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Children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intellectual disability (ID), need early intervention and continuous treatment. We aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of mobile application-based interventions in children with ADHD and ID in supporting attention and cognitive function. Twenty-six children with ADHD and/or ID with attention and cognition difficulties were recruited. Participants completed a 12-week mobile application-based intervention. To assess whether digital intervention improved attention and cognitive function, we used the Comprehensive Attention Test (CAT), Cambridge Neuropsychological Tests Automated Battery (CANTAB), and electroencephalography (EEG) to examine direct changes in children's behavior and neural activity. Clinicians and parents assessed changes using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2), Korean version of the ADHD Rating Scale (K-ARS), Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale, and parental questionnaires. The intervention induced changes in neural activities on EEG and behavior but there were no significant changes in CAT and CANTAB results. Relative theta and alpha power were significantly lower post-intervention in the eyes-open (EO) condition of EEG recording and these changes were mainly observed in the frontal regions of the brain. Parental reports using the BRIEF-2 and K-ARS noted significant improvements in executive function, attention, and hyperactivity-impulsivity. In addition, the clinical impression improved in 60% of participants. These results provide evidence that a mobile application-based intervention has the benefit of supporting children with ADHD and/or ID. Digital intervention could change neural activity and improve children's attention and cognitive function. Given our findings, we suggested that mobile application-based digital therapeutics may have great potential for helping children with neurodevelopmental disorders who need continuous treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient and clean exfoliation of single and/or few-layer nanosheets of WS 2 , a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, remains a significant challenge. In this study, a simple exfoliation method was proposed to produce ultrathin WS 2 nanosheets by combining the liquid nitrogen exfoliation and nanodispersion techniques. This approach efficiently exfoliated WS 2 into several layers of nanosheets via rapid temperature changes and mechanical stress without inducing defects or contamination. After five cycles of heating/liquid nitrogen and nanodispersion, the resulting WS 2 nanosheets (WS 2 -5N ND) were confirmed to have been successfully exfoliated into 1-4 layers. When applied as a promoter in a thermocatalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of NO X using NH 3 , 2V3WS 2 /Ti (WS 2 -5N ND) exhibited excellent NO X conversion and N 2 selectivity, along with excellent durability even in the presence of SO 2 . This result was greater than 2V3WS 2 /Ti (WS 2 -5N) subjected to only liquid nitrogen exfoliation, proving the importance of the simultaneous action of both methods. This method is expected to be an important contribution to ongoing research on high-performance WS 2 -based catalysts, thereby opening up potential opportunities for a wide range of applications.

Purpose: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of progressive whole-body resistance training with social support reinforcement for older adults living alone., Method: This mixed methods single-group pilot study examined an intervention provided over 3 nonconsecutive days per week for 12 weeks. We evaluated quantitative data on recruitment, uptake, retention, and adherence, and measured pretest and posttest outcome scores on body composition, physical function, and psychosocial health. We conducted a focus group interview to collect qualitative data on participants' perspectives., Results: Seven participants (five women and two men) completed the program (attendance rate = 88.9%). Physical function and psychosocial health improved, but soft lean and skeletal muscle mass decreased. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data., Conclusion: Results support the feasibility and benefits of this intervention program for older adults living alone despite challenges with recruitment and uptake. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50 (10), 34-41.].

The significance of pork meat quality extends far beyond mere consumer satisfaction, encompassing crucial aspects such as health and nutrition, economic impact, reputation and branding, food safety, and sustainability within the global food system. Influenced by a multitude of factors, each playing a pivotal role in shaping its sensory attributes and consumer appeal, pork meat quality stands as a cornerstone of the meat industry. Thus, understanding these factors are imperative for ensuring consistent high-quality pork production, aligning with consumer preferences, and elevating overall satisfaction levels. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the diverse factors affecting pork meat quality, including genetic characteristics, rearing systems, feed composition, gender differences, pre-slaughter handling, and meat aging processes., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© Copyright 2024 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology.)

A balanced intestinal microbiome controls intestinal bacterial diseases, helps regulate immunity, and digests and utilizes nutrients, ultimately having a positive effect on the productivity of industrial animals. Yeasts help in the digestion process by breaking down indigestible fibers and producing organic acids, vitamins, and minerals. In particular, polysaccharides such as beta-glucan and mannan-oligosaccharides, which are present in the cell wall of yeast, inhibit the adhesion of pathogens to the surface of the gastrointestinal tract and increase resistance to disease to help maintain and improve intestinal health. Among the yeast additives used in animal feed, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most commonly used probiotics. However, it does not naturally reside in the intestine, so if it is supplied in combination with other species of probiotics that can compensate for it, many benefits and synergies can be expected for pigs in terms of maintaining intestinal health such as supplementing the immune system and improving digestion. A number of previous studies have demonstrated that dietary complex probiotic supplementation has growth-promoting effects in pigs, suggesting that multiple strains of probiotics may be more effective than single strain probiotics due to their additive and synergistic effects. In practice, however, the effects of complex probiotics are not always consistent, and can be influenced by a variety of factors. Therefore, this review comprehensively examines and discusses the literature related to the effects of complex probiotics using Saccharomyces cerevisiae in pig production., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© Copyright 2024 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology.)

In response to the increasing demand for spheroid-based cancer research, the importance of developing integrated platforms that can simultaneously facilitate high-throughput spheroid production and multiplexed analysis is emphasized. In addition, the understanding of how the size and cellular composition of tumors directly influence their internal structures and functionalities underlines the critical need to produce spheroids of diverse sizes and compositions on a large scale. To address this rising demand, this work presents a configurable and linkable in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cell culture kit (CLiCK) for spheroids, termed CLiCK-Spheroid. This platform consists of three primary components: a hanging drop microarray (HDMA), a concave pillar microarray (CPMA), and gradient blocks. The HDMA alone produces a homogeneous spheroid array, while its combination with the gradient block enables one-step generation of a size-gradient spheroid array. Using the size-gradient spheroid arrays, the occurrence of necrotic cores based on spheroid size is demonstrated. Additionally, spheroids in a single batch can be conveniently compartmentalized and regrouped using a CPMA, enhancing the versatility of spheroid arrays and enabling multiplexed drug treatments. By combining the different assembly methods, this work has achieved high-throughput production of cell composition-gradient spheroid arrays, with noticeable variations in morphology and vascularization based on cell compositions., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Four blended oils including palm + corn oil (PC), palm + grapeseed oil (PG), corn + grapeseed oil (CG), and palm + corn + grapeseed oil (PCG) were used as frying media. The 8-oxo and 9-oxo content, fatty acid composition, oxidative stability index, and iodine value of samples (n = 42) were analyzed. As the frying cycles increased, the content of 8-oxo and 9-oxo also increased significantly (p < 0.05) and showed the highest content of 965.56 ± 0.706 μg/g in 100 frying cycles of PCG. After 20-40 frying cycles in CG, the amount of palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acid increased up to 15.5% (p < 0.05). The oxidative stability of palm oil was the highest at 16.76-18.33 h (p < 0.05). The iodine value of grapeseed oil was the highest at 144.96 ± 2.569-153.64 ± 2.233 g iodine/100 g oil (p < 0.05). Among the examined oils, PC was the most suitable alternative to palm oil., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Fermented foods have been a staple in human diets for thousands of years, garnering attention for their health and medicinal benefits. Rich in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with probiotic properties, these foods play a crucial role in positively impacting the host's gut microbiome composition and overall health. With a long history of safe consumption, fermented foods effectively deliver LAB to humans. Intake of LAB from fermented foods offers three main benefits: (1) enhancing digestive function and managing chronic gastrointestinal conditions, (2) modulating the immune system and offering anti-inflammatory effects to prevent immune-related diseases, and (3) synthesizing vitamins and various bioactive compounds to improve human health. In this review, we highlighted the diverse LAB present in Asian fermented foods and emphasized LAB-rich fermented foods as a natural and effective solution for health enhancement and disease prevention., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Although numerous studies have been conducted to realize ideal point-of-care testing (POCT), the development of a user-friendly and user-independent power-free microfluidic platform is still a challenge. Among various methods, the finger-actuation method shows a promising technique that provides a user-friendly and equipment-free way of delivering fluid in a designated manner. However, the design criteria and elaborate evaluation of the fluid behavior of a pushbutton-activated microfluidic device (PAMD) remain a critical bottleneck to be widely adopted in various applications. In this study, we have evaluated the fluid behavior of the PAMD based on various parameters, such as pressing velocity and depth assisted by a press machine. We have further developed a user-friendly and portable pressing block that reduces user variation in fluid behavior based on the evaluation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

The importance of ruminal microbiota in ruminants is emphasized, not only as a special symbiotic relationship with ruminants but also as an interactive and dynamic ecosystem established by the metabolites of various rumen microorganisms. Rumen microbial community is essential for life maintenance and production as they help decompose and utilize fiber that is difficult to digest, supplying about 70% of the energy needed by the host and 60-85% of the amino acids that reach the small intestine. Bacteria are the most abundant in the rumen, but protozoa, which are relatively large, account for 40-50% of the total microorganisms. However, the composition of these ruminal microbiota is not conserved or constant throughout life and is greatly influenced by the host. It is known that the initial colonization of calves immediately after birth is mainly influenced by the mother, and later changes depending on various factors such as diet, age, gender and breed. The initial rumen microbial community contains aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria due to the presence of oxygen, but as age increases, a hypoxic environment is created inside the rumen, and anaerobic bacteria become dominant in the rumen microbial community. As calves grow, taxonomic diversity increases, especially as they begin to consume solid food. Understanding the factors affecting the rumen microbial community and their effects and changes can lead to the early development and stabilization of the microbial community through the control of rumen microorganisms, and is expected to ultimately help improve host productivity and efficiency., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Microbiological Society of Korea.)

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a complex, multifaceted global health issue that poses a serious threat to livestock, humans, and the surrounding environment. It entails several elements and numerous potential transmission routes and vehicles that contribute to its development and spread, making it a challenging issue to address. AR is regarded as an One Health issue, as it has been found that livestock, human, and environmental components, all three domains are interconnected, opening up channels for transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). AR has turned out to be a critical problem mainly because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, with the anticipation of 10 million annual AR-associated deaths by 2050. The fact that infectious diseases induced by ARB are no longer treatable with antibiotics foreshadows an uncertain future in the context of health care. Hence, the One Health approach should be emphasized to reduce the impact of AR on livestock, humans, and the environment, ensuring the longevity of the efficacy of both current and prospective antibiotics., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© Copyright 2024 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology.)

The Enterococcus faecium ( E. faecium ) strain AK&#95;C&#95;05 was isolated from cheonggukjang , the Korean traditional food, collected from a local market in South Korea. In this report, we presented the complete genome sequence of E. faecium strain AK&#95;C&#95;05. The genome of E. faecium strain AK&#95;C&#95;05 genome consisted of one circular chromosome (2,691,319 bp) with a guanine + cytosine (GC) content of 38.3% and one circular plasmid (177,732 bp) with a GC content of 35.48%. The Annotation results revealed 2,827 protein-coding sequences (CDSs), 18 rRNAs, and 68 tRNA genes. It possesses genes, which encodes enzymes such as alpha-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22), beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) and alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.55) enabling efficient utilization of carbohydrates. Based on Clusters of Orthologous Groups analysis, E. faecium strain AK&#95;C&#95;05 showed specialization in carbohydrate transport and metabolism indicating the ability to generate energy using a variety of carbohydrates., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© Copyright 2024 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology.)

With the ban on antibiotics in the swine industry, the exploration of alternative options has highlighted phytobiotics as a promising substitute for antibiotic growth promoters, aiming to foster a more sustainable swine industry. Phytobiotics are non-nutritive natural bioactive components derived from plants that offer numerous health benefits. They exhibit antioxidative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Phytobiotics can be utilized in various forms, including solid, dried, ground, or as extracts, either in crude or concentrated form. They are characterized by low residual levels, a lack of resistance development, and minimal adverse effects. These qualities make phytobiotics an attractive choice for enhancing health and productivity in swine, presenting them as a viable alternative to antibiotics. While there is a general understanding of the effects of phytobiotics, there is still a need for detailed information regarding their effectiveness and mechanisms of action in practical settings. Therefore, the purpose of this mini review was to summarize the current knowledge supporting the roles of phytobiotics and their proposed modes of action, with a specific focus on swine., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Pandey, Kim, Cho, Song, Doo, Kim, Keum, Kwak, Ryu, Choi, Kang, Choe and Kim.)

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a polymicrobial syndrome characterized by a diminished number of protective bacteria in the vaginal flora. Instead, it is accompanied by a significant increase in facultative and strict anaerobes, including Gardnerella vaginalis ( G. vaginalis ). BV is one of the most common gynecological problems experienced by reproductive age-women. Because an ideal and standard animal model for human BV induced by G. vaginalis is still underdeveloped, the main objective of this study was to develop a mouse model for human BV induced by G. vaginalis to demonstrate the clinical attributes observed in BV patients. A total of 80 female ICR mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups and intravaginally inoculated with different doses of G. vaginalis : NC (uninfected negative control), PC1 (inoculated with 1 × 10 5  CFU of G. vaginalis ), PC2 (inoculated with 1 × 10 6  CFU of G. vaginalis ) and PC3 (inoculated with 1 × 10 7  CFU of G. vaginalis ). The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and serum concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-10) in mice administered with G. vaginalis were significantly higher than those of the control group. Gross lesion and histopathological analysis of reproductive tract of mice inoculated with G. vaginalis showed inflammation and higher epithelial cell exfoliation compared to the control group. In addition, vaginal swabs from the mice inoculated with G. vaginalis showed the presence of clue cells, which are a characteristic feature of human BV. Altogether, our results suggested that G. vaginalis is sufficient to generate comparable clinical attributes seen in patients with BV., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Kwak, Pandey, Cho, Song, Kim, Doo, Keum, Ryu, Choi, Kang, Kim, Kim and Kim.)

Non-digestible carbohydrates are an unavoidable component in a pig's diet, as all plant-based feeds contain different kinds of non-digestible carbohydrates. The major types of non-digestible carbohydrates include non-starch polysaccharides (such as cellulose, pectin, and hemicellulose), resistant starch, and non-digestible oligosaccharides (such as fructo-oligosaccharide and xylo-oligosaccharide). Non-digestible carbohydrates play a significant role in balancing the gut microbial ecology and overall health of the swine by promoting the production of short chain fatty acids. Although non-digestible carbohydrates are rich in energy, swine cannot extract this energy on their own due to the absence of enzymes required for their degradation. Instead, they rely on gut microbes to utilize these carbohydrates for energy production. Despite the importance of non-digestible carbohydrate degradation, limited studies have been conducted on the swine gut microbes involved in this process. While next-generation high-throughput sequencing has aided in understanding the microbial compositions of the swine gut, specific information regarding the bacteria involved in non-digestible carbohydrate degradation remains limited. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate and comprehend the bacteria responsible for the breakdown of non-digestible carbohydrates in the gut. In this mini review, we have discussed the major bacteria involved in the fermentation of different types of non-digestible carbohydrates in the large intestine of swine, shedding light on their potential roles and contributions to swine nutrition and health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Pandey, Kim, Cho, Song, Doo, Kim, Keum, Kwak, Ryu, Choi, Kang, Lee and Kim.)

Intron lariats excised during the splicing process are rapidly degraded by RNA lariat debranching enzyme (Dbr1) and several exonucleases. Rapid turnover of lariat RNA is essential to cellular RNA homeostasis. However, the functions of Dbr1 have not been investigated in filamentous fungi. Here, we characterized the molecular functions of Dbr1 in Fusarium graminearum, a major fungal plant pathogen. Deletion of FgDBR1 resulted in pleiotropic defects in hyphal growth, conidiation, sexual reproduction, and virulence. Through transcriptome analysis, we revealed that the deletion mutant exhibited global accumulation of intron lariats and upregulation of ribosome-related genes. Excessive accumulation of lariat RNA led to reduced overall protein synthesis, causing various phenotypic defects in the absence of FgDBR1. The results of this study demonstrate that a compromised intron turnover process affects development and pathogenesis in this fungus and that Dbr1 function is critical to plant pathogenic fungi., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by abnormalities in social communication and limited and repetitive behavioral patterns. Children with ASD who lack social communication skills will eventually not interact with others and will lack peer relationships when compared to ordinary people. Thus, it is necessary to develop a program to improve social communication abilities using digital technology in people with ASD., Objective: We intend to develop and apply a metaverse-based child social skills training program aimed at improving the social interaction abilities of children with ASD aged 7-12 years. We plan to compare and analyze the biometric information collected through wearable devices when applying the metaverse-based social skills training program to evaluate emotional changes in children with ASD in stressful situations., Methods: This parallel randomized controlled study will be conducted on children aged 7-12 years diagnosed with ASD. A metaverse-based social skills training program using digital technology will be administered to children who voluntarily wish to participate in the research with consent from their legal guardians. The treatment group will participate in the metaverse-based social skills training program developed by this research team once a week for 60 minutes per session for 4 weeks. The control group will not intervene during the experiment. The treatment group will use wearable devices during the experiment to collect real-time biometric information., Results: The study is expected to recruit and enroll participants in March 2022. After registering the participants, the study will be conducted from March 2022 to May 2022. This research will be jointly conducted by Yonsei University and Dobrain Co Ltd. Children participating in the program will use the internet-based platform., Conclusions: The metaverse-based Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) will be effective in improving the social skills of children with ASD, similar to the offline PEERS program. The metaverse-based PEERS program offers excellent accessibility and is inexpensive because it can be administered at home; thus, it is expected to be effective in many children with ASD. If a method can be applied to detect children's emotional changes early using biometric information collected through wearable devices, then emotional changes such as anxiety and anger can be alleviated in advance, thus reducing issues in children with ASD., Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service KCT0006859; https://tinyurl.com/4r3k7cmj., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/35960., (©JooHyun Lee, Tae Seon Lee, SeungWoo Lee, JiHye Jang, SuYoung Yoo, YeJin Choi, Yu Rang Park. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 08.06.2022.)

Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is a calcium-dependent transamidating acyltransferase enzyme of the protein-glutamine γ-glutamyltransferase family implicated in kidney injury. In this study, we identified associations between TG2 and chronic kidney disease (CKD) identified by visualizing TG2 in kidney biopsy samples derived from CKD patients using immunohistochemistry and measuring the plasma TG2 concentrations. Our study revealed a connection between TG2 and the pathological markers of kidney disease. We showed high plasma TG2 levels in samples from patients with advanced CKD. In addition, we observed an increase in TG2 expression in tissues concomitant with advanced CKD in human samples. Moreover, we investigated the effect of TG2 inhibition on kidney injury using cystamine, a well-known competitive inhibitor of TG2. TG2 inhibition reduced apoptosis and accumulation of extracellular molecules (ECM) such as fibronectin and pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8. Collectively, the increased expression of TG2 that was observed in advanced CKD, hence inhibiting TG2 activity, could protect kidney cells from ECM molecule accumulation, apoptosis, and inflammatory responses, thereby preventing kidney fibrosis.

Although early diagnosis of developmental delay is important, there are challenges in identifying cognitive status in developing countries because of limited human and financial resources to perform diagnostic tests. Moreover, diagnosis stability of developmental delay in children using neuropsychological tests (NPTs) can remain unsettled. The aim of this study is (1) to verify the effectiveness of a serious game (DoBrain), (2) to identify existing inconsistencies between NPTs, and (3) to explore the potential of the serious game as a complement to diagnostic tools. Eligible children who had completed results of NPTs were selected (n=119/235; 116/235; case, control). With these children's scores, we performed the Mann- Whitney U test to investigate the effectiveness of the serious game by comparing the improvement of scores in both groups. Among the participants, we additionally selected a case group to identify the potential of the serious game for detecting mild developmental delay. Using the results of the CGI-S as a baseline, we defined the participants whose scores indicated more than mild illness (>=2 points) in at least one area as the suspected group. The score improvement related to memory in case group was greater than that of the control group (p<0.05). Furthermore, four of the NPTs were not inconsistent, and the sensitivity/specificity of DDST-II was the highest score considering CGI-S results as the ground truth (0.43; 0.96). Additionally, games measuring discrimination, velocity, memory, and spatial perception showed statistical significance (p<0.05). This study verifies that the serious game can help specific cognitive areas and suggests that the serious game could be used as a low-cost and unconstrained spatiotemporal alternative to NPTs.