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Background When applying aquatic exercise program to patients with neurological disorder, quality of life (QOL) can be changed by physical function or psychological improvement. Methods Cochrane Database, CINAHL, Embase, Google Scholar, PEDro, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SCOPUS were used to systematically search for relevant studies published between January 1999 and June 2019. The study quality was determined using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Results Eight of the 326 retrieved articles met the inclusion criteria. The results of the studies led to a general consensus: physical education program increased balance and gait and decreased pain. QOL improved as physical health, mental health, and vitality recuperated. Conclusions The findings indicate that aquatic exercise program could be helpful when treating neurological disorders and should be considered as a means of reducing pain while increasing physical function and QOL in standard clinical research programs.

Reverse supply chains (RSCs) have gained much attention from governments, companies and scholars due to increasing levels of environmental concern, resource depletion and regulation. In Europe and other developed countries, RSCs have been imposed by regulation so that manufacturers take greater responsibility for their end-of-life products. In developing countries like Vietnam, this situation is much more complicated since there are many destinations for end-of-life products other than the take-back systems of their manufacturers. Consequently, product flow quantities to RSC facilities in Vietnam, as well as other parameters, are vague and uncertain. To help electronics companies set up more effective RSCs, this study employs a fuzzy approach to account for such uncertain parameters. Furthermore, risk factors are integrated into the proposed model to make it more comprehensive. The solution approach gives much greater flexibility for decision-makers to obtain a satisfactory solution. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

For a more sustainable and environmental-friendly management of shale gas produced water (SGPW), it is essential to customize and optimize the treatment options since the characteristics of SGPW vary both spatially and temporally. However, fundamental studies on the foulants of SGPW and their control methods are lacking, particularly in connection with the RO-based process, which has been adopted increasingly in SGPW treatment. This study fundamentally evaluated the feasibility of novel cold-cathode X-ray irradiation as an additional fouling control process prior to the RO process using actual SGPW extracted from the Sichuan shale region (China) for the first time in literature. The foulants incapable of being removed by conventional pre-treatments (e.g., dissolved air flotation (DAF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane) induced organic fouling in the RO stage, and they were identified eventually as aliphatic hydrocarbon (oil) components. The fouling mechanism was deduced to be the formation of coalesced hydrocarbon layer on the RO membrane surface. In order to target these identified oily substances surgically, the novel cold-cathode X-ray irradiation process was employed since this technology offers much better energy efficiency compared to the existing thermionic X-ray irradiation. Our work demonstrated that the cold-cathode X-ray irradiation could efficiently remove the aliphatic hydrocarbon in the pre-treatment stage. This new X-ray irradiation process was optimized further with respect to energy consumption by investigating the effect of tube current and voltage. Our experimental observations suggest that the cold-cathode X-ray irradiation process could be an energy-efficient alternative for the treatment of organic-rich (oily) industrial wastewaters such as SGPW.

Tillage operations are a vital part of agricultural crop production. Economic and environmental considerations are forcing farmers to manage soil tillage with optimum tool configurations to get the desirable soil condition. Soil disturbance caused by soil engaging tools, in particular soil layer mixing, is an important phenomenon that needs to be clearly understood. Current methods used to investigate soil layer mixing are limited, especially when multiple layer mixing needs to be investigated. The use of physical tracers is the most common approach. Although this method can provide some useful information, since it does not provide a full representation of how soil layers are moving or mixing, error-prone rough estimation is unavoidable. In this study, the mixing of soil layers was investigated using different coloured sands placed in layers at different depths (to continuously investigate the soil layer mixing). A new colour clustering algorithm to analyse such multi-coloured layer mixing performance was developed using K-means clustering with a PCA (principal component analysis) approach. The validation study of the proposed algorithm was conducted using the Columbia multispectral image database before implementation on the experimental coloured soil test. The test results showed that the proposed method and algorithm is effective in analysing multiple soil layer mixing.

In order to incorporate a range of surface applied materials into the soil profile to ameliorate crop production constraints, rotary spaders have recently been adopted in Australia. However, no fundamental studies have been carried out to quantify the mixing ability of rotary spaders. The discrete element method (DEM) has the potential to model soil to rotary spader interaction in terms of soil movement. In this study a full scale rotary spader was tested in the field and then simulated using DEM. The DEM model predicted top soil burial to a similar depth in the soil profile as was measured in the field. A method to compare and quantify soil movement was also developed using digital image processing. The forward soil movement which was not examined in the field was also simulated using DEM and it was found that higher forward speed increases the bite lengths, and hence results a heterogeneous top soil mixing. It was also found that in order to carry out a proper analysis, both cross section and forward soil movement must be considered while quantifying the mixing ability of the rotary spader. The results of this study proves that (1) DEM can be used to model soil to rotary spader interaction to analyse different operation conditions without time consuming and costly field tests which can only be performed certain times of the year and (2) digital image processing can be used as a method to quantify and validate simulations of field experiments. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

This paper provides a synthesis of available in situ primary production (PP) measurements from the Pacific Arctic Region (PAR), collected between 1950 and 2012. Seasonal integrated primary production (IPP) across the PAR was calculated from 524 profiles, 340 of which were also analyzed to determine the average vertical distribution of PP rates for spring, summer and fall months. The Chirikov Basin and Chukchi Shelf were the most productive areas, with the East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Plateau and Canada Basin the lowest. Decadal-scale changes were indicated in the southern Chukchi Sea, and across Hanna Shoal. In the southern Chukchi Sea in August, IPP increased significantly from 113±35 mg C m -2 d -1 in 1959 and 1960 to 833±307 mg C m -2 d -1 in the 2000 s. Increases in the magnitude of IPP were accompanied by variations in the vertical distribution, the subsurface peak observed in the 1959/60 was not present in the 2000 s. The mechanism behind this change was undetermined but could have included changes in stratification, mixing or surface distribution of water masses as well as methodological differences. Over Hanna Shoal, the phytoplankton surface bloom now occurs earlier by several weeks compared to 1993, linked to increases in light due to earlier sea- ice retreat. In 1993 with sea ice still present in the region the surface bloom occurred in August, in 2002 and 2004 this same period was characterized by open water and low surface PP and strong subsurface production. This dataset provides a region-wide quantification of IPP and decadal trends and highlights the need for a cooperative monitoring program to observe the long-term impacts of climate change in the Arctic ecosystem.

The carbon allocations of phytoplankton into different photosynthetic end products (lipids, LMWM, polysaccharides, and proteins) were determined to understand physiological conditions of phytoplankton in the northern Chukchi Sea during the Korean Arctic expedition, 2011, using the 13C isotope tracer technique. The carbon allocation rates of lipids, LMWM, polysaccharides, and proteins were 0.00009–0.00062 h−1, 0.00001–0.00049 h−1, 0.00001–0.00025 h−1, and 0.00001–0.00062 h−1 within the euphotic depths from surface to 1% light depths during our cruise period, respectively. Significant relationships between protein production rates and chlorophyll a concentrations (large and total) were found in this study. Moreover, we found a significant negative relationship between lipid production rates and ammonium concentrations. These relationships match well with the previous results for environmental/physiological conditions for phytoplankton growth. Overall, phytoplankton allocated more photosynthetic carbon into lipids (42.5 ± 17.7%) whereas relatively lower to proteins (20.4 ± 15.5%) in this study. The lipid-rich and protein-poor allocation patterns in this study suggest that phytoplankton in the northern Chukchi Sea were in a stationary growth phase under nutrient deficient condition based on biological and environmental conditions observed during our study period. Based on comparison with the previous studies in the northern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea, we found that the photosynthetic carbon allocation patterns depending on physiological status of phytoplankton under the different growth and/or nutrient conditions could be largely vary at different regions in the Arctic Ocean. More intensive research on the physiological status of phytoplankton is further required to determine how phytoplankton response to the changing environmental conditions and consequently how they impact on higher trophic levels in marine ecosystems in the Arctic Ocean.

As high-sensitivity sensors with astigmatism can be implemented with a compact volume, they are widely used as detection sensors that measure qualitative changes on nano- and micrometer scales. However, owing to problems such as slow measurement speed and a decrease in accuracy due to nonlinearity, its utilization as a displacement sensor is limited. Therefore, an approach to improve the speed and accuracy of measurements is proposed in this paper. We introduce a displacement sensor using a digital versatile disc (DVD) pickup head based on the principle of astigmatism. A method of correcting the nonlinear characteristics of the astigmatism-based DVD pickup head at high speed using a deep neural network is proposed. The proposed system was implemented on a microcontroller unit that can be fabricated in the form of a modular sensor. In the experiments, the proposed method showed better performance in terms of accuracy and speed than the conventional ninth-order polynomial regression.

Eutrophication-induced coastal hypoxia conditions have been developed frequently and spread widely in Masan Bay over recent decades, but little information is currently available. Thus, the spatiotemporal variations in dissolved oxygen (DO) and its major environmental controlling factors were investigated in Masan Bay. We measured the DO of seawater with depth in the bay. In mid-July 2014, oxygen-deficient water ( 3 mg L−1) occurred in the inner bay and spread to the outer bay by late July. Oxygen-deficient conditions at the bottom persisted into mid-September but formed mainly below 5 m in depth. Continuous monitoring data showed that oxygen-deficient conditions began to appear intermittently in evenings from March onward and persisted until the end of October. The concentration of DO in seawater was lowest between July and August when stratification was most intense. The major factors controlling the bottom DO variations in Masan Bay included biogeochemical factors (including inorganic nutrient concentrations, Secchi depth, and chlorophyll-a concentration) and the physical factor of seasonal water stratification in this study. Based on these controlling factors, a regional DO algorithm was developed for Masan Bay, and the algorithm-derived DO concentrations were in good agreement with field data, but they still require further improvement. To better conserve and manage marine coastal ecosystems, it is necessary to understand the development of oxygen deficient water (ODW) and continuously monitor DO concentrations in Masan Bay and in other southern coastal regions of South Korea.

The Ulleung Basin in the southwestern East/Japan Sea (hereafter East Sea) is known as a biologically productive “hot spot” but climate-associated changes in the physicochemical oceanographic conditions and some biological changes have been reported. In this study, our main objective was to determine the contribution of small phytoplankton to the total primary production, which is valuable information for detecting marine ecosystem changes in the Ulleung Basin. The small phytoplankton productivity contributions determined by Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived monthly productivities using a phytoplankton community-based productivity algorithm was significantly consistent with the field-measured productivity contributions of small phytoplankton in this study. The daily primary productivity of small phytoplankton ranged from 42.7 to 418.7 mg C m −2 d −1 with an average of 172.9 mg C m −2 d −1 (S.D. = ±61.4 mg C m −2 d −1 , n = 120), and the annual contribution of small phytoplankton ranged from 19.6% to 28.4% with an average of 23.6% (S.D. = ±8.1%) in the Ulleung Basin from 2003 to 2012. Overall, large phytoplankton were a major contributor to the total primary production in the Ulleung Basin (76.4 ± 8.2%) from 2003 to 2012, which indicates that the Ulleung Basin is a highly productive region. A significantly negative relationship (p

Korea-Russia joint expeditions have been conducted mainly in the less studied Russian sector of the East/Japan Sea to understand the physical and ecological structures. In this study, the carbon uptake rates of phytoplankton measured in 2012 (middle-late October) and 2015 (middle April-early May) were analyzed to understand seasonal and spatial distributions of phytoplankton production, using a 13C-15N dual isotope tracer technique. The water columns in the euphotic layers were well mixed during our cruise periods in both years. The water column-integrated chl-a concentrations (mean ± S.D. = 2.28 ± 1.47 mg m−3) in 2015 was significantly higher (t-test, p 20 μm) was observed near the Russian coast. The daily carbon uptake rates in this study were 180.5 and 441.6 mg C m−2 d−1 in 2012 and 2015, respectively which are significantly (t-test, p < 0.01) lower than the averaged values previously reported in the East/Japan Sea (863 ± 679.6 mg C m−2 d−1). The potential reasons for the lower rate in this study are discussed. The small phytoplankton contribution (47.4%) averaged from the two different cruises in this study is consistent with the result (47%) reported in temperate regions. Moreover, a significantly (t-test, p < 0.01) lower contribution of small phytoplankton in total primary production than total phytoplankton biomass in this study is consistent with the results from other regions. Lower total primary production might be expected due to increasing contribution of small phytoplankton under warmer conditions.

Step changes to seawater temperature (SWT) in the East Asian marginal seas (EAMS) are associated with three recent climate regime shifts (CRS) occurring in the mid-1970s, late 1980s, and late 1990s, but the responses of the ocean conditions and marine ecosystems had regional differences. A step change in SWT in the East China Sea (ECS) was detected after the CRS of the 1970s as were step changes in the North Pacific Index (NPI), Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDOI), and East Asian Winter Monsoon Index (EAWMI). SWT in the ECS decreased with decreasing warm water volume transport into the EAMS and a strong monsoon, but step changes in SWT in other regions were not detected as clearly. After the CRS of the 1980s, SWT in all EAMS increased rapidly with step changes detected in all five climate indices examined. These changes were associated with a weak winter monsoon, increasing surface air temperature (SAT), and increasing warm water volume transport into the EAMS. However, after the CRS of the 1990s, a decrease in SWT around the EAMS was detected in the northern part of East China Sea (NECS), and the ECS with step changes also in the EAWMI and the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI). In contrast, SWT in the East Sea/Sea of Japan (EJS) and the Yellow Sea (YS) continuously increased during this time. Long-term changes in zooplankton biomass were affected by regional differences in the responses of atmospheric and oceanic variability to CRSs. Specifically, long-term changes in the timing of peaks in zooplankton abundances exhibited differences. During warm periods (e.g. after the 1980s CRS) in the EJS, the amount of zooplankton biomass in October increased, while in February it decreased. On the contrary, in the YS and the NECS, the peaks of October and June in zooplankton biomass occurred during cold periods (after the 1970s and 1990s CRS). Major fisheries resources also responded to the three CRSs, although warm and cold water species responded differently to changes in oceanographic conditions in regional spawning grounds.

Three cruises were undertaken along a meridional transect in the East/Japan Sea (EJS) in spring (May 2007), summer (July 2009), and fall (October 2012) to determine the geographic variations in phytoplankton biomass and community composition. This study revealed a gradient of surface temperature and a fluctuation of hydrographic conditions along the transect. Although a subpolar front (SPF) formed between the warm- and cold-water masses (37–40°N), no significant differences in phytoplankton biomass and community composition were detected between the southern and northern parts of the EJS. These results disprove our initial hypothesis that different water masses may contain differently structured phytoplankton communities. In the present study, isothermal layers (≤ 12 °C) fluctuated over a depth of 50 m in both warm- and cold-water masses, depending on the SPF. In contrast, the nitracline (i.e. 2.5 μM nitrate isopleth) depth was recorded within a limited range of 20–40 m in spring, 30–50 m in summer, and 40–60 m in fall. The chlorophyll a concentrations at the subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM) were significantly higher in spring and summer (356 ± 233 and 270 ± 182 ng L –1 , respectively) than in fall (117 ± 89 ng L –1 ). The relative contributions of individual phytoplankton groups to the depth-integrated chlorophyll a concentration conformed to the composition of the phytoplankton community in the SCM layer, showing a dominance of diatoms (58 ± 19% in spring, 48 ± 11% in summer, and 30 ± 20% in fall). Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the geographic structures of phytoplankton communities were strongly associated with the vertical structures of water temperature and nutrient concentration in the water column rather than with horizontal gradients of hydrographic conditions. Finally, our findings suggest that water column stability and light–nutrient availability in the euphotic zone play a key role in determining geographical consistency of the biomass and the community structure of phytoplankton in the EJS.

The minke whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata ) is the most common baleen whale among several marine mammal species observed in Korea. Since a high concentrated condition of prey to whales can be obtained by physical structures, the foraging whale distribution can be an indicator of biological hotspot. Our main objective is verifying the coastal upwelling-southwestern East Sea as a productive biological hotspot based on the geographical distribution of minke whales. Among the cetacean research surveys of the National Institute of Fisheries Science since 1999, 9 years data for the minke whales available in the East Sea were used for this study. The regional primary productivity derived from Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was used for a proxy of biological productivity. Minke whales observed during the sighting surveys were mostly concentrated in May and found mostly (approximately 70%) in the southwestern coastal areas ( −2 y −1 ) estimated in the southwestern coastal region of the East Sea belongs to the highly productive coastal upwelling regions in the world. A change in the main spatial distribution of minke whales was found in recent years, which indicate that the major habitats of mink whales have been shifted into the north of the common coastal upwelling regions. This is consistent with the recently reported unprecedented coastal upwelling in the mid-eastern coast of Korea. Based on high phytoplankton productivity and high distribution of minke whales, the southwestern coastal regions can be considered as one of biological hotspots in the East Sea. These regions are important for ecosystem dynamics and the population biology of top marine predators, especially migratory whales and needed to be carefully managed from a resource management perspective.

We investigated bacterial production (BP) and respiration (BR), as well as the physico-chemical properties of the water column, to elucidate the effect of upwelling on heterotrophic bacterial metabolic activities and growth efficiency (BGE) in July 2012 and May 2013 in the Ulleung Basin (UB), East/Japan Sea. The upwelled conditions were characterized by higher chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations resulting from the upward shift of the nitracline compared to that of the non-upwelled condition. Analyses of the size fractions of Chl-a and pigment composition revealed that large size phytoplankton (> 20 µm), mainly consisting of diatoms, appeared to be the major phytoplankton component. BP and BR were significantly correlated with Chl-a (P 0.05). These results suggest that bacterial metabolic activities are stimulated by the availability of organic resources enhanced by upwelling in the UB. Further statistical analysis showed that the difference in BP and BGE with variations in upwelling intensity were significant (P = 0.018 for BP, P = 0.035 for BGE), but the difference in BR was not significant (P = 0.321). These results suggest that metabolic energy is partitioned more for BP under a strong upwelling condition, i.e. high nutrient and Chl-a conditions. In contrast, the energy generated via respiration was partitioned more for maintaining metabolism rather than for biomass production under weakly or non-upwelled conditions, i.e. stratified and low Chl-a conditions. Overall, our results suggest that any changes in upwelling intensity would significantly affect the carbon cycle associated with the fate of primary production, and the role of the microbial loop in the UB where changes in the intensity and frequency of upwelling associated with climatic changes are in progress.

The East/Japan Sea (EJS) where is surrounded by the Korean peninsula, the Japanese islands, and the Russian coast has been experiencing a large change in physicochemical properties. Based on biochemical composition analysis (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids), the current qualitative status of phytoplankton was identified in the northern EJS from two different sampling seasons (fall and spring in 2012 and 2015, respectively). The average chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration integrated from the euphotic depths was significantly higher in 2015 (99.3 ± 69.2 mg m−2) than 2012 (21.5 ± 6.7 mg m−2). Large phytoplankton (> 2 µm) were predominant in 2015 accounting for 64.5 ± 19.7% whereas small-size phytoplankton (0.7–2 µm) were dominant (49.1 ± 17.5%) in 2012. The biochemical compositions of phytoplankton were predominated by lipids (42.6 ± 7.8%) in 2012 whereas carbohydrate composition largely contributed (53.2 ± 11.7%) to the total biochemical composition in 2015, which is mainly due to different nutrient availabilities and growth stages. Interestingly, the averaged FM concentrations and calorific values for phytoplankton based on the biochemical compositions had similar values between the two years, although the integrated chl-a concentrations were substantially different between 2012 and 2015. In terms of different cell sizes of phytoplankton, we found that small phytoplankton assimilate more FM and calorific energy per unit of chl-a concentration than total phytoplankton. Our results are meaningful for the understanding of future marine ecosystems where small phytoplankton will become dominant at a scenario of ongoing warmer oceans.

The macromolecular composition of phytoplankton communities and the proximate composition of zooplankton communities were measured monthly in the southwestern East/Japan Sea from April to November 2014 in order to identify seasonal changes in, and relationships among, the biochemical compositions in both phytoplankton and zooplankton. The carbohydrate content of phytoplankton was highest in June, whereas the protein content was highest in August and lipids were highest in April. Overall, carbohydrates were dominant (53.2 ± 12.5%) in the macromolecular composition of phytoplankton during the study period. This composition is believed to result from the dominance of diatoms and/or nutrient-depleted conditions. In comparison, the protein level of zooplankton was highest in November, whereas lipids were slightly higher in May than other months. Overall, proteins were the dominant organic compounds (47.9±8.6% DW) in zooplankton communities, whereas lipids were minor components (5.5±0.6% DW). The high protein content of zooplankton might be related to the abundance of copepods, whereas the low lipid content might be due to a relatively high primary production that could provide a sufficient food supply for zooplankton so that they do not require high lipid storage. A significant positive correlation (r=0.971, n=7, p

Introduction Chronic neck pain in office workers is a prevalent occupational disorder. Recently, smartphone applications (apps) have increased rapidly, and provide the benefits in terms of accessibility to health information. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an app-based exercise in office workers on pain intensity, functional disability, exercise adherence, muscle strength, quality of life and fear-avoidance. Methods 20 office workers participated in the study excluding one drop-out. The app-based exercise group (n = 11) conducted neck exercise through the mobile app in the workplace environment for at least 10–15 min/day, 2 days/week for 8 weeks while the control group (n = 9) received a brochure showing how to correct their posture themselves during the same period. Evaluations using the following were performed at baseline and after 8 weeks: the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), for pain intensity; Neck Disability Index (NDI), for functional disability; level of exercise adherence; maximal voluntary flexion/extension strength (MVFS/MVES); 36-Item Short-Form Healthy Survey (SF-36), for quality of life; and Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ). Results Within the app-based exercise group, the VAS (P = 0.003) and NDI (P = 0.005) improved significantly after the app-based neck exercise. MVES (P = 0.013), physical component summary (P = 0.02) of the SF-36, and the work-related subscale (P = 0.011) in the FABQ improved significantly. The level of exercise adherence was high. In VAS and NDI, there were statistically significant differences in the amounts of improvement between the groups. Conclusion An app-based neck exercise positively effects pain intensity, functional disability and partially improves muscle strength, SF-36 score, and FABQ score.

The non-invasive measurement of mucociliary transit system for CF is required.The automatic circular particles is challenging in Synchrotron X-ray images.A noble method to automatically count the circular shapes is proposed.Robust detection accuracy of 92.7% F-measurement is achieved. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease in which the production of thick sticky mucus compromises the mucociliary transit (MCT) system and causes obstruction of the conducting airways. This results in a cycle of inflammation and infection that dramatically reduces quality of life and causes an early death for most. To directly assess airway health and the effects of potential treatments, synchrotron X-ray imaging techniques have been developed to non-invasively quantify MCT, by visualizing the motion of micron-sized spherical particles deposited into the nasal airways of live mice. Since the level of contrast between the target particles and the background is quite low, and the particles often overlap, most existing methods show a low detection accuracy for the MCT tracking particles in these state-of-the-art PCXI images. This paper proposes a new way to automatically detect the circular shapes of micron-sized particles in these low-contrast X-ray images. The proposed algorithm uses a gradient-directional, sectored ring mask, combined with an edge projection into the ring boundary to identify circular shapes. This new algorithm achieves significantly improved marker particle detection rate, 92.1% precision, 93.9% recall and 92.7% F-measurement, compared to existing methods. It can detect a certain degree of overlapping particles that existing methods struggle to achieve. This algorithm provides automatic MCT particle counting, which significantly reduces the manual labelling process for MCT analysis of living animals.

To explore the feasibility of a newly developed smartphone-based exercise program with an embedded self-classification algorithm for office workers with neck pain, by examining its effect on the pain intensity, functional disability, quality of life, fear avoidance, and cervical range of motion (ROM).Single-group, repeated-measures design.The laboratory and participants' home and work environments.Offices workers with neck pain (N=23; mean age ± SD, 28.13±2.97y; 13 men).Participants were classified as having 1 of 4 types of neck pain through a self-classification algorithm implemented as a smartphone application, and conducted corresponding exercise programs for 10 to 12min/d, 3d/wk, for 8 weeks.The visual analog scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and cervical ROM were measured at baseline and postintervention.The VAS (P.001) and NDI score (P.001) indicated significant improvements in pain intensity and functional disability. Quality of life showed significant improvements in the physical functioning (P=.007), bodily pain (P=.018), general health (P=.022), vitality (P=.046), and physical component scores (P=.002) of the SF-36. The FABQ, cervical ROM, and mental component score of the SF-36 showed no significant improvements.The smartphone-based exercise program with an embedded self-classification algorithm improves the pain intensity and perceived physical health of office workers with neck pain, although not enough to affect their mental and emotional states.

Existing studies on models of perishable inventory policy are mostly established according to the base assumption that a fraction of items stocked depletes instantaneously over time due to direct spoilage. For food products over the storage time the quality does degrade, however, the quantity of items typically remains constant. Therefore, this research proposes an integrated approach for addressing food inventory policy for managing the flow of a food product incorporating different quality characteristics, in a supply chain system, comprising a single vendor and multiple buyers (SVMB). The kinetic model is applied to represent the quality degradation of the raw material at the vendor (manufacturer), while the shelf-life based pricing is adopted to characterise the value degradation of finished goods at the buyers (retailers). A mathematical model representing the considered system is established to maximise the joint profit of the whole system. It is achieved by coordinating the manufacturing cycle and the inbound-outbound delivery frequencies of materials over the manufacturing cycle. The numerical test shows that the proposed model returns a better benefit compared to the benchmark model. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Refereed/Peer-reviewed The rise in the utilization of solar energy for energy generation has grown exponentially throughout the past decade. By the end of 2019, the global total installed solar capacity is close to 600 GW (Gigawatts). This share is only expected to rise.Although the current life of solar panels of about 25 years is a good figure to persist the interests of investors, a higher potential is anticipated for PV panels. This results in the sheer interest in investment in the potential recycling of solar panels, which is leading to demand and the need for policy development that regulates the responsibilities of stakeholders. This motive was led by a serious concern regarding the anticipated amount of waste that the disposal of solar panels would resort to. This results in the need of recycling of solar panels which is a relatively modern and growing phenomenon.This article aims to provide a detailed understanding of the existing policies involved in recycling silicon based PV panels currently being employed. In addition, the world's current position on policy issues regarding the recycling of solar panels will be discussed.

Proximate analysis for proportions of lipids, proteins, ash, and water contents of fish tissue provides a powerful insight to obtain physiological information for the fish population being studied. In this study, the proximate compositions for the jack mackerel ( Trachurus japonicus ) caught in Geumo Island, Korea known as a nursery ground were examined monthly in 2013 and 2014. No significant seasonal variation was found in protein and ash contents whereas a strong seasonal variation was found in water and lipid contents. The lipid contents showed relatively higher values ranging from 3.94% to 5.75% in summer and fall which corresponds to their active feeding periods. A strong inverse relationship was found between the lipid and water contents (n = 16, r = −0.859, p t -test, p

The biochemical compositions (proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) of phytoplankton provide useful information for their environmental growth conditions and nutritional status as a basic food source for upper trophic consumers. Concentrations of these compositions were assessed at 100, 30, and 1% light penetration depths within the euphotic zone in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica, using colorimetric techniques. The major inorganic nutrients were generally abundant throughout the study area. The average chlorophyll a (chl-a) concentration was 49.2 mg m−2 (S.D.=±27.6 mg m−2) and large phytoplankton (>20 µm) accounted for 64.1% of the total chl-a concentration. The biochemical compositions of the phytoplankton were not significantly different among different light depths or productivity stations. The overall compositions of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids from all stations averaged 65.9% (S.D.=±12.5%), 22.4% (S.D.=±10.9%), and 11.7% (S.D.=±6.5%), respectively. Regardless of dominant phytoplankton species, nitrogen-abundant conditions sustained high protein compositions of phytoplankton in the Amundsen Sea during the cruise period. Based on the macromolecular compositions, the average food material (FM) concentration was 219.4 μg L−1 (S.D.=±151.1 μg L−1) and correlated positively with the primary productivity in the Amundsen Sea. High protein/carbohydrate ratios (>1) and large proportions of proteins suggest that phytoplankton provide nitrogen-sufficient foods to higher trophic consumers through a higher efficiency of protein carbon incorporated into herbivores.

We examined the recent history of sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) accumulation on the western Amundsen Shelf, to help characterize the biological carbon pump in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica. Vertical sedimentary profiles (in the upper 21-cm) of SOC content, radio- and stable-carbon isotopes were obtained at four locations in the western Amundsen Sea: near the shelf break, inside the polynya near the Dotson Ice Shelf, and at both the periphery and the center of the Amundsen Sea polynya. Profiles were representative not only of various distances from the coast, but also of various summertime sea ice conditions and bottom depths. The SOC content (up to 1.1%) and the radiocarbon content were distinctly higher at the periphery and at the center of the polynya than at the other sites. The SOC and 14C contents were generally consistent with the spatial distribution of primary productivity in the surface water. A linear SOC accumulation rate of about 1.0 g C m−2 yr−1 was determined from the conventional 14C ages of bulk SOC below the surface mixed layer at the periphery and at the center of the polynya, for the time period of 3.1–4.7 kyr before present (BP). This linear SOC accumulation rate was about 20 times greater than the rates determined at the two other sites for the period of 4.6–15.7 kyr BP. Note that all values are for uncorrected 14C ages. At the center of the polynya, a sudden change in SOC accumulation rate was observed at about 16 cm depth, corresponding to 4.7 kyr BP, implying that changes (during this time period) in physical environments greatly affected primary production, SOC burial and/or supply of allochthonous particles to this site. The vertical distribution of 14C content in the sediments implies that aged organic matter, likely associated with resuspended sediments, was also being deposited inside the polynya, in addition to autochthonous biogenic particles. If our estimation of SOC accumulation is extrapolated to the western Amundsen Shelf between 110°W and 120°W, approximately 3×1010 g C yr−1 is buried on the shelf, with ~90% of SOC accumulation occurring in the Amundsen Sea polynya.

The Amundsen Sea polynya is one of the largest and most productive polynyas in the Southern Ocean and has recently experienced a rapid change in sea ice coverage. However, very little is known about current physiological status of phytoplankton and its quality as food for pelagic herbivores and consequently higher trophic levels in the Amundsen Sea. Using a 13 C isotope tracer technique, macromolecular production measurements of phytoplankton at eleven stations were conducted at three light depths (100, 30, and 1%) onboard R/V ARAON in the Amundsen Sea, 2012. The concentrations of major inorganic nutrients were replete at all the productivity stations and no substantial difference in macromolecular production was found between polynya and non-polynya regions. Distinct vertical trends were not observed in low-molecular-weight metabolites (LMWM) and polysaccharide productions, but weak vertical patterns in lipid and protein productions were found during our cruise period. The vertical patterns of lipids slightly increased with depth whereas decreased for protein synthesis in this study, and these vertical trends were not consistent with the results reported previously in the Arctic Ocean. Overall, phytoplankton allocated more photosynthetic carbon into proteins (60.0%) than other macromolecules in the Amundsen Sea, which is markedly higher than those reported previously in the Antarctic Ocean, ranging from 7 to 23%. The high protein synthesis appears to be sustained by high concentrations of major nutrients, which might be a strong factor for general patterns of macromolecular productions of phytoplankton in polar oceans, even under potential iron limitation.

Little information on phytoplankton is currently available for Garolim and Asan bays, which are important spawning and nursery grounds for various commercial fish. The objectives of this study were to investigate the spatial and seasonal variations in the biochemical components (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) and primary production by phytoplankton and to determine the major environmental factors controlling the variations in Garolim and Asan bays. All major inorganic nutrients were seasonally available to phytoplankton although PO4 concentrations were relatively lower than those of other nutrients. The chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration measured in this study was within the range reported previously and the phytoplankton community was mostly dominated by micro- and nano-phytoplankton (approximately 80 %). Among the different biochemical compositions, carbohydrates were the most dominant throughout our observation period. As a nitrogen source for phytoplankton growth, ammonium was more important compared to nitrate in Garolim and Asan bays because of a significantly high uptake rate of the ammonium observed in this study. The overall mean areal daily carbon uptake rate (238.8 ± 393.3 mg C m−2 d−1) measured in this study is within the range in various bays and coastal waters in Korea. The concentrations of SiO2, NO2+NO3 and micro-sized chl-a were found to be major factors for the variation in the biochemical compositions of phytoplankton. By comparison, the nano-sized chl-a concentration, NH4 concentration and temperature were observed to be major factors in the variation in the carbon uptake rate of phytoplankton in Garolim and Asan bays during our observation period. Further studies on macromolecular compositions and primary production from different cell-sized phytoplankton are warranted for a better understanding their potential effects on marine ecosystems.

Here, we investigated the elemental (C/N ratio) and isotopic signatures (δ13C) and major biomolecules (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) and their relative abundance (i.e., the biochemical composition) in particulate organic matter (POM) to assess their origin and fate in the Laptev and western East Siberian seas during late summer/fall of 2015. In addition, we compared our results with the summer data of 2013 collected from Laptev and northwestern East Siberian seas. In accordance with the observed hydrological structure (i.e., a northward, warmer, diluted freshwater plume than previously observed in 2013), the more depleted δ13C (−28.2 ± 0.9‰) and higher C/N ratio (10.8 ± 2.0) than those of 2013 signalled that fluvially released terrestrial organic carbon (TerrOC) was the main source of the POM, unlike in 2013, when phytoplankton was the dominant source (δ13C = −24.9 ± 1.0‰, C/N ratio = 7.6 ± 2.4; Ahn et al., 2019). During the offshore transport of heterogeneous TerrOC, carbohydrates seem to be the primary contributor to the bulk POM as a result of selective degradation and hydrodynamic sorting. Despite the TerrOC-dominated system in 2015, some marine influence was also found. The estimated phytoplankton biomass was low and comparable among the study sites. In addition, the presence of resting spores and high ammonium concentrations within the water column may suggest senescent and, to some extent, degrading conditions of the resident phytoplankton. In this regard, carbohydrate concentrations and freshwater content were significantly correlated (r = 0.79, p

This study investigated the impacts of marine dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emitted from East Asian seas on natural direct radiative forcing (DRF) based on a numerical modeling approach. The high-resolution (4 km) DMS emissions (i.e., DMS flux) were estimated from sea surface DMS concentrations and transfer velocity in the air-sea interface using satellite observations and model-predicted data during the period 2014–2016. We inputted these emission data into an aerosol optical model and then estimated the natural DRF of sulfate aerosols derived from the DMS flux (i.e., DMS-derived sulfate) using a radiative transfer model. The total mean DMS flux in the study area during the study period was estimated to be approximately 0.73 μmol/m2/day, with a maximum of 3.4 μmol/m2/day (December 2014) and a minimum of 0.12 μmol/m2/day (March 2014). The total mean negative forcing at the top of the atmosphere (DRFTOA) due to the DMS-derived sulfate was approximately −1.3 W m−2 in the target area during the study period. The monthly maximum (−2.8 W m−2) and minimum DRFTOA (−0.82 W m−2) occurred in December and March 2014, respectively, with the highest and lowest forcing at the surface and in the atmosphere during the same months. In terms of spatial distributions over the entire study area, negative DRFTOA exhibited a maximum of up to −8.8 W m−2 in the coastal sea near Shanghai, China, and a minimum of −0.6 W m−2 in the offshore sea of the East Sea, Korea. These increases and decreases in the natural DRFs were strongly attributed to the DMS fluxes, which were affected mainly by sea surface wind and/or partially by DMS concentrations, and relative humidity conditions in the study region.

This study determined the effect of type 17 helper T-cell (Th17) cytokines on osteoclastogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The expression of IL-17 and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) was determined in synovial tissue, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), and synovial fluids of RA patients using immunostaining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Th17 cytokine–induced RANKL expression was studied in RA FLS by using real-time PCR, luciferase activity assays, and Western blot analysis. Human peripheral blood monocytes were cultured with macrophage colony-stimulating factor and Th17 cytokines, after which osteoclastogenesis was evaluated by counting the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase–positive multinucleated cells. Osteoclastogenesis was also evaluated after monocytes were co-cultured with IL-17–prestimulated FLS. There was significant correlation between RANKL and IL-17 levels in RA synovial fluid. IL-17, IL-21, and IL-22 increased the expression of Rankl mRNA in RA FLS, and the IL-17–induced RANKL expression decreased by the inhibition of Act1, tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor 6, NF-κB, and activator protein-1. Th17 cytokines and IL-17–prestimulated FLS induced osteoclastogenesis from monocytes in the absence of exogenous RANKL. The osteoclastic effect was reduced by inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α. Th17 cytokines have a dual effect on osteoclastogenesis in RA: direct induction of osteoclastogenesis from monocytes and up-regulation of RANKL production in RA FLS. This Th17 cytokine/RANKL axis could be a potential therapeutic target for bone destruction in RA.

The macromolecular (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates) composition of phytoplankton and the proximate (water, proteins, lipids, and ash) and elemental (carbon and nitrogen) compositions of mesozooplankton were determined in the northern Chukchi Sea to establish the relationship between zooplankton and their phytoplankton food source. Among the phytoplankton macromolecules examined in this study, lipids had the highest contents (58.4±8.2%) and proteins had the lowest (16.1±7.3%), which may be a consequence of a nitrogen deficiency in phytoplankton growth during the study period. In contrast, proteins (59.7±10.6% DW) were the major proximate components in the mesozooplankton community, which was dominated by copepods up to 71% of total abundance. The low lipid contents (13.8±12.4% DW) in the mesozooplankton community in this study might be due to the dominance of small species such as Calanus glacialis, which generally have relatively lower lipid contents than large copepods. Moreover, the spawning period of C. glacialis from April to June might be an additional reason for the low lipid contents, because copepods have normally very low lipid contents after spawning. The low lipid contents resulted in a low energy content in this mesozooplankton community in the northern Chukchi Sea. The different biochemical compositions of phytoplankton and zooplankton should be considered in order to understand the impacts of climate change on the quality of prey provided by lower trophic levels and subsequently on Arctic marine ecosystems.

To estimate detailed contributions of particulate organic carbon (POC) as a potential food source in various environments of the Arctic sea ice floes, intensive investigations were executed at two different types of sea ice stations (ST 1 and ST 2) in the northern Chukchi Sea during the summer period in 2011. The average uptake rates of carbon and nitrogen in melt ponds from this study were within the range measured previously. The surface ice of melt ponds at ST 1 had the highest POC concentration with a mean of 148.0 mg C m −3 (S.D.=±86.0 mg C m −3 ), followed by sea ice cores at ST 2 (mean±S.D.=125.7±128.2 mg C m −3 ). The POC concentrations in melt ponds ranged between 90.0 mg C m −3 (S.D.=±12.7 mg C m −3 ) and 103.9 mg C m −3 (S.D.=±47.7 mg C m −3 ) at ST 1 and ST 2, respectively. Major POC contributors to melt ponds were diatoms with a mean biovolume contribution of 48.7% (S.D.=±39.1%) which was strongly related to in situ salinity. Although the total POC concentration of entire sea ice floes ranged from 2.8% to 5.3% of the POC concentration within the euphotic water column at the study locations, the carbon contribution of sea ice floes could be important to higher trophic levels because of the concentrated POC within sea ice floes.

Mooring observation of hydrography, hydrodynamics and suspended particles distribution under a drifting sea ice revealed the mixing and entrainment pattern in the upper mixed layer (ML) of the marginal ice zone. The ice floe where the mooring system was installed drifted as near-inertial motion with approximately 12-h cycle. The mixing pattern induced by this near-inertial drift can be divided into two distinct regimes. First, simple entrainment (upward) fluxes from the seasonal pycnocline to sea ice–water boundary are induced by shear across ML and seasonal pycnocline during the period when ice floes drift toward pack ice. The entrainment speed was in the range of 0.25–2 m h −1 , which matches well with thickening and thinning of the ML during a near-inertial period. Turbulent wakes on the boundary between sea ice and open water occurred behind the advancing edge of ice. In the second regime, when ice floes drift toward open ocean, the turbulent wakes at the advancing edge of ice are combined with the entrainment caused by near-inertial motion, which results in a complex mixing pattern of both upward and downward fluxes in the ML. The echo intensity observed by the acoustic Doppler current profiler and beam attenuation from transmissometer revealed the elevated concentration of suspended particulate materials in the ML, which can be direct evidence visualizing the mixing pattern. Results suggest that the mixing and entrainment found in our study sustain particulate matters in suspension within upper ML for a few months. This may provide a potential mechanism to sustain abundant organic particulates in the ML and upper pycnocline for months after under-ice bloom. Under strong wind events like storms, the entrainment induced by near-inertial motion may also get enhanced, which causes elevated supply of nutrients from the deeper, permanent pycnocline to the ML.

We investigated the biochemical compositions (lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates) of particulate organic matter (POM) as a potential food source in the northern Chukchi Sea. We aimed to understand physiological status of phytoplankton, determine important controlling factors, and estimate the energetic contents of POM. The major inorganic nutrients were generally depleted at upper mixed-layer depth (>20 m). The average chlorophyll a (chl- a ) concentration was 31.9 mg m −2 (S.D.=±31.3 mg m −2 ) in this study, significantly higher than that reported previously in the northern Chukchi Sea. Small phytoplankton (0.7–5 µm) accounted for 65.9% of total chl- a concentration. The overall average compositions of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins were 50% (S.D.=±10.7%), 35% (S.D.=±11.0%), and 15% (S.D.=±11.2%) for POM, respectively. Along with other evidence (e.g., low N:P and protein–carbohydrate ratios), the high lipid and low protein compositions of POM in this study suggests that phytoplankton might have had a nitrogen limitation and/or stationary growth phase in the northern Chukchi Sea during the cruise period, 2011. The overall average calorific content of food material (FM) was 149.2 μg L −1 (S.D.=±36.5 μg L −1 ) or 1.0 Kcal m −3 (S.D.=±0.2 Kcal m −3 ). The relatively higher calorific contents in the northern Chukchi Sea were due to high lipid contributions and the considerably high calorific content of FM per POC.

Phytoplankton production measurements were conducted in the northeast Chukchi Sea and western Canada Basin in the summer season, from 20 July to 10 August 2010, using a 13C–15N dual tracer technique. The daily carbon uptake rate in the northeast Chukchi Sea in 2010 was extremely low, with a mean of 29.8 mg C m−2 d−1 (SD=17.6 mg C m−2 d−1). Regional and temporal differences caused the low production rate compared to previous studies in the northeast Chukchi Sea. In the western Canada Basin, the mean daily carbon uptake rate from this study was 20.6 mg C m−2 d−1, which was influenced by the dominance of small phytoplankton resulting in a low carbon uptake rate in the region. The regionally high nitrate uptake rates compared to ammonium uptake rates in the western Canada Basin can be caused by warm-core eddies, which supply high levels of nitrate to the euphotic zone. Warm-core eddies in the Canada Basin substantially enhanced local phytoplankton production and the contribution of large phytoplankton. Therefore, the effects of physical forcing events (such as “an” eddy) on the primary production need to be examined further to better understand changes of primary production under ongoing environmental changes in the Arctic Ocean.

The northern Bering and Chukchi Seas are areas in the Pacific Arctic characterized by high northward advection of Pacific Ocean water, with seasonal variability in sea ice cover, water mass characteristics, and benthic processes. In this review, we evaluate the biological and environmental factors that support communities of benthic prey on the continental shelves, with a focus on four macrofaunal biomass “hotspots.” For the purpose of this study, we define hotspots as macrofaunal benthic communities with high biomass that support a corresponding ecological guild of benthivorous seabird and marine mammal populations. These four benthic hotspots are regions within the influence of the St. Lawrence Island Polynya (SLIP), the Chirikov Basin between St. Lawrence Island and Bering Strait (Chirikov), north of Bering Strait in the southeast Chukchi Sea (SECS), and in the northeast Chukchi Sea (NECS). Detailed benthic macrofaunal sampling indicates that these hotspot regions have been persistent over four decades of sampling due to annual reoccurrence of seasonally consistent, moderate-to-high water column production with significant export of carbon to the underlying sediments. We also evaluate the usage of the four benthic hotspot regions by benthic prey consumers to illuminate predator–prey connectivity. In the SLIP hotspot, spectacled eiders and walruses are important winter consumers of infaunal bivalves and polychaetes, along with epibenthic gastropods and crabs. In the Chirikov hotspot, gray whales have historically been the largest summer consumers of benthic macrofauna, primarily feeding on ampeliscid amphipods in the summer, but they are also foraging further northward in the SECS and NECS hotspots. Areas of concentrated walrus foraging occur in the SLIP hotspot in winter and early spring, the NECS hotspot in summer, and the SECS hotspot in fall. Bottom up forcing by hydrography and food supply to the benthos influences persistence and composition of benthic prey that then influences the distributions of benthivorous upper trophic level populations.

Rapid and dramatic climate changes in the Arctic and the projection of their impacts on lower-latitude regions require careful evaluation, understanding, and use of multidisciplinary, internationally coordinated efforts. The Third International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR-3), devoted to these objectives, was held on January 14–17, 2013 in Tokyo, and was an essential step in this direction. The pool of papers that make up this Special Issue provides an insight into the discussions conducted during the ISAR-3 meeting.

Using a 13 C– 15 N dual tracer technique, phytoplankton production measurements were conducted along the entire Chukchi Sea shelf during the 2nd RUSALCA cruise from September 1 to 31, 2009, as a part of long-term ecosystem monitoring. The daily total nitrogen production rates ranged from 6.3 to 126.1 mg N m −2 d −1 in this study, which were significantly lower than those of previous studies in the region. The large difference in nitrate production rate between the northern and southern regions could be explained by different ambient nitrogen concentrations during the cruise period. Consistently, the overall daily carbon production rate in 2009 was low with a mean of 0.3 g C m −2 d −1 (SD=±0.2 g C m −2 d −1 ). These lower rates of phytoplankton production were induced by a decrease in chlorophyll a concentration resulting from less widespread Anadyr Water, which is normally high in nutrients and phytoplankton biomass. In addition, high amounts of freshwater accumulated from the Siberian Coastal Current negatively affected phytoplankton production rates. Under the low nutrient and freshening conditions during this study, small phytoplankton were more abundant than those reported previously on the Chukchi Sea shelf. Because of large variations in production rates of phytoplankton caused by strong seasonal/interannual variations of environmental conditions, various long-term monitoring programs are important to understand marine ecosystem responding to ongoing environmental changes in the Chukchi Sea.