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Abstract Background Chuna manual therapy (CMT), a Korean manual therapy technique predominantly used for treating low back pain (LBP) and related disorders, lacks well-conceived research focusing on its comparative effectiveness, safety, and economic evaluation, particularly with respect to complex CMT with established CMT diagnostic algorithms. This study aims to illustrate a protocol for a randomized clinical study for comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of complex CMT with simple CMT and usual care. Methods This is a protocol for a three-armed, multicenter, assessor-blinded, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial study. A total of 81 patients suffering from non-acute LBP with pelvic biomechanical lesions (PBL), characterized by a pain duration of at least two weeks and a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score of 5 or higher, will be recruited from two Korean medicine hospitals. These participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: complex CMT plus usual care (UC; n = 27), simple CMT plus UC (n = 27), or UC groups (n = 27). They will undergo treatment for 4 weeks, and follow-up assessments will be performed 8 weeks after treatment completion. The primary outcome will be the NRS score of LBP, and secondary outcomes will include the Oswestry Disability Index, Patient Global Impression of Change, credibility and expectancy questionnaire, three-dimensional posture analysis indicators, quality of life assessment, economic evaluation, and safety assessments. Discussion This will be the first study to assess the comparative effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of complex CMT compared to UC and simple/complex CMT in patients with LBP and PBL. We will also analyze useful diagnostic methods to help in clinical practice for CMT diagnosis. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), KCT0009210. Registered on February 28, 2024.

Wild bees are important pollinators in the ecosystem, and it is important to monitor their abundance and diversity to characterize and conserve these pollinators. In this study, wild bees were collected from a Maeul-soop in Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea for 2 years from February 2019 to October 2020. From the survey, a total of 3,258 wild bees from 9 families and 57 species were collected over 2 years in the Maeul-soop. The most dominant species was the Andrena kaguya, followed by the Apis mellifera, the Eucera spurcatipes, the Seladonia aeraria, and the Lasioglossum sibiriacum. Monthly changes in the number of species and populations show that the number of species increased from February and peaked in August, and the population peaked in April and then decreased. In addition, in the list of wild bee species collected over the past 2 years, the Apidae was the largest with 16 species, followed by the Halictidae with 13 species and the Megachilidae with nine species. However, although there is only one species of Andrena kaguya in the Andrenidae, its population is 2,084, which is the largest among all wild bees investigated in this study. The results of this study will be useful in understanding the impact of pollinating insects due to climate change in the future.

In this study, we conduct for providing information on the status of vegetation space distribution in the Duung wetland protected area and to help manage the wetland protected area. To understand the spatial distribution of vegetation in Duung Wetland, used the results of surveys in 2019 and 2023. As a result of the study, the number of vegetation types increased by 4 from 20 to 24. Four communities were newly investigated, including the Utricularia tenuicaulis community, Pueraria montana var. lobata-Elymus tsukushiensis community, Spiraea prunifolia for. simpliciflora community, and Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens community. In accordance with the environment, the range of aquatic plant communities such as Trapa japonica community and Nymphaea tetragona var. angusta community increased, and the succession zone of cultivated land expanded dry grassland. The survey results can be used as basic data for systematic management of the Duung wetland protected area.

Global climate change poses a significant threat to plant growth and crop yield and is exacerbated by environmental factors, such as drought, salinity, greenhouse gasses, and extreme temperatures. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) help plants withstand drought. However, the mechanisms underlying PGPR–plant interactions remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to isolate PGPR, Bacillus megaterium strains CACC109 and CACC119, from a ginseng field and investigate the mechanisms underlying PGPR-stimulated tolerance to drought stress by evaluating their plant growth-promoting activities and effects on rice growth and stress tolerance through in vitro assays, pot experiments, and physiological and molecular analyses. Compared with B. megaterium type strain ATCC14581, CACC109 and CACC119 exhibited higher survival rates under osmotic stress, indicating their potential to enhance drought tolerance. Additionally, CACC109 and CACC119 strains exhibited various plant growth-promoting activities, including phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, indole-3-acetic acid production, siderophore secretion, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase activity, and exopolysaccharide production. After inoculation, CACC109 and CACC119 significantly improved the seed germination of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under osmotic stress and promoted root growth under stressed and non-stressed conditions. They also facilitated plant growth in pot experiments, as evidenced by increased shoot and root lengths, weights, and leaf widths. Furthermore, CACC109 and CACC119 improved plant physiological characteristics, such as chlorophyll levels, and production of osmolytes, such as proline. In particular, CACC109- and CACC119-treated rice plants showed better drought tolerance, as evidenced by their higher survival rates, greater chlorophyll contents, and lower water loss rates, compared with mock-treated rice plants. Application of CACC109 and CACC119 upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes (e.g., OsCAT, OsPOD, OsAPX, and OsSOD) and drought-responsive genes (e.g., OsWRKY47, OsZIP23, OsDREB2, OsNAC066, OsAREB1, and OsAREB2). In conclusion, CACC109 and CACC119 are promising biostimulants for enhancing plant growth and conferring resistance to abiotic stresses in crop production. Future studies should conduct field trials to validate these findings under real agricultural conditions, optimize inoculation methods for practical use, and further investigate the biochemical and physiological responses underlying the observed benefits.

Background: Lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), poses a significant health challenge globally due to its high mortality. Afatinib, a second-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), has shown superior efficacy over traditional chemotherapy in NSCLC treatment. However, issues like secondary resistance and adverse effects call for alternative therapies. HAD-B1, comprising 4 herbal medicines, has shown promise in lung cancer treatment in both preclinical and clinical settings. This study assesses the combination of HAD-B1 and Afatinib in advanced NSCLC patients to potentially improve outcomes by addressing the limitations of current EGFR-TKI therapies. Method: A randomized, open-label trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of HAD-B1 with Afatinib in 90 EGFR-mutation-positive NSCLC patients. Participants were divided into treatment and control groups, receiving Afatinib with or without HAD-B1. The study focused on the initial dose maintenance rate and disease control rate (DCR) of Afatinib, alongside secondary outcomes like survival rates and quality of life, under continuous safety monitoring. Results: Among the 90 participants, no significant difference was found in initial dose maintenance (60.98% in the treatment group vs 52.50% in the control, P = .4414) or DCR (80.49% vs 90.00%, P = .2283). Secondary outcomes like PFS, TTP, and OS showed no notable differences. However, physical functioning significantly improved in the treatment group ( P = .0475, PPS group). The control group experienced higher rates of adverse events of special interest and adverse drug reactions ( P = .01), suggesting HAD-B1 with Afatinib might enhance physical function without increasing adverse effects. Conclusion: Combining HAD-B1 with Afatinib potentially improves quality of life and reduces adverse events in advanced NSCLC patients. Further research is necessary to confirm the long-term benefits of this combination therapy, aiming to advance NSCLC treatment outcomes. Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) of the Republic of Korea, https://cris.nih.go.kr/ (ID: KCT0005414).

This paper studied the feasibility of a sliding base isolation layer to be used in rubble stone masonry buildings in rural areas in the Himalayan Mountain range to provide robust protection to important building like schools against strong earthquakes. In this paper, we carried out on-site investigations, quasi-static tests, and shaking table tests focusing on constructability as well as isolation performance. From the results of the feasibility study, the combination of styrofoam, concrete slab, and grease was found to be the most feasible to be used as the upper element, the lower element, and the lubricant, respectively, in the sliding isolation layer. The key features of the present sliding base isolation layer are: 1) the use of the materials that exist in rural mountain areas or those that can be easily transported from the neighboring towns and cities and 2) ease of construction and minimal change from the current construction practice. From the shaking table tests, we identified the conditions, e.g., grease amount, grease type, normal stress at the interface, and roughness of concrete slab surface, to achieve dynamic friction coefficients ranging from 0.08 to 0.16, suitable for sliding base isolation.

Abstract Background As chromatographic techniques have advanced, many articles that analyze the constituting compounds of medicinal materials have been published in relation to Northeast Asian traditional medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TM-MC was launched in 2015, providing information about the chemical compounds in medicinal materials from chromatographic articles in PubMed. Since 2015, through continuous curation efforts, we have now released TM-MC 2.0 with significant improvements to the quantity and quality of the data ( https://tm-mc.kr ). Description TM-MC 2.0 contains 635 medicinal materials, 34,107 chemical compounds (21,306 identified and de-duplicated), 13,992 targets, 27,997 diseases, and 5,075 prescriptions (2,393 de-duplicated by name). The database provides the largest number of identified compounds for medicinal materials listed in the pharmacopoeia compared to all TCM databases. In particular, marker compounds of medicinal materials and many newly discovered compounds were added through the manual curation of recent chromatographic articles. Conclusion TM-MC 2.0 provides the largest collection of information about the chemical compounds of the medicinal materials listed in the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese pharmacopoeias. Our database can be utilized for network pharmacology in traditional medicine and for the compound screening of medicinal materials for modern drug discovery.

The infarcted heart undergoes irreversible pathological remodeling after reperfusion involving left ventricle dilation and excessive inflammatory reactions in the infarcted heart, frequently leading to fatal functional damage. Extensive attempts have been made to attenuate pathological remodeling in infarcted hearts using cardiac patches and anti-inflammatory drug delivery. In this study, we developed a paintable and adhesive hydrogel patch using dextran-aldehyde (dex-ald) and gelatin, incorporating the anti-inflammatory protein, ANGPTL4, into the hydrogel for sustained release directly to the infarcted heart to alleviate inflammation. We optimized the material composition, including polymer concentration and molecular weight, to achieve a paintable, adhesive hydrogel using 10% gelatin and 5% dex-ald, which displayed in-situ gel formation within 135 s, cardiac tissue-like modulus (40.5 kPa), suitable tissue adhesiveness (4.3 kPa), and excellent mechanical stability. ANGPTL4 was continuously released from the gelatin/dex-ald hydrogel without substantial burst release. The gelatin/dex-ald hydrogel could be conveniently painted onto the beating heart and degraded in vivo. Moreover, in vivo studies using animal models of acute myocardial infarction revealed that our hydrogel cardiac patch containing ANGPTL4 significantly improved heart tissue repair, evaluated by echocardiography and histological evaluation. The heart tissues treated with ANGPTL4-loaded hydrogel patches exhibited increased vascularization, reduced inflammatory macrophages, and structural maturation of cardiac cells. Our novel hydrogel system, which allows for facile paintability, appropriate tissue adhesiveness, and sustained release of anti-inflammatory drugs, will serve as an effective platform for the repair of various tissues, including heart, muscle, and cartilage.

Many endemic and rare species live in Korea’s subalpine zone, but there have been many research results showing that alpine creatures are disappearing due to recent climate change. Therefore, in this study, bioclimatic variables with 100 m resolution were created for Mt. Jirisan and Mt. Hallasan, representative mountainous regions in Korea. Nineteen high-resolution bioclimatic variables were created for the current and 4 future periods, and the generated data is believed to represent topographical characteristics well. This data is expected to be useful to predict potential habitats through species distribution modeling and the impact of climate change on organisms limited to alpine regions.

(1) Background: Various machine learning techniques were used to predict hypertension in Korean adults aged 20 and above, using a range of body composition indicators. Muscle and fat components of body composition are closely related to hypertension. The aim was to identify which body composition indicators are significant predictors of hypertension for each gender; (2) Methods: A model was developed to classify hypertension using six different machine learning techniques, utilizing age, BMI, and body composition indicators such as body fat mass, lean mass, and body water of 2906 Korean men and women; (3) Results: The elastic-net technique demonstrated the highest classification accuracy. In the hypertension prediction model, the most important variables for men were age, skeletal muscle mass (SMM), and body fat mass (BFM), in that order. For women, the significant variables were age and BFM. However, there was no difference between soft lean mass and SMM; (4) Conclusions: Hypertension affects not only BFM but also SMM in men, whereas in women, BFM has a stronger effect than SMM.

Background: In the era of precision medicine, individual temperature sensitivity has been highlighted. This trait has traditionally been used for cold-heat pattern identification to understand the inherent physical characteristics, which are influenced by genetic factors, of an individual. However, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on this trait are limited. Methods: Using genotype data from 90 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, we performed a GWAS to assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and temperature sensitivity, such as cold and heat scores. The score of each participant was evaluated using self-administered questionnaires on common symptoms and a 15-item symptom-based cold-heat pattern identification questionnaire. Results: The GWAS was adjusted for confounding factors, including age and sex, and significant associations were identified for cold and heat scores: SNP rs145814326, located on the intron of SORCS2 at chromosome 4p16.1, had a P -value of 1.86 × 10 −7 ; and SNP rs79297667, located upstream from SEMA4D at chromosome 9q22.2, had a P -value of 8.97 × 10 −8 . We also found that the genetic variant regulates the expression level of SEMA4D in the main tissues, including the lungs and white blood cells, in NSCLC. Conclusions: SEMA4D was found to be significantly associated with temperature sensitivity in patients with NSCLC, suggesting an increased expression of SEMA4D in patients with higher heat scores. The potential role of temperature sensitivity as a prognostic or predictive marker of immune response in NSCLC should be further studied.

Background: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and is a complex heritable trait with both genetic and environmental risk factors, including sex and smoking. Methods: We performed genome-wide association (GWA) analyses for CAC among all participants and stratified by sex in the COPDGene study (n = 6144 participants of European ancestry and n = 2589 participants of African ancestry) with replication in the Diabetes Heart Study (DHS). We adjusted for age, sex, current smoking status, BMI, diabetes, self-reported high blood pressure, self-reported high cholesterol, and genetic ancestry (as summarized by principal components computed within each racial group). For the significant signals from the GWA analyses, we examined the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) by sex interactions, stratified by smoking status (current vs. former), and tested for a SNP by smoking status interaction on CAC. Results: We identified genome-wide significant associations for CAC in the chromosome 9p21 region [CDKN2B-AS1] among all COPDGene participants (p = 7.1 × 10−14) and among males (p = 1.0 × 10−9), but the signal was not genome-wide significant among females (p = 6.4 × 10−6). For the sex stratified GWA analyses among females, the chromosome 6p24 region [PHACTR1] had a genome-wide significant association (p = 4.4 × 10−8) with CAC, but this signal was not genome-wide significant among all COPDGene participants (p = 1.7 × 10−7) or males (p = 0.03). There was a significant interaction for the SNP rs9349379 in PHACTR1 with sex (p = 0.02), but the interaction was not significant for the SNP rs10757272 in CDKN2B-AS1 with sex (p = 0.21). In addition, PHACTR1 had a stronger association with CAC among current smokers (p = 6.2 × 10−7) than former smokers (p = 7.5 × 10−3) and the SNP by smoking status interaction was marginally significant (p = 0.03). CDKN2B-AS1 had a strong association with CAC among both former (p = 7.7 × 10−8) and current smokers (p = 1.7 × 10−7) and the SNP by smoking status interaction was not significant (p = 0.40). Conclusions: Among current and former smokers of European ancestry in the COPDGene study, we identified a genome-wide significant association in the chromosome 6p24 region [PHACTR1] with CAC among females, but not among males. This region had a significant SNP by sex and SNP by smoking interaction on CAC.

Background: Rheum tanguticum root, cataloged as “Daehwang” in the Korean Pharmacopeia, is rich in various anthraquinones known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Formulations containing Daehwang are traditionally employed for treating neurological conditions. This study aimed to substantiate the antiepileptic and neuroprotective efficacy of R. tanguticum root extract (RTE) against trimethyltin (TMT)-induced epileptic seizures and hippocampal neurodegeneration. Methods: The constituents of RTE were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Experimental animals were grouped into the following five categories: control, TMT, and three TMT+RTE groups with dosages of 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg. Seizure severity was assessed daily for comparison between the groups. Brain tissue samples were examined to determine the extent of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation using histological and molecular biology techniques. Network pharmacology analysis involved extracting herbal targets for Daehwang and disease targets for epilepsy from multiple databases. A protein-protein interaction network was built using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database, and pivotal targets were determined by topological analysis. Enrichment analysis was performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) tool to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Results: The RTE formulation was found to contain sennoside A, sennoside B, chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, (+)-catechin, and quercetin-3-O-glucuronoid. RTE effectively inhibited TMT-induced seizures at 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg dosages and attenuated hippocampal neuronal decay and neuroinflammation at 30 and 100 mg/kg dosages. Furthermore, RTE significantly reduced mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and c-fos in hippocampal tissues. Network analysis revealed TNF, Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Protein c-fos (FOS), RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), and Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as the core targets. Enrichment analysis demonstrated significant involvement of R. tanguticum components in neurodegeneration (p = 4.35 × 10-5) and TNF signaling pathway (p = 9.94 × 10-5). Conclusions: The in vivo and in silico analyses performed in this study suggests that RTE can potentially modulate TMT-induced epileptic seizures and neurodegeneration. Therefore, R. tanguticum root is a promising herbal treatment option for antiepileptic and neuroprotective applications.

In this study, we presented distribution data for 16 plant species designated as ecosystem-disturbing species by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea. These data include location information for the ecosystem-disturbing plants from four survey projects (Monitoring of invasive alien species designated by the wildlife protection act, Nationwide survey of non-native species in Korea, The 3rd and 4th national ecosystem survey) conducted by two agencies (National Institute of Ecology and National Institute of Environmental Research) between 2014 and 2021. Additionally, the data includes habitat environmental characteristics and administrative district information on the survey sites of the ecosystem-disturbing plants. These data have a high potential for utilization as basic information for natural environmental policies and related research by identifying the habitat characteristics of invasive alien species.

This study presents the long-term quantitative data on butterflies in Wando Arboretum, which represents the only warm-temperate forest located in the southernmost part of South Korea. This arboretum has significant academic value as approximately 770 species of rare woody plants or herbs, such as the Japanese evergreen oak (Quercus acuta), found in warm temperate zones grow under natural conditions here. In this project, the butterflies in this region were studied due to their sensitivity to temperature changes. The study was conducted from March-April to October-November over 5 years (2017-2021) in the region dominated by Japanese evergreen oak. We found 1,743 individuals of 47 butterfly species belonging to five families. The acquired butterfly data could serve as a reference for the further development of a network-oriented database for assessing temporal climate changes.

BackgroundMenopause induces various health problems and is associated with obesity, but the association between menopausal status and obesity is unclear due to several confounding factors, such as aging and reduced physical activity. The objective of this study was to examine the association of menopausal status with anthropometric indices and body composition indices in South Korean women.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a total of 734 subjects (297 postmenopausal women, 437 premenopausal women) from five university hospitals in South Korea were included. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association of menopause with anthropometric indices and body composition indices.ResultsHeight, body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, and neck, armpit, chest, rib, waist, iliac, and hip circumferences were associated with menopausal status in the crude analysis, but these associations disappeared in the adjusted models. Among the body composition indices, menopausal status was strongly associated with total body water, skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, and body fat percentage in the crude analysis. However, the associations with body fat mass and body fat percentage disappeared in the adjusted models. Only the associations with total body water and skeletal muscle mass remained in the adjusted models.ConclusionMost of the anthropometric indices and body composition indices were not associated with menopausal status, but total body water and skeletal muscle mass were significantly lower in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women.

ABSTRACTBackground: Recent studies have identified thousands of associations between DNA methylation CpGs and complex diseases/traits, emphasizing the critical role of epigenetics in understanding disease aetiology and identifying biomarkers. However, association analyses based on methylation array data are susceptible to batch/slide effects, which can lead to inflated false positive rates or reduced statistical powerResults: We use multiple DNA methylation datasets based on the popular Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array to describe consistent patterns and the joint distribution of slide effects across CpGs, confirming and extending previous results. The susceptible CpGs overlap with the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array content.Conclusions: Our findings reveal systematic patterns in slide effects. The observations provide further insights into the characteristics of these effects and can improve existing adjustment approaches.

Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have identified more than 400 distinct genetic loci associated with diabetes and nearly 120 loci for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin level to date. However, genetic risk factors for the longitudinal deterioration of FPG have not been thoroughly evaluated. We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with longitudinal change of FPG over time. Methods We used two prospective cohorts in Korean population, which included a total of 10,528 individuals without T2DM. GWAS of repeated measure of FPG using linear mixed model was performed to investigate the interaction of genetic variants and time, and meta-analysis was conducted. Genome-wide complex trait analysis was used for heritability calculation. In addition, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis was performed using the Genotype-Tissue Expression project. Results A small portion (4%) of the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) interaction with time explained the total phenotypic variance of longitudinal change in FPG. A total of four known genetic variants of FPG were associated with repeated measure of FPG levels. One SNP (rs11187850) showed a genome-wide significant association for genetic interaction with time. The variant is an eQTL for NOC3 like DNA replication regulator (NOC3L) gene in pancreas and adipose tissue. Furthermore, NOC3L is also differentially expressed in pancreatic β-cells between subjects with or without T2DM. However, this variant was not associated with increased risk of T2DM nor elevated FPG level. Conclusion We identified rs11187850, which is an eQTL of NOC3L, to be associated with longitudinal change of FPG in Korean population.

We established a protocol for the traditional Korean medicine examination (KME) and methodically gathered data following this protocol. Potential indicators for KME were extracted through a literature review; the first KME protocol was developed based on three rounds of expert opinions. The first KME protocol’s feasibility was confirmed, and data were collected over four years from traditional Korean medicine (KM) hospitals, focusing on healthy adults, using the final KME protocol. A literature review identified 175 potential core indicators, condensed into 73 indicators after three rounds of expert consultation. The first KME protocol, which was categorized under questionnaires and medical examinations, was developed after the third round of expert opinions. A pilot study using the first KME protocol was conducted to ensure its validity, leading to modifications resulting in the development of the final KME protocol. Over four years, data were collected from six KM hospitals, focusing on healthy adults; we obtained a dataset comprising 11,036 healthy adults. This is the first protocol incorporating core indicators of KME in a quantitative form and systematically collecting data. Our protocol holds potential merit in evaluating predisposition to diseases or predicting diseases.

Hydrogen is attracting attention as a low-carbon fuel. In particular, economical hydrogen production technologies without carbon emissions are gaining increasing attention. Recently, alkaline thermal treatment (ATT) has been proposed to reduce carbon emissions by capturing carbon in its solid phase during hydrogen production. By adding an alkali catalyst to the conventional thermochemical hydrogen production reaction, ATT enables carbon capture through the reaction of an alkali catalyst and carbon. In this study, a thermodynamic feasibility evaluation was carried out, and the effects of the process conditions for ATT with wheat straw grass (WSG) as biomass were investigated using Aspen Plus software V12.1. First, an ATT process model was developed, and basic thermodynamic equilibrium compositions were obtained in various conditions. Then, the effects of the process parameters of the reactor temperature and the mass ratio of NaOH/WSG (alkali/biomass, A/B value) were analyzed. Finally, the product gas compositions, process efficiency, and amount of carbon capture were evaluated. The results showed that the ATT process could be an efficient hydrogen production process with carbon capture, and the optimal process conditions were a reactor temperature of 800 °C, an A/B value of three, and a flow rate of steam of 6.9 × 10−5 L/min. Under these conditions, the maximum efficiency and the amount of carbon dioxide captured were 56.9% and 28.41 mmol/g WSG, respectively.

This study presents a broadband complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) low noise amplifier (LNA), containing out-of-band (OB) blocker rejection capability without an additional calibration process. In the proposed design, separate all-pass and band-stop filter stages are provided in parallel as main and auxiliary paths, respectively, whose amplitude and phase variations are identically tracked by each other over a process, voltage, and temperature dependency. By appropriately combining an in-band signal and OB blockers passed through those filter blocks, robust OB blocker rejection can be realized in the wide frequency range. The designed LNA incorporates a pre-amplifier stage for broad input matching and low-noise characteristics, an N-path filter-based frequency selective stage, and a combiner stage to suppress undesired OB blockers. The designed calibration-free OB blocker rejection broadband LNA is fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS technology and mainly characterized in long-term evolution frequency division duplexing bands, ranging from 0.7 to 2.7 GHz. The demonstrated design consistently attains transmitter leakage and other OB blocker rejection of more than 22.8 dB and 16 dB in low-band (LB) (0.7–1 GHz) and mid- and high-band (MB and HB) (1.7–2.7 GHz) frequency range from several samples without extra gain or phase adjustment, respectively. The implemented LNA also achieves gains of 10.5–11.0 dB and 8.0–10.0 dB, noise figures of 3.7–4.1 dB and 3.8–4.9 dB, OB third-order intercept points greater than 8.2 dBm and 9.8 dBm, and OB 1-dB compression points greater than −5.2 dBm and −5.5 dBm, for LB and MB/HB, respectively. The implemented design consumes a total bias current of 23.9 mA with a nominal supply of 1.2 V and occupies an active area of 0.53 mm2, excluding bonding pads.

Abstract Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two distinct diseases that are associated with chronic inflammation. They share common features in terms of their advanced stages and genetic factors. This study aimed to identify novel genes underlying both asthma and COPD using genome-wide association study (GWAS) to differentiate between the two diseases. We performed a GWAS of asthma and COPD in 7828 Koreans from three hospitals. In addition, we investigated genetic correlations. The UK Biobank dataset was used for the replication studies. We found that rs2961757, located near neuromedin U receptor 2 (NMUR2) on chromosome 5, was genome-wide significant ( $${\upbeta }_{\mathrm{Asthma}-\mathrm{COPD}}$$ β Asthma - COPD = 0.44, P-valueAsthma-COPD = 3.41 × 10−8), and significant results were replicated with the UK Biobank data ( $${\upbeta }_{\mathrm{Asthma}-\mathrm{COPD}}$$ β Asthma - COPD = 0.04, P-valueAsthma-COPD = 0.0431). A positive genetic correlation was observed between asthma and COPD (39.8% in the Korean dataset and 49.8% in the UK Biobank dataset). In this study, 40–45% of the genetic effects were common to asthma and COPD. Moreover, NMUR2 increases the risk of asthma development and suppresses COPD development. This indicates that NMUR2 allows for better differentiation of both diseases, which can facilitate tailored medical therapy.

Abstract As of June 2022, the GISAID database contains more than 11 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes, including several thousand nucleotide sequences for the most common variants such as delta or omicron. These SARS-CoV-2 strains have been collected from patients around the world since the beginning of the pandemic. We start by assessing the similarity of all pairs of nucleotide sequences using the Jaccard index and principal component analysis. As shown previously in the literature, an unsupervised cluster analysis applied to the SARS-CoV-2 genomes results in clusters of sequences according to certain characteristics such as their strain or their clade. Importantly, we observe that nucleotide sequences of common variants are often outliers in clusters of sequences stemming from variants identified earlier on during the pandemic. Motivated by this finding, we are interested in applying outlier detection to nucleotide sequences. We demonstrate that nucleotide sequences of common variants (such as alpha, delta, or omicron) can be identified solely based on a statistical outlier criterion. We argue that outlier detection might be a useful surveillance tool to identify emerging variants in real time as the pandemic progresses.

Various flaps are used to reconstruct skin and soft tissue defects of the vulva following resection of malignancies. Whenever possible, reconstruction using local flaps is the standard treatment. Here, we describe vulvar defect reconstruction using keystone flaps. Standard keystone flaps are based on randomly located vascular perforators. However, we designed a keystone flap that includes perforators of three named arteries (the anterior labial artery of the external pudendal artery, cutaneous branches of the obturator artery, and posterior labial artery of the internal pudendal artery) and the pudendal nerve, which accompanies the internal pudendal artery. Four patients with squamous cell carcinoma and extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva underwent radical vulvectomy and keystone flaps including perforators of three arteries. Depending on the morphology of the defects, keystone flaps were used with different designs. For elliptical and unilateral vulvar defects, a standard keystone flap was designed, and for defects on both sides of the vulva, a double opposing keystone flap was used. For oval defects, the omega variant keystone flap was designed, and when the morphology of the defect needed rotation of the flap, a rotational keystone flap was designed. All the patients showed good function and sensation, with an acceptable cosmetic appearance.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with severe mental illnesses (SMIs), such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. However, causal relationships between SMIs and T2D remain unclear owing to potential bias in observational studies. We aimed to characterize the causal effect of SMI liability on T2D using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).Methods: The causality between liability to SMI and T2D was investigated using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MREgger, MR-Egger with a simulation extrapolation, weighted median, and the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier method. Similarly, we performed additional MR which can detect the reverse causation effect by switching exposure and outcome for T2D liability for SMI. To further consider pleiotropic effects between SMIs, multivariable MR analysis was performed after accounting for the other traits.Results: In the univariable IVW method, depression showed a causal effect on T2D (odds ratio [OR]: 1.128, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.024–1.245, p = 0.014). Multinomial MR more strongly supported these results (IVW OR: 1.197, 95% CI: 1.069, 1.340, p = 0.002; MR-Egger OR: 1.198, 95% CI: 1.062, 1.349, p = 0.003). Bidirectional MR showed absence of reversecausality between depression and T2D. However, causal relationship of bipolar and schizophrenia on T2D was not detected.Discussion: Careful attention is needed for patients with depression regarding T2D prevention and treatment.

Background: Herbal medicines traditionally target organs for treatment based on medicinal properties, and this theory is widely used for prescriptions. However, the scientific evidence explaining how herbs act on specific organs by biological methods has been still limited. This study used bioinformatic tools to identify the target organ locations of Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (RAB), a blood-activating herb that nourishes the liver and kidney, strengthens bones, and directs prescription to the lower body.Methods: RAB’s active compounds and targets were collected and predicted using databases such as TCMSP, HIT2.0, and BATMAN-TCM. Next, the RAB’s target list was analyzed based on two approaches to obtain target organ locations. DAVID and Gene ORGANizer enrichment-based approaches were used to enrich an entire gene list, and the BioGPS and HPA gene expression-based approaches were used to analyze the expression of core genes.Results: RAB’s targets were found to be involved in whole blood, blood components, and lymphatic organs across all four tools. Each tool indicated a particular aspect of RAB’s target organ locations: DAVID-enriched genes showed a predominance in blood, liver, and kidneys; Gene ORGANizer showed the effect on low body parts as well as bones and joints; BioGPS and HPA showed high gene expression in bone marrow, lymphoid tissue, and smooth muscle.Conclusion: Our bioinformatics-based target organ location prediction can serve as a modern interpretation tool for the target organ location theory of traditional medicine. Future studies should predict therapeutic target organ locations in complex prescriptions rather than single herbs and conduct experiments to verify predictions.

Long acting injectables (LAIs) using polymeric microspheres has been developed to increase patient compliance and reduce side effects. Among many methods for manufacturing polymeric microspheres, microfluidics technology is known to have excellent characteristics in that the produced polymeric microspheres have perfect spherical shape without surface defect and uniform size, and thus have outstanding efficacy without initial burst. However, the mass production of polymeric microspheres was not realized by the inherent limitation that microfluidics is suitable for small quantity manufacturing. Overcoming such limitations, we could show mass production of finasteride-loaded polymeric microspheres (PLGA 7525) for LAIs using our microfluidic manufacturing platform technology, IVL-DrugFluidic®. The microfluidic channels used in manufacturing were optimized through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to minimize the flow variation between microchannels and eliminated disturbance outside of microchannels by resistance channels. In addition, the solvent removal was improved by applying the baffle and foam breaker system. Therefore, microspheres were mass-produced in the GMP manufacturing environment in perfect spherical shape, smooth surface, and even size distribution. The encapsulation efficiency was almost 100% and the residual solvent was under the Standard of regulation. In the clinical trial using microspheres mass-produced by IVL-DrugFluidic®, we confirmed that the drug release was stably maintained for a month, the target period without initial burst. It was also confirmed that the drug release by dose of microspheres was uniformly proportional. In conclusion, the microsphere manufacturing platform technology, IVL-DrugFluidic® has been proven to be an appropriate system for mass production of polymeric microspheres optimized for LAIs through physicochemical characteristics and clinical trial.

Vegetation constitutes the primary component of terrestrial ecosystems and plays a crucial role in examining global climate change and its impacts. Assessing vegetation dynamics over significant periods of time can provide critical information on changes in vegetation cover and regional climate. Satellite-based remote sensing products offer a unique opportunity to analyze these changes at a country scale. South Korea has a unique history of forest regeneration, and studying this relationship provides an opportunity to examine its impact. To achieve this, we employ the vegetation–precipitation relationship using time series segmentation on residual trends (TSS-RESTREND), a statistical method that calculates the correlation between the annual maximum vegetation index and cumulative rainfall. This method helps identify time-step changes related to structural changes in the ecosystem. Using the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and rainfall, this study aims to uncover the underlying dynamics and driving forces behind observed ecosystem changes, facilitating a deeper comprehension of the intricate interactions between vegetation and precipitation through the application of TSS-RESTREND. The findings increase knowledge of the complex relationship between vegetation growth and rainfall, given the country’s commendable forest regeneration program, even in the face of rapid urbanization. Moreover, the integration of finer resolution land cover images derived from in situ data not only provides a nuanced understanding of vegetation dynamics across diverse regions, but also underscores the critical need for continued collection of in situ data to provide more accurate and comprehensive analyses. The findings underline the pivotal role played by land resource management practices and underscores the significance of implementing adaptive conservation strategies, thereby contributing to the preservation of a stable and sustainable vegetation cover. The findings serve as a call for the ecosystem monitoring and strategic adaptation required to examine the environmental and ecosystem structural changes in the region. This study sheds light on the critical relationship between land management practices, environmental sustainability, and the resilience of the region’s vegetation amidst an ever-changing landscape.

2–(1H–1,2,4–Triazol–3–yl)phenol (CAT–1) was used as an organocatalyst for the coupling reaction of CO2 and epoxides at an ambient temperature and atmospheric CO2 pressure (1 bar). This compound has a structure in which a hydrogen bond donor, a hydrogen bond acceptor, and another hydrogen bond donor are adjacent in sequence in a molecule. The binary catalytic system of CAT–1/nBu4NI showed TON = 19.2 and TOF = 1.60 h−1 under 1 bar CO2 at room temperature within 12 h using 2–butyloxirane. Surprisingly, the activity of CAT–1, in which phenol and 1H–1,2,4–triazole are chemically linked, showed a much greater synergistic effect than when simply mixing the same amount of phenol and 1H–1,2,4–triazole under the same reaction conditions. In addition, our system showed a broad terminal and internal epoxide substrate scope.

It is impossible to know the amount of pork primal cut by pig carcass grade which is determined only by carcass weight and backfat thickness in the Korean Pig Carcass System. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the pig carcass grade and the amount of pork primal cut estimated with AutoFom III. A total of 419,321 Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc (LYD) pigs were graded with the Korean Pig Carcass Grade System. Amounts of belly, neck, loin, tenderloin, spare ribs, shoulder, and ham were estimated with AutoFom III. Regression equations for seven primal cuts according to each grade were derived. There were significant differences among the three carcass grades due to heteroscedasticity variance (p < 0.0001). Three regression equations were derived from AutoFom III estimation of primal cuts according to carcass grades. The coefficient of determination of the regression equation was 0.941 for grade 1+, 0.982 for grade 1, and 0.993 for grade 2. Regression equations obtained from this study are suitable for AutoFom III software, a useful tool for the analysis of each pig carcass grade in the Korean Pig Carcass Grade System. The high reliability of predicting the amount of primal cut with AutoFom III is advantageous for the management of slaughterhouses to optimize their product sorting in Korea.

Background Blepharoplasty has both aesthetic and functional benefits in patients with pseudoptosis; however, previous studies could not demonstrate its beneficial effects quantitatively and objectively. The authors objectively analyzed the visual field before and after surgery and investigated whether measurements of the visual field can be applied as a suitable predictor of surgical outcomes. Methods In total, 18 eyelids in nine patients with pseudoptosis who had undergone simple skin excision blepharoplasty were evaluated prospectively from February to May 2016. The visual fields were analyzed preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively using the Goldmann kinetic perimetry test. The visual field test area was assessed using Adobe Photoshop. Results Blepharoplasty had an average 4.99-fold beneficial effect on the superior visual field. In particular, more improvement was seen in the superior temporal quadrant than in the nasal quadrant. No correlation was found between the preoperative margin-to-reflex distance 1 (MRD1) and the surgical outcome (P=0.119). However, there was a strong correlation between the preoperative superior visual field and the surgical outcome (P=0.001). Conclusions Using the Goldmann kinetic perimetry test, we objectively and quantitatively proved the beneficial effect of blepharoplasty on patients with pseudoptosis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the preoperative visual field is a better preoperative surgical outcome predictive factor than the preoperative MRD1.

The purpose of this study was to develop a teaching competency diagnosis tool for instructors working in army military schools to improve the quality of education and cultivate the competitiveness of the organization. To this end, previous research data related to the development of teaching competency diagnosis tools were collected and analyzed. Subsequently, focus group interviews and behavioral case interviews with excellent instructors at the Army Military School were conducted, and Delphi surveys were conducted with educational experts to organize teaching competency components and diagnostic tools temporarily. Next, to verify the validity of questionnaire items, a preliminary survey and a main survey were conducted with questionnaires administered to excellent instructors and ordinary instructors to confirm the validity and reliability of the teaching competency diagnosis tool. As a result of the study, four competencies (basic, class, organizational, and digital), 10 major competencies (attitude and attitude as educators, relationship formation, etc.), 25 sub-competencies (responsibility as instructors, initiative, etc.), and 65 behavioral indicators were selected. The diagnostic tools derived through this study are the competencies that instructors must have to perform their duties successfully in military schools. Therefore, our results not only provide information necessary for establishing instructor competency development policies but also contribute greatly to developing programs to strengthen teaching competency in military schools.

Abstract Established genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) account for only a portion of AD heritability. The aim of this study was to identify novel associations between genetic variants and AD-specific brain atrophy. We conducted genome-wide association studies for brain magnetic resonance imaging measures of hippocampal volume and entorhinal cortical thickness in 2643 Koreans meeting the clinical criteria for AD (n = 209), mild cognitive impairment (n = 1449) or normal cognition (n = 985). A missense variant, rs77359862 (R274W), in the SHANK-associated RH Domain Interactor (SHARPIN) gene was associated with entorhinal cortical thickness (p = 5.0 × 10−9) and hippocampal volume (p = 5.1 × 10−12). It revealed an increased risk of developing AD in the mediation analyses. This variant was also associated with amyloid-β accumulation (p = 0.03) and measures of memory (p = 1.0 × 10−4) and executive function (p = 0.04). We also found significant association of other SHARPIN variants with hippocampal volume in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (rs3417062, p = 4.1 × 10−6) and AddNeuroMed (rs138412600, p = 5.9 × 10−5) cohorts. Further, molecular dynamics simulations and co-immunoprecipitation indicated that the variant significantly reduced the binding of linear ubiquitination assembly complex proteins, SHPARIN and HOIL-1 Interacting Protein (HOIP), altering the downstream NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings suggest that SHARPIN plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD.

Due to global climate change, Korea is facing severe droughts that affect the planting and early vegetative periods of upland crops. Soybean and adzuki bean are important legume crops in Korea, so it is critical to understand their adaptations to water stress. This study investigated the changes in root morphological properties in soybean and adzuki bean and quantified the findings using fractal analysis. The experiment was performed at the National Institute of Crop Science in Miryang, Korea. Soybeans and adzuki beans were planted in test boxes and grown for 30 days. The boxes were filled with bed soil with various soil moisture treatments. Root images were obtained and scanned every two days, and the root properties were characterized by root length, depth and surface area, number of roots, and fractal parameters (fractal dimension and lacunarity). Root depth, length and surface area and the number of roots increased in both crops as the soil moisture content increased. The fractal dimension and lacunarity values increased as the soil moisture content increased. These results indicated that the greater the soil moisture, the more heterogeneous the root structure. Correlation analysis of the morphological properties and fractal parameters indicated that soybean and adzuki bean had different root structure developments. Both soybean and adzuki bean were sensitive to the amount of soil moisture in the early vegetative stage. Soybean required a soil moisture content greater than 70% of the field capacity to develop a full root structure, while adzuki bean required 100% of the field capacity. These results would be useful in understanding the responses of soybean and adzuki bean to water stress and managing irrigation during cultivation.

The identification and understanding of gene-environment interactions can provide insights into the pathways and mechanisms underlying complex diseases. However, testing for gene-environment interaction remains a challenge since a.) statistical power is often limited and b.) modeling of environmental effects is nontrivial and such model misspecifications can lead to false positive interaction findings. To address the lack of statistical power, recent methods aim to identify interactions on an aggregated level using, for example, polygenic risk scores. While this strategy can increase the power to detect interactions, identifying contributing genes and pathways is difficult based on these relatively global results. Here, we propose RITSS (Robust Interaction Testing using Sample Splitting), a gene-environment interaction testing framework for quantitative traits that is based on sample splitting and robust test statistics. RITSS can incorporate sets of genetic variants and/or multiple environmental factors. Based on the user's choice of statistical/machine learning approaches, a screening step selects and combines potential interactions into scores with improved interpretability. In the testing step, the application of robust statistics minimizes the susceptibility to main effect misspecifications. Using extensive simulation studies, we demonstrate that RITSS controls the type 1 error rate in a wide range of scenarios, and we show how the screening strategy influences statistical power. In an application to lung function phenotypes and human height in the UK Biobank, RITSS identified highly significant interactions based on subcomponents of genetic risk scores. While the contributing single variant interaction signals are weak, our results indicate interaction patterns that result in strong aggregated effects, providing potential insights into underlying gene-environment interaction mechanisms.

Programmed cell death (PCD), a characteristic feature of hypersensitive response (HR) in plants, is an important cellular process often associated with the defense response against pathogens. Here, the involvement of LytB, a gene encoding 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase that participates in the final step of the plastid methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, in plant HR cell death was studied. In Nicotiana benthmiana plants, silencing of the NbLytB gene using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) caused plant growth retardation and albino leaves with severely malformed chloroplasts. In NbLytB-silenced plants, HR-related cell death mediated by the expression of either the human proapoptotic protein gene Bax or an R gene with its cognate Avr effector gene was inhibited, whereas that induced by the nonhost pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 61 was enhanced. To dissect the isoprenoid pathway and avoid the pleiotropic effects of VIGS, chemical inhibitors that specifically inhibit isoprenoid biosynthesis in plants were employed. Treatment of N. benthamiana plants with fosmidomycin, a specific inhibitor of the plastid MEP pathway, effectively inhibited HR-related PCD, whereas treatment with mevinolin (a cytoplasmic mevalonate pathway inhibitor) and fluridone (a carotenoid biosynthesis inhibitor) did not. Together, these results suggest that the MEP pathway as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the chloroplast play an important role in HR-related PCD, which is not displaced by the cytosolic isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway.

Histone posttranslational modifications shape the chromatin landscape of the plant genome and affect gene expression in response to developmental and environmental cues. To date, the role of histone modifications in regulating plant responses to environmental nutrient availability, especially in agriculturally important species, remains largely unknown. We describe the functions of two histone lysine methyltransferases, SET Domain Group 33 (SDG33) and SDG34, in mediating nitrogen (N) responses of shoots and roots in tomato. By comparing the transcriptomes of CRISPR edited tomato lines sdg33 and sdg34 with wild-type plants under N-supplied and N-starved conditions, we uncovered that SDG33 and SDG34 regulate overlapping yet distinct downstream gene targets. In response to N level changes, both SDG33 and SDG34 mediate gene regulation in an organ-specific manner: in roots, SDG33 and SDG34 regulate a gene network including Nitrate Transporter 1.1 (NRT1.1) and Small Auxin Up-regulated RNA (SAUR) genes. In agreement with this, mutations in sdg33 or sdg34 abolish the root growth response triggered by an N-supply; In shoots, SDG33 and SDG34 affect the expression of photosynthesis genes and photosynthetic parameters in response to N. Our analysis thus revealed that SDG33 and SDG34 regulate N-responsive gene expression and physiological changes in an organ-specific manner, thus presenting previously unknown candidate genes as targets for selection and engineering to improve N uptake and usage in crop plants.

Abstract Reputation is a powerful mechanism to enforce cooperation among unrelated individuals through indirect reciprocity, but it suffers from disagreement originating from private assessment, noise, and incomplete information. In this work, we investigate stability of cooperation in the donation game by regarding each player’s reputation and behaviour as continuous variables. Through perturbative calculation, we derive a condition that a social norm should satisfy to give penalties to its close variants, provided that everyone initially cooperates with a good reputation, and this result is supported by numerical simulation. A crucial factor of the condition is whether a well-reputed player’s donation to an ill-reputed co-player is appreciated by other members of the society, and the condition can be reduced to a threshold for the benefit-cost ratio of cooperation which depends on the reputational sensitivity to a donor’s behaviour as well as on the behavioural sensitivity to a recipient’s reputation. Our continuum formulation suggests how indirect reciprocity can work beyond the dichotomy between good and bad even in the presence of inhomogeneity, noise, and incomplete information.

Abstract Background Sorghum grain mold is the most important disease of the crop. The disease results from simultaneous infection of the grain by multiple fungal species. Host responses to these fungi and the underlying molecular and cellular processes are poorly understood. To understand the genetic, molecular and biochemical components of grain mold resistance, transcriptome profiles of the developing grain of resistant and susceptible sorghum genotypes were studied. Results The developing kernels of grain mold resistant RTx2911 and susceptible RTx430 sorghum genotypes were inoculated with a mixture of fungal pathogens mimicking the species complexity of the disease under natural infestation. Global transcriptome changes corresponding to multiple molecular and cellular processes, and biological functions including defense, secondary metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis were observed with differential regulation in the two genotypes. Genes encoding pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), regulators of growth and defense homeostasis, antimicrobial peptides, pathogenesis-related proteins, zein seed storage proteins, and phytoalexins showed increased expression correlating with resistance. Notably, SbLYK5 gene encoding an orthologue of chitin PRR, defensin genes SbDFN7.1 and SbDFN7.2 exhibited higher expression in the resistant genotype. The SbDFN7.1 and SbDFN7.2 genes are tightly linked and transcribed in opposite orientation with a likely common bidirectional promoter. Interestingly, increased expression of JAZ and other transcriptional repressors were observed that suggested the tight regulation of plant defense and growth. The data suggest a pathogen inducible defense system in the developing grain of sorghum that involves the chitin PRR, MAPKs, key transcription factors, downstream components regulating immune gene expression and accumulation of defense molecules. We propose a model through which the biosynthesis of 3-deoxyanthocynidin phytoalexins, defensins, PR proteins, other antimicrobial peptides, and defense suppressing proteins are regulated by a pathogen inducible defense system in the developing grain. Conclusions The transcriptome data from a rarely studied tissue shed light into genetic, molecular, and biochemical components of disease resistance and suggested that the developing grain shares conserved immune response mechanisms but also components uniquely enriched in the grain. Resistance was associated with increased expression of genes encoding regulatory factors, novel grain specific antimicrobial peptides including defensins and storage proteins that are potential targets for crop improvement.

Abstract Medical costs have recently increased in South Korea due to the rising rate of asthma. Primary clinics serve an important role in asthma management, as they are the first stop for patients presenting with symptoms. The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) in South Korea has assessed asthma-management quality since 2013, but studies are lacking on whether these assessments have been performed properly and contribute toward reducing asthma exacerbations. Therefore, we investigated whether the HIRA’s quality assessments have decreased asthma exacerbations using national health insurance claims data from 2013 to 2017 of 83,375 primary-clinic and 15,931 tertiary-hospital patients with asthma. These patients were classified into four groups based on disease severity according to the monthly prescribed amount of asthma medication using K-means clustering. The associations between HIRA assessments and asthma exacerbation were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation. Our results showed that exacerbation odds gradually decreased as the HIRA assessments progressed, especially in the mild-severity group, and that exacerbation risk among patients with asthma decreased in the order of assessment grades: “Unsatisfactory,” “Satisfactory,” and “Tertiary.” Therefore, we may conclude that asthma exacerbations may decrease with high quality asthma management; appropriate quality assessment could be helpful in reducing asthma exacerbations.

Abstract Background Pedicled nasoseptal flap (PNSF) has significantly improved the surgical outcomes of endoscopic endonasal approach (EEAs) by reducing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of using a PNSF for anterior skull base (ASB) reconstruction and to describe a method to compensate for a short flap based on our results. Methods In this cadaveric study, ASB dissection without sphenoidotomy was performed using 10 formalin-fixed and 5 fresh adult cadaver specimens, and the sufficiency of the PNSF to cover the ASB was assessed. After the sphenoidotomy, the length by which the PNSF fell short in providing coverage at the posterior wall of the frontal sinus (CPFS), and the extent of the anterior coverage from the limbus (CL) of the sphenoid bone was measured. Results Without sphenoidotomy, the mean length of the remaining PNSF after the coverage of the posterior wall of the frontal sinus was 0.67 cm. After sphenoidotomy, the PNSF fell short by a mean length of 2.10 cm, in providing CPFS. The CL was 1.86 cm. Based on these findings, defects resulting from an endoscopic resection of ASB tumors were reconstructed using PNSF without total sphenoidotomy in 3 patients. There were no postoperative CSF leaks or complications. Conclusions The use of PNSF for ASB reconstruction may be insufficient to cover the entire ASB defect after removal of large lesions which need total sphenoidotomy. When possible, by leaving some portion of the anterior sphenoid wall for supporting the PNSF, successful ASB reconstruction could be achieved in endoscopic resection of ASB tumors. Additional methods might be needed in some cases of large ASB lesions wherein the anterior sphenoid wall should be removed totally and the ASB defect is too large.

Objective Prompt reperfusion is important for patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, patients often require interhospital transfer for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) because not all hospitals can provide. The purpose of this study is to reduce the PCI delay using a regionalization protocol in patients with STEMI following transfer from another hospital lacking PCI facility. Methods We established a revascularization protocol designated as Preparing Revascularization Effort before Patients’ Arrival via Regionalization Engagement (PREPARE) for the STEMI patients transferred from an outside regional hospital. The protocol included immediate referral acceptance by an emergency physician, real-time electrocardiogram sharing via mobile phone and early activation of the PCI team. We analyzed the differences between the PREPARE and the non-PREPARE groups. Results In the PREPARE group, the median time from the first hospital visit to the ballooning procedure via PCI at the receiving facility (D1-to-B time) was 111.0 (interquartile range 97.0– 130.0) minutes, which was significantly shorter than in the non-PREPARE group 134.0 (interquartile range 115.0–182.0) minutes. The proportion of D1-to-B time within 120 minutes was 30.4% in the group and 60.0% in the PREPARE group, which represents a significant difference (P=0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that patient transfer via PREPARE protocol (odds ratio, 3.399; 95% confidence interval, 1.150–10.050, P=0.027) was related to adequate D1-to-B time. No statistically significant differences were found in the hospital length of stay or major adverse cardiac events within 4 weeks. Conclusion The PREPARE protocol is an effective strategy to reduce the time to revascularization of the transferred STEMI patients.

Pattern identification (PI), a unique diagnostic system of traditional Asian medicine, is the process of inferring the pathological nature or location of lesions based on observed symptoms. Despite its critical role in theory and practice, the information processing principles underlying PI systems are generally unclear. We present a novel framework for comprehending the PI system from a machine learning perspective. After a brief introduction to the dimensionality of the data, we propose that the PI system can be modeled as a dimensionality reduction process and discuss analytical issues that can be addressed using our framework. Our framework promotes a new approach in understanding the underlying mechanisms of the PI process with strong mathematical tools, thereby enriching the explanatory theories of traditional Asian medicine.

Background. Recently, D-dimer has been suggested as a biomarker to rule out acute aortic syndrome (AAS). Since it increases with age, this study was conducted to reveal whether an age-adjusted D-dimer can increase diagnostic accuracy in ruling out AAS. Method. A retrospective observational study design was used. Consecutive adult patients who visited an emergency room between January 2015 and September 2020 and who underwent a D-dimer test and computed tomography angiography for suspected AAS were enrolled. We calculated the diagnostic accuracy of both the conventional (0.5 μg/ml) and age-adjusted (age × 0.01 in patients >50 years) D-dimer cut-offs. Result. D-dimer was higher in the AAS group (n = 82) than in the non-AAS group (n = 122) (10.85 (3.61–33.12) vs. 0.40 (0.23–1.07), OR: 1.139 (CI: 1.085 – 1.195), p

Recent advances in convolutional neural network (CNN)-based object detection have a trade-off between accuracy and computational cost in various industrial tasks and essential consideration. However, the fully convolutional one-stage detector (FCOS) demonstrates low accuracy compared with its computational costs owing to the loss of low-level information. Therefore, we propose a module called a dual-path lightweight module (DLM) that efficiently utilizes low-level information. In addition, we propose a DLMFCOS based on DLM to achieve an optimal trade-off between computational cost and detection accuracy. Our network minimizes feature loss by extracting spatial and channel information in parallel and implementing a bottom-up feature pyramid network that improves low-level information detection. Additionally, the structure of the detection head is improved to minimize the computational cost. The proposed method was trained and evaluated by fine-tuning parameters through experiments and using public datasets PASCAL VOC 07 and MS COCO 2017 datasets. The average precision (AP) metric is used for our quantitative evaluation matrix for detection performance, and our model achieves an average 1.5% accuracy improvement at about 33.85% lower computational cost on each dataset than the conventional method. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed method is verified by comparing the proposed method with the conventional method through an ablation study.

Algal blooms have been observed worldwide and have had a serious impact on industries that use water resources, which is a problem for people and the environment. For this reason, an algae warning system is used to count the number of cyanobacterial cells and the concentration of chlorophyll-a. Several studies using multispectral or hyperspectral data to estimate chlorophyll concentration have recently been carried out. In the present study, a comparative approach was applied to estimate the concentration of chlorophyll-a at Paldang Dam, South Korea using hyperspectral data. We developed a framework for estimating chlorophyll-a using dimension reduction methods, such as principal component analysis and partial least squares, and various machine learning algorithms. We analyzed hyperspectral data collected during a field survey to locate peaks in the chlorophyll-a spectrum. The framework that used support vector regression achieved the highest R2 of 0.99, a mean square error (MSE) of 1.299 μg/cm3, and showed a small discrepancy between observed and real values relative to other frameworks. These findings suggest that by combining hyperspectral data with dimension reduction and a machine learning algorithm, it is possible to provide an accurate estimation of chlorophyll-a. Using this, chlorophyll-a can be obtained in real time through hyperspectral sensor data input from drones or unmanned aerial vehicles using the learned machine learning algorithm.

South Korea has a plan to realize a hydrogen economy, and it is essential to establish a main hydrogen pipeline for hydrogen transport. This study develops a cost estimation model applicable to the construction of hydrogen pipelines and conducts an economic analysis to evaluate various scenarios for hydrogen pipeline construction. As a result, the cost of modifying an existing natural gas to a hydrogen pipeline is the lowest, however, there are issues with the safety of the modified hydrogen pipes from natural gas and the necessity of the existing natural gas pipelines. In the case of a short-distance hydrogen pipeline, the cost is about 1.8 times that of the existing natural gas pipeline modification, but it is considered a transitional scenario before the construction of the main hydrogen pipeline nationwide. Lastly, in the case of long-distance main hydrogen pipeline construction, it takes about 3.7 times as much cost as natural gas pipeline modification, however it has the advantage of being the ultimate hydrogen pipeline network. In this study, various hydrogen pipeline establishment scenarios ware compared. These results are expected to be utilized to establish plans for building hydrogen pipelines and to evaluate their economic feasibility.

Background: Abdominal organ injuries are a rarely reported complication when deep acupuncture needling is applied to the abdomen. In order to ascertain the allowable needle insertion range (ANIR) of the abdomen region, we selected acupoint CV12, which is commonly used for treating gastric disease, and ANIR was measured with an ultrasound device. Method: Eighty-five healthy volunteers were recruited, of which 83 cases of ultrasound images were obtained. To investigate the prediction factor of ANIR, we also measured several anthropometric factors. Results: The average ANIR was 25.3 ± 10.2; generally, the ANIRs of females were thicker than those of males; and the liver was observed in 62.7% subjects’ ultrasound images. The non-observed group showed thicker ANIR and higher BMI than the liver-observed group. Conclusion: There are reliable variables that make it possible to predict the ANIR. It is advised to refer to anthropometric factors in needling acupoint CV12 to avoid complications with the acupuncture treatment. However, individual differences are not negligible when applying deep needling. Thus, if the risk is not judged before or during the procedure, practitioners could consider the patient’s ANIR on CV12 when applying acupuncture by examining the individual anatomical structures using ultrasound and considering internal organ positions to prevent adverse events due to acupuncture.