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Background and objective: To deal with recent issues such as climate change, rural aging, food security, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there is a growing interest in smart farms that can efficiently produce food with ICT. In response to the international issues, this study analyzed articles on smart farms published in international journals and KCI journals as well as Instagram hashtags through text mining and identified relevant research trends and public awareness.Methods: This study collected total 584 articles on smart farms from 2010 to 2021 and hashtags in Instagram posts uploaded in 2021. To improve the reliability of the analysis results, nouns were exclusively extracted from the abstracts and hashtags, and data preprocessing was performed by removing nouns that appear customarily and combining synonyms. After that, we analyzed frequency, degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and topic modeling.Results: The analysis results of words with high frequency and centrality by research data are as follows. KCI and international journal articles had a tendency to mainly focus on ICT system development for efficient operation of smart farms. However, KCI articles considered relevant policies to establish the technologies. On the other hand, international journal articles tended to conduct research on smart farms in a wider area of agricultural fields than KCI articles. The main topics on Instagram were diet food, rural migration, and urban agriculture. This result shows that healthy food, experiences, and education through smart farms are gaining public interest.Conclusion: Currently, there is insufficient analysis of research trends in smart farms. In this vein, this study has significance as it included academic trends and public awareness by considering both research articles and Instagram posts. We expect the results of this study to be used as useful data for decision making to set the research and policy directions required to advance smart farms in the future.

A few studies have reported the use of middle ear implants (MEIs) in older adults.To evaluate the audiologic outcomes and postoperative complications of MEIs in older adults.This retrospective study reviewed audiologic data and medical records from a single referral centre. We identified 34 patients aged ≥65 years who underwent middle ear implantation using the Vibrant SoundbridgeFollow-up duration ranged from1 to 5.3 years. The functional gain with MEIs significantly improved relative to the preoperative air conduction thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz. Eight patients underwent explantation and 7 lost their external audio processor devices. Those who removed their implants because of the poor hearing (group 1) showed significantly worse hearing thresholds at 1 kHz and speech discrimination scores than the others (group 2).MEIs for auditory rehabilitation can provide improved speech recognition and significant functional gains in older adults. Patients must be given appropriate preoperative explanations regarding the expected outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to improve the processability of rice powder using fluidised-bed granulation technology. Bukkyungmi-rice granules were prepared by fluidised-bed granulation for 1 and 2 h using water, 5% lactose (w/v) and 5% dextrin (w/v) solutions as dispersants. The particle size of Bukkyungmi-rice granules increased from 574.83 to 728.07 μm. Granules were produced due to pore formation, and the produced particles could be dispersed easily without any entanglement. The water solubility of the produced rice granules is 1.91–6.74%, which reflects the improvement in their quality with increased treatment time. In particular, Bukkyungmi-rice granules processed in 5% dextrin showed excellent settleability. The enthalpy (ΔH) was found to be the highest for Bukkyungmi-rice granules processed in 5% dextrin for 2 h by differential scanning calorimetry. The results indicated that rice granules obtained by fluidised-bed granulation could be used in various types of rice-based foods.

Urban parks are essential for offsetting high carbon emissions in cities, which are known to be high emitters. This study quantified carbon uptake and storage in Daejeon and Daegu, two major metropolitan cities in South Korea, and explored planting strategies to promote carbon offset services. Mean carbon uptake and storage per unit area in the study parks were 2.6 ± 0.1 t/ha/yr and 29.9 ± 1.7 t/ha, respectively. The urban park trees of a metropolitan city in South Korea were estimated to annually sequester and store 50 kt/yr and 572 kt of carbon, respectively. This carbon uptake equaled 1.5% of the total annual carbon emissions from residential energy consumption. The economic value of the carbon uptake was equivalent to $3.3 million/yr, which is 1.50% of the annual establishment budget of urban forests of the Korea Forest Service. Planting strategies included reducing unnecessary grass and pavement areas, the active planting of trees in the potential planting space, multilayered planting, and planting tree species with high growth rates. These results are expected to guide policies related to carbon credits, which have recently emerged as major concerns, and to provide useful information for quantifying carbon offset services in greenspace establishment projects.

The mediastinum is the most prevalent site of extragonadal teratomas. Patients with mediastinal mature teratomas are usually young adults, and the condition does not show significant sexual differences. Mediastinal teratomas are mostly located in the anterior mediastinum. Patients are usually asymptomatic, although they can have several complications when the teratomas become large or rupture. Most mediastinal teratomas can be diagnosed using CT. Diagnosing ruptured or malignant teratomas is challenging because of their atypical clinical and radiological presentations. In this article, we describe various manifestations of mediastinal teratomas, with an emphasis on radiologic features.

Although urban parks sequester carbon by vegetation growth, they emit carbon due to materials production, transport, construction, management, demolition, and disposal throughout their life cycle. This study estimated the carbon budget of urban parks over their life cycle according to land cover type and explored ecological design and construction strategies to maximize carbon reduction. After setting up the scope of the life cycle, the energy and material used for each stage were analyzed on the basis of field survey, design and construction details, and literature review of 30 study parks. The net carbon uptake per unit of park area averaged 8.51 kg/m2, with urban parks playing an important role as a source of carbon uptake to mitigate the climate change. This study suggested ecological design and construction strategies including the expansion of tree planting spaces through the minimization of grass and impervious areas, the minimization of changes to existing topography, and the utilization of local materials. As a result of applying these strategies to study parks, the net carbon uptake increased approximately 9.2 times. These study results are expected to be useful as information for the implementation of carbon-neutral policies and greenspace establishment projects.

PurposeIdentifying pretreatment interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) is important because of their predictive value for complications after lung cancer treatment. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of ILAs for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients undergoing curative resection for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Materials and MethodsElderly patients (age ≥ 70 years) who underwent curative resection for pathologic stage I or II NSCLC with normal preoperative spirometry results (pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity [FVC] ratio > 0.70 and FVC ≥ 80% of the predicted value) between January 2012 and December 2019 were retrospectively identified. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess risk factors for PPCs. The Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test were used to analyze the relationship between ILAs and postoperative mortality. One-way analysis of variance was performed to assess the correlation between ILAs and hospital stay duration.ResultsA total of 262 patients (median age, 73 [interquartile range, 71–76] years; 132 male) were evaluated. A multivariable logistic regression model revealed that, among several relevant risk factors, fibrotic ILAs independently predicted both overall PPCs (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35–17.38; p=0.016) and major PPCs (adjusted OR, 8.72; 95% CI, 1.71–44.38; p=0.009). Fibrotic ILAs were significantly associated with higher postoperative mortality and longer hospital stay (F=5.21, p=0.006).ConclusionPretreatment fibrotic ILAs are associated with PPCs, higher postoperative mortality, and longer hospital stay.

Purpose This study aimed to compare the efficacy of and patient satisfaction with the wide-awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet (WALANT) technique in open cubital and carpal tunnel release surgery. Methods From January 2016 to February 2017, 20 cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS) patients were in a wide-awake (WA) group and 22 in a general (GA) anesthesia group in . Also, 20 carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients were in a WA group, 22 in a local anesthesia (LA) group, and 20 in a GA group. Injection pain, perioperative pain, and postoperative pain were assessed using a 10-point pain VAS. In CuTS, functional outcome on the "quick" Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire were evaluated. In CTS, subjective outcomes were assessed using the Korean version of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. Results Both CuTS and CTS showed significant postoperative pain reduction in group WA. In CuTS, group WA had less pain than group GA up to 48 hours after surgery (P

This study quantified carbon storage and uptake for urban parks in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea. A total of 38 study parks were selected using a systematic random sampling method and all the trees in the parks were field-inventoried. Carbon storage and uptake by the park trees were estimated applying a quantitative model for urban open-grown trees of each species. Mean carbon storage per unit of park area, basal area, and crown cover by the trees was 38.5 ± 3.0 t/ha, 27.3 ± 0.8 kg/100 cm2, and 7.4 ± 0.4 kg/m2, respectively. Annual carbon uptake per unit area and cover by the trees averaged 3.5 ± 0.2 t/ha/yr, 2.5 ± 0.1 kg/100 cm2/yr, and 0.7 ± 0.0 kg/m2/yr, respectively. The major determinants of the levels of carbon storage and uptake were species, density, sizes, and layering structures of the planted trees. The trees across all urban parks in Seoul were estimated to store 222.3 kt of carbon and to annually sequester 20.2 kt of carbon. The trees in these parks played an important role in annually offsetting carbon emissions from gasoline consumption by approximately 2.3% of the total population of the city. The economic value of the annual carbon uptake, which was $7.1million/yr, equaled 15.1% of the annual maintenance budget of the parks in the city. However, the role of study parks as a source of carbon uptake was limited due to the distribution of large grass and impervious areas, the single-layered structures, and the dominance of small trees. Planning strategies were explored to enhance carbon reduction effects of the parks. They included the expansion of tree planting spaces through the minimization of unnecessary grass and paving areas, the active tree planting in the potential planting spaces, the multi-layered planting grouped with larger trees, and the planting of tree species having satisfactory growth rates. This study puts an emphasis on finding out the present carbon offset levels of urban parks on which information is limited and suggesting a future direction of park planning based on a detailed actual survey.

Yellow-soybean-leaf extract includes kaempferol glycosides and pheophorbides that reduce obesity and plasma glucose levels. This study researched the molecular mechanisms underlying the glucose-lowering effect of the extract of black-soybean leaves (EBL), which mainly contains quercetin glycosides and isorhamnetin glycosides, in mice with high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity and diabetes and in HepG2 cells. Twelve weeks of EBL supplementation decreased body weight and fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, triglyceride, and nonesterified fatty acid levels. Histological analyses manifested that EBL suppressed hepatic steatosis. Interestingly, EBL significantly improved plasma adiponectin levels and increased adiponectin-receptor-gene ( AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) expression in the liver. EBL restored the effects of HFD on hepatic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and on the family of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα, PPARδ, and PPARγ), which are associated with fatty acid metabolism and are downstream of the adiponectin receptors. Hence, EBL effectively diminished hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis through enhancing adiponectin-induced signaling and AMPK activation in the liver.

Landscape trees sequester carbon during their growth processes, but they emit carbon through production in nurseries, which may offset carbon uptake. This study quantified the carbon footprint of landscape tree production. After determining the scope of life cycle for landscape tree production, the energy and material used to produce trees of a target size were analyzed by conducting a field survey of 35 nurseries. This energy consumption and input material were converted to an estimate of carbon emitted using data on carbon emission coefficients. The net carbon uptake was 4.6, 12.2, and 24.3 kg/tree for trees with a DBH of 7, 10, and 13 cm, respectively. Thus, even though carbon is emitted during the production process, landscape trees can act as a source of carbon uptake in cities that have high energy consumption levels. This study broke new ground for quantifying the carbon footprint of landscape tree production by overcoming limitations of the past studies that only considered carbon uptake due to absence of data on energy consumption and difficulty of field survey. These study results are expected to provide information on the carbon footprint of landscape trees and to be useful in determining optimal greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal through urban greenspaces.

An increasing concentration of air pollutants, which negatively affect human health and living environment, present a serious environmental concern around the world. Street trees can help reduce carbon (C) and PM2.5 in cities that lack sufficient greenspace. This study quantified C uptake and PM2.5 deposition on street trees in the Republic of Korea and suggested sustainable design guidelines to enhance the effects of C and PM2.5 reduction. The mean C uptake and the PM2.5 deposition on street trees per unit area were 0.6 &plusmn, 0.1 t/ha/y and 2.0 &plusmn, 0.3 kg/ha/y, respectively. The major determining factors of the levels of C uptake and PM2.5 deposition on street trees were the species, density, size, and layering structure of the planted trees. Street trees in the Republic of Korea annually offset C and PM2.5 emissions from vehicles by 1.4% and 180%, respectively. Based on these results, design guidelines are suggested that can contribute to sharing the value and the importance of planting street trees for the reduction of C and PM2.5 levels in greenspaces.

Fusarium is a large genus of filamentous fungi that are rarely associated with disease in humans. In the clinical setting, Fusarium species are often difficult to distinguish from other fungal organisms, particularly Aspergillus species. Invasive fungal pneumonia caused by Fusarium species has rarely been reported, especially in immunocompetent patients. In this study, we reported a case of invasive Fusarium pneumonia in a previously healthy 68-year-old woman. The disease was initially misdiagnosed as invasive Aspergillus pneumonia because of the similarity in radiologic and histopathologic findings between these conditions. After Fusarium was identified via microbiological analysis, the antifungal agent was changed, and the patient recovered fully.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether androgen receptor expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and to identify predictive factors of F-FDG uptake in TNBC. METHODS We retrospectively assessed data of 156 surgically resected primary TNBC in 156 consecutive patients who underwent F-FDG PET/computed tomography between July 2013 and May 2017. Clinicopathologic features, including androgen receptor expression, were categorized and the distribution of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was compared between the groups. We also evaluated the correlations between the predictive factors and SUVmax. RESULTS Median SUVmax was higher in the androgen receptor-negative group than in the androgen receptor-positive group (8.8 vs. 7.1, P = 0.026) with negative correlation between androgen receptor and SUVmax (P = 0.041, correlation coefficient (r) = -0.163). On multivariate regression analysis, tumor size (>20 mm), histological grade, Ki-67 (≥14%), and the presence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were significantly associated with SUVmax (P

Tearing of the acetabular labrum is a common cause of chronic hip pain. MR arthrography (MRA) of the hip is the imaging procedure of choice for the evaluation of acetabular labrum. Familiarity with the various imaging findings of MRA of the hip allows recognition of normal variants and differentiation from true pathologic conditions. This article comprehensively reviews the technical aspects and interpretation of MRA of the hip. The appearances of normal and abnormal labra in MRA are discussed. Potential pitfalls in labral tear interpretation, such as sulci around the hip, normal variants of the labrum and plicae, and osseocartilaginous and soft tissue lesions identified on MRA of the hip are also described.

Rationale: Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) gangliosidosis is a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of ß-galactosidase. Because clinical symptoms of GM1 gangliosidosis overlap with other neurodevelopmental disorders, the diagnosis of this disease is not easy, specifically in late infantile GM1 gangliosidosis. This report described a case of late-infantile GM1 gangliosidosis mistaken for juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Patient concerns: A 16-year-old girl was referred to our hospital due to persistent multiple joint deformities and mental retardation, which could not be explained by juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Diagnosis: We made a diagnosis of late infantile GM1 gangliosidosis through enzyme assays and genetic testing after a skeletal survey. Interventions: The patient underwent cervical domeplasty and laminectomy for cord compression and received rehabilitation treatment. Outcomes: The patient is receiving multidisciplinary care at a tertiary center for variable skeletal disease and conditions associated with GM1 gangliosidosis. Lessons: Late infantile GM1 gangliosidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of progressive neurologic decline and skeletal dysostosis.

This study evaluated the antioxidant and protective effects of bioactive compounds isolated from pressurized steam-treated Corni Fructus (PSC). We had previously tested the protective effects of the furan fraction containing 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), polyphenol fraction containing gallic acid, and iridoid glycoside fraction containing morroniside and loganin. We measured the potency of antioxidant activities of the bioactive compounds isolated from PSC via oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. One fraction in particular (named F-2) not only contained high amounts of phenolics but also had potent antioxidant activities. The protective effects of F-2 were evaluated by measuring the levels of the collagen-degrading enzyme, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and the marker of collagen biosynthesis, procollagen type I C-peptide (PIP), in UVB-treated HS68 fibroblasts. MMP-1 levels decreased in an F-2 concentration-dependent manner, and PIP secretion from the cultured HS68 cells was significantly higher than that from the UVB-irradiated cultures alone. Further, F-2 attenuated UVB-induced MMP-1 and ameliorated UVB-downregulated collagen type I alpha 1 mRNA expression in HS68 cells. Therefore, F-2 isolated from PSC is a good candidate for the prevention of skin damage from free radicals in various skin conditions.

This study investigated the effects of pressurized steam-treated Corni Frutus (PSC) extract on osteoblast differentiation and osteoclast formation. The osteoblast differentiation effect of the extract was evaluated by measuring cellular alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, cell matrix ALP staining, alizarin Red S staining and von Kossa staining on proliferating MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells. The results confirmed that ALP activity, cell matrix ALP staining, alizarin Red S staining and von Kossa staining were all increased as proliferation increased from 1 to 14 days, without cytotoxicity. The osteoclast formation effect of the PSC extract was evaluated by measuring the cellular tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity and cell matrix TRAP staining on receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL)-induced RAW264.7 osteoclast cells. Treating RAW264.7 cells with RANKL for 7 days increased matrix staining for TRAP and cellular TRAP activity. The PSC extract decreased these changes in a concentration-dependent manner. Therefore, PSC is expected to be a natural source for developing health functional foods and medicinal agents to prevent bone-related diseases, such as osteoporosis, by increasing osteoblast differentiation and reducing osteoclast activity.

In this study, the physicochemical properties of aromatic rice prepared using different milling recoveries and roasting procedures were investigated. As a result, we found that the L value of different milling recoveries of aromatic rice (BA-1, BA-2, BA-4, and BA-6) increased as the aromatic rice (BA-0) decreased, while the a and b values decreased as the different milling recoveries increased. The major contributors to the different milling recoveries of aromatic rice were total polyphenol (28.11-33.84 mg/100 g), amylose (24.97-31.06 mg/100 g), total starch (68.27-73.04%) content. In addition, three different roasting methods were applied; the aromatic rice was roasted at 250℃ for 0 min (BAR-0M), 15 min (BAR-15M), or 30 min (BAR-30M). As a result, the color in terms of the L value decreased, whereas the a and b values increased. Also, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in BAR-30M (41.65 mg/100 g and 22.30 mg/100 g, respectively) were higher than those in BAR-0M (33.00 mg/100 g and 20.78 mg/100 g, respectively). Similarly, the amylose and total starch contents in BAR-30M (26.10 g/100 g and 81.81%, respectively) were higher than those in BAR-0M (22.10 g/100 g and 74.26%, respectively). Furthermore, the DPPH, superoxide radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant potential of BAR-0M at 5,000 μg/mL were found to be 67.78%, 52.90%, and 0.79 mM, respectively. Based on these results, we can conclude that in order to provide the best physicochemical characteristics of aromatic rice, it should be manufactured in the following conditions: 20% milling recovery of the aromatic rice and roasting at 250℃ for 30 min.

This study developed a pit planting technique in which only planting spots were dug to reduce earthwork costs and to enhance tree growth. This technique, in which pits of different depths were dug, was actually applied to a semi-arid experiment site to analyze its effects on soil moisture and tree growth. The soil moisture content in the pit planting 30 cm in depth (30 cm pit planting) and 50 cm in depth (50 cm pit planting) was 6.5 ± 0.1% and 6.7 ± 0.1%, respectively, which was at least 1.3 times higher (P < 0.01) than that of the control plot (surface planting). The crown growth rate of Populus sibirica trees for 2 years following the planting was 733.5 ± 43.3% in the 30 cm pit planting and 889.4 ± 58.5% in the 50 cm pit planting which, at their maximum, were 1.7 times higher than in the control plot. The stem diameter growth and the new shoot length were maximally 1.5 times better in the pit planting than in the control plot. The pit planting technique developed will be widely useful to promote...

Multifamily residential sites (MRS) are practical alternatives for securing a carbon uptake source in urban areas where hardscape is dominant, as trees must be planted in the lot area, according to the current landscape-related ordinances in Korea. Tree planting contributes to sustainability of residential sites through carbon reduction. This study quantified direct and indirect carbon reduction from tree planting in MRS in Korea and explored sustainable design guidelines to maximize the carbon offset service of MRS. The total annual direct and indirect carbon reduction through tree planting in all the MRS was estimated to be about 101.1 kt/year. This carbon reduction equaled 3.3% of the total annual carbon emissions from the heating and cooling energy consumption of multifamily buildings. This study considered both direct and indirect carbon reduction from trees in MRS which was insufficient in previous studies. The results of this study can be useful internationally by sharing the information of sustainable residential design in enhancing carbon offset service.

Blueberry fruit exhibits strong antioxidant activity owing to the presence of anthocyanin. As blueberry-leaf extract (BLE) contains chlorogenic acid and flavonol glycosides, we hypothesized that phenolic-enriched BLE would improve glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. In this study, we examined whether BLE administration decreases the glucose levels and enhances the pancreatic function in mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and diabetes. C57BL/6J mice were divided into the following four groups: control diet (CD), HFD (60 kcal% fat diet), BLE (HFD with 1% BLE wt/wt diet), and yerba mate extract (YME; HFD with 0.5% YME wt/wt diet). Dietary BLE and YME reduced glucose tolerance, body weight, and plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, triglyceride (TG), and non-esterified fatty acid levels. Compared with those of the HFD group, BLE was found to significantly reduce the pancreatic islet size and insulin content. Moreover, it increased the mRNA levels of pancreatic β-cell proliferation-related genes, Ngn3, MafA, Pax4, Ins1, and Ins2, and pancreatic insulin signaling-related genes, IRS-1, IRS-2, PIK3ca, PDK1, PKCe, and GLUT-2, and decreased the transcriptional expression of the β-cell apoptosis-related gene, FoxO1. Both BLE and YME improved insulin sensitivity by inhibiting TG synthesis and enhancing lipid utilization in the liver and white adipose tissue (WAT). In pancreatic MIN6 β-cells, BLE and its main component (chlorogenic acid) increased β-cell proliferation and promoted insulin signaling. Overall, BLE enriched with phenolic compounds has the capacity to prevent HFD-induced glucose tolerance and hyperglycemia by improving the pancreatic β-cell function.

Arazyme, a metalloprotease from the spider Nephila clavata, exerts hepatoprotective activity in CCL4-induced acute hepatic injury. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-like C57BL/6J mice. The mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10/group): the normal diet group, the HFD group, the arazyme group (HFD with 0.025% arazyme), and the milk thistle (MT) group (HFD with 0.1% MT). Dietary supplementation of arazyme for 13 weeks significantly lowered plasma triglyceride (TG) and non-esterified fatty acid levels. Suppression of HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in the arazyme group was caused by the reduced hepatic TG and total cholesterol (TC) contents. Arazyme supplementation decreased hepatic lipogenesis-related gene expression, sterol regulatory element-binding transcription protein 1 (Srebf1), fatty acid synthase (Fas), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (Acc1), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (Scd1), Scd2, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (Gpam), diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (Dgat1), and Dgat2. Arazyme directly reduced palmitic acid (PA)-induced TG accumulation in HepG2 cells. Arazyme suppressed macrophage infiltration and tumor necrosis factor &alpha, (Tnfa), interleukin-1&beta, (Il1b), and chemokine-ligand-2 (Ccl2) expression in the liver, and inhibited secretion of TNF&alpha, and expression of inflammatory mediators, Tnfa, Il1b, Ccl2, Ccl3, Ccl4, and Ccl5, in PA-induced RAW264.7 cells. Arazyme effectively protected hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis by inhibiting SREBP-1-mediated lipid accumulation and macrophage-mediated inflammation.

Rationale: Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is an uncommon and aggressive hematologic malignancy that arises from plasmacytoid dendritic cells. BPDCN typically presents with skin lesions with or without involvement of lymph nodes, peripheral blood, or bone marrow. However, breast involvement of BPDCN is rare and there has been no report describing the radiologic features of BPDCN within breast parenchyma. Patient concerns: We report a case of a 47-year-old woman who presented with an incidentally detected hypermetabolic breast lesion on PET/CT with concurrent right cheek plaque. Diagnoses: Skin biopsy was performed for the right cheek plaque. Mammography and breast ultrasonography were performed to evaluate the breast lesion. The lesion was depicted as a 2.5 cm sized focal asymmetry on mammogram and an irregular heterogeneous echoic mass within the mammary zone of the right upper outer breast. Core needle biopsy was performed for the breast lesion. Histologic diagnosis of the two lesions was BPDCN. Interventions: The patient was treated with induction and consolidation chemotherapy and received allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Outcomes: The patient remains in complete remission state without relapse at 34 months since initial diagnosis. Lessons: This is the first case of BPDCN manifested as a breast parenchymal mass and assessed by diagnostic breast imaging tools (mammography and ultrasonography). This case report is significant for BPDCN within the breast parenchyma and presenting rare radiologic description of BPDCN.

Summary Amylase is a very important enzyme due to its wide food applications. To preserve amylase activity in soya bean sprout extract (SSE), SSEs were spray-dried with 10% maltodextrin and 0–3% alginic acids, and their physicochemical properties and storage stability were compared with freeze-dried one. SSE exhibited maximum amylase activity at pH 7.0 and 60 °C, with the most active substrate specificity towards soluble starch. Spray-dried SSEs exhibited higher water solubility index (WSI) and in vitro relative amylase activity but lower water vapour sorption (WVS) and smaller particle size than freeze-dried SSE. For spray-dried SSEs, particle size, WSI and in vitro relative amylase activity increased while WVS decreased with increasing % alginic acid. This study demonstrated that spray drying of SSE, especially with 10% maltodextrin and 2% alginic acid, was effective in keeping amylase active and stable during 7-week storage at room temperature (25 °C).