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Background/Aims: The gut microbiome has emerged as a key player that mechanistically links various risk factors to colorectal cancer (CRC) etiology. However, the role of the gut microbiome in CRC pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota in healthy controls (HCs) and patients with colorectal adenoma (AD) and CRC in subgroups based on sex and age. Methods: Study participants who visited the hospital for surveillance of CRC or gastrointestinal symptoms were prospectively enrolled, and the gut microbiome was analyzed based on fecal samples. Results: In terms of HC-AD-CRC sequence, commensal bacteria, including lactate-producing (Streptococcus salivarius) and butyrate-producing (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Anaerostipes hadrus, and Eubacterium hallii) bacteria, were more abundant in the HC group than in the AD and CRC groups. In the sex comparison, the female HC group had more lactate-producing bacteria (Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, and Lactobacillus ruminis) than the male HC group. In age comparison, younger subjects had more butyrate-producing bacteria (Agathobaculum butyriciproducens and Blautia faecis) than the older subjects in the HC group. Interestingly, lactate-producing bacteria (B. catenulatum) were more abundant in females than males among younger HC group subjects. However, these sex- and age-dependent differences were not observed in the AD and CRC groups. Conclusion : s: The gut microbiome, specifically lactate- and butyrate-producing bacteria, which were found to be abundant in the HC group, may play a role in preventing the progression of CRC. In particular, lactate-producing bacteria, which were found to be less abundant in healthy male controls may contribute to the higher incidence of CRC in males.

Background/Aims: A few studies have suggested the association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and ischemic stroke. However, the impact of HP eradication on stroke risk has not been well evaluated. This study aimed to assess the influence of HP eradication on the incidence of ischemic stroke, considering the potential effect of sex. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, from May 2003 to February 2023, and involved gastroscopy-based HP testing. Propensity score (PS) matching was employed to ensure balanced groups by matching patients in the HP eradicated group (n=2,803) in a 3:1 ratio with patients in the HP non-eradicated group (n=960). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk of ischemic stroke. Results: Among 6,664 patients, multivariate analysis after PS matching indicated that HP eradication did not significantly alter the risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 0.531; 95% confidence interval, 0.221 to 1.270; p=0.157). Sex-specific subgroup analyses, both univariate and multivariate, did not yield statistically significant differences. However, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a potential trend: the females in the HP eradicated group exhibited a lower incidence of ischemic stroke than those in the HP non-eradicated group, although this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.057). Conclusion : s: This finding suggests that HP eradication might not impact the risk of ischemic stroke. However, there was a trend showing that females potentially had a lower risk of ischemic stroke following HP eradication, though further investigation is required to establish definitive evidence.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer morbidity in both sexes but shows sex differences. First, sex-specific differences in tumor recurrence and survival rates have been reported. For example, the development of CRC is found about 1.5 times higher and 4–8 years earlier in males compared to females, suggesting the protective role of estrogen in the disease. Furthermore, female patients have a higher risk of developing right-sided (proximal) colon cancer than male patients, which is known to have more aggressive clinical character compared to left-sided (distal) colon cancer. That is, left and right CRCs show differences in carcinogenic mechanism, that the chromosomal instability pathway is more common in left colon cancer while the microsatellite instability and serrated pathways are more common in right colon cancer. It is thought that there are sex-based differences on the background of carcinogenesis of CRC. Sex differences of CRC have two aspects, sexual dimorphism (biological differences in hormones and genes) and gender differences (non-biological differences in societal attitudes and behavior). Recently, sex difference of colon adenoma pathway and sexual dimorphism in the biology of gene and protein expression, and in endocrine cellular signaling in the CRC carcinogenesis have been accumulated. In addition, behavioral patterns can lead to differences in exposure to risk factors such as drinking or smoking, diet and physical activity. Therefore, understanding sex/gender-related biological and sociocultural differences in CRC risk will help in providing strategies for screening, treatment and prevention protocols to reduce the mortality and improve the quality of life. In this review, sex/gender differences in colon adenoma pathway and various aspects such as clinicopathological, biological, molecular, and socio-cultural aspects of CRC were described.

Background/Aims: Synchronous multiple gastric cancer (SMGC) accounts for approximately 6% to 14% of gastric cancer (GC) cases. This study aimed to identify risk factors for SMGC. Methods : A total of 14,603 patients diagnosed with GC were prospectively enrolled. Data including age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, family history, p53 expression, microsatellite instability, cancer classification, lymph node metastasis, and treatment were collected. Risk factors were analyzed using logistic regression analysis between a single GC and SMGC. Results : The incidence of SMGC was 4.04%, and that of early GC (EGC) and advanced GC (AGC) was 5.43% and 3.11%, respectively. Patients with SMGC were older (65.33 years vs 61.75 years, p

Gastric adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation (GAED) is rare and its clinicopathological characteristics are not well documented. However, reports indicate that it exhibits more aggressive characteristics, including lymph node metastasis or liver metastasis, than a conventional gastric adenocarcinoma. Herein, we report a case of GAED with rapid recurrence and disease progression. A 55-year-old male, diagnosed with gastric cancer (GC), demonstrated initial endoscopic findings suggestive of advanced GC. He underwent curative resection since there was no evidence of lymph node or distant metastases. The disease was reported as an early GC that was confined to the submucosal layer, without evidence of lymph node metastasis in the final pathological results. However, six months after surgery, multiple hepatic metastases were found during abdominal computed tomography; the pathological results were consistent with metastasis from the GC. Immunohistochemistry of the primary carcinoma pathological specimens showed positive results for alpha-fetoprotein and sal-like protein 4, suggesting enteroblastic differentiation, which is thought to be associated with rapid recurrence and disease progression.

Electricity load forecasting is an essential part of power system planning and operation, and it is crucial to make accurate predictions. The smart grid paradigm and the new energy market necessitate better demand-side management (DSM) and more reliable end-user forecasts to system scale. This paper proposes a time-series clustering-based probabilistic electricity future prediction for short-term load forecasting (STLF), which makes forecasts more accurate and intelligent. The weather and data noise uncertainties are considered, with the load probabilistic interval as the model’s output for individual and aggregated household energy consumption. This paper adapts the logarithm of the hyperbolic cosine (log-cosh) of the error value as quantile loss and time feature with long short-term memory (LSTM) to bridge the gap. This paper presents a framework for probabilistic electric load forecasting that incorporates clustering-based quantile-LSTM learning to improve the accuracy and robustness of short-term electricity prediction. The proposed model is primarily applied to energy demand information on 15-minute and 1-hour time horizons for day-ahead prediction tasks, which are the key concerns for electricity utilities. Various state-of-the-art regression learning techniques, i.e., quantile regression forest (QRF), quantile regression neural network (QRNN), quantile gradient boosting regression tree (QGBRT), and quantile LSTM (Q-LSTM), were utilized and evaluated. The findings indicate that the proposed cluster-based probabilistic forecasting approach outperforms the existing benchmark models in terms of prediction interval coverage probability (PICP) evaluation metric.

This paper poses new challenges, especially when designing routing protocols to improve the quality of service (QoS) criteria and the lifetime of large-scale wireless sensor networks (LS-WSNs) and high sensor node density WSNs (HSND-WSN). Some of these challenging problems for routing protocols are minimizing the distance between a base station (BS) and the cluster head (CH), latency in the transmission phase, power consumption in the clustering phase, and determining the precise SN location without error. Thus, for a dynamic WSN, it is important to support an intelligent mobile data collector (MDC) to continue data propagation despite the inevitable changes in the WSN topology. Considering these challenges, we propose a novel intelligent routing protocol based on the improved recursive distance vector-hop (IR-DV-Hop) localization algorithm to determine the accurate location of SNs without errors in LS-WSNs and determine the CHs and optimal route traversed by the MDC for energy efficiency, latency, and reliability. Specifically, the proposed mobile data collector-improved recursive distance vector-hop (MDC-IR-DV-Hop) protocol uses the MDC as an intermediate between the CH and BS to enhance the QoS of WSNs, reduce delays while collecting data, and improve the transmission phase of the routing protocol. Simulation results prove the performance of the proposed protocol compared with the energy-aware cluster based multi-hop (EACBM), tree clustering algorithm with mobile data collector (TCMDC), mobile data collector maximum residual energy low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (MDC maximum residual energy leach), MDC minimum distance leach, mobile data collector-K-means (MDC-K), mobile data collector-traveling salesman problem-low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy-K-means (MDC-TSP-LEACH-K), a three-layer hierarchical architecture for optimized routing protocol based on clustering and the Khalimsky topology for mobile WSN (AMWSN), and node density-based clustering and mobile collection (NDCM) protocols. In addition, this article proposes a comparative analysis of the best clustering, CH election, localization and MDC by discussing and describing their functionalities, advantages, disadvantages and their main performance parameters.

Background: Although immunomodulators are widely prescribed in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), it is unclear whether there is a difference in treatment outcomes between thiopurines and methotrexate (MTX). Objective: To compare the risk of clinical failure between thiopurines and MTX in bio-naïve patients with CD. Design: Nationwide, population-based study. Methods: We used claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. After inverse probability of treatment weighting, logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to evaluate the risk of clinical failure in bio-naïve patients with CD treated with thiopurine (thiopurine group) or MTX (MTX group). Results: Overall, 10,296 adult and pediatric patients with CD [9912 (96.3%) and 384 (3.7%) in the thiopurine and MTX groups, respectively] were included. The odds ratios (ORs) of failure to induce remission were significantly higher in the MTX group than in the thiopurine group [adjusted OR (aOR), 1.115; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.045–1.190; p = 0.001]. However, the opposite result was observed only in patients without concomitant steroid use: the MTX group had a lower risk of induction failure than the thiopurine group (aOR, 0.740; 95% CI, 0.673–0.813; p

Background/Aims: There are few reports regarding mixed carcinoma, defined as a mixture of glandular and poorly cohesive components, in patients with gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the proportion and characteristics of mixed carcinoma in GC patients. Methods: A total of 7,215 patients diagnosed with GC at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital were enrolled from March 2011 to February 2020. GC was divided into four groups (well-moderately differentiated GC, poorly differentiated GC, poorly cohesive carcinoma, and mixed carcinoma). The proportion of each GC type and the clinicopathological features were analyzed and divided into early GC and advanced GC. Results: The proportion of mixed carcinoma was 10.9% (n=787). In early GC, submucosal invasion was the most common in poorly differentiated (53.7%), and mixed carcinoma ranked second (41.1%). Mixed carcinoma showed the highest proportion of lymph node metastasis in early GC (23.0%) and advanced GC (78.3%). In advanced GC, the rate of distant metastasis was 3.6% and 3.9% in well-moderately differentiated GC and mixed carcinoma, respectively, lower than that in poorly differentiated GC (6.4%) and poorly cohesive carcinoma (5.7%), without statistical significance. Conclusions: Mixed carcinoma was associated with lymph node metastasis compared to other histological GC subtypes. And it showed relatively common submucosal invasion in early GC, but the rates of venous invasion and distant metastasis were lower in advanced GC. Further research is needed to uncover the mechanism underlying these characteristics of mixed carcinoma (Trial registration number: NCT04973631).

Background/Aims: The incidence and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) shows sex difference. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on GC survival depending on sex. Methods: The sex, age, location, histology, TNM stages, BMI, and survival were analyzed in GC patients from May 2003 to February 2020 at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. Results: Among 14,688 patients, there were twice as many males (66.6%) as females (33.4%). However, under age 40 years, females (8.6%) were more prevalent than males (3.1%). Cardia GC in males showed a U-shaped distribution for underweight (9.6%), normal (6.4%), overweight (6.1%), obesity (5.6%), and severe obesity (9.3%) but not in females (p=0.003). Females showed decreased proportion of diffuse-type GC regarding BMI (underweight [59.9%], normal [56.8%], overweight [49.5%], obesity [44.8%], and severe obesity [41.7%]), but males did not (p

Background/Aims: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is positively associated with metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the long-term effects of eradication therapy on MS and sex differences have not been thoroughly studied. We aimed to investigate the long-term effects of HP eradication on MS and sex differences. Methods: This study included 2,267 subjects who visited a tertiary referral center between May 2003 and May 2019. HP was diagnosed by histology, a Campylobacter-like organism test, and culture, and the subjects were prospectively followed up. The participants were categorized into three groups: HP uninfected, HP infected but non-eradicated, and HP eradicated. The baseline characteristics and changes in metabolic parameters after HP eradication were compared over a 5-year follow-up period. Results: Among 1,521 subjects, there was no difference in baseline metabolic parameters between the HP-uninfected (n=509) and HP-infected (n=1,012) groups, regardless of sex. Analysis of the metabolic parameters during follow-up among HP-uninfected (n=509), HP-non-eradicated (n=346), and HP-eradicated (n=666) groups showed that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the body mass index (BMI) increased after eradication, with a significant difference at 1-year of follow-up. In females, HDL increased after eradication (p=0.023), and the BMI increased after eradication in male subjects (p=0.010). After propensity score matching, the HDL change in female remained significant, but the statistical significance of the change in BMI in the male group became marginally significant (p=0.089). Conclusions: HP eradication affected metabolic parameters differently depending on sex. HDL significantly increased only in females over time, especially at 1-year of follow-up. In contrast, BMI showed an increasing tendency over time in males, especially at the 1-year follow-up.

A huge increase in the percentage of the world’s urban population poses resource management, especially energy management challenges in smart cities. In this paper, the growing challenges of energy management in smart cities have been explored and the significance of elimination of energy holes in converge cast communication has been discussed. The impact of mitigation of energy holes on the network lifetime and energy efficiency has been thoroughly covered. The particular focus of this work has been on energy-efficient practices in two major key enablers of smart cities namely, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). In addition, this paper presents a robust survey of state-of-the-art energy-efficient routing and clustering methods in WSNs. A niche energy efficiency issue in WSNs routing has been identified as energy holes and a detailed survey and evaluation of various techniques that mitigate the formation of energy holes and achieve balanced energy-efficient routing has been covered.

Background: Treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have evolved in the era of biologics. However, the real-world data on their usage patterns and sequencing are still limited. Objectives: We aimed to investigate treatment persistence and dose intensification of first- and second-line biologics in patients with IBD. Design: In this retrospective, cohort study using nationwide claims data, 13,087 patients with IBD initiating biologic therapy between 2010 and 2020 were identified. Methods: Treatment persistence and dose intensification during the first 2 years and switching patterns of biologics were analysed while identifying predictors of non-persistence. Results: As a first-line treatment of Crohn’s disease (CD), ustekinumab had a lower risk for non-persistence compared to infliximab [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.69, p = 0.048]. Second-line ustekinumab and vedolizumab showed the highest and lowest persistence (79.2% and 54.9%), respectively. As a first-line treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC), golimumab had a higher risk for non-persistence compared to infliximab (aHR, 1.68, p

Background/Aims: Anorectal functions are influenced by gender and age. This study sought to define the normal anorectal pressure values measured with conventional anorectal manometry (ARM) and to evaluate the effects of age and gender on anorectal function in asymptomatic subjects. Methods: Conventional ARM was used to measure the anorectal pressures of 164 asymptomatic healthy subjects, including 86 males and 76 females. Results: The resting anal pressures of males and females aged >60 years were significantly lower than those ≤60 years (males, 44.09±14.22 vs. 57.45±17.69, p

Airborne NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 (HSRL-2) measurements acquired during the recent NASA Earth Venture Suborbital-3 (EVS-3) Aerosol Cloud Meteorology Interactions over the Western Atlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) revealed elevated particulate linear depolarization associated with aerosols within the marine boundary layer. These observations were acquired off the east coast of the United States during both winter and summer 2020 and 2021 when the HSRL-2 was deployed on the NASA LaRC King Air aircraft. During 20 of 63 total flight days, particularly on days with cold air outbreaks, linear particulate depolarization at 532 nm exceeded 0.15–0.20 within the lowest several hundred meters of the atmosphere, indicating that these particles were non-spherical. Higher values of linear depolarization typically were measured at 355 nm and lower values were measured at 1,064 nm. Several lines of evidence suggest that these non-spherical particles were sea salt including aerosol extinction/backscatter ratio (“lidar ratio”) values of 20–25 sr measured at both 355 and 532 nm by the HSRL-2, higher values of particulate depolarization measured at low (< 60%) relative humidity, coincident airborne in situ size and composition measurements, and aerosol transport simulations. The elevated aerosol depolarization values were not correlated with wind speed but were correlated with salt mass fraction and effective radius of the aerosol when the relative humidity was below 60%. HSRL-2 measured median particulate extinction values of about 20 Mm−1 at 532 nm associated with these non-spherical sea salt particles and found that the aerosol optical depth (AOD) contributed by these particles remained small (0.03–0.04) but represented on average about 30%–40% of the total column AOD. Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) spaceborne lidar aerosol measurements during several cold air outbreaks and CALIOP retrievals of column aerosol lidar ratio using column AOD constraints suggest that CALIOP operational aerosol algorithms can misclassify these aerosols as dusty marine rather than marine aerosols. Such misclassification leads to ∼40–50% overestimates in the assumed lidar ratio and in subsequent retrievals of aerosol optical depth and aerosol extinction.

This study aimed to evaluate bacterial and fungal biomarkers to differentiate patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), predict the IBD prognosis, and determine the relationship of these biomarkers with IBD pathogenesis. The composition and function of bacteria and fungi in stool from 100 IBD patients and 97 controls were profiled using next-generation sequencing. We evaluated the cumulative risk of relapse according to bacterial and fungal enterotypes. The microbiome and mycobiome alpha diversity in IBD patients were significantly lower and higher than in the controls, respectively; the micro/mycobiome beta diversity differed significantly between IBD patients and the controls. Ruminococcus gnavus, Cyberlindnera jadinii, and Candida tropicalis increased in IBD patients. Combining functional and species analyses revealed that lower sugar import and higher modified polysaccharide production were associated with IBD pathogenesis. Tricarboxylic acid cycling consuming acetyl CoA was higher in IBD patients than the controls, leading to lower short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) fermentation. Bacterial and fungal enterotypes were not associated with IBD relapse. We found differences in bacterial and fungal species between IBD patients and controls. A working model for the role of gut bacteria in IBD pathogenesis is proposed, wherein bacterial species increase modified N-glycan production and decrease SCFA fermentation.

Background/Aims: Less invasive surgical treatment is performed in East Asia to preserve postoperative digestive function and reduce complications such as postgastrectomy syndromes, but there is an issue of metachronous gastric cancer (GC) in the remaining stomach. This study aimed to analyze the incidence of metachronous GC and its risk factors in patients who had undergone partial gastrectomy. Methods: A total of 3,045 GC patients who had undergone curative gastric partial resection at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively for risk factors, including age, sex, smoking, alcohol, Helicobacter pylori status, family history of GC, histological type, and surgical method. Results: Metachronous GC in the remaining stomach occurred in 35 of the 3,045 patients (1.1%): 23 in the distal gastrectomy group (18 with Billroth-I anastomosis, five with Billroth-II anastomosis), seven in the proximal gastrectomy (PG) group, and five in the pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) group. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that age ≥60 years (p=0.005) and surgical method used (PG or PPG, p

Background/Aims The long-term effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on the metabolic syndrome or diabetes are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or prediabetes mellitus (preDM). Methods A total of 124 asymptomatic subjects with T2DM or preDM were divided into H. pylori-negative (n = 40), H. pylori-positive with non-eradicated (n = 34), and eradicated (n = 50) groups. We measured H. pylori status (culture, histology, and rapid urease test) and glycated hemoglobin A1c (A1C) levels and followed-up at the 1st year and the 5th year of follow-up. Results The A1C levels significantly decreased in the eradicated group compared to the negative group and the non-eradicated groups (at the 1st year, p = 0.024; at the 5th year, p = 0.009). The A1C levels decreased in male, and/or subjects < 65 years of age in subgroup analyses (in male subjects, p = 0.047 and p = 0.020 at the 1st and the 5th year; in subjects < 65 years of age, p = 0.028 and p = 0.006 at the 1st and the 5th year; in male subjects < 65 years of age, p = 0.039 and p = 0.032 at the 1st and the 5th year). The eradication of H. pylori was related to the decrease in A1C values throughout the follow-up period, compared to the non-eradicated group (p = 0.017). Conclusions H. pylori eradication was related to the decreasing of A1C levels in patients with T2DM or preDM over a long-term follow-up period, especially in male and subjects < 65 years of age.

Background With increasing life expectancy, the incidence of gastric cancer (GC) in older adults is increasing. This study analyzed differences in GC characteristics according to age and sex among patients who underwent surgical treatment for GC. Methods A total of 2,983 patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent surgical treatment at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 2003 and 2017 were classified into three groups: I (

Some recent researches have shown that the energy consumption problem caused by data collection in a wireless sensor network (WSN) based on a static data collector is a main threat to the network lifetime. However, with the progress of the mobile terminal technology, the implementation of mobile data collectors (MDCs) has become more popular in large-scale WSNs, but it remains a big problem to improve the Quality of Service (QoS) criteria and minimize the energy consumption at the same time. However, most existing systems based on MDCs do not successfully strike a balance between routing energy consumption and QoS. In addition, most WSN protocols fail to maintain their impact when the network topology changes. Thus, for a dynamic WSN, it is important to support an intelligent MDC to continue data propagation despite the inevitable changes in the WSN topology. Considering all the above challenges, we propose a new intelligent MDC based on the traveling salesman problem (TSP) to determine the optimal path traveled by the MDC for energy efficiency and latency. Specifically, our proposed Mobile Data Collectors-Traveling Salesman Problem-Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy-K-Means (MDC-TSP-LEACH-K) protocol uses K-Means and Grid clustering algorithm to decrease energy consumption in the cluster head (CH) election phase. Additionally, MDC is utilized as an intermediate between CH and the sink to further enhance the QoS of WSNs, to reduce delays while collecting data, and improve the transmission phase of the LEACH protocol.

Background/AimsThe Flos Lonicera extract GCWB104 has been shown to have significant protective effects against gastritis and gastric ulcers in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of GCWB104 in subjects with functional dyspepsia (FD).Methods : In this single-center, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 92 subjects diagnosed with FD using the Rome III criteria were allocated to either the test group (300 mg of GCWB104, containing 125 mg of Flos Lonicera extract, twice daily) or the placebo group (300 mg placebo, twice daily). The total score improvement on the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) for individual symptoms, changes in antioxidant levels, changes in dyspepsia-related quality of life according to the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI), and adverse effects were compared before and after 8 weeks of treatment.Results : The differences in total GSRS scores and score improvements after 8 weeks of treatment were significant between the GCWB104 and control groups (p=0.0452 and p=0.0486, respectively). Thirteen of 15 individual symptoms on the GSRS improved in the GCWB104 group, while six symptoms improved in the control group. In addition, statistically significant changes in rumbling, loose stool, and stool urgency were observed in the GCWB104 group. Blood 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, known as antioxidants, showed significant reductions after 8 weeks of administration of GCWB104. There were no adverse events related to treatment with GCWB104.Conclusion : sGCWB104 safely contributed to improvements in mild to moderate FD and irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Antioxidant effects of GCWB104 were also suggested (Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT04008901).

Energy internet (EI) is a very complex system with various applications that not only require a high-level of cyber-security but also need low-latency communication. Thus, cyberinfrastructure with latency-optimal network intelligence services (NIS), in which application data flows are deeply examined in real-time, is inevitable. In the future internet system, a set of NIS can flexibly be implemented in network function virtualization (NFV)-based middleboxes that overlay on software-defined networking (SDN) architecture, becoming an SDN/NFV-based cyberinfrastructure. However, how to deploy these middleboxes is a non-deterministic optimization problem, which is complicated and time-consuming. Hence, by focusing on latency minimization, we develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solution consisted of two phases. First, middleboxes placement based on the graph cluster analysis, and second, NIS resource allocation based on the prediction of service usage-ratio in each corresponding cluster. The simulation-based experimental evaluation shows that our proposed strategy using an optimized K-means algorithm outperforms the recent state-of-the-art middleboxes placement approaches. The average end-to-end flow latencies are around 23.81%, 18.44%, and 11.49% lower compared with the simulated annealing method, the basic sequential algorithmic scheme, and the minimum spanning tree procedure, respectively. Besides, the proposed resource allocation scheme optimizes further the latency minimization around 4.24%. We believe that the work presented in this paper will aid the communication service providers (CSP) in providing a secure and low-latency SDN/NFV-based cyberinfrastructure for the EI ecosystem.

A challenging aspect of conducting airborne in situ observations of the atmosphere is how to optimize flight plans for specific objectives and constraints associated with weather and flight restrictions. For aerosol-cloud interaction research, two recent campaigns utilized a “stairstepping” approach whereby an aircraft conducts level legs at various altitudes while moving forward with each subsequent leg: the 2019 MONterey Aerosol Research Campaign (MONARC) over the northeast Pacific and the 2020–2022 Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) over the northwest Atlantic. We examine the homogeneity of several atmospheric variables both vertically and horizontally in the marine boundary layer with a focus on the sub-cloud environment. In well-mixed boundary layers, there was generally good horizontal and vertical homogeneity in potential temperature, winds, water vapor mixing ratio, various trace gases, and many aerosol variables. Selected aerosol variables exhibited the most variability owing to sensitivity to humidity and near-cloud conditions (supermicrometer aerosol concentrations), coastal pollution gradients (e.g., organic aerosol mass), and small spatial scale phenomena such as new particle formation (aerosol number concentration for particles with diameter >3 nm). Illustrative cases are described when stairstepping can pose issues requiring extra caution for data analysis: (i) poor vertical mixing and layers decoupled from those below; (ii) multiple cloud layers; (iii) fluctuating cloud base/top and boundary layer top heights; and (iv) horizontal variability across specific features leading to sharp gradients such as right near coastlines and over the Gulf Stream with strong sea surface temperature changes. Results from this study provide a guide both for future studies aiming to examine these mission datasets and for designing new airborne campaigns.

The deep learning (DL) approaches in smart grid (SG) describes the possibility of shifting the energy industry into a modern era of reliable and sustainable energy networks. This paper proposes a time-series clustering framework with multi-step time-series sequence to sequence (Seq2Seq) long short-term memory (LSTM) load forecasting strategy for households. Specifically, we investigate a clustering-based Seq2Seq LSTM electricity load forecasting model to undertake an energy load forecasting problem, where information input to the model contains individual appliances and aggregate energy as historical data of households. The original dataset is preprocessed, and forwarded to a multi-step time-series learning model which reduces the training time and guarantees convergence for energy forecasting. Furthermore, simulation results show the accuracy performance of the proposed model by validation and testing cluster data, which shows a promising potential of the proposed predictive model.

With the development of advanced information technology, the current battlefield situation is in need of a new way of fighting that "situation judgment-determination-response" can proceed simultaneously. The dronebot combat system developed so far is not enough to satisfy the new paradigm combat system. This is a time when it is desperately necessary to establish a network capable of performing "situation judgment-determination-response". There is a need to establish an integrated control system capable of efficiently operating and controlling the defense dronebot combat system and visualizing the dronebot. The infrastructure network is essential to establish an integrated control system for managing the dronebot combat system. To build an integrated defense system for defense drones, the current paper aimed to establish a simultaneous infrastructure network system (a dronebot combat system, PS-LTE (disaster network), TICN (military tactical communication network)). Especially, it is necessary for setting such integrated defense system for defense drones. In the sense, the contribution of this study is to suggest the direction of development of a control system and controls and integrates various drones in the South Korean Army that set up a dronebot specialized unit in the future.

Abstract Ecosystem function (particularly CO2 fluxes and the subsequent atmospheric transport), synoptic‐scale weather (e.g., midlatitude cyclones), and interactions between ecosystems and the atmosphere can be investigated using a weather‐biosphere‐online‐coupled model. The Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) was coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in 2008 to simulate “weather‐aware” biospheric CO2 fluxes and subsequent transport and dispersion. The ability of the coupled WRF‐VPRM modeling system to simulate the CO2 structures within midlatitude cyclones, however, has not been evaluated due to the lack of data within these weather systems. In this study, VPRM parameters previously calibrated off‐line using eddy covariance tower data over North America are implemented into WRF‐VPRM. The updated WRF‐VPRM is then used to simulate spatiotemporal variations of CO2 over the contiguous United States at a horizontal grid spacing of 12 km for 2016 using an optimized downscaling configuration. The downscaled fields are evaluated using remotely sensed data from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory‐2, Total Carbon Column Observing Network, and in situ aircraft measurements from Atmospheric Carbon and Transport‐America missions. Evaluations show that WRF‐VPRM captures the monthly variation of column‐averaged CO2 concentrations (XCO2) and episodic variations associated with frontal passages. The downscaling also successfully captures the horizontal CO2 gradients across fronts and vertical CO2 contrast between the boundary layer and the free troposphere. WRF‐VPRM modeling results indicate that from May to September, biogenic fluxes dominate variability in XCO2 over most of the contiguous United States, except over a few metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles.

We conducted regional scale CO2 simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) coupled with the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM). We contrasted simulated concentrations with column, ground and aircraft observations during the Korea-United States Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) 2016 field campaign. Overall, WRF-VPRM slightly underestimates CO2 concentrations at ground and column monitoring sites, but it significantly underestimates at an inland tower measurement site, especially within the stable (nocturnal) boundary layer in nighttime. The model successfully captures the airborne vertical profiles but showed a large offset within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) in the areas surrounding Seoul and around the Taeahn point source emissions in the west coastal area of the Korean Peninsula. A case study flight intended to capture Chinese influence observed no clear signals of long-range transport of CO2, due mainly to the much larger magnitude of background CO2 concentrations. The calculated Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) with flux measurements at a tower site in the South Korean Peninsula has also been evaluated comparing with CO2 flux measurements at a flux tower site, resulting in the underestimation by less than a factor of 1.

The Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) has a population of 24 million and frequently experiences unhealthy levels of ozone (O3). In this work, measurements taken during the Korea-United States Air Quality Study (KORUS-AQ, 2016) are used to explore regional gradients in O3 and its chemical precursors, and an observationally-constrained 0-D photochemical box model is used to quantify key aspects of O3 production including its sensitivity to precursor gases. Box model performance was evaluated by comparing modeled concentrations of select secondary species to airborne measurements. These comparisons indicate that the steady state assumption used in 0-D box models cannot describe select intermediate species, highlighting the importance of having a broad suite of trace gases as model constraints. When fully constrained, aggregated statistics of modeled O production rates agreed with observed changes in O3, indicating that the box model was able to represent the majority of O3 chemistry. Comparison of airborne observations between urban Seoul and a downwind receptor site reveal a positive gradient in O3 coinciding with a negative gradient in NOx, no gradient in CH2O, and a slight positive gradient in modeled rates of O3 production. Together, these observations indicate a radical-limited (VOC-limited) O3 production environment in the SMA. Zero-out simulations identified C7+ aromatics as the dominant VOC contributors to O3 production, with isoprene and anthropogenic alkenes making smaller but appreciable contributions. Simulations of model sensitivity to decreases in NOx produced results that were not spatially uniform, with large increases in O3 production predicted for urban Seoul and decreases in O3 production predicted for far-outlying areas. The policy implications of this work are clear: Effective O3 mitigation strategies in the SMA must focus on reducing local emissions of C7+ aromatics, while reductions in NOx emissions may increase O3 in some areas but generally decrease the regional extent of O3 exposure.

Although the performance of the weapon system is becoming more advanced and precise with the development of science and technology, the development of such technology can significantly affect the performance of the weapon system by shortening the life cycle of the component. the purpose of this study is to explore solutions for smooth operation and maintenance through examples and establish alternatives. Among the various weapons systems, the combined weapons system, vessel, is becoming incomparably complex and diverse in structure with the help of the development of electric and electronic technologies. Among them, the combat system is the system that has the greatest impact on the functions of the ship as it is operated in conjunction with various mounting equipment, and so component shutdown control is a representative of the projects that are needed first. Therefore, in this study, we propose a case-by-case alternative by analyzing the progress of the end-of-life management work through the case of the Jangbogo-III combat system development project, which was the first project to apply the component control program and the Refresh program in Korea, and we propose a process for component discontinuation management during the total life cycle of the entire period for the incomplete information. The analysis results and processes from the examples presented in this study are expected to contribute to increasing reliability and availability as well as budget savings in the acquisition and maintenance stages of weapons systems in the future.

This paper presents an internet of things (IoTs) enabled smart meter with energy-efficient simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) for the wireless powered smart grid communication network. The SWIPT technique with energy harvesting (EH) is an attractive solution for prolonging the battery life of ultra-low power devices. The motivation for energy efficiency (EE) maximization is to increase the efficient use of energy and improve the battery life of the IoT devices embedded in smart meter. In the system model, the smart meter is equipped with an IoT device, which implements the SWIPT technique in power splitting (PS) mode. This paper aims at the EE maximization and considers the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing distributed antenna system (OFDM-DAS) for the smart meters in the downlink with IoT enabled PS-SWIPT system. The EE maximization is a nonlinear and non-convex optimization problem. We propose an optimal power allocation algorithm for the non-convex EE maximization problem by the Lagrange method and proportional fairness to optimal power allocation among smart meters. The proposed algorithm shows a clear advantage, where total power consumption is considered in the EE maximization with energy constraints. Furthermore, EE vs. spectral efficiency (SE) tradeoff is investigated. The results of our algorithm reveal that EE improves with EH requirements.

The capability of an airborne 2-μm integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar for high-accuracy and high-precision active remote sensing of weighted-average column dry-air volume mixing ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide (XCO2) is demonstrated. A test flight was conducted over the costal oceanic region of the USA to assess instrument performance during severe weather. The IPDA targets CO2 R30 absorption line using high-energy 2-μm laser transmitter. HgCdTe avalanche photodiode detection system is used in the receiver. Updated instrument model included range correction factor to account for platform attitude. Error budget for XCO2 retrieval predicts lower random error for longer sensing column length. Systematic error is dominated by water vapor (H2O) through dry-air number density derivation, followed by H2O interference and ranging related uncertainties. IPDA XCO2 retrieval results in 404.43 ± 1.23 ppm, as compared to 405.49 ± 0.01 ppm from prediction models, using consistent reflectivity and steady elevation oceanic surface target. This translates to 0.26% and 0.30% relative accuracy and precision, respectively. During gradual spiral descend, IPDA results in 404.89 ± 1.19 ppm as compared model of 404.75 ± 0.73 ppm indicating 0.04% and 0.23% relative accuracy, respectively. Challenging cloud targets limited retrieval accuracy and precision to 2.56% and 4.78%, respectively, due to H2O and ranging errors.

Autogenous and allogeneic demineralized dentin matrices (Auto-DDM and Allo-DDM, respectively) are currently used for guided bone regeneration (GBR). Buccal marginal bone (BMB) resorption is critical for successful implant integration. This study analyzed BMB resorption around dental implants for GBR between the control group (Auto-DDM graft) and experimental group (Allo-DDM graft). From 2014 to 2019, we enrolled 96 patients (59 males, 37 females, average 57.13 years) who received GBR (52 and 44 using Allo-DDM and Auto-DDM, respectively,) without a barrier membrane and a simultaneous single dental implantation (54 in the maxilla and 42 in the mandible). BMB height was measured immediately after GBR, at prosthetic loading, and 12 months after loading. BMB resorption was classified as initial resorption (between GBR and prosthetic loading) and functional resorption (during 12 months after prosthetic loading). The differences in the BMB levels of Auto-DDM and Allo-DDM were analyzed between the initial and functional resorption stages by independent sample t-test. Auto-DDM and Allo-DDM showed similar BMB changes in initial resorption (0.73 ± 0.97 and 0.72 ± 0.77 mm, respectively) and functional resorption (0.69 ± 0.81 and 0.48 ± 0.58 mm, respectively) without a significant difference between the maxilla and mandible. For GBR, Allo-DDM is comparable to Auto-DDM in terms of BMB resorption.

Paradigm shift to wireless power transfer provides opportunities for ultra-low-power devices to increase energy storage from electromagnetic (EM) sources. The notable gain occurs when EM sources deliver information as a meaningful signal with power transfer. Thus, energy harvesting (EH) is an active approach to obtain power from surrounding EM sources that transfer energy deliberately. This paper discusses energy efficiency (EE) trade-offs and EE maximization in simultaneous wireless power and information transfer (SWIPT) for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The power splitting (PS) and time switching (TS) model for SWIPT are investigated in detail, where EE optimization is essential. This work formulates EE maximization problem as non-linear fractional programming and proposes a novel algorithm to solve the maximization problem using Lagrange dual decomposition. Numerical results reveal that the proposed algorithm maximizes EE in both PS and TS modes through noteworthy improvements.

Purpose: Results of initial endoscopic biopsy of gastric lesions often differ from those of the final pathological diagnosis. We evaluated whether an artificial intelligence-based gastric lesion detection and diagnostic system, ENdoscopy as AI-powered Device Computer Aided Diagnosis for Gastroscopy (ENAD CAD-G), could reduce this discrepancy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected 24,948 endoscopic images of early gastric cancers (EGCs), dysplasia, and benign lesions from 9,892 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy between 2011 and 2021. The diagnostic performance of ENAD CAD-G was evaluated using the following real-world datasets: patients referred from community clinics with initial biopsy results of atypia (n=154), participants who underwent endoscopic resection for neoplasms (Internal video set, n=140), and participants who underwent endoscopy for screening or suspicion of gastric neoplasm referred from community clinics (External video set, n=296). Results: ENAD CAD-G classified the referred gastric lesions of atypia into EGC (accuracy, 82.47%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 76.46%–88.47%), dysplasia (88.31%; 83.24%– 93.39%), and benign lesions (83.12%; 77.20%–89.03%). In the Internal video set, ENAD CAD-G identified dysplasia and EGC with diagnostic accuracies of 88.57% (95% CI, 83.30%– 93.84%) and 91.43% (86.79%–96.07%), respectively, compared with an accuracy of 60.71% (52.62%–68.80%) for the initial biopsy results (P<0.001). In the External video set, ENAD CAD-G classified EGC, dysplasia, and benign lesions with diagnostic accuracies of 87.50% (83.73%–91.27%), 90.54% (87.21%–93.87%), and 88.85% (85.27%–92.44%), respectively. Conclusions: ENAD CAD-G is superior to initial biopsy for the detection and diagnosis of gastric lesions that require endoscopic resection. ENAD CAD-G can assist community endoscopists in identifying gastric lesions that require endoscopic resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote marine regions comprise a high fraction of Earth's surface, but in-situ vertically-resolved measurements over these locations remain scarce. Here we use airborne data during 15 vertical spiral soundings (0.15 -8.5 km) over Bermuda during the NASA Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions over the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) to investigate the impact of different source regions on the vertical structure of trace gases, aerosol particles, and meteorological variables over 1000 km offshore of the U.S. East Coast. Results reveal significant differences in vertical profiles of variables between three different air mass source categories (North America, Ocean, Caribbean/North Africa) identified using the HYSPLIT model: (i) the strongest/weakest pollution signature from North America/Ocean category; (ii) North American air has the highest levels of CO, CH4, submicron particle number concentration, AMS mass, and highest organic mass fraction along with smoke layers in free troposphere (FT); (iii) Ocean air has the highest relative amount of nitrate, non-sea-salt sulfate, and oxalate, which are key acidic species participating in chloride depletion; (iv) pronounced coarse aerosol signature in the FT and reduced aerosol hygroscopicity in air masses from the Caribbean/North Africa associated with dust transport; and (v) considerable vertical heterogeneity for almost all variables examined, including higher O3 and submicron particle concentrations with altitude, suggestive that the FT is a potential contributor of both constituents in the marine boundary layer. This study highlights the importance of considering air mass source origin and vertical resolution to capture aerosol and trace gas properties over remote marine areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The western North Atlantic Ocean is strongly influenced by continental outflow, making it an ideal region to study the atmospheric transition from a polluted coastline to the marine environment. Utilizing eight transit flights between NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, Virginia and the remote island of Bermuda from NASA's Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE), we examine the evolution of trace gas and aerosol properties off the U.S. East Coast. The first pair of flights flew along the wind trajectory of continental outflow, while the other flights captured a mix of marine and continental air mass sources. For measurements within the boundary layer (BL), there was an offshore decline in particle N<100 nm, N>100 nm, CH4, CO, and CO2 concentrations, all leveling off around ~900 km offshore from LaRC. These trends are strongest for the first pair of flights. In the BL, offshore declines in organic mass fraction and increases in sulfate mass fraction coincide with increasing hygroscopicity based on f(RH) measurements. Free troposphere measurements show a decline in N<100 nm but other measured parameters are more variable when compared to the prominent offshore gradients seen in the BL. Pollution layers exist in the free troposphere, such as smoke plumes, that can potentially entrain into the BL. This work provides detailed case studies with a broad set of high-resolution measurements to further our understanding of the transition between continental and marine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims:A high-fat diet (HFD) causes dysbiosis and promotes inflammatory responses in the colon. This study aims to evaluate the effects of Clostridium butyricum on HFD-induced gut microbial changes in rats. Methods: Six-week-old Fischer-344 rats with both sexes were given a control or HFD during 8 weeks, and 1-to-100-fold diluted Clostridium butyricum were administered by gavage. Fecal microbiota analyses were conducted using 16S ribosomal RNA metagenomic sequencing and predictive functional profiling of microbial communities in metabolism. Results: A significant increase in Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, which are butyric acid-producing bacterial families, was observed in the probiotics groups depending on sex. In contrast, Akkermansia muciniphila, which increased through a HFD regardless of sex, and decreased in the probiotics groups. A. muciniphila positively correlated with Claudin-1 expression in males (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the expression of Claudin-2 (P = 0.042), IL-1β (P = 0.037), and IL-6 (P = 0.044) in females. In terms of functional analyses, a HFD decreased the relative abundances of M00131 (carbohydrate metabolism module), M00579, and M00608 (energy metabolism), and increased those of M00307 (carbohydrate metabolism), regardless of sex. However, these changes recovered especially in male C. butyricum groups. Furthermore, M00131, M00579, and M00608 showed a positive correlation and M00307 showed a negative correlation with the relative abundance of A. muciniphila (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The beneficial effects of C. butyricum on HFD-induced gut dysbiosis in young male rats originate from the functional profiles of carbohydrate and energy metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]