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Purpose: Debate persists regarding the feasibility of adopting an organ-preserving strategy as the treatment modality for clinical T2N0 rectal cancer. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of attempting organ-preserving strategies versus radical surgery in patients with clinical T2N0 mid to low rectal cancer. Methods: Patients diagnosed with clinical T2N0 rectal cancer, with lesions located within 8 cm from the anal verge as determined by pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging between January 2010 and December 2020 were included. Results: Of 119 patients, 91 and 28 were categorized into the organ-preserving attempt group and the radical surgery group, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 48.8 months (range, 0–134 months). The organ-preserving attempt group exhibited a reduced incidence of stoma formation (44.0% vs. 75.0%; p = 0.004) and a lower occurrence of grade 3 or higher surgical complications (5.8% vs. 21.4%; p = 0.025). Univariate analyses revealed no significant association between treatment strategy and 3-year local recurrence-free survival (organ-preserving attempt 87.9% vs. radical surgery 96.2%; p = 0.129), or 3-year disease-free survival (79.6% vs. 84.9%; p = 0.429). Multivariate analysis did not identify any independent prognostic factors associated with oncologic outcomes. Conclusion: Compared with radical surgery, attempted organ preservation resulted in lower incidences of stoma formation and severe surgical complications, whereas oncological outcomes were comparable. Attempting organ preservation may be a safe alternative to radical surgery for clinical T2N0 mid to low rectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to scarcity of anomaly situations in the early manufacturing stage, an unsupervised anomaly detection (UAD) approach is widely adopted which only uses normal samples for training. This approach is based on the assumption that the trained UAD model will accurately reconstruct normal patterns but struggles with unseen anomalies. To enhance the UAD performance, reconstruction-by-inpainting based methods have recently been investigated, especially on the masking strategy of suspected defective regions. However, there are still issues to overcome: (1) time-consuming inference due to multiple masking, (2) output inconsistency by random masking, and (3) inaccurate reconstruction of normal patterns for large masked areas. Motivated by this, this study proposes a novel reconstruction-by-inpainting method, dubbed Excision And Recovery (EAR), that features single deterministic masking based on the ImageNet pre-trained DINO-ViT and visual obfuscation for hint-providing. Experimental results on the MVTec AD dataset show that deterministic masking by pre-trained attention effectively cuts out suspected defective regions and resolves the aforementioned issues 1 and 2. Also, hint-providing by mosaicing proves to enhance the performance than emptying those regions by binary masking, thereby overcomes issue 3. The proposed approach achieves a high performance without any change of the model structure. Promising results are shown through laboratory tests with public industrial datasets. To suggest EAR be possibly adopted in various industries as a practically deployable solution, future steps include evaluating its applicability in relevant manufacturing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate long-term outcomes and develop a risk model for pathological multi–station N2 (pN2b) in patients who underwent upfront surgery for clinical single–station N2 (cN2a) non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). From 2006 to 2018, 547 patients who had upfront surgery for suspected cN2a NSCLC underwent analysis. A risk model for predicting pN2b metastasis was developed using preoperative clinical variables via multivariable logistic analysis. Among 547 clinical cN2a NSCLC patients, 118 (21.6%), 58 (10.6%), and 371 (67.8%) had pN0, pN1, and pN2. Among 371 pN2 NSCLC patients, 77 (20.8%), 165 (44.5%), and 129 (34.7%) had pN2a1, pN2a2, and pN2b. The 5-year overall survival rates for pN2a1 and pN2a2 were significantly higher than for pN2b (p = 0.041). Histologic type (p < 0.001), age ≤ 50 years (p < 0.001), preoperatively confirmed N2 metastasis (p < 0.001), and clinical stage IIIB (vs. IIIA) (p = 0.003) were independent risk factors for pN2b metastasis. The risk scoring system based on this model demonstrated good discriminant ability for pN2b disease (area under receiver operating characteristic: 0.779). In cN2a NSCLC patients, those with multiple N2 metastases indicate worse prognosis than those with a single N2 metastasis. Our risk scoring system effectively predicts pN2b in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sandwich beams composed of a functionally graded material (FGM) core and functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) facesheets have been rarely studied. In this context, this study intends to profoundly investigate their free vibration characteristics, by introducing an effective and reliable FE analysis model. The FGM core is made of a steel-ceramic material, while the FG-CNTRC facesheets are manufactured with polymer and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The effective material properties of the FGM core and FG-CNTRC facesheets are estimated using the linear rule of mixture. A FE analysis model is generated by dividing the beam into a finite number of homogenized sub-layers, and its reliability is secured by comparing its results with the reference solutions. The parametric study is conducted to profoundly investigate the effects of various parameters, such as the volume fraction of base materials, CNT distribution, core-to-face-sheet-thickness ratio, length-to-thickness ratio, and the boundary condition. The numerical results are discussed, and the main conclusions are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium batteries with solid-state electrolytes are an appealing alternative to state-of-the-art non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes because of safety and energy aspects. However, engineering development at the cell level for lithium batteries with solid-state electrolytes is limited. Here, to advance this aspect and produce high-energy lithium cells, we introduce a cell design based on advanced parametrization of microstructural and architectural parameters of electrode and electrolyte components. To validate the cell design proposed, we assemble and test (applying a stack pressure of 3.74 MPa at 45 °C) 10-layer and 4-layer solid-state lithium pouch cells with a solid polymer electrolyte, resulting in an initial specific energy of 280 Wh kg−1 (corresponding to an energy density of 600 Wh L−1) and 310 Wh kg−1 (corresponding to an energy density of 650 Wh L−1) respectively. Multiscale design principles and empirical processing techniques are considered for the design of high-energy-density Li-based batteries using polymer electrolytes. Here, the authors demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach by assembling and testing ampere-hour-level solid-state lithium-based pouch cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical method for the optimal tailoring of volume fraction distributions of reinforcement materials (pillars) within FGM (functionally graded material) sandwich beams with FG-CNTRC (functionally graded CNT-reinforced composite) facesheets. Since the mechanical behaviors of sandwich beams vary depending on the distribution pattern of reinforcement materials (CNT and ceramic in this paper) through the thickness, the tailoring of these distribution patterns is important to enhance the mechanical performance. In the present study, the thickness-wise distributions of CNT in the facesheets and ceramic in the core are optimized to maximize the fundamental natural frequency of sandwich beams, based on the exterior penalty-function method and the golden section method. The developed optimization method is verified and the resulting optimum distributions of CNT and ceramic are compared with the primitive functionally graded distribution patterns which are widely adopted in the literature. Moreover, the volume fraction distributions of CNT and ceramic are also individually optimized, and the optimum results between simultaneous (SO) and individual optimizations (IO) are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address the adaptive fixed-time containment (FxTC) control problem of a class of uncertain multi-input multi-output nonlinear multiagent systems using event-triggered inter-agent communication under a directed network. Our primary contribution is to develop multi-leader estimation and dynamic event-triggering strategies to ensure practical fixed-time convergence in a distributed containment control framework. First, an event-triggered mechanism that uses distributed containment errors in the dynamic threshold is introduced to reduce needless data transmissions among agents according to decreasing errors. Subsequently, a multi-leader-estimation-based command-filtered backstepping strategy is established to design a distributed adaptive FxTC controller using only neighbors' output information. Using the fixed-time stability theory, we show that all closed-loop signals are bounded and all followers can be steered to the convex hull spanned by the leaders within a fixed time, regardless of the initial state conditions. Finally, two simulation examples containing robotic manipulators demonstrate the merits of the suggested control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization has raised concerns about the possibility of airborne transmission in enclosed and poorly ventilated areas. Therefore, rapid monitoring of airborne viruses is necessary in multi-use facilities with dense population. Accordingly, an electrostatic air sampler (250 L/min) was developed in this work to obtain indoor viral aerosol samples for analysis via the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Aerosol tests with H1N1 and HCoV-229E were performed to evaluate the sample collection efficiency. PCR analysis, along with another aerosol test, was conducted to evaluate the recovery of the virus particles collected by the sampler. In laboratory tests, our electrostatic sampler obtained viral samples that were detectable by PCR under the simulated viral pandemic scenario (3000 RNA copies per cubic meter of air) within 40 min. The resulting cycle threshold (Ct) values were 35.07 and 37.1 for H1N1 and HCoV-229E, respectively. After the performance evaluation in the laboratory, field tests were conducted in a university classroom from October 28 to December 2, 2022. Influenza A and HCoV-229E were detected in two air samples, and the corresponding Ct values were 35.3 and 36.8. These PCR results are similar to those obtained from laboratory tests, considering the simulated viral pandemic scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formations in the early Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup (mainly carbonates with subordinate siliciclastics) within the Taebaeksan Basin in the Danyang area, South Korea, show an apparent right-side-up homoclinal stratigraphy without repetition or omission of any formation, and it was therefore thought that the NW-dipping formation boundaries are primary depositional contacts. Our detailed examination revealed, however, that the formation boundaries are reverse-slip shear zones parallel to the second-generation foliation (S2) crenulating transposed S0//S1 foliation and that WNW-dipping bedding planes (S0) are only locally preserved. The most penetrative regional planar structure in the area is the NNW-dipping first-generation foliation (S1) that is defined by compositional layering and is parallel to the axial planes of isoclinal F1 folds. Isoclinal to close F1 folds occur on both the mesoscopic and macroscopic scale, whereas tight to close F2 folds occur locally only on the mesoscopic scale. D1 deformation presumably involved a NNW-SSE horizontal contraction and resulted in the buckle folding and transposition of S0. D2 deformation involved a NW-SE contraction, probably at a high angle to the S0//S1 transposed layers, and produced passive shear folding of S0//S1 with S2 crenulation cleavages as discrete shear surfaces. Shearing deformation was strongly localized along some S2 foliation planes, resulting in reverse shear zones that represent the current 'pseudo'-formation boundaries. Based on zircons U-Pb ages, we suggest that the Okdong Fault was initiated from an unconformable boundary between the Precambrian basement gneiss and overlying sediments of the Paleozoic Taebaeksan Basin, probably during the Middle Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thymic cysts are a rare benign disease that needs to be distinguished from low-risk thymoma. [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used in the differential diagnosis of thymic epithelial tumours, but its usefulness for thymic cysts remains unclear. Our study evaluated the utility of visual findings and quantitative parameters of [18F]FDG PET/CT for differentiating between thymic cysts and low-risk thymomas. Methods: Patients who underwent preoperative [18F]FDG PET/CT followed by thymectomy for a thymic mass were retrospectively analyzed. The visual [18F]FDG PET/CT findings evaluated were PET visual grade, PET central metabolic defect, and CT shape. The quantitative [18F]FDG PET/CT parameters evaluated were PET maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), CT diameter (cm), and CT attenuation in Hounsfield units (HU). Findings and parameters for differentiating thymic cysts from low-risk thymomas were assessed using Pearson's chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney U-test, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Seventy patients (18 thymic cysts and 52 low-risk thymomas) were finally included. Visual findings of PET visual grade (P < 0.001) and PET central metabolic defect (P < 0.001) showed significant differences between thymic cysts and low-risk thymomas, but CT shape did not. Among the quantitative parameters, PET SUVmax (P < 0.001), CT diameter (P < 0.001), and CT HU (P = 0.004) showed significant differences. In ROC analysis, PET SUVmax demonstrated the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.996 (P < 0.001), with a cut-off of equal to or less than 2.1 having a sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 94.2%. The AUC of PET SUVmax was significantly larger than that of CT diameter (P = 0.009) and CT HU (P = 0.004). Conclusions: Among the [18F]FDG PET/CT parameters examined, low FDG uptake (SUVmax ≤ 2.1, equal to or less than the mediastinum) is a strong diagnostic marker for a thymic cyst. PET visual grade and central metabolic defect are easily accessible findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconfigurable tactile displays are being used to provide refreshable Braille information; however, the delivered information is currently limited to an alternative of Braille because of difficulties in controlling the deformation height. Herein, we present a photothermally activated polymer-bilayer-based morphable tactile display that can programmably generate tangible three-dimensional topologies with varying textures on a thin film surface. The morphable tactile display was composed of a heterogeneous polymer structure that integrated a stiffness-tunable polymer into a light-absorbing elastomer, near-infra-red light-emitting diode (NIR-LED) array, and small pneumatic chamber. Topological expression was enabled by producing localized out-of-plane deformation that was reversible, height-adjustable, and latchable in response to light-triggered stiffness modulation at each target area under switching of stationary pneumatic pressure. Notably, the tactile display could express a spatial softness map of the latched topology upon re-exposing the target areas to modulated light from the NIR-LED array. We expect the developed tactile display to open a pathway for generating high-dimensional tactile information on electronic devices and enable realistic interaction in augmented and virtual environments. The controllability of deformation height in reconfigurable touch displays currently limits their deliverable information. Hwang et al. present a light-triggered morphable tactile display enabling generation of refreshable, height-adjustable, and latchable 3D topologies with varying textures on a thin film surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the strain softening behavior of high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs) under uniaxial compression. HPFRCC mixtures with different compressive strengths ranged from 120 to 170 MPa were prepared. The measurement method of feedback control on loading rate based transverse displacement was applied. Stress–strain and stress−inelastic displacement curves were plotted and analyzed with the results in the literature. It was found that the post-peak energy absorption of HPFRCC considering inelastic deformation was about 3–7 times higher than conventional concrete. Based on the experimental results in the present work, fitting models on post-peak stress–strain/−displacement curves were considering for different aspect ratios proposed. Highlights: Investigated strain softening & snapback of HPFRCC in compression. Applied feedback control on loading rate based transverse displacement. Formulated stress-strain models for various aspect ratios. HPFRCC exhibits higher postpeak energy than conventional concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given their conditions to reside in and intensify longer over warm oceans, tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western North Pacific (WNP) present a stronger lifetime maximum intensity during El Niño than during La Niña. By using observational data, we found that the anomalously cool sea surface temperature (SST)s in the basin act as effective barriers against intense TCs approaching East Asia during El Niño, weakening their destructiveness at landfall. Based on our high-resolution pseudo-global-warming simulations, the basin-wide 2K SST warming within the WNP basin can, however, shatter this cool SST barrier, exposing East Asia to more destructive TCs during El Niño, compared to those during La Niña. Considering that the 2K warmer WNP will likely occur in the mid-21st century under a high emission scenario and in the late 21st century under a moderate emission scenario, our findings support that more aggressive efforts of global warming mitigation are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aimed to identify the influential factors required to prepare landslide vulnerability maps and establish disaster prevention measures for mountainous areas with forest roads. The target area is Sancheok-myeon, Chungju-si, where several landslides have occurred in a narrow area of approximately 3 km × 4 km. As the area has the same rainfall and vegetation conditions, the influences of the physico-mechanical characteristics of the soil in accordance with compaction and topographic characteristics could be analyzed precisely. Methods: Geological surveying, sampling, and laboratory testing assessed landslide risk in the study area, and data including unit weight, specific gravity, porosity, water content, soil depth, friction angle, cohesion, slope angle, profile/plan curvature, TWI were obtained. Preprocessing and screening such as min-max normalization and multicollinearity were conducted for the data in order to eliminate overestimation of each factor's effectiveness. The influence of each factor was analyzed using logistic regression (LR), structural equation modeling (SEM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM). Results: All methods showed that soil depth has the greatest impact on landslide occurrence. Friction angle, slope angle, and porosity were also selected as influential factors, although each method ranked them slightly differently. Topographic factors, such as plan curvature, profile curvature, and the topographic wetness index, had minimal influence. This appears to be because landslides near forest roads are more affected by how well compaction was performed during banking than by the concave or convex shape of the slope. This study presents analysis results for an area with the same rainfall and vegetation conditions; therefore, the analysis of the influence of the physico-mechanical characteristics of the soil and topography was more precise than when comparing landslides occurring in different regions. Our results may be helpful in preparing landslide vulnerability maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Top gate a-InGaZnO (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) annealed at high temperature show excellent initial current–voltage (I–V) characteristics. However, when they are exposed to positive gate bias for a long time, hump can occur in the subthreshold region. This abnormal hump is accelerated at a higher positive gate voltage and mitigate by a negative gate voltage. While the strength of the hump is irrelevant to a change in channel width, it relies significantly on channel length. This phenomenon might be due to mobile Na ions diffused from a glass substrate migrating toward the back and edge side of the IGZO semiconductor by a vertical gate electric field. When a layer of Al2O3 is formed between the IGZO semiconductor and the glass substrate, the hump phenomenon could be successfully solved by serving as a barrier for Na ions moving into the IGZO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YTHDF2 has been extensively studied and typified as an RNA-binding protein that specifically recognizes and destabilizes RNAs harboring N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent internal modification found in eukaryotic RNAs. In this study, we unravel the m6A-independent role of YTHDF2 in the formation of an aggresome, where cytoplasmic protein aggregates are selectively sequestered upon failure of protein homeostasis mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Downregulation of YTHDF2 in HeLa cells reduces the circularity of aggresomes and the rate of movement of misfolded polypeptides, inhibits aggresome formation, and thereby promotes cellular apoptosis. Mechanistically, YTHDF2 is recruited to a misfolded polypeptide-associated complex composed of UPF1, CTIF, eEF1A1, and DCTN1 through its interaction with UPF1. Subsequently, YTHDF2 increases the interaction between the dynein motor protein and the misfolded polypeptide-associated complex, facilitating the diffusion dynamics of the movement of misfolded polypeptides toward aggresomes. Therefore, our data reveal that YTHDF2 is a cellular factor involved in protein quality control. YTHDF2 has been extensively studied as an m6A-related RNA metabolism. Here, the authors show that YTHDF2 also contributes to protein homeostasis in an m6A-independent manner by promoting the formation of aggresomes through its interaction with UPF1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an end-to-end missile guidance algorithm that uses raw infrared image pixels by imitating a conventional guidance law. To bypass the need to extract the state from raw image data for an expert policy, our method leverages privileged data in training episodes. We demonstrate that this approach not only prevents performance degradation due to estimation error but also successfully imitates a conventional guidance law without expensive sensors. Our method shows successful imitation results even in noisy and agile environments through an image augmentation strategy. We also analyze the possibility of predicting the failure of the guidance through ensemble networks and show that the variance between ensemble networks can help predict the risk of the neural-network guidance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airway clearance is crucial for successful fiberoptic intubation. We hypothesized that tongue retraction using a McIvor blade could facilitate fiberoptic intubation. This randomized clinical trial aimed to compare intubation time and airway condition between the jaw thrust maneuver and tongue retraction with the McIvor blade during fiberoptic intubation. Ninety-four adult patients scheduled for elective surgery were randomly assigned to one of two groups. During fiberoptic intubation, airway clearance was secured by applying the jaw-thrust maneuver (J group) or by tongue retraction using the McIvor blade (M group). We assessed the total intubation time, number of attempts for tube advancement, and airway clearance at the soft palate and epiglottis levels. The total intubation time was significantly shorter in the M group than in the J group (p = 0.035). The number of attempts to advance the tube was significantly lower in the M group (p = 0.033). Airway clearance at the soft palate level was significantly better in the M group than in the J group (p = 0.027). Retracting the tongue with the McIvor blade demonstrated a better condition for fiberoptic intubation and shortened total intubation time compared with the jaw-thrust maneuver. Clinicalregistiration: CRIS; http://cris.nih.go.kr (KCT0002392) registered 28/07/2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents simple and practical guidelines for mix proportioning of concrete incorporating coal bottom ash as a fine aggregate. The research involved preparing mortars using raw and size-controlled bottom ash, varying w/c, and different bottom ash contents. The properties for performance-based structural design properties, including compressive strength, carbonation depth, and chloride penetration depth, were measured. In addition, the compressive strength results of bottom ash concrete reported in the literature were analyzed. Furthermore, the standard specifications of mix proportioning for structural concrete from various nations were reviewed. The results indicate that when the specific gravity of bottom ash exceeded 2.0, and its content in the concrete was below 200 kg/m3, there were no concerns regarding the strength. Moreover, incorporating pretreated bottom ash aggregate in mixtures within the w/c range of 0.35–0.50 did not significantly impact the depth of chloride penetration or carbonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Whether prior radiotherapy (RT) affects the response of EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) remains elusive. Methods: Patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs who recurred after curative treatment at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea were included. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from the initiation of EGFR TKI in patients who recurred after definitive RT were analyzed and compared to the outcomes of RT-naïve patients with advanced NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs from previously reported prospective clinical trial results. Results: A total of 60 patients who recurred after definitive RT were included. The median age was 70 years (range, 38–88), with 24 patients (40.0%) being males. Among the 60 patients, 52 patients (86.7%) had exon 19 deletion or L858R mutation, with 49 patients (81.7%) receiving gefitinib as the first-line EGFR TKI. The median PFS and OS from the initiation of EGFR TKI were 10.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.4–13.2) and 21.3 months (95% CI, 13.4–28.8), respectively. Conclusion: The EGFR TKI efficacy in EGFR-mutated patients with NSCLC who recurred after RT was comparable with that in historic controls of RT-naïve patients with advanced NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs, indicating that RT may not affect EGFR TKI efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding d-electron heavy fermion states has been an important topic as the diversity in d-electron materials can lead to many exotic Kondo effect-related phenomena or new states of matter such as correlation-driven topological Kondo insulator. Yet, obtaining direct spectroscopic evidence for a d-electron heavy fermion system has been elusive to date. Here, we report the observation of Kondo lattice behavior in an antiferromagnetic metal, FeTe, via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy and transport property measurements. The Kondo lattice behavior is represented by the emergence of a sharp quasiparticle and Fano-type tunneling spectra at low temperatures. The transport property measurements confirm the low-temperature Fermi liquid behavior and reveal successive coherent-incoherent crossover upon increasing temperature. We interpret the Kondo lattice behavior as a result of hybridization between localized Fe 3dxy and itinerant Te 5pz orbitals. Our observations strongly suggest unusual cooperation between Kondo lattice behavior and long-range magnetic order. The Kondo hybridization typically occurs in heavy-fermion systems containing f electrons, although recently it has been reported in d-electron systems. Kim et al. report spectroscopic evidence of the Kondo hybridization in FeTe and discuss it role in the mechanism of the magnetic order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed an alternative method to define and measure the water absorption and specific gravity of aggregates. The classical Archimedes principle for measuring the density of objects was modified. Cement pastes and mortars were prepared using alcohol and water to measure the volume of the aggregate following centrifugal compaction (CC). Consequently, the volume of the paste and mortar after CC was evaluated using the mass of bleed liquid. Various experimental factors related to the CC method were considered, including the type of cement, type of solvent, revolution time, amount of initial liquid-to-cement ratio, and type of aggregate. The results obtained from CC with water and alcohol mixtures were verified using standard test methods. Thus, the water absorption and specific gravity of the aggregates under surface-saturated dry (SSD) conditions were confirmed to be measured using CC machine, regardless of the particle shape and pore structures of the aggregates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lava tubes on Jeju Island, Korea, form a series of geosites with outstanding geological, ecological, historical, and cultural value. The area is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and a Global Geopark. This recognition has led to much active development nearby; thus, management, regulation, and conservation measures are increasingly needed. This study proposes limits on the amounts of an explosive charge (dependent on distance from the lava tubes) that can be used during rock blasting near the lava tubes. To verify the proposed numerical analysis method, in situ tests were conducted using small charges that would not affect the geosites. The observations were compared with the numerical analysis. The allowable charge for each separation distance (50, 100, 150, and 250 m) that satisfies the 0.2 kine (cm/s) vibration criterion for geosites was determined from the numerical analysis results. For the Manjanggul lava tube, the determined maximum charges per delay are 2.0–2.6 kg at 50 m, 8.0–10.4 kg at 100 m, 18.1–23.5 kg at 150 m, and 50.4–65.5 kg at 250 m. The equivalent ranges for the Yongcheondonggul lava tube are 3.6–4.7, 14.4–18.7, 32.5–42.3, and 90–117 kg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A particle sizer was developed for real-time monitoring of suspended particles in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurries to prevent any damage caused by coarse particles in the CMP process. Laser-induced light scattering from individual particles was utilized to monitor the concentration and size distribution of suspended particles in the CMP slurries, because monitoring is crucial for achieving higher than 80 % of chip yields by controlling the slurries. The particle sizer, Termed as PrimeSizer_SM Micro, consists of an integrated fluid system and optical sensing component. The PrimeSizer_SM Micro was calibrated using commercially available standard polystyrene-latex (PSL) particles with sizes in the range of 0.15–0.5 µm. Performance was evaluated in Terms of the PSL particle size distribution. Two types of CMP slurries, containing silica and ceria particles, were analyzed using the PrimeSizer_SM Micro. The results revealed the size distributions and concentrations of the CMP slurries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary mediastinal germ cell tumor (MGCT) is an uncommon tumor. Although it has histology similar to that of gonadal germ cell tumor (GCT), the prognosis for MGCT is generally worse than that for gonadal GCT. We performed visual assessment and quantitative analysis of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG PET/CT) for MGCTs. A total of 35 MGCT patients (age = 33.1 ± 16.8 years, F:M = 16:19) who underwent preoperative PET/CT were retrospectively reviewed. The pathologic diagnosis of MGCTs identified 24 mature teratomas, 4 seminomas, 5 yolk sac tumors, and 2 mixed germ cell tumors. Visual assessment was performed by categorizing the uptake intensity, distribution, and contour of primary MGCTs. Quantitative parameters including the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), tumor-to-background ratio (TBR), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and maximum diameter were compared between benign and malignant MGCTs. On visual assessment, the uptake intensity was the only significant parameter for differentiating between benign and malignant MGCTs (p = 0.040). In quantitative analysis, the SUVmax (p < 0.001), TBR (p < 0.001), MTV (p = 0.033), and TLG (p < 0.001) showed significantly higher values for malignant MGCTs compared with benign MGCTs. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of these quantitative parameters, the SUVmax had the highest area under the curve (AUC) (AUC = 0.947, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the SUVmax could differentiate between seminomas and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (p = 0.042) and reflect serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels (p = 0.012). The visual uptake intensity and SUVmax on [18F]FDG PET/CT showed discriminative ability for benign and malignant MGCTs. Moreover, the SUVmax may associate with AFP levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to compare and investigate the free vibration characteristics of detailed and homogenized models for functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) beams, based on the finite element method (FEM). In this study, three types of FG-CNTRC beams and boundary conditions are considered for different volume fractions of CNT: UD (uniformly distributed), FG-X, and FG-Λ beams. These beams in which single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are distributed with a gradient through the thickness are employed and analyzed for simply supported (SS), clamped-clamped (CC), and free-free (FF) boundary conditions. For the homogenized model, the effective material properties are determined in terms of the CNT volume fraction using the linear rule of mixture. A commercial midas NFX program is used for finite element simulations to analyze the free vibration responses of FG-CNTRC beams. The numerical results are compared with the existing analytical solutions in the literature in order to validate the developed finite element models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T (Treg) cells maintain immune homeostasis by preventing abnormal or excessive immune responses. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) regulates expression of Foxp3, and thus, Treg cell differentiation; however, its role in Treg cell differentiation is unclear and somewhat controversial. Here, we investigated the role of HDAC6 in TGF-β-induced murine Treg cells. HDAC6 expression was higher in Treg cells than in other T helper cell subsets. Pharmacological inhibitors of HDAC6 selectively inhibited Treg cell differentiation and suppressive function. A specific HDAC6 inhibitor induced changes in global gene expression by Treg cells. Of these changes, genes related to cell division were prominently affected. In summary, HDAC6 plays an important role in TGF-β-induced murine Treg cell differentiation by regulating cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To investigate the efficacy of autologous serum gel in patients with lagophthalmos combined with neurotrophic persistent corneal epithelial defects (PEDs). Methods: This is retrospective, case-series study enrolled 15 patients with lagophthalmos complicated by neurotrophic PEDs refractory to medical treatment including autologous serum eye drops. They were treated with autologous serum gel in conjunction with conservative treatment. The following information was collected from medical records: demographics, underlying diseases, and past ocular history. PEDs healing time was evaluated with visual acuity, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, esthesiometer scores, and the areas of the epithelial defects. Results: Six men and nine women with a mean age of 63.3 ± 9.9 years were included. The most common cause of the neurotrophic PEDs and lagophthalmos in this group was postherpetic infection (46.7%) and cerebral hemorrhage (26.7%) each. Two months following treatment with autologous serum gel, there was a reduction in the area of the epithelial defects (from 19.2 ± 9.9 to 0.6 ± 1.5 mm2) and a significant improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (from 0.8 ± 0.5 to 0.5 ± 0.4 logMAR) and VAS scores (from 5.1 ± 1.1 to 2.1 ± 0.6) in 13 eyes (87%). Among the 11 completely healed eyes, the mean epithelial healing time was 3.2 ± 1.8 weeks. Conclusions: Autologous serum gel reduces symptoms and promotes corneal epithelialization of refractory neurotrophic PEDs in patients with lagophthalmos. Therefore, it may be well tolerated and a beneficial addition in the management of neurotrophic PEDs in patients with lagophthalmos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ProQ/FinO family of RNA binding proteins mediate sRNA-directed gene regulation throughout gram-negative bacteria. Here, we investigate the structural basis for RNA recognition by ProQ/FinO proteins, through the crystal structure of the ProQ/FinO domain of the Legionella pneumophila DNA uptake regulator, RocC, bound to the transcriptional terminator of its primary partner, the sRNA RocR. The structure reveals specific recognition of the 3' nucleotide of the terminator by a conserved pocket involving a β-turn-α-helix motif, while the hairpin portion of the terminator is recognized by a conserved α-helical N-cap motif. Structure-guided mutagenesis reveals key RNA contact residues that are critical for RocC/RocR to repress the uptake of environmental DNA in L. pneumophila. Structural analysis and RNA binding studies reveal that other ProQ/FinO domains also recognize related transcriptional terminators with different specificities for the length of the 3' ssRNA tail. In this work, the authors determine the crystal structure of a ProQ/FinO RNA chaperone bound to its RNA target. This provides insight into how this family of bacterial proteins recognize transcriptional terminator structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault rocks that occur in the Yugye segment of the Yangsan fault zone, South Korea, are classified based on information from geological field and drilling surveys, including total core recovery, rock quality designation, particle size distribution analysis, characterization of fault rocks intersected in boreholes, and hydraulic conductivity values established from Lugeon tests. The classification assigns fault rocks to three categories, i.e., fault damage zone, fault breccia, or fault gouge, with average hydraulic conductivities of 1.22 × 10−6, 2.07 × 10−4, and 2.57 × 10−5 cm/s, respectively. The hydraulic conductivity of the sedimentary host rock is 2.76 × 10−6 cm/s, similar to that of the fault damage zones, which suggests that the multiple fractures in the fault damage zones are closed in situ. The hydraulic conductivity of the fault core (fault breccia and fault gouge) is greater than that of the fault damage zones and host rocks by one or two orders of magnitude. In addition, the permeability of the fault breccia is greater than that of the fault gouge, which contains more clay. The hydraulic conductivity of both the fault breccia and fault gouge show a positive correlation (R2 ≥ 97%) with increasing fragment content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet amphibolites with relics of mafic granulite occur within the Precambrian Odaesan Complex and the Paleozoic Taebaeksan Basin on the Korean Peninsula. Atoll garnets and symplectites after garnet are locally developed in the mafic rocks. In order to constrain the metamorphic–metasomatic garnet decomposition, we undertook mineral equilibria modeling using pressure (P)–temperature (T)–fluid composition [ X CO 2 ; CO2/(CO2 + H2O)]–bulk–rock composition (XBC) pseudosections that were calculated in the Na2O–CaO–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–TiO2–H2O ± MnO ± Fe2O3 ± CO2 system. The integrated thermodynamic pseudosection modeling successfully reproduced the variations in metamorphic mineral assemblages and the reaction textures produced by metasomatism during the exhumation of the mafic rocks. The peak P–T– X CO 2 conditions of the mafic granulite and amphibolite were 9.5–11.0 kbar/670–720 °C at X CO 2 = 0.4–0.5 and 7.0–9.0 kbar/580–630 °C at X CO 2 = 0.4, respectively. Subsequently, during retrogressive metamorphism at 3.5–6.0 kbar and 470–530 °C in the presence of H2O-dominated fluids, the symplectites and atoll garnets were formed by preferential dissolution and/or resorption. Furthermore, fluid-assisted local variations in rock composition (involving Al3+, Fe2+, and Ca2+) also affected the formation of the metasomatic reaction textures around the garnet porphyroblasts. The peak metamorphism with change of X CO 2 occurred during the early Triassic (c. 250 Ma), as inferred from U–Pb zircon age data. Taking into account previous metamorphic and provenance studies on the tectonic environment of the eastern margin of the Korean Peninsula, the sub-isothermal decompressional P–T– X CO 2 –XBC path of the amphibolites and mafic granulites resulted from the amalgamation of microcontinents and the Sino–Korean Craton at a trench–arc setting during the Permian–Triassic orogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After the 12-month interim safety analysis, we investigated the 24-month primary endpoint outcomes of drusenoid pigment epithelial detachment (dPED) after laser and intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment. Methods: Twenty-one patients with treatment-naïve bilateral intermediate AMD with dPED and visual acuity ≤ 83 letters (Snellen 20/23) were enrolled. The subject eye received low-energy PASCAL® laser (532 nm) treatment, and the fellow eye was used as the control. Intravitreal injections were administered at 3-month intervals from baseline to 12 months. Treatment outcomes, safety and development of advanced AMD lesions were analyzed. Results: The mean drusen area and dPED height were significantly reduced (17.3 ± 2.7% vs. 112.8 ± 3.1%, P < 0.001 and 11.8 ± 4.7% vs. 119.1 ± 4.6%, P < 0.001, respectively) and the mean BCVA improved (5.11 ± 1.35 vs. 0.83 ± 1.03 letters, P = 0.014) in the study eyes compared to those in the control eyes. Development of parafoveal iRORA (nGA) (67%, 12 of 18 eyes) and cRORA (GA) (22%, 4 of 18 eyes) was observed in the study eyes, whereas three cases of iRORA and cRORA in the control eyes (17%, 3 of 18 eyes; P = 0.010 and P = 0.791, respectively). Conclusions: Laser and anti-VEGF treatment may be a potential treatment option for intermediate AMD with dPED. However, considering the relatively high rate of secondary iRORA and cRORA development, long-term follow-up is mandatory to clarify the safety and efficacy of this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic photodetectors (OPDs) exhibit superior spectral responses but slower photoresponse times compared to inorganic counterparts. Herein, we study the light-intensity-dependent OPD photoresponse time with two small-molecule donors (planar MPTA or twisted NP-SA) co-evaporated with C60 acceptors. MPTA:C60 exhibits the fastest response time at high-light intensities (>0.5 mW/cm2), attributed to its planar structure favoring strong intermolecular interactions. However, this blend exhibits the slowest response at low-light intensities, which is correlated with biphasic photocurrent transients indicative of the presence of a low density of deep trap states. Optical, structural, and energetical analyses indicate that MPTA molecular packing is strongly disrupted by C60, resulting in a larger (370 meV) HOMO level shift. This results in greater energetic inhomogeneity including possible MPTA-C60 adduct formation, leading to deep trap states which limit the low-light photoresponse time. This work provides important insights into the small molecule design rules critical for low charge-trapping and high-speed OPD applications. Understanding the charge trapping mechanism in organic semiconductors is crucial to design molecules for high-performance organic photodetectors. Labanti et al. systematically investigate the impact of donor molecular structure on the energetic disorder that affects both shallow and deep trap formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, tosylate-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:Tos) films are prepared by thermally assisted oxidative polymerization either on a hot plate or in a convection oven. The main difference between these heat treatments is the way heat is transferred (conduction or convection) during polymerization. The surface morphology and structure, doped state, chemical composition, and the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the differently heat-treated films are analyzed using various instrumental methods. The hot plate-treated films exhibit a smooth and dense surface morphology with a low root-mean-square roughness of ~ 5 nm. The films have a quinoid-prevalent thiophene structure with a high electrical conductivity of 575 S/cm. By contrast, the oven-treated films show a rough and porous morphology with a surface roughness ranging from 30 to 80 nm depending on the scanning area, which yields high absorption capacity of more than 90% in the near-infrared range. The oven-treated films show a benzenoid-prevalent structure that provides relatively low electrical conductivity of 244 ± 45 S/cm. As a demonstration of these noticeable changes, PEDOT:Tos films are examined as a photothermal conversion layer to convert light energy to thermal energy, which is converted to electrical energy using a thermoelectric device by covering the films on the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moiré heterostructures produced by twisted heterojunction of transition-metal dichalcogenides are recognized as novel platforms for unique and tunable means of controlling the optical phenomena including photoluminescence (PL). Despite some interesting results on the PL peak shifts by the heterojunction at twist angles (θ) far from 0 or 60°, all of them are redshifts. Here, we first report blue shift of energy and strong enhancement of intensity in the PL by twisted heterojunction of MoS2 and WS2 monolayers (MLs) in a particular range of θ. The PL peak energy of the heterobilayer steeply increases (about 120 meV) as θ gets closer to 15 or 52° from 3 or 57°, respectively and reaches a plateau at around 2.01 eV in the θ range from 15 to 52°, higher than that of the separate MoS2 or WS2 ML. The PL intensity shows a similar θ-dependent behavior with its magnitude in the plateau being ∼4 or 80 times larger than that of the WS2 or MoS2 ML, respectively. These novel light-emission behaviors are well explained with reference to theoretical predictions on the avoided crossing between the intralayer and interlayer excitons. Our findings highlight extendable tuning and remarkable enhancement of light emission from two-dimensional semiconductors by a simple approach of twisted heterojunction in a proper θ range, very useful for their optoelectronic device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since studies on privacy-preserving database outsourcing have been spotlighted in a cloud computing, databases need to be encrypted before being outsourced to the cloud. Therefore, a couple of privacy-preserving kNN query processing algorithms have been proposed over the encrypted database. However, the existing algorithms are either insecure or inefficient. Therefore, in this paper we propose a privacy-preserving kNN query processing algorithm via secure two-party computation on the encrypted database. Our algorithm preserves both data privacy and query privacy while hiding data access patterns. For this, we propose efficient and secure protocols based on Yao's garbled circuit. To achieve a high degree of efficiency in query processing, we also propose a parallel kNN query processing algorithm using encrypted random value pool. Through our performance analysis, we verify that our proposed algorithms outperform the existing ones in terms of a query processing cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of biosorbents using carbon–neutral materials is expected to contribute to a sustainable environment in water purification. In this study, the biochar-alginate composite was selected as the core material of biosorbent and Cu(II) was set as the adsorption experimental model. In particular, in order to improve the insufficient mechanical strength of alginate, a melamine sponge (MS) was applied as a support to the biochar-alginate composite. As a result, the tensile strength was significantly improved about 4.3-fold compared to the alginate foam (without MS), and it can be manufactured in the shape required in the process. The Cu(II) adsorption capacity of the biosorbent was analyzed based on the adsorption equilibrium and kinetics. As a result, the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm model were most suitable, and the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) was estimated to be 126.58 mg/g. In conclusion, the biochar-alginate composite on melamine sponge was an excellent material as a biosorbent for removing Cu(II) from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to assess the long-term outcomes of video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy (VAMLA) combined with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for left-sided lung cancer pulmonary resection. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1194 consecutive patients who underwent VATS anatomical resection for left-sided lung cancer between January 2007 and December 2016. Using propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), perioperative outcomes and long-term survival outcomes were compared. Results: Among 1194 patients, 295 (24.7%) underwent additional VAMLA (VATS + VAMLA group) and 899 patients (75.3%) underwent VATS only (VATS group). The proportion of patients with advanced N stage were higher in the VATS + VAMLA group (24.7%) than in the VATS group (18.3%). After IPTW adjustment, all baseline profiles between the two groups became similar. The long-term overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were similar between the VATS + VAMLA group and the VATS group (5-year OS, 77.8% versus 79.3%, p = 0.957; 5-year RFS, 69.6% versus 70.1%, p = 0.498). However, among patients with borderline pulmonary function (FEV1 ≤ 60% or DLCO ≤ 60%), the VATS + VAMLA group (n = 23) had a better prognosis than the VATS group (n = 36) (5-year OS, 67.4% versus 46.7%, respectively; p = 0.047; 5-year RFS, 74.6% versus 53.5%, respectively; p = 0.027). Conclusions: VAMLA might be a good complement to VATS for left-sided lung cancer, wherein optimal mediastinal lymph node dissection is not feasible under one-lung ventilation, such as when patients have borderline pulmonary function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic electrolyte-gated transistors (OEGTs) have the benefits of low power consumption and large current modulation. Nevertheless, the electrical performance of n-type OEGTs lags far behind that of p-type OEGTs. In this study, we design a series of polymers, P(NDITEG-T) and P(NDIMTEG-T), comprising a naphthalene diimide backbone for n-type charge transport and oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) side chains for high ionic conductivity and eco-friendly solution processing. The incorporation of the OEG chain facilitates the electrochemical doping of the semiconductor by ions to realize high-performance, n-type OEGTs. Notably, in OEGTs, P(NDITEG-T) achieves a high electron mobility of 1.0 × 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1, which represents the highest value reported for solution-processed, n-type OEGTs. It is noted that the fabrication of the OEGTs is achieved by solution processing with eco-friendly ethanol/water mixtures in virtue of the hydrophilic OEG chains. This work demonstrates the molecular design of the P(NDITEG-T) polymer and its significant ability to produce aqueous-processable, high-performance, and n-type OEGTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although off-midline incisions (unilateral low transverse or Pfannenstiel incision) have been reported to have a lower incidence of incisional hernia (IH) than periumbilical vertical incision for the purpose of specimen extraction, it is most commonly used in laparoscopic colon cancer surgery because off-midline incisions are associated with the limitation of colon exteriorization. This study aims to investigate the risk of IH after laparoscopic colectomy and compare midline vertical incision versus transverse incision focusing on the incidence of IH. Methods: Patients who underwent elective laparoscopic colectomy due to colon malignancy from June 2015 to May 2017 were included. All patients had either vertical (n = 429) or muscle splitting periumbilical transverse incisions (n = 125). Results: Median duration of the follow-up period was 23.6 months, during which IHs occurred in 12.1% patients. The incidence of hernia was significantly lower in the transverse group (3 vs. 64, 2.4% vs. 14.9%, p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, BMI ≥ 23 [odds ratio (OR) 2.282, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.245–4.182, p = 0.008], postoperative surgical site infection (OR 3.780, 95% CI 1.969–7.254, p < 0.001) and vertical incision (OR 7.113, 95% CI 2.173–23.287, p < 0.001) were independently related with increased incidence of IH. Conclusions: A muscle splitting periumbilical transverse incision could significantly reduce the rate of IH in minimally invasive colon cancer surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiO2-based anodes have attracted extensive attention due to their high theoretical capacity of 1,956 mAh g-1, stable cycle life, and abundance on Earth. However, their commercialization is still hindered by several intrinsic problems, such as poor electrical conductivity and electrochemical inactiveness. In this study, a 3-dimensional SiO2/C electrode is fabricated by introducing a pore-forming agent (polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE) and partially carbonizing a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. During heat treatment at 600 °C, PTFE powders are unzipped to develop microsized pores. Meanwhile, the PVDF binder is partially carbonized to form highly conductive F-doped graphitic carbon. In particular, a highly porous platelet SBA-15 template is used as an SiO2 active material for large contact areas between SiO2 and carbonized PVDF. As a result, the structured SiO2/C anode exhibits better cycle performance and internal resistance than typical SiO2 electrodes: the structured SiO2/C anode delivers 294 mAh g-1, while the typical SiO2 anode is electrochemically inactive with Li+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correction notice addresses an error in an article titled "Kondo interaction in FeTe and its potential role in the magnetic order" published in Nature Communications. The correction pertains to the incorrect affiliation details for Young Jai Choi, which were originally listed as 'Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA' but should have been 'Department of Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 03021, Korea'. The original article has been updated to reflect this correction. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic ability for the prediction of histologic grades and prognostic values on recurrence and death of pretreatment 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT in patients with resectable thymic epithelial tumours (TETs). Methods: One hundred and fourteen patients with TETs who underwent pretreatment 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT between 2012 and 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. TETs were classified into three histologic subtypes: low-risk thymoma (LRT, WHO classification A/AB/B1), high-risk thymoma (HRT, B2/B3), and thymic carcinoma (TC). Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was used to assess the diagnostic performance of PET/CT variables (maximum standardised uptake value [SUVmax], metabolic tumour volume [MTV], total lesion glycolysis [TLG], maximum diameter). Cox proportional hazards models were built using PET/CT and clinical variables. Results: The tumours included 52 LRT, 33 HRT, and 29 TC. SUVmax showed good diagnostic ability for differentiating HRT/TC from LRT (AUC 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76 − 0.92) and excellent ability for differentiating TC from LRT/HRT (AUC 0.94, 95% CI 0.90 − 0.98), with significantly higher values than MTV, TLG, and maximum diameter. With an optimal cut-off value of 6.4, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for differentiating TC from LRT/HRT were 69%, 96%, and 89%, respectively. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses for freedom-from-recurrence, SUVmax was an independent prognostic factor (p < 0.001), whereas MTV and TLG were not. SUVmax was a significant predictor for overall survival in conjunction with clinical stage and resection margin. Conclusion: SUVmax showed excellent diagnostic performance for prediction of TC and significant prognostic value in terms of recurrence and survival. Key Points: • Maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) shows excellent performance in the differentiation of thymic carcinoma from low- and high-risk thymoma. • SUVmax is an independent prognostic factor for freedom-from-recurrence in the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model and a significant predictor for overall survival. • 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT can provide a useful diagnostic and prognostic imaging biomarker in conjunction with histologic classification and stage and help choose appropriate management for thymic epithelial tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial food fermentation industry requires real-time monitoring and accurate quantification of cells. However, filamentous fungi are difficult to quantify as they have complex cell types such as pellet, spores, and dispersed hyphae. In this study, numerous data of microscopic image intensity (MII) were used to develop a simple and accurate quantification method of Cordyceps mycelium. The dry cell weight (DCW) of the sample collected during the fermentation was measured. In addition, the intensity values were obtained through the ImageJ program after converting the microscopic images. The prediction model obtained by analyzing the correlation between MII and DCW was evaluated through a simple linear regression method and found to be statistically significant (R2 = 0.941, p < 0.001). In addition, validation with randomly selected samples showed significant accuracy, thus, this model is expected to be used as a valuable tool for predicting and quantifying fungal growth in various industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown cause involving multiple organs. Its clinical presentation and prognosis vary among races. We identified the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Korean patients with sarcoidosis. Clinical data of 367 Korean patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis diagnosed in 2001–2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment responses included improvement, stability, or progression based on changes in pulmonary sarcoidosis on chest images. The mean age was 47.4 years, and 67.3% of patients were women. The median follow-up period was 80 months. The highest prevalence was observed in individuals aged 50–59 years (30–39 years in men, 50–59 years in women), and the number of diagnoses showed an increasing trend. Lung involvement was the most common (93.5%), followed by the skin, eyes, and extrathoracic lymph nodes. Among patients with lung involvement and a follow-up period of ≥ 3 months, 66.8%, 31.0%, and 2.2% showed improvement, stability, and progression, respectively. Eleven patients (2.9%) died, and the 5-year survival rate was 99%. The number of diagnosed cases showed an increasing trend, and the mean age at diagnosis was increased compared with that in previous reports. Organ involvement was similar to that of Westerners, although the prognosis appeared better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Presence of blood vessel invasion (BVI) is one of the prognostic indicators for lung cancer patients with surgical resection. However, prognostic roles of the location and the type of the involved blood vessel have not been fully evaluated yet. Patients and Methods: We retrieved the data of 217 cases of surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma from Asan Medical Center. Clinicopathologic features, including BVI, were reassessed. The location (tumor center and/or periphery) and involved blood vessel types (large and/or small vessels; arteries and/or veins) of BVI were separately examined on standard hematoxylin–eosin slides and confirmed by van Gieson elastic staining. Results: BVI was identified in 35% of cases (76/217), with the tumor center (intratumoral) as the location in more than half of the cases (42/76, 55.3%). The presence of BVI was significantly associated with higher pathologic stage, increased size of invasive components, frequent pleural invasion, lymphatic permeation, and spread through alveolar spaces. BVI was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) both in univariate and multivariate survival analyses [for OS, hazard ratio (HR) 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–3.48, P = 0.031; for RFS, HR 2.65, 95% CI 1.64–4.28; P < 0.001]. BVI subgroups, according to location and type of the involved blood vessels, invariably displayed significantly poor RFS; however, the results for OS varied. Conclusion: Regardless of their location or blood vessel type, presence of BVI is a useful predictor for postoperative survival outcomes, which should be carefully evaluated on pathologic examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the gut microbiota characteristics of endangered species such as the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), especially in their early stages of life, could be essential for improving their management and ex situ conservation strategies. Here, we analyzed the gut microbiota diversity, composition, and function of captive Eurasian otters at different ages using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that: (1) Clostridiaceae was abundant in all age stages; (2) Lactococcus in cubs is thought to predominate for digesting milk; (3) bacteria associated with amino acid metabolism increase with age, while bacteria associated with carbohydrate metabolism decrease with age, which is likely due to decrease in dietary carbohydrate content (e.g., milk) and increase in dietary protein contents (e.g., fishes) with age; and (4) fish-related bacteria were detected in feces of healthy adults and juveniles. Overall, the gut microbiota of captive Eurasian otters was taxonomically and functionally different by age, which is thought to be attributed to the difference in the diet in their life stages. This study provided baseline information regarding the gut microbiota of Eurasian otters for the first time and contributes to improvement in their management in captivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]