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Almost half of the nigral neurons are already lost during the preclinical period of Parkinson's disease (PD), and then the speed of neuronal loss is slowly attenuated during the subsequent progression. We sought to establish long-term temporal trajectory models for the dopaminergic input to the striatal subregions and a 4D-temporal trajectory model for the dopamine transporter positron emission tomography (PET).We selected 83 patients in PD spectrum who underwent dopamine transporter PET scan twice and 71 age-matched healthy controls. We created temporal trajectories of specific binding ratios of the striatal subregions by integrating function between baseline values and their annual change rates and also created 4D-temporal trajectory model by applying the same method for each striatal voxel. Using the PET data of additional 100 PD patients, we estimated an individual time point in the 4D-temporal trajectory model for the validation.Degenerative loss of striatal dopaminergic input first appeared in the posterior dorsal putamen in the more affected side at 14.4 years before the clinical onset, and subsequently in the posterior ventral and anterior putamen, and finally in the caudate. The time delay between the initiation of dopaminergic loss in the more and less affected posterior dorsal putamen was 6.1 years. The estimated individual time points within the entire disease course were correlated with the motor severity.Our temporal trajectory model demonstrated a sequential loss of dopaminergic input in the striatal subregions in PD and may be beneficial for the evaluation of individual status of disease progression.

Guyon canal (GC) syndrome is a rare peripheral neuropathy involving the distal part of the ulnar nerve. Several causes are associated with GC syndrome, including anatomic variations, space-occupying tumors, and trauma. Because of disease rarity, the only reported studies of GC syndrome are case series with small sample size. We conducted a multicenter study to identify the basic characteristics of patients with surgically treated GC syndrome and the risk factors for the disease. This retrospective multicenter study was conducted between January 2001 and December 2020. We screened 70 patients who underwent GC release surgery by seven hand surgeons at six institutes. A total of 56 patients were included in this study, including 38 patients (67.9%) who underwent isolated GC decompression and 18 (32.1%) who underwent combined peripheral nerve decompression. The mean patient age was 48.4 years (range: 20-89 years), and 40 patients (71.4%) were male. The average preoperative symptom duration was 18.5 months, and most patients were office workers. Ultrasound was positive for GC syndrome in 7/10 patients evaluated, CT in 2/5, MRI in 17/23, and electrodiagnostic studies in 35/44. The most common cause of GC syndrome was tumor (n = 23), followed by idiopathic (n = 17), trauma (n = 12), anatomic variants (n = 3), and inflammation (n = 3). In conclusion, most patients with GC syndrome in this study were male and had symptoms in one wrist. The most common cause of GC syndrome in this study was a tumor, including a ganglion cyst. Level of Evidence: Level IV case series.

EUS-guided transluminal drainage (EUS-TD) is increasingly used for the treatment of postoperative pancreatic fluid collections (POPFCs). A novel lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) was recently developed and used for the drainage of POPFCs. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel LAMS in patients with POPFCs.Forty-seven patients with symptomatic POPFCs who underwent EUS-TD with a novel LAMS (Niti-S SPAXUS; Taewoong Medical Co, Ltd, Ilsan, South Korea) between April 2019 and July 2020 were included in this study. Clinical outcomes, including technical success, clinical success, and adverse events, were retrospectively evaluated.EUS-TD was technically successful in 41 of 47 patients (87.2%). Clinical success was achieved in 37 of 41 patients (90.2%). The mean procedure time was 13.7 ± 3.5 minutes. The mean POPFC size was 59 ± 18.9 mm. The mean time interval from surgery to EUS-TD was 24.2 ± 37.6 days. Five patients experienced 6 procedural adverse events (12.8%): 4 (8.5%) POPFC infections and 2 (4.3%) distal stent migrations. The 4 patients with POPFC infection underwent additional endoscopic interventions. Of the 2 patients with stent migration, 1 underwent laparoscopic exploration and surgical extraction of the stent and 1 (2.1%) experienced POPFC recurrence, which was managed with percutaneous drainage.EUS-TD for symptomatic POPFCs with a novel LAMS is technically feasible and effective, with an acceptable adverse event rate. Further larger-scale prospective studies are required to confirm the findings of this study.

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in seed germination, stomatal closure, and seedling growth inhibition in plants. Among downstream genes whose expression levels are regulated by AFA1 (Arabidopsis F-box Protein Hypersensitive to ABA 1), one gene, AtHAD1 upregulated by ABA was selected from Arabidopsis. AtHAD1 was induced by drought and salt stresses as well as by ABA and was found in dry seeds. Its loss-of-function mutants exhibited increased ABA-sensitivity in germination, seedling growth, and stomatal closure. In addition, the mutants displayed a lower water loss rate and higher survival rate under drought stress than the wild-type plants, indicating that a loss of AtHAD1 leads to enhanced drought tolerance. These results show that AtHAD1 has an inhibitory role in ABA response and ABA-mediated drought tolerance. The expression levels of several ABA-responsive genes in athad1 were higher than those in the wild-type under the ABA treatment, suggesting that AtHAD1, as a negative regulator in ABA response, could be associated with the downregulation of the ABA-responsive genes. The phosphatase assay showed that AtHAD1 exhibits phosphatase activity. Monitoring of the subcellular localization of GFP-fused AtHAD1 proteins indicated that AtHAD1 exists in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Overall, this study shows that Arabidopsis HAD1 as an intracellular phosphatase negatively functions in the ABA-mediated cellular responses. This research could serve as a research basis to understand the functional link between ABA signaling and the regulation process of the cellular phosphate level.

Studies on glutamine (Gln) metabolism have illuminated the vital role of Gln in cellular functions and its potential as a biomarker for disease detection. Despite the increasing interest in Gln metabolism, in-depth evaluations are challenging owing to limitations of conventional Gln-measuring methods. Thus, we developed a ligand-induced dimerization-based sensor for Gln, termed Q-SHINE, by splitting a glutamine binding protein into two separate domains. Q-SHINE enables highly accurate and convenient measurement of Gln concentration in bio-fluid samples, and the detection range is optimal for physiological Gln levels. Genetically encoded Q-SHINE sensors could also visualize intracellular Gln levels and quantify cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Gln change in living cells, which enabled detection of various cell responses to extracellular Gln supplement.

This study aimed to determine the effects of lignin characteristics (mainly molecular weight, functional groups, and internal linkages) on nanoparticle formation. First, five different lignin fractions (Mw 1460-12,900) were obtained from commercial kraft lignin (KL) by sequential solvent extraction. Functional groups and internal linkages were determined in lignin fractions, each fraction consisting of different levels and ratios. Second, spherical lignin nanoparticles (i.d. 193-1039 nm) were synthesized by nanoprecipitation at different pre-dialysis concentrations (1, 2, 4, and 6 mg mL-1 THF) with the different fractions (F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5). The study revealed that larger particles consisted of lignin fractions of lower molecular weight and higher phenolic group content (KL-F1 and F2), while smaller but non-uniform particles were produced from fractions of higher molecular weight and lower phenolic group content (KLF4 and F5). Every zeta potential value of the particle exceeded -35 mV. The nanoparticles from raw kraft lignin exhibited no significant cytotoxicity, hemotoxicity, and hypersensitivity. This study revealed that molecular weight and hydroxyl group content in the lignin highly correlated with nanoparticle properties. The present kraft lignin nanoparticles have potential for use in various polymer-based nanotechnology.

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of A1 pulley release with ulnar superficialis slip resection (group A) and simple A1 pulley release (group B) in trigger finger with flexion contracture of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint.From January 2016 to December 2019, the 2 surgical procedures were performed alternately every year for trigger fingers with preoperative PIP joint flexion contractures of ≥10°. Twenty-six fingers in group A and 29 fingers in group B that were followed up for1 year were reviewed in this retrospective study. The visual analog scale (VAS) score; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score; degree of PIP joint flexion contracture; grip strength; and pinch strength were measured after surgery and compared.The differences in postoperative PIP joint flexion contracture between groups were4° at 2 and 6 weeks, and there were no clinically relevant differences at 6 weeks and 12 months. At the final follow-up, PIP joint flexion contractures of 5° were observed in 2 fingers in each group. The difference in VAS scores between groups was less than half of a point until 3 months, and there were no clinically relevant differences at 6 weeks and 12 months. The DASH score did not show any difference between groups at the final follow-up. There were clinically relevant differences in the grip and pinch strengths between groups at 6 weeks. However, there were no clinically relevant differences at the final follow-up.Proximal interphalangeal joint flexion contracture measurements and clinical scores did not differ between groups at the final follow-up. Therefore, we recommend use of a simple A1 pulley release, which is simpler than an A1 pulley release with ulnar superficialis slip resection, in cases of trigger finger with PIP joint flexion contracture.Therapeutic IV.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) of the pancreas have low malignant potential. However, malignant SPNs are not fully understood.To evaluate risk factors affecting malignant potential, the clinicopathologic features of 375 surgically resected SPNs were compared.Fifty (13.3%) had malignant histologic features. Twenty-seven and 22 had perineural and lymphovascular invasions, respectively. Adjacent organ invasion was noted in 9 cases. Recurrence occurred in 8 cases. The median recurrence time after surgical resection was 67 months and was associated with a higher pT category (P = 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P 0.001), and synchronous metastasis (P 0.001). SPN patients with malignant histologic features had worse recurrence-free survival (RFS; 10-year survival rate, 73.2%) than those without malignant histologic features (96.3%; P = 0.01). Patients with a higher pT category (P = 0.04), synchronous metastasis (P 0.01), and lymphovascular invasion (P 0.01) had worse RFS. Lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.042) and a higher T category (P = 0.002) were poor prognostic factors for recurrence.Lymphovascular invasion and a higher T category were worse prognostic factors for recurrence in SPN patients with malignant histologic features. For SPN patients with malignant histologic features, a longer follow-up may be required.

Changes in the electrocardiographic findings, namely the ratio T sum to QRS sum (T/QRS ratio), between the initial electrocardiogram (ECG) and the baseline ECG have rarely been investigated in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Thus, we aimed to determine whether changes in various parameters on ECG, including T/QRS ratio, can assist in distinguishing between coronary artery disease (CAD) and NSTEMI without CAD with low to moderate risk.This retrospective study enrolled 2572 patients who presented ischemic symptoms, who were diagnosed with NSTEMI, and who underwent coronary angiography. Overall, 388 patients had prior ECG and echocardiography data available; 110 patients were included after excluding patients with other cardiac diseases except CAD. The population divided into two groups: a coronary stenosis group (n = 78); normal coronary group (n = 32) were analyzed.We found that acute dynamic change in the most deviated T/QRS ratio in each region of leads of initial ECG from those of remote/recent ECG was an extremely strong predictor of acute CAD (odds ratio, 110; p .001) compared to that of initial serum troponin I levels, new-onset regional wall motion abnormalities, and new-onset T inversion or ST depression. T/QRS ratio change 1.5 or0.5 times in injured regional leads was a significant predictor of CAD.Change in the most deviated T/QRS ratio in the regional leads on initial ECG from the T/QRS ratio in the same lead on remote ECG can assist in predicting CAD risk between patients with CAD and patients with no CAD in NSTEMI.

Many angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides are used to prevent and manage hypertension. In this study, ACE inhibitory peptides were isolated from an insect protein that is attracting attention for it potential antihypertensive activity. Protaetia brevitarsis larva protein was enzymatically hydrolyzed by Flavourzyme®, and the hydrolysate was shown to inhibit ACE. Subsequent fractionation, using ultrafiltration and gel permeation chromatography followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis, identified four previously unknown peptides with significant ACE inhibition characteristics (Ser-Tyr, Pro-Phe, Tyr-Pro-Tyr, and Trp-Ile). The highest inhibition activity observed for Trp-Ile. These peptides stimulated production of NO in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and, based on molecular docking analysis, exerted their inhibitory effects via hydrogen bonding with the ACE receptor active site. Thus, the identified peptides can be considered as promising candidates for ACE inhibition and have potential to be used as functional food ingredients.

Background Robotic liver resection has not yet been widely implemented. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of robotic major liver resection by performing a prospective multicenter study. Methods From July 2017 to December 2018, five surgeons from five tertiary hospitals who were novices in robotic liver resection but experienced in open and laparoscopic liver resection performed 46 cases of robotic major anatomical liver resections. Perioperative clinical data and surgical data, including detailed procedure times were prospectively collected. All operations were performed according to a protocol for unify surgical techniques and instruments. Results Twenty-two cases of left hemihepatectomy, one case of extended left hemihepatectomy, 14 cases of right hemihepatectomy, two cases of right anterior sectionectomy, six cases of right posterior sectionectomy, and one case of central bisectionectomy were performed. The most common indications were hepatocellular carcinoma (21 cases) followed by intrahepatic duct stones (10 cases), intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (7 cases), liver metastases (3 cases), intraductal papillary neoplasms (2 cases), sarcoma (1 case), mucinous cystic neoplasm (1 case), and hemangioma (1 case). Surgical resection margins for all tumor cases were negative. The mean operation time was 378.58 ± 124.31 (190–696) minutes and the estimated intraoperative blood loss was 276.67 ± 397.41 mL (range, 10–2600 mL). Overall complications developed in 16 cases (34.8%). There were three cases of severe surgical complications (Clavien-Dindo classification of III or more). Only one of 46 cases was converted to conventional open left hemihepatectomy because of bleeding. The mean hospital stay was 7.3 ± 2.5 (4–18) days. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that robotic anatomic major liver resection can be safely performed by robotic beginners who are advanced open and laparoscopic liver surgeons.

Crude bio-oil produced from fast pyrolysis of woody biomass was subjected to catalytic hydrodeoxygenation reaction with various metal catalysts (Ni/C, Ni/SBA-15, Ni/Al-SBA-15, NiMn/SBA-15, Pt/C) using for continuous-flow reaction system at 300 °C under H2 pressure. Gas, immiscible liquid phases (light oil and heavy oil), and char was obtained as the primary products. Heavy oil yield was in the range 27.9–42.3 wt%, while char production was 2.3–11.0 wt%, both less than the corresponding figures for batch processing. Hydrodeoxygenation enhanced the fuel properties of bio-oil, yielding higher HHV (32.8–38.0 MJ/kg) than bio-oil (15.7 MJ/kg) and heavy oil produced in a batch type reactor (24.4–34.5 MJ/kg). Additionally, Miscibility of crude bio-oil and upgraded heavy oils with gasoline and diesel were also evaluated with three emulsifiers (Span60, Brij58, or IGEPAL CO-520). Crude bio-oil was hardly emulsified, whereas upgraded heavy oil was well emulsified with Span60. Increasing Span60 concentration also enhance the miscibility of heavy oil and diesel. An emulsion of heavy oil and diesel was stable for 6 months, suggesting that the heavy oil produced might have potential use in blends with diesel.

Three Ni-based bimetallic catalysts were prepared on hexagonally structured mesoporous SBA-15 supports(NiCu/SBA-15, NiMn/SBA-15, NiZn/SBA-15). Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of biooil was performed at 250–350 °C for 45 min with 3 MPa H2 pressure in the presence of the three catalysts. HDO reaction yielded a primary products of gas, two immiscible liquids (light oil and heavy oil) and char. High catalyst surface area resulted in a high heavy oil yield (40.8–60.6 wt%). Bimetallic catalysts decreased yield of light oil (3.6–11.7 wt%), while increased the gas fraction (16.3–43.7 wt%) compared with the data from the monometallic Ni/SBA-15 catalyst (20.3–30.4 and 6.6–26.2 wt% yields, respectively). Use of bimetallic catalysts instead of monometallic catalyst enhanced fuel properties of heavy oil; such as moisture content (from 11.4 to 2.0–8.8 wt%), acidity (from 62.2 to 49.2–59.8 mg KOH/g oil), viscosity (from 7.1 to 3.2–4.3 cSt) and oxygen content (from 32.2 to 26.2–34.6 wt%). Cyclohexanone, 4-ethylphenol, and methyl-cyclopentenone, which were lack in the bio-oil, were detected after HDO reaction and these components could be produced via demethoxylation, hydrogenation, dehydration, and dehydroxylation under the presence of bimetallic catalysts, thereby improving the fuel properties of the heavy oil.

Soil is a primary source of water and inorganic nutrients vital for plant growth. In particular, the rhizosphere, a microecological region around the plant roots, is enriched with root exudates that enable beneficial microbial communities to form. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are rhizosphere bacteria that contribute to the improvement of plant growth through diverse physiological mechanisms. Identifying PGPR is beneficial for agriculture because their use can effectively increase the productivity of plants without the harmful side effects of chemical fertilizers. To further enrich the pool of PGPR that contribute to abiotic stress resistance in plants, we screened roughly 491 bacteria that had previously been isolated in soil from Gotjawal in Jeju island, South Korea. Among several candidates, the application of Bacillus subtilis strain GOT9, led to the enhancement of drought and salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis. In agreement with the increased stress tolerance phenotypes, its application resulted in increases in the transcripts of various drought stress- and salt stress-inducible genes in the absence or presence of the stresses. Furthermore, the treatment resulted in improved lateral root growth and development in Arabidopsis. GOT9 also led to enhanced tolerance against drought and salt stresses and to upregulation of drought-inducible genes in Brassica, a closely related crop to Arabidopsis. Taken together, these results show that GOT9 could be utilized as a biotic resource that effectively minimizes damage to plants from environmental stresses.

Purpose In biliary tract cancer (BTC), standard chemotherapy has limited benefit and no molecular targeted agents have been approved. This study investigated the genetic profile of BTC to identify potential new therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers. Methods Targeted exome sequencing was performed for 124 patients with BTC [gallbladder cancer (GBC), 25; intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), 55; extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC), 44]. Survival analysis was performed in 112 patients who received palliative chemotherapy for locally unresectable or metastatic disease. Results Genetic alterations were observed in 104 patients (83.8%); the most commonly mutated genes were TP53 (44.4%), KRAS (29.0%), ARID1A (12.1%) and IDH1 (9.7%). IDH1/2 mutations appeared more frequently in ICC (23.6%, P = 0.0002) than in GBC (4.0%) or ECC (2.3%), while ERBB2/3 mutations were found only in GBC (20.0%) and ECC (11.4%). Patients harbouring TP53 mutations had shorter overall survival (OS; median 15.2 vs. 37.8 months, P = 0.018), while IDH1 mutations showed a tendency for longer progression-free survival (PFS; 10.6 vs. 6.1 months, P = 0.124). Potentially actionable genetic alterations were found in 54.8%, and 7.1% received appropriate molecular targeted therapy in the clinical trial setting. Germline or somatic mutations in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes were found in 63.5% of patients and were significantly associated with longer PFS (6.9 vs. 5.7 months, P = 0.013) and OS (21.0 vs. 13.3 months, P = 0.009) in patients who received first-line platinum-containing chemotherapies (n = 88). Conclusions A subgroup of patients with BTC may benefit from targeted therapy by the aid of genetic information. In particular, DDR alterations may be a predictive biomarker for response to platinum-containing chemotherapy in patients with BTC.

Etoposide-induced 2.4 kb transcript (EI24, also known as PIG8) is a p53 target gene involved in cell growth suppression and apoptosis and known to be frequently altered in human cancers. Although EI24 expression is decreased in various cancers and is associated with colorectal cancer progression and metastasis, the physiological function of EI24 in colorectal cancer is yet unclear. We generated an Ei24 conditional transgenic (Tg) mouse to study the therapeutic effects of Ei24 in vivo and evaluated whether Ei24 plays a role of a tumor suppressor using Ei24 Tg mouse crossed with ApcMin/+ mouse, which develops multiple intestinal adenomas. The overexpression of Ei24 failed to cause any notable difference in the number of polyps, lengths of the intestine and spleen, and survival rate between ApcMin/+ and ApcMin/+Ei24 Tg mice. Ei24 plays no significant role in colon cancer caused by the substitutional mutation of Apc in mice. Therefore, our result dismisses the hypothesized direct link between ApcMin/+ mutation and Ei24 expression in colorectal cancer model.

We investigated the effect of Ar ion beam treatment on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate to grow high-quality flexible W-doped In2O3 (IWO) films using a lab-scale roll-to-roll (RTR) sputtering system at room temperature. The electrical, optical, morphological, and mechanical properties of the flexible IWO films sputtered on the ion beam-treated PET and untreated PET substrates were comprehensively compared. In particular, the mechanical flexibility of the RTR sputtered IWO films was investigated in detail using custom-made bending, rolling, and twisting testers. Based on water contact angle and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, we found that the surface energy change and decreased C-O and C˭O groups on the PET substrate led to flexible IWO films with improved adhesion and better mechanical properties. In addition, we compared repeating cooling and heating cyclic stability of the flexible thin film heaters with RTR sputtered IWO films before and after ion beam treatment to show feasibility of ion beam treating process during RTR sputtering.

The aim of this study was to determine the immunomodulatory activity of 2-step egg yolk protein hydrolysates. A two-step hydrolysate of egg yolk protein was prepared using 2 enzymes sequentially, pancreatin and neutrase (EYPH-PN). Our results illustrated that EYPH-PN increased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in macrophages, resulting in increased nitric oxide (NO) production. EYPH-PN could also enhance the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 at both the mRNA and protein levels in macrophages. In addition, treatment with EYPH-PN increased the phagocytic activity of macrophages. According to the evaluation with specific inhibitors, both p38 and JNK cell signaling pathways were involved in the activation of macrophages induced by EYPH-PN. As the TLR-2 receptor of macrophages was blocked, the NO production induced by EYPH-PN was decreased. These results suggest that EYPH-PN activates RAW 264.7 macrophages via the TLR-2/p38/JNK pathway to increase the production of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6, and increases phagocytic activity. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory activity of EYPH-PN was maintained even after applying the in vitro digestion model. Taken together, EYPH-PN could be used as a functional food ingredient with excellent immunomodulatory activity in the food industry. Therefore, this study suggests a new alternative method to effectively utilize egg yolk protein, a by-product of the poultry industry.

It is well known that the current leakage at a switching thin film transistor (TFT) of a pixel circuit is one of key factors for the luminance fluctuation of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) perceived as a flicker artifact. This paper proposes a flicker estimation scheme based on the current leakage model of an amorphous silicon (a-Si) TFT. The proposed scheme consists of four blocks such as gray-to-voltage conversion, pixel voltage update, voltage-to-transmittance conversion, and flicker estimation. Gray-to-voltage and voltage-to-transmittance conversion blocks are built from measured data at a source driver and a panel for gray levels. Flicker estimation is established by applying fast Fourier transform (FFT) to simulated transmittance waveforms. The pixel voltage update block is made up by the voltage leakage model which parameters are estimated by matching simulation results to measurement results at a band gray pattern regarding several gray levels. Any given information of TFTs is not required for parameter extraction. The proposed method is applied to a WSXGA+ in-plane switching (IPS) LCD of a 1-dot inversion and flicker levels are estimated within an error range of ±0.6 dB at full gray patterns of gray levels from 32 to 224, compared to measurement results.

Hydrothermal liquefaction(HTL) of empty fruit bunches(EFB) was performed with an autoclave reactor at various temperatures (240, 270, 300, and 330 °C) in the presence of transition metal chlorides(ZnCl2, CuCl2, and NiCl2) under high pressure(∼22 MPa) and N2 atmosphere. Main HTL products including hydrochar, gas, water-soluble fraction (WSF), and crude-like HTL oil were investigated. The yield of HTL oil gradually increased with increasing temperature, and the highest oil yield of 22.8 wt% was obtained at 300 °C. When transition metal chlorides (2.5–10.0% (w/w sample)) were added to the reaction, mass distributions of the four fractions were clearly modified based on the type of transition metal chloride as well as their concentration. In general, the yield of HTL oil decreased with an increase in transition metal concentration up to 10.0%, the water content increased and the chemical compounds decreased with an increase in the amount of metal. γ-Valerolactone (GVL) and levulinic acid (LA) were detected in the catalytic HTL oil, due to the presence of transition metal ion and high acidity. Unlike other metal chlorides, the presence of CuCl2 resulted in relatively low GVL and high LA concentration, which may inactivate the route from LA to GVL under acidic hydrothermal conditions.

In this study, using an analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS system, pine sawdust was pyrolyzed with polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the presence of HZSM-5 to investigate the effect of plastic. Pyrolysis was performed at 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C after 3.0 mg feedstock loading. Chemical compounds were identified and classified into six groups: Monomeric Aromatic Hydrocarbon (MAH), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH), Phenols, Furfurals, Alkenes, and Alkanes. Results showed that pine and PE co-pyrolysis significantly decreased oxygen content from 23.4% (pine only) to 0.3% (pine + PE/HZSM-5), which increased products’ HHV from 25.9 MJ/kg to 34.4 MJ/kg. It also revealed that the pine and PE ratio did not heavily influence the petrochemical concentration (aromatic hydrocarbons + alkenes (C ≤ 15) + alkanes (C ≤ 13)). However, a higher plastic ratio led to a higher wax production, which is the reason for poor condensation performance in condenser bio-oil capture. A pinewood sawdust to PE ratio of 3:1 showed the most higher-level petrochemicals and least amount of wax formation. Pine and PET co-pyrolysis produced significantly less wax and similar aromatic hydrocarbons to pine and PE co-pyrolysis. It also made as many acids as PET depolymerization and is a problem for pyrolysis oil use.

Background To identify chronologic changes in clinical and survival features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma based on diagnosis and treatment strategy development since 2000. Methods Among 2,029 patients enrolled in this study, 746 and 1,283 were treated between 2000 and 2009 (group 1) and between 2010 and 2016 (group 2), respectively. We used patient clinicopathologic, biologic, and molecular factors to assess the prognostic factors. Results Group 2 had a better survival outcome than group 1 (median survival time: 24.9 versus 18.4 months; 5-year survival rate: 27.6% versus 22.3%). The tendency for early diagnosis (lower CA19-9 levels, smaller size, and earlier T stage), use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, decreased morbidity, early recovery (lesser hospital stay and more minimally invasive surgery), and standardization of surgical techniques appeared to improve patient survival. Multivariable analysis for prognosis revealed that tumor biologic factors (increased preoperative serum CA19-9 level, tumor size, tumor differentiation, N stage, and presence of lymphovascular invasion), operational factors (status of the resection margin, type of operation, and year of operation), and genetic factors (K-ras mutations) correlated with patient survival. Conclusion Early diagnosis and combined efforts, such as neoadjuvant chemotherapy and an established system of patient care, have gradually enhanced patient survival after operative resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Hence, multiplex prognostic parameters could provide additional information for improved prognostic estimation of pancreatic cancer exhibiting heterogeneous results.

As we face a deluge of information in the modern world, the importance of recommender systems (RSs) that recommend relevant items to users has increased. The majority of existing RS schemes observe the prior ratings history of consumers to identify preferred items. However, current RSs suffer from the cold start problem, and their performance is dismal when new users or items appear. In order to address the cold start problem, a new type of solution that exploits social network features has been proposed. Many such social RSs analyze trustor–trustee relationships to discover latent social features shared between trustor and trustee. Since social relationships between trustors and trustees are directed, but not reciprocal, it is not guaranteed that a trustee has features in common with its trustors. Moreover, existing schemes are based on the assumption of independence between trustors who follow the same trustee, and therefore fail to recognize quintessential factors shared by the trustors. We posit that trustors who follow the same trustee have features in common. Based on the assumption that trustors who endorse the same trustee share similar tastes, we propose a new latent feature called Matrix S, and develop two novel RS algorithms that learn these latent features. We conduct an extensive performance evaluation using large scale real-world datasets, and observe that our proposed methods are not only more accurate than existing schemes but also show potential extensibility.

A recommender system (RS) is one that provides optimized information to users in an over-supply situation. The key to an RS is the accurate prediction of the behavior of the user. The matrix factorization (MF) method is used for this prediction in the early stages, and based on the recent development of social network service (SNS), social information is also utilized to improve the accuracy of prediction. In this paper, we use an RS internal trust cluster for the first time to further improve performance and analyze the characteristics of trust clusters. We propose a new approach, a trust-aware network (TAN) RS, to exploit these trust clusters. We also explore the impact and influence of power users in a social network-based RS using TAN RS, and analyze the impact of power users and clusters. From our experiments, we find that the use of TAN RS can enhance the prediction accuracy of RSs; we also show that power users and the sizes of clusters are not significant, and that normal users and ordinary sizes of clusters contribute to a reduction in prediction errors in social RSs.

Offshore platforms with ship-like hull structures have relatively low roll damping moment. In this paper, variations of roll reduction appendages based on increasing damping strategy are proposed. The appendages are an ordinary bilge keel, a newly adopted variation involving extended platforms with ship-like hull structures, such as drillships or reversed flaps, and a stinger type. To validate the roll damping performance of newly designed appendages, a series of free-decay data for the roll motion in calm water and in regular waves are obtained from towing tank tests. The free-decay data for the roll motion is analyzed using a linear-plus-quadratic damping method as well as an alternative method based on the Hilbert transform in order to overcome the possible problem of nonlinearity for non-conventional roll stabilizers. The Hilbert transform technique has the advantage over polynomial damping models for not assuming the form of the roll characteristics. A comparison of the analysis methods for the different appendages is carried out for linear, nonlinear, and equivalent linear damping methods. The results are crosschecked in regular beam waves for different amplitudes near their resonant frequencies. From the experimental analysis, the linear and nonlinear roll characteristics for various appendages are discussed.

Preparing jerky is an efficient method to extend the shelf life of meat. Although hot-air drying is commonly used to make jerky, certain problems, such as excessively tough texture, lipid oxidation, and high energy costs, are associated with this process. This review focuses on the innovative processing technologies developed for improving the quality and storage stability of jerky. The technologies are divided into two categories: texture modification and shelf life extension. Among the technologies for texture modification, drying technologies that use super-heated steam, mid-infrared radiation, microwave radiation, vacuum, and combined drying methods increase the rate of evaporation and improve meat structure. In addition, the inclusion of humectants improves the texture. Among the methods for shelf life extension, addition of natural antioxidants and processing technologies can inhibit lipid oxidation and microbial growth, thus extending the shelf life of jerky. In conclusion, moisture can be more effectively removed using innovative processing technologies; the use of humectants, antioxidants, or supplementary processing to produce and preserve jerky can enhance its textural properties and shelf life. The effects on various food quality parameters should be assessed to optimize the conditions in these technologies.

To ensure food security for the continuously growing worldwide population, it is necessary to promote the use of underutilized foods in food products. In this context, we evaluated the effect of a protein defatting process, which was performed using n-hexane, on the physicochemical characteristics, thermal stabilities, and aromatic profiles of proteins extracted from an edible insect, Protaetia brevitarsis. The defatting process decreased the color values (L*, a*, b*; P

This study investigated effects of different thermal processes on characteristics of activated carbon to produce efficient biosorbents or supercapacitors using biomass resources. Pyrolysis char and hydrochar obtained from woody biomass were used as precursors for activated carbon under different atmospheric conditions (N2 and air). In order to provide functional groups on the carbon surface, activated carbon under N2 condition was subsequently acidified by HNO3 and the other was simultaneously acidified under air condition. Additionally, potential for application as Pb2+ adsorbent and supercapacitor was evaluated. Thermochemical behaviors such as bonding cleavage and dehydration during activation processes were observed by TG and Py-GCMS analysis. Elemental analysis, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS analysis were carried out to confirm changes in structures of each carbon products. New plausible reaction mechanism for this observation was suggested with respect to the formation of a key intermediate in the presence of excess air. As for performance in applications, air activated carbon using hydrochar exhibited high versatility to function as both Pb2+ adsorbent (~41.1 mg/g) and energy storage material (~185.9 F/g) with high specific surface area, mesopore ratio, surface functional groups.

This study evaluated the adsorption properties of arsenic (As) by lignin biochar (LBC) decorated with Zn (Z-LBC) derived from the impregnation reaction of ZnCl2 colloid and the pyrolysis process. The carbon contents of LBC and Z-LBC were 92.8% and 80.2%, respectively. The carbon content in Z-LBC was lower than that of LBC, demonstrating that Zn was clearly deposited in Z-LBC. The surface area of Z-LBC (255 m2/g) was higher than that of LBC (244 m2/g) and showed a more well-developed pore structure. The adsorption amounts of As by pure lignin, LBC, and Z-LBC were 0.44, 1.50, and 18.3 mg/g, respectively, and Z-LBC showed a strong affinity for As. The optimal isotherm and kinetic models for predicting the adsorption of As by Z-LBC were the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic model, respectively, and the maximum adsorption capacity derived from the Langmuir isotherm was 20.2 mg/g. The adsorption properties of As by Z-LBC were dominantly influenced by the initial pH and Z-LBC dose. In addition, FTIR analysis clearly showed a difference in the functional group of Z-LBC before and after As adsorption, which proved that As was adsorbed on the surface of Z-LBC. Overall, Z-LBC is derived from the impregnation reaction of the ZnCl2 colloid, and the pyrolysis process is adequately utilized as an adsorbent for As removal. However, since the amount of As adsorbed by Z-LBC is greatly affected by the initial pH and Z-LBC dose, a management plan will be necessary.

Highly specific detection of miRNAs was performed using a novel bi-directional extension (BDE) assay. After reverse transcription, the cDNA was hybridized to a uniquely designed specific BDE sequence; this cDNA-BDE hybrid forms the PCR template. The PCR template was amplified in a SYBR Green-based quantitative real-time PCR. The miR-145 in human brain total RNA could be detected quantitatively in the range of seven orders of magnitude with high linearity and reproducibility. This innovative BDE assay has several performance advantages over the poly(A) tailing method that include lower CT values, clear gel electrophoresis images, and distinct nucleotide peaks in sequencing chromatograms.

For the last decade, online social networking services have consistently shown explosive annual growth, and have become some of the most widely used applications and services. Large amounts of social relation information accumulate on these platforms, and advanced services, such as targeted advertising and viral marketing, have been introduced to exploit this social information. Although many prior social relation-based services have been commerce oriented, we propose employing social relations to improve online security. Specifically, we propose that real social networks possess unique characteristics that are difficult to imitate through random or artificial networks. Also, the social relations of each individual are unique, like a fingerprint or an iris. These observations thus lead to the development of the Social Relation Key (SRK) concept. We applied the SRK concept in different use cases in the real world, including in the detection of spam SMSes, and another in pinpointing fraud in Twitter followers. Since spammers multicast the same SMS to multiple, randomly-selected receivers and normal users multicast an SMS to friends or acquaintances who know each other, we devise a detection scheme that makes use of a clustering coefficient. We conducted a large scale experiment using an SMS log obtained from a major cellular network operator in Korea, and observed that the proposed scheme performs significantly better than the conventional content-based Naive Bayesian Filtering (NBF). To detect fraud in Twitter followers, we use different social network signatures, namely isomorphic triadic counts, and the property of social status. The experiment based on a Twitter dataset again confirmed the feasibility of the SRK. Our codes are available on a website 1 .