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Synaptic vesicle transport by motor proteins along microtubules is a crucially active process underlying neuronal communication. It is known that microtubules are destabilized by tau-hyperphosphorylation, which causes tau proteins to detach from microtubules and form neurofibril tangles. However, how tau-phosphorylation affects the transport dynamics of motor proteins on the microtubule remains unknown. Here, we discover that the long-distance unidirectional motion of vesicle-motor protein multiplexes (VMPMs) in living cells is suppressed under tau-hyperphosphorylation, with the consequent loss of fast vesicle-transport along the microtubule. The VMPMs in hyperphosphorylated cells exhibit seemingly bidirectional random motion, with dynamic properties far different from those of VMPM motion in normal cells. We establish a parsimonious physicochemical model of VMPM’s active motion that provides a unified, quantitative explanation and predictions for our experimental results. Our analysis reveals that, under hyperphosphorylation conditions, motor protein multiplexes have both static and dynamic motility fluctuations. The loss of fast vesicle-transport along the microtubule can be a mechanism of neurodegenerative disorders associated with tau-hyperphosphorylation.

Recently, as low-cost microcontrollers such as those developed by Arduino and Raspberry Pi have become widely available, the term maker education has emerged as a hot topic in education. Teachers are increasingly using low-cost microcontrollers in their classes, but conducting a class that focuses on using a microcontroller may cause difficulties or problems, for the learner or for the instructor. To solve these problems, it was necessary to design a teaching and learning model for the use of low-cost microcontrollers to be applied at school sites. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop a teaching and learning model for using low-cost microcontrollers. As a result of this study, the author proposes a teaching and learning model that consists of six stages: topic selection, exploration of implementation methods, experimentation, production of teaching and learning materials, implementing lesson plans, and improvement. According to this procedure, teaching and learning materials were created and applied for the subject matter of a middle school unit on "Making Arduino Automobile." The model developed in this study may provide a guideline for teachers who want to apply low-cost microcontrollers in their classes.

The Arduino microcontroller enables ordinary people to perform professional tasks that only traditional engineering professionals could perform. Recently, several educational cases have been applied to primary and secondary schools, which is a desirable attempt to popularize engineering education. This study meta-analyzed the effects of Arduino-based education in primary and secondary schools in Korea from the perspective of engineering education. Accordingly, 16 academic journals and dissertations were selected that verified educational effects by Arduino-based education to primary and secondary students in Korea, and 31 effect sizes were confirmed. According to the results of this study, the overall average effect size was 0.656, which confirmed that Arduino-based education had a positive educational effect. Furthermore, this study calculated the effect size as measured by categorical and continuous variables such as school level, the inclusion of curriculum, giftedness, publication status, the programming language used, publication year, number of sessions, and number of students. Implications were suggested from the perspective of engineering education. This study is meaningful because it suggests the application of Arduino to primary and secondary schools in engineering education by confirming the positive educational effect of Arduino-based education.

On a hot summer night in July 2020, several technology education experts in South Korea and the United States gathered in a Zoom meeting room. The meeting started with a brief introduction of ITEEA's new standards, "Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy" ("STEL"; ITEEA, 2020), to the Korean audience and discussed a plan to translate "STEL" into the Korean language. This was the starting point of the Korean "STEL" translation project. Nine months later, in April 2021, "STEL" was finally printed in Korean and released to the public. This article will narrate how "STEL" was translated into Korean and what implications the translation has for Korean educators.

The aim of this research was to explore research trends and issues in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in South Korea. To accomplish this, we conducted an analysis of 222 peer-reviewed journal papers related to ESD in South Korea. The research concentrated on identifying four characteristics of ESD research: 1) key publication features, 2) the research topics described, 3) the research design employed, and 4) the types of sample/subjects. The results showed that the initial ESD research began in South Korea in 2005, and the number of the journal papers has increased since 2010. Regarding research topics, more research has been conducted on establishing conceptual or theoretical foundations related to ESD. Moreover, teachers' attitudes or perceptions and program development associated with sustainable development were studied in depth. There were similar ratios of the theoretical research, quantitative research, and qualitative research regarding research design but mixed methods studies indicating the least ratio. Content analysis was the most prevalent analysis technique for quantitative/mixed ESD research. Regarding data sources or participants, the most common data source was the literature. Several research suggestions were made for assessing ESD programs and in-service teachers' ESD professional development.

This study investigated the gender difference among South Korean high school students in science learning motivation, technology learning motivation, and concern related engineering, as well as the correlation between these factors. It also verified effects of the sub-factors of science learning motivation and technology learning motivation on concern related to engineering. For this study, 745 students in grade 11th at six high schools in South Korea were involved as subjects in a survey conducted using instruments developed by Glynn et al. and Hall et al. In the results, a gender difference was observed in some sub-factors related to science learning motivation and technology learning motivation, and a positive correlation was found between most of the sub-factors of science learning motivation and technology learning motivation and concern related to engineering. Moreover, intrinsic motivation and personal relevance in technology were major factors that influenced students' concern related to engineering. Based on the findings, this study demonstrates the educational implications of including engineering in high school technology curriculums.

One distinguishing feature in terms of national curriculum revisions is the emphasis on invention education in the subject of technology. This study investigates how South Korean middle school students perceive inventors. A manufactured tool for testing and a checklist for evaluating images of inventors were created to assess drawings of 115 8th grade students. The final 108 surveys (from 52 male and 56 female students) were analyzed, and the results were quite similar to those of prior studies that examined how students picture scientists. This research confirmed that students had stereotypical images of inventors. Stereotypical elements that were not depicted in prior studies were also discovered. For example, tools such as spanners, hammers, and screwdrivers, which are used for building and fixing things, were proposed as symbols of research by students. Overcoming such stereotypical representations requires improving stereotypical images of inventors as they are presented in photos and figures of textbooks, developing and implementing educational programs that introduce relevant images of inventors, and changing teachers' recognition.

The Cassie–Baxter state of wetting explains a large equilibrium contact angle and the slippery dynamics of a water droplet on a superhydrophobic rough surface. It also causes a contact angle hysteresis (CAH) that cannot be fully described by dynamic wetting theories including the molecular kinetic theory (MKT). We analyze the contact line dynamics on a superhydrophobic surface in the framework of the MKT. Multi-body dissipative particle dynamics simulations of a capillary bridge confined between two rough surfaces under steady shear are performed. We find that, in addition to the contact line friction force from the MKT, an additional friction force contribution is needed on rough surfaces. It can be obtained by subtracting from the total friction force the force solely caused by the actual liquid–solid contact area. We find that the additional force is almost constant at all contact line velocities. Thus, it is directly related to the CAH. The CAH originates not only from contact line pinning but also from the shear flow due to the strong friction in the central region of the liquid–solid interface away from the contact line. The analysis of the particle flow inside the capillary bridge shows that liquid particles trapped in the grooves of the surface texture actually move with the same velocity as the surface and exert strong additional friction to other liquid particles. This work extends the MKT to rough surfaces, as well as to elucidate the origin of the CAH of a capillary bridge. The finding would help to better understand other situations of dynamic wetting on superhydrophobic surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C60 is a nanomaterial produced from the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons that needs to be extracted and purified to obtain the desired properties. Previous studies reported purification as the environmental hotspot of the C60 production process. However, no study has evaluated existing C60 purification methods and proposed alternatives based on environmental, cost, and chemical hazards. Here we used life cycle assessment (LCA) and evaluated the most common existing C60 purification methods (chromatography-crystallization, crystallization, & complexation) and identified selective complexation with 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as the greenest existing C60 purification technique that has less environmental (70% from chromatography-crystallization & 50% from crystallization), cost (70% from chromatography-crystallization & 80% from crystallization), and chemical (30% from chromatography-crystallization & crystallization) hazards. The solvent (1,2,4-trymethylbenzene (TMB)) was identified as the environmental hotspot contributing to more than 95% of the cumulative energy demand (CED) of the complexation process. We employed green chemistry principles and an iterative approach to assess the performance of potential replacements (linseed oil, olive oil, toluene, & xylene) for TMB. Although we evaluated solvents that are expected to be greener than petroleum-based solvents, we determined toluene as the greenest alternative. Compared to the baseline complexation method, using toluene reduced the environmental impact by 59%, cost by 85%, and chemical hazards by 42%. Identifying toluene as the alternative green solvent for C60 purification can reduce the carbon footprint of C60-containing products used for various emerging applications, such as solar cells, hydrogen storage, biofuels, etc., which aligns with current decarbonization strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photon upconversion (UC) is the process that has been known for a long time. Especially, lanthanide-based UC materials recently have attracted huge interest of scientific community due to their narrow visible emission bands upon near-infrared (NIR) excitation. However, the excitation in the high excitation power of NIR can cause highly bright and broad emission (B-UC). Such explosive B-UC was distinct at high excitation condition with UC wavelength encompassing the entire visible range. Previously, the proposed model of B-UC origination includes heat, multi-photon absorption, and accumulated thermal energy transfer. In this article, we will show various experimental and theoretical evidence supporting the idea that B-UC arises from photophysical pathways. Here, the key experimental evidence for photophysical pathways model of B-UC is to measure B-UC in the low-temperature environment (22 K). In addition, the density functional theory was used to regenerate energy levels which would be compared to the absorption spectral bands in Er2O3. As a result, we are confident of an electron tunneling model from 2P3/2 of Er3+ to oxygen vacancy level (VO) of Er2O3. Then, VO electrons are sequentially excited to the conduction band of Er2O3 by energy transfer from 4F9/2 of Er3+. Finally, the electrons return to the VO of Er2O3 with concomitant B-UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most photophysical studies in the halide perovskite have focused on the characteristics of the surface. However, the photons generated at the surface would be absorbed by the same material (re-absorption), and the photophysics of re-absorbed photons are rarely studied. Herein, we present our recent observation of the re-emission (photoluminescence after re-absorption, IR) in Cs4PbBr6, which is temporally slower than the surface-emission (IS). We performed a characterization of Cs4PbBr6, a power dependence experiment, and a lifetime measurement to reveal the emitting properties of Cs4PbBr6. However, we characterized the first re-emission (re-emission after first re-absorption, IFR) of Cs4PbBr6. The analysis of IFR revealed that the energy intervals between IS and IFR and between IFR and final re-emission (IR) are close to integer multiples. Therefore, we suggested that the least number of repeated re-absorptions required for generating IR is three. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanide incorporated perovskite is one of the most promising systems for efficient energy conversion or light-emitting materials in terms of upconversion (UC). Investigation of the photophysical mechanism of UC in the lanthanide-doped system is here continued. However, research on the 4I13/2 energy state in Er3+ is rare and more is still needed. In our work, BaTiO3:Er3+ (E-BT) was irradiated by a 1532 nm laser which is a resonance to the energy between 4I13/2 and the ground 4I15/2 state in Er3+. Bright 1532 nm-pumped UC was generated, and the UC color changed from red to yellow under increasing laser power. In addition, pump-power-dependent UC contained interesting clues about the photophysical pathway of UC. By analyzing photon numbers for each UC (green: 2H11/2/4S3/2 → 4I15/2, red: 4F9/2 → 4I15/2, infrared: 4I9/2 → 4I15/2), we found that changes in photon number with pump-power increase contain three different phases (P). P1 is a red UC phase with a small cross-relaxation between Er3+ ions. However, in P2, there is a rapid decrease in the photon number with green UC generation, which is due to the enhancement of 4I13/2-populating cross-relaxation. Finally, in P3, a saturated 4I13/2 state causes little increase of photon number (compared with P2), with different mechanistic cross-relaxation enhancement. With these three different phases under 1532 nm pumping, photophysical mechanisms in E-BT are interpreted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Although commonly utilized treatments, no study has directly compared the effectiveness of joint mobilization and stabilization exercise in individuals with forward head posture (FHP). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of upper cervical and upper thoracic spine mobilization versus deep cervical flexors exercise (DCFE) in individuals with FHP. METHODS: Thirty-one participants with FHP were randomized into the mobilization (n = 15) or exercise (n = 16) group. The treatment period was 4 weeks with follow-up assessment at 4 weeks and 6 weeks after the initial examination. Outcomes assessed included the craniovertebral angle (CVA), numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), respiratory function, and the global rating of change (GRC). RESULTS: Participants in the mobilization group demonstrated significant improvements (p < 0.05) in CVA, NPRS, and respiratory function, as compared to those in the exercise group. In addition, 9 of 15 (60%) participants in the mobilization group, as compared to 4 of 16 participants (25%) in the exercise group, had a GRC score of + 4 or higher. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of upper cervical and upper thoracic spine mobilization indicated better overall short-term outcomes in CVA, NPRS, respiratory function, and GRC compared with DCFE in individuals with FHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although commonly used in clinical settings, evidence regarding the beneficial effectiveness of joint mobilization and therapeutic exercise in patients with stroke is still lacking.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of mid-thoracic spine mobilization and therapeutic exercise on dynamic balance and inspiratory function in patients with subacute stroke.Methods: The participants included 33 patients with subacute stroke. Participants were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups: (1) a group that received segmental mobilization (T4-8), and (2) a group that received foam roller exercises (T4-8). Outcome measure included the limits of stability (LOS), inspiratory function, and global rating of change (GRC).Results: The improvement in inspiratory function was statistically significant at 4 and 6 weeks after the initiation of the intervention and changes in the LOS were statistically significant at 6 weeks in the mobilization group (p< 0.05). In addition, 15 of 17 (88.2%) participants in the mobilization group, compared to 9 of 16 participants (56.2%) in the exercise group, indicated a GRC score of +4 or higher at the 4-week follow-up.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that patients with subacute stroke who receive mid-thoracic spine mobilization demonstrate effective short-term improvements in LOS and GRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Re-deviation of the nasal septum may occur after septoplasty. Because the cartilaginous septum grows until the age of 16-17 years, septoplasty is usually recommended thereafter. However, severely deviated septum may necessitate septoplasty in younger adolescents. Objectives: To compare the incidence of re-deviated nasal septum in patients who underwent septoplasty at ≤18 versus ≥19 years of age. Materials and methods: The medical records and endoscopic photographs of patients who underwent septoplasty between 2005 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Re-deviation of the nasal septum was defined as >50% narrowing of one side of the nasal cavity compared to immediately after septoplasty. Results: The inclusion criteria were met by 52 adolescent patients and 549 adult patients. Re-deviation of the septum occurred in 11 (21.2%) and 39 (7.1%) patients, respectively; the difference was significant. Most patients had caudal and upper cartilaginous deviations. Four adolescent and 14 adult patients underwent revisional septoplasty. Conclusions and significance: Adolescent patients who underwent septoplasty had a significantly higher incidence of re-deviation of the nasal septum than adult patients. Therefore, when septoplasty is deemed necessary in adolescent patients, they and their parents should be informed about the possibility of re-deviation and the need for revisional septoplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although upper cervical and upper thoracic spine mobilization plus therapeutic exercises are common interventions for the management of forward head posture (FHP), no study has directly compared the effectiveness of cervical spine mobilization and stabilization exercise with that of thoracic spine mobilization and mobility exercise in individuals with FHP.Methods: Thirty-two participants with FHP were randomized into the cervical group or the thoracic group. The treatment period was 4 weeks, with follow-up assessment at 4 and 6 weeks after the initial examination. Outcome measures including the craniovertebral angle (CVA), cervical range of motion, numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), pressure pain threshold, neck disability index (NDI), and global rating of change (GRC) were collected. Data were examined with a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (group × time).Results: Participants in the thoracic group demonstrated significant improvements (p < .05) in CVA, cervical extension, NPRS, and NDI at the 6-week follow-up compared with those in the cervical group. In addition, 11 of 15 (68.8%) participants in the thoracic group compared with 8 of 16 participants (50%) in the cervical group showed a GRC score of +4 or higher at the 4-week follow-up.Conclusions: The combination of upper thoracic spine mobilization and mobility exercise demonstrated better overall short-term outcomes in CVA (standing position), cervical extension, NPRS, NDI, and GRC compared with upper cervical spine mobilization and stabilization exercise in individuals with FHP.Trial Registration: KCT0002307 , April 11, 2017 (retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted enormous interest over the past few years because of their unique optical properties and potential for use in various applications such as bioimaging probes, biosensors, and light-harvesting materials for photovoltaics. The improvement of imaging resolution is one of the most important goals for UCNPs used in biological applications. Super-resolution imaging techniques that overcome the fundamental diffraction limit of light rely on the photochemistry of organic dyes or fluorescent proteins. Here we report our progress toward super-resolution microscopy with UCNPs. We found that the red emission (655 nm) of core/shell UCNPs with the structure NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+/NaYF4 could be modulated by emission depletion (ED) of the intermediate state that interacts resonantly with an infrared beam (1540 nm). In contrast, the green emission bands (525 and 545 nm) of the UCNPs were less affected by irradiation with the infrared beam. The origin of such distinct behaviors between the green and red emissions was attributed to their different photophysical pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the gender difference among South Korean high school students in science learning motivation, technology learning motivation, and concern related engineering, as well as the correlation between these factors. It also verified effects of the sub-factors of science learning motivation and technology learning motivation on concern related to engineering. For this study, 745 students in grade 11th at six high schools in South Korea were involved as subjects in a survey conducted using instruments developed by Glynn et al. and Hall et al. In the results, a gender difference was observed in some sub-factors related to science learning motivation and technology learning motivation, and a positive correlation was found between most of the sub-factors of science learning motivation and technology learning motivation and concern related to engineering. Moreover, intrinsic motivation and personal relevance in technology were major factors that influenced students' concern related to engineering. Based on the findings, this study demonstrates the educational implications of including engineering in high school technology curriculums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of linear polymer precursors with hydrogen bonding motifs at both ends enable us to design supramolecular polymer systems with tailored macroscopic properties including self-healing. In this study, we investigate thermodynamic properties of single polyethylene and polybutylene glycols with hydrogen bonding motifs. In this context, we first build a coarse-grained model of building blocks of the supramolecular polymer system based on all-atom molecular structures. The density of states of the single precursor is obtained using the stochastic approximation Monte Carlo method. Constructing canonical partition functions from the density of states, we find the transition from looped to open conformations at transition temperatures which are non-monotonously changing with an increasing degree of polymerization due to the competition between chain stiffness and loop-forming entropy penalty. In the complete range of chain length under investigation, a coexistence of the looped and open morphologies at the transition temperature is shown regardless of whether the transition is first-order-like or continuous. Polyethylene and polybutylene glycols show similar behavior in all the thermodynamic properties but the transition temperature of the more flexible polybutylene glycol is shown to change more gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion of long ring polymers in a melt is much slower than the reorganization of their internal structures. While direct evidence for entanglements has not been observed in the long ring polymers unlike linear polymer melts, threading between the rings is suspected to be the main reason for slowing down of ring polymer diffusion. It is, however, difficult to define the threading configuration between two rings because the rings have no chain end. In this work, evidence for threading dynamics of ring polymers is presented by using molecular dynamics simulation and applying a novel analysis method. The simulation results are analyzed in terms of the statistics of persistence and exchange times that have proved useful in studying heterogeneous dynamics of glassy systems. It is found that the threading time of ring polymer melts increases more rapidly with the degree of polymerization than that of linear polymer melts. This indicates that threaded ring polymers cannot diffuse until an unthreading event occurs, which results in the slowing down of ring polymer diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Telomere length is an indicator of biological aging, and it shortens during cell division. A short telomere length is associated with various age-related diseases and mortality. It is suggested that physical activity has a positive effect on the rate of telomere length shortening. Materials and Methods: Related studies, published in electronic databases, were searched with keywords, including exercise, telomere length, and randomized controlled trial. The data were weighted and pooled through a fixed-effect model. Results: Of the total 49 studies searched, 7 studies with 939 participants were considered suitable, and were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Exercise is beneficial to telomere length. Aerobic exercise was effective as the type of exercise (MD, −0.03; 95% CI, −0.04 to −0.01). In addition, exercise for more than 6 months, with a change in lifestyle, is beneficial for telomere length (MD, −0.02; 95% CI, −0.04 to −0.01). Conclusions: The type and duration of exercise for positive improvement in telomere length is aerobic exercise for more than 6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormally slower diffusional processes than its internal structure relaxation have been observed in ring polymeric melt systems recently. A key structural feature in ring polymer melts is topological constraints which allow rings to assume a threading configuration in the melt phase. In this work, we constructed a lattice model under the assumption of asymmetric diffusivity between two threading rings, and investigated a link between the structural correlation and its dynamic behavior via Monte Carlo simulations. We discovered that the hierarchical threading configurations render the whole system to exhibit abnormally slow dynamics. By analyzing statistical distributions of timescales of threading configurations, we found that the decoupling between internal structure relaxation and diffusion is crucial to understand the threading effects on the dynamics of a ring melt. In particular, in the limit of small but threaded rings, scaling exponents of the diffusion coefficient D and timescale τ diff with respect to the degree of polymerization N agree well with that of the annealed tree model as well as our mean-field analysis. As N increases, however, the ring diffusion abruptly slows down to the glassy behavior, which is supported by a breakdown of the Stokes–Einstein relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentration – discharge (c-q) hysteresis loops are used to qualitatively understand solute transport pathways to streams. The majority of c-q studies involve non-urban areas in environmental settings such as the subtropics, mountains, and high latitude rivers. Only a few involve urban or urban salted watersheds. In this study, we explore c-q hysteresis plots and pollutographs for a variety of inorganic solutes (Cl − , Na + , K + , SiO 2 , NO 3 − ), dissolved organic carbon and an indicator of the aromatic fraction (SUVA 254 ), and a microbiological indicator ( E. coli ) in an urban salted watershed. The major hydrologic events are snow melts. The overarching hypothesis is that the hysteresis behavior can be explained by extending the pathway analysis (i.e., relative importance of storm event water, C SE ; groundwater C G ; and soil water, C SO ) from the Evans-Davis classification scheme that describes six behaviors to account for differences in source locations and the biogeochemical behavior of the solutes along these pathways. Data sets for the years 2013, 2014, and 2015 were assembled from a series of undergraduate and graduate research projects performed over this period. The results of these studies indicate that: 1) Cl − and Na + exhibit a combination of C2 (C SE > C SO > C G ) and C3 (C G > C SE > C SO ) behavior during salting season and A1 (C SO > G G > C SE ) and A2 (C SO > C SE > C G ) behavior in non-salting times; 2) SiO 2 shows A3 (C G > C SO > C SE ) behavior in all events, 3) K + changes from C2 to C1 (C SE > C G > C SO ) with concentration depletion over subsequent events; 4) NO 3 − changes from A2 to C1 or C2 with concentration depletion over subsequent events; 5) DOC and SUVA 254 exhibit C2 and A1 behavior, respectively; 6) E. coli changes from C2 to A2 over subsequent storms; 7) Cl − and Na + peak before the rising limb with a slight lag in the Na + peak and 8) E. coli does not exhibit first-flush behavior. An integrative pollutograph for a snow melt event shows, 1) K + and DOC peak together three times, unrelated to any additional event such as rain; 2) DOC becomes more aliphatic at its first peak, and 3) NO 3 − has a concentration decrease at the second DOC/K + peak and peaks on the declining limb after the third DOC/K + peak. These observations can be explained in terms of the c-q plots (e.g., importance of event water), environmental behavior (e.g., conservative solute), the nature of the urban landscape (e.g., pavement), and season (e.g., damped microbial activity). We interpret the multiple concentration peaks to indicate water masses originating from different compartments in the watershed are reaching the stream at different times and with different chemistries. These results extend the work of previous studies and may serve to help develop a fingerprint of solute behavior that can be used to more fully explore early season biogeochemical dynamics in an urban, salted, snow-melt dominated watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanide incorporated perovskite is one of the most promising systems for efficient energy conversion or light-emitting materials in terms of upconversion (UC). Investigation of the photophysical mechanism of UC in the lanthanide-doped system is here continued. However, research on the 4I13/2 energy state in Er3+ is rare and more is still needed. In our work, BaTiO3:Er3+ (E-BT) was irradiated by a 1532 nm laser which is a resonance to the energy between 4I13/2 and the ground 4I15/2 state in Er3+. Bright 1532 nm-pumped UC was generated, and the UC color changed from red to yellow under increasing laser power. In addition, pump-power-dependent UC contained interesting clues about the photophysical pathway of UC. By analyzing photon numbers for each UC (green: 2H11/2/4S3/2 → 4I15/2, red: 4F9/2 → 4I15/2, infrared: 4I9/2 → 4I15/2), we found that changes in photon number with pump-power increase contain three different phases (P). P1 is a red UC phase with a small cross-relaxation between Er3+ ions. However, in P2, there is a rapid decrease in the photon number with green UC generation, which is due to the enhancement of 4I13/2-populating cross-relaxation. Finally, in P3, a saturated 4I13/2 state causes little increase of photon number (compared with P2), with different mechanistic cross-relaxation enhancement. With these three different phases under 1532 nm pumping, photophysical mechanisms in E-BT are interpreted.

BACKGROUND Tension-type headache (TTH) decreases the ability to concentrate and function during daily activities in affected patients. As most patients with TTH exhibit forward head posture (FHP). Various interventions have been proposed to resolve TTH. However, research regarding the efficacy of these interventions remains lacking. The present study aimed to investigate the association between FHP and TTH, and to evaluate the efficacy of various intervention methods on headache symptoms and other clinical variables in patients with TTH induced by FHP. MATERIAL AND METHODS Participants were randomly allocated to 3 groups: biofeedback (BF, n₁=21), manual therapy (MT, n₂=20) and, stretching (ST, n₃=21). Interventions were conducted 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Craniovertebral angle (CVA), electroencephalographic findings for attention, stress, and pressure-pain threshold (PPT), headache on activities of daily living (Henry Ford Headache Disability Inventory, HDI), and quality of life (QoL) assessments were obtained pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at the 2-week follow-up. RESULTS The correlation between CVA and HDI after intervention (R²=0.324, P<0.001), and at 2-week follow-up (R²=0.115, P<0.01) are significant. BF was associated with significant improvements in CVA (F₂,₅₉=3.393, P<0.001, η^2/P=0.130), attention (F₂,₅₉=5.186, P<0.01, η^2/P=0.150), stress [skin temperature (F₂,₅₉=6.005, P<0.001, η^2/P=0.169) and skin conductance (F₂,₅₉=4.900, P<0.01, η^2/P=0.142)], PPT (F₂,₅₉=5.050, P<0.01, η^2/P=0.146), HDI (F₂,₅₉=3.303, P<0.01, η^2/P=0.101), and QoL (F₂,₅₉=3.409, P<0.05, η^2/P=0.104). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that BF was more effective than MT and ST in the treatment of TTH due to FHP. Such findings highlight the need to develop and promote a controlled exercise program to facilitate a return to normal daily activities in patients with TTH due to FHP.

Objectives: The traditional canal wall down mastoidectomy (CWDM) procedure commonly has potential problems of altering the anatomy and physiology of the middle ear and mastoid. This study evaluated outcomes in patients who underwent modified canal wall down mastoidectomy (mCWDM) and mastoid obliteration using autologous materials., Methods: Our study included 76 patients with chronic otitis media, cholesteatoma, and adhesive otitis who underwent mCWDM and mastoid obliteration using autologous materials between 2010 and 2015. Postoperative hearing airbone gap and complications were evaluated., Results: During the average follow-up of 64 months (range, 20 to 89 months), there was no recurrent or residual cholesteatoma or chronic otitis media. No patient had a cavity problem and anatomic integrity of the posterior canal wall was obtained. There was a significant improvement in hearing with respect to the postoperative air-bone gap (P<0.05). A retroauricular skin depression was a common complication of this technique., Conclusion: The present study suggests that our technique can prevent various complications of the classical CWDM technique using autologous tissues for mastoid cavity obliteration. It is also an appropriate method to obtain adequate volume for safe obliteration.

Rheological properties of supramolecular polymers (SMPs) depend on their equilibrium structure including the size, the number, and the topology of aggregates. A polymer with a hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) motif at both ends is one widely used precursor to build SMPs. Due to the complex interplay between chain stiffness, H-bonding interaction, polarity along a chain, and polymer conformational entropy, it is difficult to theoretically predict the structure of SMPs. In this work we investigate thermodynamics of SMPs with H-bonding ends in a wide range of densities. A replica exchange stochastic approximation Monte Carlo method with coarse-grained models for polyethylene and polybuthylene glycols is used. Our simulation shows that SMPs have two morphological transition lines with increasing temperature, a ring-linear transition, and a linear-free chain transition. The latter is a thermodynamic transition and turns out to be continuous. Comparing the two different spacers, we find that ring-linear transition temperatures differ from each other at the constant volume fraction due to different looping probabilities, which can be calculated from the average polymer size by mean field. However, the linear-free chain transition temperatures are similar because the entropic penalty to form a hydrogen bond mainly depends on the probability of finding H-bonding groups in a system, which is the same for both systems at a given volume fraction.

BACKGROUND Ankle sprain reduces capacity for neurosensory information processing, and these patients commonly progress to chronic ankle instability (CAI). To address this problem, the short-foot exercise (SFE) may be used. However, there has been no previous research on the neurosensory impact of SFE. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess improvement of quantitative neurosensory indicators after SFE and to determine the effect of proprioceptive sensory exercise (PSE) in patients with CAI. MATERIAL AND METHODS The present study included 30 adults (age range: 19-29 years; 50% female). Selection criteria for CAI (Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool £24) were implemented, and participants were randomly allocated to 2 groups: SFE (n1=15) and PSE (n2=15). Exercises were conducted 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Measurements of quantitative somatosensory of joint position sense and vibration sensory thresholds, dynamic balance, and ankle instability assessment were evaluated before and after completion of each intervention. Data were analyzed using a repeated- measures analysis of variance. RESULTS In a time-by-group comparison, the SFE group showed a more significant improvement with regards to eversion joint position sense (F1,28=4.543, p<0.05). For vibration sensory threshold, the SFE group showed a more significant improvement (F1,28=8.280, p<0.01). Balance index according to anterio-posterior, mediolateral, and overall index the SFE group a more significant improvement (F1,28=6.666, 4.585, 5.207, p<0.05). And ankle instability SFE group showed a more significant improvement (F1,28=6.890, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS SFE is more effective than PSE for treating ankle sprain patients. There is a need to develop and promote an effective and controlled exercise program to facilitate the return of ankle sprain patients to normal daily life.

Background: Although upper cervical and upper thoracic spine mobilization plus therapeutic exercises are common interventions for the management of forward head posture (FHP), no study has directly compared the effectiveness of cervical spine mobilization and stabilization exercise with that of thoracic spine mobilization and mobility exercise in individuals with FHP., Methods: Thirty-two participants with FHP were randomized into the cervical group or the thoracic group. The treatment period was 4 weeks, with follow-up assessment at 4 and 6 weeks after the initial examination. Outcome measures including the craniovertebral angle (CVA), cervical range of motion, numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), pressure pain threshold, neck disability index (NDI), and global rating of change (GRC) were collected. Data were examined with a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (group × time)., Results: Participants in the thoracic group demonstrated significant improvements (p < .05) in CVA, cervical extension, NPRS, and NDI at the 6-week follow-up compared with those in the cervical group. In addition, 11 of 15 (68.8%) participants in the thoracic group compared with 8 of 16 participants (50%) in the cervical group showed a GRC score of +4 or higher at the 4-week follow-up., Conclusions: The combination of upper thoracic spine mobilization and mobility exercise demonstrated better overall short-term outcomes in CVA (standing position), cervical extension, NPRS, NDI, and GRC compared with upper cervical spine mobilization and stabilization exercise in individuals with FHP., Trial Registration: KCT0002307 , April 11, 2017 (retrospectively registered).

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted enormous interest over the past few years because of their unique optical properties and potential for use in various applications such as bioimaging probes, biosensors, and light-harvesting materials for photovoltaics. The improvement of imaging resolution is one of the most important goals for UCNPs used in biological applications. Super-resolution imaging techniques that overcome the fundamental diffraction limit of light rely on the photochemistry of organic dyes or fluorescent proteins. Here we report our progress toward super-resolution microscopy with UCNPs. We found that the red emission (655 nm) of core/shell UCNPs with the structure NaYF 4 :Yb 3+ ,Er 3+ /NaYF 4 could be modulated by emission depletion (ED) of the intermediate state that interacts resonantly with an infrared beam (1540 nm). In contrast, the green emission bands (525 and 545 nm) of the UCNPs were less affected by irradiation with the infrared beam. The origin of such distinct behaviors between the green and red emissions was attributed to their different photophysical pathways.