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A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic, pale-yellow coloured and oval-shaped bacterium designated GRR-S6-38T was isolated from a tidal flat sediment that collected from Garorim Bay of the Yellow Sea, Republic of Korea. Strain GRR-S6-38T grew at 15–40 °C (optimum, 30 °C) at pH 6–9 (optimum, pH 7) and at 2–6% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2% NaCl). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain GRR-S6-38T was closely related to those of J. seosinensis CL-SP26T (98.1%), J. helgolandensis DSM 14858T (97.4%), J. rubra CECT 5088T (97.4%), J. faecimaris DSM 100420T (97.4%), J. marina SHC163T (97.3%), J. donghaensis CECT 7802T (97.2%) and J. pohangensis DSM 19073T (97.1%). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization value between GRR-S6-38T and related type strains were 71.47–78.59% and 17.80–21.40%. Strain GRR-S6-38T was characterized as having Q-10 as the predominant respiratory quinone and the major principle fatty acids (> 10%) were SF 8 (C18:1ω7c/C18:1ω6c, 39.3%), C19:0ω8c cyclo (13.2%) and C18:1ω7c 11-methyl (10.6%). The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified lipid, two unidentified aminolipids and two unidentified phospholipids. The assembled genome of strain GRR-S6-38T has a total length of 3.32 Mbp, and a G + C content is 69.98%. Based on the polyphasic taxonomic evidence presented in this study, GRR-S6-38T is regarded to represent a novel species within the genus Jannaschia, for which name Jannaschia ovalis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GRR-S6-38T (= KCTC 82518 = KACC 22240 = JCM 36187). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a severe medial wall defect is present in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA), simple bone grafting (BG) may not be sufficient, and trabecular metal (TM) augmentation is often necessary. We aimed to evaluate whether there were differences in outcomes of revision THA with medial wall defects depending on the use of TM augmentation. Between 2009–2021, 130 patients were classified into two groups: 80 patients undergoing bone grafting (BG group) and 50 patients undergoing both bone grafting and TM augmentation (BG/TM group). We evaluated the postoperative center of rotation (COR) position and changes in vertical and horizontal COR at last follow-up. Additionally, we categorized the fate of the transplanted bone graft into four groups: unchanged, initially changed, resorption-no further intervention, and resorption-revision. The mean horizontal COR changes were −3.50 mm in the BG group and −1.07 mm in the BG/TM group (p = 0.005). In the BG/TM group, a higher proportion of the patients showed unchanged or only initial changes when compared to the BG group (88.0% and 65.0%, respectively). The BG/TM group showed more favorable results regarding horizontal changes in the COR and fate of the bone graft. Therefore, for revision THA in patients with severe medial wall defects, the combined use of bone graft and TM augmentation can be a suitable option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic surgery is one of the most challenging types of surgeries, which is possibly related to cognitive sequelae. We aimed to investigate the changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) associated with intraoperative circulatory arrest (CA) in aortic surgery, exploring the relationship between the altered connectivity and postoperative cognitive functions. Thirty-eight patients participated in this study (14 with CA, 24 without). Functional magnetic resonance imaging was scanned on the fifth day after surgery or after the resolution of delirium if it was developed. We assessed the differences in the development of postoperative cognitive changes and rsFC between patients with and without CA. The occurrence of postoperative delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction was not significantly different between the patients with and without the application of CA. However, patients with CA showed increased in posterior cingulate cortex-based connectivity with the right superior temporal gyrus, right precuneus, and right hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex-based connectivity with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The application of moderate hypothermic CA with unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion is unlikely to affect aspects of postoperative cognitive changes, whereas it may lead to increased rsFC of the default mode network at a subclinical level following acute brain insults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social anxiety is a symptom widely prevalent among young adults, and when present in excess, can lead to maladaptive patterns of social behavior. Recent approaches that incorporate brain functional radiomic features and machine learning have shown potential for predicting certain phenotypes or disorders from functional magnetic resonance images. In this study, we aimed to predict the level of social anxiety in young adult participants by training machine learning models with resting-state brain functional radiomic features including the regional homogeneity, fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, fractional resting-state physiological fluctuation amplitude, and degree centrality. Among the machine learning models, the XGBoost model achieved the best performance with balanced accuracy of 77.7% and F1 score of 0.815. Analysis of input feature importance demonstrated that the orbitofrontal cortex and the degree centrality were most relevant to predicting the level of social anxiety among the input brain regions and the input type of radiomic features, respectively. These results suggest potential validity for predicting social anxiety with machine learning of the resting-state brain functional radiomic features and provide further understanding of the neural basis of the symptom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-talk can improve cognitive performance, but the underlying mechanism of such improvement has not been investigated. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of self-talks on functional connectivity associated with cognitive performance. We used the short form of Progressive Matrices Test (sRPM) to measure differences in performance improvements between self-respect and self-criticism. Participants were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging in the following order: baseline, during-sRPM1, post-sRPM1, self-respect or self-criticism, during-sRPM2, and post-sRPM2. Analysis was conducted to identify the self-talks' modulatory effects on the reward-motivation, default mode, and central-executive networks. Increase in sRPM2 score compared to sRPM1 score was observed only after self-criticism. The self-talk-by-repetition interaction effect was not found for during-sRPM, but found for post-sRPM; decreased nucleus accumbens-based connectivity was shown after self-criticism compared with self-respect. However, the significant correlations between the connectivity change and performance change appeared only in the self-respect group. Our findings showed that positive self-talk and negative self-talk differently modulate brain states concerning cognitive performance. Self-respect may have both positive and negative effects due to enhanced executive functions and inaccurate confidence, respectively, whereas self-criticism may positively affect cognitive performance by inducing a less confident state that increases internal motivation and attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA methylation and trimethylated histone H4 Lysine 20 (H4K20me3) constitute two important heterochromatin-enriched marks that frequently cooperate in silencing repetitive elements of the mammalian genome. However, it remains elusive how these two chromatin modifications crosstalk. Here, we report that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) specifically 'recognizes' H4K20me3 via its first bromo-adjacent-homology domain (DNMT1BAH1). Engagement of DNMT1BAH1-H4K20me3 ensures heterochromatin targeting of DNMT1 and DNA methylation at LINE-1 retrotransposons, and cooperates with the previously reported readout of histone H3 tail modifications (i.e., H3K9me3 and H3 ubiquitylation) by the RFTS domain to allosterically regulate DNMT1's activity. Interplay between RFTS and BAH1 domains of DNMT1 profoundly impacts DNA methylation at both global and focal levels and genomic resistance to radiation-induced damage. Together, our study establishes a direct link between H4K20me3 and DNA methylation, providing a mechanism in which multivalent recognition of repressive histone modifications by DNMT1 ensures appropriate DNA methylation patterning and genomic stability. How histone modifications crosstalk with DNA methylation to regulate epigenomic patterning and genome stability in mammals remains elusive. Here, the authors show that DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 is a reader for histone H4K20 trimethylation via its BAH1 domain, which leads to optimal maintenance of DNA methylation at repetitive LINE-1 elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-order filtering with isotropy of a local-domain data defined at an arbitrary location on the sphere, with an application to scale-decomposition of mean sea level pressure field, was investigated. The equation of high-order filter was based on the implicit hyper-diffusion of 8th-order, which was discretized by the Fourier-finite element method (FFEM). In order to apply the FFEM high-order filter to a local-domain data which is not represented with two-dimensional array, a rotation of coordinates was performed. The geometry of the rotated local domain was made to be either a polar cap (polar cap domain) or a symmetric window with respect to the Equator (Equatorial symmetric domain) to reduce the anisotropy of the local domains caused by the metric effect of spherical coordinates. The rotated local domains are extended by padding artificial data to match the boundary condition of vanishing gradient. The performance of the filters for the symmetric- or asymmetric- domain, was compared for both initial fields defined with an analytic function and the observed meteorological data. It turned out that the filters on the local domains with symmetry, i.e., the polar cap domain and the Equatorial symmetric domain, produced improved results over the local domains with asymmetry: Asymmetric error pattern between the northern and southern boundary, which is typical of the window domain defined on the middle latitude (or between the pole and the Equator), is reduced appreciably and the improvement is shown to become more significant for the window-domain closer to the pole. Through tests with wind fields, the performance of the filters on the polar cap domain and the Equatorial symmetric domain was found comparable to each other. The advantage of polar cap filter, being not available for the Equatorial symmetric domain filter, was illustrated by conducting a scale decomposition and composite analysis of the mean sea level pressure that requires the data manipulations such as a zonal averaging as well as azimuthal-phase shifting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects of fiber geometry, spacing, and loading rate on the pullout resistance of steel fibers in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). For this, three different types of steel fibers, four different fiber spacings, and three different loading rates ranging from 0.018 to 740 mm/s were considered. Test results indicated that the single straight fiber in UHPC was most rate sensitive for pullout resistance, followed by the single twisted and then hooked fibers. The bond strengths and pullout energy of specimens with multiple straight fibers were improved by increasing the loading rate but were not affected by fiber spacing. Closer fiber spacing had a detrimental effect on the dynamic pullout resistance of multiple hooked steel fibers in UHPC, while no enhancement of average bond strength of multiple twisted fibers was observed as fiber spacing and loading rate varied. The average bond strengths of single and bundled hooked and twisted steel fibers in UHPC were clearly improved by increasing the loading rate. Bundling of fibers enhanced the impact pullout resistance of all the steel fibers in UHPC. The highest dynamic increase factors for the bundled straight, hooked, and twisted fibers were approximately 3.78, 1.57, and 1.41, respectively, at the impact loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study suggests a simple three-step screening protocol for the selection of white rot fungi (WRF) capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which combines easily applicable bioassay techniques, and verifies that protocol by evaluating the PAH degradation activity, ligninolytic enzyme secretion, and relevant gene expressions of the selected PAH-degraders. Using 120 fungal strains, a sequence of bioassay techniques was applied: Bavendamm's reaction (Step 1), remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) decolorization (Step 2); assays for tolerance to four mixed PAHs—phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene (Step 3). This stepwise protocol selected 14 PAH-degrading WRF, including Microporus vernicipes, Peniophora incarnata, Perenniporia subacida, Phanerochaete sordida, Phlebia acerina, and Phlebia radiata. Of these, P. incarnata exhibited the highest PAH degradative activity, ranging from 40 to > 90%, which was related to the time-variable secretions of three extracellular ligninolytic enzymes: laccase, manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP). Laccase and MnP production by P. incarnata tended to be greater in the early stages of PAH degradation, whereas its LiP production became intensified with decreasing laccase and MnP production. Pilc1 and pimp1 genes encoding laccase and MnP were expressed, indicating the occurrence of extracellular enzyme-driven biodegradation of PAH by the fungal strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the flow characteristics around step-up street canyons with various building aspect ratios (ratio of along-canyon building length to street-canyon width, and upwind building height to downwind building height) using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Simulated results are validated against experimental wind-tunnel results, with the CFD simulations conducted under the same building configurations as those in the wind-tunnel experiments. The CFD model reproduces the measured in-canyon vortex, rooftop recirculation zone above the downwind building, and stagnation point position reasonably well. We analyze the flow characteristics, focusing on the structural change of the in-canyon flows and the interaction between the in- and around-canyon flows with the increase of building-length ratio. The in-canyon flows undergo development and mature stages as the building-length ratio increases. In the development stage (i.e., small building-length ratios), the position of the primary vortex wanders, and the incoming flow closely follows both the upstream and downstream building sidewalls. As a result, increasing momentum transfer from the upper layer contributes to a momentum increase in the in-canyon region, and the vorticity in the in-canyon region also increases. In the mature stage (i.e., large building-length ratios), the primary vortex stabilizes in position, and the incoming flow no longer follows the building sidewalls. This causes momentum loss through the street-canyon lateral boundaries. As the building-length ratio increases, momentum transfer from the upper layer slightly decreases, and the reverse flow, updraft, and streamwise flow in the in-canyon region also slightly decrease, resulting in vorticity reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is of great concern due to potential carcinogenic and mutagenic risks, as well as their resistance to remediation. While many fungi have been reported to break down PAHs in environments, the details of gene-based metabolic pathways are not yet comprehensively understood. Specifically, the genome-scale transcriptional responses of fungal PAH degradation have rarely been reported. In this study, we report the genomic and transcriptomic basis of PAH bioremediation by a potent fungal degrader, Dentipellis sp. KUC8613. The genome size of this fungus was 36.71 Mbp long encoding 14,320 putative protein-coding genes. The strain efficiently removed more than 90% of 100 mg/l concentration of PAHs within 10 days. The genomic and transcriptomic analysis of this white rot fungus highlights that the strain primarily utilized non-ligninolytic enzymes to remove various PAHs, rather than typical ligninolytic enzymes known for playing important roles in PAH degradation. PAH removal by non-ligninolytic enzymes was initiated by both different PAH-specific and common upregulation of P450s, followed by downstream PAH-transforming enzymes such as epoxide hydrolases, dehydrogenases, FAD-dependent monooxygenases, dioxygenases, and glycosyl- or glutathione transferases. Among the various PAHs, phenanthrene induced a more dynamic transcriptomic response possibly due to its greater cytotoxicity, leading to highly upregulated genes involved in the translocation of PAHs, a defense system against reactive oxygen species, and ATP synthesis. Our genomic and transcriptomic data provide a foundation of understanding regarding the mycoremediation of PAHs and the application of this strain for polluted environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the flow characteristics altered by Jang Bogo Antarctic Research Station using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. The topography and buildings around Jang Bogo Station were constructed with computer-aided-design data in the CFD model domain. We simulated 16 cases with different inflow directions, and compared the flow characteristics with and without Jang Bogo Station for each inflow direction. The wind data recorded by the site's automatic weather station (AWS) were used for comparison. Wind rose analysis showed that the wind speed and direction after the construction of Jang Bogo Station were quite different from those before construction. We also investigated how virtual wind fences would modify the flow patterns, changing the distance of the fence from the station as well as the porosity of the fence. For westerly inflows, when the AWS was downwind of Jang Bogo Station, the decrease in wind speed was maximized (−81% for west-northwesterly). The wind speed reduction was also greater as the distance of the fence was closer to Jang Bogo Station. With the same distance, the fence with medium porosity (25%-33%) maximized the wind speed reduction. These results suggest that the location and material of the wind fence should be selected carefully, or AWS data should be interpreted cautiously, for particular prevailing wind directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schwannomas (or neurilemmomas) of the tongue are benign, usually solitary, encapsulated masses derived from Schwann cells. Clinical evidence indicates that schwannoma is painless and slow growing. In general, schwannoma is treated by surgical excision. Here, we describe a case of schwannoma of the tongue, include a review of the literature from 1955 to 2016, and provide data on age, gender, location, presenting symptoms, size, and treatment methods. Case presentation: A 71-year-old female patient presented with a swelling at the base of the tongue of unknown duration. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) showed a large well-circumscribed solid mass and no significant lymph node enlargement. The mass was excised without removing overlying mucosa. Conclusions: The authors report a case of lingual schwannoma that was completely removed intraorally without preoperative biopsy. No sign or symptoms of recurrence were observed at 12 months postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to determine the gene responsible for beta-glucosidase (BGL) production and to generate a full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) of one of the putative BGL genes, which showed a significant expression level when Schizophyllum commune KUC9397 was grown in optimized medium. The relative expression levels of seven genes encoding BGL of S. commune KUC9397 were determined with real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR in cellulose-containing optimized medium (OM) compared to glucose-containing basal medium (BM). The most abundant transcript was bgl3a in OM. The transcript number of the bgl3a increased more than 57.60-fold when S. commune KUC9397 was grown on cellulose-containing OM compared to that on glucose-containing BM. The bgl3a was identified, and a deduced amino acid sequence of bgl3a shared homology (97%) with GH3 BGL of S. commune H4-8. This is the first report showing the transcription levels of genes encoding BGL and identification of full-length cDNA of glycoside hydrolase 3 (GH3) BGL from S. commune. Furthermore, this study is one of the steps for consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Comparison of the Diversity of Basidiomycetes from Dead Wood of the Manchurian fir (Abies holophylla) as Evaluated by Fruiting Body Collection, Mycelial Isolation, and 454 Sequencing" that was published in the August 30, 2015 issue is presented.

In this study, three different methods (fruiting body collection, mycelial isolation, and 454 sequencing) were implemented to determine the diversity of wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes from dead Manchurian fir ( Abies holophylla). The three methods recovered similar species richness (26 species from fruiting bodies, 32 species from mycelia, and 32 species from 454 sequencing), but Fisher's alpha, Shannon-Wiener, Simpson's diversity indices of fungal communities indicated fruiting body collection and mycelial isolation displayed higher diversity compared with 454 sequencing. In total, 75 wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes were detected. The most frequently observed species were Heterobasidion orientale (fruiting body collection), Bjerkandera adusta (mycelial isolation), and Trichaptum fusco-violaceum (454 sequencing). Only two species, Hymenochaete yasudae and Hypochnicium karstenii, were detected by all three methods. This result indicated that Manchurian fir harbors a diverse basidiomycetous fungal community and for complete estimation of fungal diversity, multiple methods should be used. Further studies are required to understand their ecology in the context of forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective effects of Dendropanax morbifera Lev. leaves (DM) against alcohol-induced liver injury in rat hepatocytes, and rats were investigated. Cell viability increased, and normally elevated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were reduced in cells treated with water extracts of DM (DMW) before ethanol treatment, compared with cells treated with 200 mM ethanol. DMW administration with ethanol resulted in prevention of ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity due to reductions of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. DMW supplementation reduced formation of malondialdehyde, and inhibited reductions of hepatic glutathione, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase levels, compared with rats administered ethanol, and suppressed expression of cytochrome P-450 2E1 that was elevated by ethanol administration. DMW reduced blood ethanol concentrations, and enhanced alcohol dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities that are typically decreased by ethanol administration, compared with ethanol-administered rats. DM exerted hepatoprotective effects against alcoholinduced hepatocyte injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We created a look-up table (LUT) based on the Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S) radiative transfer model, which reduces large errors in the surface reflectance retrieval under high solar zenith angle (SZA) conditions. The LUT was calculated in 10° SZA intervals containing pre-computed atmospheric correction coefficients as a function of discretized pre-defined input parameters. In order to validate the performance of the LUT, we compared the retrieved surface reflectance using the LUT against a retrieval performed using the simplified method of atmospheric correction (SMAC). These results were validated against MODIS reflectance data (MOD09). The surface reflectance obtained using the LUT was highly correlated with the MOD09, with a coefficient of determination (R) of 0.88 (red band) and 0.94 (NIR). The retrieved surface reflectance had a root mean-squared error of 0.0132 (red band) and 0.0191 (NIR). Accuracy of surface reflectance retrieved using our LUT with a 10° SZA interval was better than that of the obtained using SMAC. However, certain errors were still present particularly at high SZAs. In order to increase the accuracy at high SZAs, new LUT was computed with a finer SZA interval (5°) at high SZAs. In both red and NIR bands, the R, fine SZA interval LUT (0.92) were compared to the coarse SZA interval LUT (0.74) of around 65°. Additionally, the run time for surface reflectance retrievals with our LUT was almost comparable to that of the SMAC, an operational model. This study demonstrates that proper SZAs interval for making LUT in high SZA range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of building-roof cooling on flow and air temperature in 3D urban street canyons are numerically investigated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The aspect ratios of the building and street canyon considered are unity. For investigating the building-roof cooling effects, the building-roof temperatures are systematically changed. The traditional flow pattern including a portal vortex appears in the spanwise canyon. Compared with the case of the control run, there are minimal differences in flow pattern in the cases in which maximum building-roof cooling is considered. However, as the building roof becomes cooler, the mean kinetic energy increases and the air temperature decreases in the spanwise canyon. Building-roof cooling suppresses the upward and inward motions above the building roof, resultantly increasing the horizontal velocity near the roof level. The increase in wind velocity above the roof level intensifies the secondarily driven vortex circulation as well as the inward (outward) motion into (out of) the spanwise canyon. Finally, building-roof cooling reduces the air temperature in the spanwise canyon, supplying much relatively cool air from the streamwise canyon into the spanwise canyon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to evaluate the ability of white-rot fungi to decolorize dye effluents. A total of 222 isolates of white-rot fungi were initially investigated to assess their ability to decolorize chemically different synthetic dyes in solid medium, resulting in selection of 25 isolates including four isolates of Berkandera adusta, five isolates of Ceriporia lacerata, three isolates of Irpex lacteus, one isolate of Perenniporia fraxinea, ten isolates of Phanerochaete spp., one isolate of Phlebia radiata, and one isolate of Porostereum spadiceum. Of the 25 isolates, B. adusta KUC9065, C. lacerata KUC8090, P. calotricha KUC8003, and P. spadiceum KUC8602 were finally selected on the basis of their ability to decolorize synthetic dyes in liquid medium, and were used to decolorize industrial effluents. B. adusta KUC9065 increased the transmittance of visible light by 71-92 %. Decolorization of wastewater by B. adusta KUC9065 was probably caused by the lignin-modifying enzymes produced by the fungus. In addition, the acute toxicity to Daphnia magna decreased from 2.5 to 2.1 and from 3.5 to 2.6 toxic units over 24 and 48 h, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a relationship with one's parents is a fundamental social interaction and is a significant environmental factor in the long-term course of illness in schizophrenia. We explored subjective reports regarding the communicative relationship with parents and the implicit behavioral and neural responses of patients toward stimuli that referred to parents. Fourteen outpatients with schizophrenia and 15 healthy volunteers with living parents were scanned using a functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an imaginary sentence completion test that involved contemplation of their mothers and fathers. In patients with schizophrenia, subjective reports of better communicative fluency with one's mother were associated with faster response time and lower incomplete rate, reflecting favorable responses toward mothers. Relative to control participants, patients with schizophrenia demonstrated greater neural activation in the superior temporal sulcus and the parahippocampal gyrus for parental stimuli. When patients with schizophrenia contemplated their mothers, activities in these regions were associated with a level of negative symptoms or affective ambivalence in patients. The results indicated that parental cues are processed in a more socially driven manner, and that perceived communicative relationships with one's parents can be used to estimate implicit responses, especially in relation to mothers in patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, the findings of the current study suggest that affective ambivalence toward one's mother is one such implicit response and emphasize the importance of prudent family interventions in the psychiatric rehabilitation of patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated multi-decadal variability in the wind resource over the Republic of Korea using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale meteorological model. Mesoscale simulations were performed for the period from November 1981 to November 2010. The typical wind climatology over the Korean Peninsula, which is influenced by both continental and oceanic features, was represented by the physics-based mesoscale simulations. Winter had windier conditions with northwesterly flows, whereas less windy with southwesterly flows appeared in summer. The annual mean wind speeds over the Republic of Korea were approximately 2 m s with strong wind in mountainous areas, coastal areas, and islands. The multi-decadal variability in wind speed during the study period was characterized by significant increases (positive trend) over many parts of the study area, even though the various local trends appeared depending on the station locations. The longterm trend in the spatially averaged wind speed was approximately 0.002 m s yr. The annual frequency of daily mean wind speeds over 5 m s at the turbine hub height also increased during the study period throughout the Republic of Korea. The present study demonstrates that multi-decadal mesoscale simulations can be useful for climatological assessment of wind energy potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind speed is an important meteorological variable for various scientific communities. In this study, numerical mesoscale simulations were performed over the Republic of Korea in 2006, to produce wind information distributed homogeneously with space. Then, an attempt was made to statistically correct the simulated nearsurface wind speed using remotely sensed surface observations. The weak wind season (WWS, from May to October) and strong wind season (SWS, from November to April) were classified on the basis of the annual mean wind speed. Although the spatial features and monthly variation pattern of the near-surface wind speed were reasonably simulated in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, the simulations overestimated the observed values. To correct the simulated wind speeds, a regression-based statistical algorithm with different constants and coefficients for WWS and SWS was developed using match-up datasets of wind observations and satellitederived variables (land surface temperature and normalized difference water index). The corrected wind speeds showed reasonable performance for both WWS and SWS with respect to observed values. The monthly variation in the corrected wind speeds over the Republic of Korea also matched better with observations throughout the year, within a monthly bias range of approximately ± 0.2 m s. The proposed algorithm using remotely sensed surface observations may be useful for correcting simulated near-surface wind speeds and improving the accuracy of wind assessments over the Republic of Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Feeling sense of full immersion in computer-generated interactive environments often occurs when the user is enjoying the contents and physiologically and behaviorally responding to the events from that world as if they were real. In this state, the individual may feel embodied in the simulated world even more than in the real world. Although the method of interaction could influence this embodied state during immersive experiencing, the brain mechanism has not yet been investigated. Here we directly investigate brain activities related to an embodied state according to the type of interaction. Methods: Our method uses fMRI scanning during interaction with a virtual avatar using a real-action paradigm and using a simple button as a control task. Results: As the results, we observed the parietal lobe's laterality corresponded to the type of interaction, the left parietal lobe for action task and the right one for the button click condition. In addition, there was a correlation between the motor cortex activities and the co-presence score for realaction condition. The parietal lobe's laterality is related to transformation of self egocentrically or allocentrically from a 1st or 3rd person perspective. Conclusions: Our results provide direct evidence for the involvement of a 1st person perspective embodiment process into a simulated world, particularly into self-avatar, when individual experiences involve a more real-action based interaction method. In contrast, when interacting with simple button-click method, the 3rd person perspective simulation process is recruited for the interaction by controlling the self-avatar rather than experience by oneself with the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar surface insolation (SSI) represents how much solar radiance reaches the Earth's surface in a specified area and is an important parameter in various fields such as surface energy research, meteorology, and climate change. This study calculates insolation using Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT-1R) data with a simplified cloud factor over Northeast Asia. For SSI retrieval from the geostationary satellite data, the physical model of Kawamura is modified to improve insolation estimation by considering various atmospheric constituents, such as Rayleigh scattering, water vapor, ozone, aerosols, and clouds. For more accurate atmospheric parameterization, satellite-based atmospheric constituents are used instead of constant values when estimating insolation. Cloud effects are a key problem in insolation estimation because of their complicated optical characteristics and high temporal and spatial variation. The accuracy of insolation data from satellites depends on how well cloud attenuation as a function of geostationary channels and angle can be inferred. This study uses a simplified cloud factor that depends on the reflectance and solar zenith angle. Empirical criteria to select reference data for fitting to the ground station data are applied to suggest simplified cloud factor methods. Insolation estimated using the cloud factor is compared with results of the unmodified physical model and with observations by ground-based pyranometers located in the Korean peninsula. The modified model results show far better agreement with ground truth data compared to estimates using the conventional method under overcast conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

new Tropical Cyclone (TC) initialization method with the structure adjustable bogus vortex was applied to the forecasts of track, central pressure, and wind intensity for the 417 TCs observed in the Western North Pacific during the 3-year period of 2005-2007. In the simulations the Final Analyses (FNL) with 1° × 1° resolution of National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) were incorporated as initial conditions. The present method was shown to produce improved forecasts over those without the TC initialization and those made by Regional Specialized Meteorological Center Tokyo. The average track (central pressure, wind intensity) errors were as small as 78.0 km (11.4 hPa, 4.9 m s) and 139.9 km (12.4 hPa, 5.5 m s) for 24-h and 48-h forecasts, respectively. It was found that the forecast errors are almost independent on the size and intensity of the observed TCs because the size and intensity of the bogus vortex can be adjusted to fit the best track data. The results of this study indicate that a bogus method is useful in predicting simultaneously the track, central pressure, and intensity with accuracy using a dynamical forecast model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on morphological examination, two species of Polyporus, P. dictyopus, and P. tuberaster, were identified, which constitutes the first record of these species in South Korea. To confirm their affinity within the genus Polyporus, the phylogenetic relationships of Polyporus and allied genera were established from nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (nLSU rDNA) sequences, and a morphological diagnostic key is presented to clarify the Korean species of Polyporus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, the effects of street-bottom and building-roof heating on flow in three-dimensional street canyons are investigated. The building and street-canyon aspect ratios are one. In the presence of street-bottom heating, as the street-bottom heating intensity increases, the mean kinetic energy increases in the spanwise street canyon formed by the upwind and downwind buildings but decreases in the lower region of the streamwise street canyon. The increase in momentum due to buoyancy force intensifies mechanically induced flow in the spanwise street canyon. The vorticity in the spanwise street canyon strengthens. The temperature increase is not large because relatively cold above-roof-level air comes into the spanwise street canyon. In the presence of both street-bottom and building-roof heating, the mean kinetic energy rather decreases in the spanwise street canyon. This is caused by the decrease in horizontal flow speed at the roof level, which results in the weakening of the mean flow circulation in the spanwise street canyon. It is found that the vorticity in the spanwise street canyon weakens. The temperature increase is relatively large compared with that in the street-bottom heating case, because relatively warm above-roof-level air comes into the spanwise street canyon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of a building’s density on urban flows are investigated using a CFD model with the RNG κ - ɛ turbulence closure scheme. Twenty-seven cases with different building’s density parameters (e.g., building and street-canyon aspect ratios) are numerically simulated. As the building’s density parameters vary, different flow regimes appear. When the street canyon is relatively narrow and high, two counterrotating vortices in the vertical direction are generated. The wind speed along streets is mainly affected by the building’s length. However, it is very difficult to find or generalize the characteristics of the street-canyon flows in terms of a single building’s density parameter. This is because the complicated flow patterns appear due to the variation of the vortex structure and vortex number. Volume-averaged vorticity magnitude is a very good indicator to reflect the flow characteristics despite the strong dependency of flows on the variation of the building’s density parameters. Multi-linear regression shows that the volume-averaged vorticity magnitude is a strong function of the building’s length and the street-canyon width. The increase in the building’s length decreases the vorticity of the street-canyon flow, while, the increase in the streetcanyon width increases the vorticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of surface modification on the fibrovascular ingrowth into porous polyethylene (PE) spheres (Medpor®), which are used as an anophthalmic socket implant material. To make the inert, hydrophobic PE surface hydrophilic, nonporous PE film and porous PE spheres were subjected to plasma treatment and in situ acrylic acid (AA) grafting followed by the immobilization of arginine-glycineaspartic acid (RGD) peptide. The surface-modified PE was evaluated by performing surface analyses and tested for fibroblast adhesion and proliferation in vitro. In addition, the porous PE implants were inserted for up to 3 weeks in the abdominal area of rabbits and, after their retrieval, the level of fibrovascular ingrowth within the implants was assessed in vivo. As compared to the unmodified PE control, a significant increase in the hydrophilicity of both the AA-grafted (PE- g-PAA) and RGD-immobilized PE (PE- g-RGD) was observed by the measurement of the water contact angle. The cell adhesion at 72 h was most notable in the PE- g-RGD, followed by the PE- g-PAA and PE control. There was no significant difference between the two modified surfaces. When the cross-sectional area of tissue ingrowth in vivo was evaluated, the area of fibrovascularization was the largest with PE- g-RGD. The results of immunostaining of CD31, which is indicative of the degree of vascularization, showed that the RGD-immobilized surface could elicit more widespread fibrovascularization within the porous PE implants. This work demonstrates that the present surface modifications, viz. hydrophilic AA grafting and RGD peptide immobilization, can be very effective in inducing fibrovascular ingrowth into porous PE implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable nanofibrous poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffold was prepared by an electrospinning process for use in tissue regeneration. The nanofiber scaffold was treated with oxygen plasma and then simultaneously in situ grafted with hydrophilic acrylic acid (AA) to obtain PLLA- g-PAA. The fiber diameter, pore size, and porosity of the electrospun nanofibrous PLLA scaffold were estimated as 250∼750 nm, ∼30 µm, and 95%, respectively. The ultimate tensile strength was 1.7 MPa and the percent elongation at break was 120%. Although the physical and mechanical properties of the PLLA- g-PAA scaffold were comparable to those of the PLLA control, a significantly lower contact angle and significantly higher ratio of oxygen to carbon were notable on the PLLA- g-PAA surface. After the fibroblasts were cultured for up to 6 days, cell adhesion and proliferation were much improved on the nanofibrous PLLA- g-PAA scaffold than on either PLLA film or unmodified nanofibrous PLLA scaffold. The present work demonstrated that the applications of plasma treatment and hydrophilic AA grafting were effective to modify the surface of electrospun nanofibrous polymer scaffolds and that the altered surface characteristics significantly improved cell adhesion and proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of street bottom heating and inflow turbulence on urban street-canyon flow are experimentally investigated using a circulating water channel. Three experiments are carried out for a street canyon with a street aspect ratio of 1. Results from each experiment with bottom heating or inflow turbulence are compared with those without bottom heating and appreciable inflow turbulence. It is demonstrated that street bottom heating or inflow turbulence increases the intensity of the canyon vortex. A possible explanation on how street bottom heating or inflow turbulence intensifies the canyon vortex is given from a fluid dynamical viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical model was formulated to simulate cadmium (Cd) transport under an electric field using one-dimensional diffusion-advection equations describing the contaminant transport driven by chemical and electrical gradients in kaolinite clay. The numerical model included complex physicochemical factors affecting the transport phenomena, such as soil pH value, zeta potential, aqueous phase reaction, adsorption, and precipitation. One-dimensional finite-difference computer models successfully predicted meaningful values for soil pH profiles and Cd concentration profiles. To verify the results of the proposed model by comparing them with experimental results, two different types of laboratory electrokinetic tests, unenhanced and enhanced tests, were conducted. The numerical and the experimental results showed good agreement. In addition, those results indicate that soil pH is the most important factor in governing the dissolution and/or desorption of Cd in the soil system under electrical fields. The removal efficiency of Cd in the unenhanced test was low (15.6%) due to a high accumulation in the region near the cathode. On the contrary, the cadmium concentration profile of the enhanced test showed a different pattern, and most of the residual concentrations appeared below the initial level at each local point within the soil cell after processing. The removal efficiency of the enhanced test was much higher (42.7%) than that of the unenhanced test, resulting from the prevention of hydroxide precipitation near the cathode using the acidic catholyte. Consequently, the result implies that the enhancement schemes such as conditioning of catholyte should be required to increase the effectiveness of the electrokinetic technology in removing metal contaminants from soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-transformable and blood compatible devices of sulfonated poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate diblock copolymer (PEG-SO3A/OA) with hydrophilic and hydrophobic block entrapped to polysulfone membrane surface were investigated in terms of the degree of hydrophilicity. The asymmetric membrane was formed by phase inversion process, and the induced hydrophilicity by reorientation of diblock copolymer at interface was verified with contact angle measurement, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) depth profiling with ion sputtering and platelet adhesion test. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for the interface of hydration layer were also performed with various hydrophilic copolymer densities to gain optimum interfacial structure in information. The dependency of water clustering behavior around diblock copolymers as a hydrophilicity parameter was described in terms of atom-atom radial distribution function (RDF). The results showed that the diblock copolymer entrapped surfaces demonstrated less platelet adhesion than control or copolymers having no hydrophobic blocks. In addition, oxygen composition significantly began to decrease deeper into the membrane, indicating the reorientation of diblock chains. Copolymer entrapped surfaces significantly induced the degree of water clustering, and the resulting equilibrium rearrangement of interfacial structures was distinctly dependent upon the density of copolymer. Taken together, the results show that the novel concept of in situ self-transformable surface modification strategy was successfully developed for biocompatible ultrathin biomedical membrane device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glass-ball-inserted membrane module has been designed to enhance the filtration of a flat-sheet membrane. Three different modes of filtration experiments were conducted and compared to demonstrate the flux enhancement due to the presence of glass balls: normal dead-end filtration, vortex flow filtration, and enhanced vortex flow filtration using glass balls. In the case of enhanced vortex flow filtration, the permeate flux was found to be three times as large as that of dead-end filtration and two times larger than vortex flow filtration. In addition, the flux decline was observed to be relatively low. The effect of the amount of glass balls on the permeate flux was also investigated by changing the glass ball volume fraction from 0.059 to 0.356. It has been observed that the permeate flux shows a maximum value of the volume fraction of 0.119. For the glass-ball-inserted membrane module, the permeate flux tends to increase with the feed flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the cognitive and cerebral function of adolescents with conduct problems by neuropsychological battery (STIM) and event-related potential (ERP). Eighteen adolescents with conduct disorder, and 18 age-matched normal subjects were included. Such cognitive functions as attention, memory, executive function and problem solving were evaluated using subtests of STIM. ERP was measured using an auditory oddball paradigm. The conduct group showed a significantly lower hit rate on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) than the control group. In addition, the conduct group showed reduced P300 amplitude at Fz and Cz, and prolonged P300 latency at Fz, and there was a significant correlation between P300 amplitude and Stroop test performance. These results indicate that adolescents with conduct problems have impairments of executive function and inhibition, and that these impairments are associated with frontal dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leisure activity is one of key ingredients for individual happiness and life satisfaction. Enjoying leisure activity with one's partner can increase marital satisfaction. This study aimed to identify the neural basis of making decisions on participation in a leisure activity with one's romantic partner as well as the relationship between leisure activity and satisfaction with life. Thirty-seven soon-to-be married heterosexual couples were participated in functional MRI while deciding participation in specific leisure activities in the individual, partner, with-friend, and with-partner conditions. We constructed analysis of variance models and investigated couple characteristics such as personality similarity, leisure activity matching rate, and spatial similarity in the bilateral frontoparietal network. The results showed decreased activity in the bilateral hippocampus during the task in the with-partner condition. Individual leisure activity was correlated with quality of life in males, whereas participation in leisure activity might require more cognitive loading on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in females. The leisure activity matching rate was correlated with courtship period, personality similarity, and spatial similarity of the right frontoparietal network during the task. These findings suggest that although there are different activation pattern in making decisions on leisure activity between romantic couples, spatial similarity of the partner's social brain networks may be a marker that predicts how well the couple enjoys leisure activity together. In addition, our couples' data analysis provides a scientific basis for the saying that romantic couples become more similar the longer they are together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasion of Spartina spp. in tidal salt marshes may affect the function and characteristics of the ecosystem. Previous studies reported that the invasion alters biogeochemical and microbial processes in marsh ecosystems, yet our knowledge of changing archaeal community due to the invasion is still limited, whereas archaeal communities play a pivotal role in biogeochemical cycles within highly reduced marsh soils. In this study, we aimed to illustrate the influences of the Spartina anglica invasion on soil archaeal community and the depth profile of the influences. The relative abundance of archaeal phyla demonstrated that the invasion substantially shifted the characteristics of tidal salt marsh from marine to terrestrial soil only in surface layer, while the influences indirectly propagated to the deeper soil layer. In particular, two archaeal phyla, Asgardaeota and Diapherotrites, were strongly influenced by the invasion, indicating a shift from marine to terrestrial archaeal communities. The shifts in soil characteristics spread to the deeper soil layer that results in indirect propagation of the influences of the invasion down to the deeper soil, which was underestimated in previous studies. The changes in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon and salinity were the substantial regulating factors for that. Therefore, changes in biogeochemical and microbial characteristics in the deep soil layer, which is below the root zone of the invasive plant, should be accounted for a more accurate illustration of the consequences of the invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]