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Marine nitrogen (N) cycle plays important roles in controlling marine ecosystem and biogeochemistry, as it is well known as a limiting element for marine productivity and significantly influences on the carbon and phosphorus cycles in the marine environment. Also, nitrous oxide (N₂O) production via marine N cycling is regarding as climate interaction with a big concern owing to its significant warming potential in the atmosphere. The East Sea (ES) is a semi-enclosed marginal sea, but frequently referred to as a miniature ocean as it shows multiple ocean dynamic processes. Recently, a number of studies reported that the ES is rapidly changing due to anthropogenic perturbations. Given that understanding of the ES’s biogeochemical cycles under such a condition is apparently urgent, we have little knowledge about particularly N cycling and N₂O production mechanisms to date. At present, the application of metagenomics approaches is widely used for understanding marine N cycle as an important means. Here, using the information of bacterial functional genes, we for the first time investigate (1) N cycling processes and (2) N2O production pathways during June and October 2021 at three different depths (0m, 150m, and 750m) of the ES.

To determine the correlation between ultrasound (US), cross-sectional imaging, and pathological renal mass sizes.Between January 2011 and January 2021, a cohort of patients from 14 academic institutions who had an US and cross-sectional imaging within 8 weeks of each other and within 6 months of surgery were identified. A second cohort of patients with small renal masses (≤4 cm) who had US and cross-sectional imaging within 8 weeks of each other were also examined, regardless of their treatment modality. Correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman plots, and sensitivity tables were generated.A total of 1464 patients were included in the surgical cohort and 1582 patients (1921 imaging pairs) were included in the small renal mass (SRM) cohort. Pearson correlation coefficients between computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathologic size was 0.93 (P.0001) and between US and pathological size was 0.90 (P.0001). The correlation between US and CT/MRI was 0.93 (P.0001). Bland-Altman plots demonstrated a greater agreement for smaller renal masses. For the SRM cohort when comparing US to CT/MRI, 1441 (75%) SRM measurements were within 0.5 cm and only 149 (7.8%) were greater than 1 cm in difference. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that correlation between US and CT/MRI for SRMs were higher in patients with lower body mass index.There is a strong correlation between US and cross-sectional imaging in 75% of patients at baseline imaging. Our study provides support for utilization of US for active surveillance.

Background The lateral pharyngeal wall (LPW) is a critical anatomic structure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Resolving the retropalatal circumferential (RC) narrowing caused by combination of both LPW collapse and antero-posterior (AP) narrowing holds promise for surgical treatment of OSA. We sought to determine the clinical characteristics and distinctive alterations in sleep parameters of patients with OSA who have RC narrowing and LPW collapse. Methods Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), polysomnography findings, and sleep questionnaires were reviewed retrospectively in patients with OSA. Results Of the 106 OSA patients examined, 48% showed RC narrowing and 44% showed AP narrowing at the oropharynx level during sleep while 8% of the patients showed only LPW collapse. Patients with RC narrowing with LPW collapse exhibited a higher BMI than those with AP narrowing only. In addition, patients with RC narrowing showed more aggravated sleep parameters including apneic events than patients with AP narrowing alone. The degree of RC narrowing correlated significantly with the severity of OSA as shown by a higher apnea index and lower oxygen desaturations. Conclusions Our clinical findings suggest that the presence of RC narrowing with LPW collapse in OSA is closely related to increased apneic and oxygen desaturation events. RC narrowing with LPW collapse may be targets for surgical correction in patients with OSA to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Airway foreign body aspiration in children can lead to accidental death, due to the foreign body itself or the removal procedure. Depending on its location, removal of the foreign body can be challenging. Here, we present a case of successful removal of a foreign body from the left upper lobar bronchus via ventilating bronchoscopy with a rigid bronchoscope and Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter. Tracheobronchial foreign bodies in locations that are difficult to reach with forceps, due to an acute angle or the small diameter of the pediatric bronchial tree, can be effectively removed with a Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to summarize clinical studies conducted over the last five years that investigated the effect of acupuncture on Parkinson's disease and to propose a better process of study.Methods: Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korea Studies Information Service (KISS), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were systemically searched for clinical trials that had investigated the effect of acupuncture on the course of Parkinson's disease from May 2016 to April 2021.Results: A total of 23 studies met all the inclusion criteria. In most reports, acupuncture had significant positive effects on the course of Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, there were no serious adverse events associated with acupuncture in any of the studies. In addition to the acupuncture methods that showed effectiveness in previous studies, various types of acupuncture have been used to treat sub-symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The outcome measures were subdivided through individual symptom evaluation and mechanical analysis. Follow-up assessments were also performed to analyze the continuous effect.Conclusion: In the clinical studies conducted over the last five years, many studies investigated the various types of acupuncture used to treat Parkinson’s disease and the segmentation and diversification of outcome measures focusing on individual symptoms, and a new approach for excluding placebo effects through follow-up studies has been made. Further attempts like these are needed to overcome methodological flaws in studies on the effects of acupuncture on Parkinson's disease.

This study examined the effectiveness of Korean medical treatment in a patient with persistent drug-induced parkinsonism after drug discontinuation. The changes in symptoms were assessed using the unified parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), postural instability-gait disturbance (PIGD) score, and the 20 m gait time and steps. After 22 days of hospitalization, the UPDRS, PIGD score, and 20 m gait time and steps showed clinically significant improvement. The improvement persisted after discharge. This study indicated that Korean medical treatment could be an effective alternative therapy for treating persistent drug-induced parkinsonism after drug discontinuation.

Objectives: This study considered the effectiveness of Korean medicine for the treatment of eyelid edema post craniotomy.Methods: The patient was diagnosed with Taeumin-one of the four constitution types in Korean medicine-and treated with herbal medicines: Cheongsimyeunja-tang, Chungpyesagan-tang, and Hwangryunhaedok-tang pharmacoacupuncture treatment. The severity of eyelid edema was assessed using Kara and Gokalan’s scale, daily imaging of the patient’s eyelids, and the ratio of the length of the left eye to that of the right.Results: Following treatment, the Kara and Gokalan score decreased from 3 to 0. The changes in the ratios were 29% and 50%, respectively. The visual field defect due to edema in the left eye was also repaired.Conclusion: This study suggests that Korean medical treatment could be an effective option for treating eyelid edema following craniotomy.

Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of Korean medical treatment for an 81-year-old female patient with pontine infarction complaining of discomfort in both legs.Methods: The patient was hospitalized for 45 days and treated with herbal medicine (mainly Bohyulanshin-tang [補血安神湯], pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and moxibustion). We used the International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and checked the duration of the symptoms to evaluate the clinical effects of the treatment.Results: After 45 days of hospitalization, the IRLS score decreased from 33 to 19, with the lowest score of 8 recorded on the twenty-seventh day after discharge. The NRS score and the duration of symptoms also improved, and the treatment effect continued following discharge.Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medical treatment may be effective for the treatment of restless legs.

The fundamental basis for the human function is provided by skeletal muscle. Advancing age causes selective fiber atrophy, motor unit loss, and hybrid fiber formation resulting in hampered mass and strength, thus referred to as sarcopenia. Influence on the loss of independence of aged adults, contribute toward inclined healthcare costs conveys the injurious impact. The current understating of age-related skeletal muscle changes are addressed in this review, and further discusses mechanisms regulating protein turnover, although they do not completely define the process yet. Moreover, the reduced capacity of muscle regeneration due to impairment of satellite cell activation and proliferation with neuronal, immunological, hormonal factors were brought into the light of attention. Nevertheless, complete understating of sarcopenia requires disentangling it from disuse and disease. Nutritional intervention is considered a potentially preventable factor contributing to sarcopenia. Seafood is a crucial player in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, where it consists of macro and micronutrients. Hence, the review shed light on seafood as a nutritional intrusion in the treatment and prevention of sarcopenia. Understanding multiple factors will provide therapeutic targets in the prevention, treatment, and overcoming adverse effects of sarcopenia.

High-definition red/green/blue (RGB) pixels and deformable form factors are essential for the next-generation advanced displays. Here, we present ultrahigh-resolution full-color perovskite nanocrystal (PeNC) patterning for ultrathin wearable displays. Double-layer transfer printing of the PeNC and organic charge transport layers is developed, which prevents internal cracking of the PeNC film during the transfer printing process. This results in RGB pixelated PeNC patterns of 2550 pixels per inch (PPI) and monochromic patterns of 33,000 line pairs per inch with 100% transfer yield. The perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) with transfer-printed active layers exhibit outstanding electroluminescence characteristics with remarkable external quantum efficiencies (15.3, 14.8, and 2.5% for red, green, and blue, respectively), which are high compared to the printed PeLEDs reported to date. Furthermore, double-layer transfer printing enables the fabrication of ultrathin multicolor PeLEDs that can operate on curvilinear surfaces, including human skin, under various mechanical deformations. These results highlight that PeLEDs are promising for high-definition full-color wearable displays.

This study aimed to evaluate the alteration of PAP compliance after nasal surgery and to determine the optimal indications of nasal surgery in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) subjects. Among OSA subjects using PAP devices, 29 subjects who underwent septoturbinoplasty due to nasal obstruction were included and their pre- and postoperative medical and PAP records were reviewed retrospectively. Postoperative autoPAP usage data was further assessed by grouping the compliance (the percentage of days with usage ≥ 4 h) data (group 1: the good compliance group; group 2: the poor compliance group). The data showed that 56% of subjects in group 1 complained of nasal obstruction as the only barrier to using a PAP device and about 89% reported experiencing the efficacy of PAP usage. Both the mean and peak average PAP pressures were significantly reduced in group 1 following nasal surgery. Group 2 had multiple subjective problems that interfered with wearing a PAP device and reported a lack of experiencing the efficacy of PAP usage. Preoperative nasal cavity volume values were smaller and absolute blood eosinophil counts were significantly lower in group 1. The current data demonstrate that nasal surgery might increase the compliance of PAP device wear in OSA subjects who complained of only nasal obstruction as a barrier to wearing PAP and who had small nasal cavity volumes combined with allergic inflammation.

동물보호법과 야생생물 보호 및 관리에 관한 법률은 동물학대를 금지하면서 자기 소유의 동물이나 소유자 없는 동물에 대한 학대행위도 처벌대상에 포함시키고 있다. 그러나, 다른 법률의 위반 없이 자기 소유 동물이나 소유자 없는 동물을 학대한 경우, 학대당한 동물을 제외한 다른 법익의 침해가 없다는 점에서 그와 같은 행위를 형사처벌하는 것이 헌법상 정당한가에 대한 검토가 필요하다. 즉, 자기 소유 동물의 학대를 금지하는 것은 그 사람의 일반적 행동자유권·재산권·직업수행의 자유를 제한하며 학대행위를 형사처벌하는 것은 재산권·직업의 자유 또는 신체의 자유를 제한하므로, 기본권의 주체가 아닌 동물을 보호하기 위하여 인간의 기본권을 제한하는 것이 헌법상 정당한지가 문제되는 것이다. 헌법 제37조 제2항은 기본권 제한의 요건으로 과잉금지의 원칙을 규정하고 있으므로 자기 소유 동물이나 소유자 없는 동물을 학대하는 행위를 처벌하는 동물학대죄 규정이 과잉금지의 원칙을 준수하였다면 헌법상 정당성이 인정될 수 있다. 과잉금지의 원칙은 목적의 정당성, 수단의 적합성, 침해의 최소성 및 법익의 균형성을 내용으로 한다. 동물학대죄와 관련하여서는 목적의 정당성과 관련하여 동물보호에 관한 동물윤리적·철학적 논의 및 헌법상 관련 조항의 해석을 통해 동물보호에 관한 국가적 의무를 도출할 수 있는지와, 현행 동물학대죄 조항이 침해의 최소성과 법익의 균형성이 인정되는지 알아보고, 동물보호를 위한 법률의 개선 방향 및 헌법상 동물보호조항의 도입과 관련한 논의에 관하여 검토한다.

Objective To investigate the clinical usefulness of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography in the prediction of outcomes after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and to assess whether the predictability is different between DTI and tractography administered before and after surgery.Methods Sixty-one subjects with traumatic cervical SCI were randomly assigned to preop or postop groups and received DTI accordingly. Among the patients who had DTI before surgery, we assigned 10 patients who had received repeated DTI examinations at 8 weeks after injury to the follow-up group. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were obtained from DTI, and imaginary fiber and crossing fiber numbers were calculated from the tractography. Neurological status and functional status were assessed at 4 and 8 weeks after SCI.Results The neurologic and functional statuses of both groups improved after 4 weeks. Out of the initial 61 patients who were enrolled in the study, the failure rate of DTI image analysis was significantly higher in the postop group (n=17, 41.5%) than in the preop group (n=6, 20%). The FA values and fiber numbers in the preop group tended to be higher than those in the postop group, whereas ADC values were lower in the preop group. When comparing the tractographic findings in the follow-up group, imaginary fiber numbers at the C6 and C7 levels and crossing fiber numbers from the C3 to C6 levels were significantly decreased after surgery. Several DTI and tractographic parameters (especially the ADC value at the C4 level and imaginary fiber numbers at the C6 level) showed significant correlations with neurologic and functional statuses in both the preop and postop groups. These findings were most prominent when DTI and physical examination were simultaneously performed.Conclusion Preoperative DTI and tractography demonstrated better FA and ADC values with lower interpretation failure rates than those obtained after surgery, whereas postoperative data significantly reflected the patient’s clinical state at the time of evaluation. Therefore, DTI and tractography could be useful in predicting clinical outcomes after traumatic cervical SCI and should be interpreted separately before and after spine surgery.

This study calculated the appropriate area of university laboratories which shall allow 40 students to evacuate in the shortest time frame when they evacuate at the walking speed per extinction coefficient of smoke to be created upon outbreak of fire.In the case where the floor area was 600㎡, the required safe egress time (RSET) for the total 40 students was 48.3 seconds when extinction coefficient was 0.3m⁻¹, 52.6 sec when extinction coefficient was 0.5m⁻¹, and 54.3 sec when extinction coefficient was 1.0m⁻¹. In the case where the floor area was reduced to 300㎡, half of the first case, the RSET for the total 40 students was 50.0 sec when extinction coefficient was 0.3m⁻¹, 56.4 sec when extinction coefficient was 0.5m⁻¹, and 54.1 sec when extinction coefficient was 1.0m⁻¹, showing the result that RSET of all the students was rather elongated when extinction coefficient was 0.3m⁻¹ and 0.5m⁻¹ respectively due to bottleneck caused by increase in population density even though the exit distance was shortened. In the case where the floor area was increased to 1200㎡, twice of the first case, RSET of all the levels of extinction coefficient was elongated due to increase in exit distance. As result of the experiments with different size of floor areas, the shortest RSET of all the students was found with 540㎡ of floor area. In conclusion, it was found that the RSET for all the people in the lab shall be shortest when the floor area was appropriate.

In this study, scenarios were developed to evaluate evacuation safety in the event of a fire in a shopping center with a connected passageway and to reduce Required Safe Egress Time (RSET). The RSET for all occupants by scenario is as follows: The first scenario which used the general evacuation route took 20 minutes and 7 seconds. The second scenario which used the third floor’s connected passageway for third and fourth floor, and using first floor entrance for first and second floor to evacuate took 14 minutes and 11 seconds. The evacuation time was 36 minutes and 52 seconds for scenario 3, which only used the fire escape stairs. The fourth scenario took 4 minutes and 19 seconds and used a connected passageway on every floor. Overall, this study shows that RSET for all occupants is reduced when a connected passageway is installed on every floor in shopping centers. Henceforth, more research is needed to determine whether connected passageway is a single firefighting object or a separate structure.

The effectiveness of the chin tuck maneuver is still controversial, despite being widely used in clinical practice. The chin tuck maneuver has been shown to be able to reduce or eliminate aspiration in a group of patients with a number of favorable conditions, but its effectiveness in preventing or managing penetration remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate whether the chin tuck maneuver is effective in reducing penetration. Images from a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) taken from 76 patients with penetration were collected and reviewed retrospectively. The severity of penetration was assessed by the penetration ratio (ratio of the penetration depth to the length of the epiglottis) measured and calculated from the images in which the deepest penetration was observed. The penetration ratio was significantly decreased in the chin tuck posture compared with the ratio in the neutral position (p = 0.001). Significant reducing effect was observed in 26 (34.2%) out of 76 patients. When comparing other parameters of VFSS, residues in the vallecular and pyriformis sinuses were less severe in the effective group. Chin tuck significantly decreased residues in both effective and ineffective group. The results demonstrate that the chin tuck maneuver can reduce penetration, but its effectiveness is limited.

Objective: To investigate the anti-senescence effect of 3-bromo-4,5- dihydroxybenzaldehyde (BDB) from Polysiphonia morrowii Harvey in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). Methods: HDF were subjected to treatment of BDB and then treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to induce premature senescence. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity in HDF was determined using the SA-β-gal staining method. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured using the 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay. Western blotting assay was performed to assess the level of antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1). In addition, intracellular collagen and collagenase contents were analyzed using the respective ELISA kits. Elastase activity in HDF supernatants was measured from p-nitroaniline release and normalized using total protein content. Results: Treatment of HDF with H2O2 increased the activity of SAP-gal, but BDB pre-treatment resulted in the reduction of SA-β- gal activity. Moreover, BDB significantly reduced H2O2-induced intracellular ROS production. BDB also markedly increased the level of GPX1, which was inhibited by 400 µM of H2O2. Furthermore, in in vitro study, BDB significantly increased intracellular collagen content and decreased matrix metalloproteinase-1 and elastase activities in HDF. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that BDB shows anti- senescence and anti-wrinkle activities in vitro.

Poststroke depression (PSD) is a major psychiatric disorder that develops after stroke; however, whether PSD treatment improves cognitive and functional impairments is not clearly understood. We reviewed data from 31 subjects with PSD and 34 age-matched controls without PSD; all subjects underwent neurological, cognitive, and functional assessments, including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Korean version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE), computerized neurocognitive test (CNT), the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI), and functional independence measure (FIM) at admission to the rehabilitation unit in the subacute stage following stroke and 4 weeks after initial assessments. Machine learning methods, such as support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, random forest, voting ensemble models, and statistical analysis using logistic regression were performed. PSD was successfully predicted using a support vector machine with a radial basis function kernel function (area under curve (AUC) = 0.711, accuracy = 0.700). PSD prognoses could be predicted using a support vector machine linear algorithm (AUC = 0.830, accuracy = 0.771). The statistical method did not have a better AUC than that of machine learning algorithms. We concluded that the occurrence and prognosis of PSD in stroke patients can be predicted effectively based on patients’ cognitive and functional statuses using machine learning algorithms.

Cannulated screws, containing an internal hole for inserting a guide pin, are commonly used in the management of bone fractures. Cannulated Mg screws can be biodegraded easily because their increased surface area including that of the inner hole rapidly reacts with body fluids. To delay biodegradation of cannulated Mg screws and improve bone regeneration, we developed a specific type of screw by injecting it with gelatin hydrogels [10 wt % gelatin(gel) with 0.09 v/v % glutaraldehyde (cross-linker)] containing different concentrations (5, 10, or 25 μg/mL) of bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs). We analyzed the properties and biocompatibility of the screws with and without BMP-2 and found that the release rate of BMP-2 in the hydrogel changed proportionately with the degradation rate of the cross-linked hydrogel. Loading BMP-2 in the hydrogel resulted in sustained release of BMP-2 for 25 to 40 days or more. The degradation rate of BMP-2 hydrogels was inversely proportional to the concentration of BMP-2. The injection of the hydrogels in the cannulated screw delayed biodegradation inside of the screw by simulated body fluid. It also induced uniform corrosion and the precipitation of bioactive compounds onto the surface of the screw. In addition, osteoblast proliferation was very active near the BMP-2 hydrogels, depending on the BMP-2 concentration. The BMP-2 in the hydrogel improved cell differentiation. The cannulated screw injected with 10 μL/mL BMP-2 hydrogel prevented implant biodegradation and enhanced osteoconduction and osteointegration inside and outside the screw. In addition, the properties of BMP-2-loaded hydrogels can be changed by controlling the amount of the cross-linker and protein, which could be useful for tissue regeneration in other fields.

Objective To investigate the comprehensive outcomes in aphasic patients, including their cognitive and functional status after ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. It also aimed to clarify whether aphasia is a prognostic factor for cognitive and functional improvements in stroke patients.Methods Sixty-seven ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke patients in the subacute stage who had been diagnosed with aphasia using the Korean version of Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test (K-FAST) were included in the study. Forty-six stroke patients without aphasia were used as controls. All patients were examined with the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB). Cognitive and functional assessments of the patients including the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), and the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) were performed during admission and 4 weeks after the initial assessments.Results The initial and follow-up total K-MMSE and K-MBI scores were significantly lower in aphasic patients than in non-aphasic controls. The K-WAB scores highly correlated with the total K-MMSE scores at the follow-up stage in all aphasic stroke patients. The K-WAB scores moderately correlated with the follow-up scores of the K-MBI in ischemic stroke patients but not in hemorrhagic stroke patients.Conclusion Aphasia influences the cognitive and functional status of stroke patients and has a greater impact on cognitive improvement. Aphasia severity can be one of the prognostic factors for cognitive status in aphasic patients with stroke.

본 연구는 세월호 참사 후 안산지역의 갈등을 다룬 질적 사례연구이다. 연구에는 18명의 안산시민이 참여했다. 자료는 일대일 심층면담을 수행하여 구성하였다. 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 참사 초기 안산시민들은 세월호 희생학생 부모들과 심리적 공감을 이루었으나 잘못된 정보의 전파로 인하여 집단적 몰이해가 발생하였고 정치논리가 개입함으로써 갈등은 격화되었다. 특히 추모공원 건립을 둘러싸고 갈등이 심화되었다. 현재 공동체의 회복과 재난 레질리언스를 발견하기는 어렵다. 연구결과에 근거하여 재난 후 이해관계가 상충하는 개인들에 대한 구조적 분석, 사회적 자본의 조직과 동원, 공동체 문화의 창조와 학습에 대한 논의를 하였고 재난 이후 사회복지의 역할을 모색하였다.