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Abstract Background Currently, there is a relative lack of detailed reports regarding clinical presentation and outcome of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in Asians. This study aims to describe the clinical features and treatment outcomes of Korean patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Methods We prospectively recruited patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension from one hospital and retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 11 hospitals in Korea. We collected data regarding preceding medical conditions or suspected medication exposure, headache phenotypes, other associated symptoms, detailed neuroimaging findings, treatments, and outcomes after 1–2 and 3–6 months of treatment. Results Fifty-nine (83.1% women) patients were included. The mean body mass index was 29.11 (standard deviation, 5.87) kg/m2; only 27 patients (45.8%) had a body mass index of ≥ 30 kg/m2. Fifty-one (86.4%) patients experienced headaches, patterns of which included chronic migraine (15/51 [29.4%]), episodic migraine (8/51 [15.7%]), probable migraine (4/51 [7.8%]), chronic tension-type headache (3/51 [5.9%]), episodic tension-type headache (2/51 [3.9%]), probable tension-type headache (2/51 [3.9%]), and unclassified (17/51 [33.3%]). Medication overuse headache was diagnosed in 4/51 (7.8%) patients. After 3–6 months of treatment, the intracranial pressure normalized in 8/32 (25.0%), improved in 17/32 (53.1%), no changed in 7/32 (21.9%), and worsened in none. Over the same period, headaches remitted or significantly improved by more than 50% in 24/39 patients (61.5%), improved less than 50% in 9/39 (23.1%), and persisted or worsened in 6/39 (15.4%) patients. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the features of Asian patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension may be atypical (i.e., less likely obese, less female predominance). A wide spectrum of headache phenotypes was observed. Medical treatment resulted in overall favorable short-term outcomes; however, the headaches did not improve in a small proportion of patients.

Nerve conduction study (NCS) is an essential test for the diagnosis and follow-up of peripheral neuropathy. NCS can objectively quantify peripheral nerve function. NCS is affected by physiological factors such as height, age, body mass index, etc. Hence, the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnosis Medicine (AANEM) is currently forming a Normal Data Task Force (NDTF) to present the normal value, but the number is significantly less. Currently, no research has been carried out on the correlation between nerve conduction speed and height and lower limb length in Koreans. Hence, this study sought to compare the nerve conduction velocity of the lower limbs according to the height and lower limb length. A total of 49 subjects were recruited. When the motor nerve conduction velocity and sensory nerve conduction velocity were compared according to the height and leg length, there was a statistically significant negative correlation of the peroneal and left tibial motor nerves with the height. Also, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed with the superficial peroneal sensory nerve and the sural nerve and the leg length. However, in this study, all the subject are in twentys age, whereas the NDTF is divided by age. Hence, additional studies involving subjects of various age groups are needed.

Summary: Immunoregulatory mechanisms established in the lymphoid organs are vital for preventing autoimmunity. However, the presence of similar mechanisms in non-lymphoid tissues remains unclear. Through transcriptomic and lipidomic analyses, we find a negative association between psoriasis and fatty acid metabolism, as well as Th2 signature. Homeostatic expression of liver X receptor (LXR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is essential for maintaining fatty acid metabolism and for conferring resistance to psoriasis in mice. Perturbation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) diminishes the homeostatic levels of LXR and PPARγ. Furthermore, mice lacking STAT6, interleukin 4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα), or IL-13, but not IL-4, exhibit increased susceptibility to psoriasis. Under steady state, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are the primary producers of IL-13. In human skin, inhibiting tonic type 2 immunity exacerbates psoriasis-like inflammation and IL-17A, while activating LXR or PPARγ inhibits them. Hence, we propose that tonic type 2 immunity, driven by IL-13-producing ILCs, represents a crucial tissue checkpoint that represses autoimmunity and maintains lipid homeostasis in the skin.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a test that diagnoses epilepsy and measures brain function. During EEG, the space between the electrode and the skin is filled with a conductive paste to reduce the impedance between the electrode and the scalp, which helps measure the EEG signals. This study compared the artifacts of the two representative conductive pastes (Ten20 and Elefix). The artifacts, noise, and satisfaction were surveyed after using the two conductive pastes. The two conductive pastes had similar artifacts and noise, but the survey results showed that the Elefix conductive paste had better satisfaction and adhesion. This result may be explained by the imprinting effect according to the experience of using the Elefix conductive paste first in the EEG class. Hence, further research is needed.

Abstract Objectives Persistent postural‐perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic functional vestibular disorder for which the Bárány Society has established diagnostic criteria. This nationwide multicenter study aims to investigate the clinical features of individuals with definite PPPD and clinical variant PPPD who do not fully meet the diagnostic criteria, with a particular focus on visual exaggeration. Methods Between September 2020 and September 2021, a total of 76 individuals with definite PPPD and 109 individuals with clinical variant PPPD who did not meet all three exacerbating factors outlined in Criterion B were recruited from 18 medical centers in South Korea. The study gathered information on demographic factors, clinical manifestations, balance scales, and personality assessments. Results Comparative analysis between groups with definite PPPD and clinical variant with visual exacerbation revealed no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics, clinical course, dizziness impact, and specific precipitants. Only disease duration was significantly longer in definite PPPD compared with variant with visual exacerbation. However, the variant without visual exacerbation displayed significantly reduced rates of panic disorder, diminished space‐motion discomfort, lesser impact of dizziness, and decreased prevalence of depression when compared with the definitive PPPD. Conclusion This is the first comprehensive nationwide study examining clinical features of both definite PPPD patients and its clinical variants, considering visual exacerbating factors. Differences in dizziness and personality traits emerged between definite PPPD and its potential variant without visual issues. Our results highlight the possibility of a distinct clinical variant of PPPD influenced by visual dependency.

Summary: Background: The global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to approximately 500 million cases and 6 million deaths worldwide. Previous investigations into the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 primarily focused on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients, lacking detailed mechanistic insights into the virus’s impact on inflamed tissue. Existing animal models, such as hamster and ferret, do not faithfully replicate the severe SARS-CoV-2 infection seen in patients, underscoring the need for more relevant animal system-based research. Methods: In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) with lung tissues from K18-hACE2 transgenic (TG) mice during SARS-CoV-2 infection. This approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the molecular and cellular responses to the virus in lung tissue. Findings: Upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, K18-hACE2 TG mice exhibited severe lung pathologies, including acute pneumonia, alveolar collapse, and immune cell infiltration. Through scRNA-seq, we identified 36 different types of cells dynamically orchestrating SARS-CoV-2-induced pathologies. Notably, SPP1+ macrophages in the myeloid compartment emerged as key drivers of severe lung inflammation and fibrosis in K18-hACE2 TG mice. Dynamic receptor–ligand interactions, involving various cell types such as immunological and bronchial cells, defined an enhanced TGFβ signaling pathway linked to delayed tissue regeneration, severe lung injury, and fibrotic processes. Interpretation: Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in lung tissue, surpassing previous limitations in investigating inflamed tissues. The identified SPP1+ macrophages and the dysregulated TGFβ signaling pathway offer potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Insights from this research may contribute to the development of innovative diagnostics and therapies for COVID-19. Funding: This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (2020M3A9I2109027, 2021R1A2C2004501).

Background & Aims: Fibrosis development in ulcerative colitis is associated directly with the severity of mucosal inflammation, which increases the risk of colorectal cancer. The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway is an important source of tissue fibrogenesis, which is stimulated directly by reactive oxygen species produced from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases (NOX). Among members of the NOX family, NOX4 expression is up-regulated in patients with fibrostenotic Crohn's disease (CD) and in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis. The aim of this study was to determine whether NOX4 plays a role in fibrogenesis during inflammation in the colon using a mouse model. Methods: Acute and recovery models of colonic inflammation were performed by DSS administration to newly generated Nox4-/- mice. Pathologic analysis of colon tissues was performed, including detection of immune cells, proliferation, and fibrotic and inflammatory markers. RNA sequencing was performed to detect differentially expressed genes between Nox4-/- and wild-type mice in both the untreated and DSS-treated conditions, followed by functional enrichment analysis to explore the molecular mechanisms contributing to pathologic differences during DSS-induced colitis and after recovery. Results: Nox4-/- mice showed increased endogenous TGF-β signaling in the colon, increased reactive oxygen species levels, intensive inflammation, and an increased fibrotic region after DSS treatment compared with wild-type mice. Bulk RNA sequencing confirmed involvement of canonical TGF-β signaling in fibrogenesis of the DSS-induced colitis model. Up-regulation of TGF-β signaling affects collagen activation and T-cell lineage commitment, increasing the susceptibility for inflammation. Conclusions: Nox4 protects against injury and plays a crucial role in fibrogenesis in DSS-induced colitis through canonical TGF-β signaling regulation, highlighting a new treatment target.

Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl. (C. obtusa) belongs to the Cupressaceae family and is native to East Asian regions. Essential oils extracted from the leaves, bark, branches, and roots of C. obtusa have both aesthetic and medicinal properties and are thus widely used. However, detailed analyses of the active ingredients of C. obtusa extract are lacking. In this study, the sabinene content in the hydro-distillation of C. obtusa leaf essential oil (COD) was analyzed using GC-MS, and the anti-inflammatory effect of COD was compared with that of pure sabinene. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay, and nitric oxide (NO) production was measured using Griess reagent. Relative mRNA and protein levels were analyzed using RT-qPCR and western blot, and secreted cytokines were analyzed using a cytokine array kit. The results showed that both COD and sabinene inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. COD and sabinene also reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-27, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of COD and sabinene partially overlap, as COD was shown to inhibit MAPKs and the JAK/STAT axis, and sabinene inhibited MAPKs, thereby preventing LPS-induced macrophage activation.

In recent years, music has been regarded as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for a number of physical and mental conditions. Five-elements music therapy—based on the five-element theory—is a unique non-pharmacological therapy of East Asian traditional medicine. It has the potential to effectively provide individualized music therapy to individuals with illness. However, one limitation of this music therapy is that the classification of the five elements and its application is mainly based on subjective judgment. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled the acoustic analysis of multi-factor sound sources. This can develop five-element music therapy. Here, we discussed the challenges proposed by the future combination of five-element music therapy and AI. Further, we hypothesized that AI may promote its use in the medical field.

The existing question-and-answer screening test has a limitation in that test accuracy varies due to a high learning effect and based on the inspector’s competency, which can have consequences for rapid-onset cognitive-related diseases. To solve this problem, a behavioral-data-based screening test is necessary, and there are various types of tasks that can be adopted from previous studies, or new ones can be explored. In this study, we came up with a continuous hand movement, developed a behavioral measurement technology, and conducted validity verification. As a result of analyzing factors that hinder measurement accuracy, this measurement technology used a web camera to measure behavioral data of hand movements in order to lower psychological barriers and to pose no physical risk to subjects. The measured hand motion is a hand rotation that repeatedly performs an action in which the bottom of the hand is seen in front. The number of rotations, rotation angle, and rotation time generated by the hand rotation are derived as measurements; and for calculation, we performed hand recognition (MediaPipe), joint data detection, motion recognition, and motion analysis. To establish the validity of the derived measurements, we conducted a verification experiment by constructing our own ground-truth dataset. The dataset was developed using a robot arm with two-axis degrees of freedom and that quantitatively controls the number, time, and angle of rotations. The dataset includes 540 data points comprising 30 right- and left-handed tasks performed three times each at distances of 57, 77, and 97 cm from the camera. Thus, the accuracy of the number of rotations is 99.21%, the accuracy of the rotation angle is 91.90%, and the accuracy of the rotation time is 68.53%, making the overall rotation measurements more than 90% accurate for input data at 30 FPS for measuring the rotation time. This study is significant in that it not only contributes to the development of technology that can measure new behavioral data in health care but also shares image data and label values that perform quantitative hand movements in the image processing field.

Abstract Background As the number of large-scale studies involving multiple organizations producing data has steadily increased, an integrated system for a common interoperable format is needed. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of global efforts are underway to develop vaccines and therapeutics. We are therefore observing an explosion in the proliferation of COVID-19 data, and interoperability is highly requested in multiple institutions participating simultaneously in COVID-19 pandemic research. Results In this study, a laboratory information management system (LIMS) approach has been adopted to systemically manage various COVID-19 non-clinical trial data, including mortality, clinical signs, body weight, body temperature, organ weights, viral titer (viral replication and viral RNA), and multiorgan histopathology, from multiple institutions based on a web interface. The main aim of the implemented system is to integrate, standardize, and organize data collected from laboratories in multiple institutes for COVID-19 non-clinical efficacy testings. Six animal biosafety level 3 institutions proved the feasibility of our system. Substantial benefits were shown by maximizing collaborative high-quality non-clinical research. Conclusions This LIMS platform can be used for future outbreaks, leading to accelerated medical product development through the systematic management of extensive data from non-clinical animal studies.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global health concern since 2019. The viral spike protein infects the host by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expressed on the cell surface, which is then processed by type II transmembrane serine protease. However, ACE2 does not react to SARS-CoV-2 in inbred wild-type mice, which poses a challenge for preclinical research with animal models, necessitating a human ACE2 (hACE2)-expressing transgenic mouse model. Cytokeratin 18 (K18) promoter-derived hACE2 transgenic mice [B6.Cg-Tg(K18-ACE2)2Prlmn/J] are widely used for research on SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection is lethal at ≥105 PFU and SARS-CoV-2 target cells are limited to type-1 alveolar pneumocytes in K18-hACE2 mice, making this model incompatible with infections in the human lung. Hence, we developed lung-specific SARS-CoV-2 infection mouse models with surfactant protein B (SFTPB) and secretoglobin family 1a member 1 (Scgb1a1) promoters. After inoculation of 105 PFU of SARS-CoV-2 to the K18-hACE2, SFTPB-hACE2, and SCGB1A1-hACE2 models, the peak viral titer was detected at 2 days post-infection and then gradually decreased. In K18-hACE2 mice, the body temperature decreased by approximately 10°C, body weight decreased by over 20%, and the survival rate was reduced. However, SFTPB-hACE2 and SCGB1A1-hACE2 mice showed minimal clinical signs after infection. The virus targeted type I pneumocytes in K18-hACE2 mice; type II pneumocytes in SFTPB-hACE2 mice; and club, goblet, and ciliated cells in SCGB1A1-hACE2 mice. A time-dependent increase in severe lung lesions was detected in K18-hACE2 mice, whereas mild lesions developed in SFTPB-hACE2 and SCGB1A1-hACE2 mice. Spleen, small intestine, and brain lesions developed in K18-hACE2 mice but not in SFTPB-hACE2 and SCGB1A1-hACE2 mice. These newly developed SFTPB-hACE2 and SCGB1A1-hACE2 mice should prove useful to expand research on hACE2-mediated respiratory viruses.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is used for the diagnosis of epilepsy and testing the brain function. Clinical technologists are responsible for recording EEG without artifacts in accordance with the international 10∼20 electrode system. Training on these techniques requires practical education. In the case of EEG, however, it is difficult for trainees to find the correct location of the electrode. Therefore, this study compared the time spent to locate the electrode attachment between traditional tape and the newly developed band. The time spent for sitting position patients using the band (196.7±61.8s) was 1084.3 s faster than the tape (1,281.0±457.4s) (P＜0.001). Furthermore, the spend time spent for lying position patients using the band (200.2±49.3s) was 1217.7s faster than the tape (1417.9±482.3s) (P＜0.001). Measurements using the band showed fewer differences due to various factors, such as position, practical experience, and gender. The newly developed band can locate the correct electrode attachment position quickly and efficiently, which has been a difficult problem in EEG practical education. In addition, this band is expected to be applied widely by new clinical technologists in the clinical field. Nevertheless, more study will be required to verify the accuracy of the location of the attaching electrode.

Retinal vascular occlusions are a common cause of visual loss. The association between oral health and the risk of retinal vascular occlusions remains unknown. We investigated whether oral health was associated with the risk of retinal vascular occlusions. We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 138,484 participants who completed a national health screening program with an oral health examination from the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS) 2002–2015. Oral health markers, such as the presence of periodontitis, tooth loss, and dental caries, and the frequency of daily tooth brushing, were evaluated. The primary outcome was the occurrence of retinal vascular occlusions up to December 2015. In total, 2533 participants developed retinal vascular occlusions (215 with retinal artery occlusion, 1686 with retinal vein occlusion, 632 with unspecified retinal vascular occlusion). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, periodontitis was an independent risk factor for retinal vascular occlusions (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.18; 95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.36; p = 0.024). Frequent tooth brushing was negatively associated with the risk of retinal vascular occlusions (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.89; 95% confidence interval: 0.80–0.98; p = 0.022). Improving oral hygiene may contribute to the attenuation of the risk of retinal vascular occlusions.

Aortic dissection refers to the separation of the aorta into a true and false lumen as the medial membrane of the aorta is torn along the long axis due to a high aortic pressure when a minute rupture occurs in the aortic lining. The mortality rate is very high, and aortic dissection occurs 2∼5 times more in men than women. The prevalent age range is 50∼70 years old. In this case, the authors experienced a diagnosis of aortic dissection that occurred in a young woman in her 30s, which does not occur frequently. In the process of tracking severe aortic regurgitation, aortic valve prolapse was initially suspected. We report this case because aortic dissection could be diagnosed by observing the intimal flap of the ascending aorta in the process of confirming this suspected part.

Dealing with subjects who are unable to attain a proper level of performance, that is, those with brain–computer interface (BCI) illiteracy or BCI inefficients, is still a major issue in human electroencephalography (EEG) BCI systems. The most suitable approach to address this issue is to analyze the EEG signals of individual subjects independently recorded before the main BCI tasks, to evaluate their performance on these tasks. This study mainly focused on non-linear analyses and deep learning techniques to investigate the significant relationship between the intrinsic characteristics of a prior idle resting state and the subsequent BCI performance. To achieve this main objective, a public EEG motor/movement imagery dataset that constituted two individual EEG signals recorded from an idle resting state and a motor imagery BCI task was used in this study. For the EEG processing in the prior resting state, spectral analysis but also non-linear analyses, such as sample entropy, permutation entropy, and recurrent quantification analyses (RQA), were performed to obtain individual groups of EEG features to represent intrinsic EEG characteristics in the subject. For the EEG signals in the BCI tasks, four individual decoding methods, as a filter-bank common spatial pattern-based classifier and three types of convolution neural network-based classifiers, quantified the subsequent BCI performance in the subject. Statistical linear regression and ANOVA with post hoc analyses verified the significant relationship between non-linear EEG features in the prior resting state and three types of BCI performance as low-, intermediate-, and high-performance groups that were statistically discriminated by the subsequent BCI performance. As a result, we found that the frontal theta rhythm ranging from 4 to 8 Hz during the eyes open condition was highly associated with the subsequent BCI performance. The RQA findings that higher determinism and lower mean recurrent time were mainly observed in higher-performance groups indicate that more regular and stable properties in the EEG signals over the frontal regions during the prior resting state would provide a critical clue to assess an individual BCI ability in the following motor imagery task.

Purpose: Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) experience gait unsteadiness not only during the attacks but also between the spells. This study aimed to measure gait changes in BPPV and determine whether these changes are associated with the involved canal or lesion side.Methods: We recruited 33 patients with a diagnosis of unilateral BPPV. Patients with other vestibular or central nervous system disorders were excluded. Gait was assessed using the GAITRite™ system before and after canalith repositioning treatment (CRT).Results: After CRT, improvements were observed in various gait parameters including velocity (p < 0.001), cadence (p < 0.001), functional ambulation profile (p = 0.011), and the coefficient of variation of stride time (p = 0.004). Exploration of the center of pressure (COP) distribution also revealed improved stabilization during locomotion after CRT. The spatiotemporal gait variables did not differ between the patients with horizontal- and posterior-canal BPPV, or between the ipsilesional and contralesional sides before CRT.Conclusions: The gait parameters reflecting velocity and rhythmicity along with stability of COP distribution improved after the resolution of BPPV. Episodic overexcitation of semicircular canal may impair the vestibular information that is integrated with the other reference afferent systems and lead to impaired gait performance.

Abstract Background Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has improved immensely during the past decade but controversies persist on cardiovascular benefits among women with diabetes. We investigated 11-year trends in hospital admission rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in people with and without diabetes by gender in England. Methods We identified all hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease causes among people aged 17 years and above between 2004 and 2014 in England. We calculated diabetes-specific and non-diabetes-specific rates for study outcomes by gender. To assess temporal changes, we fitted negative binomial regression models. Results Diabetes-related admission rates remained unchanged for AMI (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.99 [95% CI 0.98–1.01]), increased for stroke by 2% (1.02 [1.01–1.03]) and PCI by 3% (1.03 [1.01–1.04]) and declined for CABG by 3% (0.97 [0.96–0.98]) annually. Trends did not differ significantly by diabetes status. Women with diabetes had significantly lower rates of AMI (IRR 0.46 [95% CI 0.40–0.53]) and stroke (0.73 [0.63–0.84]) compared with men with diabetes. However, gender differences in admission rates for AMI attenuated in diabetes compared with the non-diabetic group. While diabetes tripled admission rates for AMI in men (IRR 3.15 [95% CI 2.72–3.64]), it increased it by over fourfold among women (4.27 [3.78–4.93]). Furthermore, while the presence of diabetes was associated with a threefold increased rates for PCI and fivefold increased rates for CABG (IRR 3.14 [2.83–3.48] and 5.01 [4.59–5.05], respectively) in men, among women diabetes was associated with a 4.4-fold increased admission rates for PCI and 6.2-fold increased rates for CABG (4.37 [3.93–4.85] and 6.24 [5.66–6.88], respectively). Proportional changes in rates were similar in men and women for all study outcomes, leaving the relative risk of admissions unchanged. Conclusions Diabetes still confers a greater increase in risk of hospital admission for AMI in women relative to men. However, the absolute risk remains higher in men. These results call for intensified CVD risk factor management among people with diabetes, consideration of gender-specific treatment targets and treatment intensity to be aligned with levels of CVD risk.

This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of applying eight machine learning algorithms to predict the classification of the surface characteristics of titanium oxide (TiO2) nanostructures with different anodization processes. We produced a total of 100 samples, and we assessed changes in TiO2 nanostructures’ thicknesses by performing anodization. We successfully grew TiO2 films with different thicknesses by one-step anodization in ethylene glycol containing NH4F and H2O at applied voltage differences ranging from 10 V to 100 V at various anodization durations. We found that the thicknesses of TiO2 nanostructures are dependent on anodization voltages under time differences. Therefore, we tested the feasibility of applying machine learning algorithms to predict the deformation of TiO2. As the characteristics of TiO2 changed based on the different experimental conditions, we classified its surface pore structure into two categories and four groups. For the classification based on granularity, we assessed layer creation, roughness, pore creation, and pore height. We applied eight machine learning techniques to predict classification for binary and multiclass classification. For binary classification, random forest and gradient boosting algorithm had relatively high performance. However, all eight algorithms had scores higher than 0.93, which signifies high prediction on estimating the presence of pore. In contrast, decision tree and three ensemble methods had a relatively higher performance for multiclass classification, with an accuracy rate greater than 0.79. The weakest algorithm used was k-nearest neighbors for both binary and multiclass classifications. We believe that these results show that we can apply machine learning techniques to predict surface quality improvement, leading to smart manufacturing technology to better control color appearance, super-hydrophobicity, super-hydrophilicity or batter efficiency.

The use of data visualization is increasing; however, there is little empirical explanation for how it supports users. Our goal in this paper is to deepen our understanding of the role of interactive visualizations in a particular context of decision making. Specifically, we attempt to understand the role of the working memory system, which is a concept to understand the mechanism of the processing and temporary storage of information in variety of cognitive tasks. We compared two interfaces, SimulSort and its non-visual counterpart Typical Sorting, with a multi-attribute decision-making problem. Because decision outcomes are known to be affected by the limitations of a person’s working memory, we conducted a crowdsourcing-based user study using SimulSort to understand how working memory, especially the phonological loop, can benefit from the using visualizations. We examined the impact on working memory with a well known dual-task methodology by designing a concurrent task to tap into the main decision-making task. The experiment was conducted with a total of 137 participants and an ordered logistic regression using a proportional odds model was applied to analyze the decision quality. The results supported the hypothesis that when using SimulSort, participants required less working memory than they required with Typical Sorting to accomplish the multi-attribute decision-making task even though SimulSort outperformed Typical Sorting in terms of decision quality. We also provide methodologies to conduct working memory studies by implementing an articulatory suppression task on crowdsourcing platforms in which experimenters have less control over the participants.

Limonin, one of the major components in dictamni radicis cortex (DRC), has been shown to play various biological roles in cancer, inflammation, and obesity in many different cell types and tissues. Recently, the odorant-induced signal transduction pathway (OST) has gained attention not only because of its function in the perception of smell but also because of its numerous physiological functions in non-neuronal cells. However, little is known about the effects of limonin and DRC on the OST pathway in non-neuronal cells. We investigated odorant-stimulated increases in Ca2+ and cAMP, major second messengers in the OST pathway, in non-neuronal 3T3-L1 cells pretreated with limonin and ethanol extracts of DRC. Limonin and the extracts significantly decreased eugenol-induced Ca2+ and cAMP levels and upregulated phosphorylation of CREB and PKA. Our results demonstrated that limonin and DRC extract inhibit the OST pathway in non-neuronal cells by modulating Ca2+ and cAMP levels and phosphorylation of CREB.

The compound 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (F-53B), a replacement for perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in the electroplating industry, has been widely detected in numerous environmental matrices, human sera, and organisms. Due to regulations that limit PFOS use, F-53B use is expected to increase. Therefore, in this study, we performed a subchronic oral toxicity study of F-53B in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. F-53B was administered orally once daily to male and female rats for 28 days at doses of 5, 20, and 100 mg/kg/day. There were no toxicologically significant changes in F-53B-treated rats, except in the thyroid gland. However, F-53B slightly reduced the serum concentrations of thyroid hormones, including triiodothyronine and thyroxine, compared with their concentrations in the vehicle group. F-53B also induced follicular hyperplasia and was associated with increased thyroid hormone biosynthesis-associated protein expression. These results demonstrate that F-53B is a strong regulator of thyroid hormones in SD rats as it disrupts thyroid function. Thus, caution should be exercised in the industrial application of F-53B as an alternative for PFOS.

Patients with vestibular migraine are susceptible to motion sickness. This study aimed to determine whether the severity of posture instability is related to the susceptibility to motion sickness. We used a visual motion paradigm with two conditions of the stimulated retinal field and the head posture to quantify postural stability while maintaining a static stance in 18 patients with vestibular migraine and in 13 age-matched healthy subjects. Three parameters of postural stability showed differences between VM patients and controls: RMS velocity (0.34 ± 0.02 cm/s vs. 0.28 ± 0.02 cm/s), RMS acceleration (8.94 ± 0.74 cm/s2 vs. 6.69 ± 0.87 cm/s2), and sway area (1.77 ± 0.22 cm2 vs. 1.04 ± 0.25 cm2). Patients with vestibular migraine showed marked postural instability of the head and neck when visual stimuli were presented in the retinal periphery. The pseudo-Coriolis effect induced by head roll tilt was not responsible for the main differences in postural instability between patients and controls. Patients with vestibular migraine showed a higher visual dependency and low stability of the postural control system when maintaining quiet standing, which may be related to susceptibility to motion sickness.

ObjectiveInternal representation of gravity can be quantified by measuring the subjective visual vertical (SVV). Modulation of verticality perception during head tilts may be perturbed in vestibular disorders causing SVV tilts in the upright head position. This study aimed to determine the influence of head tilts on the estimation of SVV in acute vestibular disorders.MethodsWe measured the SVV in 37 patients with acute vestibular symptoms due to unilateral vestibular neuritis (VN) (n = 28) and lateral medullary infarction (LMI) (n = 9). Measurements of the SVV were performed under head upright, head tilt 30° and 60° in each direction. Seventeen normal subjects served as the control.ResultsIn controls, head tilt of 30° produced a contraversive shift of the SVV (the E-effect), and head tilt of 60° generated an ipsiversive shift (the A-effect). Patients with VN showed only the A-effect irrespective of the direction and amplitude of head tilt. Patients with LMI could estimate earth verticality accurately during head tilts. Patients with VN during the recovery phase showed the patterns of SVV modulation similar to those observed in the controls either with head upright or tilted.ConclusionGiven the absence of the E-effect in acute VN, the peripheral otolithic inputs appear to be essential in the perception of earth vertical during small static head tilts.

This study investigated the effects of an ethanol extract of black pepper and its constituent, piperine, on odorant‐induced signal transduction in non‐chemosensory cells. An ethanol extract of black pepper decreased eugenol‐induced cAMP and calcium levels in preadipocyte 3T3‐L1 cells with no toxicity. Phosphorylation of CREB (cAMP response element‐binding protein) was down‐regulated by the black pepper extract. The concentration (133.8 mg/g) and retention time (5.5 min) of piperine in the ethanol extract were quantified using UPLC–MS/MS. Pretreatment with piperine decreased eugenol‐induced cAMP and calcium levels in 3T3‐L1 cells. Piperine also decreased the phosphorylation of CREB, which is up‐regulated by eugenol. These results suggest that piperine inhibits the eugenol‐induced signal transduction pathway through modulation of cAMP and calcium levels and phosphorylation of CREB in non‐chemosensory cells.

One of the ultimate goals of studies on visualization literacy is to improve users’ visualization literacy through education and training. Even though users’ cognitive characteristics may significantly affect learning and responding processes in general, studies have addressed the relationships between users’ cognitive characteristics and visualization literacy. As a first step toward discovering the relationships, we conducted an empirical study to investigate the correlation between cognitive characteristics and visualization literacy. Our first study focuses on testing the correlation between visualization and three cognitive characteristics: numeracy, need for cognition, and visualizer-verbalizer style. In this study, we measured 178 participants’ visualization literacy and the level of the three cognitive characteristics using the Visualization Literacy Assessment Test (VLAT), the Decision Research Numeracy Test (DRNT), the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS), and the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire (VVQ) through a crowdsourcing experiment. Our test results confirmed that a correlation exists between visualization literacy and both numeracy and need for cognition. Based on our test results, we discuss the implications for education to enhance visualization literacy and future studies to investigate on related user characteristics.

Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS) is a long range submerged vehicle's hull-mounted passive sonar system which detects low-frequency noise caused by machineries of enemy ships or submerged vehicles. The HMS needs a sound absorption /insulation multi-layer structure to shut out the self-noise from own machineries and to amplify signals from outside. Therefore, acoustic analysis of the multi-layer system should be performed when the HMS is designed. This paper simplified the HMS multi-layer system to be an infinite planar multi-layer model. Also, main excitations that influence the HMS were classified into mechanical, plane wave and turbulent flow excitation, and the investigations for each excitation were performed for various models. Stiffened multi-layer analysis for mechanical excitation and general multi-layer analysis for turbulent flow excitation were developed. The infinite planar multi-layer analysis was expected to be more useful for preliminary design stage of HMS system than the infinite cylindrical model because of short analysis time and easiness of parameter study.

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a progressive disease resulting in a diffuse thickening of dura mater due to inflammation, tumor or autoimmune diseases, but most cases are idiopathic. It is seldom reported to be related to sensorineural hearing loss, but it can cause sensorineural hearing loss which can be potentially reversed through treatment. Here, we report the case of a 54-year-old woman who had progressive, bilateral, worse in the left, sensorineural hearing loss and visual disturbance with an accompanying headache over several months. Brain MRI showed diffusely thickened dura mater, highly enhanced after gadolinium administration, which was consistent with pachymeningitis. It was assumed to be related to autoimmune pathogenesis on the basis of elevated serum myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) titers. After empirical steroid and cyclophosphamide therapy, auditory impairment improved, especially in the high frequency region of the pure tone audiogram, and significant improvement in the word recognition test. Moreover, a follow-up MRI revealed much decreased enhancement of the dura mater, and the MPO-ANCA titer decreased to within the normal range. In the case of rapidly progressive sensorineural hearing loss or hearing impairment accompanying other cranial neuropathy, pachymeningitis should be taken into consideration, and brain MRI with gadolinium enhancement is the best method of detecting it. Also, to ensure proper treatment, a cautious evaluation including an ANCA work-up should be performed.

Interruption is a widespread phenomenon in human–computer interaction in modern working environments. To minimize the adverse impact or to maximize possible benefits of interruptions, a reliable approach to evaluate interruption cost needs to be established. In this paper, we suggest a new approach to evaluate the interruption cost by cognitive workload and task performance measures. The cognitive workload is assessed by pupil diameter changes and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) task load index. Task performance includes task completion time and task accuracy in a series of controlled laboratory experiments. This integrated approach was applied to three interruption coordination modes (i.e., the immediate, the negotiated, and the scheduled modes), which were designed based on McFarlane’s interruption coordination modes. Each mode consists of cognitive and skill tasks depending on the degree of mental demands providing four different task sets of interruptive task environments. Our results demonstrate that the negotiated mode shows a lower interruption cost than other modes, and primary task type and task similarity between primary and peripheral tasks are crucial in the evaluation of the cost. This study suggests a new approach evaluating interruption cost by cognitive workload and task performance measures. Applying this approach to various interruptive environments, disruptiveness of interruption was evaluated considering interruption coordination modes and task types, and the outcomes can support development of strategies to reduce the detrimental effects of unexpected and unnecessary interruptions.

Disseminated cancer presenting in pregnancy is extremely rare and its presentation can easily be obscured by pregnancy and physiological changes that occur with it. This case describes a patient who was diagnosed incidentally following investigations for preeclampsia. Despite initially being thought to be of low risk, the final diagnosis was that of metastasis from a primary cancer of an unknown origin, most likely a gastric adenocarcinoma. Although patients are under thorough observation throughout their pregnancy, this case highlights the potential need for additional investigations or adjustment of current practices. It also draws attention to the lack of sufficient reporting of cancer in pregnancy, which, considering its rarity, greatly influences how patients are managed.