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In the early design stage of processors, Dynamic Thermal Management (DTM) schemes should be evaluated to avoid excessively high temperature, while minimizing performance overhead. In this paper, we show that conventional thermal simulations using the fixed ambient temperature may lead to the wrong conclusions in terms of temperature, performance, reliability, and leakage power. Though ambient temperature converges to a steady-state value after hundreds of seconds when we run SPEC CPU2000 benchmark suite, the steady-state ambient temperature is significantly different depending on applications and system configuration. To overcome inaccuracy of conventional thermal simulations, we propose that microarchitectural thermal simulations should exploit application/system-dependent ambient temperature. Our evaluation results reveal that performance, thermal behavior, reliability, and leakage power of the same DTM scheme are different when we use the application/system-dependent ambient temperature instead of the fixed ambient temperature. For accurate simulation results, future microarchitectural thermal researchers are expected to evaluate their proposed DTM schemes based on application/system-dependent ambient temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Dynamic behavior of droplet-particle interaction is numerically investigated. • Deposition, partial rebound, and complete rebound outcome cases are analyzed. • The contact time of rebounded droplet is independent of the surface curvature. • The mass and momentum of partially rebounded droplet are quantified. In this study, the dynamic behavior of droplet collision with a dry, stationary, spherical particle was numerically investigated based on the level contour reconstruction method (LCRM). A broad range of impact conditions: Weber number (30 ≤ We ≤ 90), surface wettability (20° ≤ θ eqi ≤ 175°), and droplet-to-particle size ratio (1/4 ≤ Ω ≤ 1/2), are considered, and three major impact outcomes: deposition, partial rebound, and complete rebound, are analyzed in detail. The dynamic spreading factor (for deposition cases), contact time (for complete rebound cases), and mass and momentum of the rebounded droplet (for partial rebound cases) were quantitatively investigated. The study quantitatively and systematically investigated the mass and momentum of (partially) rebounded droplets. We confirmed that the contact time of a (completely) rebounded droplet is independent of the surface curvature of the spherical particle as well as the impact velocity with the given impact conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The full spectrum of impact outcomes of droplet-particle collisions is identified. • A total of 225 collision cases are investigated by direct numerical simulation. • Detailed interaction mechanisms of seven impact outcome scenarios are presented. • Film thickness, maximum spreading diameter, and coating time are analyzed. We use direct numerical simulation based on the level contour reconstruction method to investigate head-on droplet collisions with dry, stationary, spherical particles. Three important impact parameters are varied over broad ranges: Weber number (4 ≤ We ≤ 150), surface wettability (20° ≤ θ eqi ≤ 160°), and droplet-to-particle-size ratio (1/3 ≤ Ω ≤ 2), leading to a total of 225 collision scenarios being examined. Seven collision outcomes are identified: deposition, partial rebound, complete rebound, complete coating, gravity disintegration, momentum disintegration, and splashing, and are represented in outcome regime maps. The first six outcomes are categorized into two cases: the partial-coating case (deposition, partial rebound, and complete rebound for larger particles) and the full-coating case (complete coating, gravity disintegration, and momentum disintegration for smaller particles), with a clear boundary separating the two cases in parameter space. The partial-coating case is characterized by maximum spreading and a subsequent recoiling that depends strongly on wettability. Conversely, the full-coating case involves complete initial wetting of the particle and the following dynamics is strongly governed by impact velocity. Detailed interaction mechanisms of each outcome scenario are also presented. Furthermore, three important quantitative parameters (i.e., film thickness, maximum spreading diameter, and coating time) are analyzed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by continuous impairment in communication and social interaction and by limited and repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. Behavioral, educational, and pharmaceutical interventions have been shown to reduce behavioral disabilities, improve verbal/non-verbal communication, and help patients acquire self-reliance skills. However, there has been a lack of systematic verification and consensus regarding the treatment of the core symptoms of ASD because of its unclear etiology. Ukgansangajinpibanha (UGSJB), a legitimately prescribed herbal medicine for nervousness, insomnia, night crying, and malnutrition in South Korea and Japan, has been used for angry, sensitive, nervous, and unsettled children with ASD.Methods/design: This trial is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, clinical trial. The 4- to 6-year-old children with ASD will be randomly assigned to following groups: 1. A UGSJB granule with acupuncture, twice daily (n = 120) 2. A placebo group with acupuncture, twice daily (n = 120). The following outcome measures will be used: behavior by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Autism Behavior Checklist, and Aberrant Behavior Checklist; social maturity by the Social Maturity Scale; quality of life by the Child Health Questionnaire and EuroQoL Five-dimension Five-level Youth; and parental stress by the Parenting Stress Index at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks after the beginning of treatment. In addition, to evaluate safety, we will investigate the adverse reactions that may be caused by UGSJB granule. Finally, we will make an economic evaluation of UGSJB for the treatment of ASD.Discussion: We prepared a well-designed clinical trial to investigate the safety and effectiveness of UGSJB on ASD symptoms compared with placebo treatment. The results from this study will provide clinical evidence on the safety, effectiveness, and economic value of UGSJB combined with acupuncture in children with ASD.Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service: KCT0003007 (registered on April 5, 2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine have suggested that acupuncture could alleviate poststroke shoulder pain, based on the clinical evidence. This study protocol is aimed at showing the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture therapy for stroke survivors with shoulder pain. Methods: After assessing their eligibility, 60 stroke survivors with shoulder pain will be enrolled from two traditional Korean medicine hospitals and randomly divided into either the verum or the sham electroacupuncture (EA) group with a 1:1 ratio. The participants will receive 9 sessions of EA procedures for 3 weeks. The verum EA consists of needling on 6 unilateral acupoints (LI4, LI15, TE14, SI9, SI11, and GB21) with electronic stimulation. A non-penetrating Park sham device and fake electronic stimulation will be used in the sham group on the same acupoints. Patients and outcome assessors will be blinded throughout the entire study. A visual analog scale will be used primarily for the evaluation, and pain rating scale, Fugl-Meyer assessment for upper extremity, modified Ashworth scale, manual muscle test, passive range of motion test, Korean version of a modified Barthel index, and Korean version of the Beck depression inventory will be also be measured. A blinding index will be assessed. For safety, adverse events will be recorded. Data will be statistically analyzed by two-sample t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test for efficacy and a chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test for safety, at 5% of significance level. Discussion: We expect this double-center, randomized, sham-controlled, patient- and assessor-blinded parallel trial to explore the effectiveness and safety of EA therapy, compared with sham EA, for poststroke shoulder pain. Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03086863 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, unusually long megacracks (up to 1.54 m-long) have been reported in the Hasandong Formation, Gyeongsang Supergroup. The Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin is the largest nonmarine basin in South Korea, and the Hasandong Formation is known to have been deposited in floodplain environment. These cracks were found in purple siltstone beds, and filled with coarse or medium sands probably supplied from the overlying sandstone beds. The cracks have the vertical plane structure with ca. 10 cm width, and some cracks are branched. So far, the formation mechanism of these cracks is still in debate, and there are three different opinions: (1) soil-wedge (or ice-wedge), (2) neptunian clastic dyke, and (3) mudcrack. Among three possible mechanisms, the possibility of soil-wedge (or ice-wedge) can be ruled out since soil-wedge structures are generally formed under the cold climate, and are usually filled with eolian fine-grained sediments. During the Cretaceous, Korean peninsula was located at a latitude similar to what it is today, and was a subtropical climate. Therefore, the possible mechanisms of megacracks can be narrowed down to Neptunian dykes or mudcracks. In this study, AMS (anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility) analysis was performed to provide clear evidence for the formation mechanism. Based on AMS analysis, the megacracks exhibit a sedimentary fabric with sub-vertical k3 axes and sub-horizontally streaked k1-k2 axes. These fabrics suggest the passive downward infilling process of clastic materials into cracks, and the subsequent compaction. Furthermore, the rose diagram of the crack planes shows that the plane patterns represent hexagonal shape in plan view. Based on the results in this study, therefore, the megacracks found in the Hasandong Formation can be regarded as mudcracks. However, further research is needed to explain the large scale of the cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional two-phase flow dynamics inside a microfluidic device of complex geometry is simulated using a parallel, hybrid front-tracking/level-set solver. The numerical framework employed circumvents numerous meshing issues normally associated with constructing complex geometries within typical computational fluid dynamics packages. The device considered in the present work is constructed via a module that defines solid objects by means of a static distance function. The construction combines primitive objects, such as a cylinder, a plane, and a torus, for instance, using simple geometrical operations. The numerical solutions predicted encompass dripping and jetting, and transitions in flow patterns are observed featuring the formation of drops, ‘pancakes’, plugs, and jets, over a wide range of flow rate ratios. We demonstrate the fact that vortex formation accompanies the development of certain flow patterns, and elucidate its role in their underlying mechanisms. Experimental visualisation with a high-speed imaging are also carried out. The numerical predictions are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil benthic and planktonic foraminifera from a part of core ND-02 and the published data of core ND-01 from the Nakdong River delta, southeast Korea were analyzed to evaluate the impact of the Tsushima Warm Current on coastal environments in the Korea/Tsushima Strait between Korea and Japan during the early to middle Holocene. Based on cluster analysis, four sample clusters (A, B, C, and D), suggestive of a landward–seaward gradient of environmental conditions, can be defined. According to the spatio-temporal and cluster distributions of benthic foraminifera in faunal compositions, the landward occurrence of benthic foraminifera was delimited in the inner part of the Nakdong River delta at ∼8–7 ka. The common occurrence of warm-water planktonic foraminifera suggests that this maximum landward expansion of benthic foraminifera within the delta was caused by the intensification of the Tsushima Warm Current in addition to sea level rise during the early to middle Holocene. Changes in both marine biota and sedimentation were reported in the coastal areas of southwestern Japan in that period. They were also caused by a precursor of the enhanced Tsushima Warm Current at ∼8 ka. Thus, the evolution of the Tsushima Warm Current during the early to middle Holocene is important for understanding various phenomena in the coastal environments of the Korea/Tsushima Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peeling is a fundamental physical behavior involving the removal of foreign substances attached to a surface, and it finds applications in various engineering problems. Most previous studies have focused on peeling thin solid films from solid surfaces. However, ocean pollution has emerged as a serious environmental concern, making it critical to effectively and continuously remove highly viscous oil from oil recovery devices to prevent oil fouling. To address this, recent technological advancements have introduced an oil recovery technique that utilizes a hydrophilic surface capable of detaching, and even peeling, oil when dipped into water. In this study, we analyzed the underlying peeling mechanism by numerically simulating the oil peeling process from a vertically situated dipping plate with hydrophilic treatment. The present work expanded the level contour reconstruction method, originally developed for two-phase interface tracking, to handle the three-phase flow involved in the peeling of oil attached to the plate by an air–water meniscus. We properly validated the proposed numerical model and investigated the effects of various input conditions, including oil thickness, descending plate speed, and oil viscosity, in detail. Furthermore, force analysis during the oil peeling process was performed, and a regime map is provided to offer a comprehensive understanding of the overall peeling process. This research aims to contribute to the development of efficient and reliable oil recovery methods, particularly in combating ocean pollution caused by viscous oil residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A machine learning (ML) based approach is proposed to hybridize two well-established methods for multiphase flow simulations: the front tracking (FT) and the level set (LS) methods. Based on the geometric information of the Lagrangian marker elements which represents the phase interface in FT simulations, the distance function field, which is the key feature for describing the interface in LS simulations, is predicted using an ML model. The trained ML model is implemented in our conventional numerical framework, and we finally demonstrate that the FT-based interface representation can easily and immediately be switched to an LS-based representation whenever needed during the simulation period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bee venom is a natural toxin that is effective in treating various types of pain. The purpose of this paper was to review all the features of clinical studies conducted on bee venom acupuncture (BVA) for the treatment of neck pain in Korean publications. Six Korean databases and 16 Korean journals were searched in August 2022 for clinical studies on BVA for neck pain. We identified 24 trials that met our inclusion criteria, of which 316 patients with neck pain were treated with BVA. The most common diagnosis in the patients with neck pain was herniated intervertebral discs (HIVDs) of the cervical spine (C-spine) (29.2%), and the concentration and dosage per session were 0.05–0.5 mg/mL and 0.1–1.5 mL, respectively. The visual analog scale was most often measured for neck pain severity (62.5%), and all clinical research reported improvements in 16 outcome measures. This study shows that BVA could be recommended for the treatment of neck pain, especially HIVD of the C-spine; however, the adverse effects of BVA must be examined in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the energy conversion and dissipation mechanisms of spreading droplets on a solid surface at a low Weber number regime, which neither conventional energy-balance-based theories nor empirical scaling laws can completely explain. The energetic analysis presented in this study shows that on a hydrophilic surface, the actual primary energy source driving the spreading process is the initial surface energy not the initial kinetic energy. The conventional energy-balance-based approaches are found to be valid only for the spreading process on a hydrophobic surface. Particular attention is also paid to the roles of the capillary waves. The capillary waves are found to play significant roles in all of the important flow physics, that is, the interfacial structure, the oscillatory motions and the rapid collapse of the liquid film, the onset of the viscous regime, and the energy loss mechanism. It is also shown that the energy dissipation caused by the capillary-wave-induced phenomena can be estimated to be 25%–35% and 55%–65% of the total energy loss for a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic surface, respectively, at the low Weber number regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we experimentally and numerically investigate the activity of a rebounding droplet on a spherical particle and the effects of surface curvature on its rebounding behavior. We report that the rebound of the droplet can be promoted in smaller particles. As the droplet-to-particle size ratio increases, the critical Weber number is significantly reduced, and the restitution coefficient is much increased. The underlying physical mechanism for the promotion of the rebound is the reduced energy dissipation on the smaller particles in the very early stages of the collision, and this reduction mainly occurs as the liquid is being squeezed. This reduced energy loss allows larger liquid–gas interfacial deformation at the maximum spreading state and also allows more drastic retractions during the recoiling stage, which eventually leads to the promotion of the rebound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the maximum spreading diameter of a droplet impacting with a spherical particle is numerically studied for a wide range of impact conditions: Weber number (We) 0–110, Ohnesorge number (Oh) 0.001 3–0.786 9, equilibrium contact angle (θeqi) 20°–160°, and droplet-to-particle size ratio (Ω) 1/10–1/2. A total of 2600 collision cases are simulated to enable a systematic analysis and prepare a large dataset for the training of a data-driven prediction model. The effects of four impact parameters (We, Oh, θeqi, and Ω) on the maximum spreading diameter (β*max) are comprehensively analyzed, and particular attention is paid to the difference of β*max between the low and high Weber number regimes. A universal model for the prediction of β*max, as a function of We, Oh, θeqi, and Ω, is also proposed based on a deep neural network. It is shown that our data-driven model can predict the maximum spreading diameter well, showing an excellent agreement with the existing experimental results as well as our simulation dataset within a deviation range of ±10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, substantial amount of archaeological remains, which belong to the Bronze and the Iron Ages, has been excavated in Jungdo, central part of Korean peninsula, indicating that the prehistoric (partly, early historic) cultures had been flourished in this area. Particularly, more than 150 dolmens were found during the excavation campaign, and they have drawn keen attentions because dolmens are controversially regarded as being the representative remains for the Bronze Age in Korean peninsula. Despite their archaeological importance for understanding the ancient cultural and social aspects in Korean peninsula, the chronology of the dolmens has largely been dependent upon sensory tests using concomitant artifacts while numerical dating has been scarce and limited to the case when organic materials for radiocarbon dating were available. Recent advances in luminescence dating, however, allow direct dating of stone structures, like dolmens, by measuring OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) signals in phosphor minerals underneath the stone structures. In this paper, we performed OSL dating of quartz collected from underneath the stones making up dolmens in Jungdo. For OSL dating, we chose three dolmens and six sediment samples were collected from them. Using multiple grain aliquots, consisting of ∼300 quartz grains, the OSL ages of ∼4.3–3.2 ka were obtained. These ages, however, appear to be older than previously reported radiocarbon ages in Jungdo and a radiocarbon age (2119–1750 cal yr BP) of a human bone sample excavated from one of the dolmens. On the contrary, single grain OSL dating yielded MAM-3 (Minimum Age Model with three parameters) ages consistent with the radiocarbon age, ranging ∼2.9–2.2 ka. Our results suggest that Jungdo has been the place either for burial plots or habitation of the ancient humans up to early Iron Age in the central part of Korean peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil–water separation plays a vital role in many engineering applications and environmental issues, which can be achieved using an oleophobic mesh that restricts the oil spreading along the mesh surface. However, unfortunately, the oil–water flow within a mesh hole could not be experimentally investigated due to the technical difficulty of observing the motion of the oil–water interface inside the mesh hole. In the present work, we use direct numerical simulation based on the level contour reconstruction method to investigate the two-phase oil–water flow through a mesh hole. Numerical solutions on two distinctive oleophilic and oleophobic surfaces are representatively compared in detail to elucidate the role of oleophobicity in oil–water separation under different external pressure gradients. Our numerical solutions indicate that the oil inertia through the mesh hole can pose a severe threat to the oil–water separation performance by forcing the contact line to spread even on a highly oleophobic surface. This inertial effect is found to be minimised by narrowing the mesh hole size. According to the numerical solutions, the narrowed hole improves not only the interfacial resistance but also the viscous dissipation that contributes to the resistance to oil penetration by dissipating the oil inertia. The effect of viscous dissipation is then discussed in terms of the regime map of oil penetration depth for various oleophobicities and external pressure gradients for two different hole sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low back pain is a common symptom and continuous or recurrent pain results in chronic low back pain (CLBP). While many patients with CLBP have tried various treatments, complementary and alternative medicine including acupuncture and herbal medicine is one of the commonly used treatments. Palmijihwang-hwan is a herbal medicine used frequently in clinical practice but there has been no report of the efficacy, safety, or cost-effectiveness analysis of Palmijihwang-hwan for CLBP.Methods: This study is a randomized, assessor-blinded, multicenter, clinical trial with two parallel groups. Four Korean medicine hospitals will recruit 84 participants and randomly allocate them into the control or treatment group in a 1:1 ratio. The control group will receive acupuncture treatment at 11 local and 4 distal acupuncture points for 20 min twice a week for 6 weeks. The treatment group will receive the same acupuncture treatment as the control group and also take Palmijihwang-hwan for 6 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in visual analog scale (VAS) score between baseline (visit 1) and completion of the intervention (visit 12), and secondary outcomes will be pain-related clinical relevance (minimal clinical important difference or the proportion of the participants who decrease more than 30, or 50% on VAS), disability (Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire), quality of life (EuroQol-5D), global assessment (Patient Global Impression of Change), and economic analysis (cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis). Additionally, safety will be assessed.Discussion: The results of our study will provide the clinical evidence about the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness analysis of Palmijihwang-hwan for CLBP. There will be a chance to provide multiple subdivided influence of this treatment with various outcome measures, but lack of placebo is our limitation.Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service, KCT0002998. Registered on 12 July 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to elucidate, for the first time, the intricate fundamental physics governing the dispersion dynamics of a surfactant-laden two-phase liquid–liquid system in the well-known SMX static mixer. Following the analysis carried out in the preceding publication to this work (Valdes et al., 2023), a comparative assessment of the most relevant and recurrent deformation and breakup mechanisms is conducted for a 3-drop scenario and then extrapolated to a more industrially-relevant multi-drop set-up. A parametric study on relevant surfactant physico-chemical parameters (i.e., elasticity, sorption kinetics) is undertaken, isolating each property by considering insoluble and soluble surfactants. In addition, the role of Marangoni stresses on the deformation and breakage dynamics is explored. High fidelity, three-dimensional direct numerical simulations coupled with a state-of-the-art hybrid interface capturing algorithm are carried out, providing a wealth of information previously inaccessible via volume-averaged or experimental approaches. • Marangoni depends on local hydrodynamics, negligible under governing shear/inertia. • Marangoni stresses restrict interfacial spread via retraction and rigidification. • Marangoni stresses can augment small drop formation or restrict it altogether. • Strong surfactant activity yields large distortion, smaller drops and large variance. • Solubility significantly alters DSD features by shifting the dominant breakup modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to elucidate the interplay among the interfacial dynamics, surfactant transport, and underlying flow structures inside a cylindrical stirred vessel equipped with a pitched blade turbine. To address this, massively parallel three-dimensional, interface-tracking, large eddy simulations of oil-in-water dispersions are deployed to provide detailed, realistic visualisations of the intricate interfacial dynamics coupled to the turbulent flow field. In particular, we isolate the effect of surfactant arising from interfacial tension reduction and Marangoni stress (related to surfactant concentration gradient) by comparing two surfactant-laden systems, one being a realistic and experiment-achievable case, and another a simulation-exclusive system where the Marangoni stress is turned off. This comparison consists of qualitative interface visualisation as well as quantitative statistics in terms of dispersed phases counts and their size distribution. Finally, surfactant elasticity is modified with the aim of exploring its effect on the targeted mixing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal dynamics of static mixers handling liquid–liquid flows have been comprehensively explored over the past decade. Although the effect of the inlet configuration is often overlooked, a few studies have suggested a relationship between the phases' initial set-up and the performance of the mixer in terms of the droplet size distribution (DSD). Accordingly, different dispersed phase morphologies at the inlet of a SMX static mixer have been tested and their effect on the overall dispersion performance of the mixer has been evaluated based on the DSD and growth of interfacial area. In particular, three representative scenarios are considered: (1) Isolated cases, where one and three individual droplets are injected, mimicking a controlled syringe injection; (2) Numerous variable-sized droplets, simulating a pre-mixed/dispersed inlet; and (3) Jet inlet, emulating a standard phase injection from a gear pump. In addition, this study provides novel insight into the underlying physics dictating droplet deformation and breakage in SMX mixers for industrially-relevant scenarios. This can be achieved thanks to the massively-parallel high-fidelity three-dimensional direct numerical simulations computed with a robust hybrid front-tracking/level-set algorithm, which provides a wealth of information on intricate interfacial dynamics; this information cannot be obtained via experimental or volume-averaged modelling techniques implemented in past studies. • DNS provides a wealth of details on the physics behind liquid–liquid dispersion. • Two-stage process occurs: geometry-driven deformation followed by breakup events. • Fundamental dynamics can be extrapolated to more complex and realistic scenarios. • Different inlet configurations result in statistically different drop counts and DSDs. • Variations under the same inlet set-up do not produce statistically different DSDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Droplet-particle collision in mid-air is numerically investigated. • A wide range of collision conditions (a total of 90 collision cases) is considered. • Outcome regime maps and underlying physical mechanisms are thoroughly analyzed. • Collision in mid-air is significantly different from that on a stationary particle. In this study, droplet-particle collisions in mid-air are numerically investigated for a wide range of collision parameters: Weber number, contact angle and droplet/particle diameter ratio (4 ≤ We ≤ 150, 20° ≤ θ eqi ≤ 160°, and Ω = 1/2 and 1). To perform these simulations in an efficient manner, a simple dual grid based adaptive mesh refinement (SDG AMR) strategy is proposed and implemented in our existing multiphase flow solver. A total of 90 collision cases are systematically analyzed and are compared with results for the case of impact on a stationary particle to understand how mid-air collision characteristics are changed relative to those on a stationary target. The simulation results show that mid-air droplet-particle collision behavior is significantly different from that of droplet collision on a stationary particle, thus the impact phenomena cannot be interpreted by extrapolating collision results for a stationary target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the chronostratigraphy of six boreholes in the Nakdong River delta area in South Korea based on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and 14C dating. The standardised growth curves (SGCs) produced from single and multiple boreholes performed well in determining low equivalent dose (D e ; < 40 Gy). 14C dates from shell and wood fragments were mostly representative of depositional time. Based on 14C and OSL ages, the lowermost fluvial sediments showed relatively low sediment accumulation rates (0.1–0.8 m/kyr−1) prior to 12 ka. A hiatal discontinuity ranging from 12 to a maximum of 50 ka resulted in a break in sedimentation between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene. A thick fluvio-estuarine unit in the lower part indicated relatively high accumulation rates (3.3–9.4 m/kyr−1) from 12 to 9 ka, which corresponded to rapid sea level rise. In the middle part, decreased accumulation rates (1.7–5.5 m/kyr−1) from approximately 9 to 6 ka were interpreted as transgressive deepening. Lower accumulation rates (0.9–3.2 m/kyr−1) during the middle to late Holocene were caused by relative sea level fall and a horizontally extended sedimentation area. In the upper part, the highest sediment accumulation rates (3.5–8.3 m/kyr−1) and rapid delta progradation during the last 2.0 ka might have been caused by widespread human influence and monsoonal climatic change. Isochrons of 1-kyr scale were identified based on the lithologic boundary and age results for each borehole, which represent palaeoshoreline positions during the transgressive cycle and boundaries of considerable delta progradation. • The chronostratigraphy in the Nakdong River delta sediments were investigated. • Isochrones of 1-ka scale show boundary of transgressive cycle and delta progradation. • 14C and OSL ages show variable sedimentation rates during the last 12 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low fertility is a critical social problem worldwide, and infertility has a prevalence of 15%. This cross-sectional study aimed to understand the factors affecting the usage and satisfaction of Korean medicine (KM) in subfertile women. An online survey was conducted from 3 November to 8 November 2021. The survey collected basic information, KM treatment experience, and satisfaction from women who experienced poor pregnancy. The t -test and chi-square test (χ 2 -test) were used to determine the overall characteristics of the subjects and factors affecting the utilization and satisfaction of KM treatment. Of the total of 29,465 people, 4922 read the survey email, and 601 responded. After excluding 51 respondents with questionable response patterns, 550 respondents were included in the final analysis. Of these, 43.1% ( n = 237) had experience with conventional treatment, and 16.5% ( n = 91) had received KM treatment. The group that received both KM treatment and CM treatment ( n = 59, 24.9%) was significantly more prevalent than the group that received KM treatment alone ( n = 32, 10.2%) ( p = 0.00). Women who had given birth more than once or held a master's degree were significantly more willing to participate in the 'KM Support Project for Subfertility' program. Our findings suggest that subfertile patients prefer integrated treatment that combines KM and CM treatments. Further studies are needed to assess the status of integrative medicine treatment, satisfaction with each KM intervention, factors for low satisfaction, and patient requirements.

Rationale: Depression is a common symptom in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, which can be diagnosed with post-COVID-19 depression or adjustment disorder (AD) of post-COVID-19 syndrome. Recently, there have been reports of treating post-COVID-19 syndrome with herbal interventions. However, there are no studies of AD of post-COVID-19 syndrome treated with an integrative approach. This is a CARE-compliant case report of a patient diagnosed with AD of post-COVID-19 syndrome and improved with integrative personalized medicine care (IPMC)., Patient Concerns: An 84-year-old female patient presented symptoms of depression, insomnia, palpitations, and dyspepsia after COVID-19 diagnosis., Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with AD due to COVID-19 according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition., Interventions: The patient was treated with the IPMC approach: conventional Western drugs for symptom improvements with herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion therapies of traditional Korean medicine to enhance her general conditions., Outcomes: Depression, insomnia, palpitations, dyspepsia, and overall quality of life were assessed through various questionnaires before and after treatment. Scores notably decreased across depression scales, and insomnia severity improved significantly. After treatment, gastrointestinal symptoms vanished, and autonomic nervous system balance improved. Quality of life metrics also showed remarkable enhancement., Lessons: This study is the first case report to demonstrate improvement in AD of post-COVID-19 symptoms using IPMC. It is noteworthy that the patient in this study tapered off their antidepressant medication after the treatment with the IPMC approach. Further studies are needed to establish more qualified evidence to show the effectiveness and safety of IPMC for AD of post-COVID-19 syndrome., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

We demonstrate the application of a recurrent neural network (RNN) to perform multistep and multivariate time-series performance predictions for stirred and static mixers as exemplars of complex multiphase systems. We employ two network architectures in this study, fitted with either long short-term memory and gated recurrent unit cells, which are trained on high-fidelity, three-dimensional, computational fluid dynamics simulations of the mixer performance, in the presence and absence of surfactants, in terms of drop size distributions and interfacial areas as a function of system parameters; these include physicochemical properties, mixer geometry, and operating conditions. Our results demonstrate that while it is possible to train RNNs with a single fully connected layer more efficiently than with an encoder-decoder structure, the latter is shown to be more capable of learning long-term dynamics underlying dispersion metrics. Details of the methodology are presented, which include data preprocessing, RNN model exploration, and methods for model performance visualization; an ensemble-based procedure is also introduced to provide a measure of the model uncertainty. The workflow is designed to be generic and can be deployed to make predictions in other industrial applications with similar time-series data., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background and Objectives : This retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive study used claims data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) between 2010 and 2019 to analyze the trend of surgical service utilization in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Materials and Methods : The national patient sample data provided by the HIRA, which consisted of a 2% sample of the entire Korean population, was used to assess all patients who underwent decompression or fusion surgery at least once in Korea, with LSS as the main diagnosis from January 2010 to December 2019. An in-depth analysis was conducted to examine the utilization of surgical services, taking into account various demographic characteristics of patients, the frequency of claims for different types of surgeries, reoperation rates, the specific types of inpatient care associated with each surgery type, prescribed medications, and the overall expense of healthcare services. Results : A total of 6194 claims and 6074 patients were analyzed. The number of HIRA claims for patients increased from 393 (2010) to 417 (2019) for decompression, and from 230 (2010) to 244 (2019) for fusion. As for the medical expenses of surgery, there was an increase from United States dollar (USD) 867,549.31 (2010) to USD 1,153,078.94 (2019) for decompression and from USD 1,330,440.37 (2010) to USD 1,780,026.48 (2019) for fusion. Decompression accounted for the highest proportion (65.8%) of the first surgeries, but more patients underwent fusion (50.6%) than decompression (49.4%) in the second surgery. Across all sex and age groups, patients who underwent fusion procedures experienced longer hospital stays and incurred higher medical expenses for their inpatient care. Conclusion : The surgical service utilization of patients with LSS and the prescribing rate of opioids and non-opioid analgesics for surgical patients increased in 2019 compared to 2010. From mid-2010 onward, claims for fusion showed a gradual decrease, whereas those for decompression showed a continuously increasing trend. The findings of this study are expected to provide basic research data for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers.

Objectives: After the evidence-based Korean medicine clinical practice guidelines (KM-CPGs) for 30 targeted diseases were developed in 2021, 34 diseases have been proposed for the second-wave development of the KM-CPGs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the development priorities of the candidate diseases into the second-wave development of KM-CPGs in south Korea., Methods: In this study, we analyzed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service National Patient Sample data from 2017 to 2018 to determine the demand and economic importance of the candidates for the second-wave development of KM-CPGs in real-world clinical settings in Korea., Results: The annual number of visits and patients, annual healthcare expenditure per patient, and healthcare expenditure per institution were analyzed. Musculoskeletal disorders, including sciatica and adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder, were the most important topics regarding the number of visits and patients and annual healthcare expenditure per institution. Specifically, sciatica (52.05% of the total number of visits, 48.34% of the total number of patients, and 42.12% of the total treatment expenditure per institution) showed overwhelmingly high proportions. However, cerebral palsy (36.03% of the total number of inpatient visits and 24.55% of the total number of inpatient patients) was a more important topic in inpatient clinical settings than musculoskeletal conditions or cancer, and healthcare expenditure per patient in this topic had the highest ranking. Furthermore, fractures were found to be highly important in inpatient clinical settings. No patients had influenza A virus infection or posttraumatic stress disorders who visited the KM medical institution of interest., Conclusion: This study highlights the gap between the real-world clinical setting and the research field in some topics. The results of this study can provide guidance for the second-wave development of KM-CPGs in the future., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute.)

Background: Cancer-related incidence and mortality rates are rapidly increasing worldwide. However, no studies have examined the effect of cancer as a single factor on the use of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (T&CAM). We aimed to determine the effect of cancer occurrence on T&CAM utilization using Korea Health Panel (KHP) data., Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data (49,380 observations) derived from 12,975 Korean adult participants with complete KHP data from 2011 to 2014 and 2016, and divided them into two groups based on cancer diagnosis. A panel multinomial logit model was used to assess whether the participants used T&CAM or conventional medicine or both in outpatient settings. Additionally, a negative binomial regression model was used to examine the effect of cancer on the number of outpatient visits for T&CAM., Results: In total, 25.54% of the study participants in the cancer group used T&CAM, which was higher than that in the non-cancer group (18.37%, p < 0.0001). A panel multinomial logistic regression analysis using KHP data showed that cancer occurrence was significantly more likely to be associated with 'Using both Korean medicine and conventional medicine' (Coef. = 0.80, p = 0.017) and 'Not using Korean medicine but using conventional medicine' (Coef. = 0.85, p = 0.008) than 'Not using Korean medicine and conventional medicine.' A panel negative binomial regression showed a significant effect of cancer on increasing the number of T&CAM outpatient visits (Coef. = 0.11, p = 0.040)., Conclusions: Our findings showed that cancer occurrence within an individual led to the simultaneous use of conventional medicine and T&CAM. In addition, the occurrence of cancer significantly increased the number of T&CAM outpatient visits among participants already using T&CAM. It was also found that T&CAM has been utilized more often by the most vulnerable people, such as medical beneficiaries and those with a low level of education., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Spatiotemporal control of chemical cascade reactions within compartmentalized domains is one of the difficult challenges to achieve. To implement such control, scientists have been working on the development of various artificial compartmentalized systems such as liposomes, vesicles, polymersomes, etc. Although a considerable amount of progress has been made in this direction, one still needs to develop alternative strategies for controlling cascade reaction networks within spatiotemporally controlled domains in a solution, which remains a non-trivial issue. Herein, we present the utilization of audible sound induced liquid vibrations for the generation of transient domains in an aqueous medium, which can be used for the control of cascade chemical reactions in a spatiotemporal fashion. This approach gives us access to highly reproducible spatiotemporal chemical gradients and patterns, in situ growth and aggregation of gold nanoparticles at predetermined locations or domains formed in a solution. Our strategy also gives us access to nanoparticle patterned hydrogels and their applications for region specific cell growth., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Low back pain is a very common disease. Many patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have been treated by complementary and alternative medicine such as acupuncture (AT) treatment. A type of AT, thread embedding acupuncture (TEA), consists of a thread that can continually stimulate at the AT points and has mechanical and chemical effects. Although TEA was widely used in clinical practice, there was little evidence of its efficacy and safety for CLBP., Methods: This clinical trial was randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, two-armed, parallel, and conducted in multiple centers. Four Korean medical institutions recruited 38 outpatients with CLBP. The participants were randomly allocated to a treatment group (TEA combined with AT) or a control group (only AT) in a 1:1 ratio. All participants received conventional AT twice a week for 8 weeks (16 sessions) at 15 AT points (GV3 and bilateral BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, and EX-B5) and the treatment group participants additionally received TEA once a week for 8 weeks (8 sessions) on 10 AT points in the multifidus, spinal erector, and lumbar quadrate muscles. The primary outcome measure of this study was the change of visual analog scale (VAS) from baseline (0 week) to the end of intervention (8 weeks). Secondary outcome measures included clinically relevant improvement (minimal clinically important difference) and 3% to 50% decrease on VAS, disability level (Korean version of Roland and Morris disability questionnaire), quality of life (Korean version of European quality of life 5dimension), global assessment (patient global impression of change), economic analysis, credibility test, and safety assessment., Results: The treatment group showed a significant reduction in VAS scores when compared with the control group (-33.7 ± 25.1 vs -15.6 ± 17.0, P = .013). As for the secondary outcome measures, the treatment group showed significant difference in 50% decrease on VAS and patient global impression of change. There was no serious adverse event associated with TEA and AT., Conclusion: This clinical trial documents the efficacy and safety of TEA combined with AT for the management of CLBP.

While stress is known to cause many diseases, there is no established method to determine individuals vulnerable to stress. Sasang typology categorizes humans into four Sasang types (So-Eum, Tae-Eum, So-Yang, and Tae-Yang), which have unique pathophysiologies because of their differential susceptibilities to specific stimuli, including stress. The purpose of this study was to determine if Sasang typology can be used identify individuals who are vulnerable to stress by evaluation of heart rate variability (HRV).This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 399 healthy men and women aged 30 to 49 years were recruited. Physical examinations for stress included HRV measurement and blood tests. The subjects also completed questionnaires about psychological stress, self-awareness, and lifestyle. HRV was analyzed using frequency-domain analysis. Subjects were divided into So-Eum (SE) and non-So-Eum (non-SE) groups according to their diagnosis.The weight and body mass index in the SE group were significantly lower than those in the non-SE group (both, P = .000). There were no significant between-group differences in any other demographic variables. In HRV analysis, the normalized high frequency (nHF) was higher (P = .008) while the normalized low frequency (nLF; P = .008) and LF:HF ratio (LF/HF; P = .002) were lower in the SE group than in the non-SE group.Although there was no difference in variables affecting HRV, HRV values were significantly different between groups. The LF/HF value for the SE group was at the lower limit of the normal range, although there were no associated clinical problems. These findings suggest that individuals with the SE type are more susceptible to stress than those with the other types. Thus, middle-aged individuals who are vulnerable to stress can be identified using Sasang typology.

Background: Chronic cough, defined it lasts more than 8 weeks. The symptom is common, but highly troublesome, and it reduces quality of life. Despite much effort to develop a protocol for diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough, it remains problematic to determine its cause. As a result, treatment is often unsuccessful. Thus, there is much interest regarding the use of symptomatic drugs to control chronic cough. Maekmoondong-tang is widely used in East Asian countries to treat chronic dry cough. Several experimental studies have reported that the herbal medicine has immunomodulatory and antitussive effects. Clinical studies involving Maekmoondong-tang have also been carried out; however, these studies have involved treating various diseases as a whole rather than chronic cough itself. Thus, we aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Maekmoondong-tang in chronic dry cough patients with a randomized controlled trial., Methods/design: This study is designed as an exploratory, single-center, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, parallel group clinical trial. Patients with dry cough that has lasted more than 8 weeks will be recruited, after a 1-week run-in period, and randomly allocated to either the Maekmoondong-tang treatment group or the placebo group. The patients will receive Maekmoondong-tang or placebo granules 3 times daily for 4 weeks, with a 2-week follow-up. The primary outcome is a 10-point cough diary that will be recorded on a daily basis. The secondary outcomes comprise a cough visual analog scale, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (Korean version), the Pattern Identification for Chronic Cough Questionnaire, biomarkers, safety testing, etc. Adverse events will also be reported., Discussion: This trial will assess the efficacy and safety of Maekmoondong-tang in chronic dry cough., Trial Registration: Korean Clinical Trial Registry ( http://cris.nih.go.kr ; registration number: KCT0001646). Date of registration: October 5 2015.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to determine the antifungal and antioxidant activities of the essential oil from Angelica koreana. Methods. Essential oil was obtained from the dried roots of A. koreana by steam distillation, and its composition was identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the oil fraction and its main components were determined by broth dilution assay using common pathogenic Aspergillus and Trichophyton species. The combined effects of the oils with itraconazole were evaluated using a checkerboard titer test. In addition, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) free radical scavenging, nitrite inhibition, and reducing power were determined to assess the antioxidant activity of this oil. Results. The essential oil fraction and its main components showed inhibitory activity against all of the tested fungi, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 250-1000 μg/mL. Furthermore, this oil exhibited synergism when combined with itraconazole. Conclusion. In the treatment of infections caused by Aspergillus and Trichophyton species, combining itraconazole with either A. koreana essential oil or its main components may reduce the minimum effective dose of itraconazole required and, thus, minimize its side effects. In addition, this oil is a promising source of natural antioxidant agents.

The purpose of this study is to establish a protocol of retention-enema experiments and evaluate the antihypertensive effect and the safety of Gwakhyangjeonggi-san retention enema. Normal and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were divided into treatment and control groups, respectively. We applied the Gwakhyangjeonggi-san extract by decoction and 0.9% NaCl in each group, estimated the blood pressure and body weight, and performed HPLC analysis. ALT, AST, BUN, and creatinine were examined. The systolic blood pressure within each group in normal rats differed significantly in time effect, and so did the diastolic blood pressure in the treatment group of normal rats. The systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure showed significant differences in group effect in the treatment group of the SHRs. The time effect of the body weight in both groups of normal rats differed significantly, so did group × time and time effects in both groups of SHRs. AST, ALT, BUN, and creatinine showed no significant difference between groups. We concluded that the Gwakhyangjeonggi-san retention enema has a hypotensive effect in normal rats within the regular range of blood pressure, but an antihypertensive effect in SHRs. Also, the intervention is safe and does not affect the liver and kidney functions in normal rats.

The antifungal activities of the essential oil from Agastache rugosa and its main component, estragole, combined with ketoconazole, one of the azole antibiotics commonly used to treat infections caused by Trichophyton species, were evaluated in this study. The combined effects were measured by the checkerboard microtiter and the disk diffusion tests, against T. erinacei, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. schoenleinii and T. soudanense. Susceptibility of the five Trichophyton species to the oil alone, or ketoconazole alone, differed distinctly. The fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICI) of ketoconazole combined with estragole or A. rugosa essential oil, against the tested Trichophyton species, were between 0.05 and 0.27, indicating synergistic effects. These drug combinations exhibited the most significant synergism against T. mentagrophytes, with FICIs of 0.05 and 0.09 for estragole and the essential oil fraction from A. rugosa, respectively. Isobolograms based on the data from checkerboard titer tests also indicated significant synergism between ketoconazole and the Agastache oil fraction or estragole, against the Trichophyton species evaluated. Trichophyton susceptibility to ketoconazole was significantly improved by combination with the Agastache rugosa oil fraction or its main component, estragole.

The essential oils from Cedrus atlantica, Styrax tonkinensis, Juniperus communis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melaleuca alternifolia, Pelargonium graveolens, Pogesternon patchouli and Rosmarinus officinalis were analyzed by GC-MS. Antifungal activities of the oils were investigated by disk diffusion assay and the broth dilution method against Aspergillus niger and A. flavus. The effects of geraniol and the essential oil fraction from P. graveolens on the antifungal activity of amphotericin B and ketoconazole were examined using a checkerboard microtiter assay against both Aspergillus fungi. Most of the tested essential oils, with the exception of C. atlantica, J. communis, and P. patchouli, significantly inhibited growth of A. niger and to a lesser extent that of A. flavus, with MICs (minimal inhibitory concentrations) in the range 0.78-12.5 mg/mL. The essential oil fraction of P. graveolens and its main components, geraniol and citronellol, exhibited additive effects with amphotericin B and with ketoconazole against both Aspergillus species, resulting in fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices ranging from 0.52 to 1.00.