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Summary: Osteoporosis increases the risk of periprosthetic distal femoral fractures after TKA, especially in patients with a history of osteoporotic fractures. Therefore, careful assessment and proper treatment of osteoporosis need and the importance of taking osteoporotic medication needs to be recognized by the patients following primary TKA. Purpose: Osteoporosis is a risk factor for fractures, including those of the hip, vertebrae, and distal radius; however, the association between osteoporosis and periprosthetic fractures after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has not been much investigated. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association of the presence of systemic osteoporosis with periprosthetic fractures after TKA. Methods: This study included 34 patients with periprosthetic fractures following primary TKA and 106 controls matched for age and sex. Bone mineral density was evaluated at the femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine using dual X-ray absorptiometry. Medical records were reviewed for age; sex; body mass index; smoking; rheumatoid arthritis, endocrine diseases, and cardiovascular diseases; history of glucocorticoid use; medication for osteoporosis; and history of previous osteoporotic fracture. In addition, anterior femoral notching after TKA was evaluated. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to determine factors associated with periprosthetic fracture. Results: The prevalence of osteoporosis in the fracture group was higher than that in the control group (61.8% vs. 40.6%, p=0.045). The rate of medication for osteoporosis was significantly low in the fracture group (47.6 % vs 76.7%, p=0.026). History of previous osteoporotic fracture (odds ratio [OR], 9.1; p=0.015) and osteoporosis (OR, 3.6; p=0.013) were significant risk factors for periprosthetic fractures after TKA. Medication for osteoporosis could decrease the risk of periprosthetic fracture (OR 0.3; p=0.020). Conclusion: Osteoporosis is a major risk factor for periprosthetic distal femoral fractures after TKA. Therefore, careful assessment and proper treatment of osteoporosis need and the importance of taking osteoporotic medication needs to be recognized to the patients following primary TKA, especially in patients with a history of osteoporotic fracture. Level of evidence: Prognostic study, level III [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of providing datasets for simulations of electron transport processes in the upper atmosphere, we measured singly differential elastic electron scattering and doubly differential electron-impact ionization cross sections of nitrous oxide. These measurements were conducted for primary electron energies between 30 eV and 1 keV in the angular range of 20°–150°. Secondary electron energies spanned from 4 eV to approximately half of the primary electron energy. In addition to the measurements, the differential elastic scattering cross sections of nitrous oxide were calculated using the IAM-SCAR + I model. Furthermore, the singly differential and total ionization cross sections of nitrous oxide were obtained by integrating the doubly differential ionization cross sections over emission angle and over both emission angle and secondary electron energy, respectively. These cross sections were compared to calculations performed using the BEB model and to experimental results of other groups, who determined the total ionization cross sections of nitrous oxide by collecting ions generated during electron impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife can carry pathogenic organisms, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi, which can spread to humans and cause mild to serious illnesses and even death. Spreading through animal feces, these pathogens significantly contributes to the global burden of human diseases. Therefore, the present study investigated the prevalence of zoonotic bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), in animal feces. Between September 2015 and August 2017, 699 wildlife fecal samples were collected from various agricultural production regions and mountainous areas in South Korea. Fecal samples were collected from wild mammals (85.26%, 596/699) and birds (14.73%, 103/699). Salmonella spp. and E. coli were present in 3% (21/699) and 45.63% (319/699) of the samples, respectively. Moreover, virulence genes stx1 and both stx1 and stx2 were detected in 13.30% (93/699) and 0.72% (5/699) of the samples, respectively. The 21 Salmonella spp. were detected in badgers (n = 5), leopard cats (n = 7), wild boars (n = 2), and magpies (n = 7); STEC was detected in roe deer, water deer, mice, and wild boars. Through phylogenetic and gene-network analyses, the Salmonella spp. isolates (n = 21 laboratory isolates, at least one isolate from each Salmonella-positive animal fecal sample, and n = 6 widely prevalent reference Salmonella serovars) were grouped into two major lineages: S. enterica subsp. enterica and S. enterica subsp. diarizonae. Similarly, 93 E. coli isolates belonged to stx1, including three major lineages (groups 1–3), and stx1 and stx2 detected groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a wild leopard cat serving as a reservoir for Salmonella spp. in South Korea. The research findings can help manage the potential risk of wildlife contamination and improve precautionary measures to protect public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new formulation for the displacement‐only partitioned equations of motion for linear structures is presented, which employs: the partitioned displacement, acceleration, and applied force (d,d¨,f$$ \mathbf{d},\ddot{\mathbf{d}},\mathbf{f} $$); the partitioned block diagonal mass and stiffness matrices (M,K$$ \mathbf{M},\mathbf{K} $$); and, the coupling projector (풫d), yielding the partitioned coupled equations of motion: Md¨=풫d(f−Kd). The key element of the proposed formulation is the coupling projector (풫d) which can be constructed with the partitioned mass matrix (M$$ \mathbf{M} $$), the Boolean matrix that extracts the partition boundary degrees of freedom (B$$ \mathbf{B} $$), and the assembly matrix (Lg$$ {\mathbf{L}}_g $$) relating the assembled displacements (dg$$ {\mathbf{d}}_g $$) to the partitioned displacements (d$$ \mathbf{d} $$) via (d=Lgdg)$$ \left(\mathbf{d}={\mathbf{L}}_g{\mathbf{d}}_g\right) $$. Potential utility of the proposed formulation is illustrated as applied to six proof‐of‐concept problems in an ideal setting: unconditionally stable explicit‐implicit transient analysis, static parallel analysis in an iterative solution mode; reduced‐order modeling (component mode synthesis); localized damage identification which can pinpoint damage locations; a new procedure for partitioned structural optimization; and, partitioned modeling of multiphysics problems. Realistic applications of the proposed formulation are presently being carried out and will be reported in separate reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent cosmological analyses with large-scale structure and weak lensing measurements, usually referred to as 3 × 2pt, had to discard a lot of signal to noise from small scales due to our inability to accurately model non-linearities and baryonic effects. Galaxy–galaxy lensing, or the position–shear correlation between lens and source galaxies, is one of the three two-point correlation functions that are included in such analyses, usually estimated with the mean tangential shear. However, tangential shear measurements at a given angular scale θ or physical scale R carry information from all scales below that, forcing the scale cuts applied in real data to be significantly larger than the scale at which theoretical uncertainties become problematic. Recently, there have been a few independent efforts that aim to mitigate the non-locality of the galaxy–galaxy lensing signal. Here, we perform a comparison of the different methods, including the Y-transformation, the point-mass marginalization methodology, and the annular differential surface density statistic. We do the comparison at the cosmological constraints level in a combined galaxy clustering and galaxy–galaxy lensing analysis. We find that all the estimators yield equivalent cosmological results assuming a simulated Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Year 1 like set-up and also when applied to DES Y3 data. With the LSST Y1 set-up, we find that the mitigation schemes yield ∼1.3 times more constraining S 8 results than applying larger scale cuts without using any mitigation scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine accidents are caused by complex and diverse causes. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse accidents from the perspective of the whole system rather than the existing analysis models that focus on cause-effect. The STAMP analysis is a constraint-based model that focuses on improper management or enforcement of safety-related constraints in system operation. Thus, as a case study of the application of the STAMP technique in marine accident analysis, the Milano Bridge pier contact accident that occurred on April 6, 2020 in Busan New Port of South Korea was analysed by the STAMP technique in this study. Through this study, it was proposed to break away from the domestic accident investigation, which focused only on the punishment of the ship operator, and to suggest improvements that enable organizations related to the marine accidents to take initiative to take efforts for safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East Asian marginal seas (EAMS) are one of the fastest‐warming ocean regions globally. This study presents the long‐term trends (1982–2020) of extreme ocean warming events called "marine heatwaves" over the EAMS and examines the relationships between marine heatwave trends and mean SST warming trends. We focus on five subregions with different influences from atmospheric perturbation and ocean currents: the northern East Sea (N‐ES), southern East Sea, Yellow Sea, Korea Strait (KS), and East China Sea (ECS). During the past four decades, marine heatwave duration and intensity in the EAMS have increased to approximately +4 days and +0.3°C per decade on average, respectively. In summer, the positive trend of marine heatwaves is the highest in the ECS, primarily due to the rapidly increasing mean sea surface temperature (SST). In winter, the N‐ES reveals remarkably rapid increases in marine heatwave properties in the last two decades, with increasing rates of approximately 6.2 (4.9) times longer total duration (stronger intensity) than the global average changes. Beyond the impact of the rapid increase in mean SST, the N‐ES marine heatwaves can be further extended due to the northward shift of the East Korea Warm Current. In general, mean SST changes are critical to the increasing trend in marine heatwave duration and intensity. This study further emphasizes that the changes in ocean circulation may expedite more rapid changes in extreme ocean events, which can produce more vulnerability in some places, such as the N‐ES, to marine heatwaves under continued global warming. Plain Language Summary: Extreme warming events of the ocean occurring from several days to weeks significantly impact marine ecosystems. This study investigates the increasing trends of extremely high ocean warming, namely "marine heatwave," over East Asian marginal seas. During the past four decades, marine heatwave duration and intensity have increased to approximately +4 days and +0.3°C per decade on average, respectively. Comparing the earlier period (1982–2000) and the recent period (2001–2020), the most dramatic changes in marine heatwave properties, including frequency, duration, and intensity, occur in the northern East Sea in winter, significantly increasing 763.33% in duration. During summer, the East China Sea reveals the most significant increasing ratio of marine heatwave properties, with change rates of 227.07% in duration. Marine heatwave characteristics have a statistically increasing trend in both seasons in most regions due to global warming. Beyond the impact of the change in mean SST, we find the change in SST variance via shifting ocean current leads to the excessive trend of marine heatwaves. Key Points: East Asian Marine heatwave duration and intensity have enhanced to approximately +4 days and +0.3°C per decadeDuring winter, the marine heatwave duration over northern East Sea regions experiences a dramatic increase of 763.33%, much higher than the global average increase of 122.63%Northward ocean current variance is a significant factor in the excessive increase of marine heatwave duration, in addition to the changing mean sea surface temperature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock grazing exclusion is the most widely used grassland restoration strategy. However, the impacts of long-term grazing exclusion remain unknown. To clarify the impacts of long-term grazing exclusion on plant and soil features, we examined the plant biomass, plant diversity, and the physical, chemical, and enzymatic soil properties of an area with a history of 40 years of grazing exclusion within the Xinlin Gol grassland of China. Our results showed that grazing exclusion increased the plant diversity and biomass effectively, especially the gramineous, forb, and shrub biomass and the forb and shrub diversity. In addition, grazing exclusion reduced the bulk density of the soil, increased its water content, amount of organic matter, and available nitrogen content, and slowed down the decreasing trend in the amount of total nitrogen with the increase in soil depth. Plant biomass and litter mass was identified as important to connecting plant features and soil nutrient content. In particular, shrub biomass and diversity characteristics were positively correlated with each other, and had the closest coupling with soil properties among all plant functional groups. After considering the results, we concluded that grazing exclusion can be effective in restoring a natural grassland environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia are often reported as co-morbid conditions. However, the evidence of an association between OCD and the risk of schizophrenia is limited. This study investigated the risk of schizophrenia in patients newly diagnosed with OCD using a nationally representative sample cohort in South Korea. Methods. Data were obtained from the 2002-2013 Korean National Health Insurance Service- National Sample Cohort of the National Health Insurance Service. Using propensity score matching, 2509 patients with OCD and a control group of 7527 patients were included in the analysis. Chi-squared tests were used to investigate and compare the general characteristics of the study population. The risk of schizophrenia was analysed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results. The incidence rate was 45.79/10 000 person-year for patients with OCD and 4.19/10 000 person-year for patients without OCD. Patients with OCD had a higher risk of schizophrenia compared to the control group after adjusting for covariates (hazard ratio = 10.46, 95% confidence interval = 6.07-18.00). Conclusions. This study identified an association between the diagnosis of OCD and the risk of schizophrenia in a South Korean national representative cohort. Further research using a prospective design to clarify the causality of OCD in schizophrenia in a controlled environment should be conducted to validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous photo-electro-Fenton oxidation (hPEF) is known to be a robust technique, which can be employed for promoting organic degradation. This paper describes an environmentally friendly approach with the combination of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis in less acidic pH, aiming to achieve faster mineralization of a pharmaceutical micropollutant without adding any external oxidants. TiO2/GO/loaded Ag non-active electrodes are synthesized for the degradation of bupropion hydrochloride (antidepressant drug). The present work also seeks the parametric modeling and optimization of hPEF process parameters by using R programming. Nonlinear kinetic modeling was performed for the determination of kinetic parameters. The role of selected process parameters on the mineralization of bupropion was also explained in detail. The OH• and O2•− showed their active participation in the degradation process, while Ag and UV-C played an active role in the disinfection of treated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical methods of solving spatiotemporal dynamical systems include statistical approaches such as autoregressive integrated moving average, which assume linear and stationary relationships between systems' previous outputs. Development and implementation of linear methods are relatively simple, but they often do not capture non-linear relationships in the data. Thus, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are receiving attention from researchers in analyzing and forecasting dynamical systems. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs), derived from feed-forward ANNs, use internal memory to process variable-length sequences of inputs. This allows RNNs to be applicable for finding solutions for a vast variety of problems in spatiotemporal dynamical systems. Thus, in this paper, we utilize RNNs to treat some specific issues associated with dynamical systems. Specifically, we analyze the performance of RNNs applied to three tasks: reconstruction of correct Lorenz solutions for a system with a formulation error, reconstruction of corrupted collective motion trajectories, and forecasting of streamflow time series possessing spikes, representing three fields, namely, ordinary differential equations, collective motion, and hydrological modeling, respectively. We train and test RNNs uniquely in each task to demonstrate the broad applicability of RNNs in the reconstruction and forecasting the dynamics of dynamical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with ALK-positive ALCL, extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, and mycosis fungoides/sezary syndrome were not included in the study. CHOP was favored over ICED in AITL patients, whereas ICED was favored over CHOP in EATL/HSTL patients. B Purpose: b Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, and their prognoses are still poor because of frequent relapses and the absence of optimal standard therapy. [Extracted from the article]

To investigate the prognostic significance of videofluorographic swallowing study (VFSS)-confirmed oropharyngeal dysphagia in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). We reviewed the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with IIM between 2009 and 2020 at Seoul St Mary's Hospital. All oropharyngeal dysphagia cases were limited to VFSS-confirmed dysphagia found during the initial diagnostic work-up for IIM. We described the findings on VFSS and the course of the dysphagic symptoms. Logistic regression and survival analyses were performed to evaluate the risk of pneumonia and mortality, respectively. We found 88 patients with IIM who met the criteria. Among them, 17 patients (19%) had oropharyngeal dysphagia. Except for two cases lost to follow-up and one deceased case, all of the patients with dysphagia (14 of 14) had swallowing function restored within 6 months. The risk of pneumonia within 3 months from the diagnosis of IIM was significant [odds ratio = 4.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–18.88]. The median follow-up duration was 34 and 27 months for the groups without and with dysphagia, respectively. The survival analysis failed to demonstrate that the presence of oropharyngeal dysphagia increased the risk of death (hazard ratio = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.085–7.00). Oropharyngeal dysphagia found at the initial diagnosis of IIM improved within 3–6 months in nearly all cases. Furthermore, IIM patients who had oropharyngeal dysphagia at the initial diagnosis of IIM were not likely to have shorter survival, even if the risk of pneumonia was increased in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is genetically associated with the H1 haplotype of the MAPT 17q.21.31 locus, although the causal gene and variants underlying this association have not been identified. Methods: To better understand the genetic contribution of this region to PD and to identify novel mechanisms conferring risk for the disease, we fine-mapped the 17q21.31 locus by constructing discrete haplotype blocks from genetic data. We used digital PCR to assess copy number variation associated with PD-associated blocks, and used human brain postmortem RNA-seq data to identify candidate genes that were then further investigated using in vitro models and human brain tissue. Results: We identified three novel H1 sub-haplotype blocks across the 17q21.31 locus associated with PD risk. Protective sub-haplotypes were associated with increased LRRC37A/2 copy number and expression in human brain tissue. We found that LRRC37A/2 is a membrane-associated protein that plays a role in cellular migration, chemotaxis and astroglial inflammation. In human substantia nigra, LRRC37A/2 was primarily expressed in astrocytes, interacted directly with soluble α-synuclein, and co-localized with Lewy bodies in PD brain tissue. Conclusion: These data indicate that a novel candidate gene, LRRC37A/2, contributes to the association between the 17q21.31 locus and PD via its interaction with α-synuclein and its effects on astrocytic function and inflammatory response. These data are the first to associate the genetic association at the 17q21.31 locus with PD pathology, and highlight the importance of variation at the 17q21.31 locus in the regulation of multiple genes other than MAPT and KANSL1, as well as its relevance to non-neuronal cell types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terahertz gap is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum where high average and peak power radiation sources are scarce while at the same time scientific and industrial applications are growing in demand. Free-electron laser (FEL) coupling in a magnetic undulator is one of the best options for radiation generation in this frequency range, but slippage effects require the use of relatively long and low-current electron bunches to drive the terahertz FEL, limiting amplification gain and output peak power. Here we use a circular waveguide in a 0.96-m strongly tapered helical undulator to match the radiation and electron-beam velocities, allowing resonant energy extraction from an ultrashort 200-pC 5.5-MeV electron beam over an extended distance. Electron-beam spectrum measurements, supported by energy and spectral measurement of the terahertz FEL radiation, indicate an average energy efficiency of ~10%, with some particles losing >20% of their initial kinetic energy. A single-pass free-electron laser based on a waveguide in a tapered helical undulator is developed. The energy conversion efficiency from a relativistic electron beam to terahertz waves at 0.16 THz is ~10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal hernia repair (TEP) is a widely used treatment for inguinal hernia. Single-incision laparoscopic TEP (SILTEP) has attracted the attention of several surgeons, given its superior cosmetic results and patient satisfaction, as well as comparable outcomes to multiport surgery. Nonetheless, no relevant studies have evaluated the learning curve (LC) of SILTEP in terms of both operation time (OT) and surgical failure. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the LC of SILTEP for inguinal hernia. Methods: Medical records of 180 patients who underwent SILTEP performed by a single surgeon from a single institution between October 2012 and November 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The LC was analyzed using the moving average method and cumulative sum control chart (CUSUM) for OT and surgical failure. Surgical failure was defined as the need for additional ports, open conversion, severe postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥ IIIa), and recurrence. Eight patients who underwent combined surgery or bilateral hernia repair were excluded from the OT analysis. Results: From CUSUM graphs, the study period was divided into three phases: OT-phases 1 (1st–32nd), 2 (33rd–83rd), and 3 (84th–172nd) for OT and failure-phases 1 (1st–29th), 2 (30th–58th), and 3 (59th–180th) for surgical failure. Mean OTs were statistically different in the three OT phases (64.6 vs. 50.8 vs. 35.2 min; p < 0.001). Open conversion (31.0% vs. 0% vs. 2.5%) and additional port insertion (6.9% vs. 24.1% vs. 2.5%) stabilized consecutively at failure-phases 2 and 3 (p < 0.001). Surgical failure rates decreased to 5.7% by failure-phase 3 (37.9% vs. 24.1% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: For an experienced laparoscopic surgeon, we estimated that approximately 60 cases are needed to overcome the LC for SILTEP in terms of both reducing OT and achieving a surgical failure rate < 10%. Further proficiency could be achieved after approximately 85 SILTEP procedures with a stable OT of approximately 35 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The increasing incidence of diabetes is a global concern. Current treatment modalities involving lifestyle modifications and pharmacotherapy are not effective in 50% of patients. Unripe apples contain polyphenols which are known to have antidiabetic effects. To verify the effects of unripe apple extract (UAE), the antioxidant activity of UAE was confirmed using a cell-free DPPH assay; and nitric oxide production and cytotoxicity were investigated in RIN-m5F cells. Biochemical analysis, oral glucose tolerance test, and histological analyses of the pancreas and liver were also conducted. UAE treatment induced hypoglycaemic conditions in alloxan-induced RIN-m5F cells. Further, UAE treatment showed antidiabetic effects in db/db mice by reducing plasma glucose and fructosamine levels without affecting the food intake and body weight. Additionally, UAE improved glucose tolerance and lipid parameters, and restored the pancreatic tissue in db/db mice. These results demonstrated the antidiabetic effects of UAE on alloxan-treated pancreatic islet-derived cells and in db/db mice, and suggested that UAE can be potentially used as a medicine and dietary supplement or functional food in antidiabetic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There remain concerns about the safety and functional benefit of laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (LPPG) compared with laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG). This study evaluated short-term outcomes of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comparing LPPG with LDG for gastric cancer. Methods: The Korean Laparoendoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study (KLASS)-04 trial was an investigator-initiated, open-label, parallel-assigned, superiority, multicentre RCT in Korea. Patients with cT1N0M0 cancer located in the middle third of the stomach at least 5 cm from the pylorus were randomized to undergo LPPG or LDG. Participants, care givers and those assessing the outcomes were not blinded to group assignment. Outcomes were 30-day postoperative morbidity rate and death at 90 days. Results: Some 256 patients from nine institutions were randomized (LPPG 129 patients, LDG 127 patients) between July 2015 and July 2017 and outcomes for 253 patients were analysed. Postoperative complications within 30 days were seen in 19.3 and 15.5 per cent in the LPPG and LDG groups respectively (P=0·419). Postoperative pyloric stenosis was observed in nine (7.2 per cent) and two (1·5 per cent) patients in the LPPG and LDG groups (P=0·026) respectively. In multivariable analysis higher BMI was a risk factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio 1·17, 95 per cent c.i. 1·04 to 1·32; P=0·011). Death at 90 days was zero in both groups. Conclusion: Postoperative complications and mortality was comparable in patients undergoing LPPG and LDG. Registration number: NCT02595086 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying tensions – inconsistencies amongst measurements of cosmological parameters by different experiments – has emerged as a crucial part of modern cosmological data analysis. Statistically significant tensions between two experiments or cosmological probes may indicate new physics extending beyond the standard cosmological model and need to be promptly identified. We apply several tension estimators proposed in the literature to the dark energy survey (DES) large-scale structure measurement and Planck cosmic microwave background data. We first evaluate the responsiveness of these metrics to an input tension artificially introduced between the two, using synthetic DES data. We then apply the metrics to the comparison of Planck and actual DES Year 1 data. We find that the parameter differences, Eigentension, and Suspiciousness metrics all yield similar results on both simulated and real data, while the Bayes ratio is inconsistent with the rest due to its dependence on the prior volume. Using these metrics, we calculate the tension between DES Year 1 3 × 2pt and Planck , finding the surveys to be in ∼2.3σ tension under the ΛCDM paradigm. This suite of metrics provides a toolset for robustly testing tensions in the DES Year 3 data and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Climacteric is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Neutron-transmutation-doped GaAs samples were prepared by irradiating the middle-level neutrons into the semi-insulating GaAs grown by a liquid encapsulated Czochralski method and subsequently implanted with Mn+. The characteristics of the Mn+-implanted neutron-transmutation-doped GaAs (namely, the implantation of Mn+ subsequent to neutron-transmutation-doping) were investigated by various measurements. The result of the energy dispersive x-ray peak displayed an injected Mn concentration of 9.65%. The photoluminescence peaks related to carbon and germanium acceptors were resolved, and the peaks related to Mn due to a neutral Mn acceptor were evidently observed. It is found that the proper activation for the neutral Mn acceptor starts from a relatively low annealing temperature of 600 °C for 15 min. The atomic force microscopy and magnetic forcemicroscopy images showed that magnetic clusters were well formed. The ferromagnetic hysteresis loop measured at 10 K was observed, and the temperature-dependent magnetization revealed that the two different phases exist at 135 and 360 K. The Curie temperature (Tc∼360 K) is caused by MnAs, which agrees with the clusters of the magnetic force microscopy image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the structural and optical properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by migration enhanced epitaxy, with and without arsenic, during indium deposition. The uniformity and size of the quantum dots are enhanced in a sample without arsenic. As a result, narrower and longer wavelength photoluminescence is observed in this sample. Furthermore, the thickness of the wetting layers is reduced by ∼20% in the sample without arsenic, and this result agrees well with the speculation that metallic indium has a smaller driving force for corrugating the InAs wetting layers before they are transformed from two-dimensional to three-dimensional layers. Additionally, the photoluminescence linewidth of the sample without arsenic is insensitive to the cryostat temperature due to two major factors: the reduced thickness of the wetting layers and the enhanced uniformity. In the sample with arsenic, however, the photoluminescence linewidth shows typical anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond ΛCDM, physics or systematic errors may cause subsets of a cosmological data set to appear inconsistent when analysed assuming ΛCDM. We present an application of internal consistency tests to measurements from the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 (DES Y1) joint probes analysis. Our analysis relies on computing the posterior predictive distribution (PPD) for these data under the assumption of ΛCDM. We find that the DES Y1 data have an acceptable goodness of fit to ΛCDM, with a probability of finding a worse fit by random chance of p  = 0.046. Using numerical PPD tests, supplemented by graphical checks, we show that most of the data vector appears completely consistent with expectations, although we observe a small tension between large- and small-scale measurements. A small part (roughly 1.5 per cent) of the data vector shows an unusually large departure from expectations; excluding this part of the data has negligible impact on cosmological constraints, but does significantly improve the p -value to 0.10. The methodology developed here will be applied to test the consistency of DES Year 3 joint probes data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixed dose complex dual-layer tablets of telmisartan and rosuvastatin calcium have been used for the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. However, the current United States Pharmacopoeia analysis method is limited by the need for twice the time and cost owing to analysis for each active pharmaceutical ingredient present separately. Due to the critical limitations in establishing simultaneous analysis methods for both active pharmaceutical ingredients, there is an urgent need for an analysis method that can be applied for immediate use by researchers. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a simultaneous quantitative assay using a rapid and selective high performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of rosuvastatin calcium and telmisartan in fixed dose combination dual-layer tablet dosage forms. This method used Kinetex C18 (5 µm, 4.6×150 mm) columns at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min and Ultraviolet-visible detector set at a wavelength of 242 nm. The separation was carried out using an ammonium phosphate monobasic buffer (pH 3.0) and methanol at a ratio of 300:700 as the mobile phase. The retention times of rosuvastatin calcium and telmisartan were 2.2 and 4.3 min respectively. The system suitability was 0.41 % for rosuvastatin calcium and 0.63 % for telmisartan, and the peak of each component showed complete separation from disturbance peaks. The correlation coefficient of the active pharmaceutical ingredients was approximately 0.999 when the concentration of rosuvastatin calcium was in the range of 4.44-26.6 µg/ml and the concentration of telmisartan was 0.176-106.6 µg/ml, this indicates good linearity. The recovery rate relative to the amount added was 97.0-99.6 % for rosuvastatin calcium and 95.5-102.2 % for telmisartan. Precision and solution stability were within the permissible range. Validation acceptance criteria were met in all cases. This simultaneous quantitative analysis method was successfully applied to the quality assessment of six fixed dose combination dual-layer tablets containing various amounts of rosuvastatin calcium and telmisartan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammalian cells, the bulky DNA adducts caused by ultraviolet radiation are mainly repaired via the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway; some defects in this pathway lead to a genetic disorder known as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3), a constituent of the 40S ribosomal subunit, is a multi-functional protein with various extra-ribosomal functions, including a role in the cellular stress response and DNA repair-related activities. We report that rpS3 associates with transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) via an interaction with the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) protein and complements its function in the NER pathway. For optimal repair of UV-induced duplex DNA lesions, the strong helicase activity of the TFIIH complex is required for unwinding damaged DNA around the lesion. Here, we show that XP-D cells overexpressing rpS3 showed markedly increased resistance to UV radiation through XPD and rpS3 interaction. Additionally, the knockdown of rpS3 caused reduced NER efficiency in HeLa cells and the overexpression of rpS3 partially restored helicase activity of the TFIIH complex of XP-D cells in vitro. We also present data suggesting that rpS3 is involved in post-excision processing in NER, assisting TFIIH in expediting the repair process by increasing its turnover rate when DNA is damaged. We propose that rpS3 is an accessory protein of the NER pathway and its recruitment to the repair machinery augments repair efficiency upon UV damage by enhancing XPD helicase function and increasing its turnover rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The mortality risk showed a positive correlation as the number of subsequent fractures increased. Hip fracture showed the greatest association with mortality risk, followed by vertebral fracture. For the combination of hip and vertebral fracture, a hip fracture after a vertebral fracture showed the highest mortality risk. Introduction: It is unclear whether subsequent fractures or a certain location and sequence of subsequent fractures are associated with mortality risk in the elderly. We aimed to investigate the relationship between subsequent fractures and mortality risk. Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Research Database, we analyzed the cohort data of 24,756 patients aged > 60 years who sustained fractures between 2002 and 2013. Cox regression was used to assess the mortality risk associated with the number, locations, and sequences of subsequent fractures. Results: Mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for women and men were shown to be associated with the number of subsequent fractures (one, 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48–1.80) and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.28–1.58); two, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.47–2.08) and 2.03 (95% CI, 1.69–2.43); three or more, 2.46(95% CI, 1.92–3.15) and 1.92 (95% CI, 1.34–2.74), respectively). For women, the mortality risk was high when hip (HR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.80–3.44) or vertebral (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.03–1.90) fracture occurred as a second fracture. Compared with a single hip fracture, there was a high mortality risk in the group with hip fracture after the first vertebral fracture (HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.86–4.54), followed by vertebral fracture after the first hip fracture (HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.12–3.22). Conclusion: The mortality risk showed a positive correlation as the number of subsequent fractures increased. Hip fracture showed the greatest association with mortality risk, followed by vertebral fracture. For the combination of hip and vertebral fracture, a hip fracture after a vertebral fracture showed the highest mortality risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate whether phase angle (PhA) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and frailty are associated with the outcomes of critical illnesses. Design: A single-center prospective cohort study. Setting: Medical intensive care unit (ICU) in Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Participants: 97 patients who were admitted to the medical ICU. Measurements: On admission, PhA was measured by BIA, and frailty was assessed by the Korean Modified Barthel Index (KMBI) scoring system. Patients were classified according to PhA and KMBI scores, and their impact on the outcomes of critical illnesses was evaluated. Results: The patients' mean age was 62.4 ± 16.4 years, and 56 of the patients (57.7%) were men. Having a high PhA above 3.5 at the time of ICU admission was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 0.42, p =.042), and a shorter duration of ICU stay (5.6 days vs. 9.8 days, p =.016) compared to those with a low PhA. Other indices measured by BIA were not significantly associated with outcomes of critical illnesses. Frailty (KMBI > 60) was associated with more mechanical ventilation days (2.3 days vs. 7.1 days; p =.018). Conclusion: Both PhA and frailty are important prognostic factors predicting the outcomes of critical illnesses. Low PhA scores were associated with increased mortality and a longer duration of ICU stay, and frailty was associated with more mechanical ventilation days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the Balloon-borne Investigation of Temperature and Speed of Electrons in the corona (BITSE) mission launched recently to observe the solar corona from ≈ 3 Rs to 15 Rs at four wavelengths (393.5, 405.0, 398.7, and 423.4 nm). The BITSE instrument is an externally occulted single stage coronagraph developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in collaboration with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). BITSE used a polarization camera that provided polarization and total brightness images of size 1024 × 1024 pixels. The Wallops Arc Second Pointer (WASP) system developed at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) was used for Sun pointing. The coronagraph and WASP were mounted on a gondola provided by WFF and launched from the Fort Sumner, New Mexico station of Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) on September 18, 2019. BITSE obtained 17,060 coronal images at a float altitude of ≈ 128,000 feet (≈ 39 km) over a period of ≈ 4 hrs. BITSE flight software was based on NASA’s core Flight System, which was designed to help develop flight quality software. We used EVTM (Ethernet Via Telemetry) to download science data during operations; all images were stored on board using flash storage. At the end of the mission, all data were recovered and analyzed. Preliminary analysis shows that BITSE imaged the solar minimum corona with the equatorial streamers on the east and west limbs. The narrow streamers observed by BITSE are in good agreement with the geometric properties obtained by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) coronagraphs in the overlapping physical domain. In spite of the small signal-to-noise ratio (≈ 14 ) we were able to obtain the temperature and flow speed of the western steamer. In the heliocentric distance range 4 – 7 Rs on the western streamer, we obtained a temperature of ≈ 1.0 ± 0.3 MK and a flow speed of ≈ 260 km s−1 with a large uncertainty interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric energy harvesters have recently been the focus of several researchers over several years due to their effectiveness at submicron scales by including the flexoelectric effect. Though the size-dependency of the flexoelectric effect had been examined at nanoscales, the size dependent effects of the material structure had been neglected; these nanoscale models do not accurately represent models at the nanoscale. A robust reduced-order model is introduced in this study that incorporates material structure size-dependency through the couple stress theory, the effects of the surface profile by examining the average roughness and slope of roughness and the impacts of the surface stress through the Gurtin–Murdoch surface elasticity theory on a non-uniform cantilever beam energy harvester. Couple stress considerations greatly impact all examined systems, harden the system, and increase the power bandwidth whereas surface roughness influences the expected harvestable power and optimal loading of the system, by reducing expected power output. This analysis shows the importance of considering the size dependent effects on the performance of flexoelectric energy harvesters in nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have reported that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a significantly lower risk of cancer. Studies reporting prevalence of skin cancers in Parkinson's disease mostly involve Caucasians. Objective: A nationwide population‐based study was conducted to determine the risk of skin cancer in patients diagnosed with PD in Korea. Methods: Data obtained from National Health Insurance Claims records were used to retrieve information about 70 780 patients with newly diagnosed PD between January 2010 and December 2015. The control group included 353 900 sex‐ and age‐matched patients without PD. In this nationwide population‐based cohort study, we investigated the association between PD and skin cancer. Results: The overall hazard ratio (HR) of skin cancers in patients with PD was 1.169 (95% CI, 1.005–1.359) compared with non‐PD group. Among patients with PD, males aged above 65 had a 2.8‐fold increase in the risk for melanoma development than the non‐PD group (HR, 2.825; 95% CI, 1.395–5.721). In addition, female PD patients aged above 65 years showed a 1.3‐fold increase in non‐melanoma skin cancer risk than the non‐PD group (HR, 1.305; 95% 1.073–1.589). Conclusion: Compared with the general population, Korean patients diagnosed with PD had a greater risk of skin cancer. Especially, male patients aged 65 years and above, and diagnosed with PD had a significant risk of melanoma development compared with control. Linked Commentary: J.C. Cardoso. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34: 2685–2686. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.16984. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the uncompensated spins in exchange-biased BiFeO3/γ-Fe2O3 core/shell-like thin films. For both in-plane and out-of-plane directions of the films, clear exchange bias appears and coercive field asymmetrically changes with respect to the annealing temperature and the cycling of magnetic field. These results can be explained by the different characters of two types of uncompensated spins. The uncompensated spins at antiferromagnetic domain-walls (rough interface) are weakly (strongly) affected by the external magnetic field. The control of uncompensated spins at domain-walls is crucial in order to realize exchange bias at room temperature along the out-of-plane direction of BiFeO3/γ-Fe2O3 core/shell-like thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of British Journal of Surgery is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Objectives: Handgrip strength is an easy-to-assess indicator of overall muscle strength and can be used to evaluate health status. Although previous studies have reported an increase in grip strength due to aerobic exercise, such a study has not been conducted on Korean participants. This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on handgrip strength and examine the association between these two variables in Korean patients with hypertension or diabetes. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: This study used data from the 6th and 7th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014–2017). Participants: A total of 19,650 individuals aged ≥19 years who had responded to questionnaires concerning aerobic exercise and handgrip strength were analyzed. Measurements: The relationship between aerobic activity and handgrip strength was examined by logistic regression analysis. Results: The mean age of individuals in the low muscle strength group was higher than that in the normal muscle strength group. The odds ratio for low handgrip strength was higher in individuals who did not perform aerobic exercise than in those who performed aerobic exercise. Following adjustment for covariates, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for low handgrip strength were 1.415 (0.187–1.688) in the total sample, 1.799 (1.376–2.352) in patients with hypertension, and 1.811 (1.208–2.715) in patients with diabetes. Conclusion: The results of our study indicated a strong association between aerobic exercise and handgrip strength in the Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Climacteric is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The fatty acid (FA) composition of 11 types of vegetable oils (n = 115) marketed in South Korea was investigated using GC-FID. Unique characterisation of FA profiles was observed in the vegetable oils. Coconut oil showed the highest content of saturated FA (SFA) (93.30%). The content of monounsaturated FA (MUFA) and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) were highest in olive oil (76.44%) and perilla oil (80.14%). Rice bran oil (1.69) and olive oil (0.56) showed the ideal ratio of PUFA/SFA. Multivariate statistical techniques including principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were applied to the chromatographic data of FAs. The differences and similarities between the vegetable oils were clearly observed with PCA and CA. A dendrogram using Ward linkage showed that the vegetable oils were grouped into three clusters. The adulterated samples of sesame oil and perilla oil with cheaper oils such as corn oil and soybean oil could be sensitively detected by LDA even at a 2% mixing level. Stearic acid (Wilk's λ = 0.632) and palmitic acid (Wilk's λ = 0.407) showed the highest discriminant power for adulterated sesame oil and perilla oil, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In aged population, the association of thyroid hormones on physical performance, especially within their normal range, has yet to be elucidated. In this study, individuals with low serum free T3/free T4 were likely to have low muscle mass and impaired physical performance. Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the associations of muscle mass, strength, and physical performance with thyroid hormone in an aged euthyroid population from a community-based cohort. Methods: We examined 918 men aged over 60 years and 1215 postmenopausal women from the Ansung cohort study. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by square of height (ASM/ht2) was used as the muscle mass index. Hand grip strength was measured using a hydraulic dynamometer. Physical performance was assessed using the short physical performance battery (SPPB). Results: Participants with higher tertiles of free T3 and free T3/free T4 were younger and had higher ASM/ht2, stronger hand grip strength, and higher SPPB scores than those in the lower tertiles. In adjusted models, men within higher tertiles of free T3 had higher ASM/ht2 compared with those within lower tertiles (p = 0.033), whereas subjects with higher tertiles of free T4 had lower ASM/ht2 compared with those within lower tertiles (p = 0.043). Subjects within higher tertiles of free T3/free T4 had higher ASM/ht2 (p < 0.001) and better physical performance (p = 0.048) than those within lower tertiles after adjustments. However, free T3, free T4, or free T3/free T4 was not related to hand grip strength after adjustment for covariates. Conclusion: Our results thus indicate that in an aged euthyroid population, low serum free T3/free T4 was a better index for low muscle mass and impaired physical performance than serum free T3 or free T4 alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new, large-scale tools to evaluate water resources is critical to understanding the long-term sustainability of this resource under future land use, climate change, and population growth. In cold and humid regions it is imperative that such tools consider the hydrologic complexities associated with permafrost and groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) interactions, as these factors are recognized to have significant influence on the global water cycle. In this work we present a physics-based, three-dimensional, fully-integrated GW-SW model for Continental Canada constructed with the HydroGeoSphere simulation platform. The Canadian Continental Basin Model (CCBM) domain, which covers approximately 10.5 million km2, is discretized using an unstructured control-volume finite element mesh that conforms to key river basin boundaries, lakes, and river networks. In order to construct the model, surficial geology maps were assembled, which were combined with near-surface information and bedrock geology into a seven-layer subsurface domain. For the large-scale demonstration, the model was used to simulate historic groundwater levels, surface water flow rates (R2=0.85), and lake levels (R2=0.99) across the domain, with results showing that these targets are well reproduced. To demonstrate the regional-scale utility, simulation results were used to perform a regional groundwater flow analysis for western Canada and a water balance analysis for the Laurentian Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario). The outcome of this work demonstrates that large-scale fully-integrated hydrologic modeling is possible and can be employed to quantify components of a large-scale water balance that are otherwise difficult or impossible to obtain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]