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Collagen is considered to be an intercellular adhesive that prevents tissue stretching or damage. It is widely utilized in cosmetic skin solutions, drug delivery, vitreous substitutions, 3D cell cultures, and surgery. In this study, we report the development of a green technology for manufacturing collagen peptides from flatfish skin using ultrasound and enzymatic treatment and a subsequent assessment on skin functionality. First, flatfish skin was extracted using ultrasound in distilled water (DW) for 6 h at 80 °C. Molecular weight analysis via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after treatment with industrial enzymes (alcalase, papain, protamex, and flavourzyme) showed that the smallest molecular weight (3.56 kDa) was achieved by adding papain (0.5% for 2 h). To determine functionality based on peptide molecular weight, two fractions of 1100 Da and 468 Da were obtained through separation using Sephadex™ G-10. We evaluated the effects of these peptides on protection against oxidative stress in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells, inhibition of MMP-1 expression in human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells, reduction in melanin content, and the inhibition of tyrosinase enzyme activity in murine melanoma (B16F10) cells. These results demonstrate that the isolated low-molecular-weight peptides exhibit superior skin anti-oxidant, anti-wrinkle, and whitening properties.

Characteristics of random ocean waves have been measured by different devices, and X-band marine radar is one of the typical devices. This study proposes an enhanced methodology for estimating the significant wave height of ocean waves through the analysis of X-band radar images, particularly leveraging the shadowing characteristics inherent within radar images. The enhancement of the shadowing-based algorithm is achieved by incorporating three different key physical properties of ocean waves. These include the spatial autocorrelation function (SACF) in the Smith function, the orthogonal property of mean surface slopes, and the relationship of high-order spectral moments. The enhanced algorithm is complementarily integrated with fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based spectral analysis, facilitating the determination of significant wave height without the necessity for supplementary reference measurements. Numerical tests have been conducted using synthetic and real radar images corresponding to various sea states to validate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed methodology. The results demonstrate that the proposed techniques consistently improve the estimation accuracy of significant wave heights for both synthetic and real radar images. Even though the measured real radar images used for validation are not exhaustive in terms of the amount of dataset and range of sea state severity, considering that the proposed technique is in its early development stage, it is inspiring that its effectiveness and physical validity have been demonstrated through the present study.

Cultured meat production relies on various cell types, including muscle stem cells (MuSCs), embryonic stem cell lines, induced pluripotent cell lines, and naturally immortalized cell lines. MuSCs possess superior muscle differentiation capabilities compared to the other three cell lines, making them key for cultured meat development. Therefore, to produce cultured meat using MuSCs, they must first be effectively separated from muscles. At present, the methods used to isolate MuSCs from muscles include (1) the pre-plating method, using the ability of cells to adhere differently, which is a biological characteristic of MuSCs; (2) the density gradient centrifugation method, using the intrinsic density difference of cells, which is a physical characteristic of MuSCs; and (3) fluorescence- and magnetic-activated cell sorting methods, using the surface marker protein on the cell surface of MuSCs, which is a molecular characteristic of MuSCs. Further efficient and valuable methods for separating MuSCs are expected to be required as the cell-based cultured meat industry develops. Thus, we take a closer look at the four methods currently in use and discuss future development directions in this review.

Ecklonia cava, a brown seaweed native to the East Asian coast, is known for its unique composition, including polysaccharides, polyphenols, and phlorotannins. Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide widely used as a functional ingredient in foods. This study obtained crude polysaccharides (ECC_CPS) from E. cava celluclast enzymatic hydrolysate using ethanol precipitation. ECC_CPS increased cell viability during the proliferation of Hanwoo muscle satellite cells (HMSCs). The effect of ECC_CPS on the expression of proliferation-related markers was confirmed as MYF5 and MYOD expression significantly increased, whereas PAX7 expression was maintained. The evaluation of cell migration activity has a major impact on cell proliferation and differentiation, and the cell migration index significantly increased with ECC_CPS treatment (p < 0.01). This was related to the HGF/MET pathway and FAK pathway. Treatment with ECC_CPS promoted differentiation at the cell differentiation stage, thereby increasing the expression of differentiation markers, such as MYH2, MYH7, and MYOG (p < 0.001 or p < 0.01). Therefore, our findings imply that crude polysaccharide obtained from E. cava can be an additive ingredient that enhances the proliferation and differentiation of muscle satellite cells used in the manufacture of cultured meat products.

Background: We aimed to analyze the correlation between in-hospital mortality and hemodynamic changes, using polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column direct hemoperfusion (PMX-DHP) initiation time in patients with cancer with refractory septic shock. Methods: Forty-six patients with cancer who received PMX-DHP for refractory septic shock were retrospectively analyzed and classified into early (≤3 h between refractory septic shock and PMX-DHP; n = 17) and late (>3 h; n = 29) initiation groups. The vasopressor inotropic score (VIS), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and lactate clearance before and 24 h post-PMX-DHP were compared. Results: Overall, 52.17% died from multiple organ dysfunction, with a lower mortality rate in the early initiation group. The VIS and SOFA score decreased in both groups, but the magnitude of decrease was not significant. Lactate clearance improved in both groups, with greater improvement in the early initiation group. Univariable analysis identified associations of in-hospital mortality with early initiation, ΔC-reactive protein, lactate clearance, ΔSOFA score, and ΔVIS. Multivariable analysis demonstrated associations of in-hospital mortality risk with ΔSOFA score and early PMX-DHP initiation. Overall survival was higher in the early initiation group. Early initiation of PMX-DHP in patients with cancer with refractory septic shock reduced in-hospital mortality and improved lactate clearance.

In this study, we introduce a novel framework that combines human motion parameterization from a single inertial sensor, motion synthesis from these parameters, and biped robot motion control using the synthesized motion. This framework applies advanced deep learning methods to data obtained from an IMU attached to a human subject’s pelvis. This minimalistic sensor setup simplifies the data collection process, overcoming price and complexity challenges related to multi-sensor systems. We employed a Bi-LSTM encoder to estimate key human motion parameters: walking velocity and gait phase from the IMU sensor. This step is followed by a feedforward motion generator-decoder network that accurately produces lower limb joint angles and displacement corresponding to these parameters. Additionally, our method also introduces a Fourier series-based approach to generate these key motion parameters solely from user commands, specifically walking speed and gait period. Hence, the decoder can receive inputs either from the encoder or directly from the Fourier series parameter generator. The output of the decoder network is then utilized as a reference motion for the walking control of a biped robot, employing a constraint-consistent inverse dynamics control algorithm. This framework facilitates biped robot motion planning based on data from either a single inertial sensor or two user commands. The proposed method was validated through robot simulations in the MuJoco physics engine environment. The motion controller achieved an error of ≤5° in tracking the joint angles demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed framework. This was accomplished using minimal sensor data or few user commands, marking a promising foundation for robotic control and human–robot interaction.

Type A acute aortic syndrome (urgent AAS, UAAS) has a low incidence and high mortality rate; however, it is often missed or diagnosed late. Our aim was to create a new tool for distinguishing UAAS by using multiple modalities to select patients for CT aortography. This study included 75 patients with UAAS, 77 with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and 81 with heart failure (HF) who received urgent treatment after propensity matching. Specific symptoms, past medical history, mediastinal width, region of interest (ROI) ratio in the lung base/apex, D-dimers, and troponin I were investigated to differentiate UAAS from ACS and HF. The most significant variables were selected to create a new scoring system. The UAAS score exhibited a performance AUC of 0.982. A simple UAAS score >1, excluding ROI ratios in lung base/apex, showed an AUC of 0.977, a sensitivity of 96%, and specificity of 92.41%. The results were validated using an external data set of 292 patients (simple UAAS score > 1: AUC of 0.966, sensitivity 93.33%, and specificity 95.36%). The simple UAAS score may be a valuable tool for suspecting UAAS and may reduce the likelihood of misdiagnosis or performing unnecessary CT aortography.

Undaria pinnatifida, a marine biological resource from which antioxidants such as polysaccharides can be obtained, is primarily distributed in the coastal areas of East Asia. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for physiological processes; however, excess ROS levels in the body result in cellular oxidative damage. Several extraction methods exist; however, factors such as long extraction times and high temperatures degrade polysaccharides. Therefore, this study aimed to increase the yield of U. pinnatifida sporophyll extract (UPE), a U. pinnatifida byproduct, using ultrasonication, an environmentally friendly extraction method, and identify UPE components with antioxidant activity. UPE_2, 4, 6, and 8 extracts were obtained at extraction times of 2, 4, 6, and 8 h, respectively. UPE_8 had the highest yield (31.91%) and polysaccharide (69.22%), polyphenol, (8.59 GAE μg/mg), and fucoxanthin contents (2.3 μg/g). UPE_8 showed the greatest protective and inhibitory effects on ROS generation in H2O2-damaged Vero cells. Ethanol precipitation of UPE_8 confirmed that UPE_8P (precipitate) had superior antioxidant activity in Vero cells compared to UPE_8S (supernatant). UPE_8P contained a large amount of polysaccharides, a major contributor to the antioxidant activity of UPE_8. This study shows that UPE_8 obtained using ultrasonication can be a functional food ingredient with excellent antioxidant activity.

A transfer function is the main model of a design program that correlates mechanistically calculated damage to a pavement with the actual field distress. In this study, a pavement condition index (PCI) model that reflects environmental and traffic loads was developed as a transfer function for a design program for airport concrete pavements. Seven runways from five airports in Korea, for which design data were available, were selected as target runways, and their design, traffic, and weather data were collected. The minimum tensile stress of the slab generated by environmental loads and the maximum tensile stress induced by combined environmental and traffic loads were calculated by conducting a three-dimensional finite element analysis. The cumulative fatigue damage to the target runways was calculated by substituting the climatic conditions and traffic volume into the fatigue model, which considered the minimum and maximum tensile stresses. The PCI, which was uniformly and varyingly distributed according to pavement age, was adopted as the indicator of actual field distress, whereas the previously used structural condition index was mostly 100 because no structural distress occurred, regardless of the pavement age. The PCI model was established via multi-regression analysis to predict field PCIs using mechanistically calculated cumulative fatigue damage and pavement age as independent variables. The actual and predicted PCIs of the target airports were compared to validate the PCI model.

Background and aim: Radial shortening after distal radius fracture causes ulnar impaction, and a mild reduction loss of radial height occurs even after volar locking plate fixation. This study aimed to determine whether preoperative ulnar-sided sclerosis affects clinical outcomes after volar locking plate fixation for distal radius fracture (DRF). Method: Among 369 patients who underwent volar locking plate fixation for DRF, 18 with preoperative ulnar-sided sclerosis of the lunate were included in Group A and compared to a 1:4 age-, sex- and fracture-pattern-matched cohort without sclerosis (72 patients, Group B). The visual analog scale (VAS), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score, and grip strength were assessed as clinical outcomes. Ulnar variance (UV), radial inclination, radial length, and volar tilt at two weeks after surgery and the final follow-up were measured as radiographic outcomes. Results: The mean VAS and DASH scores and grip strength did not differ between the two groups. The mean UV at two weeks after surgery and the last follow-up was significantly higher in Group A. The mean changes in UV were +0.62 mm in Group A and +0.48 mm in Group B. There were no significant intergroup differences. Neither UV nor its changes showed any association with DASH and VAS scores. Conclusions: Preoperative ulnar-sided sclerosis of the lunate did not affect clinical outcomes after volar locking plate fixation, even if UV increased postoperatively.

Heavy metal ions (HMIs) are exceedingly hazardous to both humans and the environment, and the necessity to eliminate them from aqueous systems prompted the development of novel materials. In this study, tris(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine (NTB) was impregnated into MIL-101-(Cr) metal-organic framework using an incipient wetness impregnation approach, and the ability of the composite material to adsorb Hg2+ ions from the water was examined. The synthesized materials were analyzed with several physico-chemical techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen sorption isotherms at 77 K, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. MIL-101-NTB quickly adsorbs 93.9% of Hg2+ ions within 10 min from a 10.0 ppm single ion solution. A better fit of the kinetic data to a pseudo-second-order model validated the chemisorption of Hg2+ ions on MIL-101-NTB. The experimental data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model, and the maximum adsorption capacity obtained at 125 ppm initial concentration was 111.03 mg/g. Despite the presence of other competing ions (Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+), high Hg2+ ions removal efficiency (99.6%, 1.0 ppm initial concentration) was maintained in the diverse ion batch adsorption studies. A 0.2 M EDTA solution could desorb the Hg2+ ions, and cyclic Hg2+ ions sorption studies indicated that MIL-101-NTB might have a high Hg2+ ions removal efficiency for at least five consecutive cycles. Based on the FTIR and XPS analyses, Hg2+ ions chelation by NTB molecules and electrostatic interactions between Hg2+ ions and carboxylate groups in MIL-101-NTB are plausible mechanisms for Hg2+ ions adsorption.

Objectives: Formononetin is one of the phytoestrogens that functions like a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). In this study, we evaluated the effects of formononetin on endometriosis progression in vitro and in vivo. Materials and methods: After pathological confirmation, 10 eutopic and ectopic endometria were collected from patients with endometriosis. Ten eutopic endometria samples were collected from patients who did not have endometriosis. To determine the cytotoxic dose and therapeutic dose of formononetin, the concentration of 70% of the cells that survived after formononetin administration was estimated using a Cell counting kit-8 (CCK 8) assay. Western blot analysis was used to determine the relative expression levels of BAX, p53, pAKT, ERK, pERK, p27, and pSTAT3 in the eutopic endometria without endometriosis, eutopic endometria with endometriosis, and ectopic endometria with endometriosis as the formononetin concentration was increased. We confirmed the effect of formononetin on apoptosis and migration in endometriosis using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and wound healing assays, respectively. A mouse model of endometriosis was prepared using a non-surgical method, as previously described. The mice were intraperitoneally administered formononetin for four weeks after dividing them into control, low-dose formononetin (40 mg/kg/day) treatment, and high-dose (80 mg/kg/day) formononetin treatment groups. All the mice were euthanized after formononetin treatment. Endometriotic lesions were retrieved and confirmed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of p27 was performed. Results: We set the maximum concentration of formononetin administration to 80 μM through the CCK8 assay. Based on formononetin concentration, the expression levels of BAX, p53, pAKT, ERK, pERK, p27, and pSTAT3 proteins were measured using Western blot analysis (N = 4 per group). The expression level of pERK, p27, and pSTAT3 in eutopic endometrium with endometriosis tended to decrease with increasing formononetin concentration, and a significant decrease was noted at 80 μM. The expression of p27 in ectopic endometrium with endometriosis was also significantly decreased at 80 μM of formononetin. FACS analysis revealed that formononetin did not significantly affect apoptosis. In the wound healing assay, formononetin treatment revealed a more significant decrease in the proliferation of the eutopic endometrium in patients with endometriosis than in the eutopic endometrium without endometriosis. Relative expression of sex hormone receptors decreased with increasing formononetin doses. Although no significant differences were observed in the ER, PR-A, ERβ/ERα, and PR-B/PR-A, significant down-regulation of PR-B expression was noted after formononetin treatment at 80 μM. In the in vivo study, endometriotic lesions in the formononetin-treated group significantly decreased compared to those in the control group. The relative expression of p27 using IHC was highest in the control group and lowest in the high-dose formononetin treatment group. Conclusions: Formononetin treatment was shown to inhibit the proliferation of eutopic and ectopic endometria in patients with endometriosis through the regulation of p27, pSTAT3, and PR-B. In an endometriosis mouse model, formononetin treatment significantly reduced the number of endometriotic lesions with decreased p27 expression. The results of this study suggest that formononetin may be used as a non-hormonal treatment option for endometriosis.

Middle-aged women have an increased risk of chronic degenerative diseases and reduced physical strength, which can lead to decreased vascular function and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, these problems can be treated or prevented with healthy nutrition and regular exercise. We focused on these benefits as recent studies have reported the potential synergistic effects of suspension training and nutrition. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of 12 weeks of adlay intake and suspension training on improvements in body composition, physical fitness, blood lipids, and arterial stiffness in middle-aged women. Neither the adlay + suspension exercise (ASEG) nor suspension exercise groups (SEG) showed significant changes in body composition. Nonetheless, with respect to physical fitness, there was a difference in time among all variables except flexibility, though the ASEG showed a more significant effect than the SEG. Regarding blood lipids, significant interaction effects were found for triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while only the ASEG significantly improved these parameters. Furthermore, pulse wave velocity was only significantly decreased in the ASEG. In summary, performing suspension exercises for 12 weeks improved physical strength in middle-aged women. Additionally, when adlay was consumed simultaneously, blood lipids and arterial stiffness were improved.

Gait analysis is important in a variety of applications such as animation, healthcare, and virtual reality. So far, high-cost experimental setups employing special cameras, markers, and multiple wearable sensors have been used for indoor human pose-tracking and gait-analysis purposes. Since locomotive activities such as walking are rhythmic and exhibit a kinematically constrained motion, fewer wearable sensors can be employed for gait and pose analysis. One of the core parts of gait analysis and pose-tracking is lower-limb-joint angle estimation. Therefore, this study proposes a neural network-based lower-limb-joint angle-estimation method from a single inertial sensor unit. As proof of concept, four different neural-network models were investigated, including bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM), convolutional neural network, wavelet neural network, and unidirectional LSTM. Not only could the selected network affect the estimation results, but also the sensor placement. Hence, the waist, thigh, shank, and foot were selected as candidate inertial sensor positions. From these inertial sensors, two sets of lower-limb-joint angles were estimated. One set contains only four sagittal-plane leg-joint angles, while the second includes six sagittal-plane leg-joint angles and two coronal-plane leg-joint angles. After the assessment of different combinations of networks and datasets, the BLSTM network with either shank or thigh inertial datasets performed well for both joint-angle sets. Hence, the shank and thigh parts are the better candidates for a single inertial sensor-based leg-joint estimation. Consequently, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.65° and 5.32° for the four-joint-angle set and the eight-joint-angle set were obtained, respectively. Additionally, the actual leg motion was compared to a computer-generated simulation of the predicted leg joints, which proved the possibility of estimating leg-joint angles during walking with a single inertial sensor unit.

Metabolic syndrome (MS), characterized by the presence of risk factors for various metabolic disorders, including impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance, has a high incidence in the Asian population. Among the various approaches used for improving MS, the combination of exercise and nutrition is of increasing importance. In this randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the effects of combined aqua exercise and burdock extract intake on blood pressure, insulin resistance, arterial stiffness, and vascular regulation factors in older women with MS. A total of 42 participants were randomly assigned into one of four groups (control, exercise, burdock, and exercise + burdock) and underwent a 16-week double-blinded intervention. Blood pressure, insulin resistance, arterial stiffness, and vascular regulation factors were evaluated before and after the intervention. The 16-week intervention of aqua exercise decreased the levels of insulin, glucose, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and thromboxane A2, but increased the levels of the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index and prostaglandin I2. The combined burdock extract intake and aqua exercise intervention had an additional effect, improving the augmentation index, augmentation index at 75 beats per min, and pulse wave velocity. In conclusion, aqua exercise could improve insulin resistance and vascular regulation factors in older women with MS. Furthermore, combined treatment with burdock extract intake could improve arterial stiffness via a synergistic effect.

Digitizing handwriting is mostly performed using either image-based methods, such as optical character recognition, or utilizing two or more devices, such as a special stylus and a smart pad. The high-cost nature of this approach necessitates a cheaper and standalone smart pen. Therefore, in this paper, a deep-learning-based compact smart digital pen that recognizes 36 alphanumeric characters was developed. Unlike common methods, which employ only inertial data, handwriting recognition is achieved from hand motion data captured using an inertial force sensor. The developed prototype smart pen comprises an ordinary ballpoint ink chamber, three force sensors, a six-channel inertial sensor, a microcomputer, and a plastic barrel structure. Handwritten data of the characters were recorded from six volunteers. After the data was properly trimmed and restructured, it was used to train four neural networks using deep-learning methods. These included Vision transformer (ViT), DNN (deep neural network), CNN (convolutional neural network), and LSTM (long short-term memory). The ViT network outperformed the others to achieve a validation accuracy of 99.05%. The trained model was further validated in real-time where it showed promising performance. These results will be used as a foundation to extend this investigation to include more characters and subjects.

Isolating a large quantity of high-quality human islets is a prerequisite for diabetes research. Human islets are typically isolated from the pancreases of brain-dead donors, making research difficult due to low availability. Pancreas tissue discarded after surgical resection may be a good alternative source of islet cells. To test this hypothesis, we isolated islets from discarded surgical specimens and evaluated the islet yield and quality as well as islet cell preparations. Eighty-two segmental pancreases were processed using the Ricordi automated method, and islet yield and quality were investigated. The mean age of patients was 54.6, and the cohort included 32 diabetes patients. After purification, partially resected pancreases yielded an average of 59,593 ± 56,651 islet equivalents (IEQs) and 2546 IEQ/g of digested pancreas, with 71.5 ± 21% purity. Multivariate analysis revealed that diabetes (p = 0.0046) and the lobe used (p = 0.0156) significantly altered islet yield. Islets transplanted into diabetic mice displayed good viability and in vitro glucose responses, DNA/RNA quality, mitochondrial function, and glucose control, even though these results were dependent on islet quality. Isolated cells also maintained high viability and function even after cryopreservation. Our findings indicate that pancreatic tissue discarded after surgery can be a valuable source of islets for diabetes research.

In this study, we investigated the effects of various defatting methods, including organic solvent (aqueous, acetone, ethanol, and hexane) extraction and physical (cold pressure) extraction, on the nutritional, physicochemical, and functional properties of proteins extracted from Hermetia illucens larvae. The total essential amino acid contents were higher with cold pressure protein extraction than other treatments. The surface hydrophobicity with cold pressure treatment was the lowest, and there were no significant differences among the other treatments. The protein solubility after defatting with organic solvent was higher than for other treatments. The nonreduced protein band at 50 kDa of the defatted protein prepared using organic solvent was fainter than in the cold pressure treatment. The cold pressure-defatted protein showed the highest emulsifying capacity, and the water extracted protein showed the lowest emulsifying capacity. Although organic solvents may be efficient for defatting proteins extracted from insects, organic solvents have detrimental effects on the human body. In addition, the organic solvent extraction method requires a considerable amount of time for lipid extraction. Based on our results, using cold pressure protein extraction on edible insect proteins is ecofriendly and economical due to the reduced degreasing time and its potential industrial applications.

Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disease in patients with diabetes, which can develop simultaneously with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in postmenopausal women. Bisphosphonate (BP) is administered to patients with both conditions and may cause medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). It affects the differentiation and function of osteoclasts as well as the thickness of the cortical bone through bone mineralization. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of T2D on osteoclast differentiation and activity as well as cortical bone formation in postmenopausal patients with MRONJ. Tissue samples were collected from 10 patients diagnosed with T2D and stage III MRONJ in the experimental group and from 10 patients without T2D in the control group. A histological examination was conducted, and the expression of dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) was assessed. Cortical bone formation was analyzed using CBCT images. The number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts and DC-STAMP-positive mononuclear cells was significantly less in the experimental group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the thickness and ratio of cortical bone were significantly greater in the experimental group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, T2D decreased the differentiation and function of osteoclasts and increased cortical bone formation in postmenopausal patients with MRONJ.

We fabricated and characterized AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with a nano-sized in situ cap layer (one is a silicon carbon nitride (SiCN) layer, and the other is a silicon nitride (SiN) layer) comparing to the conventional device without an in situ cap layer. The pulse characteristics and noise behaviors for two devices with in situ cap layers are much superior to those of the reference device without a cap layer, which means that the in situ cap layer effectively passivates the AlGaN surface. On the other hand, the device with an in situ SiCN cap layer showed the excellent device characteristics and noise performances compared to the other devices because of the reduced positive ionic charges and enhanced surface morphology caused by carbon (C) surfactant atoms during the growth of the SiCN cap layer. These results indicate that the AlGaN/GaN HEMT with the in situ SiCN cap layer is very promising for the next high-power device by replacing the conventional HEMT.

The objective of this study was to determine the immunomodulatory effects of egg yolk protein–water extract (EYW) on splenocyte proliferation, cytokine secretion, immunoglobulin production, and NK cell cytotoxic activity in BALB/c mice. The forced swimming test (FST) was used to provide a model for suppressing immune regulation. The proliferation of B cells in the EYW supplementation group was significantly increased from the level to which it was reduced by the FST (from 40.9% to 81.8%, p < 0.05). EYW supplementation affected cytokine secretion of splenocytes. Levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-10—as Th1 and Th2 cytokines, respectively—were decreased after the FST. However, EYW supplementation showed that secretion levels of these cytokines were significantly increased to pre-FST levels (p < 0.05). The production of immunoglobulins (IgA and IgG) was increased abnormally after the FST, whereas EYW supplementation significantly decreased it to pre-FST levels (p < 0.05). EYW supplementation also improved NK cell cytotoxic activity against YAC-1 tumor cells compared to the PC group (p < 0.05). These data suggest that EYW has potential as an immunomodulatory agent in the food and/or pharmaceutical industries.

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of combined sarcopenia and inflammation classification (CSIC) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The skeletal muscle index (SMI) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were measured in 1270 patients who underwent surgery between January 2005 and April 2014. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the correlation of sarcopenia, NLR, and CSIC, with progression-free survival (PFS). The integrated area under the curve (iAUC) was used to compare the discriminatory performance of each model. Using the cut-off values for SMI suggested by Martin et al. and for an NLR of 2.26, the CSIC was defined as follows: nonsarcopenia with low NLR (group 1), nonsarcopenia with high NLR (group 2), sarcopenia with low NLR (group 3), and sarcopenia with high NLR (group 4). Sarcopenia alone was not statistically significant. Multivariate analysis identified that CSIC (group 4 vs. group 1; hazard ratio (HR), 1.726; 95% CI, 1.130–2.634; p = 0.011) and NLR (HR, 1.600; 95% CI, 1.203–2.128; p = 0.001) were independently associated with PFS. The CSIC improved the prediction accuracy of PFS compared with NLR (iAUC mean difference = 0.011; 95% CI, 0.0018–0.028). In conclusion, the combination of sarcopenia and NLR could improve prognostic accuracy, and thus compensate for the limitation of sarcopenia.

In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of inflammation-based prognostic scores in patients undergoing curative surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A retrospective analysis was conducted for 914 patients undergoing curative surgical resection for PDAC between January 2011 and April 2016. Inflammation-based scores of modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-lymphocyte ratio were assessed. mGPS was classified as high (1 or 2) or low (0). Median age was 63 (range, 33–88) years; 538 patients (58.9%) were male. A high mGPS was independently associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (median OS: 25.4 months vs. 20.4 months, p = 0.001; median DFS: 11.6 months vs. 9.3 months, p = 0.002), poor OS in patients with TNM stage I PDAC (44 months vs. 24.8 months, p = 0.001), and poor OS and DFS in patients with tumors located at the pancreatic head or uncinate process (OS: 25.4 months vs. 20.4 months; p = 0.007, DFS: 11.4 months vs. 8.87 months; p = 0.005). Preoperative mGPS was a significant prognostic factor for PDAC after curative resection; thus, mGPS can be a useful prognostic predictive factor in patients with TNM stage I PDAC, especially for tumors located at the head and uncinate.

Following the fourth Industrial Revolution, electronic and data-based technology is becoming increasingly developed. However, current research on enhancing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and the physical protection performance of structures incorporating these technologies is insufficient. Therefore, in this study aiming for the improvement of EMI shielding and structural performance of structures, twelve concrete walls were fabricated and tested to determine their shielding effectiveness and drop-weight impact resistance. Concrete walls strengthened by three thickness types of high-strength, high-ductility concrete (HSDC) have been considered. The test results showed that the shielding effectiveness with strengthening thickness increased by approximately 35.6–46.2%. Specimens strengthened by more than 40% and 10% of the strengthening area ratio of single- and double-layer, respectively, exhibited more than 20 dB of shielding effectiveness. Moreover, the relationship between the damaged area ratio and shielding effectiveness was evaluated by means of the drop-weight impact test. The structural performance and EMI shielding effectiveness improved as the HSDC thickness increased.

KRAS mutation is a major regulator in the tumor progression of pancreatic cancer. Here, we compared the frequency and mutation burden of KRAS mutation subtypes with paired tumor tissue and blood in patients and examined their clinical significance. DNA from tumor tissues and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from preoperative blood were obtained from 70 patients with pancreatic cancer. Subtypes and mutation burdens of KRAS G12D and G12V mutations were evaluated using droplet digital PCR. Comparing the presence of mutations in tissue, accumulative and simultaneous mutations of G12D or G12V were identified of 67 (95.7%), and 48 patients (68.6%). Conversely, in blood, they were only identified in 18 (25.7%) and four (5.7%) patients; respectively. Next, comparing the mutation burden in tissue, the mutation burden varied from less than 0.1 to more than five, whereas that of cfDNA in blood was mostly between one and five, as cases with a mutation burden lower than 0.1 and higher than five were rare. Finally, the presence of the G12V mutation alone in cfDNA and the combination of the G12V mutation with elevated CA 19-9 levels were associated with poor recurrence-free survival. These fundamental data on the KRAS mutation subtypes and their clinical significance could support their potential as predictive markers for postoperative recurrence.

The impact of tumor location on patient survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial. This study investigated the association between primary tumor location and survival rates for resectable PDAC. Additionally, we assessed if this association remains consistent across categories of the Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging system. We analyzed 2471 patients who underwent surgical resection between 2000 and 2018 at a single center. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging system. Among the group, 67.9% (1677 patients) had pancreatic head cancer (PHC) and 32.1% (794 patients) had pancreatic body/tail cancer (PBTC). Patients with PHC had worse overall survival and worse disease-free survival than those with PBTC. Patients with PHC had worse survival in stage IB and stage IIB than those with PBTC. No significant difference was observed for stages IA, IIA, and III. Multivariate analysis showed that elevated CA 19-9, mGPS, a longer hospital stay, complication, accompanying vein resection, larger tumor size, worse differentiation, higher TNM stage (stage IIB, III, IV), presence of LVI, and positive resection margin were risk factors for poor survival after resection. In resectable PDAC, patients with PHC had worse overall and disease-free survival than those with PBTC. However, tumor location was not an independent prognostic factor for PDAC.

We report the electrical characteristics of GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) operated on various substrates/films. For the detailed investigation and comparison of the electrical properties of GaN-based HEMTs according to the substrates/films, GaN-based HEMTs were processed using 4-inch sapphire substrates and separated from their original substrates through the laser lift-off technique. The separated AlGaN/GaN films including processed GaN-based HEMTs were bonded to AlN substrate or plated with a 100 µm-thick Cu at the back-side of the devices since AlN substrate and Cu film exhibit higher thermal conductivity than the sapphire substrate. Compared to the sapphire substrate, DC and RF properties such as drain current, transconductance, cut-off frequency and maximum oscillation frequency were improved, when GaN-based HEMTs were operated on AlN substrate or Cu film. Our systematic study has revealed that the device property improvement results from the diminishment of the self-heating effect, increase in carrier mobility under the gated region, and amelioration of sheet resistance at the access region. C(V) and pulse-mode stress measurements have confirmed that the back-side processing for the device transfer from sapphire substrate onto AlN substrate or Cu film did not induce the critical defects close to the AlGaN/GaN hetero-interface.

Radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) is considered an effective procedure for left-sided pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, whether there are differences in perioperative outcomes, pathologies, or survival outcomes between anterior RAMPS (aRAMPS) and posterior RAMPS (pRAMPS) has not been reported previously. We retrospectively reviewed and compared the demographic, perioperative, histopathologic, and survival data of patients who underwent aRAMPS or pRAMPS for PDAC. We also compared these two groups among patients without periadrenal infiltration or adrenal invasion. A total of 112 aRAMPS patients and 224 pRAMPS patients were evaluated. Periadrenal infiltration, neoadjuvant treatment, and concurrent vessel resection were more prevalent in the pRAMPS group. After excluding patients with periadrenal infiltration, 106 aRAMPS patients were compared with 157 pRAMPS patients. There were no significant differences between the aRAMPS and pRAMPS groups in the pathologic tumor size, resection margin, proportion of tangential margin in the R1 resection, and number of harvested lymph nodes. The median overall survival and disease-free survival also did not differ significantly between the two groups. We cautiously suggest that pRAMPS will not necessarily provide more beneficial histopathologic outcomes and survival rates for left-sided PDAC cases without periadrenal infiltration. If periadrenal infiltration is not suspected, aRAMPS alone should be sufficiently effective.

Previous studies on changes in body composition of pancreatic cancer patients have only focused on short-term survivors. We studied longitudinal body composition changes and factors affecting them in long-term survivors by analyzing many abdominal computed tomography images using artificial intelligence technology. Of 302 patients who survived for >36 months after surgery were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis for factors affecting body composition changes and repeated-measures analysis of variance to observe differences in the course of change according to each factor were performed. In logistic analysis, preoperative sarcopenia and recurrence were the main factors influencing body composition changes at 1 and 3 years after surgery, respectively. In changes of longitudinal body composition, the decrease in body composition was the greatest at 3–6 months postoperatively, and the preoperative status did not recover even 3 years after surgery. Especially, males showed a greater reduction in skeletal muscle (SKM) after surgery than females (p < 0.01). In addition, SKM (p < 0.001) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (p < 0.05) mass rapidly decreased in case of recurrence. In conclusion, long-term survivors of pancreatic cancer did not recover their preoperative body composition status, and preoperative sarcopenia and recurrence influenced body composition changes.

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., which is known as omija in South Korea, is mainly cultivated in East Asia. The present study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of essential oil from the omija (OMEO) fruit obtained by supercritical fluid extraction using CO2 and to confirm the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of OMEO using HaCaT human keratinocyte and RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. As a result of the chemical composition analysis of OMEO using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, a total of 41 compounds were identified. The detailed analysis results are sesquiterpenoids (16), monoterpenoids (14), ketones (4), alcohols (3), aldehydes (2), acids (1), and aromatic hydrocarbons (1). OMEO significantly reduced the increased ROS levels in HaCaT keratinocytes induced by UV-B irradiation (p < 0.05). It was confirmed that 5 compounds (α-pinene, camphene, β-myrcene, 2-nonanone, and nerolidol) present in OMEO exhibited inhibitory activity on ROS production. Furthermore, OMEO showed excellent anti-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide. OMEO effectively inhibited NO production (p < 0.05) by suppressing the expression of the iNOS protein. Finally, OMEO was investigated for exhibition of anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB pathway. Taken together, OMEO could be used as a functional food ingredient with excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

Alkaline soda lignin (AL) was sequentially fractionated into six fractions of different molecular size by means of solvent extraction and their phenolic hydroxyl groups were chemoselectively methylated to determine their effect on nanoparticle formation of lignin polymers. The effect of the lignin structure on the physical properties of nanoparticles was also clarified in this study. Nanoparticles were obtained from neat alkaline soda lignin (ALNP), solvent-extracted fractions (FALNPs, i.d. 414–1214 nm), and methylated lignins (MALNPs, i.d. 516–721 nm) via the nanoprecipitation method. Specifically, the size properties of MALNPs showed a high negative correlation (R2 = 0.95) with the phenolic hydroxyl group amount. This indicates that the phenolic hydroxyl groups in lignin could be influenced on the nucleation or condensation during the nanoprecipitation process. Lignin nanoparticles exhibited high colloidal stability, and most of them also showed good in vitro cell viability. This study presents a possible way to control nanoparticle size by blocking specific functional groups and decreasing the interaction between hydroxyl groups of lignin.

In this study, a modified two-time-scale model is proposed to overcome the limitations of the existing maneuvering analysis model. To this end, not only wave conditions but also all directions of ship operation velocities are considered in estimating wave drift force and moment. Subsequently, the increment of the drift force and moment induced by steady drift and yaw motion of a ship is imposed up to the first derivative of Taylor series expansion. By introducing this bilinear model, the burden of the drift force computation is reduced so that a more realistic and efficient seakeeping-maneuvering coupling analysis can be performed. A turning circle simulation in a regular short wave is carried out using the modified two-time-scale model. Then, the performance is validated by comparing its results with the direct coupling model. Moreover, quantitative improvement of the present numerical scheme and the influence of the operation velocities on ship maneuvering performance are discussed.

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a group of aggressive malignancies that arise from the bile duct and gallbladder. BTCs include intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IH-CCA), extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EH-CCA), and gallbladder cancer (GBCA). BTCs are highly heterogeneous cancers in terms of anatomical, clinical, and pathological characteristics. Until recently, the treatment of resectable BTC, including surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, has largely been based on institutional practice guidelines and evidence from small retrospective studies. Recently, several large randomized prospective trials have been published, and there are ongoing randomized trials for resectable BTC. In this article, we review prior and recently updated evidence regarding surgery, adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and adjuvant radiation therapy for patients with resectable BTC.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an attractive technology in dentistry. Acrylic-based 3D printed resin parts have to undergo postcuring processes to enhance their mechanical and biological properties, such as UV-light and thermal polymerization. However, no previous studies have revealed how the postcuring temperature influences the biocompatibility of the produced parts. Therefore, we postprocessed 3D printed denture teeth resin under different postcuring temperatures (40, 60 and 80 °C) for different periods (15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min), and evaluated their flexural properties, Vickers hardness, cell cytotoxicity, cell viability, and protein adsorption. In addition, confocal laser scanning was used to assess the condition of human gingival fibroblasts. It was found that increasing the postcuring temperature significantly improved the flexural strength and cell viability. The flexural strength and cell viability were 147.48 ± 5.82 MPa (mean ± standard deviation) and 89.51 ± 7.09%, respectively, in the group cured at 80 °C for 120 min, which were higher than the values in the 40 and 60 °C groups. The cell cytotoxicity increased in the 40 °C groups and for longer cultivation time. Confocal laser scanning revealed identifiable differences in the morphology of fibroblasts. This study has confirmed that the postcuring temperature influences the final mechanical and biological properties of 3D printed resin.

Osseointegration of titanium implant is important for the success of both dental and medical implants. Previous studies have attempted to improve osseointegration by considering the use of plasma jet technology, where information with animal models and parameters related to osseointegration is still lacking. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ) treatment on titanium implants in terms of osseointegration in mongrel dogs. A total of 41 implants; 21 NTAPPJ treated and 20 control, were placed in the maxilla and mandible of six mongrel dogs for either 4 or 8 weeks. The bone volume (BV) and bone-to-implant contact (BIC) ratio were determined by region of interest (ROI). Statistical analysis was performed with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The NTAPPJ group at 4 weeks showed higher numbers in both BV and BIC (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. However, at 8 weeks there were less significant differences between the control or experimental group as the control group had caught up with the experimental group. Hence, NTAPPJ may be an effective treatment for the initial healing period which is critical to ensure reliable long-term predictability. The BV and BIC have been clinically proven to accelerate in the initial stages with the use of NTAPPJ to aid in the healing and initial stability of implants.

We investigated the effects of in situ silicon carbon nitride (SiCN) cap layer of AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on DC, capacitance-voltage (C-V) and low-frequency noise (LFN). The proposed device with SiCN cap layer exhibited enhanced drain current, reduced gate leakage current, low interface trap density (Dit), and high on/off ratio thanks to the passivation effect, compared to the device without SiCN cap layer. Both devices clearly showed 1/f noise behavior with carrier number fluctuations (CNF), regardless of the existence of SiCN cap layer. The proposed device presented the relative low trap density (Nit) and reduced access noise due to the effective surface passivation in source-drain access region compared to the device without SiCN cap layer. From the improved DC, C-V and noise results of the proposed device, the in situ SiCN cap layer plays an important role in the passivation layer and gate oxide layer in AlGaN/GaN HEMT.

For the effective application of thriving human-assistive technologies in healthcare services and human–robot collaborative tasks, computing devices must be aware of human movements. Developing a reliable real-time activity recognition method for the continuous and smooth operation of such smart devices is imperative. To achieve this, light and intelligent methods that use ubiquitous sensors are pivotal. In this study, with the correlation of time series data in mind, a new method of data structuring for deeper feature extraction is introduced herein. The activity data were collected using a smartphone with the help of an exclusively developed iOS application. Data from eight activities were shaped into single and double-channels to extract deep temporal and spatial features of the signals. In addition to the time domain, raw data were represented via the Fourier and wavelet domains. Among the several neural network models used to fit the deep-learning classification of the activities, a convolutional neural network with a double-channeled time-domain input performed well. This method was further evaluated using other public datasets, and better performance was obtained. The practicability of the trained model was finally tested on a computer and a smartphone in real-time, where it demonstrated promising results.

Background: Prediction of post-pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) morbidity is difficult, especially in the early postoperative period when CT (Computed Tomography) scans are not available. Elevated serum amylase and lipase in postoperative day 0 or 1 may be used to define postoperative acute pancreatitis (POAP), but the existing literature does not agree on whether POAP is significantly associated with postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). Methods: We analyzed the data obtained from a previously published randomized controlled trial. POAP was defined as elevations in serum amylase above 110 U/L on postoperative day 0 or 1. Clinically relevant POAP (CR-POAP) was defined as elevations in C-reactive protein level (CRP) on postoperative day 2 in those with POAP. Postoperative complications including severe complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥ IIIa), POPF, and clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF) were analyzed. Results: In 246 patients, POAP did not show significant associations with total postoperative complications (odds ratio (OR) 0.697; 95% CI, 0.360–1.313; p = 0.271), severe complications (OR 0.647; 95% CI, 0.258–1.747; p = 0.367), and CR-POPF (OR 0.998; 95% CI, 0.310–3.886; p = 0.998) in multivariable analysis. Conclusions: In patients undergoing PD, POAP was not significantly associated with postoperative complications including POPF. Caution should be taken when using POAP as a predictor of POPF.

We aimed to examine the predictive value of changes in perioperative carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels for patients operated for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA). A total of 322 patients who underwent curative resection for pCCA were divided into three groups: normal preoperative CA19-9 (CA19-9 ≤ 37 U/mL), normalization (preoperative CA19-9 > 37 U/mL, postoperative CA19-9 ≤ 37 U/mL), and non-normalization (pre- and postoperative CA19-9 > 37 U/mL) groups. The association of clinicopathological factors with overall survival (OS) was investigated. The non-normalization group (n = 82) demonstrated significantly worse OS than the normal CA19-9 (n = 114) and normalization (n = 126) groups (5-year OS, 16.9%, 29.4%, and 34.4%, respectively; both p ≤ 0.001). The cutoff points of 300 U/mL for preoperative (p = 0.001) and 37 U/mL for postoperative (p < 0.001) CA19-9 levels showed the strongest prognostic values. In the non-normalization group, patients who underwent R1 resection displayed significantly worse OS than those who underwent R0 resection (median OS, 10.2 vs. 15.7 months; p = 0.016). Multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio (HR), 2.07; p < 0.001), postoperative CA19-9 > 37 U/mL (HR, 1.94; p < 0.001), transfusion (HR, 1.74; p = 0.002), and T stage (T3,4) (HR, 1.67; p = 0.006) were related to worse OS. Persistent high CA19-9 level after resection of pCCA and R1 resection, especially in the non-normalization group, was associated with poor OS. A high postoperative CA19-9 level was an independent prognostic factor in resected pCCA.

A synergistic combination of dioxane, acetic acid, and HCl was investigated for lignin extraction from pine wood biomass. After initial screening of reagent combination, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the lignin yield with respect to the variables of time 24–72 h, solids loading 5–15%, and catalyst dose 5–15 mL. A quadratic model predicted 8.33% of the lignin yield, and it was further confirmed experimentally and through the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Lignin at optimum combination exhibited features in terms of derivatization followed by reductive cleavage (DFRC) with a value of (305 µmol/gm), average molecular weights of 4358 and polydispersity of 1.65, and 2D heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (2D-HSQC NMR) analysis showing relative β-O-4 linkages (37.80%). From here it can be suggested that this fractionation can be one option for high quality lignin extraction from lignocellulosic biomass.

A crack-free GaN film grown on 4-inch Si (111) substrate is proposed using two-step growth methods simply controlled by both III/V ratio and pressure. Two-step growth process is found to be effective in compensating the strong tensile stress in the GaN layer grown on Si substrate. The high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curves of (002) and (102) planes for the GaN epitaxial layer with two-step growth method are 317 and 432 arcsec, while the corresponding values for the reference sample without two-step growth method are 550 and 1207 arcsec, respectively. The reduced threading dislocation of GaN film with two-step growth method is obtained to be ~2 × 108/cm2, which is attributed to effectively annihilate and bend threading dislocation.

Gluten is an insoluble protein produced when glutelins and prolamins, which are found in grains such as wheat, barley, and oats, combine to form an elastic thin film. This dietary gluten can cause severe contraction of the intestinal mucous membrane in some people, preventing nutrient absorption. This condition, called celiac disease (CD), affects approximately 1% of the world’s population. The only current treatment for patients with CD and similar diseases is lifelong avoidance of gluten. To analyze the gluten content in food, various enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests are currently used. In this study, the gluten content in various food products was analyzed using different kinds of ELISA test kits. For gluten-free food, three different ELISA test kits mostly yielded values below the limit of detection. However, gluten was detected at 24.0–40.2 g/kg in bread, 6.5–72.6 g/kg in noodles, and 23.0–86.9 g/kg in different powder food samples. A significant difference (p < 0.05) in gluten content was observed for these gluten-containing food products. Reproducibility issues suggest that it is necessary to use several ELISA kits for the accurate detection and quantification of gluten in various food products rather than using one ELISA kit.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of radiomics signatures derived from 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). From April 2008 to Jan 2014, we identified CRC patients who underwent 18F-FDG-PET before starting any neoadjuvant treatments and surgery. Radiomics features were extracted from the primary lesions identified on 18F-FDG-PET. Patients were divided into a training and validation set by random sampling. A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression model was applied for prognostic signature building with progression-free survival (PFS) using the training set. Using the calculated radiomics score, a nomogram was developed, and its clinical utility was assessed in the validation set. A total of 381 patients with surgically resected CRC patients (training set: 228 vs. validation set: 153) were included. In the training set, a radiomics signature labeled as a rad_score was generated using two PET-derived features, such as gray-level run length matrix long-run emphasis (GLRLM_LRE) and gray-level zone length matrix short-zone low-gray-level emphasis (GLZLM_SZLGE). Patients with a high rad_score in the training and validation set had a shorter PFS. Multivariable analysis revealed that the rad_score was an independent prognostic factor in both training and validation sets. A radiomics nomogram, developed using rad_score, nodal stage, and lymphovascular invasion, showed good performance in the calibration curve and comparable predictive power with the staging system in the validation set. Textural features derived from 18F-FDG-PET images may enable detailed stratification of prognosis in patients with CRC.

The effect of early coronary angiography (CAG) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients without ST-elevation (STE) is still controversial. It is not known which subgroups of patients without STE are the most likely to benefit. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between emergency CAG and neurologic outcomes and identify subgroups with improved outcomes when emergency CAG was performed. This prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study was based on data from the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry (KORHN-PRO) 1.0. Adult OHCA patients who were treated with targeted temperature management (TTM) without any obvious extracardiac cause were included. Patients were dichotomized into early CAG (≤24 h) and no early CAG (>24 h or not performed) groups. High-risk patients were defined as having the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score > 140, time from collapse to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) > 30 min, lactate level > 7.0 mmol/L, arterial pH < 7.2, cardiac enzyme elevation and ST deviation. The primary outcome was good neurologic outcome at 6 months after OHCA. Of the 1373 patients from the KORHN-PRO 1.0 database, 678 patients met the inclusion criteria. The early CAG group showed better neurologic outcomes at 6 months after cardiac arrest (CA) (adjusted odds ratio: 2.21 (1.27–3.87), p = 0.005). This was maintained even after propensity score matching (adjusted odds ratio: 2.23 (1.39–3.58), p < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, high-risk patients showed a greater benefit from early CAG. In contrast, no significant association was found in low-risk patients. Early CAG was associated with good neurologic outcome at 6 months after CA and should be considered in high-risk patients.

AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with high Al composition and high temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) Al2O3 layers were investigated. Current–voltage (I–V), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM), and capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements were conducted in order to find the leakage current mechanism and reduce the reverse leakage current. The fabricated AlGaN/GaN SBDs with high Al composition exhibited two orders’ higher leakage current compared to the device with low Al composition (20%) due to large bulk and surface leakage components. The leakage current measured at −60 V for the fabricated SBD with Al2O3 deposited at temperature of 550 °C was decreased to 1.5 μA, compared to the corresponding value of 3.2 mA for SBD with nonpassivation layer. The high quality ALD Al2O3 deposited at high temperature with low interface trap density reduces the donorlike surface states, which effectively decreases surface leakage current of the AlGaN/GaN SBD.

We investigated the association between post-rewarming fever (PRF) and 6-month neurologic outcomes in cardiac arrest survivors. This was a multicenter study based on a registry of comatose adult (≥18 years) out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors who underwent targeted temperature management between October 2015 to December 2018. PRF was defined as peak temperature ≥ 38.0 °C within 72 h after completion of rewarming, and PRF timing was categorized as within 24, 24–48, and 48–72 h epochs. The primary outcome was neurologic outcomes at six months after cardiac arrest. Unfavorable neurologic outcome was defined as cerebral performance categories three to five. A total of 1031 patients were included, and 642 (62.3%) had unfavorable neurologic outcomes. PRF developed in 389 (37.7%) patients in 72 h after rewarming: within 24 h in 150 (38.6%), in 24–48 h in 155 (39.8%), and in 48–72 h in 84 (21.6%). PRF was associated with improved neurologic outcomes (odds ratio (OR), 0.633; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.416–0.963). PRF within 24 h (OR, 0.355; 95% CI, 0.191–0.659), but not in 24–48 h or 48–72 h, was associated with unfavorable neurologic outcomes. Early PRF within 24 h after rewarming was associated with favorable neurologic outcomes.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a flowable hemostatic matrix, and their effects for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) after pancreatectomy. Methods: This was a randomized, clinical, single-center, single-blind (participant), non-inferiority, phase IV, and parallel-group trial. The primary endpoint was the incidence of POPF. The secondary endpoints were risk factors for POPF, drain removal days, incidence of complication, 90-day mortality, and length of hospital stay. Results: This study evaluated a total of 53 patients, of whom 26 patients were in the intervention group (flowable hemostatic matrix) and 27 patients were in the control group (thrombin-coated collagen patch). POPF was more common in the control group than in the intervention group (59.3% vs. 30.8%, p = 0.037). Among participants who underwent distal pancreatectomy, POPF (33.3% vs. 92.3%, p = 0.004), and clinically relevant POPF (8.3% vs. 46.2%, p = 0.027) was more common in the control group. A multivariate logistic regression model identified flowable hemostatic matrix use as an independent negative risk factor for POPF, especially in cases of distal pancreatectomy (DP) (odds ratio 17.379, 95% confidential interval 1.453–207.870, p = 0.024). Conclusion: Flowable hemostatic matrix application is a simple, feasible, and effective method of preventing POPF after pancreatectomy, especially for patients with DP. Non-inferiority was demonstrated in the efficacy of preventing POPF in the intervention group compared to the control group.

We investigated the effects of GaN buffer resistance of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) on direct current (DC), low-frequency noise (LFN), and pulsed I-V characterization performances. The devices with the highest GaN buffer resistance were grown on sapphire substrate using two-step growth temperature method without additional compensation doping. The proposed device exhibited the degraded off-state leakage current due to the improved GaN buffer quality compared to the reference devices with relative low buffer resistance, which is confirmed by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD). However, the proposed device with deep-level defects in GaN buffer layer showed the reduced hysteresis (∆Vth), increased breakdown voltage (BV), and enhanced pulse I-V characteristics. Regardless of GaN buffer resistance, all devices clearly showed 1/f behavior with carrier number fluctuations (CNF) at on-state but followed 1/f2 characteristic at off-state. From the 1/f2 noise characteristics, the extracted trap time constant (τi) of the proposed device can be obtained to be 10 ms, which is shorter than those of the reference devices because of the full compensation of deep-level defects in the GaN buffer layer.

AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures with two kinds of Al composition were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on sapphire substrates. The Al compositions in the AlGaN barrier layer were confirmed to be 13% and 28% using high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD). AlxGa1−xN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with different Al compositions were fabricated, characterized, and compared using the Hall effect, direct current (DC), and low-frequency noise (LFN). The device with high Al composition (28%) showed improved sheet resistance (Rsh) due to enhanced carrier confinement and reduced gate leakage currents caused by increased Schottky barrier height (SBH). On the other hand, the reduced noise level and the low trap density (Nt) for the device of 13% of Al composition were obtained, which is attributed to the mitigated carrier density and decreased dislocation density in the AlxGa1−xN barrier layer according to the declined Al composition. In spite of the Al composition, the fabricated devices exhibited 1/ƒ noise behavior with the carrier number fluctuation (CNF) model, which is proved by the curves of both (SId/Id2) versus (gm/Id)2 and (SId/Id2) versus (Vgs–Vth). Although low Al composition is favorable to the reduced noise, it causes some problems like low Rsh and high gate leakage current. Therefore, the optimized Al composition in AlGaN/GaN HEMT is required to improve both noise and DC properties.

Objective: To propose a decision tool considering both malignancy probability and surgical risk for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). Background Data Summary: Surgical risk and malignancy probability are both critical factors in making decisions about surgical resection of IPMN. Methods: We included 800 patients who underwent pancreatic resection for branch duct and mixed-type IPMN (April 1995 to June 2018). A nomogram was used to obtain the malignancy probability (MP-N). The surgical risks were estimated as the postoperative complication rate and serious complication from the ACS NSQIP surgical risk calculator (SC-ACS NSQIP). The risk–benefit analysis was conducted in two ways: calculation of the cutoff value of MP-N using the complication rate and directly comparing the MP-N and SC-ACS NSQIP results. Results: The optimal cutoff value of MP-N was 32% and 21% in the pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and distal pancreatectomy (DP) groups, respectively, when using the major complication rate (Clavien grades III over). When we applied the optimal cutoff value to the two surgical methods, surgery was reduced by 51.7% in the PD group and 56% in the DP group, and the AUC value of the malignant predictions were 0.7126 and 0.7615, respectively. According to the direct comparison of MP-N and SC-ACS NSQIP, surgery was reduced by 31.7%, and the AUC value of malignant prediction was 0.6588. Conclusion: Our risk–benefit analysis model considering both malignancy probability and surgical risk is relatively acceptable, and it may help surgeons and patients make treatment decisions for a disease with a broad spectrum of malignancy rates.