Search

Age and growth estimations are important fisheries management tools to gain insight into the population structures of commercially important fish species. Despite their significance in Korean fisheries, knowledge on the age and growth of blackthroat seaperch, Doederleinia berycoides, are limited. Therefore, in this study, we determined the age and growth of the blackthroat seaperch population in the South Sea of Korea using otolith and length–weight data. Monthly samples were collected from January to December 2014 using large- and medium-sized single-trawl commercial vessels. Monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) were significantly different between females and males (p

ImportanceThere is no consensus on interventions to slow the progress of hip displacement in patients with cerebral palsy.ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of a novel hip brace in preventing progressive hip displacement in patients with cerebral palsy.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis 2-group randomized clinical trial was conducted at 4 tertiary hospitals in South Korea from July 2019 to November 2021. Participants included children aged 1 to 10 years with nonambulatory cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System level IV or V). Block randomization was used to assign an equal number of patients to the study and control groups via computerized random allocation sequences. Data were analyzed from November to December 2021.InterventionsThe intervention group wore the hip brace for at least 12 hours a day for the study duration (ie, 12 months). Follow-up evaluations were performed after 6 and 12 months of wearing the brace. Both groups proceeded with conventional rehabilitation therapy during the trial.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was the Reimers migration index (MI) on radiography, as assessed by 3 blinded investigators. Primary outcome variables were analyzed using linear mixed models. Secondary outcomes include change in the Caregiver Priorities & Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities, on which lower scores indicate better quality of life.ResultsA total of 66 patients were included, with 33 patients (mean [SD] age, 68.7 [31.6] months; 25 [75.8%] boys) randomized to the intervention group and 33 patients (mean [SD] age, 60.7 [24.9] months; 20 [60.6%] boys) randomized to the control group. The baseline mean (SD) MI was 37.4% (19.3%) in the intervention group and 30.6% (16.3%) in the control group. The mean difference of the MI between the intervention group and control group was −8.7 (95% CI, −10.2 to −7.1) percentage points at 6 months and −12.7 (95% CI, −14.7 to −10.7) percentage points at 12 months. The changes in the Caregiver Priorities & Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities were favorable in the study group and reached statistical significance at the 6-month follow-up compared with the control group (difference, −14.2; 95% CI, −25.2 to −3.3).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this randomized clinical trial, the novel hip brace was significantly effective in preventing the progression of hip displacement, compared with the control group. It effectively improved quality of life in patients with nonambulatory cerebral palsy. Therefore, hip brace use could be a promising treatment method to delay hip surgery and improve the quality of life of patients with nonambulatory cerebral palsy.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04033289

The popularity of voice-activated artificial intelligence (voice AI) has grown rapidly as people continue to use smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home to support everyday tasks. However, little is known about how loneliness relates to voice AI use, or the potential mediators in this association. This study investigates the mediating roles of users’ perceptions (i.e., social attraction, privacy concerns, and satisfaction) in the relationship between users’ social loneliness and intentions to continue using voice AI. A serial mediation model based on survey data from current voice AI users showed that users’ perceptions were positively associated with behavioral intentions. Several full serial mediations were observed: people who felt lonely perceived (1) voice AI as a more socially attractive agent and (2) had fewer privacy concerns. These aspects were each tied to satisfaction and subsequent usage intention. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Summary Cell transplantation into immunodeficient recipients is a widely used approach to study stem cell and cancer biology; however, studying cell states post transplantation in vivo is inconvenient in mammals. Here, we generated a foxn1/Casper mutant zebrafish that is transparent and exhibits T cell deficiency. By employing the line for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation (HSCT), we could achieve nonconditioned transplantation. Meanwhile, we found that fetal HSCs from 3 days post fertilization zebrafish embryos produce a better transplant outcome in foxn1/Casper mutants, compared with adult HSCs. In addition to HSCT, the foxn1/Casper mutant is feasible for allografts of myelodysplastic syndrome-like and muscle cells, as well as xenografts of medaka muscle cells. In summary, foxn1/Casper mutants permit the nonconditioned engraftment of multiple cell types and visualized characterization of transplanted cells in vivo., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • foxn1/Casper mutant zebrafish permit unconditioned and visualized cell transplantation • Zebrafish fetal HSCs possess more robust engraftment ability than adult HSCs • foxn1/Casper mutant zebrafish permit allogeneic MDS-like cell transplantation • Allograft and xenograft of muscle cells can be monitored in foxn1/Casper mutant zebrafish, In this article, Liu and colleagues generated a foxn1/Casper mutant zebrafish line with immunodeficiency and transparency to permit allograft and xenograft of normal and malignant cells without preconditioning. In addition, they evaluated the engraftment efficiency of HSCs from different developmental stages in foxn1/Casper recipients. Additional applications included the engraftment of MDS-like cells and xenogenic medaka muscle cells.

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the nutritional status and dietary habits of the elderly using the nutrition quotient for the elderly (NQ-E) and to analyze the differences in the NQ-E according to their levels of oral health.The survey was administered to 123 elderly people receiving congregate meal services in Seoul. The questionnaire comprised 3 domains: oral health status, general characteristics, and the NQ-E for the elderly.The respondents were divided into 2 groups based on the average score of their levels of oral health (the group with high oral health scores: 4.42 points and the group with low oral health scores: 2.89 points). As a result of evaluating nutritional status using the NQ-E, it was found that the average NQ-E score was 58.7 points, with 46.0 points in the balance domain, 47.0 points in the diversity domain, 72.9 points in the moderation domain, and 61.8 points in the dietary behavior domain. The NQ-E score (62.3 points) of the group with high oral health scores is significantly higher than the NQ-E score (54.7 points) of the group with low oral health scores (Overall, several dietary areas needed improvement in general. Those with poor oral health conditions urgently needed to improve related factors to minimize the risk of increasing imbalanced nutrition and comorbidities due to insufficient nutrition and undesirable eating habits.

ABCD4, a member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily, is associated with the transport of vitamin B12 which is crucial for the development of red blood cells (RBCs) and may also be involved in its metabolism. However, the molecular function of ABCD4 during RBC development in zebrafish is mostly unknown. Using a morpholino-based knockdown approach, we found that abcd4-knockdown resulted in abnormal RBCs of irregular shapes and various sizes. o-Dianisidine staining, as an indicator of hemoglobin in RBCs, further confirmed that abcd4 morphants possessed fewer hemoglobinized cells and impaired blood circulation. Multiple protein sequence alignment revealed that the amino acid sequence for residues 13-292, which is the domain of vitamin B12 transport, of the zebrafish Abcd4 was highly conserved compared to that of other species. Accordingly, the abcd4 morphants can be rescued with human ABCD4, demonstrating a conserved role of ABCD4 in vertebrates. Notably, the vitamin B12-deficient phenotype in abcd4 morphants, which causes anemia, was recapitulated in the newly-established abcd4 mutant, indicating the possibility that the abcd4 mutant could be used as a disease model of vitamin B12-deficiency anemia. Our study provides an insight that the analysis of the newly-established abcd4 mutant may contribute to understanding its roles in ABCD4-related vitamin B12-deficiency anemia and the associated pathogeneses in humans.

This research explored the impact of self-threat on two types of hope, distinguished by regulatory focus: prevention hope versus promotion hope. Two experimental studies were conducted. The results of Study 1 indicated that individuals are more likely to focus on prevention hope when their self-view is threatened. Additionally, the findings in Study 1 were extended in the next experiment using an advertising context. Study 2 revealed that prevention hope-focused advertising messages were more persuasive (namely, advertising trust and the attitude toward both advertising and the brand) and inspired consumers' behavioral intention (or purchase intention) more than promotion hope-focused advertising messages when self-threat occurred. The implications of the study's findings and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Two species of cyclopoid copepods are recorded in this study. (1) A new species of bomolochid, Orbitacolax brevispinus n. sp. (Crustacea) is described based on adult females collected from the gill filaments and inner surface of the opercula of red barracuda, Sphyraena pinguis Günther (Perciformes: Sphyraenidae), captured in Korean waters. The new species differs from its congeners by the possession of two pairs of spines on the dorsal surface of the cephalothorax located just posterior to the rostrum and a different setal formula on the distal exopodal segments of legs 2–4. (2) A taeniacanthid Cirracanthus inimici (Yamaguti et Yamasu, 1959) (Crustacea) is redescribed based on the specimens collected from the gill filaments and inner surface of the opercula of devil stinger, Inimicus japonicus (Cuvier) (Scorpaeniformes: Synancellidae). This finding is the first record in Korean waters and the first description of male. A checklist of parasitic copepods of the families Bomolochidae Sumpf, 1871 and Taeniacanthidae Wilson, 1911of Korea is also provided.

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome of Metapenaeopsis dalei (Rathbun, 1902), which is collected from East China Sea (124°E and 33.5°N). Total mitochondrial genome length of M. dalei was 15 939 bp, in which 13 proteins, two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs and a putative control region were encoded. The gene arrangement of M. dalei was well conserved with nine known Penaeidae mitochondrial genomes from COX1 to tRNATyr. The protein-coding genes started with ATN except for COX1 in which ACG is used. Four genes (COX2, COX3, ND3 and ND5) exhibited an incomplete stop codon. Nucleotide sequence identity of M. dalei mitochondrial genome to those of nine Penaeidae species ranged from 78% to 80%. Based on the COI region, M. dalei is most closely related to Penaeus notialis.

Acoustic surveys were used to locate coastal Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) spawning grounds, and the spatial and temporal patterns of their spawning in Jinhae Bay, Korea were examined. We deployed mooring with a newly designed autonomous echosounder for ~70 days during the Pacific herring spawning season in Jinhae Bay, from January to April 2018. At the same time, ship-based acoustic surveys were conducted to identify the spatial distribution twice, at 38 and 120 kHz, onboard the fishing vessel in January and April 2018 in the bay. Fish school signals, including those from adult Pacific herring, are often detected through ship-based acoustic surveys in January, from outside the bay. In the spring, weak scattering signals from fish larvae and zooplankton were continuously detected inside the bay. Backscatter at the mooring in the center of Jinhae Bay was low from mid-January to early March, gradually increasing to higher levels until the end of March. The backscatter observed from the mooring correlated well with ship-based acoustic surveys in the center of the bay. This study proposes that the mooring type acoustic echosounder is a valuable tool for temporal abundance information and other aspects of fish behavior.

As a type of social withdrawal, shyness in childhood and adolescence is associated with, and predictive of, maladjustment across different domains, including low social status, peer victimization, academic underachievement, and internalizing problems, in Western societies. However, cultural norms and values may play a role in shaping the functional meaning of shyness. In societies that endorse group-oriented values, such as the traditional Chinese society that emphasizes group harmony and the restraint of personal desires, shyness in children and adolescents is considered acceptable. Cultural values are likely to be reflected in social attitudes of parents and peers toward shyness and relations between shyness and adjustment outcomes. The meaning of shyness may also be affected by macro-level social changes and associated individual acculturation processes.

Coloboma, heart defect, atresia choanae, retarded growth and development, genital hypoplasia, ear anomalies/deafness (CHARGE) syndrome is a congenital disorder affecting multiple organs and mainly caused by mutations in CHD7, a gene encoding a chromatin-remodeling protein. Immunodeficiency and reduced T cells have been noted in CHARGE syndrome. However, the mechanisms underlying T lymphopenia are largely unexplored. Herein, we observed dramatic decrease of T cells in both chd7knockdown and knockout zebrafish embryos. Unexpectedly, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and, particularly, lymphoid progenitor cells were increased peripherally in nonthymic areas in chd7-deficient embryos, unlikely to contribute to the T-cell decrease. Further analysis demonstrated that both the organogenesis and homing function of the thymus were seriously impaired. Chd7 might regulate thymus organogenesis through modulating the development of both neural crest cell-derived mesenchyme and pharyngeal endoderm-derived thymic epithelial cells. The expression of foxn1, a central regulator of thymic epithelium, was remarkably down-regulated in the pharyngeal region in chd7-deficient embryos. Moreover, the T-cell reduction in chd7-deficient embryos was partially rescued by overexpressing foxn1, suggesting that restoring thymic epithelium may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating immunodeficiency in CHARGE syndrome. Collectively, the results indicated that chd7 was critical for thymic development and T-lymphopenia in CHARGE syndrome may be mainly attributed to the defects of thymic organogenesis. The current finding may benefit the diagnosis and therapy of T lymphopenia and immunodeficiency in CHARGE syndrome.