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Introduction There is a lack of evidence to support the effectiveness of prolonged β-blocker therapy after stabilisation of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without heart failure (HF) or left ventricular systolic dysfunction.Methods and analysis The SMart Angioplasty Research Team: DEcision on Medical Therapy in Patients with Coronary Artery DIsease or Structural Heart Disease Undergoing InterventiON (SMART-DECISION) trial is a multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomised, non-inferiority trial designed to determine whether discontinuing β-blocker therapy after ≥1 year of maintenance in stabilised patients after AMI is non-inferior to continuing it. Patients eligible for participation are those without HF or left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction >40%) who have been continuing β-blocker therapy for ≥1 year after AMI. A total of 2540 patients will be randomised 1:1 to continuation of β-blocker therapy or not. Randomisation will be stratified according to the type of AMI (ie, ST-segment-elevation MI or non-ST-segment-elevation MI), type of β-blocker (carvedilol, bisoprolol, nebivolol or other) and participating centre. The primary study endpoint is a composite of all-cause death, MI and hospitalisation for HF over a median follow-up period of 3.5 years (minimum, 2.5 years; maximum, 4.5 years). Adverse effects related to β-blocker therapy, the occurrence of atrial fibrillation, medical costs and Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information system-29 questionnaire responses will also be collected as secondary endpoints.Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval for this study was granted by the Institutional Review Board of Samsung Medical Center (no. 2020-10-176). Informed consent is obtained from every participant before randomisation. The results of this study will be submitted for publication in international peer-reviewed journals and the key findings will be presented at international scientific conferences.Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04769362.

Abstract Ultra‐wide bandgap semiconductors are gaining attention for their promising properties for UV optoelectronics and UV transparent electronics as well as high‐power applications. Among them, La‐doped SrSnO3 exhibits excellent properties both for deep‐UV transparent oxide semiconductors and deep‐UV transparent conducting oxide. Here, the demonstration of thin film transistors (TFTs) with full deep‐UV transparency is reported, including electrodes, gate oxide, and substrate. The lightly La‐doped SrSnO3 for the channel layer is grown on MgO (100) substrates with buffer layers by pulsed laser deposition. TFTs with a metal—insulator–semiconductor structure are fabricated using high‐k perovskite dielectric LaScO3 as the gate oxide. A degenerately La‐doped SrSnO3 is used as the gate, the source, and the drain electrodes to obtain good ohmic contact with the channel layer as well as UV transparency. The resultant device shows a field effect mobility value of ≈24 cm2 V−1 s−1 and an on/off ratio >106. The optical transmittance of the entire device (including the substrate) is found to be >75% at 300 nm in wavelength. Furthermore, the electrical characteristics of the device exhibit excellent stability under visible irradiation. This research highlights the potential of SrSnO3 in advancing the field of UV optoelectronics and UV transparent electronics.

Abstract Reducing the leakage current through the gate oxide is becoming increasingly important for power consumption reduction as well as reliability in integrated circuits as the semiconducting devices continue to scale down. Here, this work reports on the high‐k dielectric SrHfO3 (SHO) based devices with ultralow leakage current density via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The ultralow current density is achieved by optimizing the growth conditions and the associated structural properties. In the optimized conditions, the dielectric properties of the 50‐nm‐thick SHO capacitors are measured: high dielectric constant (κ = 32), low leakage current density ( 4 MV cm−1). The surprisingly low leakage current density of SHO is ascribed to the large bandgap (≈6 eV), the large conduction band offset (CB offset > 3 eV) with respect to the semiconductor, and the low density of defect states inside the bandgap. The optimized SHO dielectric with high dielectric constant and ultralow leakage current density is proposed for future low‐power consumption devices based on Si as well as perovskite oxide semiconductors.

Developing an efficient code for large, multiscale astrophysical simulations is crucial in preparing for the upcoming era of exascale computing. RAMSES is an astrophysical simulation code that employs parallel processing based on the message-passing interface (MPI). However, it has limitations in computational and memory efficiency when using a large number of CPU cores. The problem stems from inefficiencies in workload distribution and memory allocation that inevitably occur when a volume is simply decomposed into domains equal to the number of working processors. We present RAMSES-yOMP, which is a modified version of RAMSES designed to improve parallel scalability. Major updates include the incorporation of open multiprocessing into the MPI parallelization to take advantage of both the shared and distributed memory models. Utilizing this hybrid parallelism in high-resolution benchmark simulations with full prescriptions for baryonic physics, we achieved an increase in performance by a factor of 2 in the total run-time, while using 75% less memory and 30% less storage than the original code, when using the same number of processors. These improvements allow us to perform larger or higher-resolution simulations than what was feasible previously.

We investigate when and how the relations of galaxy morphology and star-forming activity with clustercentric radius become evident in galaxy clusters. We identify 162 galaxy clusters with total mass ${{M}}_{\mathrm{tot}}^{\mathrm{cl}}\gt 5\times {10}^{13}{{M}}_{\odot }$ at z = 0.625 in the Horizon Run 5 cosmological hydrodynamical simulation and study how the properties of the galaxies with stellar mass M _* > 5 × 10 ^9 M _⊙ near the cluster main progenitors have evolved in the past. Galaxies are classified into disk, spheroid, and irregular morphological types according to the asymmetry and Sérsic index of their stellar mass distribution. We also classify galaxies into active and passive ones depending on their specific star formation rate. We find that the morphology–clustercentric radius relation (MRR) emerges at z ≃ 1.8 as the fraction of spheroidal types exceeds 50% in the central region ( d ≲ 0.1 R _200 ). Galaxies outside the central region remain disk-dominated. Numerous encounters between galaxies in the central region seem to be responsible for the morphology transformation from disks to spheroids. We also find that the star formation activity–clustercentric radius relation emerges at an epoch different from that of MRR. At z ≃ 0.8, passive galaxies start to dominate the intermediate radius region (0.1 ≲ d / R _200 ≲ 0.3), and this “quenching region” grows inward and outward thereafter. The region dominated by early-type galaxies (spheroids and passive disks) first appears at the central region at z ≃ 1.8, expands rapidly to larger radii as the population of passive disks grows in the intermediate radii, and clusters are dominated by early types after z ≃ 0.8.

We propose a new method for finding galaxy protoclusters that is motivated by structure formation theory and also directly applicable to observations. We adopt the conventional definition that a protocluster is a galaxy group whose virial mass M _vir < M _cl at its epoch, where M _cl = 10 ^14 M _⊙ , but would exceed that limit when it evolves to z = 0. We use the critical overdensity for complete collapse at z = 0 predicted by the spherical top-hat collapse model to find the radius and total mass of the regions that would collapse at z = 0. If the mass of a region centered at a massive galaxy exceeds M _cl , the galaxy is at the center of a protocluster. We define the outer boundary of a protocluster as the zero-velocity surface at the turnaround radius so that the member galaxies are those sharing the same protocluster environment and showing some conformity in physical properties. We use the cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Horizon Run 5 ( HR5 ) to calibrate this prescription and demonstrate its performance. We find that the protocluster identification method suggested in this study is quite successful. Its application to the high-redshift HR5 galaxies shows a tight correlation between the mass within the protocluster regions identified according to the spherical collapse model and the final mass to be found within the clusters at z = 0, meaning that the regions can be regarded as the bona fide protoclusters with high reliability. We also confirm that the redshift-space distortion does not significantly affect the performance of the protocluster identification scheme.

One intriguing approach for studying the dynamical evolution of galaxy clusters is to compare the spatial distributions among various components such as dark matter, member galaxies, gas, and intracluster light (ICL). Utilizing the recently introduced weighted overlap coefficient (WOC), we analyze the spatial distributions of components within 174 galaxy clusters ( M _tot > 5 × 10 ^13 M _⊙ , z = 0.625) at varying dynamical states in the cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Horizon Run 5. We observe that the distributions of gas and the combination of ICL with the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) closely resembles the dark matter distribution, particularly in more relaxed clusters, characterized by the half-mass epoch. The similarity in spatial distribution between dark matter and BCG+ICL mimics the changes in the dynamical state of clusters during a major merger. Notably, at redshifts >1, BCG+ICL traced dark matter more accurately than the gas. Additionally, we examined the one-dimensional radial profiles of each component, which show that the BCG+ICL is a sensitive component revealing the dynamical state of clusters. We propose a new method that can approximately recover the dark matter profile by scaling the BCG+ICL radial profile. Furthermore, we find a recipe for tracing dark matter in unrelaxed clusters by including the most massive satellite galaxies together with the BCG+ICL distribution. Combining the BCG+ICL and the gas distribution enhances the dark matter tracing ability. Our results imply that the BCG+ICL distribution is an effective tracer for the dark matter distribution, and the similarity of the spatial distribution may be a useful probe of the dynamical state of a cluster.

We introduce a novel halo/galaxy matching technique between two cosmological simulations with different resolutions, which utilizes the positions and masses of halos along their subhalo merger tree. With this tool, we conduct a study of resolution biases through the galaxy-by-galaxy inspection of a pair of simulations that have the same simulation configuration but different mass resolutions, utilizing a suite of IllustrisTNG simulations to assess the impact on galaxy properties. We find that, with the subgrid physics model calibrated for TNG100-1, subhalos in TNG100-1 (high resolution) have ≲0.5 dex higher stellar masses than their counterparts in the TNG100-2 (low resolution). It is also discovered that the subhalos with M _gas ∼ 10 ^8.5 M _⊙ in TNG100-1 have ∼0.5 dex higher gas mass than those in TNG100-2. The mass profiles of the subhalos reveal that the dark matter masses of subhalos in TNG100-2 converge well with those from TNG100-1, except within 4 kpc of the resolution limit. The differences in stellar mass and hot gas mass are most pronounced in the central region. We exploit machine learning to build a correction mapping for the physical quantities of subhalos from low- to high-resolution simulations (TNG300-1 and TNG100-1), which enables us to find an efficient way to compile a high-resolution galaxy catalog even from a low-resolution simulation. Our tools can easily be applied to other large cosmological simulations, testing and mitigating the resolution biases of their numerical codes and subgrid physics models.

We test whether Lyα emitters (LAEs) and Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) can be good tracers of high- z large-scale structures, using the Horizon Run 5 cosmological hydrodynamical simulation. We identify LAEs using the Ly α emission line luminosity and its equivalent width, and LBGs using the broadband magnitudes at z ∼ 2.4, 3.1, and 4.5. We first compare the spatial distributions of LAEs, LBGs, all galaxies, and dark matter around the filamentary structures defined by dark matter. The comparison shows that both LAEs and LBGs are more concentrated toward the dark matter filaments than dark matter. We also find an empirical fitting formula for the vertical density profile of filaments as a binomial power-law relation of the distance to the filaments. We then compare the spatial distributions of the samples around the filaments defined by themselves. LAEs and LBGs are again more concentrated toward their filaments than dark matter. We also find the overall consistency between filamentary structures defined by LAEs, LBGs, and dark matter, with the median spatial offsets that are smaller than the mean separation of the sample. These results support the idea that the LAEs and LBGs could be good tracers of large-scale structures of dark matter at high redshifts.

Background and objectives To compare the long-term clinical outcomes of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with clopidogrel and DAPT with ticagrelor or prasugrel in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who underwent coronary intervention. Methods Between November 2011 and December 2015, a total of 13,104 patients with AMI were enrolled in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry-National Institutes of Health (KAMIR-NIH) registry. Among them, 4,696 patients who received DAPT for more than 24 months were categorized into two groups: the clopidogrel group (n = 4,053) and ticagrelor or prasugrel group (n = 643). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce the bias due to confounding variables. Following PSM, the impacts of P2Y12 inhibitors on the clinical outcomes in both groups were compared during a 36-month clinical follow-up period. Results There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes in terms of cardiac death (7.1% vs. 9.7%, p = 0.101), stroke (1.4% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.436), major bleeding (0.5% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.478), major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (21.6% vs. 20.5%, p = 0.626), and net adverse cardiac event (NACE) (22.1% vs. 21.3%, p = 0.731) between the groups. The ticagrelor or prasugrel group had a lower incidence of recurrent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (12.2% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.006) than the clopidogrel group. However, no differences were observed in the cumulative incidences of 3-year NACE between the ticagrelor or prasugrel and clopidogrel groups. Conclusions Cumulative incidences of long-term NACE did not differ between the two groups. Therefore, the type and duration of DAPT should be customized for each patient with AMI.

Background Prehospital delay is an important contributor to poor outcomes in both acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We aimed to compare the prehospital delay and related factors between AIS and AMI. Methods and Results We identified patients with AIS and AMI who were admitted to the 11 Korean Regional Cardiocerebrovascular Centers via the emergency room between July 2016 and December 2018. Delayed arrival was defined as a prehospital delay of >3 hours, and the generalized linear mixed‐effects model was applied to explore the effects of potential predictors on delayed arrival. This study included 17 895 and 8322 patients with AIS and AMI, respectively. The median value of prehospital delay was 6.05 hours in AIS and 3.00 hours in AMI. The use of emergency medical services was the key determinant of delayed arrival in both groups. Previous history, 1‐person household, weekday presentation, and interhospital transfer had higher odds of delayed arrival in both groups. Age and sex had no or minimal effects on delayed arrival in AIS; however, age and female sex were associated with higher odds of delayed arrival in AMI. More severe symptoms had lower odds of delayed arrival in AIS, whereas no significant effect was observed in AMI. Off‐hour presentation had higher and prehospital awareness had lower odds of delayed arrival; however, the magnitude of their effects differed quantitatively between AIS and AMI. Conclusions The effects of some nonmodifiable and modifiable factors on prehospital delay differed between AIS and AMI. A differentiated strategy might be required to reduce prehospital delay.

Abstract Smartphone technology has spread rapidly around the globe. According to a report released by the Korea Information Society Development Institute, about 95% of Koreans aged more than 30 years old owned smartphones. Recently, blood pressure (BP) measurement using a photoplethysmography-based smartphone algorithm paired with the smartwatch is continuously evolving. In this document, the Korean Society of Hypertension intends to remark the current results of smartphone / smartwatch-based BP measurement and recommend optimal BP measurement methods using a smartphone device. We aim to increase the likelihood of success in implementing these new technologies into improved hypertension awareness, diagnosis, and control.

Abstract Antihypertensive drugs are one of the most widely used pharmacologic agent in the world and it is predominantly used in the elderly subjects. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death in the extremely old subject. During infection and its complication such as sepsis, hypotension could be exacerbated by antihypertensive drugs because homeostasis mechanisms such as sodium balance, renin angiotensin aldosterone system and/or sympathetic nervous system can be mitigated by antihypertensive drug therapy. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-1 and 2 viral surface protein is known to attach angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the cell membrane to facilitate viral entry into the cytoplasm. Despite the theoretical concerns of increased ACE2 expression by Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system (RAS) blockade, there is no evidence that RAS inhibitors are harmful during COVID-19 infection and have in fact been shown to be beneficial in animal studies. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain RAS blockade during the current corona virus pandemic.

We investigate the impact of the surface-brightness (SB) limit on the galaxy stellar mass functions (GSMFs) using galaxy catalogs generated from the Horizon Run 5 ( HR5 ) simulation. We compare the stellar-to-halo-mass relation, GSMF, and size–stellar mass relation of the HR5 galaxies with observational data and other cosmological simulations. The mean SB of simulated galaxies are computed using their effective radii, luminosities, and colors. To examine the cosmic SB dimming effect, we compute k -corrections from the spectral energy distributions of individual simulated galaxy at each redshift, apply the k -corrections to the galaxies, and conduct mock surveys based on the various SB limits. We find that the GSMFs are significantly affected by the SB limits at the low-mass end. This approach can ease the discrepancy between the GSMFs obtained from simulations and observations at 0.6 ≲ z ≤ 2. We also find that a redshift survey with an SB selection limit of ${\left\langle {\mu }_{r}\right\rangle }^{e}=$ 25 mag arcsec ^−2 will miss 20% of galaxies with ${M}_{\star }^{g}={10}^{9}\,{M}_{\odot }$ at z = 0.625. The missing fraction of low-surface-brightness galaxies increases to 35%, 55%, and 80% at z = 0.9, 1.1, and 1.9, respectively, at the same SB limit.

The apparent shape of galaxy clustering depends on the adopted cosmology used to convert observed redshift to comoving distance, the r ( z ) relation, as it changes the line elements along and across the line of sight differently. The Alcock–Paczyński (AP) test exploits this property to constrain the expansion history of the universe. We present an extensive review of past studies on the AP test. We adopt an extended AP test method introduced by Park et al., which uses the full shape of redshift-space two-point correlation function (CF) as the standard shape, and apply it to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7, BOSS, and eBOSS LRG samples covering the redshift range up to z = 0.8. We calibrate the test against the nonlinear cosmology-dependent systematic evolution of the CF shape using Multiverse simulations. We focus on examining whether or not the flat Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) concordance model is consistent with observation. We constrain the flat w CDM model to have $w=-{0.892}_{-0.050}^{+0.045}$ and ${{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}={0.282}_{-0.023}^{+0.024}$ from our AP test alone, which is significantly tighter than the constraints from the BAO or SNe Ia methods by a factor of 3–6. When the AP test result is combined with the recent BAO and SNe Ia results, we obtain $w=-{0.903}_{-0.023}^{+0.023}$ and ${{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}={0.285}_{-0.009}^{+0.014}$ . This puts a strong tension with the flat ΛCDM model with w = −1 at the 4.2 σ level. Consistency with w = −1 is obtained only when the Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) observation is combined. It remains to be seen whether this tension between observations of galaxy distribution at low redshifts and CMB anisotropy at the decoupling epoch becomes greater in future studies and leads us to a new paradigm of cosmology.

We identify cosmic voids from galaxy density fields under the theory of void–cluster correspondence. We extend the previous novel void-identification method developed for the matter density field to the galaxy density field for practical applications. From cosmological N -body simulations, we construct galaxy number- and mass-weighted density fields to identify cosmic voids that are counterparts of galaxy clusters of a specific mass. The parameters for the cluster-counterpart void identification such as Gaussian smoothing scale, density threshold, and core volume fraction are found for galaxy density fields. We achieve about 60%–67% of completeness and reliability for identifying the voids of corresponding cluster mass above 3 × 10 ^14 h ^−1 M _⊙ from a galaxy sample with the mean number density, $\bar{n}=4.4\times {10}^{-3}{({h}^{-1}\,\mathrm{Mpc})}^{-3}$ . When the mean density is increased to $\bar{n}={10}^{-2}{({h}^{-1}\,\mathrm{Mpc})}^{-3}$ , the detection rate is enhanced by ∼2%–7% depending on the mass scale of voids. We find that the detectability is insensitive to the density weighting scheme applied to generate the density field. Our result demonstrates that we can apply this method to the galaxy redshift survey data to identify cosmic voids corresponding statistically to the galaxy clusters in a given mass range.

We use the Horizon Run 5 cosmological simulation to study the effect of galaxy intrinsic properties and the local environment on active galactic nuclei (AGNs) characterized by their threshold of the accretion rate. We select galaxies in the stellar mass range ${10}^{9.5}\leqslant {M}_{* }^{}/{M}_{\odot }^{}\leqslant {10}^{10.5}$ in the snapshot at redshift z = 0.625. Among various intrinsic properties, we find that the star formation rate of the host galaxy is most correlated to the AGN activity. To quantify the environment, we use background galaxy number density (large-scale environment) and distance and morphological type of the nearest neighbors (small-scale environment), and study their relative effects on the AGN properties. We find that, compared to the background density, the nearest neighbor environment is the dominant quantity determining the bolometric luminosity, star formation rate, and kinematic properties of AGNs and better dictates the gas mass of the host galaxy. We show that the cold gas content in the host galaxies is crucial in triggering AGN activity. However, when the nearest neighbor environment effects start to act at the neighbor distance of less than about half the virial radius of the neighbor, the neighbor environmental effects are the most dominant factor for quasar activity.

We extract the galaxy density and momentum power spectra from a subset of early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7 main galaxy catalog. Using galaxy distance information inferred from the improved fundamental plane described in Yoon and Park, we reconstruct the peculiar velocities of the galaxies and generate number density and density-weighted velocity fields, from which we extract the galaxy density and momentum power spectra. We compare the measured values to the theoretical expectation of the same statistics, assuming an input Λ cold dark matter (CDM) model and using a third-order perturbative expansion. After validating our analysis pipeline with a series of mock data sets, we apply our methodology to the SDSS data and arrive at constraints $f{\sigma }_{8}={0.471}_{-0.080}^{+0.077}$ and ${b}_{1}{\sigma }_{8}={0.920}_{-0.070}^{+0.070}$ at a mean redshift $\bar{z}=0.04$ . Our result is consistent with the Planck cosmological best-fit parameters for the ΛCDM model. The momentum power spectrum is found to be strongly contaminated by small-scale velocity dispersion, which suppresses power by $\sim { \mathcal O }(30 \% )$ on intermediate scales k ∼ 0.05 h Mpc ^−1 .

A new energy transition policy in Korea has increased the importance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the energy mix. The Asia-Pacific LNG market is inflexible because long-term contracts are dominant. This market characteristic means that the development of policies that ensure a stable supply of LNG is essential. We developed a new model for the optimal LNG import portfolio. The model consists of a two-step portfolio model combining the mean-variance (MV) portfolio and the linear programming (LP) model. In the first step, the MV model was applied to derive the optimal ratio between the long-term and spot contracts. Next, the LP model was used to determine the optimal LNG portfolio. We also applied a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the weights of the cost factors. The application of the fuzzy AHP enabled this research to reflect the tangible and intangible costs more effectively. The optimal LNG portfolio showed that the optimal ratios for the long-term and spot contracts are 89.72% and 10.28% respectively, and the supply ratios in the Middle East and Southeast Asia decreased, while those in the Far East and Oceania significantly increased. The proposed model is able to build an effective LNG import strategy because it reflects the characteristics of LNG markets better than previous models.

Abstract Bacterial genomes encode hundreds to thousands of enzymes, most of which are specialized for particular functions. However, most enzymes have inefficient promiscuous activities, as well, that generally serve no purpose. Promiscuous reactions can be patched together to form multistep metabolic pathways. Mutations that increase expression or activity of enzymes in such serendipitous pathways can elevate flux through the pathway to a physiologically significant level. In this study, we describe the discovery of three serendipitous pathways that allow synthesis of pyridoxal‐5′‐phosphate (PLP) in a strain of E. coli that lacks 4‐phosphoerythronate (4PE) dehydrogenase (PdxB) when one of seven different genes is overexpressed. We have characterized one of these pathways in detail. This pathway diverts material from serine biosynthesis and generates an intermediate in the normal PLP synthesis pathway downstream of the block caused by lack of PdxB. Steps in the pathway are catalyzed by a protein of unknown function, a broad‐specificity enzyme whose physiological role is unknown, and a promiscuous activity of an enzyme that normally serves another function. One step in the pathway may be non‐enzymatic.

Purpose: The incidence and prognostic implications of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are controversial, especially for Korean patients. Furthermore, the pattern of antithrombotic therapy for these patients is unknown. The present study sought to identify the impact of AF on Korean patients undergoing TAVI and demonstrate the status of antithrombotic therapy for these patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 660 patients who underwent TAVI for severe AS were recruited from the nationwide K-TAVI registry in Korea. The enrolled patients were stratified into sinus rhythm (SR) and AF groups. The primary endpoint was all-cause death at 1-year. Results: AF was recorded in 135 patients [pre-existing AF 108 (16.4%) and new-onset AF 27 (4.1%)]. The rate of all-cause death at 1 year was significantly higher in patients with AF than in those with SR [16.2% vs. 6.4%, adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 2.207, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.182–4.120, p=0.013], regardless of the onset timing of AF. The rate of new pacemaker insertion at 1 year was also significantly higher in patients with AF than in those with SR (14.0% vs. 5.5%, adjusted HR: 3.137, 95%CI: 1.621–6.071, p=0.001). Among AF patients, substantial number of patients received the combination of multiple antithrombotic agents (77.8%), and the most common combination was that of aspirin and clopidogrel (38.1%). Conclusion: AF was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality and new pacemaker insertion in Korean patients undergoing TAVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fingerprints are unique to primates and koalas but what advantages do these features of our hands and feet provide us compared with the smooth pads of carnivorans, e.g., feline or ursine species? It has been argued that the epidermal ridges on finger pads decrease friction when in contact with smooth surfaces, promote interlocking with rough surfaces, channel excess water, prevent blistering, and enhance tactile sensitivity. Here, we found that they were at the origin of a moisture-regulating mechanism, which ensures an optimal hydration of the keratin layer of the skin for maximizing the friction and reducing the probability of catastrophic slip due to the hydrodynamic formation of a fluid layer. When in contact with impermeable surfaces, the occlusion of the sweat from the pores in the ridges promotes plasticization of the skin, dramatically increasing friction. Occlusion and external moisture could cause an excess of water that would defeat the natural hydration balance. However, we have demonstrated using femtosecond laser-based polarization-tunable terahertz wave spectroscopic imaging and infrared optical coherence tomography that the moisture regulation may be explained by a combination of a microfluidic capillary evaporation mechanism and a sweat pore blocking mechanism. This results in maintaining an optimal amount of moisture in the furrows that maximizes the friction irrespective of whether a finger pad is initially wet or dry. Thus, abundant low-flow sweat glands and epidermal furrows have provided primates with the evolutionary advantage in dry and wet conditions of manipulative and locomotive abilities not available to other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of physiologically available [alpha]-keto acids have served as oxidants of PdxB to sustain multiple turnovers. The stereochemistry of [alpha]-ketoglutarate reduction is characterized by showing that D-2-HGA, but not L-2-HGA, is a competitive inhibitor vs 4PE and a noncompetitive inhibitor vs [alpha]-ketoglutarate.

The cloning of a novel [beta]-transaminase gene from Mesorhizobium sp. strain LUK showing a high activity for [beta]-aminocarboxylic acid is described. The results have shown that [beta]-transminase of Mesorhizobium sp. strain LUK is a promising biocatalyst for the preparation of chiral [beta]-aminocarboxylic acids.

We have explored the evolution of gas distributions from cosmological simulations carried out using the RAMSES adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code, to explore the effects of resolution on cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. It is vital to understand the effect of both the resolution of initial conditions (ICs) and the final resolution of the simulation. Lower initial resolution simulations tend to produce smaller numbers of low-mass structures. This will strongly affect the assembly history of objects, and has the same effect of simulating different cosmologies. The resolution of ICs is an important factor in simulations, even with a fixed maximum spatial resolution. The power spectrum of gas in simulations using AMR diverges strongly from the fixed grid approach - with more power on small scales in the AMR simulations - even at fixed physical resolution and also produces offsets in the star formation at specific epochs. This is because before certain times the upper grid levels are held back to maintain approximately fixed physical resolution, and to mimic the natural evolution of dark matter only simulations. Although the impact of hold-back falls with increasing spatial and IC resolutions, the offsets in the star formation remain down to a spatial resolution of 1 kpc. These offsets are of the order of 10-20 per cent, which is below the uncertainty in the implemented physics but are expected to affect the detailed properties of galaxies. We have implemented a new grid-hold-back approach to minimize the impact of hold-back on the star formation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]