Search

The first national symposium on Social Work and Divinity Dual Degree Programs was designed to examine the current state of these interdisciplinary joint degree programs from both pedagogical and practical perspectives. The underlying assumption was that a more holistic approach is needed to advance our understanding of human nature, including the dimension of spirituality and the complexity of social issues. The rationale, issues, and promise for a strong commitment on the part of participating institutions toward educating the dual degree students are reflected in the context of the symposium's theme: Building Compassionate Communities: An Integration of Theology and Social Work in Professional Education and Practice. By examining the current state of social work and divinity dual degree program at Loyola University as a case example, this paper highlights the salient ideas and reflective discussions that were emerged from the symposium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and long-term durability of the enhanced technique of Type II Vocal Fold Shortening and Retrodisplacement of the Anterior Commissure (VFSRAC) for voice feminization compared with the preceding Type I method., Methods: A retrospective analysis encompassed 506 patients drawn from a cohort of 1025 MtF transgender women who underwent VFSRAC between 2003 and 2021. The study period included cases from 2015 to 2021, during which the Type II update technique was implemented, involving a modification to the suture technique. Subjective and perceptual evaluations, aerodynamic and acoustic assessments, real-time pitch analysis, and videostroboscopic reviews were conducted pre- and postoperatively in the MtF transgender women cohort. Comparative statistical analyses were performed to discern differences between the earlier Type I method (2003-2014) and the more recent Type II method (2015-2021)., Results: The preoperative mean speech fundamental frequency (sF0) for Type II VFSRAC was 134.5 Hz. Postoperatively, the mean sF0 increased to 196.7 Hz, 212.3 Hz, and 207.5 Hz at 3 months, 6 months, and beyond 1 year, respectively, exceeding outcomes observed with the Type I method. Postoperative subjective and objective assessments indicated an augmentation in voice femininity. Acoustic and aerodynamic indices were within the normal range, and the regularity of the vocal fold mucosal wave was preserved within normal parameters. These results suggest that patients achieved a natural phonation pattern after surgery., Conclusions: The application of our updated type II VFSRAC has demonstrated feasibility and consistently yielded favorable results for individuals desiring a naturally feminine voice., Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 2024., (© 2024 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Purpose: The incidence of cancer during pregnancy is increasing, presenting several challenges to the treatment of cancer in pregnant women. However, research focusing on the lived experiences of pregnant women with cancer in South Korea is limited. This study aimed to explore and describe the day-to-day lived experiences of women diagnosed with or treated for cancer during pregnancy and their husbands., Methods: The study employed a qualitative descriptive design and utilized purposive sampling to recruit participants. The participants comprised six women living in Korea diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and one husband of a female participant. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted, audiotaped, and transcribed. Five of the participants agreed to a second interview, resulting in a total of 12 individual interviews. A thematic analysis was then performed. The participants' ages ranged from 31 to 40 years, and their diagnoses during pregnancy were either breast or thyroid cancer., Results: Four main themes were identified: (1) Participants faced various heart-breaking difficulties maintaining their pregnancies throughout cancer treatment; (2) Pregnant women with cancer experienced complex but responsible feelings toward their children; (3) Patients with cancer also fulfilled their roles as parents even with their own diseases; and (4) Family support had a significant impact on the pregnant women to overcome the path., Conclusions: These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the lived experiences of being diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy. A recommended strategy is to develop a nursing education program for pregnant women with cancer to provide necessary information and support, and to help them cope positively with their situation., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: This study aims to characterise the motivations of firearm owners and examine whether firearm ownership motivations and carriage varied by state stand your ground law status.  METHODS: Using a nationally representative survey of US adults in 2023, we asked firearm owners (n=2477) about their firearm motivations and behaviours, including reason(s) for ownership., Results: Of all firearm owners, 78.8% (95% CI 76.0% to 81.0%) owned a firearm for protection, and 58.1% (95% CI 54.3% to 62.0%) carried a firearm outside their home in the last 12 months. Firearm ownership for protection was not significantly associated with stand your ground laws, but firearm carriage was more prevalent in states with stand your ground laws (50.1% (95% CI 47.0% to 53.0%) vs 34.9% (95% CI 25.0% to 46.0%)). Gender (women) and race (minority groups) emerged as key correlates for firearm ownership for protection (vs other ownership motivations). For example, black and Asian women (98.8%) almost exclusively owned firearms for protection., Conclusions: Protection was the dominant reason for firearm ownership in 2023, motivating 65 million Americans to own firearms and appealing to different strata of the population., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Cultured meat has been gaining popularity as a solution to the increasing problem of food insecurity. Although research on cultured meat started later compared to other alternative meats, the industry is growing rapidly every year, with developed products evaluated as being most similar to conventional meat. Studies on cultured meat production techniques, such as culturing new animal cells and developing medium sera and scaffolds, are being conducted intensively and diversely. However, active in-depth research on the quality characteristics of cultured meat, including studies on the sensory and storage properties that directly influence consumer preferences, is still lacking. Additionally, studies on the combination or ratio of fat cells to muscle cells and on the improvement of microbiota, protein degradation, and fatty acid degradation remain to be conducted. By actively investigating these research topics, we aim to verify the quality and safety of cultured meats, ultimately improving the consumer preference for cultured meat products., Competing Interests: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest., (© Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.)

Sleep fragmentation (SF) can increase inflammation and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to metabolic dysfunction. SF is associated with inflammation of adipose tissue and insulin resistance. Several studies have suggested that melatonin may have beneficial metabolic effects due to activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). However, it is unclear whether melatonin affects the AMPK signaling pathway in SF-induced metabolic dysfunction. Therefore, we hypothesize that SF induces metabolic impairment and inflammation in white adipose tissue (WAT), as well as altered intracellular homeostasis. We further hypothesize that these conditions could be improved by melatonin treatment. We conducted an experiment using adult male C57BL/6 mice, which were divided into three groups: control, SF, and SF with melatonin treatment (SF+Mel). The SF mice were housed in SF chambers, while the SF+Mel mice received daily oral melatonin. After 12 weeks, glucose tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests, adipose tissue inflammation tests, and AMPK assessments were performed. The SF mice showed increased weight gain, impaired glucose regulation, inflammation, and decreased AMPK in WAT compared to the controls. Melatonin significantly improved these outcomes by mitigating SF-induced metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and AMPK downregulation in adipose tissue. The therapeutic efficacy of melatonin against cardiometabolic impairments in SF may be due to its ability to restore adipose tissue homeostatic pathways.

Introduction: Household firearm availability is a risk factor for firearm suicide when a household member at-risk for suicide. Firearm ownership for protection and perceptions of community violence may reduce the likelihood of limiting access to firearms as a way to prevent suicide. The association between a firearm suicide risk belief and the intention to reduce firearm access as a means of preventing suicide, with fear of community violence and firearm ownership for protection as moderators, was examined., Materials and Methods: The analytic sample consisted of 388 Missouri firearm owners from a cross-sectional, statewide survey of Missouri adults. Logistic regression models were estimated., Results: Among Missouri firearm owners, firearm suicide risk belief was positively associated with the intention of reducing firearm access for firearm owners who were not afraid of community violence and owned a firearm for non-protection reasons (e.g., hunting)., Discussion: Findings suggest that firearm suicide prevention efforts must be tailored to address the underlying beliefs about their violence risk among firearm owners who indicate they principally own for protection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Daniel B Lee reports financial support was provided by Missouri Foundation for Health. Patrick M. Carter reports financial support was provided by Missouri Foundation for Health. Daniel B Lee reports a relationship with Missouri Foundation for Health that includes: funding grants. Patrick M. Carter reports a relationship with Missouri Foundation for Health that includes: funding grants. The other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely recognized for their stability and biocompatibility, leading to their widespread use in biomedical applications. Our study introduces a novel approach that harnesses inorganic magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to stimulate apical-basal polarity and induce epithelial traits in cancer cells, targeting the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) state often linked to metastasis. We employed mesocrystalline iron oxide MNPs to apply an external magnetic field, disrupting normal cell polarity and simulating an artificial cellular environment. These led to noticeable changes in the cell shape and function, signaling a shift toward the hybrid E/M state. Our research suggests that apical-basal stimulation in cells through MNPs can effectively modulate key cellular markers associated with both epithelial and mesenchymal states without compromising the structural properties typical of mesenchymal cells. These insights advance our understanding of how cells respond to physical cues and pave the way for novel cancer treatment strategies. We anticipate that further research and validation will be instrumental in exploring the full potential of these findings in clinical applications, ensuring their safety and efficacy.

Globally, women have been adopting oocyte cryopreservation (OC) for fertility preservation for various reasons, such as inevitable gonadotoxic treatment for specific pathologic states and social preferences. While conventional vitrification (C-VIT) has improved the success rate of OC, challenges of possible toxicities of high-concentration cryoprotective agents and osmotic stress persist. To overcome these challenges, we evaluated the ultra-fast vitrification (UF-VIT) method, which reduces the equilibration solution stage exposure time compared to C-VIT by observing mouse oocyte intracellular organelles and embryonic development. Consequently, compared to fresh mouse oocytes, UF-VIT presented significant differences only in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) intensity and mitochondrial (MT) distribution. Meanwhile, C-VIT showed substantial differences in the survival rate, key ER and MT parameters, and embryonic development rate. UF-VIT exhibited considerably fewer negative effects on key MT parameters and resulted in a notably higher blastocyst formation rate than C-VIT. Meiotic spindle (spindle and chromosomes) morphology showed no significant changes between the groups during vitrification/warming (VW), suggesting that VW did not negatively affect the meiotic spindle of the oocytes. In conclusion, UF-VIT seems more effective in OC owing to efficient cytoplasmic water molecule extraction, osmotic stress reduction, and minimization of cell contraction and expansion amplitude, thus compensating for the drawbacks of C-VIT.

Objectives: We investigated the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the coexistence of insomnia and daytime napping, because limited data have been reported regarding this association., Methods: The study population was 8,440 participants aged 40-65 years, who were from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Self-reported information on insomnia symptoms and nap duration was used to define exposure variables. Data on waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), and fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in blood were used to define MetS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to obtain odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI)., Results: In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the coexistence of insomnia and napping was not significantly associated with MetS. However, the insomnia and non-napping group showed higher ORs of high TG (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.39) and high BP (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.49) than the non-insomnia and non-napping group. The combination of non-insomnia and napping and that of insomnia and napping showed higher ORs of high TG (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.29) and high FBG (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.21), respectively. In analyses of insomnia symptoms, only the combination of difficulty in maintaining sleep (DMS) and non-napping showed a higher OR for MetS (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.52) than the non-DMS and non-napping group., Conclusions: Individuals with insomnia, particularly those who do not take naps, were disproportionately likely to have MetS components, especially TG or BP. Information on these variables may help predict individuals' vulnerability to specific MetS components.

Recently, deep generative models using machine intelligence are widely utilized to investigate scientific systems by generating scientific data. In this study, we experiment with a hybrid model of a variational autoencoder (VAE) and a generative adversarial network (GAN) to generate a variety of plausible two-dimensional magnetic topological structure data. Due to the topological properties in the system, numerous and diverse metastable magnetic structures exist, and energy and topological barriers separate them. Thus, generating a variety of plausible spin structures avoiding those barrier states is a challenging problem. The VAE-GAN hybrid model can present an effective approach to this problem because it brings the advantages of both VAE's diversity and GAN's fidelity. It allows one to perform various applications including searching a desired sample from a variety of valid samples. Additionally, we perform a discriminator-driven latent sampling (DDLS) using our hybrid model to improve the quality of generated samples. We confirm that DDLS generates various plausible data with large coverage, following the topological rules of the target system., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Firearm homicides are increasing in the United States, and firearm homicides are a critical driver of racial health disparities. One such disparity that has received limited attention is excess firearm homicides among Hispanics, relative to White Non-Hispanics; comprehensively characterising this disparity is the purpose of this brief report. Using data from CDC WONDER, we examined temporal trends (2012-2021) in firearm homicide rate disparities between Hispanics and White Non-Hispanics in the U.S. Focusing on recently elevated rates (2018-2021), we estimated this disparity across demographics (gender, age, urbanicity, and race), and across U.S. states. These data clearly show nearly universal excess firearm homicide among Hispanics, relative to White Non-Hispanics, with larger differences among men, younger age groups, and in metropolitan areas. Similarly, nearly all states show higher rates of firearm homicide among Hispanics, relative to White Non-Hispanics, though the magnitude of the difference varies substantially., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Intensive surveillance of colon cancer by using the abdominopelvic computed tomography (AP-CT) is common in real world practice; however, it is still unclear whether high-frequency surveillance using AP-CT in patients with these risk factors is superior to that in the low-frequency surveillance., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1803 patients with stage II-III colon cancer receiving curative surgery between January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2015. We evaluated the average scan-to-scan intervals of postoperative AP-CT testing and assigned patients with an interval of 5 to 8 and 9 to 13 months to the high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) groups, respectively. The cutoff value of preoperative and postoperative CEA levels was 5 ng/mL. We also applied propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting to adjust clinicopathologic differences between the 2 groups., Results: We matched 1:1 for each surveillance group yielding a cohort of 776 matched patients. After PSM, Baseline demographics were overall well balanced between 2 groups. Stage III (OR, 2.00; 95% Confidence interval [CI], 1.21-3.30) and postoperative CEA elevation (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.08-4.92) were independent risk factors of recurrence in multivariate analyses. Patient in the HF group had more surgery plus chemo- or radiotherapy as postrecurrence treatment than patient in the LF group (46.2% vs. 23.1%, P = .017). This trend was retained after PSM, although it is not significant (44.4% vs. 23.1%, P = .060). However, survival outcomes of high-frequency AP-CT surveillance were not superior to those of low-frequency surveillance in all subgroups, including stage III (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.40-2.47) and postoperative CEA elevation (HR 1.36, 95% CI 0.45-4.11)., Conclusion: High-frequency AP-CT testing is associated with a higher proportion of surgery plus chemo- or radiotherapy as postrecurrence treatment, without improvement in 5-year overall survival., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We construct a deep neural network to enhance the resolution of spin structure images formed by spontaneous symmetry breaking in the magnetic systems. Through the deep neural network, an image is expanded to a super-resolution image and reduced to the original image size to be fitted with the input feed image. The network does not require ground truth images in the training process. Therefore, it can be applied when low-resolution images are provided as training datasets, while high-resolution images are not obtainable due to the intrinsic limitation of microscope techniques. To show the usefulness of the network, we train the network with two types of simulated magnetic structure images; one is from self-organized maze patterns made of chiral magnetic structures, and the other is from magnetic domains separated by walls that are topological defects of the system. The network successfully generates high-resolution images highly correlated with the exact solutions in both cases. To investigate the effectiveness and the differences between datasets, we study the network's noise tolerance and compare the networks' reliabilities. The network is applied with experimental data obtained by magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy and spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Advancements in critical care management have improved mortality rates of trauma patients; however, research has identified physical and psychological impairments that remain with patients for an extended time. Cognitive impairments, anxiety, stress, depression, and weakness in the postintensive care phase are an impetus for trauma centers to examine their ability to improve patient outcomes., Objective: This article describes one center's efforts to intervene to address postintensive care syndrome in trauma patients., Methods: This article describes implementing aspects of the Society of Critical Care Medicine's liberation bundle to address postintensive care syndrome in trauma patients., Results: The implementation of the liberation bundle initiatives was successful and well received by trauma staff, patients, and families. It requires strong multidisciplinary commitment and adequate staffing. Continued focus and retraining are requirements in the face of staff turnover and shortages, which are real-world barriers., Conclusions: Implementation of the liberation bundle was feasible. Although the initiatives were positively received by trauma patients and their families, we identified a gap in the availability of long-term outpatient services for trauma patients after discharge from the hospital., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Society of Trauma Nurses.)

Machine learning-based pathogenicity prediction helps interpret rare missense variants of BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are associated with hereditary cancers. Recent studies have shown that classifiers trained using variants of a specific gene or a set of genes related to a particular disease perform better than those trained using all variants, due to their higher specificity, despite the smaller training dataset size. In this study, we further investigated the advantages of "gene-specific" machine learning compared to "disease-specific" machine learning. We used 1068 rare (gnomAD minor allele frequency (MAF) < 0.005) missense variants of 28 genes associated with hereditary cancers for our investigation. Popular machine learning classifiers were employed: regularized logistic regression, extreme gradient boosting, random forests, support vector machines, and deep neural networks. As features, we used MAFs from multiple populations, functional prediction and conservation scores, and positions of variants. The disease-specific training dataset included the gene-specific training dataset and was > 7 × larger. However, we observed that gene-specific training variants were sufficient to produce the optimal pathogenicity predictor if a suitable machine learning classifier was employed. Therefore, we recommend gene-specific over disease-specific machine learning as an efficient and effective method for predicting the pathogenicity of rare BRCA1 and BRCA2 missense variants., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Workforce diversity is an ongoing challenge in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology. This article discusses individual, institutional, and nonspecific factors that contribute to a lack of diversity among clinical child and adolescent psychologists and offers suggestions to diversify and advance the field of clinical child and adolescent mental health., Method: Seventeen professors, licensed psychologists, faculty, and clinicians in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology answered questions about workforce diversity and who is permitted access to the field. No formal research was conducted., Results: Individual factors included: racial discrimination and microaggressions, feelings of isolation, otherness, and not belonging. Institutional factors included: racism in academia, racial underrepresentation, ethnocentric and culturally-biased training, biased admissions selection processes, financial barriers, and lack of institutional commitment. Nonspecific factors were: values misalignment, hidden expectations, suboptimal mentoring, and limited research opportunities., Conclusions: Drawing on recent scholarship and the Contexts, Actions, and Outcomes (CAO) Model, we recommend institutional changes in programs, policies, practices, resources, climate, partnerships, and inquiry to improve diversity in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology.

Background: Racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes have been consistently documented in the health literature. Until recently, many studies have evidenced associations between prejudice and health behaviors using cross-sectional data. However, studies assessing the link between school prejudice and health behaviors from adolescence to adulthood are limited., Methods: To address this gap, we use data from Waves I, II, and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994-2002) to examine how perceptions of school prejudice over time influence cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and marijuana use from adolescence to emerging adulthood. We also examine variation across race and ethnicity., Results: Results indicate that school prejudice in adolescence (Wave I) is associated with higher cigarette use, alcohol use, and marijuana use in later adolescence (Wave II). White and Asian adolescents who perceived school prejudice were more likely to use alcohol, while Hispanic adolescents were more likely to use marijuana., Conclusions: Efforts to reduce school prejudice among adolescents may have implications in reducing substance use.

Aims of this study were to test whether sleep fragmentation (SF) increased carcinogenesis and to investigate the possible mechanisms of carcinogenesis in a chemical-induced colon cancer model. In this study, eight-week-old C57BL/6 mice were divided into Home cage (HC) and SF groups. After the azoxymethane (AOM) injection, the mice in the SF group were subjected to SF for 77 days. SF was accomplished in a sleep fragmentation chamber. In the second protocol, mice were divided into 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-treated, HC, and SF groups and were exposed to the HC or SF procedures. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent stainings were conducted to determine the level of 8-OHdG and reactive oxygen species (ROS), respectively. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the relative expression of inflammatory and ROS-generating genes. The number of tumors and average tumor size were significantly higher in the SF group than in the HC group. The intensity (%) of the 8-OHdG stained area was significantly higher in the SF group than in the HC group. The fluorescence intensity of ROS was significantly higher in the SF group than the HC group. SF accelerated cancer development in a murine AOM/DSS-induced model of colon cancer, and the increased carcinogenesis was associated with ROS- and oxidative stress-induced DNA damage.

Background: Altered innate defense mechanisms, including an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants release, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The aim of this study is to investigate whether oxidative stress may attenuate the secretion of anti-viral interferons in human sinonasal mucosa., Methods: The levels of H 2 O 2 in nasal secretion were increased in patients with CRS with nasal polyps, compared with that of CRS patients without nasal polyps and control subjects. Normal sinonasal epithelial cells derived from healthy subjects were cultured under an air-liquid interface. The cultured cells were infected with rhinovirus 16 (RV 16) or treated with poly (I: C), TLR3 agonist, after being pretreated with an oxidative stressor, H 2 O 2 or antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Thereafter, the expression levels of type I (IFN-β) and type III (IFN-λ1 and λ2) interferons and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were evaluated with RT-qPCR, ELISA, and western blot., Results: The data showed that the production of type I (IFN-β) and type III (IFN-λ1 and λ2) interferons and ISGs was upregulated in cells infected with RV 16 or treated with poly (I: C). However, their up-regulated expression was attenuated in cells pretreated with H 2 O 2, but not inhibited in cells pretreated with NAC. In line with these data, the up-regulated expression of TLR3, RIG-1, MDA5, and IRF3 was reduced in cells pretreated with H 2 O 2, but not attenuated in cells treated with NAC. Furthermore, cells transfected with Nrf2 siRNA showed decreased secretion of anti-viral interferons whereas sulforaphane treatment enhanced the secretory capacity of antiviral interferons., Conclusions: These results suggest that the production of RV16-induced antiviral interferons may be attenuated by oxidative stress., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lee, Han, Lee, Lee, Park, Lee and Kim.)

Recurrent spillovers of α- and β-coronaviruses (CoV) such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and possibly human CoV have caused serious morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study, six receptor-binding domains (RBDs) derived from α- and β-CoV that are considered to have originated from animals and cross-infected humans were linked to a heterotrimeric scaffold, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) subunits, PCNA1, PCNA2, and PCNA3. They assemble to create a stable mosaic multivalent nanoparticle, 6RBD-np, displaying a ring-shaped disk with six protruding antigens, like jewels in a crown. Prime-boost immunizations with 6RBD-np in mice induced significantly high Ab titers against RBD antigens derived from α- and β-CoV and increased interferon (IFN-γ) production, with full protection against the SARS-CoV-2 wild type and Delta challenges. The mosaic 6RBD-np has the potential to induce intergenus cross-reactivity and to be developed as a pan-CoV vaccine against future CoV spillovers.

Background: Trauma teams work diligently to manage the complex medical needs of trauma patients. In addition to medical care, there is also a need to assist patients and their families as they navigate the emotional and physical journey of trauma. The role of trauma nurse navigator was developed to address these holistic needs., Objective: This article aims to describe the implementation of a trauma nurse navigator role., Methods: This article describes the development and implementation of a trauma nurse navigator role at a Level II trauma center in 2018. The trauma nurse navigator serves as a patient resource and utilizes creative problem solving to optimize care. The trauma nurse navigator also serves on the multidisciplinary team, working with providers, nursing staff, rehabilitation staff, and case management to provide seamless care to trauma patients., Results: Implementation of the trauma nurse navigator role was well received by patients, families, and the multidisciplinary trauma team. The trauma nurse navigator role expanded the psychosocial support of trauma patients and increased patient satisfaction., Conclusion: Although other specialties have seen the benefits of including a patient navigator on the team, this is a potential for trauma centers as they strive to provide high-quality patient care., Competing Interests: The author has no conflicts of interest or funding to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Society of Trauma Nurses.)

Purpose: Persistent levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a poor prognostic factor for recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP). We investigated the impact of the percentage of residual PSA (%rPSA) [(post-/preoperative PSA)×100], representing a biochemical residual tumor, and the first postoperative PSA (fPSA) level on metastasis-free survival (MFS) in men with persistent levels of PSA after RP., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively identified male patients within a single tertiary referral hospital database who harbored persistent (≥0.1 ng/mL) vs. undetectable (<0.1 ng/mL) PSA levels 4 to 8 weeks after RP. Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox regression models were used to test the effect of persistent PSA levels, the fPSA level, and %rPSA on MFS., Results: Of 1,205 patients, 178 patients with persistent PSA levels were enrolled. Seven-year MFS rates were 60.5% vs. 84.3% (p<0.001) for patients with a %rPSA ≥6% and <6%, respectively. Multivariable Cox regression models of the overall cohort revealed that persistent PSA levels (hazard ratio [HR], 3.94; p=0.010), extracapsular extension (HR, 4.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-16.41; p=0.041), and pathological Gleason grade group (pGGG) (HR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.32-10.27; p=0.013) were independent predictors of metastasis. Multivariable Cox regression models in men with persistent PSA levels revealed that the %rPSA (HR, 8.92; 95% CI, 1.74-45.71; p=0.009) and pGGG 4-5 (HR, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.22-13.96; p=0.022) were independent predictors of distant metastasis, but not the fPSA level after surgery., Conclusions: Persistent levels of PSA were associated with worse MFS after RP. In men with persistent PSA levels after RP, the %rPSA is a valuable predictor of MFS unlike the fPSA level., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology.)

Objectives: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; neglect; and/or exposure to household instability have been associated with adult emergency department utilization, but the impact of parental ACEs on pediatric emergency department (PED) utilization has not been studied. The primary aim was to determine if parental ACEs impact resource utilization as measured by (1) frequency of PED utilization, (2) acuity of PED visits, and (3) 72-hour PED return rates. The secondary aim was to determine if resilience interacts with the impact of parental ACEs on PED utilization., Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey using previously validated measures of ACEs, resiliency, and social determinants of health screening. Surveys were administered from October 17, 2019, to November 27, 2019, via iPad by research assistants in our institution's PEDs. Survey responses were linked to data abstracted from the electronic health record. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize our study population. Pearson correlation was used to identify correlation between ACEs, social determinants of health, and PED utilization measures., Results: A total of 251 parents had complete data. Parental ACEs were positively associated with frequency of PED visits (incidence rate ratio, 1.013). In addition, high levels of parental resilience attenuated the association between parental ACEs and the number of severe acuity visits and were associated with fewer 72-hour return visits (incidence rate ratio, 0.49)., Conclusions: Parental ACEs appear to be positively associated with frequency of PED utilization and inversely associated with higher-acuity PED visits and parental resiliency., Competing Interests: Disclosure: This research is funded in part by an Emergency Department Fellowship Research Grant at Region's Hospital. The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dysregulated innate and adaptive immune response to rhinoviral infection plays an important role in the exacerbation or progressive course of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, few studies have evaluated whether rhinovirus-induced production of anti-viral interferon is deficient or delayed in inflammatory epithelial cells of patients with CRS with nasal polyps. The aim of the present study is to investigate the replication rates of rhinovirus 16 (RV 16), RV16-induced antiviral interferon secretion, and the expression levels of pattern recognition receptors after RV 16 infection or TLR3 stimulation with poly (I: C) in normal and inflammatory epithelial cells. Inflammatory epithelial cells were obtained from CRS patients with nasal polyps and normal epithelial cells were derived from ethmoid sinus mucosa during endoscopic reduction of blowout fracture or uncinate process mucosa of patients with septal deviation. Cultured cells were infected with RV 16 or treated with poly (I: C) for 24, 48, and 72 h. Cells and media were harvested at each time point and used to evaluate RV16 replication rates, the secretion of IFN-β, -λ1, -λ2, viperin, Mx, and OAS, and the expression levels of TRL3, RIG-I, MDA5, phospho-NFκB, and phospho-IRF3. RV replication rates reached peak levels 48 h after inoculation in both normal and inflammatory epithelial cells and showed no difference between both groups of epithelial cells at any time point. The release of IFN-β, -λ1, and -λ2 in normal and inflammatory epithelial cells was also strongly induced 48 h after RV16 inoculation but reached peak levels 24 h after poly (I: C) treatment. The expression levels of viperin, Mx, OAS, TLR3, RIG-I, MDA5, phospho-NFκB, and phospho-IRF3 showed similar patterns in both groups of epithelial cells. These results suggest that the production of RV16-induced antiviral interferons is not deficient or delayed in inflammatory epithelial cells from CRS patients with nasal polyps., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be constructed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Lee, Han, Lee, Lee, Park, Lee and Kim.)

Noroviruses (NVs) are a major cause of foodborne diseases worldwide. The rhizomes of Acorus gramineus (AGR) have been used as a traditional medicinal plant and a food additive. In this study, AGR and its bioactive components-α-asarone and β-asarone-showed significant antiviral activities against murine NV (MNV) with pre-treatment, with more than two log reductions in viral plaques. They also demonstrated strong inhibition on binding to A- and O-type saliva by the recombinant P domain derived from human NV (HuNV) GII.4. Both α- and β-asarones also inhibited the binding of the P domain to the receptor at 0.125-1 mM in a concentration-dependent manner and induced a marked reduction in T m , suggesting that they may reduce structural stability and block receptor binding by the P domain. In simulated digestive conditions, the AGR extract, α-asarone, or β-asarone further showed a significant reduction of MNV plaques by 1.5-2.8 logs. The asarones show a potential for development as a scaffold for anti-NV agents.

Searching for the ground state of a given system is one of the most fundamental and classical questions in scientific research fields. However, when the system is complex and large, it often becomes an intractable problem; there is essentially no possibility of finding a global energy minimum state with reasonable computational resources. Recently, a novel method based on deep learning techniques was devised as an innovative optimization method to estimate the ground state. We apply this method to one of the most complicated spin-ice systems, aperiodic Penrose P3 patterns. From the results, we discover new configurations of topologically induced emergent frustrated spins, different from those previously known. Additionally, a candidate of the ground state for a still unexplored type of Penrose P3 spin-ice system is first proposed through this study. We anticipate that the capabilities of the deep learning techniques will not only improve our understanding on the physical properties of artificial spin-ice systems, but also bring about significant advances in a wide range of scientific research fields requiring computational approaches for optimization., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: This study aimed to validate the newly proposed risk model in Korean patients diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC)., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed with 1,238 patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor from 2009 to 2020. We included 973 patients and categorized them into four risk groups according to the European Association of Urology (EAU) NMIBC risk stratification standards, which incorporate the World Health Organization 2004/2016 grading classification. Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis and multivariable analysis of time to progression were performed to calculate the probability of progression for all risk groups., Results: A total of 973 patients were followed for 54.85 months. Patients were classified according to the risk factors proposed by the new NMIBC risk table and stratified into low, intermediate, high, and very high-risk groups based on the table. Cancer progression into muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in each risk group was observed in 7 (4.4%), 24 (15.2%), 76 (48.1%), and 51 (32.3%) individuals, respectively. The progression rate was distinguishable between risk groups in the Kaplan-Meier progression-free survival analysis, and higher risk was associated with a higher rate of progression. The new NMIBC risk variables were demonstrated to have prognostic value in the multivariate analysis. The very high-risk group was associated with progression to muscle-invasive disease., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the new EAU NMIBC risk group categorization is feasible in predicting the progression of NMIBC into MIBC in the Korean population and thus should be applied to clinical practice in Korea., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose., (© The Korean Urological Association.)

Youth violence remains a significant public health problem despite efforts to address it. We describe the evaluation results of Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES), an after-school active learning program implemented by trained local teachers and designed to engage middle school youth in multi-systematic promotive behaviors at the individual-, interpersonal-, and community-level to make lasting positive changes within the context of institutional disadvantages, such as racism. First, we used a modified randomized controlled trial design to examine the direct and indirect influence of YES on prosocial and delinquent behaviors 12 months after the conclusion of the program, through youth empowerment. Next, we evaluated these models by race, to determine if the intervention equitably promotes prosocial outcomes and decreases aggressive behaviors. Among 329 middle school students, YES participation enhanced prosocial behaviors through empowerment, and directly reduced aggressive behaviors a year after the conclusion of the program. This trend was particularly pronounced for African American youth. These effects were found after controlling for age, sex, and behavioral outcomes at baseline, and across different schools and teachers, suggesting that YES can also be sustainable and readily implemented by communities. The implications of the results for youth violence prevention, empowerment theory and intervention development and practice for ethnic minority youth who face structural disenfranchisement are discussed., (© 2022 Society for Community Research and Action.)

The clinical benefits of nootropics in the treatment of cognitive decline has been either limited or controversial. This study aimed to observe the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) and nootropics combination in the treatment of cognitive impairment in dementia. Data were based on electronic medical records in a university health system. Patients with mild-to-moderate dementia and no history of prior cognitive enhancer use were included ( n = 583). The subjects were categorized into the ChEI only group and the ChEI and nootropics combination group. The primary outcome measure was the change in cognitive function, as assessed by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) from baseline to 300-400 days after the first ChEI prescription. Subsequent analyses were conducted in consideration of the dementia type, medical adherence, and type of nootropics. The changes in MMSE scores from baseline to endpoint were not significantly different between the two groups. In Alzheimer's dementia, the combination group showed significantly less deterioration in MMSE language subscale scores compared to the ChEI only group (F = 6.86, p = 0.009), and the difference was consistent in the highly adherent subjects (F = 10.16, p = 0.002). The choline alfoscerate and the ginkgo biloba extract subgroups in Alzheimer's dementia showed more significant improvements in the MMSE language subscale scores compared to the other nootropics subgroup (F = 7.04, p = 0.001). The present study showed that the effectiveness of ChEI and nootropics combination on cognition may appear differently according to the dementia type. This emphasizes the need for well-controlled studies to generalize the effectiveness of nootropics across various clinical settings.

Objectives/hypothesis: Patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) are at increased risk of malnutrition. Acute and chronic malnutrition have been associated with elevated risk of postsurgical wound complications, adding morbidity and cost to patients and their families. To study the association between demographic factors, including insurance type, race, and median neighborhood income (MNI), and malnutrition in patients with CLP., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study., Methods: Retrospective review was performed in patients undergoing their first cleft-related surgery at a large tertiary pediatric hospital from 2006 to 2018. Demographic data, weight and height at surgery, type of insurance, race, and primary residential address were collected. Geocoded information on MNI was generated using patient address. World Health Organization Z-scores for weight-for-age (WFA) and height-for-age (HFA) were used as proxies for acute and chronic malnutrition, respectively. Linear regression models were generated to analyze the relationship of insurance type, race, and MNI on WFA and HFA Z-scores., Results: About 313 patients met inclusion criteria. Increasing MNI predicted increasing WFA Z-score (0.05 increase in WFA per $1,000 increase, P = .047) as well as HFA Z-score (0.09 increase in HFA per $1,000 increase, P = .011). The effect of MNI was not independently modified by race for either WFA (P = .841) nor HFA (P = .404). Race and insurance type did not predict WFA or HFA., Conclusions: Lower MNI is a significant independent risk factor for acute and chronic malnutrition in children with CLP. Combined with previous investigation linking malnutrition to surgical outcomes in this population, this offers a target area for intervention to improve patient outcomes., Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 132:1482-1486, 2022., (© 2021 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

We propose a strategy for optimizing physical quantities based on exploring in the latent space of a variational autoencoder (VAE). We train a VAE model using various spin configurations formed on a two-dimensional chiral magnetic system. Three optimization algorithms are used to explore the latent space of the trained VAE. The first algorithm, the single-code modification algorithm, is designed for improving the local energetic stability of spin configurations to generate physically plausible spin states. The other two algorithms, the genetic algorithm and the stochastic algorithm, aim to optimize the global physical quantities, such as topological index, magnetization, energy, and directional correlation. The advantage of our method is that various optimization algorithms can be applied in the latent space containing the abstracted representation constructed by the trained VAE model. Our method based on latent space exploration is utilized for efficient physical quantity optimization., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Firearm injury is a significant public health concern among youth living in the United States. Youth with exposure to violence (ETV) are more susceptible to carrying and using a firearm. Few researchers, however, have examined psychological mechanisms undergirding the association between ETV and firearm aggression. Retaliatory attitudes have been discussed as a potential mediator linking ETV with firearm aggression. Moreover, organized activity participation may disrupt direct and indirect pathways connecting ETV to firearm aggression. We tested: (a) the mediating role of retaliatory attitudes in the ETV-firearm aggression link, and (b) the moderating role of organized activity participation among 570 youth with past year illicit drug use and seeking emerging department care in an urban emergency department (ages 14-24; 58.8% males). Using multigroup path analysis, ETV indirectly influenced firearm aggression through retaliatory attitudes for youth not involved organized activities. Organized activities also buffered the association between retaliatory attitudes (mediator) and firearm aggression (outcome). Organized activities may, therefore, prevent firearm aggression by reducing retaliatory attitudes among youth contending with ETV. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Racial discrimination jeopardizes a wide range of health behaviors for African Americans. Numerous studies demonstrate significant negative associations between racial discrimination and problematic alcohol use among African Americans. Culturally specific contexts (e.g., organized religious involvement) often function protectively against racial discrimination's adverse effects for many African Americans. Yet organized religious involvement may affect the degree to which racial discrimination increases problematic alcohol use resulting in various alcohol use trajectories. These links remain understudied in emerging adulthood marked by when individuals transition from adolescence to early adult roles and responsibilities. We use data from 496 African American emerging adults from the Flint Adolescent Study (FAS) to (a) identify multiple and distinct alcohol use trajectories and (b) examine organizational religious involvement's protective role. Three trajectory classes were identified: the high/stable , (20.76% of sample; n = 103); moderate/stable , (39.52% of sample; n = 196); and low/rising , (39.72% of the sample; n = 197). After controlling for sex, educational attainment, and general stress, the interaction between racial discrimination and organized religious involvement did not influence the likelihood of classifying into the moderate/stable class or the low/rising class, compared with the high/stable class. These results suggest organized religious involvement counteracts, but does not buffer racial discrimination's effects on problematic alcohol use. Findings emphasize the critical need for culturally sensitive prevention efforts incorporating organized religious involvement for African American emerging adults exposed to racial discrimination. These prevention efforts may lessen the role of racial discrimination on health disparities related to alcohol use.

Acetic acid has been proposed to improve lifestyle-related diseases, including hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. This study compared the hypoglycemic and hypolipogenic effects of acetic acid vinegar (AV, contains only 4% acetic acid) and Monascus -fermented grain vinegar (MV) containing various bioactive compounds in 3T3L1 cells and C57BL/KsJ- db/db mice (DB). The DB were divided randomly into three treatment groups containing nine mice each; DB-, AV-, and MV-groups were orally administered 1 mL/kg/day of distilled water, acetic acid vinegar, and Monascus vinegar, respectively, for 8 weeks. Exposure to AV and MV inhibited the adipogenic differentiation of 3T3L1 preadipocytes and lipid accumulation during differentiation. Oral administration of AV or MV to the mice resulted in a marked reduction in the body weight, liver weight, and hepatic triglyceride content compared to the control DB-group. Moreover, treatment with AV and MV clearly increased the expression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and suppressed the expression of fatty acid synthetase in liver tissues of DB. Significantly, lower levels of fasting blood glucose, insulin, leptin, and the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as well as higher levels of the skeletal muscle GLUT4 expression were obtained in the AV- or MV-groups than levels determined in the control DB-group ( P  < .05). Although MV has the potential to be a natural alternative treatment for obesity-associated type 2 diabetes, this study suggests that acetic acid is the central ingredient in MV responsible for the hypoglycemic and hypolipogenic effects in the DB mice.

Study Objective: To evaluate the impact of nitrous oxide on patient-reported pain for placement of intrauterine systems (IUSs) in adolescents STUDY DESIGN: : Prospective observational study SETTING: : IUS placement in an ambulatory clinic compared with placement with nitrous oxide in a hospital-based sedation unit PARTICIPANTS: : English-speaking adolescents aged 12 to 20 presenting to a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist with a medical indication for IUS placement MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: : Patient-reported procedural pain measured on a visual analog scale 2 minutes post IUS insertion procedure. Secondary outcome measurement of likelihood of recommending an IUS to a peer., Results: Seventy-four patients agreed to participate. Forty-five patients underwent IUS placement in the clinic. Controlling for age, history of dysmenorrhea, and body mass index, a significant time (change in reported pain scores pre- vs post IUS insertion) by treatment (nitrous oxide vs standard of care) interaction was observed for patient-reported pain (b = -29.32 mm, P < 0.01). Patients receiving nitrous oxide were more likely to recommend an intrauterine placement than patients who received the current standard of care for pain management (b = 0.47, P = 0.02) after controlling for age, baseline pain score, and dysmenorrhea history., Conclusion: Patient-reported pain was attenuated for patients who received nitrous oxide relative to those who received standard IUS placement. Patient-reported satisfaction was higher for patients who received nitrous oxide relative to those who received standard IUS placement., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors report no conflicts of interest. This study received no funding support., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Backgruound: Despite advances in surgery and intensive perioperative care, fecal peritonitis secondary to colonic perforation is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. This study was performed to review the outcomes of patients who underwent colonic perforation surgery and to evaluate the prognostic factors associated with mortality., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 224 consecutive patients who underwent emergency colonic perforation surgery between January 2008 and May 2019. We divided the patients into survivor and non-survivor groups and compared their surgical outcomes., Results: The most common cause of colon perforation was malignancy in 54 patients (24.1%), followed by iatrogenic perforation in 41 (18.3%), stercoral perforation in 39 (17.4%), and diverticulitis in 37 (16.5%). The sigmoid colon (n=124, 55.4%) was the most common location of perforation, followed by the ascending colon, rectum, and cecum. Forty-five patients (20.1%) died within 1 month after surgery. Comparing the 179 survivors with the 45 non-survivors, the patient characteristics associated with mortality were advanced age, low systolic blood pressure, tachycardia, organ failure, high C-reactive protein, high creatinine, prolonged prothrombin time, and high lactate level. The presence of free or feculent fluid, diffuse peritonitis, and right-sided perforation were associated with mortality. In multivariate analysis, advanced age, organ failure, right-sided perforation, and diffuse peritonitis independently predicted mortality within 1 month after surgery., Conclusion: Age and organ failure were prognostic factors for mortality associated with colon perforation. Furthermore, right-sided perforation and diffuse peritonitis demonstrated a significant association with patient mortality.

Objective: To evaluate the radiographic outcome of root canal treatment (RCT) in dogs and compare outcomes with those reported for a previous study performed at the same institution in 2002., Animals: 204 dogs representing 281 teeth that underwent RCT., Procedures: The medical record database of a veterinary teaching hospital was searched to identify dogs that underwent RCT between 2001 and 2018. Only dogs that had undergone at least 1 radiographic recheck appointment a minimum of 50 days after RCT were included in the study. Dental radiographs were reviewed. Treatment was considered successful if the periapical periodontal ligament space was within reference limits and preexisting external inflammatory root resorption (EIRR), if present, had stabilized. Treatment was considered to show no evidence of failure (NEF) if preoperative EIRR had stabilized and any preoperative periapical lucency (PAL) remained the same or had decreased in size but had not completely resolved. Treatment was considered to have failed if EIRR or a PAL developed after RCT, if a preoperative PAL increased in size, or if preexisting EIRR progressed., Results: Follow-up time ranged from 52 to 3,245 days (mean, 437 days). RCT was classified as successful for 199 (71%) teeth, NEF for 71 (25%) teeth, and failed for 11 (4%) teeth., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Results showed that almost 2 decades after RCT outcome in dogs was first evaluated, during which time numerous advances in dental materials and techniques had been made, the success rate of RCT was virtually unchanged.

Mixed results have been reported regarding whether habitual tea intake affects bone health. This study investigated the relationship between green tea intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2008 to 2011 and divided the participants into three groups according to their frequency of green tea intake over the past 12 months. BMD of the lumbar spine, total femur, and femur neck was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of osteoporosis and osteopenia according to green tea consumption were analyzed. Participants who did not consume green tea or consumed less than one cup per day were more likely to have osteopenia of the lumbar spine or femur than those who consumed it once to three times a day (OR 1.81 and 1.85, 95% CI, 1.20-2.71; and 1.23-2.77). Moreover, ORs for osteoporosis were 1.91 (95% CI 1.13-3.23) and 1.82 (95% CI 1.09-3.05) in non-consumers and consumers who drank less than one cup per day, respectively, compared with the reference group. These results support that green tea consumption may have benefits on bone health.

EphA2 receptor and its ephrin ligands are involved in virus infection, epithelial permeability, and chemokine secretion. We hypothesized that ephrinA1/ephA2 signaling participates in rhinovirus (RV)-induced antiviral immune response in sinonasal mucosa of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Therefore, we investigated the expression of ephrinA1/ephA2 in normal and inflamed sinonasal mucosa and evaluated whether they regulate chemokine secretion and the production of antiviral immune mediators including interferons (IFNs) in RV-infected human primary sinonasal epithelial cells. For this purpose, the expression and distribution of ephrinA1/ephA2 in sinonasal mucosa were evaluated with RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence, and western blot. Their roles in chemokine secretion and the production of antiviral immune mediators such as type I and III IFNs, and interferon stimulated genes were evaluated by stimulating ephA2 with ephrinA1 and inactivating ephA2 with ephA2 siRNA or inhibitor in cells exposed to RV and poly(I:C). We found that ephrinA1/ephA2 were expressed in normal mucosa and their levels increased in inflamed sinonasal mucosa of CRS patients. RV infection or poly(I:C) treatment induced chemokine secretion which were attenuated by blocking the action of ephA2 with ephA2 siRNA or inhibitor. The production of antiviral immune mediators enhanced by rhinovirus or poly (I:C) is increased by blocking ephA2 compared with that of cells stimulated by either rhinovirus or poly(I:C) alone. In addition, blocking ephA2 attenuated RV replication in cultured cells. Taken together, these results describe a novel role of ephrinA1/ephA2 signaling in antiviral innate immune response in sinonasal epithelium, suggesting their participation in RV-induced development and exacerbations of CRS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Lee, Kang, Han, Kwak, Kim, Lee, Lee and Kim.)

The properties of complicated magnetic domain structures induced by various spin-spin interactions in magnetic systems have been extensively investigated in recent years. To understand the statistical and dynamic properties of complex magnetic structures, it is crucial to obtain information on the effective field distribution over the structure, which is not directly provided by magnetization. In this study, we use a deep learning technique to estimate the effective fields of spin configurations. We construct a deep neural network and train it with spin configuration datasets generated by Monte Carlo simulation. We show that the trained network can successfully estimate the magnetic effective field even though we do not offer explicit Hamiltonian parameter values. The estimated effective field information is highly applicable; it is utilized to reduce noise, correct defects in the magnetization data, generate spin configurations, estimate external field responses, and interpret experimental images., (© 2021. The Author(s).)