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Abstract The emergence of novel AI technologies and increasingly portable wearable devices have introduced a wider range of more liberated avenues for communication and interaction between human and virtual environments. In this context, the expression of distinct emotions and movements by users may convey a variety of meanings. Consequently, an emerging challenge is how to automatically enhance the visual representation of such interactions. Here, a novel Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) based model, AACOGAN, is introduced to tackle this challenge effectively. AACOGAN model establishes a relationship between player interactions, object locations, and camera movements, subsequently generating camera shots that augment player immersion. Experimental results demonstrate that AACOGAN enhances the correlation between player interactions and camera trajectories by an average of 73%, and improves multi‐focus scene quality up to 32.9%. Consequently, AACOGAN is established as an efficient and economical solution for generating camera shots appropriate for a wide range of interactive motions. Exemplary video footage can be found at https://youtu.be/Syrwbnpzgx8.

Elective transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement can worsen cognitive dysfunction in hepatic encephalopathy (HE) patients due to toxins, including possible microbial metabolites, entering the systemic circulation. We conducted untargeted metabolomics on a prospective cohort of 22 patients with cirrhosis undergoing elective TIPS placement and followed them up to one year post TIPS for HE development. Here we suggest that pre-existing intrahepatic shunting predicts HE severity post-TIPS. Bile acid levels decrease in the peripheral vein post-TIPS, and the abundances of three specific conjugated di- and tri-hydroxylated bile acids are inversely correlated with HE grade. Bilirubins and glycerophosphocholines undergo chemical modifications pre- to post-TIPS and based on HE grade. Our results suggest that TIPS-induced metabolome changes can impact HE development, and that pre-existing intrahepatic shunting could be used to predict HE severity post-TIPS.

Abstract Background Hereditary hearing loss is one of the most common heterogeneous disorders, and genetic variants that can cause hearing loss have been identified in over sixty genes. Most of these hearing loss genes have been detected using classical genetic methods, typically starting with linkage analysis in large families with hereditary hearing loss. However, these classical strategies are not well suited for mutation analysis in smaller families who have insufficient genetic information. Methods Eighty known hearing loss genes were selected and simultaneously sequenced by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 8 Korean families with autosomal dominant non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss. Results Five mutations in known hearing loss genes, including 1 nonsense and 4 missense mutations, were identified in 5 different genes (ACTG1, MYO1F, DIAPH1, POU4F3 and EYA4), and the genotypes for these mutations were consistent with the autosomal dominant inheritance pattern of hearing loss in each family. No mutational hot-spots were revealed in these Korean families. Conclusion Targeted NGS allowed for the detection of pathogenic mutations in affected individuals who were not candidates for classical genetic studies. This report is the first documenting the effective use of an NGS technique to detect pathogenic mutations that underlie hearing loss in an East Asian population. Using this NGS technique to establish a database of common mutations in Korean patients with hearing loss and further data accumulation will contribute to the early diagnosis and fundamental therapies for hereditary hearing loss.

Abstract Background It is known that steroid usage and alcohol abuse are major etiological factors in the development of avascular necrosis (AVN), a bone disease that produces osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The facilitation of fat biosynthesis by steroids and alcohol disrupts the blood supply into the femoral head. SREBP-2 plays a central role in the maintenance of lipid homeostasis through stimulating expression of genes associated with cholesterol biosynthetic pathways. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the polymorphisms of the SREBP-2 gene and AVN susceptibility in the Korean population. Methods Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the SREBP-2 gene, IVS1+8408 T>C (rs2267439), IVS3-342 G>T (rs2269657), IVS11+414 G>A (rs1052717) and IVS12-1667 G>A (rs2267443), were selected from public databases and genotyped in 443 AVN patients and 273 control subjects by using single-based extension (SBE) genotyping. Results The minor allele (C) frequency of rs2267439 showed a significant protective effect on AVN (P = 0.01, OR; 0.75, 95% CI; 0.604–0.935), and the genotype frequencies of this polymorphism were also different from the controls in all alternative analysis models (P range, 0.009–0.03, OR; 0.647–0.744). In contrast, rs1052717 and rs2267443 polymorphisms were significantly associated with AVN risk. Further analysis based on pathological etiology showed that the genotypes of rs2267439, rs1052717 and rs2267443 were also significantly associated with AVN susceptibility in each subgroup. Conclusion This study is the first report to evaluate the association between SREBP-2 gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility of AVN in the Korean population.

This paper has presented a novel method for the synthesis of regular and reproductive ZnO nanostructures by microwave heating. Unlike the previous studies, it has focused on ZnO nanostructures grown on the Si wafer used as a cover rather than on the precursor top and the results show that ZnO nanostructures with different shapes depending on the amount of mixture and the position in the Si wafer grow on the regular and reproductive basis. In the center of the Si wafer, short and coarse ZnO nanorods have grown, and on the outer edges, the structure of bundles consisting of ZnO nanorods with much longer lengths and smaller diameters has been synthesized. Morphology of ZnO nanorods was characterized by using scanning electron microscope and the nanorods grown on the outer edges had a mean diameter of 200 nm and were up to 1 0 0 μ m long. In order to elucidate the growth mechanism of nanorods, we have carried out SEM, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and XRD characterization, which shows that ZnO nanorods have grown according to VLS mechanism. A controllable growth method of ZnO nanoneedle is suggested. Zinc Oxide powder and graphite mixed in suitable proportions were placed in an alumina crucible, covered with silicon wafer and subjected to microwave heating. ZnO nanostructures such as nanorod bundles were synthesized on the different positions of the silicon wafer and on the sample surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]