain age model that was sensitive to amyloid. We aimed to independently validate it and to demonstrate its utility using independent clinical data. We recruited 650 participants from South Korean memory clinics to undergo magnetic resonance imaging and clinical assessments. We employed a pretrained brain age model that used data from an independent set of largely Caucasian individuals (n = 757) who had no or relatively low levels of amyloid as confirmed by positron emission tomography (PET). We investigated the association between brain age residual and cognitive decline. We found that our pretrained brain age model was able to reliably estimate brain age (mean absolute error = 5.68 years, r(650) = 0.47, age range = 49–89 year) in the sample with 71 participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 375 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 204 with dementia. Greater brain age was associated with greater amyloid and worse cognitive function [Odds Ratio, (95% Confidence Interval {CI}): 1.28 (1.06–1.55), p = 0.030 for amyloid PET positivity; 2.52 (1.76–3.61), p p = 0.001 for total 336 follow-up sample; 2.31 (1.44–3.71), p = 0.001 for 284 subsample with baseline Clinical Dementia Rating ≤ 0.5; 2.40 (1.43–4.03), p = 0.001 for 240 subsample with baseline SCD or MCI]. In independent data set, these results replicate our previous findings using this model, which was able to delineate significant differences in brain age according to the diagnostic stages of dementia as well as amyloid deposition status. Brain age models may offer benefits in discriminating and tracking cognitive impairment in older adults.

Pavlovian fear conditioning studies propose that the interaction between the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) functions as a prediction error mechanism for fear memory formation. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory threats, where predictive cues are ambiguous and do not afford reiterative trial-and-error learning, remain unexplored. We conducted single-unit recordings in rats engaged in an ‘approach food-avoid predator’ behavior, characterizing dPAG and BLA neurons responsive to a looming robot predator. Opto-stimulation of dPAG induced fleeing and increased BLA activity. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed an immediate response to the robot and heightened synchronous activity compared to non-responsive BLA neurons. Furthermore, anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into the dPAG and BLA, respectively, indicate that the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) may mediate dPAG-to-BLA neurotransmission. Our findings suggest that dPAG and BLA interactions, potentially via the PVT, underlie an innate antipredatory defensive mechanism.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) has now become a crucial concern for modern society as a result of increased life expectancy. However, it is often difficult for a majority of the population to afford expensive medical imaging tests for accurate diagnosis. As a solution, quantitative analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) that aids in a sufficient description of brain activities can be employed as a cost-effective, safe and objective diagnostic tool. In the presented research, we employed diverse QEEG features at both channel- and source-level to enhance the robustness of our previously established artificial intelligence (AI) model that distinguishes non-ADD (NADD) data from ADD data.Method 594 NADD and 137 ADD subjects’ EEG data were employed for the presented research. artifact-free data were obtained through the application of independent component analysis (ICA) and bad epoch rejection. Absolute and relative power spectra at 19 channels were first computed, followed by the estimation of source-level power spectra through standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (s-LORETA). Through further feature engineering, functional brain networks were also obtained. The established channel-level features were transformed into images that spatially allocate absolute and relative spectral powers, which were utilized for the training of deep neural network structures. Moreover, source-level spectral powers and functional brain networks were adopted for the training of a tree-based machine learning algorithm. Prediction probabilities of the established classification models were ensembled through the voting method and returned the final classification result.Results The best classification accuracies of the absolute and relative channel-level spectral power image-based deep neural network models were 85.3% and 86.5% respectively. The tree-based model that has been trained with source-level features resulted in an accuracy of 87.7%. The accuracy of the ensemble model was 88.5%, which demonstrates the compensatory interaction among the models.Conclusions The promising classification results indicate the potential behind EEG-AI models for the analysis of neurodegenerative disorders. Through continuous analysis of several independent QEEG features of varying aspects, we may soon be able to more aptly diagnose several neurological disorders.

Shikonin, a natural ingredient produced by Lithospermum erythrorhizon, has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity effects. It also inhibits adipocyte differentiation; however, the underlying molecular and epigenetic mechanisms remain unclear. We performed RNA-sequencing of shikonin-treated 3T3-L1 cells. Gene ontology and gene set enrichment analysis showed that shikonin is significantly associated with genes related to adipogenesis, histone modification, and PPARγ. Shikonin treatment downregulated the mRNA expression of PPARγ-responsive genes and rosiglitazone-induced transcriptional activity of PPARγ. Microscale thermophoresis assays showed a KD value 1.4 ± 0.13 μM for binding between shikonin and PPARγ. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays exhibited that shikonin blocked the rosiglitazone-dependent association of PPARγ with its coactivator CBP. In addition, shikonin decreased the enrichment of the active histone code H3K4me3 and increased the repressive code H3K27me3 of PPARγ target promoters. Shikonin is a PPARγ antagonist that suppresses adipogenesis by regulating the enrichment of histone codes during adipogenesis. Therefore, it may be used to treat obesity-related disorders via epigenetic changes.

Purpose This study aims to identify how restaurants can effectively initiate communication via social media to promote ethical dining behaviors. This research investigates the psychological mechanism of how the matching effect of color and a sustainability activity influence customer attitude toward a restaurant and the role of perceived credibility and green image. Design/methodology/approach Two experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 used a 2 food source (non-sustainable vs sustainable) × 2 color consistency (inconsistent vs consistent) factorial design (n = 231). Study 2 used a 2 food origin (world-famous vs locally renowned) × 2 color consistency (inconsistent vs consistent) factorial design (n = 220). Findings The results indicate that the matching effect from the marketing effect of sustainability significantly promotes customer attitudes and visit intentions when background color is consistent. An unexpected matching effect was found between a non-sustainable restaurant using world-famous food with its associated color. This research demonstrates a moderation effect of credibility and a mediation effect of green image to explain the ethical decision-making process for customers. Practical implications The findings provide suggestions for restaurant marketers to effectively advertise sustainability initiatives and practices using color as a marketing tool via social media. Originality/value This research is one of the earliest studies to investigate the effect of color consistency with primary information to demonstrate how consumers respond to restaurant sustainability in social media messages using local food.

BackgroundCerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare autosomal recessive lipid storage disease caused by a mutation in the CYP27A1 gene. Due to the disruption of bile acid synthesis leading to cholesterol and cholestanol accumulation, CTX manifests as premature cataracts, chronic diarrhea, and intellectual disability in childhood and adolescence. This report presents a case of CTX with an unusual phenotype of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) in middle age.Case presentationA 60-year-old woman presented with behavioral and personality changes. She showed disinhibition, such as hoarding and becoming aggressive over trifles; compulsive behavior, such as closing doors; apathy; and dietary change. The patient showed a progressive cognitive decline and relatively sparing memory and visuospatial function. She had hyperlipidemia but no family history of neurodegenerative disorders. Initial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images showed a high signal in the periventricular area, and brain spectroscopy showed hypoperfusion in the frontal and temporal lobes, mimicking bvFTD. However, on physical examination, xanthomas were found on both the dorsum of the hands and the Achilles tendons. Hyperactive deep tendon reflexes in the bilateral biceps, brachioradialis, and knee and positive Chaddock signs on both sides were observed. Four years later, FLAIR images showed symmetrical high signals in the bilateral dentate nuclei of the cerebellum. Her serum cholestanol (12.4 mg/L; normal value ≤6.0) and 7α,12α-dihydroxycholest-4-en-3-one (0.485 nmol/mL; normal value ≤0.100) levels were elevated. A novel likely pathogenic variant (c.1001T>A, p.Met334Lys) and a known pathogenic variant (c.1420C>T, p.Arg474Trp) of the CYP27A1 gene were found in trans-location. The patient was diagnosed with CTX and prescribed chenodeoxycholic acid (750 mg/day).ConclusionsThis report discusses the case of a middle-aged CTX patient with an unusual phenotype of bvFTD. A novel likely pathogenic variant (c.1001T>A, p.Met334Lys) was identified in the CYP27A1 gene. Early diagnosis is important because supplying chenodeoxycholic acid can prevent CTX progression.

The phosphorylated 43-kDa transactive response DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) was identified as a major disease protein in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. We present a case with progressive muscle weakness who was diagnosed with sporadic ALS. On postmortem examination, TDP-43 immunoreactive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions were noted in motor cortex, hippocampus and anterior horns of spinal cord, which was compatible with ALS-TDP, stage 4. This is the first documented autopsy-confirmed ALS case with ALS-TDP pathology in Korea.

Objective We aimed to present the study design and baseline cross-sectional participant characteristics of biobank innovations for chronic cerebrovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease study (BICWALZS) participants.Methods A total of 1,013 participants were enrolled in BICWALZS from October 2016 to December 2020. All participants underwent clinical assessments, basic blood tests, and standardized neuropsychological tests (n=1,013). We performed brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, n=817), brain amyloid positron emission tomography (PET, n=713), single nucleotide polymorphism microarray chip (K-Chip, n=949), locomotor activity assessment (actigraphy, n=200), and patient-derived dermal fibroblast sampling (n=175) on a subset of participants.Results The mean age was 72.8 years, and 658 (65.0%) were females. Based on clinical assessments, total of 168, 534, 211, 80, and 20 had subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s dementia, vascular dementia, and other types of dementia or not otherwise specified, respectively. Based on neuroimaging biomarkers and cognition, 199, 159, 78, and 204 were cognitively normal (CN), Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related cognitive impairment, vascular cognitive impairment, and not otherwise specified due to mixed pathology (NOS). Each group exhibited many differences in various clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging results at baseline. Baseline characteristics of BICWALZS participants in the MCI, AD, and vascular dementia groups were generally acceptable and consistent with 26 worldwide dementia cohorts and another independent AD cohort in Korea.Conclusion The BICWALZS is a prospective and longitudinal study assessing various clinical and biomarker characteristics in older adults with cognitive complaints. Details of the recruitment process, methodology, and baseline assessment results are described in this paper.

Stressful experiences, both physical and psychological, that are overwhelming (i.e., inescapable and unpredictable), can measurably affect subsequent neuronal properties and cognitive functioning of the hippocampus. At the cellular level, stress has been shown to alter hippocampal synaptic plasticity, spike and local field potential activity, dendritic morphology, neurogenesis, and neurodegeneration. At the behavioral level, stress has been found to impair learning and memory for declarative (or explicit) tasks that are based on cognition, such as verbal recall memory in humans and spatial memory in rodents, while facilitating those that are based on emotion, such as differential fear conditioning in humans and contextual fear conditioning in rodents. These vertically related alterations in the hippocampus, procedurally observed after subjects have undergone stress, are generally believed to be mediated by recurrently elevated circulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis effector hormones, glucocorticoids, directly acting on hippocampal neurons densely populated with corticosteroid receptors. The main purposes of this review are to (i) provide a synopsis of the neurocognitive effects of stress in a historical context that led to the contemporary HPA axis dogma of basic and translational stress research, (ii) critically reappraise the necessity and sufficiency of the glucocorticoid hypothesis of stress, and (iii) suggest an alternative metaparadigm approach to monitor and manipulate the progression of stress effects at the neural coding level. Real-time analyses can reveal neural activity markers of stress in the hippocampus that can be used to extrapolate neurocognitive effects across a range of stress paradigms (i.e., resolve scaling and dichotomous memory effects issues) and understand individual differences, thereby providing a novel neurophysiological scaffold for advancing future stress research.

To evaluate whether an impaired anterior visual pathway (retinal structures with microvasculature) is associated with underlying beta-amyloid (Aβ) pathologies in patients with Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), we compared retinal structural and vascular factors in each subgroup with positive or negative amyloid biomarkers. Twenty-seven patients with dementia, thirty-five with MCI, and nine with cognitively unimpaired (CU) controls were consecutively recruited. All participants were divided into positive Aβ (A+) or negative Aβ (A−) pathology based on amyloid positron emission tomography or cerebrospinal fluid Aβ. The retinal circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT), macular ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer thickness (mGC/IPLT), and microcirculation of the macular superficial capillary plexus were measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography. One eye of each participant was included in the analysis. Retinal structural and vascular factors significantly decreased in the following order: dementia < MCI < CU controls. The A+ group had significantly lower microcirculation in the para- and peri-foveal temporal regions than did the A−. However, the structural and vascular parameters did not differ between the A+ and A− with dementia. The cpRNFLT was unexpectedly greater in the A+ than in the A− with MCI. mGC/IPLT was lower in the A+ CU than in the A− CU. Our findings suggest that retinal structural changes may occur in the preclinical and early stages of dementia but are not highly specific to AD pathophysiology. In contrast, decreased temporal macula microcirculation may be used as a biomarker for the underlying Aβ pathology.

Background: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder of complex genetic architecture and is characterized by multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic persisting for more than 1 year. Methods: We performed a genome-wide meta-analysis integrating a novel TS cohort with previously published data, resulting in a sample size of 6133 individuals with TS and 13,565 ancestry-matched control participants. Results: We identified a genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 5q15. Integration of expression quantitative trait locus, Hi-C (high-throughput chromosome conformation capture), and genome-wide association study data implicated the NR2F1 gene and associated long noncoding RNAs within the 5q15 locus. Heritability partitioning identified statistically significant enrichment in brain tissue histone marks, while polygenic risk scoring of brain volume data identified statistically significant associations with right and left thalamus volumes and right putamen volume. Conclusions: Our work presents novel insights into the neurobiology of TS, thereby opening up new directions for future studies.

Purpose This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of fall incidents and fall rate among hospitalized children in South Korea. Design and methods A secondary analysis was carried out using patient safety reports for those aged 0–19 years from Korean Patient Safety Reporting & Learning System (KOPS) and the National Health Insurance Corporation from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018. Results A total of 723 safety accidents were reported to KOPS in 2018, of which 461 (63.8%) were medication errors and 117 (16.2%) were fall incidents. The fall rate of hospitalized children was 0.10 per 1000 patient days. By gender, boys were more affected (62.4%), and by age, 80 (68.4%) were aged 1–9 years. About 16% of children who sustained falls incurred temporary or long-term damage. Conclusion The findings demonstrate the national-level fall rate of hospitalized children as well as various features of safety accidents including pediatric falls that occurred in Korean children's hospitals. Younger children, and particularly boys, were likely to experience more falls than older children and girls, respectively. Practice implications Nurses and other healthcare providers should recognize the important features of fall incidents among hospitalized children to ensure better quality of care and patient safety.

Purpose This paper aims to examine the joint role of the pandemic-induced source of crisis (i.e. health and social crisis) based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and message appeal in customer perception of and behavioral intention toward a restaurant. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a 2 (source of crisis: social, health) × 2 (message appeal: social, health) between-subjects factorial design. A total of 181 samples was collected and data was analyzed by using ANCOVA and PROCESS. Findings The results showed a significant two-way interaction between source of crisis and message appeal on to-go intention. With the potential effect of risk aversion being controlled, message appeal significantly impacted perceived competence, which influenced both dine-in and to-go intentions. Practical implications The research findings suggest a crucial role of perceived fit between message appeal and customer concerns during crises. Therefore, restaurant managers should actively communicate their safety practices with their customers to inspire customer confidence. Originality/value This study identifies crisis dimensions based on human needs during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which determines the persuasiveness of marketing messages.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Reportedly 30-50% of patients being treated for chronic illnesses do not adhere to their medication regimen. We assessed the impact of a nurse-led education program for caregivers of Korean de novo Alzheimer's disease patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil. METHODS This multicenter study analyzed 93 participants in a caregiver education group and 92 participants in a caregiver no-education group. At every visit up to the end of the study (1 year), caregivers in the education group were given educational brochures regarding Alzheimer's disease and the efficacy and adverse events of donepezil treatment. The primary endpoint was the discontinuation rate of donepezil treatment during the 1-year observation period. The secondary endpoints included the effect of education on compliance with donepezil treatment assessed at each visit using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS), and changes from baseline in cognitive assessment tests. RESULTS The donepezil discontinuation rates at 1 year were 5.38% (5/93) and 6.52% (6/92) in the caregiver education and no-education groups, respectively (p=0.742). No significant between-group differences in donepezil compliance rates on the CRS and VAS were observed, but significant changes were observed in some cognitive tests from baseline to the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS Caregiver education had no significant effect on treatment discontinuation, but this may have been due to the low severity of cognitive impairment among the included population at baseline. In addition, the low discontinuation rates meant that no significant difference in treatment compliance was observed.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. METHODS This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50-90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation, treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS Donepezil was discontinued in 83 (20.9%) patients, most commonly due to an adverse event (43.4%). The mean treatment duration was 103.67 days in patients who discontinued. Among patients whose cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 1 year, there were no significant changes in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail-Making Test-Black and White scores, whereas the Clinical Dementia Rating score increased significantly (p

We report on the simulation results for the angular resolution of an electromagnetic (EM) sampling calorimeter with photons in the range of 100~MeV to 2~GeV. The simulation model of the EM calorimeter consists of alternating layers of a 1-mm-thick lead plate and a 5-mm-thick plastic scintillator plate. The scintillator plates are alternately segmented into horizontal and vertical strips. In this study, we obtain energy deposits in individual strips using Geant4 simulations and reconstruct the incident photon angles using XGBoost with gradient-boosted decision trees. The performance of the angle reconstruction depends on the detector configuration and the accuracy of machine learning. The angular resolution is well described by the expression $0.24^{\circ} \oplus 1.25^{\circ}/\sqrt{E_{\gamma}}$, where $E_{\gamma}$ is the incident photon energy in GeV, for strips of 15 mm and 32 layers. This energy dependence is consistent for different incident angles in the range of 10$^{\circ}$ to 40$^{\circ}$.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between family meals and family strengths (cohesion and flexibility) in Korean families with school-aged children. We focused on five dimensions of family meals: frequency, family rituals, communication, rules and roles, and perceptions. Our data came from 619 mothers who were married with at least one child in elementary school. Our multiple regression analyses showed that mothers reported higher levels of both cohesion and flexibility when they gave a higher priority to family meals, made family meals a ritual, had conversations on diverse topics during family meals, or experienced lower levels of meal-related stress. In addition, higher levels of family flexibility were found when a family had more structured rules related to family meals and the father more regularly participated in meal-related housework. This study contributes to the literature by understanding the roles of family meals from a multidimensional perspective.

This study was intended to provide basic data for discussion on the introduction of safety and health education system for business owners to prevent industrial accidents. To this end, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 548 occupational safety and health officials, of which 86.7% expected that the introduction of safety and health education for business owners would be very helpful in preventing accidents in the workplace. On the other hand, it was pointed out that the effectiveness of safety and health education for business owners needs to be raised as it deals with the areas considered to be important in the job and basic competencies of business owners. The study subjects also most highly agreed with the need for annual regular training for business owners at all workplaces.

Purpose: To develop a fall risk assessment tool to predict fall risk in pediatric inpatients.Methods: Three tools widely used in clinical practice (Humpty Dumpty Fall Scale, General Risk Assessment for Pediatric Inpatient Falls, and Seoul National University Hospital Pediatric Fall Risk Scale) were examined, and assessment items were extracted. Employing a case-control design, 29 children who experienced falls during hospital stays were selected as the "fall" group, and a control group (93 children) was selected based on age and sex matching. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the newly developed tool ("Newfs-PI") were analyzed.Results: The Newfs-PI consisted of seven items: age, activity, history of falls, length of hospital stay, and medication. The total score ranged from 0 to 15. Its sensitivity and specificity were 62.07% and 74.19%, respectively.Conclusion: The Newfs-PI has high specificity and sensitivity, which are essential for a fall risk assessment tool that complements existing tools. These values are high relative to those of existing assessment tools and satisfy both sensitivity and specificity criteria. As the EMR enables monitoring of the components of the Newfs-PI, the tool can be used as a fall risk assessment and prevention scale for pediatric inpatients.

Hotels often use branded amenities to upgrade products. However, given the importance, branded amenities are scarcely studied as a tool to manage hotel brands. Signaling theory explains how branded...

Nurse turnover is a critical issue in Korea, as it affects the quality of patient care and increases the financial burden on healthcare systems. To address this problem, this study aimed to develop and evaluate a machine learning-based prediction model for nurse turnover in Korea and analyze factors influencing nurse turnover. The study was conducted in two phases: building the prediction model and evaluating its performance. Three models, namely, decision tree, logistic regression, and random forest were evaluated and compared to build the nurse turnover prediction model. The importance of turnover decision factors was also analyzed. The random forest model showed the highest accuracy of 0.97. The accuracy of turnover prediction within one year was improved to 98.9% with the optimized random forest. Salary was the most important decision factor for nurse turnover. The nurse turnover prediction model developed in this study can efficiently predict nurse turnover in Korea with minimal personnel and cost through machine learning. The model can effectively manage nurse turnover in a cost-effective manner if utilized in hospitals or nursing units.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms in TMEM106B, a gene on chromosome 7p21.3 involved in lysosomal trafficking, correlates to worse neuropathological and clinical outcomes in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with TDP-43 inclusions. In a small cohort of C9orf72 expansion carriers, we previously found an atypical, neuroglial tauopathy in cases harboring a TMEM106B rs1990622 A/A genotype. AIMS: To test whether TMEM106B genotype affects the risk of developing atypical tauopathy under a recessive genotype model (presence versus absence of two major alleles: A/A vs. A/G and G/G). METHODS: We characterized the atypical tauopathy neuropathologically and determined its frequency by TMEM106B rs1990622 genotypes in 90 postmortem cases with a primary diagnosis of FTLD/ALS-TDP [mean age at death 65.5 years (±8.1),40% female]. We investigated the effect of this new atypical tauopathy on demographics and clinical and neuropsychological metrics. We also genotyped TMEM106B in an independent series with phenotypically similar cases. RESULTS: Sixteen cases (16/90, 17.7 %) showed the temporal-predominant neuro-astroglial tauopathy, and 93.7% of them carried an A/A genotype (vs. ~35% in a population cohort). The odds ratio of FTLD/ALS-TDP individuals with the A/A genotype showing neuro-astroglial tauopathy was 13.9. Individuals with this tauopathy were older at onset (p=0.01). The validation cohort had a similarly high proportion of rs1990622 A/A genotype. TDP-43 and tau changes co-occur in a subset of neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Our data add to the growing body of evidence that TMEM106B polymorphisms may modulate neurodegeneration. A distinctive medial temporal predominant, 4-repeat, neuro-astroglial tauopathy strongly correlates to TMEM106B A/A genotype in FTLD/ALS-TDP cases.

Abnormal iron accumulation around the substantia nigra (SN) is a diagnostic indicator of Parkinsonism. This study aimed to identify iron-related microarchitectural changes around the SN of brains with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) via postmortem validations and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 7 T high-resolution MRI was applied to two postmortem brain tissues, from one normal brain and one PSP brain. Histopathological examinations were performed to demonstrate the molecular origin of the high-resolution postmortem MRI findings, by using ferric iron staining, myelin staining, and two-dimensional laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging. In vivo iron-related MRI was performed on five healthy controls, five patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and five patients with PSP. In the postmortem examination, excessive iron deposition along the myelinated fiber at the anterior SN and third cranial nerve (oculomotor nerve) fascicles of the PSP brain was verified by LA-ICP-MS. This region corresponded to those with high R2* values and positive susceptibility from quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), but was less sensitive in Perls’ Prussian blue staining. In in vivo susceptibility-weighted imaging, hypointense pixels were observed in the region between the SN and red nucleus (RN) in patients with PSP, but not in healthy controls and patients with PD. R2* and QSM values of such region were significantly higher in patients with PSP compared to those in healthy controls and patients with PD as well (vs. healthy control: p = 0.008; vs. PD: p = 0.008). Thus, excessive iron accumulation along the myelinated fibers at the anterior SN and oculomotor nerve fascicles may be a pathological characteristic and crucial MR biomarker in a brain with PSP.

Objective: This study examined whether distractors in virtual reality (VR) environment affected the attention and hyperactivity in children and adolescents with ADHD. Method: A total of 40 students (21 ADHD, 19 controls) aged between 9 and 17 years participated in this study. A rapid visual information processing task utilizing VR (VR-RVP) was performed under two conditions (no-distractor and distractor condition). Task performance and head movement during each condition were compared, and additional analyses were conducted after grouping participants into two developmental stages. Results: Children with ADHD performed comparably to the controls under the distractor condition, but had poorer performance under the no-distractor condition. They displayed more head movement under the distractor condition than in the no-distractor condition. Conclusion: VR is possibly a useful tool for investigating the effect of distractors on individuals with ADHD, and children with ADHD are more vulnerable to a low-level stimulation situation than normal children in VR.

푸코는 생명 권력(bio-power)을 죽이고 살리는 권력이 아니라 ‘살게 하거나 죽게 내버려두는’권력으로 설명한다. 본고는 생명권을 강조하며 낙태죄 유지를 옹호하는 논리가 생명 정의를 독점하며 인구(population)에 관여하는 생명 권력으로 비판한다. 생명정치에 대항하는 낙태죄 폐지 운동은 낙태의 권리를 옹호하며, 생명권 인정과 유지의 범위가 어떻게 정해지며, 누가 이를 정하는가?라 질문한다. 이러한 낙태의 권리는 낙태의 권리를 개개인의 권리의 자유를 넘어, 자유의 한계를 재가치화 하는 임계적 자유인 ‘반규율적인 새로운 권리’로서 제안하며 근대 국가 성립의 조건인 시민권의 전제를 정치화한다. 따라서, 생명 정치 시대에 낙태죄 폐지의 요구 신체적 취약성과 ‘불능’으로 등장하는 정치화된 생명을 드러내고, ‘공동’은 누구인지 질문하며 정치화된 생명을 새로운 주체화의 장소로서 강조하는 것이다.

This qualitative study investigated pre-service teachers’ perceptions toward co-teaching after experiencing co-taught sessions within a special education methods class and literacy methods class. F...

We previously demonstrated that kaempferol, a flavonoid present in various herbs, inhibits adipogenesis by repressing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) activity. Here, we focused on elucidation of the underlying mechanism using genome-wide tools. First, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis showed downregulation of genes involved in adipogenesis in response to kaempferol. Subsequent ChIP assays revealed that kaempferol regulates the expression of adipogenic (Adipoq, Fabp4, Lpl) genes by modulating enrichment of active H3K4me3 and repressive H3K27me3 histone codes on target promoters. Second, we performed ChIP sequencing analysis of active H3K4me3, and co-analysis with RNA-seq identified PPARγ responsive sites in genes downregulated by kaempferol, in terms of expression and H3K4me3 deposition. Third, direct kaempferol binding to PPARγ, for which the K