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Background Acute dyspnoea is common in acute care settings. However, identifying the origin of dyspnoea in the emergency department (ED) is often challenging. We aimed to investigate whether our artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ECG analysis reliably distinguishes between the causes of dyspnoea and evaluate its potential as a clinical triage tool for comparing conventional heart failure diagnostic processes using natriuretic peptides.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using an AI-based ECG algorithm on patients ≥18 years old presenting with dyspnoea at the ED from February 2006 to September 2023. Patients were categorised into cardiac or pulmonary origin groups based on initial admission. The performance of an AI-ECG using a transformer neural network algorithm was assessed to analyse standard 12-lead ECGs for accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Additionally, we compared the diagnostic efficacy of AI-ECG models with N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels to identify cardiac origins.Results Among the 3105 patients included in the study, 1197 had cardiac-origin dyspnoea. The AI-ECG model demonstrated an AUC of 0.938 and 88.1% accuracy for cardiac-origin dyspnoea. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were 93.0%, 79.5%, 89.0% and 86.4%, respectively. The F1 score was 0.828. AI-ECG demonstrated superior diagnostic performance in identifying cardiac-origin dyspnoea compared with NT-proBNP. True cardiac origin was confirmed in 96 patients in a sensitivity analysis of 129 patients with a high probability of cardiac origin initially misdiagnosed as pulmonary origin predicted by AI-ECG.Conclusions AI-ECG demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy over NT-proBNP and showed promise as a clinical triage tool. It is a potentially valuable tool for identifying the origin of dyspnoea in emergency settings and supporting decision-making.

In modern emergency responses, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a crucial role in redefining disaster management through diverse task execution (e.g., object detection). However, UAVs are usually resource-constrained. To address this issue, UAV mother-ships with edge servers (UMECs) can be placed near UAV scouts for remote task processing. UMECs can have a larger scale of energy consumption and battery capacity than UAV scouts. Therefore, minimizing the total or maximum energy consumption may result in ignoring the energy consumption in UAV scouts and focusing on UMECs, consequently reducing the network’s lifetime. Furthermore, UMECs might lack the capacity to process all types of tasks owing to memory or software restrictions, and faster task execution often necessitates both central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU), which are rarely considered by existing works. Therefore, this paper studies a task offloading and resource (computation capacity and power) allocation (TORA) problem with the goal of minimizing the maximum energy consumption ratio among UMECs and UAV scouts alongside task execution latency ratio and total energy consumption, where tasks are executed using both CPU and GPU, each UMEC can execute a specific set of tasks, and devices have limited resources. We then formulate the problem as a non-convex mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem and decompose it into multiple sub-problems. Finally, a soft-actor-critic (SAC) based TORA algorithm (SATORA) is proposed to address the problem, which can adapt to the time-varying environment scenario. Numerical simulation results show that SATORA outperforms other baseline algorithms.

This study proposes an automated data-labeling model that combines a pseudo-labeling algorithm with waveform segmentation based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to effectively label time-series data in smart agriculture. This model aims to address the inefficiency of manual labeling for large-scale data generated by agricultural systems, enhancing the performance and scalability of predictive models. Our proposed method leverages key features of time-series data to automatically generate labels for new data, thereby improving model accuracy and streamlining data processing. By automating the labeling process, we reduce dependence on manual labeling, which is often labor-intensive and prone to errors in large datasets. This approach enables the efficient preparation of labeled data for applications such as anomaly detection, pattern recognition, and predictive modeling in smart agriculture. Experimental results demonstrate that the automated labeling model achieves 89% accuracy in agricultural environments and reduces data processing time by 30%. Future research will focus on extending the model’s applicability to diverse agricultural settings, enhancing generalization performance, and improving real-time processing capabilities, thereby advancing intelligent and sustainable smart agriculture systems.

The objective of a strawberry nursery is to produce numerous runners and improve the quality of the runner plants, ensuring their uniformity and health. About 80% of the strawberry nurseries in Wanju-gun, Republic of Korea, are cultivated by the growers themselves, which results in variations in the cultivation techniques. Different methods are employed to reduce the nitrogen levels to promote floral bud initiation in the later nursery stage, and these methods vary between farms. This study was conducted on the ‘Sulhyang’ cultivar (Fragaria × ananassa Dutch. cv. Sulhyang) to measure the nutrient content in runner plants obtained from eight growers using various cultivation methods, supply EC levels, nutrient solution termination times, etc., and to correlate the nutrient levels with floral bud initiation during the nursery period. Four investigations were conducted at 15-day intervals from Julian day 214 (2 August) to Julian day 259 (16 September) in 2022, focusing on nutrient management during the nursery period, runner plant growth, petiole nitrate nitrogen content (NO3-N), and soluble solid content (SSC). The NO3-N content decreased, and the SSC/NO3-N ratio increased near the transplanting period, as assessed using a rapid inorganic nutrient diagnostic device. The proportion of runner plants that had advanced to stage 3 or above in floral bud initiation was investigated using a stereomicroscope. As a result, differences in the percentage of floral bud initiation were confirmed based on the varying nutrient management among the farms. In this study, on Julian day 243 (31 August 2022), there was a strong negative correlation (r = −0.86, r2 = 0.73) between the NO3-N content in the runner plants and the percentage of floral bud initiation. These results emphasize the importance of nutrient management during the nursery period, especially for strawberry self-propagating growers, and demonstrate a strong correlation between nutrient content and floral bud initiation in strawberries.

Unstable farm income and the desire to diversify revenue sources have increased the significance of agritourism as an alternative economic opportunity for farmers and ranchers. Agritourism integrates the top economic drivers—agriculture and tourism—and has been identified as a highly effective complementary business for farmers to generate additional income and mitigate the financial uncertainties associated with traditional farming enterprises. Visitors’ satisfaction is critical for operating a successful agritourism business, as it influences destination choice, consumption of products and services, and the decision to return. This study examined the relationship between agritourism visitors’ intrinsic motivation, environmental behavior, satisfaction, and intentions to revisit and recommend. With a total of 615 survey responses, the study reveals a significant relationship between agritourism visitors’ intrinsic motivation, environmental behavior, and satisfaction related to destination, risk, and food attributes. Furthermore, visitors’ overall satisfaction with these three attributes significantly influences their intentions to revisit and recommend the destination. The findings of this study will enable agritourism operators and policymakers to formulate appropriate policies for the sustainable development of this sector. Future promotional and educational tools could be developed based on these findings.

Background TRI‐SCORE was recently developed in Europe as a risk model for predicting in‐hospital death after isolated tricuspid valve surgery. We aimed to validate TRI‐SCORE in an Asian population and investigate its value for predicting long‐term outcomes. Methods and Results The TRI‐SCORE was calculated for 202 patients (65±11 years, 61% women, 81% functional tricuspid regurgitation) who underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery for severe tricuspid regurgitation at 2 Korean centers and was based on 8 parameters: age, New York Heart Association class, right‐sided heart failure signs, furosemide daily dose, glomerular filtration rate, bilirubin, left ventricular ejection fraction, and moderate/severe right ventricular dysfunction. The primary outcome was all‐cause death during follow‐up; the secondary outcome was in‐hospital death. During a median follow‐up duration of 50 (interquartile range, 21–82) months after isolated tricuspid valve surgery, 23 (11.4%) patients experienced the primary outcome, and 7 (3.5%) patients experienced the secondary outcome. Observed all‐cause death and in‐hospital death increased by up to 50% in those with higher scores. Patients with the primary outcome had a higher TRI‐SCORE (4.5±2.4 versus 2.9±2.1; P=0.001) than those without. The TRI‐SCORE showed a significant association with the primary outcome (concordance index, 0.77, cutoff value, 4) and in‐hospital death (area under the curve, 0.84; cutoff value, 3). Using the Kaplan–Meier analysis, patients with a high TRI‐SCORE exhibited a poor outcome for all‐cause death at follow‐up (log‐rank P

Abstract The management and follow-up of moderate aortic stenosis (AS) lacks consensus as the progression patterns are not well understood. This study aimed to identify the hemodynamic progression of AS, and associated risk factors and outcomes. We included patients with moderate AS with at least three transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) studies performed between 2010 and 2021. Latent class trajectory modeling was used to classify AS groups with distinctive hemodynamic trajectories, which were determined by serial systolic mean pressure gradient (MPG) measurements. Outcomes were defined as all-cause mortality and aortic valve replacement (AVR). A total of 686 patients with 3093 TTE studies were included in the analysis. Latent class model identified two distinct AS trajectory groups based on their MPG: a slow progression group (44.6%) and a rapid progression group (55.4%). Initial MPG was significantly higher in the rapid progression group (28.2 ± 5.6 mmHg vs. 22.9 ± 2.8 mmHg, P

Behavioral recognition is an important technique for recognizing actions by analyzing human behavior. It is used in various fields, such as anomaly detection and health estimation. For this purpose, deep learning models are used to recognize and classify the features and patterns of each behavior. However, video-based behavior recognition models require a lot of computational power as they are trained using large datasets. Therefore, there is a need for a lightweight learning framework that can efficiently recognize various behaviors. In this paper, we propose a group-based lightweight human behavior recognition framework (GLBRF) that achieves both low computational burden and high accuracy in video-based behavior recognition. The GLBRF system utilizes a relatively small dataset to reduce computational cost using a 2D CNN model and improves behavior recognition accuracy by applying location-based grouping to recognize interaction behaviors between people. This enables efficient recognition of multiple behaviors in various services. With grouping, the accuracy was as high as 98%, while without grouping, the accuracy was relatively low at 68%.

In emergency response operations, using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) has recently become a promising solution due to their flexibility and easy deployment. However, tasks performed by the UAVs, e.g., object detection and human pose recognition, usually require a high computation capacity and energy supply. Furthermore, offloading tasks to the edge server-equipped base stations may not always be possible because of a lack of infrastructure or distance. Therefore, UAV-aided edge servers can be deployed near UAV scouts to provide computing services. However, a UAV can not perform all types of tasks since it has limitations on memory, available software, central processing unit (CPU), and graphics processing unit (GPU) capacity. Therefore, this study focuses on task offloading (TO), power, and computation resource allocation (PRA) problems in a multi-layer MEC-enabled UAV network while taking into account CPU and GPU requirements of tasks, the capacity of the devices (i.e., computational resources, power, and energy), and limitations on the type of tasks a UAV can perform. The problem is formulated as a non-convex mixed-integer nonlinear problem to minimize the weighted sum of the maximum energy consumption ratio in the network and total task execution latency ratio, and then decomposed and converted into an integer and a convex problem. A messy genetic algorithm (mGA)-based TO and PRA strategy (mGA-TPR) is proposed to solve the problem, where two PRA strategies are based on the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions used to solve the PRA problem. Simulation results verify that the proposed scheme can outperform the baseline methods.

In the era of big data, effective recommendation systems are essential for providing users with personalized content and reducing search time on online platforms. Traditional collaborative filtering (CF) methods face challenges like data sparsity and the new-user or cold-start issue, primarily due to their reliance on limited user–item interactions. This paper proposes an innovative movie recommendation system that integrates deep reinforcement learning (DRL) with CF, employing the actor–critic method and the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm. This integration enhances the system’s ability to navigate the recommendation space effectively, especially for new users with less interaction data. The system utilizes DRL for making initial recommendations to new users and to generate optimal recommendation as more data becomes available. Additionally, singular value decomposition (SVD) is used for matrix factorization in CF, improving the extraction of detailed embeddings that capture the latent features of users and movies. This approach significantly increases recommendation precision and personalization. Our model’s performance is evaluated using the MovieLens dataset with metrics like Precision, Recall, and F1 Score and demonstrates its effectiveness compared with existing recommendation benchmarks, particularly in addressing sparsity and new-user challenges. Several benchmarks of existing recommendation models are selected for the purpose of model comparison.

In Korea, the majority of strawberry cultivation follows a forcing culture, where planting occurs in mid-September after the flower differentiation, and harvesting begins at the end of November. October and November constitute off-season, resulting in higher prices. The accelerated forcing culture involves artificially promoting flower differentiation to expedite strawberry harvest. This study aimed to identify the most suitable schedule for strawberry cultivation using the short-day and low-temperature treatments through greenhouse environmental control during the nursery stage. The selection of the most suitable cultivars for accelerated forcing culture among Korean breeding cultivars (‘Sulhyang’, ‘Kuemsil’, ‘Kingsberry’, ‘Vitaberry’, ‘Jukhyang’, and ‘Altaking’) was also part of the objectives. The nursery treatments were initiated on 4 July, 14 July, and 25 July. After approximately 5 weeks of treatment, transplanting was carried out. The control group was transplanted on 15 September. When night-chilling nursery treatment was applied on 4 July, followed by transplanting on 11 August, all six cultivars exhibited flowering earlier compared to the control group, leading to increased early yield. Particularly, the ‘Sulhyang’ cultivar showed the highest marketable yield at 68.6 g per plant in October. This research contributes to identifying the nursery cultivation schedule for off-season strawberry production and selecting suitable cultivars, and is expected to contribute to increased farm income.

Background/Aims We evaluated the feasibility and long-term efficacy of the combination of cytarabine, idarubicin, and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for treating patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods We included 87 patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and a t(15;17) or promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML-RARα) mutation. Patients received 12 mg/m2/day idarubicin intravenously for 3 days and 100 mg/m2/day cytarabine for 7 days, plus 45 mg/m2/day ATRA. Clinical outcomes included complete remission (CR), relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and the secondary malignancy incidence during a 20-year follow-up. Results The CR, 10-year RFS, and 10-year OS rates were 89.7%, 94.1%, and 73.8%, respectively, for all patients. The 10-year OS rate was 100% for patients that achieved CR. Subjects were classified according to the white blood cell (WBC) count in peripheral blood at diagnosis (low-risk, WBC < 10,000/mm3; high-risk, WBC ≥ 10,000/mm3). The low-risk group had significantly higher RFS and OS rates than the high-risk group, but the outcomes were not superior to the current standard treatment (arsenic trioxide plus ATRA). Toxicities were similar to those observed with anthracycline plus ATRA, and higher than those observed with arsenic trioxide plus ATRA. The secondary malignancy incidence after APL treatment was 2.7%, among the 75 patients that achieved CR, and 5.0% among the 40 patients that survived more than 5 years after the APL diagnosis. Conclusions Adding cytarabine to anthracycline plus ATRA was not inferior to anthracycline plus ATRA alone, but it was not comparable to arsenic trioxide plus ATRA. The probability of secondary malignancy was low.

Background Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disorder affecting not only the myocardium but also the mitral valve (MV) and its apparatus. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic implication of MV disease and its progression in East Asian patients with HCM. Methods and Results We assessed MV structure and function on the indexed echocardiogram of 1185 patients with HCM (mean±SD age, 60±14 years; men, 67%) in a longitudinal HCM registry, and 667 patients who performed follow‐up echocardiogram after 3 to 5 years were also analyzed. Progression of mitral regurgitation (MR) was defined as the increase of at least 1 grade. Clinical outcomes were defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, heart failure hospitalization, MV surgery or septal myectomy, and heart transplantation. Most of the entire cohort was nonobstructive type (n=1081 [91.2%]). A total of 278 patients (23.5%) showed at least mild MR on indexed echocardiogram. MR, systolic anterior motion, and mitral annular calcification were more prevalent in patients with obstructive HCM. During 7.0±4.0 years of follow‐up, presence of MR was independently associated with poor clinical outcomes (hazard ratio [HR], 1.60 [95% CI, 1.07–2.40]; P=0.023). On follow‐up echocardiogram, 67 (10.0%) patients showed MR progression, and it was independently associated with poor prognosis (HR, 2.46 [95% CI, 1.29–4.71]; P=0.007). Conclusions In East Asian patients with HCM whose major type is nonobstructive, MV disease is common. MR, systolic anterior motion, and mitral annular calcification are more prevalent in patients with obstructive HCM. The presence and progression of MR are associated with a poor prognosis in patients with HCM.

Diabetic mellitus (DM) is a carbohydrate metabolic disorder that involves high blood sugar because insulin works abnormally. Type 2 diabetes accounts for most of them. However, diabetes treatments such as GLP-1 and DPP-4 inhibitors commonly caused side effects including gastrointestinal disorders. Grifola frondosa (G. frondosa) revealed various pharmacological effects in recent studies. It has a variety of anti-cancer polysaccharides through host-mediated mechanisms. D-fraction in G. frondosa has apoptotic effects, promoting myeloid cell proliferation and differentiation into granulocytes-macrophages. It has also been shown to reduce the survival rate of breast cancer cells. Though, no further study has been conducted on the specific effects of G. frondosa in the db/db mouse. Therefore, we would like to research the blood glucose improving effect of G. frondosa, a natural material, in type 2 diabetes model mouse, in this study. G. frondosa was administered to the disease model mouse (BKS.Cg-+Leprdb/+Leprdb/OlaHsd) for 8 weeks to monitor weight and blood glucose changes every week. And we evaluated anti-diabetes effects by checking biomarker changes shown through blood. Experiment did not show statistically significant weight differences, but control groups showed significantly higher weight gain than G. frondosa administered groups. We collected blood from the tail veins of the db/db mouse each week. As a result, the lowest blood sugar level was shown in the 500 mg/ kg group of G. frondosa. Glucose in the blood was examined with HBA1c, and 7.8% was shown in the 500 mg/kg administration group, lower than in other groups. These results suggest the potential improvements of diabetes in G. frondosa.

BackgroundFunctional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) usually decreases after atrial septal defect (ASD) closure; however, it may persist and cause heart failure that requires treatment. We aimed to investigate clinical and echocardiographic factors predicting persistent TR after ASD closure.MethodsAmong 348 adults who underwent isolated ASD closure between January 2010 and September 2020, 91 (26.1%) patients with significant TR (at least moderate degree) before ASD closure were included. Persistent TR was defined as significant TR on echocardiography at 6 months to 1 year after ASD correction. We comprehensively analyzed the echocardiogram before ASD closure, including speckle-tracking imaging. Right ventricular (RV)–pulmonary arterial (PA) (RV–PA) coupling was assessed by the ratio of RV global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) and tricuspid annular S' velocity to PA systolic pressure (PASP).ResultsPersistent TR was observed in 22 (24.2%) patients. Patients with persistent TR were significantly older and had larger TR jet areas and lower RV–PA coupling parameters than those without persistent TR. On multivariable regression, persistent TR was independently associated with age [odds ratio (OR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.14, p = 0.030) and |RV GLS|/PASP (OR 0.001, 95% CI 0.00–0.017, p = 0.012). ROC curves analysis showed that |RV GLS|/PASP's best cut-off for persistent TR was 0.46 (cut-off 0.46, the area under the curve 0.789, p < 0.001).ConclusionPersistent TR after ASD closure is not rare. Old age and RV–PA uncoupling could be associated with persistent TR after ASD closure. In older patients with abnormal RV–PA coupling, careful evaluation and concomitant or subsequent TR intervention may be considered.

In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), treatment-free remission (TFR) is defined as maintaining a major molecular response (MMR) without a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), such as imatinib (IM). Several studies have investigated the safety of the first TFR (TFR1) attempt and suggested recommendation guidelines for such an attempt. However, the plausibility and predictive factors for a second TFR (TFR2) have yet to be reported.The present study included 21 patients in chronic myeloid leukemia who participated in twice repeated treatment stop attempts. We develop a mathematical model to analyze and explain the outcomes of TFR2. Our mathematical model framework can explain patient-specific molecular response dynamics. Fitting the model to longitudinal BCR-ABL1 transcripts from the patients generated patient-specific parameters. Binary tree decision analyses of the model parameters suggested a model based predictive binary classification factor that separated patients into low- and high-risk groups of TFR2 attempts with an overall accuracy of 76.2% (sensitivity of 81.1% and specificity of 69.9%). The low-risk group maintained a median TFR2 of 28.2 months, while the high-risk group relapsed at a median time of 3.25 months. Further, our model predicted a patient-specific optimal IM treatment duration before the second IM stop that could achieve the desired TFR2 (e.g., 5 years).

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of left atrial (LA) strain in patients with significant mitral regurgitation (MR) after surgical mitral valve (MV) repair.MethodsA total of 169 patients (age 55 ± 15 years, 88 men) with moderate or severe MR on echocardiogram at least 6 months after surgical MV repair for primary MR were studied. Two-dimensional, Doppler, and speckle tracking echocardiography including MR quantitative measures, chamber size, and LA strain were comprehensively analyzed. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, heart failure hospitalization, and MV reoperation.ResultsDuring a median of 44.4 months [interquartile range (IQR): 18.7–70.3 months] of follow-up, 44 patients (26%) experienced clinical events; these patients had greater MR volume, elevated mean diastolic pressure gradient and pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and enlarged chamber size compared with patients who did not experience events. Patients with events showed significantly lower LA strain [13.3% (IQR: 9.3–23.8%) vs. 24.0% (IQR: 13.1–31.4%), p = 0.003] and higher MR volume/LA strain [3.09 ml/% (IQR: 2.06–5.80 ml/%) vs. 1.57 ml/% (IQR: 1.04–2.72 ml/%), p < 0.001] than those without events. MR volume/LA strain was a good predictor of clinical outcomes (cut-off 1.57 ml/%, area under the curve 0.754, p < 0.001). On multivariable Cox proportional analysis, MR volume/LA strain was independently associated with clinical outcomes (hazard ratio: 1.269, 95% confidence interval: 1.109–1.452, p < 0.001) along with pulmonary artery systolic pressure.ConclusionA measure of LA mechanical function relative to MR volume is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with significant MR after surgical MV repair.

BackgroundIsolated TV surgery can be performed in patients with symptoms caused by severe isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR), preferably before the onset of significant right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. In patients with severe TR, intrinsic RV dysfunction tends to be masked and promotes left ventricular (LV) mechanical dysfunction. This study investigated the prognostic implications of biventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) in patients receiving isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery.MethodsAmong 1,670 patients who underwent TV surgery between January 2000 and December 2020, 111 patients with severe isolated TR who underwent echocardiography before and after TV surgery were analyzed. We assessed LV, RV, and biventricular GLS using speckle tracking echocardiography. Biventricular GLS was defined as the sum of LV-GLS and RV free-wall strain. The primary outcomes were cardiovascular death, heart failure hospitalization, re-done TV surgery, and heart transplantation.ResultsDuring 3.9 ± 3.8 years of follow-up after the postoperative echocardiography, 24 (21.6%) patients experienced a primary outcome. Those patients had more comorbidities and more impaired preoperative RV-GLS and biventricular GLS than those who did not experience a primary outcome, although the two groups did not differ in preoperative LV-GLS. Patients with a primary outcome also showed significantly impaired postoperative RV-GLS, biventricular GLS, and LV-GLS compared those without a primary outcome. In multivariate analyses, both pre- and postoperatively assessed RV-GLS [preoperative; hazard ratio (HR) 0.86, confidence interval (CI) 0.79–0.93, p < 0.001, postoperative; HR 0.89, CI 0.82–0.96, p = 0.004] and biventricular GLS [preoperative; HR 0.96, CI 0.91–1.00, p = 0.048, postoperative; HR 0.94, CI 0.89–0.99, p = 0.023] were independently associated with the primary outcomes.ConclusionIn patients with severe isolated TR undergoing TV surgery, the absolute value of RV-GLS under 17.2% is closely associated with a poor prognosis, and that of biventricular GLS under 34.0%, mainly depending on the RV-GLS, is related to the poor prognosis. Further prospective multicenter studies are warranted to establish the risk stratification of isolated TV surgery.

Background Rheumatic mitral stenosis is a significant cause of valvular heart disease. Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) reflects the hemodynamic consequences of mitral stenosis and is used to determine treatment strategies. However, PASP progression and expected outcomes based on PASP changes in patients with moderately severe mitral stenosis remain unclear. Methods and Results A total of 436 patients with moderately severe rheumatic mitral stenosis (valve area 1.0–1.5 cm2) were enrolled. Composite outcomes included all‐cause mortality and hospitalization for heart failure. Data‐driven phenotyping identified 2 distinct trajectory groups based on PASP progression: rapid (8.7%) and slow (91.3%). Patients in the rapid progression group were older and had more diabetes and atrial fibrillation than those in the slow progression group (all P40 mm Hg was independently associated with allocation to the rapid progression group (odds ratio, 4.95 [95% CI, 2.08–11.99]; P40 mm Hg.

Abstract Background Short QT syndrome is a rare, inherited channelopathy associated with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) but the characteristics and prognosis of short QT interval (SQTI) in Korean patients remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of SQTI in a Korean population. Methods Consecutive patients with SQTI from January 1999 to March 2019 in three university hospitals in South Korea were recruited. SQTI was defined as a Bazett’s formula-corrected QT interval (QTc) ≤ 340 ms in serial electrocardiograms. Age- and sex-matched patients with a normal QTc and without overt cardiovascular disease were included in a 1:4 ratio. Clinical and ECG features and outcomes were compared between patients with and without SQTI. Results 34 patients with SQTI [age, 23.5 (21–30.5) years; 31 male] were followed up for 4.8 (2.0–7.8) years. Early repolarization, tall T wave, and U wave were significantly more frequent in patients with SQTI than in those without SQTI. QT dispersion [44.0 (28.0–73.0) vs. 20.0 (12.0–35.0) ms, P

With the increasing number of smart device users, data transmission between users is becoming more important, and a network architecture called opportunistic mobile social network (OMSN) is gaining attention. However, routing in OMSNs is a challenging problem due to the frequent disconnection between nodes and the absence of paths from the source to the destination. It results in a complex topology and a low packet transmission success rate. Therefore, we propose a novel routing algorithm called the temporal social interactions-based routing protocol (TSIRP) for solving the problem of low network performance due to the improper selection of message relay nodes. First, we focus on the temporal context of social interactions. Specifically, at a certain time of the day, a person has specific people with whom the person usually interacts (e.g., workers usually meet co-workers during working hours; students usually meet their classmates during class). Based on temporal social interactions between nodes, potential forwarding metrics are proposed and calculated for each time of the day to make forwarding decisions. Second, we propose a new scheme to control the message spreading rate, which allows achieving a balance between delivery latency and overhead ratio. In addition, an analytical model is also designed using an absorbing Markov chain to estimate the performance of TSIRP. Simulations were also conducted, and the results indicate that TSIRP can achieve better performance than existing routing protocols in terms of packet delivery ratio, delivery latency, network overhead ratio, and average hop count.

The present study investigated the terminal differentiation capacity into adipocytes and subsequent growth inhibition in A549 cancer cells treated with pioglitazone (PGZ), a PPARγ activator. The rate of cell growth in A549 cells was significantly (P

BackgroundThis study investigated whether left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS), as an LV function parameter less affected by mitral valve (MV) repair or prosthesis, is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with surgically treated MV disease.MethodsAmong 750 patients who underwent MV surgery, we assessed LV-GLS by speckle tracking echocardiography in 344 patients (148 men, mean age 58 ± 13 years) who showed preserved LV ejection fraction on echocardiography between 6 months and 2 years after MV surgery and who did not undergo aortic valve surgery. The assessed clinical events included admission for worsening of heart failure and cardiac death.ResultsDuring a period of 42.4 ± 26.0 months, 32 (9.3%) patients were hospitalized for worsening heart failure, and 3 (0.8%) died due to cardiac causes. The absolute value of LV-GLS (|LV-GLS|) was significantly lower in patients with clinical events than in those without (12.1 ± 3.1 vs. 15.0 ± 3.2%, p < 0.001) despite comparable LV ejection fraction between groups. |LV-GLS| showed predictive value for clinical events (cut-off 13.9%, area under the curve 0.744, p < 0.001). Patients with |LV-GLS| ≤14.0% had poorer outcomes than those with |LV-GLS| >14.0% (log-rank p < 0.001). Prognosis was worse in patients with |LV-GLS| ≤14.0% and pulmonary hypertension than among those who with |LV-GLS| ≤14.0% without pulmonary hypertension (log rank p < 0.001). In nested Cox proportional hazard regression models, reduced |LV-GLS| was independently associated with the occurrence of clinical events.ConclusionsIn patients with surgically treated MV and preserved LV ejection fraction, assessment of LV-GLS provides functional information associated with cardiovascular outcomes.

BackgroundValve regurgitation can decrease with resolution of hemodynamic loads on the left ventricle (LV) after kidney transplantation (KT). We aimed to investigate the natural course of left-side valve regurgitation after KT and factors associated with progression.MethodsAmong patients who underwent KT in two tertiary centers, 430 (224 men, mean age 50 ± 13 years) were examined by echocardiography within 3 months before KT and between 6 and 36 months after KT. Mitral regurgitation (MR) and aortic regurgitation (AR) were graded according to the current guidelines. Regression was defined as a decrease in regurgitation by one or more steps, and progression was an increase in one or more steps after KT. Clinical and echocardiographic factors associated with progression of MR and AR were analyzed.ResultsMild or greater MR was observed in 216 (50%) patients before KT, and mild or greater AR was observed in 99 (23%). During the follow-up period of 23.4 ± 9.9 months, most patients experienced regression or no change in regurgitation after KT, but 34 patients (7.9%) showed MR progression and 37 (8.6%) revealed AR progression. Patients who showed MR progression were more likely to receive a second KT, have mitral annular calcifications, and show a smaller decrease in LV end-systolic dimension. Patients who showed AR progression were more likely to have persistent hypertension after KT, aortic valve calcifications, and a smaller reduction of LV end-systolic dimension.ConclusionsRisk factors for progression of MR after KT include a second KT, MAC and a smaller decrease in LV end-systolic dimension after KT. Risk factors for progression of AR include valve calcification, persistent hypertension and a smaller decrease in LV end-systolic dimension after KT. Further echocardiographic surveillance and risk factor management after KT are warranted in these patients.

Background: The population is aging and advances in multimodal imaging and transcatheter valve intervention have been prominent in the past two decades. This study investigated temporal trends in demographic characteristics, use of multimodal imaging, treatments, and outcomes in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV).Methods and Results: A total of 1,497 patients (male 71.7%, 57 ± 14 years old) first diagnosed with BAV between January 2003 and December 2020, in a single tertiary center were divided into three groups according to year of diagnosis: group 1 (2003–2008, n = 269), group 2 (2009–2014, n = 594), and group 3 (2015–2020, n = 634). The patients' demographic characteristics, comorbidities, BAV morphology, BAV function, BAV-related disease, use of multimodal diagnostic imaging, treatment modality for BAV, and clinical outcomes were compared among the three groups. The ages at diagnosis and at the time of surgery/intervention increased considerably from group 1 to 3. The patients' comorbidity index also increased progressively. The proportion of non-dysfunctional BAV and significant AS increased, while that of significant AR decreased. The frequency of infective endocarditis as an initial presentation significantly decreased over time. Additionally, the use of multimodal imaging increased markedly in the most recent group. The results also indicated increasing trends in the use of bioprosthetic valves and transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Overall and cardiovascular survival rates improved from group 1 to 3 (log rank p < 0.001).Conclusions: For the past two decades, remarkable temporal changes have occurred in patient characteristics, use of multimodal diagnostic imaging, choice of treatment modality, and clinical outcomes in patients with BAV.

Although hydroponic techniques enable intensive and effective crop management, controlling the watering for each crop type and growth stage is challenging using the commonly used timed watering system. Therefore, excessive and insufficient watering occurs frequently. Hydroponic technology that considers the drainage rate can minimize the amount of drainage, thereby reducing environmental pollution and fertilizer consumption. This study compared the drainage rate and the timed watering methods in a strawberry hydroponic system and determined the optimal drainage rate. As the drainage rate increased, the amount of water supplied increased. A significantly negative correlation was found between the amount of water supplied and the total nitrogen content. Drainage electrical conductivity (EC) level was the highest in the 10% drainage rate group. In the 20% drainage rate treatment, leaf length and width increased compared to the four applications timer-supplying method. The yield of fruits weighing more than 27 g was the highest in the 20% drainage rate treatment. Therefore, the 20% drainage rate treatment was the most appropriate. We propose that it is possible to reduce unnecessary fertilizer consumption and increase productivity by controlling the water supply using the drainage rate for precise water supply management of strawberries.

LiDAR sensors are extensively used in autonomous vehicles and their optimal use is a critical concern. In this paper, we propose an embedded software architecture for multiple LiDAR sensors, i.e., a fusion system that acts as an embedded system for processing data from multiple LiDAR sensors. The fusion system software comprises multiple clients and a single server. The client and server are connected through inter-process communication. Multiple clients create processes to process the data from each LiDAR sensor via a multiprocessing method. Our approach involves a scheduling method for efficient multiprocessing. The server uses multithreading to optimize the internal functions. For internal communication within the fusion system, multiple clients and a single server are connected using the socket method. In sequential processing, the response time increases in proportion to the number of connected LiDAR sensors. By contrast, in the proposed software architecture, the response time decreases in inverse proportion to the number of LiDAR sensors. As LiDAR sensors become increasingly popular in the field of autonomous driving, the results of this study can be expected to make a substantial contribution to technology development in this domain.

Background: Patients who underwent permanent pacemaker (PM) implantation have a potential risk of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. However, assessment of LV ejection fraction (LVEF) shows a limited role in identifying subclinical LV systolic dysfunction and predicting cardiovascular (CV) outcomes.Methods: We reviewed 1,103 patients who underwent permanent PM implantation between January 2007 and December 2017. After excluding patients who did not undergo echocardiograms before or after PM implantation and those with LV ejection fraction (LVEF)

The present study investigated the cellular properties in the dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DSCs) exposed to nevirapine (NVP), an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase (RTase). After a prolonged exposure of DSCs for 2 weeks, the population doubling time (PDT) was significantly (P

If the wind speed that passed through a wind turbine rotor disk area is constant, the hub height wind speed (HHWS) could be representative of the wind speed over the rotor disk area. However, this assumption cannot be applied to the large wind turbine, because of the wind shear effect by atmospheric stability. This is because the hub height wind speed cannot represent the vertical wind shear effect from the aerodynamics characteristic on the wind turbine. Using SCADA and offshore LiDAR observation data of the Anholt offshore wind farm, it is investigated whether the rotor equivalent wind speed (REWS) introduced in IEC61400-12-1 can contribute to the improvement of power output forecasting accuracy. The weighted value by separated sector area and vertical wind shear effect by difference between heights can explain the role of energy flux and atmospheric stability on the exact wind energy calculation. The commercial CFD model WindSim is used to calculate power production according to the HHWS and the REWS, and to compare them with the actual AEP of the local wind farm. The classification of atmospheric stability is carried out by Richardson number, which well represents the thermal and physical properties of the atmosphere below the atmospheric boundary layer, along with the wind shear coefficient and turbulence intensity. When atmospheric stability was classified by each stability index, the REWS-based predicted power output was sometimes more accurate than HHWS, but sometimes inferior. However, in most cases, using the REWS, it was possible to calculate an estimate closer to the actual power output. Through the results of this study, it is possible to provide a rationale for which method, REWS or HHWS, can more accurately calculate the expected power output and effectively derive the economic feasibility of the project by identifying the characteristics of local atmospheric stability before the wind farm project.

Biology retracts the article “Advantage of Species Diversification to Facilitate Sustainable Development of Aquaculture Sector” cited above [...]

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of lead-related tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in patients with permanent pacemaker (PM). A total of 2,533 patients who underwent permanent PM implantation between January 2008 and December 2017 in a single center were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 429 patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiography within 90 days before implantation and were followed up at least 3 months after PM implantation were included. Patients who had pre-existing grade 3 or 4 TR, had a single atrial lead, or had undergone tricuspid valve surgery before PM implantation were excluded. Occurrence of PM-related TR (PMTR) was defined as worsening of TR by at least 2 grades on follow-up echocardiography. Cardiovascular outcomes were defined as the composite of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure. During the median follow-up of 855 days, 42 (9.8%) patients had PMTR and 86 (20.0%) presented with cardiovascular outcomes. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27-4.09, p = 0.037]) and history of open-heart surgery (HR: 3.34, 95% CI: 1.68-6.68, p

Intensified agrochemical-based monoculture systems worldwide are under adoption to meet the challenge of human population growth and the ever-growing global demand for food. However, this path has been opposed and criticized because it involves overexploitation of land, monoculture of few species, excessive input of agrochemicals, and adverse impacts on human health and the environment. The wide diversity among polyculture systems practiced across the globe has created confusion over the priority of a single strategy towards sustainable aquaculture development and safer products. Herein, we highlight the significance of polyculture and integrated aquaculture practices in conveying the successful transition of the aquaculture industry towards sustainable development. So far, the established thought is that the precise selection of aquatic species and a focus on compatible and complementary species combinations are supposed to facilitate rapid progress in food production with more profitability and sustainability. Therefore, the advantages of species diversification are discussed from an ecological perspective to enforce aquaculture expansion. This account asserts that a diverse range of aquaculture practices can promote synergies among farmed species, enhance system resilience, enable conservation, decrease ecological footprints, and provide social benefits such as diversified income and local food security.

Background: Patients with ischemic stroke are vulnerable to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) because these conditions share common risk factors. Although evaluation of the ascending aorta, aortic arch, and proximal descending thoracic aorta is an essential step to determine the source of the causative embolism, the relationship between the degree of aortic atheroma and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function has not been extensively investigated. Methods: We analyzed the transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography in ischemic stroke patients. Patients with previous coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease of more than moderate degree, and an LV ejection fraction of less than 50% were excluded. The relationships between the grade of the aortic atheroma, aortic stiffness indexes, and diastolic functional indexes were evaluated. Results: In 295 patients, the atheroma grade was significantly correlated with aortic stiffness index, ratio of mitral annular and inflow velocities (E/e’), left atrial volume index, and LV diastolic elastance. With further adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate, left atrial volume index, and LV mass index, the significance of the atheroma grade was attenuated. In the subgroup analysis, the atheroma grade was significantly and independently related to E/e’ in women (β = 0.181, p = 0.032), but not in men. However, atheroma grade was not associated with poor clinical outcomes in either sex. Conclusions: Aortic atheroma grade was significantly and independently related to LV diastolic function, especially in women. This suggests that aortic atheroma is an index of arterial stiffness and a potential risk factor for HFpEF through ventricular-vascular interactions, especially in women.

Cryopreservation is mainly used for preservation of boar sperm. However, this method stresses the sperm by reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the conception rate and the litter size are not more efficient than the liquid preservation of spermatozoa. Therefore, we use chitosan which is a natural product derived antioxidant compound. We used GnHA (chitosan+hyaluronic acid) and GnHG (chitosan hydrogel) as chitosan complexes to cryopreserve boar sperm for improve sperm metabolism and function. Sperm parameter (sperm motility, progressive motility, path velocity, straight-line velocity, curvilinear velocity) is measured by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) using frozen sperm with GnHA or GnHG (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/mL), respectively. Also, lipid peroxidation analysis using malondialdehyde (MDA) is performed to confirm the antioxidative effect of chitosan in frozen spermatozoa. CASA analysis showed GnHA and GnHG are effective against cryopreserved boar sperm. And antioxidant effect is measured by lipid peroxidation analysis. GnHA and GnHG, which is chitosan complex are effective for boar sperm cryopreservation by antioxidant effect.

PURPOSE Grip strength has been well documented to represent whole body strength. This study was performed to investigate whether absolute and relative grip strength is associated with thigh strength, and thigh-derived single muscle fiber contractile properties. METHODS Twelve healthy young adults (mean age 27.42 years) received needle biopsy on vastus lateralis muscles. Chemically skinned muscle fibers (n=215) were used to analyze single muscle fiber contractile properties (cross sectional area, maximal force, specific force, maximal shortening velocity) and MHC isoform composition. Pearson correlation was tested to identify the relationship between dominant hand grip strength, thigh strength, and thigh-derived single muscle fiber contractile properties. RESULTS The distribution of MHC I was higher in all the subjects compared to MHC II (type I: 57.2%, IIa: 37.2%, IIa/IIx: 2.3%, IIx: 3.3%). Specific force (8.2%) and maximal shortening velocity (74%) in MHC II were greater than those of MHC I. Absolute and relative grip strength normalized by height had a positive correlation with knee extensor isometric (r=.777, r=.75) and isokinetic (r=.632, r=.603) strength. In addition, the positive correlation of knee extensor isometric and isokinetic strength was observed against both CSA and Po in the thigh-derived single muscle fiber. Finally, Absolute and relative grip strength normalized by height were positively correlated with CSA (r=.279, r=.267) and Po (r=.373, r=.351) in MHC II, but not in MHC I. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that hand grip strength is highly associated with not only whole thigh muscle strength, but also thigh-derived fast single muscle fiber contractile properties (MHC II).

Abstract Although nilotinib has improved efficacy compared to imatinib, suboptimal response and intolerable adverse events (AEs) limit its effectiveness in many patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML‐CP). We investigated the 2‐year efficacy and safety of nilotinib and their relationships with plasma nilotinib concentrations (PNCs). In this open‐label, multi‐institutional phase 4 study, 110 Philadelphia chromosome‐positive CML‐CP patients were treated with nilotinib at a starting dose of 300 mg twice daily. Molecular responses (MRs) and AEs were monitored for up to 24 months. The 24‐month cumulative MR4.5 rate was evaluated as the primary endpoint. Plasma samples were collected from 94 patients to determine PNCs, and the per‐patient mean was used to categorize them into four mean PNC (MPNC) groups. Cumulative MR rates and safety were compared between groups. With a median follow‐up of 22.2 months, the 24‐month cumulative MR4.5 rate was 56.2% (95% confidence interval, 44.0%–8.3%), and the median time to MR4.5 was 23.3 months. There were no significant differences in the cumulative rates of major molecular response, MR4, and MR4.5 between MPNC groups. One patient died due to acute viral hepatitis, and two developed hematological or cytogenetic relapse, while no progression to accelerated or blast phase was observed. Safety results were consistent with previous studies with no new safety signal identified. Across the MPNC groups, there was no significant linear trend in the frequency of AEs. Nilotinib is highly effective for the treatment of CML‐CP with manageable AEs. The measurement of PNC has no predictive value for patient outcomes and is thus not found to be clinically useful. This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov, Number NCT03332511.

We developed a colorimetric method for the rapid detection of copper ions (Cu2+) in aqueous solution. The detection of Cu2+ is based on coordination reactions of Cu2+ with casein peptide-functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), leading to a distinct color change of the solution from yellow to red. The developed method has a good detection limit of about 0.16 µM Cu2+ using 0.05 mL of AgNPs stock solution and a linearity in the range of 0.08–1.44 µM Cu2+ with a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.973. The developed method is a useful tool for the detection of Cu2+ ions. Furthermore, it can be used for monitoring Cu2+ in water at concentrations below the safe limit for drinking water set by the World Health Organization.

PURPOSE This study investigated the muscle fiber type-related contractile properties and examined the relationship between whole limb muscle strengths and single muscle fiber contractile properties in Korean men. METHODS Six Korean men (29.8±1.49 yr) were recruited and participated in the study. Samples were obtained from vastus lateralis muscles. CSA, Po, SF, Vo of single fiber segments were measured using an isometric force transducer and a high-speed motor. Silver staining was performed to identify MHC isoform composition of single muscle fiber segments. Multiple regression was tested to identify the relationship between single muscle fiber contractile properties and whole muscle strength. RESULTS MHC isoforms were distributed in different proportion (Type I: 57.3%, IIa: 34.2%, IIa/IIx: 4.3%, IIx: 4.3%). CSA of type IIx were smaller compared to type I (-50%) and type IIa (-57.5%). Po in type IIa was 12.9% higher compared to type I (p

The Internet of Things (IoT) leads to intelligent services by collecting information from tiny sensor devices. In recent years, storage-less sensing devices have been used to implement IoT services. They depend on delivered software from a network server to operate service functions, and IoT services are based on collected user information. Therefore, it is important to maintain trusted connections during software delivery or data transmission. If a network connection is untrustworthy, stable data transmission cannot be achieved. Untrustworthy data connections cause many problems in IoT services. Therefore, this paper proposes a software update method in trusted connection of IoT networking. The proposed method employs a low-power wide area network (LPWAN) as a long-range IoT networking technology and uses a mobile edge cloud to improve computing efficiency in an access network that consists of IoT devices with insufficient resources. In the proposed method, the mobile edge cloud is integrated into a gateway and processes sensing data and remote software updates of LPWAN. IoT devices can receive software functions from the mobile edge cloud. The proposed method analyzes statistical information about connections in an access network and determines the LPWAN trusted connections. Then, software updates can be performed over the trusted connection. Using trusted connections leads to an increased packet delivery rate and reduced transmission energy consumption. The proposed method is compared with currently available systems through computer simulation and the proposed method’s efficiency is validated.

Aminoglycoside (AMG) antibiotics are being applied to treat infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, mainly in livestock, and are prescribed only in severe cases because of their adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Monitoring antibiotic residues in dairy products relies on the accessibility of portable and efficient analytical techniques. Presently, high-throughput screening techniques have been proposed to detect several antimicrobial drugs having identical structural and functional features. The L-histidine functionalized gold nanoparticles (His@AuNPs) do not form a complex with other tested antibiotic classes but show high selectivity for AMG antibiotics. We used ligand-induced aggregation of His@AuNPs as a rapid and sensitive localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) assay for AMG antibiotics, producing longitudinal extinction shifts at 660 nm. Herein, we explore the practical application of His@AuNPs to detect streptomycin spiked in water, milk, and whey fraction of milk with nanomolar level sensitivity. The ability of the analytical method to recognize target analytes sensitively and rapidly is of great significance to perform monitoring, thus would certainly reassure widespread use of AMG antibiotics. The biosynthesis of hybrid organic–inorganic metal nanoparticles like His@AuNPs with desired size distribution, stability, and specific host–guest recognition proficiency, would further facilitate applications in various other fields.

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) are very rare diseases, respectively, and it is uncommon to have both diseases together. Mutational profiling using next-generation sequencing in PMF and PNH detected additional mutations associated with myeloid neoplasms, suggesting a step-wise clonal evolution. We present here a very rare case with PMF and PNH with JAK2 V617F, U2AF1 and SETBP1 mutations at the time of diagnosis. The combination of these two diseases and three genetic mutations is difficult to interpret at once. (i.e., the sequence of these two clonal diseases or the time points of acquiring these mutations). Our report suggests that when diagnosing or treating patients with PMF, it is necessary to keep in mind that PNH may be present at the same time or sometimes new. The genetic mutations simultaneously found in this patient require further research to elucidate the clinical significance and their genetic associations fully.

In this experiment, we determined the effect of curcumin supplementation in freezing buffer for miniature pig sperm cryopreservation. Each ejaculate was diluted with modified Modena B extender and mixed with lactose-egg yolk (LEY extender, 80% v/v lactose solution [310 mM], 20% v/v egg yolk, and100 μg/mL kanamycin sulfate) and LEY-glycerol Orvus ES Paste (LEYGO, 89.5% v/v LEY, 5% v/v glycerol, 1.5% v/v Orvus ES Paste), 100 mM trehalose supplemented with 0, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μM of curcumin from turmeric, respectively. Following equilibration, the 0.5 mL French straws were frozen and plunged into LN2 tank for 7 days at least. Sperm parameter and oxidative byproducts were determined by the computer assisted sperm motility analysis (CASA) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) as compared with each groups. Supplementation of curcumin had no effect on sperm motility, progressive motility and curvilinear velocity. However, average-path velocity and straight-line velocity were significantly higher in 10 μM curcumin group (100.9±8.8 μm/s, 61.7±2.9 μm/s, respectively) than control group (77.8±3.9 μm/s, 46.4±3.0 μm/s, respectively) (p < 0.05). In addition, the level of the O2 radical and H2O2 were comparatively decreased in curcumin groups by evaluation of ethidium and DCF fluorescence. According to the results, curcumin can improve sperm kinetic variables and alleviate ROS induced cryoinjury to pig sperm.

Abstract The functional nanoparticles with specific molecular probe appear to be a promising approach for developing colorimetric nanosensor. In this work, we have synthesized tryptophan capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and used to establish colorimetric detection of magnesium (Mg2+). The colorimetric response of the AuNPs toward Mg2+ was noticed with naked eyes, and spectral changes were monitored by using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The detection response was rapid (less than 1 min), with a detection limit (LOD) about 0.2 µmol L−1. The proposed nanoprobe shows characteristic red-shift of the AuNPs at 620 nm and high selectivity for Mg2+ due to the binding affinity of the tryptophan with Mg2+. The real-time response of the UV-Vis spectrum was monitored at three different concentrations of Mg2+ (0.45, 0.50, and 0.55 µmol L−1). The AuNPs probe was suitable to provide a molecular platform for selective coordination with Mg2+ over Ca2+ ions, thus it could be facile to establish a practically viable sensing system. Furthermore, experimental results were confirmed to exhibit excellent linear curve for urine and serum samples spiked with Mg2+. Thus, this nanosensor is practically useful for the detection of Mg2+, without using expensive instruments, enzymes and/or DNA molecules.

Objectives To analyze the clinical characteristics of vestibular neuritis patients with minimal canal paresis (canal paresis

Aim of the study : We aimed to evaluate the anti-allergic effect of luteolin treatment in mice with allergic asthma and rhinitis. Material and methods : Thirty-two BALB/c mice (n = 8 for each group) were used. Mice in group A (nonallergic group) were exposed to saline, while those in Group B (allergic group) were exposed to ovalbumin (OVA) intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection and intranasal (i.n.) challenge. Null treatment group (Group C) received sterile saline (150 µl) i.p. injection, 30 minutes before each i.n. challenge. Finally, the treatment group (Group D) received luteolin (0.1 mg/kg) by i.p. injection, 30 minutes before each i.n. challenge. We evaluated the number of inflammatory cells including eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, the titers of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in lung homogenate, and we also evaluated histopathologic findings, including infiltration of inflammatory cells into the pulmonary parenchyma and nasal mucosa. Results : After the OVA challenge, the number of eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes in BAL fluid was significantly increased in group B, compared to group A (p 0.05). On the other hand, group D showed a significant decrease in all inflammatory cells compared to group B (p < 0.05). Also, group D showed a significant decrease in IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in their lung homogenate compared to groups B and C (p < 0.05). Group D also showed a significant decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration after luteolin treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion : Luteolin had an anti-allergic effect in a murine model of allergic asthma and rhinitis.

Developing efficient electrochemically active nanostructures from Earth-abundant elements has gained significant interest in recent years. Among different transition metals, nickel and copper are abundant electrocatalysts for energy-storage applications. Nickel–copper selenide (NiCuSe2) nanostructures were prepared on a stainless-steel mesh with a cost-effective, simple, and versatile electrodeposition method for supercapacitor applications. The change effect in the bath concentration of nickel and copper altered the structural and electrochemical properties of NiCuSe2 electrode. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the pure phase of ternary NiCuSe2 thin films with a cubic crystal structure. The surface morphology of NiCuSe2 was tuned by nickel and copper from spherical porous nanoflowers, nanoplates, nanocubes, and nanosphere-like nanostructures deposited on the stainless-steel mesh. The electrochemical performance of the electrodeposited NiCuSe2 was investigated in alkaline 1 M KOH electrolyte. The synergetic effect of bimetallic nickel and copper with the selenide electrode showed superior specific capacity of about 42.46 mAh g−1 at 10 mV s−1 along with reasonable cycling stability.

A vehicular network is composed of an in-vehicle network (IVN) and Internet of Vehicles (IoV). IVN exchanges information among in-vehicle devices. IoV constructs Vehicle-to-X (V2X) networks outside vehicles and exchanges information among V2X elements. These days, in-vehicle devices that require high bandwidth is increased for autonomous driving services. Thus, the spread of data for vehicles is exploding. This kind of data is exchanged through IoV. Even if the Ethernet backbone of IVN carries a lot of data in the vehicle, the explosive increase in data from outside the vehicle can affect the backbone. That is, the transmission efficiency of the IVN backbone will be reduced due to excessive data traffic. In addition, when IVN data traffic is transmitted to IoV without considering IoV network conditions, the transmission efficiency of IoV is also reduced. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an IoV access gateway to controls the incoming data traffic to the IVN backbone and the outgoing data traffic to the IoV in the network environment where IVN and IoV are integrated. Computer simulations are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed system, and the proposed system shows better performance in the accumulated average transmission delay.

BackgroundThe QT variability index (QTVI)–a non-invasive measure of beat-to-beat QT interval (QTI) fluctuations–is related to myocardial repolarization lability. The QTVI represents the relationship between QTI and the RR interval. Elevated QTVI is associated with an increased risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. We investigated the influence of general anesthesia and tourniquets on the QTVI.MethodsWe studied fifty patients who received total knee replacement arthroplasty under sevoflurane anesthesia. We measured QTI, corrected QTI (QTc), T-wave peak-to-end interval (TPE), QTVI, and heart rate variability. All variables were calculated at baseline (B), 30 min after general anesthesia (A), 30 min (TQ1) and 60 min (TQ2) after tourniquet inflation, and at tourniquet deflation (TQR).ResultsProlongation of QTI was detected at all times, and QTc was significantly prolonged TQR. TPE was unchanged during general anesthesia. The QTVI was significantly decreased and more negative during anesthesia and tourniquet inflation. After deflation of the tourniquet, the QTVI was restored to preanesthetic values. Low frequency (LF) was significantly decreased during general anesthesia, but high frequency (HF) was somewhat maintained, except at TQ2. The LF/HF ratio was significantly decreased at A and TQ2.ConclusionsSevoflurane based general anesthesia induced repolarization stability and, more negativity of the QTVI, in patients undergoing total knee replacement arthroplasty.

This study proposes a method for inversely estimating the spatial distribution characteristic of a material’s elastic modulus using the measured value of the observation data and the distance between the measurement points. The structural factors in the structural system possess temporal and spatial randomness. One of the representative structural factors, the material’s elastic modulus, possesses temporal and spatial randomness in the stiffness of the plate structure. The structural factors with randomness are typically modeled as having a certain probability distribution (probability density function) and a probability characteristic (mean and standard deviation). However, this method does not consider spatial randomness. Even if considered, the existing method presents limitations because it does not know the randomness of the actual material. To overcome the limitations, we propose a method to numerically define the spatial randomness of the material’s elastic modulus and confirm factors such as response variability and response variance.