Search

Background Although inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is reportedly associated with a higher risk of pneumonia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the clinical implications of ICS have not been sufficiently verified to determine their effect on the prognosis of pneumonia. Methods The electronic health records of patients hospitalized for pneumonia with underlying COPD were retrospectively reviewed. Pneumonia was confirmed using chest radiography or computed tomography. The clinical outcomes of pneumonia in patients with COPD who received ICS and those who received long-acting bronchodilators other than ICS were compared. Results Among the 255 hospitalized patients, 89 met the inclusion criteria. The numbers of ICS and non-ICS users were 46 and 43, respectively. The CURB-65 (confusion, uremia, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age ≥65 years) scores at the initial presentation of pneumonia were comparable between the two groups. The proportions of patients with multilobar infiltration, pleural effusion, and complicated pneumonia in the radiological studies did not vary between the two groups. Additionally, the defervescence time, proportion of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit admission, length of hospital stays, and mortality rate at 30 and 90 days were not significantly different between the two groups. ICS use and blood eosinophils count were not associated with all pneumonia outcomes and mortality in multivariate analyses. Conclusion The clinical outcomes of pneumonia following ICS use in patients with COPD did not differ from those in patients treated without ICS. Thus, ICS may not contribute to the severity and outcomes of pneumonia in patients with COPD.

The 20-kHz probe-type sonicator systems were investigated for the enhancement of the cavitational oxidation activity under various geometric conditions including vertical and horizontal probe positions and vessel sizes/volumes as a following study to our previous study. The sonochemical oxidation activity (mass-based I3- ion generation rate) increased significantly for all vessel size conditions as the probe was placed close to the vessel bottom, owing to the expansion of the sonochemical active zone induced by the reflections of ultrasound at the bottom and the reactor wall. A concentric circular active zone is observed at positions close to the bottom. The highest sonochemical activity was obtained at 1 cm (vertical position) in the 20 cm vessels (input power: 50 %). At the vertical positions of 11 cm to 7 cm, no significant difference in the sonochemical activity was observed for all input power conditions (25, 50, and 75 %) because no meaningful reflections occurred. Higher sonochemical activities were obtained at an input power of 75 % owing to the increased power and strong reflection. The highest cavitational yield considering the energy efficiency was obtained at 6 cm (vertical position) for 75 % of all power and geometric conditions. Horizontal probe position tests showed that the asymmetric formation of the sonochemical active zone could significantly enhance the sonochemical activity. The highest activity was obtained at 1 cm (vertical position) and 2.5 cm (horizontal position) in the 20 cm vessel.

In this study, machine learning (ML) algorithms were employed to predict the pseudo-1st-order reaction rate constants for the sonochemical degradation of aqueous organic pollutants under various conditions. A total of 618 sets of data, including ultrasonic, solution, and pollutant characteristics, were collected from 89 previous studies. Considering the difference between the electrical power (Pele) and calorimetric power (Pcal), the collected data were divided into two groups: data with Pele and data with Pcal. Eight input variables, including frequency, power density, pH, temperature, initial concentration, solubility, vapor pressure, and octanol–water partition coefficient (Kow), and one target variable of the degradation rate constant, were selected for ML. Statistical analysis was conducted, and outliers were determined separately for the two groups. ML models, including random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), and light gradient boosting machine (LGB), were used to predict the pseudo-1st-order reaction rate constants for the removal of aqueous pollutants. The prediction performance of the ML models was evaluated using different metrics, including the root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and R squared (R2). A significantly higher prediction performance was obtained using data without outliers and augmented data. Consequently, all the applied ML models could be used to predict the sonochemical degradation of aqueous pollutants, and the XGB model showed the highest accuracy in predicting the rate constants. In addition, the power density and frequency were the most influential factors among the eight input variables in prediction with the Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) values method. The degradation rate constants of the two pollutants over a wide frequency range (20–1,000 kHz) were predicted using the trained ML model (XGB) and the prediction results were analyzed.

Abstract: A new episode of unrest and phreatic/phreatomagmatic/magmatic eruptions occurred at Ambae volcano, Vanuatu, in 2017–2018. We installed a multi-station seismo-acoustic network consisting of seven 3-component broadband seismic stations and four 3-element (26–62 m maximum inter-element separation) infrasound arrays during the last phase of the 2018 eruption episode, capturing at least six reported major explosions towards the end of the eruption episode. The observed volcanic seismic signals are generally in the passband 0.5–10 Hz during the eruptive activity, but the corresponding acoustic signals have relatively low frequencies (

Detecting and identifying the origins of foodborne pathogen outbreaks is a challenging. The Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel method offers a potential solution by enabling efficient screening and identification of various bacteria in one reaction. In this study, new NGS panel primer sets that target 18 specific virulence factor genes from six target pathogens (Bacillus cereus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus) were developed and optimized. The primer sets were validated for specificity and selectivity through singleplex PCR, confirming the expected amplicon size. Crosscheck and multiplex PCR showed no interference in the primer set or pathogenic DNA mixture. The NGS panel analysis of spiked water samples detected all 18 target genes in a single reaction, with pathogen concentrations ranging from 108 to 105 colony-forming units (CFUs) per target pathogen. Notably, the total sequence read counts from the virulence factor genes showed a positive association with the CFUs per target pathogen. However, the method exhibited relatively low sensitivity and occasional false positive results at low pathogen concentrations of 105 CFUs. To validate the detection and identification results, two sets of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analyses were independently performed on the same spiked water samples, yielding almost the same efficiency and specificity compared to the NGS panel analysis. Comparative statistical analysis and Spearman correlation analysis further supported the similarity of the results by showing a negative association between the NGS panel sequence read counts and qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) values. To enhance NGS panel analysis for better detection, optimization of primer sets and real-time NGS sequencing technology are essential. Nonetheless, this study provides valuable insights into applying NGS panel analysis for multiple foodborne pathogen detection, emphasizing its potential in ensuring food safety.

Background/Aims Patients with bronchiectasis often present with respiratory symptoms caused by chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, studies on the prevalence of CRS and its relationship with bronchiectasis are limited. Methods The baseline characteristics of patients with bronchiectasis recruited from the Korean Multicenter Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration were analyzed. CRS diagnosis was determined by a physician, on the basis of medical records, upper airway symptoms, and/or radiologic abnormalities. Questionnaires for quality of life, fatigue, and depression were administered when patients were stable for a minimum of 4 weeks after the bronchiectasis exacerbation. Results The prevalence of CRS was 7.1% (66/931). Patients with CRS were significantly younger than those without CRS (60.5 ± 10.7 years vs. 64.6 ± 9.3 years, p = 0.001). Idiopathic bronchiectasis was more common in patients with CRS compared to those without CRS (53.0% vs. 36.0%, p = 0.006). Lung function, inflammatory markers, exacerbations, bronchiectasis severity, and scores for quality of life, fatigue, and depression did not differ between the two groups. In a logistic regression analysis, CRS was associated with age of bronchiectasis diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94 to 0.99; p = 0.003) and idiopathic bronchiectasis (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.12 to 3.34; p = 0.018). Conclusions The prevalence of CRS was relatively low. CRS was not associated with the severity or clinical outcomes of bronchiectasis. Early diagnosis and idiopathic etiology were associated with CRS. Our findings reflect the low recognition of CRS in the clinical practice of bronchiectasis and highlight the need for awareness of CRS by adopting objective diagnostic criteria.

Abstract Although happiness or subjective well-being (SWB) has drawn much attention from researchers, the precise neural structural correlates of SWB are generally unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the associations between gray matter (GM) volumes, white matter (WM) microstructures, and SWB in healthy individuals, mainly young adults using multimodal T1 and diffusion tensor imaging studies. We enrolled 70 healthy individuals using magnetic resonance imaging. We measured their SWB using the Concise Measure of Subjective Well-Being. Voxel-wise statistical analysis of GM volumes was performed using voxel-based morphometry, while fractional anisotropy (FA) values were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. In healthy individuals, higher levels of SWB were significantly correlated with increased GM volumes of the anterior insula and decreased FA values in clusters of the body of the corpus callosum, precuneus WM, and fornix cres/stria terminalis. A correlational analysis revealed that GM volumes and FA values in these significant regions were significantly correlated with severity of psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Our findings indicate that GM volumes and WM microstructures in these regions may contribute to SWB, and could be the neural basis for psychological symptom severity as well as quality of life in healthy individuals.

Abstract The Whakaari/White Island volcano, located ~ 50 km off the east coast of the North Island in New Zealand, has experienced sequences of quiescence, unrest, magmatic and phreatic eruptions over the last decades. For the last 15 years, seismic data have been continuously archived providing potential insight into this frequently active volcano. Here we take advantage of this unusually long time series to retrospectively process the seismic data using ambient noise and tremor-based methodologies. We investigate the time (RSAM) and frequency (Power Spectral Density) evolution of the volcanic tremor, then estimate the changes in the shallow subsurface using the Displacement Seismic Amplitude Ratio (DSAR), relative seismic velocity (dv/v) and decorrelation, and the Luni-Seismic Correlation (LSC). By combining our new set of observations with the long-term evolution of earthquakes, deformation, visual observations and geochemistry, we review the activity of Whakaari/White Island between 2007 and the end of 2018. Our analysis reveals the existence of distinct patterns related to the volcano activity with periods of calm followed by cycles of pressurization and eruptions. We finally put these results in the wider context of forecasting phreatic eruptions using continuous seismic records.

Studies have shown increased nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM) incidence with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use in patients with chronic respiratory diseases; however, this association in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains insufficiently studied. Using a nationwide population-based database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service, newly diagnosed COPD patients (2005–2018) treated with inhaled bronchodilators were selected. An NTM case was defined by the presence of the first diagnostic code following inhaled bronchodilator use. Results indicated that ICS users did not have an increased risk of NTM disease compared to non-ICS users (hazard ratio (HR), 1.121; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.950–1.323; p = 0.176). However, in a subgroup analysis, the highest quartile of the cumulative ICS dose was associated with the development of NTM (1.200, 0.950–1.323, p = 0.050). Medium (1.229, 1.008–1.499, p = 0.041) and high daily doses of ICS (1.637, 1.241–2.160, p < 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of NTM disease. There was no difference in the risk of NTM according to ICS type. ICS use may increase the risk of developing NTM disease in patients with COPD. Physicians should weigh the potential benefits and risks of ICS, especially when using high doses and prolonged durations.

After COVID-19, face-to-face learning was changed to online learning. However, very few effective online learning methods were available regarding physical education. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the modeling effects on learning ballet movement in the online system. We aimed to find effective modeling presentations based on objective information, expert assessments, and a kinematic approach. The study included 36 individuals who were divided into an expert modeling group, a self-modeling group, and controls. Participants performed 60 trials of Pas de basque in the acquisition phase and 10 trials without a demonstration video after 24 h. 10 min later, the reversed Pas de basque was conducted for the retention test. All groups showed improved performance after the acquisition phase, which indicated that the modeling presentation was effective despite adopting an online learning system. However, higher expert scores and more accurate joint movements were shown in the expert modeling group compared to the other groups. Therefore, expert modeling seems to be the most effective method for learning high-difficulty tasks with jumps and turns.

Red seabream (Pagrus major), a migratory fish, is characterized by high protein levels in the muscle. South Korean and Japanese red seabreams have a general distribution pattern; however, distinguishing them based on their geographical origin is difficult. In this study, we used capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOF/MS) to analyze the red seabream muscle metabolome to investigate how can distinguish the origin of the fish. The metabolites were extracted using 50% acetonitrile in water. Chromatographic separation was successfully used to classify the metabolite profiles of Japanese and South Korean red seabream. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis showed good ability to categorize the samples according to their origin. Amino acids showed the greatest quantitative difference in South Korean and Japanese muscle samples. Specifically, the L-alanine, L-glutamic acid, L-isoleucine, dimethylglycine, and L-valine levels in Japanese red seabream samples were significantly higher than those in South Korean samples. In contrast, the levels of trimethylamine N-oxide and inosine monophosphate in South Korean muscle samples were significantly higher than those in Japanese red muscle samples. The monitored metabolite profiles suggest that South Korean and Japanese red seabreams can be identified on the basis of amino acid levels.

Abstract We have observed very long period earthquakes (VLPs) over the period 2007 to the end of 2019 at Whakaari/White Island volcano, New Zealand. The earthquakes exhibit similitude between waveforms which suggests repeating source locations and processes. VLPs recorded at two permanent stations were detected using waveform semblance and were then classified into two main families (F1 and F2) using a clustering analysis. The two families are characterized by ‘mirror image’ reverse waveform polarity suggesting that they are genetically related, but occur during different evolutionary phases of volcanic activity. F1 events occurred throughout the observation period, while F2 events mainly occurred as swarms that mark the onset of volcanic unrest. A detailed cluster analysis reveals possible sub-families implying slight temporal evolutions within a family. Our results add to our understanding of the volcanic magma–hydrothermal system at Whakaari/White Island indicating that relatively stable VLP sources may be exploited to improve monitoring for future unrest.

We aimed to determine the effect of long-acting inhaler use adherence on acute exacerbations in treatment-naïve patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using claims data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from July 2015–December 2016. Patients with COPD aged ≥ 40 years who used long-acting inhalers were enrolled and observed for 6 months. Medication adherence was determined by the medication possession ratio (MPR); patients were categorized to adherence (MPR ≥ 80%) and non-adherence (MPR < 80%) groups. Ultimately, 3959 patients were enrolled: 60.4% and 39.6% in the adherence and non-adherence groups, respectively. The relative risk of acute exacerbation in the non-adherence group was 1.58 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25–1.99) compared with the adherence group. The adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed a relative risk of acute exacerbation in the non-adherence vs. adherence group of 1.68 (95% CI 1.32–2.14) regarding the number of inhalers used. Poor adherence to long-acting inhalers influenced increased acute exacerbation rates among patients with COPD. The acute exacerbation of COPD risk requiring hospitalization or ED visits was high in the non-adherence group, suggesting that efforts to improve medication adherence may help reduce COPD exacerbations even in the initial management of treatment-naïve patients.

Asthma is a disease characterized by the appearance of transient or persistent symptoms in response to allergens, viral upper respiratory infections, and cold air. Asthma treatment aims to control, rather than cure, and digital systems can be useful in this regard. However, conventional assessment methods for asthma control are not suitable for digital healthcare. Therefore, we aimed to select representative questionnaire items suitable for digitally assessing the asthma control status. We analyzed the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and selected representative items. Throughout the year 2020, ACT results (2019 in total) collected from patients (>18 years old) with a principal diagnosis of asthma were analyzed. Individual questionnaire items were tested using Pearson’s correlation and receiver operating characteristic curves. Of the five questionnaire items, Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q5 yielded significant findings. Among these questionnaires, Q2 was the most descriptive and correlated questionnaire. Q5 was also significant but it was excluded since it was unable to apply to the digital health care system for asthma assessment method. The remaining three questionnaire items were selected and their sensitivity and specificity were assessed. Eight methods were analyzed, and the sum of scores of Q1–Q3 had the highest sensitivity and specificity (97% and 91%, respectively). The results suggested that, instead of the full items of ACT, the sum of Q1–Q3 can be used to assess the asthma control status. These findings will serve as the foundation for developing digital asthma control assessment tools.

Background: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are recommended for use by patients with frequent exacerbations and blood eosinophilia. However, ICSs are often inappropriately prescribed and overused. COPD studies have reported an increased risk of tuberculosis among ICS users. This study aimed to compare the risk of tuberculosis according to the different ICS components. Methods: This study was conducted using a nationwide, population-based cohort. Patients newly diagnosed with COPD between 2005 and 2018, and treated with either fluticasone propionate or budesonide, were selected. The patients were followed up until the development of tuberculosis. Results: After propensity score matching, 16,514 fluticasone propionate and 16,514 budesonide users were identified. The incidence rate of tuberculosis per 100,000 person-years was 274.73 for fluticasone propionate and 214.18 for budesonide. The hazard ratio of tuberculosis in fluticasone propionate compared with budesonide was 1.28 (95% confidence interval 1.05–1.60). The risk of tuberculosis for fluticasone propionate increased with higher ICS cumulative doses: 1.01 (0.69–1.48), 1.16 (0.74–1.81), 1.25 (0.79–1.97), and 1.82 (1.27–2.62) from the lowest to highest quartiles, respectively. Conclusion: Fluticasone propionate is associated with a higher risk of tuberculosis than budesonide. ICS components can differently affect the risk of tuberculosis in patients with COPD.

Background: Ginseng is believed to have antitumor activity. Autophagy is largely a prosurvival cellular process that is activated in response to cellular stressors, including cytotoxic chemotherapy; therefore, agents that inhibit autophagy can be used as chemosensitizers in cancer treatment. We examined the ability of Korean Red Ginseng extract (RGE) to prevent autophagic flux and to make hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells become more sensitive to doxorubicin. Methods: The cytotoxic effects of total RGE or its saponin fraction (RGS) on HCC cells were examined by the lactate dehydrogenase assay in a dose- or time-dependent manner. The effect of RGE or RGS on autophagy was measured by analyzing microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain (LC)3-II expression and LC3 puncta formation in HCC cells. Late-stage autophagy suppression was tested using tandem-labeled green fluorescent protein (GFP)–monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP)–LC3. Results: RGE markedly increased the amount of LC3-II, but green and red puncta in tandem-labeled GFP–mRFP–LC3 remained colocalized over time, indicating that RGE inhibited autophagy at a late stage. Suppression of autophagy through knockdown of key ATG genes increased doxorubicin-induced cell death, suggesting that autophagy induced by doxorubicin has a protective function in HCC. Finally, RGE and RGS markedly sensitized HCC cells, (but not normal liver cells), to doxorubicin-induced cell death. Conclusion: Our data suggest that inhibition of late-stage autophagic flux by RGE is important for its potentiation of doxorubicin-induced cancer cell death. Therapy combining RGE with doxorubicin could serve as an effective strategy in the treatment of HCC. Keywords: autophagic flux, cell death, ginseng extract

When a lot of surplus power occurs in wind power system, an output limit is implemented to directly or indirectly curtail the output to maintain a balance between the supply and demand of the power system. The curtailment process of a large-scale wind farm causes loss of power and mechanical loads. Resultantly, imbalanced curtailments often occur, resulting in unilateral burdens for the owners of wind farms. Considering the curtailment issue, the study for minimizing system loss of power plants is required in terms of operational efficiency. This paper proposes an algorithm to achieve flexible control during the actual power curtailment process in a wind farm, considering the wake effect. Here, the Monte Carlo method was adopted to calculate the curtailment weight in wind farms by using power loss terms. In addition, an equivalent model of a real wind farm was implemented and simulated through real simulation computer-aided design (RSCAD) software. This paper verified the effectiveness of the proposed method by applying the curtailment communication signal to a real-time digital simulator (RTDS). The results showed a reduction in the computational loading of individual wind turbine curtailment values with the decline of the total effective power loss.

Country-of-origin violations have occurred in which some merchants have fraudulently sold cheap Japanese yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) by presenting them as domestic Korean products. There are many methods for determining the origins of marine organisms, such as molecular genetic methods and isotope analysis. However, this study aimed to develop a method for determining the origins of aquatic products using metabolite analysis technology. Ten yellowtail each from Korea and Japan were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis–time of flight/mass spectrometry (CETOF/MS). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) results showed highly differing aspects between the Korean and Japanese samples. In the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, citric, malic, oxaloglutaric, and fumaric acids exhibited significant differences between Korean and Japanese yellowtail. Sixteen of the twenty essential amino acids analyzed as metabolites also differed significantly. All amino acids were involved in protein digestion, absorption, and metabolism. All 16 amino acid contents were higher in Japanese yellowtail than in Korean yellowtail, except for glutamine. The fasting period was found to be the biggest factor contributing to the difference in amino acid contents, in addition to environmental factors (including feeding habits). These significant differences indicated that metabolomics could be used to determine geographical origin.