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Abstract Surgical site infection (SSI) following lumbar disc herniation (LDH) surgery leads to prolonged hospital stays, increased costs and reoperations. Therefore, we aim to develop and validate a nomogram to predict the risk of SSI following LDH surgery, thereby helping spine surgeons design personalized prevention strategies and promote early recovery. Data from 647 patients with SSI who underwent LDH surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (AFMU) from 2020 to 2023 were collected. Ultimately, 241 patients with SSI were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were randomly divided into training and validation sets with a ratio of 7:3. LASSO regression, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression were utilized to identify target variables and establish the prediction model, which was subsequently validated. Six factors—Age, Body Mass Index (BMI), Postoperative Suction Drainage (PSD), Gelatin Sponge (GS), None-Preoperative Antibiotic (NPTA), and Thrombin Time (TT)—were selected to construct the nomogram model. In the training set, the area under the curve (AUC) for the nomogram was 0.818 (95% CI 0.779–0.857). In the validation set, the AUC was 0.782 (95% CI 0.717–0.846). Calibration curves for both sets showed satisfactory agreement between predicted and actual SSI probabilities. Decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram is clinically useful with a threshold range of 1–90%. The Clinical Impact Curve (CIC) demonstrated an acceptable cost-benefit ratio. The developed nomogram model effectively predicts the risk of SSI following LDH surgery, enabling spine surgeons to formulate more professional and rational clinical prevention strategies.

Based on a quantitative, heterogeneous agent general equilibrium model, we compute the optimal tax rates for labor and capital incomes for the Korean economy. According to our model, a more progressive income tax schedule along with a higher capital tax rate can increase average welfare by as much as 0.86% of permanent consumption. Approximately 64% of house-holds, those with low assets and low productivity, are better off when a more progressive optimal tax schedule is adopted. Despite the potentially significant welfare gains, our calculation should be interpreted with caution because our benchmark model does not take into account possible capital outflows or the increased administrative costs associated with high taxes.

Objective To explore the correlation between functional connectivity (FC) in the brains of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with depression and the improvement rate of depression after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). Methods This study included 38 PD patients (25 with depression and 13 without depression) who underwent STN -DBS at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from September 2019 to April 2020. All participants underwent resting-state fMRI. The severity of depression was assessed using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 Items (HAMD-17) before and 2 years after the surgery, and the improvement rate of depression was calculated. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between FC and the improvement rate of depression in PD patients with depression. Results There were 34 different FC between PD patients with and without depression compared to control group (P = 0.000, for all). Among patients with PD, those with depression showed 4 distinct FC compared to those without depression, including left precuneus -right supplementary motor area (t = 6.028, P = 0.000), right insula -right lateral orbital gyrus (t = 5.525, P = 0.000), left paracentral lobule-left precuneus (t = 5.545, P = 0.000), and right paracentral lobule - left precuneus (t = 5.578, P = 0.000). Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between the zFC values of right precuneus-right insula (rs = - 0.544, P = 0.009) and left temporal pole-left insula (rs = - 0.765, P = 0.010) and the improvement rate of depression in PD patients with depression. Conclusions The FC of right precuneus-right insula and left temporal pole-left insula in PD patients with depression is negatively associated with the improvement rate of depression.

As the aging population increases, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease rises annually. In this context, the evaluation of cardiac function using medical imaging techniques plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Cardiac segmentation is a prerequisite for assessing cardiac function and has been closely studied by clinicians and scientific researchers. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature from the past decade on cardiac segmentation, categorizing the studies into traditional segmentation approaches and deep learning methodologies. Emphasis is placed on the detailed discussion of segmentation methods based on active contours and atlas models; deep learning algorithms based on U-Net and full convolution neural network (FCN) are also extensively discussed. In particular, this paper elaborates various approaches to enhance deep learning networks and achieve accurate segmentation of specific cardiac regions. These approaches include incorporating local modules, optimizing loss functions, and enhancing network architectures. A comprehensive summary of the aforementioned methods is presented, considering three imaging modalities: cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and ultrasonic cardiogram. Lastly, the article concludes by summarizing the current research status and discussing research directions for further exploration.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a worldwide problem. Currently, there are no effective drugs for AD treatment. Scrophularia buergeriana Miquel (SB) is a traditional herbal medicine used in Korea to treat various diseases. Our previous studies have shown that ethanol extract of SB roots (SBE, Brainon®) exhibits potent anti-amnesic effects in Aβ1-42- or scopolamine-treated memory impairment mice model and neuroprotective effects in a glutamate-induced SH-SY5Y cell model. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of Brainon® and its mechanism of action in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. Brainon® (30 or 100 mg/kg/day) was orally treated to six-month-old SAMP8 mice for 12 weeks. Results revealed that Brainon® administration effectually ameliorated cognitive deficits in Y-maze and passive avoidance tests. Following the completion of behavioral testing, western blotting was performed using the cerebral cortex. Results revealed that Brainon® suppressed Aβ1-42 accumulation, Tau hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, and inflammation and alleviated apoptosis in SAMP8 mice. Brainon® also promoted synaptic function by downregulating the expression of AChE and upregulating the expression of p-CREB/CREB and BDNF. Furthermore, Brainon® restored SAMP8-reduced expression of ChAT and -dephosphorylated of ERK and also decreased AChE expression in the hippocampus. Furthermore, Brainon® alleviated AD progression by promoting mitophagy/autophagy to maintain normal cellular function as a novel finding of this study. Our data suggest that Brainon® can remarkably improve cognitive deficiency with the potential to be utilized in functional food for improving brain health.

As part of the globalization effort, study abroad has been researched in the fields of education, business, language, etc. However, what is not well-discussed is how foreign sites in study abroad programs can function as learning contexts to promote in-depth learning in various subject areas, which was the purpose of this study. Twelve participants from one public research university involved in study abroad programs were interviewed. Documents such as syllabi and travel plans relevant to participants' trips were also collected. The data were analyzed inductively. The findings show that foreign sites serve as learning context to support students' learning by (a) providing cues to understand new knowledge from different perspectives; (b) providing a context to understand the meaning behind words; (c) providing minute details tying facts towards abstract knowledge; and (d) creating a space for stimulating emotional attachments.

This paper focuses on incorporating Eastern and Western learning perspectives into an American learning environment. The design-based research approach is employed. The following principles influenced by the Eastern and Western perspectives of learning were implemented in course design: providing pre-sequenced materials with high structure and flexible options, valuing group collaboration and individual autonomy, and promoting diverse ideas and critical thinking. Responses from 38 participants show that students from the Western learning environment also favor the pre-sequenced course materials with high structure. Even though they prefer independent and individual work, in an online environment a certain degree of collaborative work is necessary to create interactive dynamics and a sense of presence. Critical thinking in an online environment is not always adequately executed, which does not support the Western learning perspective of favoring critical thinking.

The major vascular complications associated with diabetes make the management of diabetic mellitus erectile dysfunction (DMED) a challenging endeavor. Notable factors contributing to DMED include oxidative stress, nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway activation, and apoptosis, while nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA) has been shown to be beneficial in treating these aspects of this condition. We, herein, investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of NO2-OA on erectile function as assessed in a streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes. Our results revealed that the erectile function of DMED rats was significantly impaired compared with that of the control group. However, in response to 4 weeks of NO2-OA treatment, there was an improvement in erectile function. The expression of oxidative stress-related indicators was significantly increased and the NO/cGMP pathway was impaired in the DMED group. The expression of proapoptotic factors was increased, while that of antiapoptotic factors was decreased in the DMED group. Moreover, the cell morphology in the cavernous tissue of the DMED group also changed adversely. NO2-OA treatment significantly reversed all these changes observed in the DMED group. In conclusion, NO2-OA treatment partially improved erectile function in DMED rats through mechanisms that included inhibition of oxidative stress, activation of the NO/cGMP pathway, and a reduction in apoptosis.

By the end of 2019, the World Health Organization was informed about the first unknown pneumonia cases, later labeled the COVID-19 global pandemic. Based on Mezirow's transformative learning theory, COVID-19 has been the trigger event that challenged adult learners' values, beliefs, and expectations in higher educational institutions. The study sought to identify best practices across American higher education institutions (HEIs) to adapt their teaching approach to the online environment. It answered the question, "What are the best practices for higher education instructors to adapt their teaching approach to online environments?" This study uses a systematic literature review and an online survey for data collection across HEIs in the United States. The web-based questionnaire includes fixed-choice, closed-ended, and open-ended questions in four sections: demographic information, attitudes about online education, online teaching and learning strategies, and challenges. The study follows ethical procedures, thematic analysis, and discussion of the findings in the context of existing literature to outline best practices in online higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Theater uses drama and conflict to stimulate audience's emotions taking advantage of the fact that emotions can trigger people to achieve a desired learning result. Creating a theatrical learning environment enables learners to actively participate in knowledge creation in an entertaining environment. In this paper, I will use a conference session as a case to discuss how to create an interactive theatrical environment to promote active learning and participation among learners and the audience. Finally, I will reflect on the challenges of creating such a theatric learning environment and provide recommendations for practice.

Transformative learning has been widely discussed in the literature for challenging and reshaping learners' assumptions and beliefs. However, there is a gap in the practical demonstration of how transformative learning can be effectively designed and implemented in real-world contexts. This design-based study fills this gap by designing a mock training workshop for transforming learners' assumptions about poverty. Drawing on theoretical concepts of transformative learning, this study translates abstract theoretical points into practical activities. The study incorporates a comprehensive review of existing literature to identify the main components and phases of transformative learning and to gather practical strategies for designing learning activities. The resulting framework may guide scholars and practitioners interested in turning transformative learning theory into actionable interventions. The mock training workshop designed in this study centers around four main components: engaging in the experience, critical reflection, critical discourse analysis, and action taken. These components are strategically woven together to create a transformative learning journey for participants. By actively engaging participants in experiential activities, promoting critical reflection on their assumptions, analyzing the underlying discourses, and encouraging action-oriented outcomes, the workshop seeks to challenge and reshape deeply held beliefs about poverty and other societal issues. The insights and strategies in this study can inform those interested in promoting social change and challenging long-held assumptions through transformative learning interventions. Such insights and strategies can also be extended to other social issues, such as drug addiction, alcoholism, or tobacco use, offering practitioners a versatile framework for facilitating transformative learning in various contexts.