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Although short-term feeding studies demonstrated effects of grains, fiber, and gluten on gut microbiome composition, the impact of habitual intake of these dietary factors is poorly understood. We examined whether habitual intakes of whole and refined grains, fiber, and gluten are associated with gut microbiota in a cross-sectional study. This study included 779 participants from the multi-ethnic Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation study. Bacterial 16SV4 rRNA gene from baseline stool was amplified and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. Read clustering and taxonomic assignment was performed using QIIME2. Usual dietary intake was assessed by a 137-item food frequency questionnaire. Association of diet with gut microbiota was assessed with respect to overall composition and specific taxon abundances. Whole grain intake was associated with overall composition, as measured by the Jensen–Shannon divergence (multivariable-adjusted Ptrend for quartiles = 0.03). The highest intake quartile was associated with higher abundance of Bacteroides plebeius, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Blautia producta, and Erysipelotrichaceae and lower abundance of Bacteroides uniformis. These bacteria also varied by dietary fiber intake. Higher refined grain and gluten intake was associated with lower Shannon diversity (Ptrend < 0.05). These findings suggest that whole grain and dietary fiber are associated with overall gut microbiome structure, largely fiber-fermenting microbiota. Higher refined grain and gluten intakes may be associated with lower microbial diversity. Significance: Regular consumption of whole grains and dietary fiber was associated with greater abundance of gut bacteria that may lower risk of colorectal cancer. Further research on the association of refined grains and gluten with gut microbial composition is needed to understand their roles in health and disease.

Background and objective: There have been increasing correlations between the keywords 'carbon' and 'tree' in response to issues related to climate change adaptation. Given this, a study that explores how these keywords relate to issues on climate change adaptation would be significant contribution to the literature. Therefore, this study aims to determine the correlation between these keywords and their network.Methods: To address the aim, the study employed a bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer software to conduct network-mapping interface analysis using co-occurrence-based visualization and quantification. A two-step approach was applied: the first approach identifies recent driver changes of the keywords 'carbon' and 'tree' and further meaningful keywords. The second approach conducts an in-depth network mapping analysis based on the results drawn by the first approach.Results: The results suggested that, first, 'carbon' and 'tree' were shown to reflect the assessment system and contemporary issues based on the keywords 'carbon sequestration' and 'climate change.' In addition, 'biomass,' 'tree growth,' 'tree ring' and 'trade-off' were shown to be important keywords, which indicated the need for an in-depth correlation analysis. Second, 'biomass' was the key factor in the assessment system for 'carbon sequestration,' in which 'tree growth' and 'tree ring' were included. Third, the network analysis did not report varying results on 'trade-off' compared to 'carbon' and 'tree' with respect to the basic issues on climate change.Conclusion: The conventional assessment system based on the keywords 'carbon' and 'tree' should be improved by incorporating the issues drawn from the keywords 'biomass' and 'trade-off' so that it may reflect the latest contemporary needs. The network analysis on the keywords 'carbon' and 'tree' nevertheless indicated that the two keywords were at the centre of the latest contemporary issues and the assessment system.

A disproportionately high number of deadly crash-incidents involve fire-tanker rollovers during emergency response driving. Most of these rollover incidents occur at dangerous horizontal curves ("curves") due to unsafe speed. This study examined the effects of a curve speed warning system (CSWS) on fire tanker drivers' emergency response behavior to develop system improvement suggestions.Twenty-four firefighters participated in driving tests using a simulator. A fire tanker model, carrying a full tank of water, was used in emergency driving tests performed with and without CSWS. The CSWS was designed using the algorithm for passenger vehicles with a few initial modifications considering the unique requirements of heavy fire tanker and emergency driving.The results indicated that the CSWS was effective in issuing preemptive warnings when the drivers were approaching curves with unsafe speed during emergency response. Warnings occurred more frequently at curves with smaller radius. Although the CSWS improved driving performance, it did not significantly reduce the number of rollover events. A detailed analysis of the rollover events provided suggestions for improvement of CSWS algorithms.To further improve the CSWS algorithm, the following may be considered: including increased safety speed margin below the rollover critical speed, moving the speed warning trigger from the curve apex to the curve entry point, extending the safe speed-control zone to cover the entire curve, and employing artificial intelligence to accommodate individual driving styles.Fire tankers continue to be at increased risk of rollover during emergency response due to unsafe negotiation of dangerous curves. Development and use of advanced driver assist systems such as CSWS evaluated in this study may be an effective strategy to prevent deadly rollover crash-incidents. The knowledge generated by this study will be useful for system designers to improve the CSWS specifically designed for heavy emergency vehicles.

S1. Gut microbiome alpha- and beta-diversity according to energy-adjusted quartiles of dietary fiber intake in the Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation (FAMiLI).S2. Gut microbiome alpha- and beta-diversity according to energy-adjusted quartiles of whole grain intake in the Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation (FAMiLI), stratified by race/ethnicity.S3. Gut microbiome alpha- and beta-diversity according to energy-adjusted quartiles of whole grain intake in the Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation (FAMiLI).S4. Gut microbiome alpha- and beta-diversity according to energy-adjusted quartiles of whole grain intake in the Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation (FAMiLI), excluding participants with self-reported inflammatory bowel disease (N=21) at enrollment.S5. Gut microbiome alpha- and beta-diversity according to energy-adjusted quartiles of refined grain (with sweets/desserts) intake in the Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation (FAMiLI).S6. Gut microbiome alpha- and beta-diversity according to energy-adjusted quartiles of gluten (with sweets/desserts) intake in the Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation (FAMiLI).

Although short-term feeding studies demonstrated effects of grains, fiber, and gluten on gut microbiome composition, the impact of habitual intake of these dietary factors is poorly understood. We examined whether habitual intakes of whole and refined grains, fiber, and gluten are associated with gut microbiota in a cross-sectional study. This study included 779 participants from the multi-ethnic Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation study. Bacterial 16SV4 rRNA gene from baseline stool was amplified and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. Read clustering and taxonomic assignment was performed using QIIME2. Usual dietary intake was assessed by a 137-item food frequency questionnaire. Association of diet with gut microbiota was assessed with respect to overall composition and specific taxon abundances. Whole grain intake was associated with overall composition, as measured by the Jensen–Shannon divergence (multivariable-adjusted Ptrend for quartiles = 0.03). The highest intake quartile was associated with higher abundance of Bacteroides plebeius, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Blautia producta, and Erysipelotrichaceae and lower abundance of Bacteroides uniformis. These bacteria also varied by dietary fiber intake. Higher refined grain and gluten intake was associated with lower Shannon diversity (Ptrend < 0.05). These findings suggest that whole grain and dietary fiber are associated with overall gut microbiome structure, largely fiber-fermenting microbiota. Higher refined grain and gluten intakes may be associated with lower microbial diversity.Significance:Regular consumption of whole grains and dietary fiber was associated with greater abundance of gut bacteria that may lower risk of colorectal cancer. Further research on the association of refined grains and gluten with gut microbial composition is needed to understand their roles in health and disease.

Background: This study aimed to explore the long-term management of diabetes patients in domestic general hospitals by reviewing 2013 and 2018 data on diabetes management status.Methods: Of 1,802 type 2 diabetes patients who received outpatient treatment at nine general hospitals in Korea and who participated in the 2013 study, 1,124 were enrolled in this study. General characteristics, comorbidities, complications, and management were investigated through medical records.Results: The average age of the subjects was 65.4 ± 10.6 years, the average duration of diabetes mellitus was 15.6 ± 8.0 years, and 58.2% of the subjects had a family history of diabetes. Concomitant diseases were hypertension in 63.0% and dyslipidemia in 78.8%. Diabetic retinopathy was observed in 31.5%, nephropathy in 24.6%, and neuropathy in 24.5%. The mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level was 7.4 ± 2.2% and according to Korean Diabetes Association guidelines, 20.4% of patients with diabetes achieved a HbA1c level of < 6.5%, 70.1% achieved a blood pressure of < 140/85 mm Hg, and 77.1% achieved a low density lipoprotein cholesterol level of < 100 mg/dL. The target achievement rate was 12.5% for blood sugar, blood pressure, and lipid parameters.Conclusion: In diabetes management, blood sugar control was poor compared to blood pressure and lipid control. A systematic management plan is needed to ensure proper blood sugar control.

This paper focuses on the character of multi-level pedestrian accessibility and walkability within the public and quasi-public realm in Hong Kong, using the particular case of the redevelopment of Taikoo Place in Quarry Bay. In an era when the value of public space as a space for public activity and debate is coming under increasing scrutiny, both in Hong Kong and internationally, this paper explores multi-level interior and exterior public and quasi-public realm, as a hybrid form of interior open and transit space in a commercial setting that has becomes a central part of the city’s planning, designed to both serve and profit from the high level of pedestrian traffic. This paper draws on empirical research of pedestrian behaviour patterns to interrogate the value and significance of linked-spaces within commercial districts, both to the users and the real estate travelled through, using the city of Hong Kong as a reference and the specific case of Taikoo Place.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that tobacco smoking, a well-known driver of carcinogenesis, influences the gut microbiome; however, these relationships remain understudied in diverse populations. Thus, we performed an analysis of smoking and the gut microbiome in a subset of 803 adults from the multi-ethnic NYU FAMiLI study. Methods: We assessed fecal microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and clustered samples into Amplicon Sequence Variants using QIIME2. We evaluated inferred microbial pathway abundance using PICRUSt. We compared population β-diversity, and relative taxonomic and functional pathway abundance, between never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers. Results: We found that the overall composition of the fecal microbiome in former and current smokers differs significantly from that of never smokers. The taxa Prevotella and Veillonellaceae were enriched in current and former smokers, whereas the taxa Lachnospira and Tenericutes were depleted, relative to never smokers. These shifts were consistent across racial and ethnic subgroups. Relative to never smokers, the abundance of taxa enriched in current smokers were positively correlated with the imputed abundance of pathways involving smoking-associated toxin breakdown and response to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Conclusions: Our findings suggest common mechanisms of smoking associated microbial change across racial subgroups, regardless of initial microbiome composition. The correlation of these differentials with ROS exposure pathways may suggest a role for these taxa in the known association between smoking, ROS and carcinogenesis. Impact: Smoking shifts in the microbiome may be independent of initial composition, stimulating further studies on the microbiome in carcinogenesis and cancer prevention.

The balance between T helper type 1 (Th1) cells and other Th cells is critical for antiviral and anti-tumor responses, but how this fine balance is achieved remains poorly understood. Here, we dissected the dynamic regulation of Th1 cell differentiation during in vitro polarization, as well as in vivo differentiation upon acute viral infection, using scRNA-seq and multiple in vitro and in vivo CRISPR screens. We confirmed the role of known regulators and identified 5 novel regulators for Th1 differentiation. Among the novel regulators the neuropeptide receptor RAMP3, which is a component of the receptor for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), plays a cell-intrinsic role in Th1 cell-fate determination. Using a unique Th1/Th2 dichotomous culture system, we identified that RAMP3-CGRP interaction directly restricted the differentiation of Th2 cells but promoted Th1 differentiation through activation of downstream cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling in T cells. Mechanistically, RAMP3 and cAMP signaling resulted in global changes in chromatin accessibility, blocking Th2 genes and specific induction of Th1 programs through activation of IFNγ-STAT1 pathway. Furthermore, both CGRP and RAMP3 were required for inducing effective anti-viral T cell responses to control acute viral infection. Our work reveals a novel neuro-immune circuit in which tissue itself participates in T cell fate determination by producing a neuropeptide during acute viral infection, which acts on RAMP3 expressing T cells to induce an effective anti-viral Th1 response.

This study attempts to identify the direction of urban regeneration projects in declining areas by using the concept of urban resilience to cope with climate change and disaster. To this end, urban resilience was classified into a Green Resilient Infrastructure (GRI) and an Interactive Safety System (ISS), through a review of previous studies, and categorized into vulnerability, adaptability, and transformability. A total of 12 detailed indicators were derived and indexed using Euclidean distance. Using the indicators, three Korean urban regeneration targets, in Daegu, Mokpo, and Seosan, were selected to evaluate resilience before and after the urban regeneration plan. Consequently, the postplanning resilience index improved in all three target sites, compared to before the regeneration plan. Additionally, previously the regeneration plan showed lower index values in comparison to places not designated as urban regeneration areas. These results suggest that urban resilience needs to be considered in future urban regeneration projects, and that resilience indicators can be used as a means to set the direction of urban regeneration projects. To improve the overall resilience of a region, these indices can help local government establish a reference point for urban resilience in its region.

A curve speed warning system (CSWS) for firetrucks was developed and tested in this study. The CSWS algorithm was developed based on guidelines in the public domain for general vehicles and modified for firetrucks for their configuration and emergency driving. Twenty-four firefighters participated in the test in a driving simulator. The results show that the CSWS was effective in issuing preemptive warnings when the drivers were approaching curves with unsafe speed during emergency responses. Drivers reduced their driving speed at curve approaching and entering phases for most challenging curves, without affecting the overall time in completing the test route. Drivers had reduced number of severe braking and decreased average in-curve distance traveled over the safety speed limits, when the CSWS was in use. Drivers also rated the CSWS as assisting, effective and useful. In summary, the CSWS can enhance firetruck safety during emergency driving without sacrificing drivers’ precious response time.

The extensive, diverse communities that constitute the microbiome are increasingly appreciated as important regulators of human health and disease through inflammatory, immune, and metabolic pathways. We sought to elucidate pathways by which microbiota contribute to inflammatory, autoimmune cardiac disease. We employed an animal model of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), which results in inflammatory and auto-immune pathophysiology and subsequent maladaptive cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Antibiotic dysbiosis protected mice from EAM and fibrotic cardiac dysfunction. Additionally, mice derived from different sources with different microbiome colonization profiles demonstrated variable susceptibility to disease. Unexpectedly, it did not track with segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB)-driven Th17 programming of CD4+ T cells in the steady-state gut. Instead, we found disease susceptibility to track with presence of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s). Ablating ILCs by antibody depletion or genetic tools in adoptive transfer variants of the EAM model demonstrated that ILCs and microbiome profiles contributed to the induction of CCL20/CCR6-mediated inflammatory chemotaxis to the diseased heart. From these data, we conclude that sensing of the microbiome by ILCs is an important checkpoint in the development of inflammatory cardiac disease processes through their ability to elicit cardiotropic chemotaxis.

The trans-activator Tat protein of HIV-1 belongs to the large family of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), and is known to recruit various host proteins for the transactivation of viral RNA synthesis. Tat protein interacts with the transactivator response RNA (TAR RNA), exhibiting RNA chaperone activities for structural rearrangement of interacting RNAs. Here, considering that Tat-TAR RNA interaction is mutually cooperative, we examined the potential role of TAR RNA as Chaperna – RNA that provides chaperone function to proteins - for the folding of HIV-1 Tat. Using EGFP fusion as an indirect indicator for folding status, we monitored Tat-EGFP folding in HeLa cells via time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. The live cell imaging showed that the rate and the extent of folding of Tat-EGFP were stimulated by TAR RNA. The purified Tat-EGFP was denatured and the fluorescence was monitored in vitro under renaturation condition. The fluorescence was significantly increased by TAR RNA, and the mutations in TAR RNA that affected the interaction with Tat protein failed to promote Tat refolding. The results suggest that TAR RNA stabilizes Tat as unfolded, but prevents it from misfolding, and maintaining its folding competence for interaction with multiple host factors toward its transactivation. The Chaperna function of virally encoded RNA in establishing proteome link at the viral-host interface provides new insights to as yet largely unexplored RNA mediated protein folding in normal and dysregulated cellular metabolism.

Little is known regarding the impact of immigrant acculturation on the gut microbiome. We characterized differences in the gut microbiome between racially/ethnically diverse US immigrant and US-born groups, and determined the impact of dietary acculturation on the microbiome. Stool samples were collected from 863 US residents, including US-born (315 White, 93 Black, 40 Hispanic) and foreign-born (105 Hispanic, 264 Korean) groups. We determined dietary acculturation from dissimilarities based on food frequency questionnaires, and used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the microbiome. Gut microbiome composition differed across study groups, with the largest difference between foreign-born Koreans and US-born Whites, and significant differences also observed between foreign-born and US-born Hispanics. Differences in sub-operational taxonomic unit (s-OTU) abundance between foreign-born and US-born groups tended to be distinct from differences between US-born groups. Bacteroides plebeius, a seaweed-degrading bacterium, was strongly enriched in foreign-born Koreans, while Prevotella copri and Bifidobacterium adolescentis were strongly enriched in foreign-born Koreans and Hispanics, compared with US-born Whites. Dietary acculturation in foreign-born participants was associated with specific s-OTUs, resembling abundance in US-born Whites; e.g., a Bacteroides plebeius s-OTU was depleted in highly diet-acculturated Koreans. In summary, we observed that US nativity is a determinant of the gut microbiome in a US resident population. Dietary acculturation may result in loss of native species in immigrants, though further research is necessary to explore whether acculturation-related microbiome alterations have consequences for immigrant health.

Introduction: Risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are known to increase with duration and generations of U.S. residence, though it remains unclear how living in the U.S. negatively impacts immigrant health. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that dietary acculturation, or shifting of dietary patterns towards a native U.S. pattern, contributes to the disease risk transition in immigrants, via modulation of the gut microbiome. Methods: We characterized disparities in the gut microbiome between racially/ethnically diverse U.S. immigrant and U.S.-born groups, and determined the impact of dietary acculturation on the microbiome. Stool samples were collected from 863 U.S. residents, including U.S.-born (315 White, 93 Black, 40 Hispanic) and foreign-born (105 Hispanic, 264 Korean) groups. We determined dietary acculturation from dissimilarities based on food frequency questionnaires ( Figure 1a ), and used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the microbiome. Results: Gut microbiome composition differed across study groups, with the largest difference between foreign-born Koreans and U.S.-born Whites ( Figure 1b ). Bacteroides plebeius , a seaweed-degrading bacterium, was strongly enriched in foreign-born Koreans, while Prevotella copri and Bifidobacterium adolescentis were strongly enriched in foreign-born Koreans and Hispanics, compared with U.S.-born Whites. Dietary acculturation in foreign-born participants was associated with specific sub-operational taxonomic units (s-OTUs), resembling abundance in U.S.-born Whites ( Figure 1c-d ); e.g., a Bacteroides plebeius s-OTU was depleted in highly diet-acculturated Koreans. Conclusions: Dietary acculturation may result in loss of native species in immigrants. Longitudinal research is necessary to determine the role that acculturation-related microbiome changes may play in immigrant and racial/ethnic health disparities.

To achieve real-time simulations for flexible multibody dynamics (FMBD) systems, we suggest data-driven modeling based on deep neural networks (DNNs). While a DNN can represent system dynamics accurately, two main factors of FMBD systems require demanding computational costs for training a DNN. One is a fine discretization of flexible bodies, which produces a large number of training data. The other is the nonlinearity of FMBD, which requires train DNN models to have numerous weight and bias parameters. To overcome these difficulties, we propose a data-driven modeling algorithm for training a DNN efficiently that consists of two steps. First, sets of randomly chosen coarse data sequentially train a DNN model. This helps speed up the training process, even for highly parametrized DNNs. At some point, the model no longer improves, and introducing an error correction step increases the performance of the model. The proposed algorithm is easy to employ and utilizes an efficient size of training data while achieving high performance of the DNN as demonstrated by numerical examples.

Whole grains are recommended as part of a healthy dietary pattern for the prevention of chronic diseases, including colorectal cancer. Greater whole grain consumption may beneficially alter gut microbiota, and it is unclear if gluten, a protein component of grains, is also associated with altered microbiota. To examine the association between grain, gluten, and fiber intake with gut microbiota, we analyzed data from the ongoing prospective Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation Study. This cross-sectional analysis included 300 men and 501 women of White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian race/ethnicity who completed a 137-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Gluten intake was estimated using the protein content of grain products. Bacterial 16S rRNA genes from stool samples collected via RNAlater tubes were amplified, sequenced, and assigned to bacterial taxa. We examined associations of whole and refined grain, gluten, and dietary fiber intakes with gut microbiota diversity and composition using multivariable-adjusted linear regression models and permutational multivariate analysis of variance, respectively, and with microbial taxa abundance using analysis of composition of microbiomes (ANCOM). In this diverse study population, the highest quartiles of energy-adjusted refined grain and gluten intake, when compared to the lowest quartiles, were associated with lower Shannon diversity (P-trend=0.03 and P-trend=0.01, respectively), but no other associations with alpha- or beta-diversity measures were observed. The highest quartile of dietary fiber was not associated with alpha-diversity measures but was associated with shifts in overall gut microbial composition (P-trend=0.02). Whole grain intake was not statistically significantly associated with these microbiome parameters. However, the highest quartile of whole grain intake, compared to the lowest quartile, was associated with greater abundance of several gut taxa, including classes Erysipelotrichi (family Erysipelotrichaceae), Clostridia (genus Faecalibacterium and Lachnospira), and Bacteroidia (Bacteroides plebeius). Higher whole grain intake was also associated with lower abundance of classes Bacteroidia (family Rikenellaceae and Bacteroides uniformis) and Clostridia (genus Oscillospira and Ruminococcus). Similarly, the highest quartile of dietary fiber intake was associated with greater abundance of classes Erysipelotrichi (family Erysipelotrichaceae) and Clostridia (genus Lachnospira) and lower abundance of class Bacteroidia (family Rikenellaceae). Higher intakes of refined grain and gluten were not statistically significantly associated with altered abundance of gut taxa. Though this study is cross-sectional, identification of gut microbes associated with higher intakes of whole grain and fiber may expand our understanding of how these nutritional factors lower risk for colorectal cancer. Citation Format: Caroline Y. Um, Brandilyn A. Peters, Emilia N. Cobbs, Hee Sun Choi, Dia B. Beggs, Richard B. Hayes, Marjorie L. McCullough, Susan M. Gapstur, Jiyoung Ahn. Cross-sectional analysis of grain, gluten, and fiber intakes and gut microbiota in the Food and Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation (FAMiLI) Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Microbiome, Viruses, and Cancer; 2020 Feb 21-24; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(8 Suppl):Abstract nr B12.

A partitioned stochastic method (PSM) is proposed for the solution of static structural mechanics problems with uncertainties, whose solution vectors are the displacements for each partition and Lagrange multipliers along with the partition interfaces. The proposed partitioned stochastic method employs three stochastic basis selection steps: an arbitrary initial choice of displacement random bases, a set of conjugate bases for the Lagrange multipliers, and finally modification of the displacement bases affected by those of the Lagrange multipliers. The present PSM thus propagates the uncertainties instantly across partitioned substructures, resulting in an improved rate of convergence. Numerical experiments illustrate the proposed PSM outperforms a conventional partitioned solution method for structural mechanics problems.

Physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and consumer acceptability of cookies produced with oat and barley powder were evaluated. Oat and barley powder was incorporated into cookie dough at 6 levels: oat : barley = 100:0 (S1), 80:20 (S2), 60:40 (S3), 40:60 (S4), 20:80 (S5), 0:100 (S6) and control. pH of the cookie dough was lowest in the S6 group and highest in the control, S1, S2, and S3 groups. There were no significant differences in density. The spread ratio and loss rate of cookies increased significan tly with an increase in content of barley powder. The leavening rate of the S1 cookie group was the lowest. With regard to color, the a-values and b-values of cookies increased with a rise in content of oat powder, and the L-value increased with an increase in barley powder content. Analysis of cookie texture showed that hardness was highest in the S6 group with barley and lowest in the S1 group, but there was no significant difference between the control group and other experimental groups. In the sensory evaluation of cookies, there was no significant difference between the control and experimental groups in roasted nuttiness and sweetness. In overall acceptance of cookies, S6 was the least acceptable and S1, S2, and S3 were the most acceptable. Results suggest that oat powder is a suitable ingredient for increasing the functionality of cookies and consumer acceptability.

SUMMARY Two types of monocytes, Ly6Chi and Ly6Clo, infiltrate the heart in murine experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). We discovered a role for cardiac fibroblasts in facilitating monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation of both Ly6Chi and Ly6Clo cells, allowing these macrophages to perform divergent functions in myocarditis progression. During the acute phase of EAM, IL-17A is highly abundant. It signals through cardiac fibroblasts to attenuate efferocytosis of Ly6Chi monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and simultaneously prevents Ly6Clo monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation. We demonstrated an inverse clinical correlation between heart IL-17A levels and efferocytic receptor expressions in humans with heart failure (HF). In the absence of IL-17A signaling, Ly6Chi MDMs act as robust phagocytes and are less proinflammatory, whereas Ly6Clo monocytes resume their differentiation into MHCII+ macrophages. We propose that MHCII+Ly6Clo MDMs are associated with the reduction of cardiac fibrosis and prevention of the myocarditis sequalae., In Brief Hou et al. show that cardiac fibroblasts facilitate infiltrating Ly6Chi and Ly6Clo monocytes to become macrophages. IL-17A trans-signaling through cardiac fibroblasts increases MerTK shedding and promotes a pro-inflammatory and pro-tissue remodeling gene expression profile in Ly6Chi monocyte-derived macrophages. Paradoxically, IL-17A signaling through cardiac fibroblasts can substantially inhibit Ly6Clo monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation., Graphical Abstract

This study was conducted to establish ecotourism as an introduction to sustainability and international cooperation. As a plan to retain the original meaning of ecotourism, the introduction of a program to certify/designateecotourism is being vitalized in many countries around the world. In Korea as well, an agenda to the introduction of an "Ecotourism Designation System,"which aims to ensure the quality of ecotourism at a certain level, was submitted by the Ministry of Environment to the National Assembly in June 2011, and the promotion for a demonstration program is planned this year to introduce the system. Japan has been carrying out the certification systems Good Eco-tour, which certifies the sustainability of ecotourism providers and accommodations since 2006, respectively, and has been securing the sustainability of ecotourism by enactment in 2008, as the world`s first law to promote ecotourism. And the second general conference of the first Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism(GPST) was held in Korea in March 2012, particularly, there was an agreement that the promotion of Asia and the Pacific Area Network for sustainable tourism would center around Korea, and accordingly, it is expected that Korea`s status as a core country for ecotourism in the Asia-Pacific Area will increase. While the demand for an approach to natural resources is rapidly increasing, we should be active in providing an institutional strategy such as a designation system to secure the sustainability of ecotourism and seeking a plan for cooperation and network vitalization in the Asia-Pacific Area where similar natural resources and cultures are shared.

In this paper, we propose an AR(augmented reality) system using user`s bare hand based on computer vision. It is important for registering a virtual object on the real input image to detect and track correct feature points. The AR systems with markers are stable but they can not register the virtual object on an acquired image when the marker goes out of a range of the camera. There is a tendency to give users inconvenient environment which is limited to control a virtual object. On the other hand, our system detects fingertips as fiducial features using adaptive ellipse fitting method considering the geometric characteristics of hand. It registers the virtual object stably by getting movement of fingertips with determining the shortest distance from a palm center. We verified that the accuracy of fingertip detection over 82.0% and fingertip ordering and tracking have just 1.8% and 2.0% errors for each step. We proved that this system can replace the marker system by tacking a camera projection matrix effectively in the view of stable augmentation of virtual object.

This study was conducted to provide sustainable measures for conservation and management to protect valuable natural/ecological resources, offer differentiated quality assurance services for eco-tourism products, and explore measures for eco-tourism certification/designation systems. To achieve its goals, the study discussed domestic and overseas trends and literatures that concern eco-tourism certification/designation system and investigated case studies that were presently operational. A group of experts and a group of non-experts were surveyed separatedly to investigate the awareness of the national eco-tourism certification/designation system. The results from the investigation indicate that Europe, since the late 1990s to early 2000, has actively introduced a system that establishes and operates a dedicated institution, and European members have created a cooperation framework to formulate international partnerships and develop standardized assessment benchmarks to adhere to the goals of the system, the period for certification was designated from one year to five years, and renewals were granted based on periodic monitoring and reassessment. In Korea, from early 2000, the Ministry of Culture, Sorts and Tourism and other organizations have certified product quality and assessed travel products and national park tour programs. The certification period was established to be set between one and three years, and the vast majority were not reassessed. Upon investigating the results for awareness of national eco-tourism certification/designation system, a high number of respondents agreed with the need to establish a eco-tourism certification/designation system (90% of respondents), and the respondents cited eco-tourism quality assurance, conservation of value, means to maintain established institutions, and environmental education and information as reasons for needing a certification/designation system. In Korea, a certification/designation system for the eco-tourism industry is presently in operation, but the system regulates target institutions based on their characteristics. Therefore, this study proposes its suggestions via various categories, including designated institutions, designated purpose, designated subjects, designated organization, laws, regulations, and incentives.

Background: RAD001 is an oral mTOR inhibitor that has exhibited activity in breast cancer. Triple negative breast cancer cells are unable to repair double stranded DNA breaks and hence have sensitivity to platinum agents that cause interstrand cross-links. Rapamycin acts synergistically with platinum agents to induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation in at least two different breast cancer cell lines (including ER/PR negative cell lines). We propose that combination RAD001 and carboplatin may have activity in triple-negative breast cancer. Methods: The primary objective of the study is to determine clinical benefit (complete remission (CR) + partial remission (PR) + stable disease (SD)) and the toxicity of this combination in women with triple negative metastatic breast cancer who have had 0–3 prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease. Secondary objectives are to determine progression free survival as well as investigating the relationship between pretreatment sensitivity (biopsy at baseline) and clinical response (biopsy post 2 cycles) using IHC staining for abundance of key proteins in the Akt-mTOR pathway and their activity using surrogate phosphorylation site-specific antibodies (Akt and phospho-serine 473, phospho-threonine and phospho-threonine 308 Akt; mTOR and phospho-serine 2448 mTOR; ribosome protein S6 kinase (S6K) and phospho-threonine 378 S6K; 4E-BP1 and phospho-serine 65 4E-BP1). Prior carboplatin is allowed. Women with treated brain metastasis are eligible. According to the original study plan, carboplatin AUC 6, was to be given intravenously every three weeks. Five mg of RAD001 was to be given daily with a 3 patient run-in and then 10 mg daily if there were no dose-limiting toxicities. Due to a unexpected amount of thrombocytopenia with this combination the dose of carboplatin was first amended to AUC 5 and most recently to AUC 4 with 5 mg of RAD001 (and no plan to escalate to 10 mg). Results: Fourteen patients of a planned 25 have been recruited thus far. Median age is 58.5. Median number of prior regimens is 2 (0-3). Of the 7 patients assessable for response at this time, there have been 2 PR's and 5 patients with SD. One SD was achieved in a patient progressing on single agent carboplatin at study entry. Median duration of SD + PR is 28.5 weeks (5 patients have ongoing response ranging from 8–46.5 weeks). Five of 8 patients assessable for toxicity had grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia and 2 patients had grade 3 neutropenia. No cases of febrile neutropenia were observed. Four patients have required blood transfusion and one patient has required platelet transfusion. All patients have had treatment held and/or dose reductions secondary to hematological toxicity, however, since amended carboplatin dose the regimen has been very well tolerated with only one out of six patients) with grade 3 neutropenia and grade 3 thrombocytopenia. There have been no non-hematological grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Conclusions: Clinical benefit was observed in all 7 assessable patients. Dose limiting thrombocytopenia was an unexpected side effect requiring protocol amendment. We continue to accrue study subjects at the amended dosing. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-17-07.

【In this study, we investigated maximum yield of radical scavenging activity (RSA) using each of various extraction solvents and procedure from noni friut (Morinda citrifolia). Noni fruits were either sun-dried (FS) or hot-air dried (FO) at $60^{\circ}C$ after steam blanching. For optimum aqueous extraction, noni fruits should be sun dried and autoclave extraction time should not be over 30 min to produce extraction with high RSA with low cost. In case of 50% ethanol extraction, reflux extracts of FS and FO resulted in $IC_{50}$ of 1.92 mg/mL and 3.06 mg/mL at 8 hr. When $IC_{50}$ values were lower than 5 mg/mL, coefficient of correlation was 0.71 indicating that 71% of the phenolic antioxidants in noni fruits were accounted for the activity by scavenging free DPPH. However, coefficient of correlation significantly decreased to 0.63 over $IC_{50}$ values of 5 mg/mL. Autoclave extraction contained chlorogenic acid of $14.69 \;{\mu}g/mL$ and scopoletin of $3.86 \;{\mu}g/mL$ . Reflux extraction showed all three compounds, chlorogenic acid ( $26.19 \;{\mu}g/mL$ ), quercetin ( $19.59 \;{\mu}g/mL$ ), and scopoletin ( $17.4 \;{\mu}g/mL$ ). Therefore, the result of this study indicated that the potential antioxidant activities and functional values were obtained significantly with reflux extraction from noni fruit.】

In recent years, there has been an active movement toward databasing, systematizing, and unifying environmental information. Such efforts facilitate the utilization of spatial environment planning in environment conservation officially planned at the metropolitan and provincial levels. This in turn clarifies the management direction of space, thereby serving as an effective tool with which to not only conserve land, but also provide a reasonable compromise to all the related solutions at odds with one another. As such, this study forwards a method for inclusion of spatial environment planning in environment conservation plans, paying particular attention to the place, with in such a planning method, of the natural ecosystem, arguably the most sensitive arena among environmental factors. Spatial environment planning can be broadly divided as follows: first, basic direction; second, collection of spatial information; third, compilation of status of spatial environment; and fourth, management strategy for spatial environment. In particular, the second phase, namely the collection of spatial information, delineates clearly spatial information hitherto amassed by government agencies at both the national and local levels; the ensuing lists facilitate maximum utilization of the previously accumulated data. Used during the planning phase, status maps should include not only the status of land use(land cover), but also systematic data on the superior resources of the natural ecosystem as well as the status of the given spatial environment. Establishing plans for ecological networks, their conservation, and restoration areas based on the aforementioned aspects, this study sought to formulate ways in which to spatialize environment conservation plans that encompass consideration for the natural ecosystem. Devised based previous studies and examples, the compilation of status and plans as stated, applied to Gyeonggi Province, afforded an examination of the potential applicability and usability of the proposed plans. Ultimately, these will contribute not only to the establishment of plans encompassing consideration for the value and level of significance of the given natural ecosystem in spatial development planning, but also provide fundamental data for investigating appropriateness of plans and validity of location in any regional development plan.

This study investigated the prevalence of and risk factors for malnutrition in hospitalized patients in Busan, Republic of Korea. 944 patients (440 men and 504 women) were hospitalized in four Busan general hospitals from March through April, 2011. Nutritional status was assessed on admission by the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002. Data were collected from the electronic medical records system for the characteristics of the subjects, clinical outcomes, biochemical laboratory data, and nutrition support states. Clinical dietitians interviewed the patients using structured questionnaires involving data on weight loss and problems related to oral intakes. Malnourished patients were significantly older (P

Spatial planning is at the core of national land and urban development. Many countries and cities seek sustainable development through various means such as coordinated environmental planning, environmental assessment, and internalization of environmental analysis and planning. A Planning Support System (PSS) is a GIS (Geographic Information System)-based, spatial decision-making support system that incorporates a variety of theories and pertinent models. This study adopted the “What if?” model to design an alternative spatial plan that includes generation of predictive scenarios and is relatively easy to use. In the cities studied, we identified a total of six scenarios based on the main drivers of development—namely, population and spatial policies. Subsequently, we assessed the alternatives for their environmental impact, preparing sensitivity maps for each major environmental issue in the target area (natural ecosystem, air and microclimate, natural disasters). One projected advantage of the “What if?” model is that its digital visualization of proposed plans may improve public awareness and involvement. Furthermore, the tool is expected to be highly useful in ensuring the objectivity of quantitative analyses. However, it is necessary to develop a PSS that is both standardized and tailored to the particular needs of each area. Finally, the development of an e-governance system will be beneficial in ensuring public access to the decision making process.

This article has been retracted by the Editor-in-Chief because the author did not have permission (implicit or explicit) to publish this data in our journal. The results presented in this work were obtained under supervision of Dr Choi’s former colleagues at the University of Oxford, and were included without their knowledge or permission. Given the copyright and authorship issues involved, the Environment, Development, and Sustainability article in question is being retracted. The online version of this article contains the full text of the retracted article as electronic supplementary material.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), that have been reported to be present in bone marrow, adipose tissues, dermis, muscles and peripheral blood, have the potential to differentiate along different lineages including those forming bone, cartilage, fat, muscle and neuron. This differentiation potential makes MSC excellent candidates for cell-based tissue engineering. In this study, we have examined phenotypes and gene expression profile of the human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ATSC) in the undifferentiated states, and compared with that of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC). ATSC were enzymatically released from adipose tissues from adult human donors and were expanded in monolayer with serial passages at confluence. BMSC were harvested from the metaphysis of adult human femur. Flowcytometric analysis showed that ATSC have a marker expression that is similar to that of BMSC. ATSC expressed CD29, CD44, CD90, CD105 and were absent for HLA-DR and c-kit expression. Under appropriate culture conditions, MSC were induced to differentiate to the osteoblast, adipocyte, and chondrogenic lineages. ATSC were superior to BMSC in respect to maintenance of proliferating ability, and microarray analysis of gene expression revealed differentially expressed genes between ATSC and BMSC. The proliferating ability and differentiation potential of ATSC were variable according to the culture condition. The similarities of the phenotypes and the gene expression profiles between ATSC and BMSC could have broad implications for human tissue engineering.

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In this paper, we introduce a machine learning-based simulation framework of general-purpose multibody dynamics (MBD). The aim of the framework is to construct a well-trained meta-model of MBD systems, based on a deep neural network (DNN). Since the main advantage of the meta-model is the enhancement of computational efficiency in returning solutions, the modeling would be beneficial for solving highly complex MBD problems in a short time. Furthermore, for dynamics problems, not only the accuracy but also the smoothness in time of motion solutions, such as displacement, velocity, and acceleration, are essential aspects to consider. We analyze and discuss the influence of training data structures on both aspects of solutions. As a result of the introduced approach, the meta-model provides motion estimation of system dynamics without solving an analytical equation of motion or a numerical solver. Numerical tests demonstrate the performance of the proposed meta-modeling for representing several MBD systems.

Between 1971 and 2020, ‘Natural’ spaces in urban areas in Hong Kong, which include green areas, planting trees, and ornamental landscape features, increased in quantity at an average annual rate of 0.26% within the urban area of Hong Kong (World Data 2020). These provide residents with the opportunity to connect with and experience nature (Dunn et al., 2006; Palliwoda et al., 2017). The health benefits of this are increasingly being recognised (Soga and Gaston 2016; Mell 2017), with evidence of an enhancement in both the physical and mental health of people living near parks and natural spaces (Lovell et al., 2014). Although a small number of countries have created policies and strategies to increase opportunities for people to visit natural spaces, these tend to be at a macro, national level rather than considering in detail biophilic design, as in design for the love and appreciation of nature, at a local and neighbourhood level (Mell 2017; Ten Brink et al., 2016). This is a vital component, when considered in the context of the fundamental disconnection to nature that is occurring for so many who join the continuing migration pattern from the rural to the urban (Soga and Gaston 2016). Within this context, this paper uses the small urban pocket parks in Hong Kong as a testing ground, assessed using predictive Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a methodology to to assess and understand the extent to which the character of these spaces may influence a better connection to nature within urban areas.