Search

IntroductionPrevious studies on adolescent smoking cessation behavior based on the transtheoretical model have primarily focused on the development of cessation programs. Attempting to quit smoking is a prerequisite for executing smoking cessation. Appropriate methods must be selected based on the characteristics and intentions of individuals to increase smokers’ satisfaction and success rates in quitting. Therefore, this study aimed to identify changing processes influencing the stages of change associated with successful smoking cessation among adolescents and examined the related factors. This descriptive study explored a transtheoretical model of different stages of changes in smoking cessation behavior among adolescent smokers.MethodsThe participants included 237 middle and high school students in South Korea. We examined the differences in stages of changes in smoking cessation behaviors based on general characteristics, smoking-related characteristics, smoking cessation change processes (cognitive and behavioral), smoking decisional balance (pros and cons of smoking), and self-efficacy.ResultsThe probability of reaching the preparation stage of smoking cessation was significantly lower among participants who did not know their father’s educational level than among those who knew their father’s educational level. Conversely, this probability was significantly higher among participants whose mothers had a college or higher education level and those who did not know their mother’s educational level than in those whose mothers had a high school or lower education level.ConclusionThese findings indicated that parental education is a significant predictor of the preparation stage of smoking cessation, highlighting the importance of the family environment in facilitating smoking cessation among adolescents. Accordingly, communication and support at home could help reinforce adolescents’ determination to quit smoking and make relevant plans. Thus, smoking cessation support should stress the need to enhance communication at home.

IntroductionHumanized mouse models to recapitulate human biological systems still have limitations, such as the onset of lethal graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a variable success rate, and the low accessibility of total body irradiation (TBI). Recently, mice modified with the CD47-SIRPA axis have been studied to improve humanized mouse models. However, such trials have been rarely applied in NOD mice. In this study, we created a novel mouse strain, NOD-CD47nullRag2nullIL-2rγnull (RTKO) mice, and applied it to generate humanized mice.MethodsFour-week-old female NOD-Rag2nullIL-2rγnull (RID) and RTKO mice pre-conditioned with TBI or busulfan (BSF) injection were used for generating human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) engrafted humanized mice. Clinical signs were observed twice a week, and body weight was measured once a week. Flow cytometry for human leukocyte antigens was performed at intervals of four weeks or two weeks, and mice were sacrificed at 48 weeks after HSC injection.ResultsFor a long period from 16 to 40 weeks post transplantation, the percentage of hCD45 was mostly maintained above 25% in all groups, and it was sustained the longest and highest in the RTKO BSF group. Reconstruction of human leukocytes, including hCD3, was also most prominent in the RTKO BSF group. Only two mice died before 40 weeks post transplantation in all groups, and there were no life-threatening GvHD lesions except in the dead mice. The occurrence of GvHD has been identified as mainly due to human T cells infiltrating tissues and their related cytokines.DiscussionHumanized mouse models under all conditions applied in this study are considered suitable models for long-term experiments based on the improvement of human leukocytes reconstruction and the stable animal health. Especially, RTKO mice pretreated with BSF are expected to be a valuable platform not only for generating humanized mice but also for various immune research fields.

Abstract The mesenchymal cancer phenotype is known to be clinically related to treatment resistance and a poor prognosis. We identified gene signature-based molecular subtypes of gastric cancer (GC, n = 547) based on transcriptome data and validated their prognostic and predictive utility in multiple external cohorts. We subsequently examined their associations with tumor microenvironment (TME) features by employing cellular deconvolution methods and sequencing isolated GC populations. We further performed spatial transcriptomics analysis and immunohistochemistry, demonstrating the presence of GC cells in a partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition state. We performed network and pharmacogenomic database analyses to identify TGF-β signaling as a driver pathway and, thus, a therapeutic target. We further validated its expression in tumor cells in preclinical models and a single-cell dataset. Finally, we demonstrated that inhibition of TGF-β signaling negated mesenchymal/stem-like behavior and therapy resistance in GC cell lines and mouse xenograft models. In summary, we show that the mesenchymal GC phenotype could be driven by epithelial cancer cell-intrinsic TGF-β signaling and propose therapeutic strategies based on targeting the tumor-intrinsic mesenchymal reprogramming of medically intractable GC.

The initial response to a marine accident can play a key role to minimize the accident. Therefore, various decision support systems have been developed using sensors, simulations, and active response equipment. In this study, we developed an algorithm to predict damage locations using ship motion data with bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM), a type of recurrent neural network. To reflect the low frequency ship motion characteristics, 200 time-series data collected for 100 s were considered as input values. Heave, roll, and pitch were used as features for the prediction model. The F1-score of the BiLSTM model was 0.92; this was an improvement over the F1-score of 0.90 of a prior model. Furthermore, 53 of 75 locations of damage had an F1-score above 0.90. The model predicted the damage location with high accuracy, allowing for a quick initial response even if the ship did not have flood sensors. The model can be used as input data with high accuracy for a real-time progressive flooding simulator on board.

This study aims to examine the relationship between intrapersonal factors, interpersonal factors, smartphone screen time, and the moderating roles of interpersonal factors, on the basis of the ecological model. This study is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. A total of 428 participants from four public middle schools were selected through convenience sampling (55.1% female; Mean age 13.0 ± 0.78). Data were collected through self-report questionnaires that contained questions about sociodemographic characteristics, intrapersonal factors (types of smartphone use, Fear of missing out—FoMO), interpersonal factors (support from parents, teachers, and peers), and smartphone screen time. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression. The daily smartphone screen time was 4.05 ± 2.16 h. Results showed that social media (β = 0.155), games (β = 0.140), and FoMO (β = 0.227) were positively associated with smartphone screen time, while educational videos (β = −0.130) and parental support (β = −0.212) were negatively associated with smartphone screen time. Peers support moderated the association between games and smartphone screen time. Parental support moderated the association between educational videos, videos/movies/TV, and smartphone screen time. The findings highlight the direct and interactive roles of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors in predicting adolescents' smartphone screen time. Based on this study, the intrapersonal and interpersonal factors of adolescents should be comprehensively considered to intervene in their proper smartphone use.

Considering the nature of marine accidents, even a single accident can result in significant damage to the environment and property, as well as loss of life. Therefore, the initial response should be rapid and accurate, and various decision support systems have been developed to achieve this. Research on simulating progressive flooding on board immediately after an accident is being actively conducted, but this requires high levels of computing power. In this study, a methodology for converting simulated ship motion data into a ship motion database is presented. The model of a training ship from the Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology and KRISO in-house code SMTP was used for ship motion computations. The short-time Fourier transform was used to convert time-series motion data into a spectrogram motion database. A methodology for deriving a predicted location of the damage center is presented. The candidate locations of the damage centers were obtained by comparing the root mean square error values of the ship motion database from the simulation and real-time ship motion data. Finally, a probability function was suggested to confirm the predicted location of the damage center. Using 100 randomly selected test cases, our method showed 95% accuracy.

Summary: Purpose: The Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form 34 (SCNS-SF34) measures the perceived care needs of patients with cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the SCNS-SF34 (i.e., the SCNS-SF34-K). Methods: The SCNS-SF34 was translated into Korean following a World Health Organization translation guideline. We recruited 208 patients with cancer via an online survey in 2022. The data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and Amos 23.0, and the construct validity, known-group validity, and internal consistency were tested. Results: The SCNS-SF34-K validated the final five-factor model via confirmatory factor analysis. The SCNS-SF34-K's subscales demonstrated discriminant and convergent validity. In addition, known-group validity was confirmed using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status Scale (t = −7.12), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (t = −7.61), and Distress Thermometer (t = −9.22). McDonald's Omega coefficient for the total scale was .96, and each sub-domain ranged from .88 to .95. Conclusion: This research provides initial findings on the validity and reliability of the SCNS-SF34-K, a tool for measuring the supportive care needs of Korean cancer patients. The SCNS-SF34-K demonstrates potential for evaluating various aspects of patient needs and may be valuable for both clinical oncology practice and research in Korea.

Abstract Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exacerbates liver injury by activating various inflammatory pathways. Clusterin, a glycoprotein involved in lipid transport, and cytoprotection, is known to have inhibitory effects on liver steatosis and fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the role of clusterin in regulating LPS-induced liver injury and its effects on liver injury in C57BL/6 mice and clusterin knockout mice injected with LPS for 3 h. Primary Kupffer cells (KCs) and hepatocytes (HCs) were isolated from these mice and examined using immunohistochemistry, real-time RT-PCR, ELISA, and western blot analysis to assess the effects of clusterin. Clusterin deficiency significantly exacerbated LPS-induced liver injury, as evidenced by increased inflammatory cell infiltration, elevated serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, and upregulated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and components of the NLRP3 inflammasome. By contrast, overexpression of clusterin in primary Kupffer cells and hepatocytes significantly reduced these inflammatory markers. Furthermore, the protective mechanism of clusterin involved inhibition of the STAT3 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that clusterin is a useful therapeutic target to modulate cytokine production and key inflammatory signaling pathways in inflammatory liver diseases.

Abstract This study aimed to identify factors influencing partnerships between nursing home staff and families and explore means of improving these partnerships. It employed a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 152 care workers who worked in 11 nursing homes in Gyeonggi-do. As research tools, the scale for staff–family partnership in long-term care, global interpersonal communication competence scale, emotional intelligence scale, and organizational culture scale were used. Participants had a mean age of 59.93 ± 7.72 years, and the mean partnership score was 48.81 ± 6.35. Partnership was influenced by communication competence (β = 0.26, p = .002); developmental culture, a sub-domain of organizational culture (β = 0.29, p

Future wireless communications are expected to serve a wide range of emerging applications, such as Online Gaming, Extended Reality (XR), Metaverses, Healthcare or Telemetry, where communication from diverse connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices require not only stringent conditions such as ultra-reliability and low-latency communication (URLLC) together with high bandwidth but also concerns about content security as well as copyright protection. To deal with URLLC demands, Short-Packet Communication (SPC) has been recently considered a vital solution. Meanwhile, to meet high spectrum utilization, Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) has emerged as a potential technology in the last decade, for its ability to serve multi-user communication simultaneously by exploiting power-domain rather than time or frequency domains. Especially, incorporating Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) with NOMA/SPC-based systems can further boost the system’s spectral efficiency as well as enhance communication coverage. However, NOMA-based systems hugely demand a reliable user-paring process, which imposes challenges in ensuring secure short-packet delivery for emerging IoT applications. Hence, this paper studies downlink RIS-assisted short-packet NOMA systems with the focus of improving the secure performance of the pairing process with untrusted users. Our primary innovation lies in developing an arbitrary user-pairing strategy for NOMA-based systems to secure short-packet delivery for IoT applications by jointly designing the power allocation policy and RIS’s phase shifter. In this strategy, untrustworthy users will be allocated higher power levels than trustworthy users, while the latter will be configured with sub-optimal phase shift criteria at RIS to maximize its cascaded channel gain. On this foundation, we derive closed-form expressions for the average block-error rate (BLER) to analyze the performance of trustworthy users as well as the average secure BLER to quantify the secure performance when untrustworthy users wiretap trustworthy users’ information using successive interference mechanisms. Moreover, we further develop asymptotic expressions for both cases to measure the diversity gain and induce key parameters. Subsequently, Monte Carlo simulations are provided as a benchmark to corroborate the theoretical findings. This demonstrates that our work can offer a groundbreaking solution for secure and efficient wireless communication, which can also be applied to digital content protection, such as gaming.

Abstract Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder oftentimes associated with abnormal social behaviors and altered sensory responsiveness. It is hypothesized that the inappropriate filtering of sensory stimuli, including olfaction, can lead to aberrant social behavior in FXS. However, previous studies investigating olfaction in animal models of FXS have shown inconsistent results. Here, we found that Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mice, a mouse model of FXS, showed increased sniffing duration for non-social odors during their first exposure. Additionally, while wild-type (WT) males demonstrated differences in behavioral patterns between non-social odors while Fmr1 KO males did not show such distinction. We also showed that Fmr1 KO males spent significantly less time sniffing female urine odor compared to WT males. Moreover, we found an increased volume of the olfactory bulb in Fmr1 KO males. Overall, our findings suggest that the Fmr1 KO mice demonstrate atypical olfactory behaviors as well as structural changes in the olfactory bulb.

This paper presents a case study of developing a blended reading program for Korean EFL middle school students using a process drama methodology to generate intrinsic motivation to read, improve reading comprehension and language fluency, and foster twenty-first-century skills such as creativity, communication, and cooperation. For the development of the reading program, a needs analysis was conducted using student questionnaires and diagnostic tests. From results of the needs analysis, sample lessons were designed based on the process drama methodology following its planning principles and strategies. Based on feedback from teachers and students after piloting the sample lessons, the blended reading program was finalized. The proposed blended reading program is expected to help Korean EFL middle school students build a positive attitude toward reading English books and develop reading comprehension, language fluency, and 21st-century core competencies. It will also encourage English teachers to use innovative teaching methods in English education.

Porcine embryonic stem cells (pESCs) have become an advantageous experimental tool for developing therapeutic applications and producing transgenic animals. However, despite numerous reports of putative pESC lines, deriving validated pESC lines from embryos produced in vitro remains difficult. Here, we report that embryo aggregation was useful for deriving pESCs from in vitro-produced embryos. Blastocysts derived from embryo aggregation formed a larger number of colonies and maintained cell culture stability. Our derived cell lines demonstrated expression of pluripotent markers (alkaline phosphatase, Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog), an ability to form embryoid bodies, and the capacity to differentiate into the three germ layers. A cytogenetic analysis of these cells revealed that all lines derived from aggregated blastocysts had normal female and male karyotypes. These results demonstrate that embryo aggregation could be a useful technique to improve the efficiency of deriving ESCs from in vitro-fertilized pig embryos, studying early development, and deriving pluripotent ESCs in vitro in other mammals.

Background: To understand the process of biofilm formation in dental unit waterlines (DUWLs), it is necessary to assess the of bacteria that constitute DUWL biofilms. This study assessed the coaggregation of bacterial species isolated from DUWL biofilms and other related mechanisms. Methods: Coaggregation was macroscopically evaluated. Cultures of the DUWLs isolates were adjusted to the same concentration (optical density [OD]600=1.5). The isolates were mixed in pairs and incubated for 1 hour at room temperature. Subsequently, the coaggregation values were scored. Some coaggregation pairs were observed through fluorescence microscope after staining with SYTOⓇ 9 and propidium iodide. To assess their coaggregation properties, inhibition of coaggregation was performed by adding sugars and amino acids to the coaggregation pairs and the coaggregation values were scored again post-addition. Results: Coaggregation was observed in 360 out of 406 coaggregation pairs, whose coaggregation scores of ranged from one to three points. Five pairs (1.4%) had a coaggregation score of 3 points. Among these five pairs, mannose most frequently inhibited coaggregation. Among the isolates, Cupriavidus pauculus HY12 and Beijerinckia derxii subsp. venezuelae HY7 had the highest number of coaggregation pairs, with scores of 2 and 3. Conclusion: Cupriavidus pauculus HY12 and B. derxii subsp. venezuelae HY7 form many coaggregation pairs and may play important roles in biofilm maturation. The results of this study can be used to propose methods to inhibit the formation of DUWL biofilms by inhibiting coaggregation.

Background: Bacterial adhesion is the first and the most important step in biofilm formation in dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). Information on the initial adhesion and colonizing bacteria is needed to prevent biofilm formation in DUWLs. To identify the bacterial strains involved in the early adhesion step of DUWL biofilm formation, the thymine adenine (TA) cloning method was used to identify the constituent bacterial species in biofilms formed at different time points in DUWL biofilm models. Methods: DUWL biofilms were formed in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) biofilm reactor model, and the bacterial species in the DUWL biofilms obtained at different formation periods were identified using TA cloning. Results: Thirteen genera and 19 species were identified from 267 clones. For Rhizobium pusense and Pseudomonas parafulva, the detection was low in batch culture but high in the biofilm formed. Conclusion: R. pusense and P. parafulva may be involved in the early stages of DUWLs biofilm formation. The findings of this study may be helpful in developing methods for preventing DUWL biofilm formation in the future.

Abstract Background Osteosarcopenia, characterized by the simultaneous loss of bone and muscle mass, is a serious health problem in the aging population. This study investigated the interplay between host genetics, gut microbiota, and musculoskeletal health in a mouse model of osteosarcopenia, exploring the therapeutic potential of gut microbiota modulation. Methods We examined the effects of Rg3, a phytochemical, on osteosarcopenia and its interactions with host genetics and gut microbiota in six founder strains of the Collaborative Cross (CC) population. Subsequently, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of Eubacterium nodatum (EN) and Eubacterium ventriosum (EV), two gut microbes identified as significant correlates of Rg3-mediated osteosarcopenia improvement, in selected C57BL/6 J (B6) and 129S1/SvImJ (129S1) mouse strains. Results Rg3 treatment altered gut microbiota composition aligned with osteosarcopenia phenotypes, which response varied depending on host genetics. This finding enabled the identification of two microbes in the Eubacterium genus, potential mediator of Rg3 effect on osteosarcopenia. Oral administration of EN and EV differentially impacted bone density, muscle mass, exercise performance, and related gene expression in a mouse strain-specific manner. In 129S1 mice, EN and EV significantly improved these parameters, effectively reversing osteosarcopenic phenotypes. Mechanistic investigations revealed that these effects were mediated through the modulation of osteoblast differentiation and protein degradation pathways. In contrast, EN and EV did not significantly improve osteosarcopenic phenotypes in B6 mice, although they did modulate mitochondrial biogenesis and microbial diversity. Conclusions Our findings underscore the complex interplay between host genetics and the gut microbiota in osteosarcopenia and emphasize the need for personalized treatment strategies. EN and EV exhibit strain-specific therapeutic effects, suggesting that tailoring microbial interventions to individual genetic backgrounds may be crucial for optimizing treatment outcomes. Video Abstract Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) is an easy and useful predictor of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatic disease, and it significantly correlates with the degree of hepatic fibrosis in adult patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This study aimed to evaluate the use of APRI in assessing the severity of MASLD in children and adolescents. Methods Medical records of 115 patients (males: 78; females: 37) with MASLD were retrospectively reviewed. The correlations between the APRI and clinical parameters that indicate the severity of MASLD were analyzed. Their ages ranged between 7.3 and 18.8 years old. Patients with hepatitis B or C infections were excluded from the study. The APRI score was calculated, and transient elastography for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) was performed for all the patients. Results The mean APRI score was 0.46 ± 0.26, ranging between 0.16 and 1.57. The LSM values ranged between 2.94 and 7.72 kPa. Body mass index-standard deviation score, transaminase levels, and HbA1c levels were higher in a group with abnormal LSM when divided into two groups according to LSM. The APRI score was greater in the group with abnormal LSM (0.40 ± 0.17 vs. 0.64 ± 0.40, P

Neurological disorders are often debilitating conditions with no cure. The majority of current therapies are palliative rather than disease-modifying; therefore, new strategies for treating neurological disorders are greatly needed. mRNA-based therapeutics have great potential for treating such neurological disorders; however, challenges with delivery have limited their clinical potential. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are a promising delivery vector for the brain, given their safer toxicity profile and higher efficacy. Despite this, very little is known about LNP-mediated delivery of mRNA into the brain. Here, we employ MC3-based LNPs and successfully deliver Cre mRNA and Cas9 mRNA/Ai9 sgRNA to the adult Ai9 mouse brain; greater than half of the entire striatum and hippocampus was found to be penetrated along the rostro-caudal axis by direct intracerebral injections of MC3 LNP mRNAs. MC3 LNP Cre mRNA successfully transfected cells in the striatum (∼52% efficiency) and hippocampus (∼49% efficiency). In addition, we demonstrate that MC3 LNP Cas9 mRNA/Ai9 sgRNA edited cells in the striatum (∼7% efficiency) and hippocampus (∼3% efficiency). Further analysis demonstrates that MC3 LNPs mediate mRNA delivery to multiple cell types including neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the brain. Overall, LNP-based mRNA delivery is effective in brain tissue and shows great promise for treating complex neurological disorders.