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The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases has been regularly developing guidelines for adult immunization since 2007. In 2023, the guidelines for the following seven vaccines were revised: influenza, herpes zoster, pneumococcal, tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal, and rabies vaccines. For the influenza vaccine, a recommendation for enhanced vaccines for the elderly was added. For the herpes zoster vaccine, a recommendation for the recombinant zoster vaccine was added. For the pneumococcal vaccine, the current status of the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and 20-valent PCV was described. For the Tdap vaccine, the possibility of using Tdap instead of tetanus-diphtheria vaccine was described. For the HPV vaccine, the expansion of the eligible age for vaccination was described. For the meningococcal vaccine, a recommendation for the meningococcal B vaccine was added. For the rabies vaccine, the number of pre-exposure prophylaxis doses was changed. This manuscript documents the summary and rationale of the revisions for the seven vaccines. For the vaccines not mentioned in this manuscript, the recommendations in the 3rd edition of the Vaccinations for Adults textbook shall remain in effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze interventions for bereaved families and evaluate their effectiveness, with the ultimate goal of supporting evidence-based nursing for bereaved families. Methods: Research trends were identified based on a search of domestic databases from January 2000 to December 2022, and a meta-analysis was conducted on interventions for bereaved families. Forty-five papers were selected, and information was extracted on participants, research design, and interventions. A meta-analysis of seven papers was performed, and the effect size was calculated. Results: Fourteen papers dealt with interventions for middle-aged women who had lost their spouses, 20 used qualitative research methods, and 20 were on art therapy programs. Thirty studies had fewer than 10 participants, and most interventions had 60~120 minutes per session and 9~16 sessions in total. There were seven randomized controlled trials, and all studies included in the quality evaluation showed a low risk of bias. Four papers measured grief as an outcome, and the effect size was -1.9577 (95% CI: -2.9206 to -0.9947), indicating that the treatment significantly decreased grief (P＜0.001). Six papers measured depression as an outcome, and the effect size was -1.6775 (95% CI: -2.1835 to -1.1716), showing that the treatment significantly decreased depression (P＜0.001). Conclusion: Intervention programs for bereaved families were shown to be effective in relieving grief and depression. However, programs should be developed that target middle-aged men who have lost their spouses and children who have lost their parents. Randomized controlled trials should also be conducted on interventions to reduce grief and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although adult immunization is different from children’s, vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) for adults are significant in that they are more severe and cause more deaths than VPDs for children. Additionally, the emergence of new vaccines and an increase in the elderly population are increasing demands for policy support for adult vaccination. Accordingly, in this paper, I will look at the characteristics of adult immunization, policies that have been implemented in Korea, and considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strawberry Advisory System (SAS) is a tool developed to help Florida strawberry growers determine the risk of common fungal diseases and the need for fungicide applications. Leaf wetness duration (LWD) is one of the important parameters in SAS disease risk modeling. By accurately measuring the LWD, disease risk can be better assessed, leading to less fungicide use and more economic benefits to the farmers. This research aimed to develop and test a more accurate leaf wetness detection system than traditional leaf wetness sensors. In this research, a leaf wetness detection system was developed and tested using color imaging of a reference surface and a convolutional neural network (CNN), which is one of the artificial-intelligence-based learning methods. The system was placed at two separate field locations during the 2021–2022 strawberry-growing season. The results from the developed system were compared against manual observation to determine the accuracy of the system. It was found that the AI- and imaging-based system had high accuracy in detecting wetness on a reference surface. The developed system can be used in SAS for determining accurate disease risks and fungicide recommendations for strawberry production and allows the expansion of the system to multiple locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

20 RT (70 kW) two-evaporator heat pump system was developed, manufactured, and tested to enhance the cooling performance using a vapor–liquid separator. In the proposed system, two evaporators are connected in series, and the refrigerant passing through the primary evaporator is separated into vapor and liquid using a vapor–liquid separator. The vapor refrigerant is passed to the compressor, whereas the liquid phase flows into the second evaporator. The amount of vapor refrigerant sent to the compressor can be adjusted through a needle valve opening (0%, 50%, and 100%). The influence of this parameter on the cooling performance was analyzed. The cooling performance tests were repeated five times to check repeatability. Data associated with the air and refrigerant sides were obtained, and the average coefficients of performance (COPs) were calculated. The average COP associated with the air side was approximately 5% lower than that pertaining to the refrigerant side owing to the heat loss. In terms of the air-side cooling performance, the average COP was 3.14, 3.40, and 3.68 when the valve openings were 0%, 50%, and 100%, respectively. The cooling performance when the valve opening was 100% was 17.2% higher than that for the valve opening of 0%. The findings demonstrated that the cooling performance of a heat pump can be enhanced using two evaporators and a vapor–liquid separator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

배경: The recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) has demonstrated high vaccine efficacy (VE) against herpes zoster (HZ) in adults ≥50 years of age (YOA) in 2 phase 3 clinical trials (ZOE-50, NCT01165177; ZOE 70, NCT01165229). VE persisted up to year (Y)2 in the interim analysis of the extension study (ZOSTER-049, NCT02723773). Here, we describe the interim analysis for Y4 of the extension study. Understanding VE persistence and long-term protection against HZ can help optimize RZV use in adults ≥50 YOA. 방법: The study design is detailed in Fig. 1. Primary objective included VE against HZ during ZOSTER-049. Secondary objectives included VE against HZ from 1 month post-dose 2 in the ZOE-50/-70 studies until the end of Y4 of ZOSTER-049 (Y10 post-vacci- nation), persistence of vaccine-induced humoral immunogenicity in terms of anti-glycoprotein E (gE) antibody and cell-mediated immune response in terms of frequency of gE-specific CD4[2+] T-cells and safety. VE analysis for ZOSTER-049 used historical control estimates from the ZOE-50/-70 placebo groups. 결과: ZOSTER-049 enrolled 7,413 participants and 7,277 were included in VE analyses (Fig. 2). During 4 years of follow-up in ZOSTER-049, overall VE against HZ was 81.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 75.2-86.6). From 1 month post-dose 2 in ZOE-50/-70 until Y4 of ZOSTER-049, overall VE was 89.0% (95% CI: 85.6-91.3). In ZOSTER-049, anti-gE antibody concentrations persisted >5 times above pre-vaccination up to Y10 post-vaccination (Fig. 3A). Frequency of gE-specific CD4[2+] T-cells remained above pre-vaccination from Y6 to Y10 post-vaccination (Fig. 3B). No safety signals were identified until the end of ZOSTER-049 Y4. 결론: VE against HZ and immune responses to RZV remained high until the end of the observation period for this Y4 interim analysis, suggesting sustained clinical benefit of RZV in adults ≥50 YOA for at least 10 years after vaccination. RZV safety profile remained clinically acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a part of measures to decrease spikes in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and deaths outside of hospitals, the government of South Korea introduced a plan for community treatment centers (CTCs) to isolate and monitor patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms. We assessed outcomes of 568 patients admitted to 3 CTCs near Daegu. More (64.6%) women than men (35.4%) were admitted, and the mean age of patients was 36.0 years (SD +15.0 years). Among all patients, 75.7% remained asymptomatic while at the CTCs. The mean time patients remained at CTCs was 19.6 days (SD +5.8 days) from the day of diagnosis until our study ended on March 23, 2020. Because they offer appropriate clinical triaging and daily monitoring for patients, CTCs are a safe alternative to medical institutions for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A tendon-transfer is a reconstructive orthopedic surgery where tendons are re-routed from a non-functioning muscle and attached a functioning muscle. Prior work has shown that using a passive implanted device in the ECRL-to-FDP tendon-transfer surgery significantly improves hand grasping function. However, it is still unclear how hand-function improvement, measured by finger joint range of motion and torque, is dependent on the implant’s geometry and location within the tendon network. This paper presents a genetic algorithm that determines the device’s optimal geometry and location. Methods: Hand biomechanical simulation platform was developed to model hand function and also model the tendon-transfer surgery with and without the implant. Finger kinematics and joint torque were used to develop three unique objective functions to optimize the implant’s parameters. Results: The optimized device resulted in an 11X increase in finger kinematics with only a 0.9% decrease in joint torque when compared with the biomechanical function enabled by the current suture-based surgery. Conclusion: Designing implantable devices that modify musculoskeletal function is challenging. Factors like tendon routing and joint kinematics create a complex nonlinear system when considering biomechanical function. A genetic algorithm is an effective tool to tackle these nonlinear landscapes to produce optimized designs. Significance: The state-of-the-art surgical procedure to repair high median-ulnar nerve palsy leads to poor hand function and severely limits the patient’s ability to perform activities of daily life. This work provides a method for defining relevant objective functions for hand biomechanical function and then uses those objective functions with genetic algorithms to optimize the geometry of an orthopedic implant across multiple variables. The achieved biomechanical function is significantly better than hand function enabled by current surgical procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway is a critical link between innate and adaptive immunity, and induces anti-tumor immune responses. STING is expressed in vasculatures, but its role in tumor angiogenesis has not been elucidated. Here we investigated STING-induced tumor vascular remodeling and the potential of STING-based combination immunotherapy. Endothelial STING expression was correlated with enhanced T-cell infiltration and prolonged survival in human colon and breast cancer. Intratumoral STING activation with STING agonists (cGAMP or RR-CDA) normalized tumor vasculatures in implanted and spontaneous cancers, but not in STING-deficient mice. These were mediated by upregulation of type I/II interferon genes and vascular stabilizing genes (e.g., Angpt1, Pdgfrb, and Col4a). STING in non-hematopoietic cells is as important as STING in hematopoietic cells to induce a maximal therapeutic efficacy of exogenous STING agonist. Vascular normalizing effects of STING agonists were dependent on type I interferon signaling and CD8+ T cells. Notably, STING-based immunotherapy was maximally effective when combined with VEGFR2 blockade and/or immune checkpoint blockade (αPD-1 or αCTLA-4), leading to complete regression of immunotherapy-resistant tumors. Our data show that intratumoral STING activation can normalize tumor vasculature and the tumor microenvironment, providing a rationale for combining STING-based immunotherapy and anti-angiogenic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern for human and animal health. Public awareness of these issues has contributed to increased demand for organic food. In poultry production, there are 3 major production types: no antibiotic ever, organic, and conventional. Organics have been considered safer alternatives that carry fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria and have less incidence of stable resistance. In this study, we examined the impact of organic and conventional production practices on the resistance patterns of the intestinal microbiome of chickens. Culture and sensitivity analysis performed on the cecal contents were compared between organic and conventionally grown chickens from identical parent stock collected in July and September. The results demonstrated that Escherichia coli isolated from conventionally produced chickens were significantly more resistant to neomycin (P-value ,0.0002) and tetracycline (P-value = 0.0000) when compared with organically produced chickens in the July collection samples. However, there was no significant difference observed between groups in the September samples. These data demonstrate that AMR patterns of E. coli can differ significantly between organic and conventional chickens in the samples, but AMR pattern among E. coli isolates may not be consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza is an important public health concern. We propose a new real-time influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance system that utilizes a nationwide prospective drug utilization monitoring in Korea. We defined ILI-related claims as outpatient claims that contain both antipyretic and antitussive agents and calculated the weekly rate of ILI-related claims, which was compared to weekly ILI rates from clinical sentinel surveillance data during 2014–2018. We performed a cross-correlation analysis using Pearson's correlation, time-series analysis to explore actual correlations after removing any dubious correlations due to underlying non-stationarity in both data sets. We used the moving epidemic method (MEM) to estimate an absolute threshold to designate potential influenza epidemics for the weeks with incidence rates above the threshold. We observed a strong correlation between the two surveillance systems each season. The absolute thresholds for the 4-years were 84.64 and 86.19 cases per 1000claims for claims data and 12.27 and 16.82 per 1000 patients for sentinel data. The epidemic patterns were more similar in the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 seasons than the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 seasons. ILI claims data can be loaded to a drug utilization review system in Korea to make an influenza surveillance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination on December 8, 2020 in the United Kingdome (UK), more than 250,000,000 people worldwide have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in more than 100 countries as of March 5, 2021 [1]. In Korea, COVID-19 vaccinations started from February 26, 2021 among health professionals who are directly involved in treating COVID-19 patients, employees, and residents in long-term care facilities, and first-line COVID-19 responders. According to the Korean public health plan for the introduction and vaccination of COVID-19 vaccines, it is expected that vaccination will be performed in people aged ≥65 years from the second quarter and in people aged <65 with underlying diseases from the third quarter. People with comorbidities are well known as high-risk groups for COVID-19 [2]. However, there have been many questions raised about the safety, efficacy, and recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination in individuals with underlying medical conditions. This article aimed to present the efficacy and safety of each COVID-19 vaccine based on the presence and types of comorbidities, and to summarize the guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), as well those implemented in the United States of America (USA) and the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The massive outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Daegu city and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea (ROK), caused the exponential increase in new cases exceeding 5000 within 6 weeks. Therefore, the community treatment center (CTC) with a digital health care monitoring system based on the smartphone application and personal health record platform (PHR) was implemented. Thus, we report our experience in one of the CTCs to investigate the role of CTC and the feasibility of the digital health care monitoring system in the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: The Gyeongbuk-Daegu 2 CTC was set up at the private residential facility. Admission criteria were 1) patients < 65 years with COVID-19, 2) patients without underlying medical comorbidities, and 3) COVID-19 disease severity of mild class. Admitted patients were placed under monitoring of vital signs and symptoms. Clinical information was collected using the smartphone application or telephone communication. Collected information was displayed on the PHR platform in a real-time fashion for close monitoring.Results: From Mar 3, 2020, to Mar 26, 2020, there was a total of 290 patients admitted to the facility. Males were 104 (35.9%). The median age was 37 years. The median time between the COVID-19 diagnosis and admission was 7 days. Five patients were identified and were transferred to the designed COVID-19 treatment hospital for their urgent medical needs. The smartphone application usage to report vital signs and symptoms was noted in 96% of the patients. There were no deaths of the patients.Conclusions: Our results suggest that implementation of the CTC using a commercial residence facility and digital health care technology may offer valuable solutions to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose was to prepare a (3-glycidoxypropyl)-trimethoxysilane (GPTMS)-SiO 2 nanofluid and analyze the effect of nanofluid injection on carbonate reservoirs. GPTMS-modified silica nanoparticles (SNPs) were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and elemental analysis. FTIR spectra of C-H stretching vibrations at 2950 cm−1, indicating silica surface modification with GPTMS, were observed when the GPTMS in the feed was greater than 0.7 mmol/g. Further, a stable nanofluid was obtained when the amount of grafted silane was close to 0.73 mmol/g, the theoretical maximum amount of grafted silanes. To evaluate the performance of surface-modified SNPs for enhanced oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs, wettability alteration tests comprising flotation test and contact angle measurements using powder and plug samples of carbonates, respectively, were performed with different SNP concentrations. Powder samples were successfully changed from oil-wet to water-wet, and the contact angle of the plug sample decreased by up to 62.8% as a result of the reaction of the nanofluid; however, it did not reduce interfacial tension (IFT) as effectively as IFT reducer additives. A coreflooding test was conducted to determine the effective parameters of the enhanced oil recovery with the GPTMS-nanofluid, such as SNP concentration, injection rate, and rock properties. The nanofluid injection increased oil recovery by approximately 20% compared to conventional waterflooding through incremental oil recovery, mainly attributed to wettability alteration. Therefore, we expect the nanofluid to dramatically increase the oil recovery in strongly oil-wet carbonate reservoirs under high-salinity conditions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laninamivir (LAN) is a long-acting neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor (NAI) with a similar binding profile in the influenza NA enzyme active site as those of other NAIs, oseltamivir (OS), zanamivir (ZAN), and peramivir, and may share common resistance markers with these NAIs. We screened viruses with NA substitutions previously found during OS and ZAN selection in avian influenza viruses (AIVs) of the N3 to N9 subtypes for LAN susceptibility. Of the 72 NA substitutions, 19 conferred resistance to LAN, which ranged from 11.2- to 549.8-fold-decreased inhibitory activity over that of their parental viruses. Ten NA substitutions reduced the susceptibility to all four NAIs, whereas the remaining 26 substitutions yielded susceptibility to one or more NAIs. To determine whether the in vitro susceptibility of multi-NAI-resistant AIVs is associated with in vivo susceptibility, we infected BALB/c mice with recombinant AIVs with R292K (ma81K-N3R292K) or Q136K (ma81K-N8Q136K) NA substitutions, which impart in vitro susceptibility only to LAN or OS, respectively. Both ma81KN3R292K and ma81K-N8Q136K virus-infected mice exhibited reduced weight loss, mortality, and lung viral titers when treated with their susceptible NAIs, confirming the in vitro susceptibility of these substitutions. Together, LAN resistance profiling of AIVs of a range of NA subtypes improves the understanding of NAI resistance mechanisms. Furthermore, the association of in vitro and in vivo NAI susceptibility indicates that our models are useful tools for monitoring NAI susceptibility of AIVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kynurenine (Kyn) is a key inducer of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Although indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)-selective inhibitors have been developed to suppress the Kyn pathway, the results were not satisfactory due to the presence of various opposing mechanisms. Here, we employed an orally administered novel Kyn pathway regulator to overcome the limitation of anti-tumor immune response. We identified a novel core structure that inhibited both IDO and TDO. An orally available lead compound, STB-C017 (designated hereafter as STB), effectively inhibited the enzymatic and cellular activity of IDO and TDO in vitro. Moreover, it potently suppressed Kyn levels in both the plasma and tumor in vivo. STB monotherapy increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells into TME. In addition, STB reprogrammed the TME with widespread changes in immune-mediated gene signatures. Notably, STB-based combination immunotherapy elicited the most potent anti-tumor efficacy through concurrent treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, leading to complete tumor regression and long-term overall survival. Our study demonstrated that a novel Kyn pathway regulator derived using deep learning technology can activate T cell immunity and potentiate immune checkpoint blockade by overcoming an immunosuppressive TME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparing to data in patients with severe coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19), there are few studies on the prevalence anxiety and/or depression in patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19. We investigated the clinical characteristics and the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression among asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19 and monitored their mental health using an online assessment. An online survey for monitoring and assessing the mental health of patients with COVID-19 using a mobile phone was conducted. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to measure anxiety and/or depression levels. Of the 234 patients, 66 patients were asymptomatic (28.2%), while the remaining 168 patients were mildly symptomatic. The prevalence of anosmia (p = 0.001) and ageusia (p = 0.008) significantly decreased with the increasing age. In addition, 19.8% and 14.0% patients had anxiety and/or depression in the first survey, and one week after the first survey, respectively. Compared to patients without anxiety and/or depression, those with anxiety and/or depression had a longer quarantine duration. We found that anomia and ageusia were relatively common in the young age group. Furthermore, one-fifth asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19 had anxiety and/or depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Morfey-Howell Q/S was introduced as a single-point frequency-domain nonlinearity indicator for propagation of intense broadband noise [AIAA J. 19, 986–992 (1981)], there has been debate about its validity, utility, and interpretation. In this Letter, the generalized Burgers equation is recast in terms of specific acoustic impedance along with linear absorption and dispersion coefficients, normalized quadspectral density (Q/S), and newly proposed normalized cospectral density (C/S). The formulation leads to a rather straightforward interpretation in which Q/S and C/S, respectively, represent the additional absorption and dispersion at a locale, produced by the passage of a finite-amplitude wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low back pain is a common symptom and continuous or recurrent pain results in chronic low back pain (CLBP). While many patients with CLBP have tried various treatments, complementary and alternative medicine including acupuncture and herbal medicine is one of the commonly used treatments. Palmijihwang-hwan is a herbal medicine used frequently in clinical practice but there has been no report of the efficacy, safety, or cost-effectiveness analysis of Palmijihwang-hwan for CLBP.Methods: This study is a randomized, assessor-blinded, multicenter, clinical trial with two parallel groups. Four Korean medicine hospitals will recruit 84 participants and randomly allocate them into the control or treatment group in a 1:1 ratio. The control group will receive acupuncture treatment at 11 local and 4 distal acupuncture points for 20 min twice a week for 6 weeks. The treatment group will receive the same acupuncture treatment as the control group and also take Palmijihwang-hwan for 6 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in visual analog scale (VAS) score between baseline (visit 1) and completion of the intervention (visit 12), and secondary outcomes will be pain-related clinical relevance (minimal clinical important difference or the proportion of the participants who decrease more than 30, or 50% on VAS), disability (Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire), quality of life (EuroQol-5D), global assessment (Patient Global Impression of Change), and economic analysis (cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis). Additionally, safety will be assessed.Discussion: The results of our study will provide the clinical evidence about the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness analysis of Palmijihwang-hwan for CLBP. There will be a chance to provide multiple subdivided influence of this treatment with various outcome measures, but lack of placebo is our limitation.Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service, KCT0002998. Registered on 12 July 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the majority of patients with schizophrenia are not actually violent, an increased tendency toward violent behaviors is known to be associated with schizophrenia. There are several factors to consider when identifying the subgroup of patients with schizophrenia who may commit violent or aggressive acts. Comorbidity with substance abuse is the most important clinical indicator of increased aggressive behaviors and crime rates in patients with schizophrenia. Genetic studies have proposed that polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene and in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene are related to aggression. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that fronto-limbic dysfunction may be related to aggression or violence. By identifying specific risk factors, a more efficient treatment plan to prevent violent behavior in schizophrenia will be possible. Management of comorbid substance use disorder may help prevent violent events and overall aggression. Currently, clozapine may be the only effective antipsychotic medication to repress aggressive behavior. With the current medical field moving toward tailored medicine, it is important to identify vulnerable schizophrenia populations and provide efficient treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GPTMS ((3-Glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane)-SiO 2 nanofluids have the ability to alter the wettability of a rock surface and high colloidal stability, therefore, they can be used as injection fluids to enhance oil recovery in high-salinity and high-temperature reservoirs. The purpose of this study is to prepare GPTMS-SiO 2 nanofluids that are stable under extreme reservoir conditions and investigate their rheological characteristics. Nanofluids with nanoparticle concentrations of 0.1 to 3 wt% were prepared and dispersed in 10 wt% API (American Petroleum Institute) brine, which served as the base fluid. The apparent viscosity of the base fluid and GPTMS-SiO 2 nanofluids was measured in the shear rate range 3.7 to 93.1 s−1 between the temperatures of 5 and 85 °C. It was observed to be a function of temperature, but remained constant with the increase in shear rate. On the other hand, the nanofluids exhibited pseudoplastic behavior (shear thinning). The apparent viscosity of the nanofluids tended to increase with decreasing temperature and increasing particle concentration. The consistency index and power law index of the power law fluid model are used for the analysis of the flow behavior of the nanofluids. The consistency indices of GPTMS-SiO 2 nanofluids were observed to be well matched with the exponential function, and the power law indices showed high correlations with the specific particle concentration and temperature conditions. The results revealed that the rheological characteristics of GPTMS-SiO 2 nanofluids are functions of particle concentration and temperature at specific conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategies to enhance autophagy flux have been suggested to improve outcomes in cardiac ischemic models. We explored the role of adiponectin in mediating cardiac autophagy under ischemic conditions induced by permanent coronary artery ligation. We studied the molecular mechanisms underlying adiponectin's cardio‐protective effects in adiponectin knockout (Ad‐KO) compared with wild‐type (WT) mice subjected to ischemia by coronary artery ligation and H9c2 cardiomyocyte cell line exposed to hypoxia. Systemic infusion of a cathepsin‐B activatable near‐infrared probe as a biomarker for autophagy and detection via noninvasive three‐dimensional fluorescence molecular tomography combined with computerized tomography to quantitate temporal changes, indicated increased activity in the myocardium of WT mice after myocardial infarction which was attenuated in Ad‐KO. Seven days of ischemia increased myocardial adiponectin accumulation and elevated ULK1/AMPK phosphorylation and autophagy assessed by Western blotting for LC3 and p62, an outcome not observed in Ad‐KO mice. Cell death, assessed by TUNEL analysis and the ratio of Bcl‐2:Bax, plus cardiac dysfunction, measured using echocardiography with strain analysis, were exacerbated in Ad‐KO mice. Using cellular models, we observed that adiponectin stimulated autophagy flux in isolated primary adult cardiomyocytes and increased basal and hypoxia‐induced autophagy in H9c2 cells. Real‐time temporal analysis of caspase‐3/7 activation and caspase‐3 Western blot indicated that adiponectin suppressed activation by hypoxia. Hypoxia‐induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and cell death were also attenuated by adiponectin. Importantly, the ability of adiponectin to reduce caspase‐3/7 activation and cell death was not observed in autophagy‐deficient cells generated by CRISPR‐mediated deletion of Atg7. Collectively, our data indicate that adiponectin acts in an autophagy‐dependent manner to attenuate cardiomyocyte caspase‐3/7 activation and cell death in response to hypoxia in vitro and ischemia in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza is a very important respiratory infectious disease that causes seasonal epidemics and pandemics. A well-organized surveillance system is necessary to monitor and respond effectively to the epidemiologic features of influenza. Korea currently operates a national influenza surveillance system based on the clinical sentinel surveillance system, laboratory sentinel surveillance system, and hospitalization and mortality surveillance system. However, there is a need for a better national surveillance system due to a demand for various pieces of information related to influenza. This article discusses the general aspects of influenza surveillance systems and the future direction of the national influenza surveillance system ofKorea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the clinical significance of the intensity of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) in chronic tinnitus. MATERIALS and METHODS: Four sessions of tVNS were performed over a 2-week period for 24 patients with unilateral, non-pulsatile chronic tinnitus. The cavum, cymba, and tragus were sequentially stimulated to the maximal sensory thresholds. One month later, after the four sessions, the level of tinnitus distress and changes in stimulus intensity were assessed. RESULTS: The stimulus intensity did not differ according to sex or laterality. However, a moderate positive correlation between tinnitus distress and the initial stimulus intensity was observed. This correlation was not observed during the subsequent sessions. The stimulus intensity at the cavum changed significantly (p=0.018), and notable differences in tinnitus annoyance were observed between the responders and non-responders (p=0.006). CONCLUSION: The effect of stimulus intensity on the treatment outcome seems to be limited. An increasing trend in the stimulus intensity for tinnitus annoyance at the cavum was observed in the responders. Therefore, the cavum may be an optimal stimulation site for tVNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) contains layers of ceramics as the dielectric materials. It has been known that Class 2 MLCCs, made of ferroelectric ceramics such as barium titanate, tend to suffer from electromechanical coupling hence vibration, which leads to the generation of acoustic humming noise, a source of annoyance in many modern electronic devices. In this article, a repoling method to control the electromechanical properties and the resulting vibration of MLCCs is presented. The repoling protocol hinges on the understanding that two independent mechanisms are responsible for the electromechanical coupling in MLCCs: piezoelectricity and electrostriction of the ceramic layers. The vibration due to piezoelectricity is linearly proportional to the input voltage, whereas the vibration due to electrostriction shows a quadratic dependence. Given the DC bias and the AC input voltage under normal operating conditions, the vibration is composed of the fundamental component at the frequency of the AC input and the second harmonic component spawned by the quadratic nonlinearity of electrostriction. It is demonstrated that by engineering the coefficients of piezoelectricity and electrostriction of the ceramic layers through a carefully designed repoling treatment, vibration reduction can be achieved for both the fundamental and second harmonic components. Especially, the fundamental component of vibration can be reduced significantly, as the piezoelectric effect is made to offset the electrostrictive effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel synthesis method for the bimetallic alloy catalyst is reported, which is subsequently used as an oxygen reduction catalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The support prepared from the Ni-chelate complex shows a mesoporous structure with a specific surface area of ca. 400 m 2  g −1 indicating the suitable support for PEMFC applications. Ethylenediamine is converted to the nitrogen and carbon layers to protect the Ni particles which will diffuse into the Pt lattice at 800 °C. The PtNi/NCC catalyst with PtNi cores and Pt-rich shells is successfully formed when acid-treated as evidenced by line scan profiles. The catalyst particles thus synthesized are well-dispersed on the N-doped carbon support, while the average particle size is ca. 3 nm. In the PEMFC test, the maximum power density of the PtNi/NCC catalyst shows approximately 25% higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The mass activity of the PtNi/NCC catalyst showed approximately 3-fold higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The mass activity strongly depends on the ratio of Pt to Ni since the strain effect can be strong for catalysts due to the mismatch of lattice parameters of the Ni and Pt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are emerging as novel human pathogens, and the frequency of related infections has increased in recent years. Although neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NAIs) are the only class of antiviral drugs available for therapeutic intervention for AIV-infected patients, studies on NAI resistance among AIVs have been limited, and markers of resistance are poorly understood. Previously, we identified unique NAI resistance substitutions in AIVs of the N3, N7, and N9 NA subtypes. Here, we report profiles of NA substitutions that confer NAI resistance in AIVs of the N4, N5, N6, and N8 NA subtypes using genefragmented random mutagenesis. We generated libraries of mutant influenza viruses using reverse genetics (RG) and selected resistant variants in the presence of the NAIs oseltamivir carboxylate and zanamivir in MDCK cells. In addition, two substitutions, H274Y and R292K (N2 numbering), were introduced into each NA gene for comparison. We identified 37 amino acid substitutions within the NA gene, 16 of which (4 in N4, 4 in N5, 4 in N6, and 4 in N8) conferred resistance to NAIs (oseltamivir carboxylate, zanamivir, or peramivir) as determined using a fluorescence-based NA inhibition assay. Substitutions conferring NAI resistance were mainly categorized as either novel NA subtype specific (G/N147V/I, A246V, and I427L) or previously reported in other subtypes (E119A/D/V, Q136K, E276D, R292K, and R371K). Our results demonstrate that each NA subtype possesses unique NAI resistance markers, and knowledge of these substitutions in AIVs is important in facilitating antiviral susceptibility monitoring of NAI resistance in AIVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high cost of Pt catalyst, reducing the amount of Pt in electrodes is one of the primary issues in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. In this study, the hybrid cathode catalyst using the electrochemically active carbon composite catalyst and Pt catalyst is developed in order to reduce the amount of Pt and increase the overall catalytic performance. The carbon composite catalyst (CCC) is synthesized by pyrolysis of Fe-Co chelate compound followed by acid leaching. The current density of Pt/CCC is 1.5–6-fold higher than that of Pt/CB when employing ultra-low Pt loading (0.04 mg Pt cm −2 ). It is found that the Pt/CCC with the ultra-low Pt loading at tuned operating conditions exhibits a higher fuel cell performance than the Pt/CB and commercial Pt/C with four times higher Pt loading (0.16 mg Pt cm −2 ). The extensive activity of Pt/CCC is ascribed to the synergistic effect through (1) the combined activity of catalytic sites present in the CCC support and Pt, (2) the well-distributed nanoparticles and (3) the increased metallic Pt 0 concentration which indicated that the pyridinic-N played a role of oxide-cleanser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ineffective myelin debris clearance is a major factor contributing to the poor regenerative ability of the central nervous system. In stark contrast, rapid clearance of myelin debris from the injured peripheral nervous system (PNS) is one of the keys to this system's remarkable regenerative capacity, but the molecular mechanisms driving PNS myelin clearance are incompletely understood. We set out to discover new pathways of PNS myelin clearance to identify novel strategies for activating myelin clearance in the injured central nervous system, where myelin debris is not cleared efficiently. Here we show that Schwann cells, the myelinating glia of the PNS, collaborate with hematogenous macrophages to clear myelin debris using TAM (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) receptor-mediated phagocytosis as well as autophagy. In a mouse model of PNS nerve crush injury, Schwann cells up-regulate TAM phagocytic receptors Axl and Mertk following PNS injury, and Schwann cells lacking both of these phagocytic receptors exhibit significantly impaired myelin phagocytosis both in vitro and in vivo. Autophagy-deficient Schwann cells also display reductions in myelin clearance after mouse nerve crush injury, as has been recently shown following nerve transection. These findings add a mechanism, Axl/Mertk-mediated myelin clearance, to the repertoire of cellular machinery used to clear myelin in the injured PNS. Given recent evidence that astrocytes express Axl and Mertk and have previously unrecognized phagocytic potential, this pathway may be a promising avenue for activating myelin clearance after CNS injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increased frequency of interspecies transmission of avian influenza viruses, studies designed to identify the molecular determinants that could lead to an expansion of the host range have been increased. A variety of mouse-based mammalian-adaptation studies of avian influenza viruses have provided insight into the genetic alterations of various avian influenza subtypes that may contribute to the generation of a pandemic virus. To date, the studies have focused on avian influenza subtypes H5, H6, H7, H9, and H10 which have recently caused human infection. Although mice cannot fully reflect the course of human infection with avian influenza, these mouse studies can be a useful method for investigating potential mammalian adaptive markers against newly emerging avian influenza viruses. In addition, due to the lack of appropriate vaccines against the diverse emerging influenza viruses, the generation of mouse-adapted lethal variants could contribute to the development of effective vaccines or therapeutic agents. Within this review, we will summarize studies that have demonstrated adaptations of avian influenza viruses that result in an altered pathogenicity in mice which may suggest the potential application of mouse-lethal strains in the development of influenza vaccines and/or therapeutics in preclinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was performed to investigate the disease burden of seasonal influenza in adults ≥20 years of age in Korea, based on surveillance data from the Hospital-based Influenza Morbidity & Mortality Surveillance (HIMM) network. Materials and methods: The HIMM network is composed of two surveillance systems: emergency room-based and inpatients-based surveillance. A total of ten university hospitals all over the country are included in the surveillance network. The adult catchment population of the HIMM network was calculated by using the data of each hospital and the database of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) of Korea. The incidence rates of laboratory-confirmed medically-attended influenza, laboratory-confirmed influenza-related admission and laboratory-confirmed influenza-related death were calculated based on the catchment population. The socioeconomic burden of influenza was estimated using the human capital approach. Results: During the 2013–2014 influenza season, the calculated adult catchment population of the HIMM network was 1,380,000. The incidence of medically-attended laboratory-confirmed influenza infection was 242.8 per 100,000 adults. The incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza-related admission was 57.9 per 100,000 adults. The incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza-related death was 3.1 per 100,000 adults. The total socioeconomic cost of 2013–2014 seasonal influenza in Korean adult population was estimated as 125 million USD (1 USD = 1,100 KRW). Conclusion: The disease burden of 2013–2014 seasonal influenza in Korean adult population is very high and indicates that more active prevention and control policies will be needed to decrease the burden. Additional researches will be needed to assess the burden of seasonal influenza in the Korean child population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strongest genetic risk factor influencing susceptibility to late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. APOE has three common isoforms in humans, E2, E3, and E4. The presence of two copies of the E4 allele increases risk by ~12-fold whereas E2 allele is associated with an ~twofold decreased risk for AD. These data put APOE central to AD pathophysiology, but it is not yet clear how APOE alleles modify AD risk. Recently we found that astrocytes, a major central nervous system cell type that produces APOE, are highly phagocytic and participate in normal synapse pruning and turnover. Here, we report a novel role for APOE in controlling the phagocytic capacity of astrocytes that is highly dependent on APOE isoform. APOE2 enhances the rate of phagocytosis of synapses by astrocytes, whereas APO4 decreases it. We also found that the amount of C1q protein accumulation in hippocampus, which may represent the accumulation of senescent synapses with enhanced vulnerability to complement-mediated degeneration, is highly dependent on APOE alleles: C1q accumulation was significantly reduced in APOE2 knock-in (KI) animals and was significantly increased in APOE4 KI animals compared with APOE3 KI animals. These studies reveal a novel allele-dependent role for APOE in regulating the rate of synapse pruning by astrocytes. They also suggest the hypothesis that AD susceptibility of APOE4 may originate in part from defective phagocytic capacity of astrocytes which accelerates the rate of accumulation of C1q-coated senescent synapses, enhancing synaptic vulnerability to classical-complement-cascade mediated neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: From May to July 2015, the Republic of Korea experienced the largest outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outside the Arabian Peninsula. A total of 186 patients, including 36 deaths, had been diagnosed with MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection as of September 30th, 2015. Materials and Methods: We obtained information of patients who were confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection. MERS-CoV in fection was diagnosed using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay. Results: The median age of the patients was 55 years (range, 16 to 86). A total of 55.4% of the patients had one or more coexisting medical conditions. The most common symptom was fever (95.2%). At admission, leukopenia (42.6%), thrombocytopenia (46.6%), and elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (42.7%) were observed. Pneumonia was detected in 68.3% of patients at admission and developed in 80.8% during the disease course. Antiviral agents were used for 74.7% of patients. Mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and convalescent serum were employed for 24.5%, 7.1%, and 3.8% of patients, respectively. Older age, presence of coexisting medical conditions including diabetes or chronic lung disease, presence of dyspnea, hypotension, and leukocytosis at admission, and the use of mechanical ventilation were revealed to be independent predictors of death. Conclusion: The clinical features of MERS-CoV infection in the Republic of Korea were similar to those of previous outbreaks in the Middle East. However, the overall mortality rate (20.4%) was lower than that in previous reports. Enhanced surveillance and active management of patients during the outbreak may have resulted in improved outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Selective 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists are reported to have potent antiemetic effects for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of palonosetron, granisetron, and ramosetron for the prevention of PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. Methods: In this prospective, randomized observational study, 105 healthy female patients who were undergoing laparocopic hystectomy under general anaesthesia were enrolled (clinical trial number: NCT01752374, www.clinicaltrials.gov). Patients were divided into three groups: the palonostron (0.075 mg i.v.; n = 35), the granisetron group (3 mg i.v.; n = 35), and the ramosetron group (0.3 mg i.v.; n = 35). The treatments were given before the end of surgery. The incidence of PONV, severity of nausea/vomiting, and the use of rescue antiemetic requirements during the first 48 h after surgery were evaluated. Results: The overall incidence of PONV was 33.3 % for this series. The number of complete responders at 48 h after the surgery was 21 (60.0 %) for palonosetron, 24 (68.6 %) for granisetron, and 26 (71.4 %) for ramosetron, representing no statistical difference (P = 0.086). Conclusions: There were no significant differences in the overall incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and complete responders for palonosetron, granisetron and ramosetron group. Trial registration: Clinical trial number: NCT01752374, www.clinicaltrials.gov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the revisions to the adult immunization recommendations outlined in the "Adult Immunization" book published by the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases (KSID). Topics covered include recommendations on pneumococcal vaccine for adults, recommendations on tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccine for pregnant women or women who plan on pregnancy and recommendations on herpes zoster vaccine.

Background: The effectiveness of the 2011–2012 seasonal influenza vaccine was evaluated in adult Korean populations with regard to how well it could prevent laboratory-confirmed influenza and influenza-related complications. Materials and Methods: A retrospective case-control and retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients who visited four selected hospitals from September 2011 to May 2012. The analysis included 1,130 laboratory-confirmed influenza patients. For each influenza case, one control patient was chosen at a ratio of 1:1. A control was defined as an age group-matched patient who visited the same hospital with influenza-like illness within 48 hours of symptom onset but for whom laboratory tests were negative for influenza. Age group and visit date were matched between the cases and controls. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was defined as [100 × (1-odds ratio for influenza in vaccinated versus non-vaccinated persons)]. The patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were followed for at least one month through reviewing the medical records and conducting a telephone interview. Results: The VE of the 2011–2012 seasonal influenza vaccine was 3.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), -16.5% to 20.6%] for preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza, -16.1% (95% CI, -48.3 to 9.1) for influenza A and 26.2% (95% CI, -2.6 to 46.2) for influenza B. The age-specific adjusted VE was 0.3% (95% CI, -29.4 to 23.1) among participants aged 19 to 49 years, 11.9% (95% CI, -34.3 to 42.2) among those aged 50 to 64 years and -3.9% (-60.1 to 32.5) among those aged ≥65 years. The adjusted VE for preventing any influenza-related complications was -10.7% (95% CI, -41.1% to 42.2%). Conclusions: The 2011–2012 seasonal influenza vaccine was not effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza or influenza-related complications in adult Korean populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeostatic imbalance between cell proliferation and death in gastric mucosal epithelia may lead to gastritis and gastric cancer. Despite abundant gastrokine 1 (GKN1) expression in the normal stomach, the loss of GKN1 expression is frequently detected in gastric mucosa infected with Helicobacter pylori, as well as in intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer tissues, suggesting that GKN1 plays an important role in gastric mucosal defense, and the gene functions as a gastric tumor suppressor. In the stomach, GKN1 is involved in gastric mucosal inflammation by regulating cytokine production, the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway, and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. GKN1 also inhibits the carcinogenic potential of H. pylori protein CagA by binding to it, and up-regulates antioxidant enzymes. In addition, GKN1 reduces cell viability, proliferation, and colony formation by inhibiting cell cycle progression and epigenetic modification by down-regulating the expression levels of DNMT1 and EZH2, and DNMT1 activity, and inducing apoptosis through the death receptor-dependent pathway. Furthermore, GKN1 also inhibits gastric cancer cell invasion and metastasis via coordinated regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition-related protein expression, reactive oxygen species production, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation. Although the modes of action of GKN1 have not been clearly described, recent limited evidence suggests that GKN1 acts as a gastric-specific tumor suppressor. This review aims to discuss, comment, and summarize the recent progress in the understanding of the role of GKN1 in gastric cancer development and progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common types of cancers concerning the kidneys worldwide. Pembrolizumab and axitinib treatment (Pembro/Axi) is amongst the most effective first-line immunotherapies for advanced RCC. However, it remains difficult to predict the effectiveness of Pembro/Axi immunotherapy for the treatment of RCC. Therefore, this prospective study was conducted with the aim of evaluating whether baseline serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) could serve as a predictive biomarker for Pembro/Axi treatment in RCC. Low levels of IL-6 were associated with longer progression-free survival rates, while high IL-6 levels had worse progression-free rates and overall survival. Moreover, high IL-6 levels were related to reduced interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α production. These findings elucidate the clinical and biological implications of IL-6 as a predictive biomarker in RCC patients who received Pembro/Axi as a first-line treatment. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney malignancy worldwide with Pembrolizumab and axitinib treatment (Pembro/Axi) amongst the most effective first-line immunotherapies for advanced RCC. However, it remains difficult to predict treatment response and early resistance. Therefore, we evaluated whether baseline serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) could be a predictive biomarker. Between November 2019 and December 2021, 58 patients with advanced RCC were enrolled, administered first-line Pembro/Axi, and baseline blood samples were analyzed using flow cytometry. The mean baseline serum IL-6 concentration was 8.6 pg/mL in responders and 84.1 pg/mL in patients with progressive disease. The IL-6 cut-off value was set at 6.5 pg/mL using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves, with 37.9% of patients having high baseline serum IL-6 levels and 62.1% having low levels. Objective response rates were 58.3% and 36.4% in low and high IL-6 groups, respectively. Overall survival and progression-free survival were longer in patients with low IL-6 levels than in those with high levels. High IL-6 levels were related to reduced interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α production from CD8+ T cells. Overall, high baseline serum IL-6 levels were associated with worse survival outcomes and reduced T-cell responses in Pembro/Axi-treated advanced RCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinching motions are important for holding and retaining objects with precision. Therefore, training exercises for the thumb and index finger are extremely important in the field of hand rehabilitation. Considering the need for training convenience, we developed a device and a driving system to assist pinching motions actively via a lightweight, simple, and wireless mechanism driven by the magnetic forces and torques generated by magnets attached to the tip of these two fingers. This device provides accurate pinching motions through the linking structures connecting the two magnets. The fabricated device has minimal mechanical elements with an ultralightweight of 57.2 g. The magnetic field, the intensity of which is based on the time variant, generates a pinching motion between the thumb and index finger, thus rendering it possible to achieve repetitive training. To verify the generation of an active pinching motion, we fabricated a finger model using a 3D printer and a rubber sheet and observed the active motions generated by the newly developed device. We also verified the performance of the proposed mechanism and driving method via various experiments and magnetic simulations. The proposed mechanism represents an important breakthrough for patients requiring hand rehabilitation and wearable assistive motion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the reaction rate and cost for cathodic catalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are obstacles for commercialization, the high-performance catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction is necessary. The Ni encapsulated with N-doped graphitic carbon (Ni@NGC) prepared with ethylenediamine and carbon black is employed as an efficient support for the oxygen reduction reaction. Characterizations show that the Ni@NGC has a large surface area and mesoporous structure that is suitable to the support for the Pt catalyst. The catalyst structure is identified and the size of Pt nanoparticles distributed in the narrow range of 2–3 nm. Four different nitrogen species are doped properly into graphitic carbon structure. The Pt/Ni@NGC shows higher performance than the commercial Pt/C catalyst in an acidic electrolyte. The mass activity of the Pt/Ni@NGC in fuel cell tests exhibits over 1.5 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. The Pt/Ni@NGC catalyst at low Pt loading exhibits 47% higher maximum power density than the Pt/C catalyst under H2-air atmosphere. These results indicate that the Ni@NGC as a support is significantly beneficial to improving activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edge computing can deliver network services with low latency and real-time processing by providing cloud services at the network edge. Edge computing has a number of advantages such as low latency, locality, and network traffic distribution, but the associated resource management has become a significant challenge because of its inherent hierarchical, distributed, and heterogeneous nature. Various cloud-based network services such as crowd sensing, hierarchical deep learning systems, and cloud gaming each have their own traffic patterns and computing requirements. To provide a satisfactory user experience for these services, resource management that comprehensively considers service diversity, client usage patterns, and network performance indicators is required. In this study, an algorithm that simultaneously considers computing resources and network traffic load when deploying servers that provide edge services is proposed. The proposed algorithm generates candidate deployments based on factors that affect traffic load, such as the number of servers, server location, and client mapping according to service characteristics and usage. A final deployment plan is then established using a partial vector bin packing scheme that considers both the generated traffic and computing resources in the network. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using several simulations that consider actual network service and device characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal flats provide critical habitat for migratory waterbird species; however, populations of migratory waterbirds have significantly declined due to tidal flat loss and degradation caused by human activities, particularly in Asia. Gochang getbol is one of tidal flats located on the southwest coast of South Korea and a center of clam production. Using bird monitoring data collected at five zones (zone1 to zone5) established across Gochang getbol and near coastal area, we examined distribution patterns of migratory bird diversity and conservation-related species along the coast of Gochang getbol. The intensity of human activity ‒ mudflat culture (mostly bivalve) and aquaculture was relatively high at zone2 and zone3, occupying > 30% of 2km circular area surrounding most sample points of these zones. Zone1 and particularly zone4 contained more natural/semi-natural habitats (less disturbed mudflats and wetlands) and zone5 had smallest mudflat than others. Shannon diversity, species richness, and abundance of migratory birds differed between zones (Anova test, P ≤ 0.02) except Shannon diversity in winter. In fall, all values were higher at zone4 than zone3 and zone5. In winter, zone1 showed greatest species richness and higher abundance than zone2, zone3, and zone5. In spring, while most differences were found between zone4 and zone5, abundance at zone4 was somewhat higher than zone2. The results from the fourth corner analysis indicated that abundance of species foraging at mudflat level was positively associated with zone1 (winter) but negatively with zone3 (fall). Sandpipers were positively associated with zone4. Abundance distribution maps of conservation-related species, created by inverse distance-weighted interpolation modeling, also showed high abundance of most conservation-related species at zone4 and 1. The findings of our study suggest the importance of natural/semi-natural habitat, and the possible link between human activity and distribution patterns of migratory birds in Gochang getbol. While we need further investigation on direct response of migratory birds to human activity, areas with low human activity with more natural/semi-natural habitat, e.g., zone4 and zone1 may be crucial for the conservation of migratory birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Until now, studies on colorectal cancer (CRC) have focused on clinicopathological characteristics based on location without considering sex differences. However, as men and women have fundamentally different physiological characteristics, research results in the clinical field are limited. We aimed to elucidate the differences in the clinicopathological characteristics between right-sided CRC (RCC) and left-sided CRC (LCC) according to sex. Methods: We classified 1492 South Korean patients with no history of colon surgery between July 2005 and June 2015 based on tumor location and sex. For these patients, differences in the clinical characteristics according to sex were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Of the 1269 patients, 951 (74.9%) had LCC, and 318 (25.1%) had RCC, making LCC approximately three times more common than RCC. When sex was not taken into account, patients with RCC had significantly higher rates of anemia and undifferentiated cancers than the rates in those with LCC. Even considering sex, anemia and undifferentiated cancer were more prevalent in RCC than in LCC in both men and women. In contrast, age over 65 years and abnormal white blood cell count differed between RCC and LCC only in women. Conclusions: The clinicopathologic characteristics of CRC vary according to the location and sex. Therefore, sex must be considered as a fundamental characteristic of personalized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unprecedented silver‐mediated intramolecular oxy‐argentation of 3‐amidoaryne precursors that quickly generates a heteroarylsilver species is developed. AgF acts as both a stoichiometric fluoride source and a reagent for the formation of a benzoxazolylsilver intermediate via aryne generation. Pd‐catalyzed coupling reactions of (hetero)aryl iodides with a silver species, generated in situ, allow for the synthesis of various C7‐arylated benzoxazoles. As a result, an aryl group is selectively introduced into the meta‐position of 3‐amidobenzyne precursors. Mechanistic studies have indicated the presence of a benzoxazolylsilver intermediate and revealed that the reaction proceeds via an intramolecular oxy‐argentation process, which is initiated by a direct fluoride attack on the silyl group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threat posed by coronaviruses to human health has necessitated the development of a highly specific and sensitive viral detection method that could differentiate between the currently circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other SARS-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoVs). In this study, we developed a peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay targeting the N gene to efficiently discriminate SARS-CoV-2 from other SARSr-CoVs in human clinical samples. Without compromising the sensitivity, this method significantly enhanced the specificity of SARS-CoV-2 detection by 100-fold as compared to conventional RT-qPCR. In addition, we designed an RT-qPCR method for the sensitive and universal detection of ORF3ab-E genes of SARSr-CoV with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.3 RNA copies per microliter. Thus, the developed assay serves as a confirmative dual-target detection method. Our PNA-mediated dual-target RT-qPCR assay can detect clinical SARS-CoV-2 samples in the range of 18.10–35.19 Ct values with an 82.6–100% detection rate. Furthermore, our assay showed no cross-reactions with other coronaviruses such as human coronaviruses (229E, NL63, and OC43) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, influenza viruses (Type B, H1N1, H3N2, HPAI H5Nx, and H7N9), and other respiratory disease-causing viruses (MPV, RSV A, RSV B, PIV, AdV, and HRV). We, thus, developed a PNA-based RT-qPCR assay that differentiates emerging pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 from closely related viruses such as SARSr-CoV and allows diagnosis of infections related to already identified or new coronavirus strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Warm-needle acupuncture (WA) and fire-needle acupuncture are treatment techniques that use the combination of acupuncture and thermal stimulation. In clinical practice, a new method of fire-needle acupuncture called "heated-needle acupuncture (HA)" has been proposed, wherein the needle is directly heated after insertion. WA and HA share similarities in their methods, and no previous study has sought to assess whether their thermal outcomes are also similar. Methods. We controlled environmental variables and measured the maximum temperatures and temperature changes of a silicon phantom in which K-type thermocouples were embedded at depths of 0, 2, 5, 7, and 10 mm. WA and HA were also performed with acupuncture needles of various thicknesses (0.30 × 40 mm, 0.40 × 40 mm, and 0.50 × 40 mm). Results. Different time-dependent temperature distributions were observed between the two acupuncture methods: HA yielded a higher maximum temperature and temperature change on the surface, whereas WA yielded higher temperatures at the other tested depths. The thermal patterns were similar among the needles of different thicknesses for each method, with the following exception: while the temperature change and maximum temperature did not differ significantly by needle thickness for WA, these parameters increased significantly with needle thickness for HA. Conclusion. The two acupuncture procedures yielded different thermal patterns in a controlled environment. Further studies are necessary to reflect the effect of external environment variables occurring in reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the concept of a “righteous war” by examining the perspectives of John Milton and John Bunyan. Even though there has been a lot of research conducted on these two authors, none has compared their respective theories of war. While literary circles focus on the techniques and themes of their writings, the field of theology examines their thoughts from a faith-based perspective. This paper aims to comprehensively evaluate their theories of war in order to shed light on these two fields of study. It considers their respective living circumstances, emphasizing the creative energy and destructive irony of the literature. It was found that although Bunyan’s “internalization” of war for saving one’s soul differs from Milton’s “external” war for the salvation of society, both of them supported war when it was for a worthy reason. The possibility of Bunyan’s holy war being transformed into an ideology concerned with external war as well, regardless of Bunyan’s intention, was considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have investigated the relationship between the anion gap, including the corrected anion gap, and patient mortality in intensive care units (ICUs) without restricting the analysis to specific diseases or medical specialties. Our primary objective was to investigate the association between the anion gap and ICU mortality using multiple open-access databases. Methods: We identified 4229 subjects from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database, whose entries were from between 2008 and 2019. For each patient, the anion gap and corrected anion gap were calculated, and the study sample was divided into tertile groups (T) according to these levels. The association between the anion gap and in-hospital mortality was assessed using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from a multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model. Besides MIMIC-IV, we also incorporated study samples from two other databases (MIMIC-III and electronic ICU) to calculate summary HRs using a random-effects meta-analysis. Results: Within MIMIC-IV, 1015 patients (24%) died during an average follow-up period of 15.5 days. The fully adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for T2 and T3, relative to T1, were 1.31 (95% CI 1.08–1.58) and 1.54 (95% CI 1.24–1.90), respectively. When grouped by corrected anion gap, the results remained statistically significant. In the meta-analysis, the summary HRs and 95% CIs for T2 and T3 were 1.24 (95% CI 1.08–1.43) and 1.55 (95% CI 1.33–1.82), respectively. Conclusions: Both the anion gap and corrected anion gap were associated with in-hospital mortality regardless of specific diseases or medical specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]