A Health Risk Assessment of Workers Exposed to Organic Paint Solvents Used in the Korean Shipbuilding Industry.

In the shipbuilding industry, during the painting process, workers are exposed to various substances in paint, including organic solvents that can adversely affect their health. Most workplace exposures to organic solvents involve mixtures of organic compounds. Therefore, in this study, the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were derived using data from the Workplace Environmental Monitoring Program in Korea for six organic solvents (xylene, n-butanol, ethylbenzene, isobutyl alcohol, toluene, and methylisobutyl ketone [MIBK]) commonly used in the steel shipbuilding industry.

Bioactivity Evaluation and Phytochemical Characterization of (Thunb.) Siebold Leaf Extract.

Background: () has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes, and its leaves are considered edible. While is known for its diverse biological activities, the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects of its leaves extracted using different solvents have not been thoroughly investigated.

Methods: This study examined the antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and life-prolonging effects of () leaf extract.

Systematic Review-Based Treatment Algorithm for the Multidisciplinary Treatment of Lung Cancer Bone Metastases.

The prognosis for patients with lung cancer bone metastases has improved with the use of novel systemic agents. These patients might need surgery or radiotherapy to alleviate symptoms or maintain function. However, there is currently no disease specific algorithm to guide multidisciplinary decisions.

3-Bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde Attenuates Allergic Contact Dermatitis by Generating CD4Foxp3 T cells.

Background/aim: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in inflammatory responses by regulating the activity of various immune cells. M2 macrophages induced by IL-10 and TGF-β exhibit anti-inflammatory functions and induce Treg differentiation. Although the beneficial effects of 3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (BDB) on various diseases have been widely reported, the mechanisms, through which it alleviates allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) via Tregs and macrophages, are not well understood.

Soybean mitogen-activated protein kinase GmMPK6 enhances drought tolerance.

Soybeans are a critical crop that provides both protein and oil. In response to environmental stresses, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs) play a key role in transmitting stress signals to the nucleus to initiate stress-responsive actions. Drought stress reduces plant development and productivity but the specific MPK responsible for drought stress responses has not been previously identified.

Validation of the Korean Version of the Huntington's Disease Quality of Life Battery for Carers.

Objectives: The Huntington's Disease Quality of Life Battery for Carers (HDQoL-C) evaluates caregiver quality of life. This study aims to develop and validate the Korean version (K-HDQoL-C) to assess the burden on Korean caregivers of HD patients.

Methods: Nineteen HD caregivers (7 females, mean age 55.

Structural Stabilization of 4.6 V LiCoO Through Tri-Site Co-Doping with Al-Mg-F.

Uplifting the charging voltage of LiCoO is crucial for surpassing current energy density thresholds in Li-ion batteries. However, the structural and chemical instability of LiCoO in the deeply delithiated state is a major obstacle to the practical implementation of high-voltage LiCoO. This study proposes a multi-element co-doped LiCoO that exhibits enhanced electrochemical performances at 4.

Can a Culturally Adapted Autism Training Reduce Stigma Towards Autistic People in South Korea?

This randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of an online autism training intervention in reducing stigma toward autistic individuals. Participants were 208 Korean undergraduate students who were blinded to group allocation, with 106 assigned to the autism training and 102 assigned to a control intervention. All participants completed an online Qualtrics survey that included a pre-test survey (perceived similarity to different minority groups), the training, and a post-test survey (perceived similarity, stigma toward autistic people, knowledge about autism, confidence in their knowledge, and open-responses question asking for descriptions of autism).

Targeting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 7 in macrophages as a therapeutic strategy to mitigate myocardial infarction-induced inflammation.

Myocardial infarction (MI), a major form of coronary artery disease (CAD), triggers a severe inflammatory response in the heart, resulting in increased cell death and adverse ventricular remodeling. Despite treatment advancements, MI remains a significant risk factor for heart failure, underscoring the necessity for a more in-depth exploration of immune cell mechanisms. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 7 (PCSK7), expressed in various tissues and immune cells, has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, yet its specific role in cardiac immune cells remains poorly understood.

Emergent behaviors of two thermodynamically consistent inertial spin models.

We propose two thermodynamically consistent inertial spin models generalizing the inertial spin model for the ensemble of mechanical particles with spin. For the collective dynamics modeling consistent with an entropy principle, we use two modeling ideas based on Hamiltonian formulation and flocking formalism for the coupling of the inertial spin model and temperatures introduced by Ha and Ruggeri [Arch. Ration.

LCD benchmark: long clinical document benchmark on mortality prediction for language models.

Objectives: The application of natural language processing (NLP) in the clinical domain is important due to the rich unstructured information in clinical documents, which often remains inaccessible in structured data. When applying NLP methods to a certain domain, the role of benchmark datasets is crucial as benchmark datasets not only guide the selection of best-performing models but also enable the assessment of the reliability of the generated outputs. Despite the recent availability of language models capable of longer context, benchmark datasets targeting long clinical document classification tasks are absent.

Effect of the Ratio of Protein to Water on the Weak Gel Nonlinear Viscoelastic Behavior of Fish Myofibrillar Protein Paste from Alaska Pollock.

The linear and nonlinear rheological behaviors of fish myofibrillar protein (FMP) paste with 75%, 82%, and 90% moisture content were evaluated using small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) tests. SAOS revealed pastes with 75% and 82% moisture exhibited solid-like behavior, characterized by higher storage modulus (G') than loss modulus (G″), indicative of weak gel properties with a strong protein interaction. In contrast, the 90% moisture content showed more viscous behavior due to weakened protein-protein entanglements.

Development of a cerebellar ataxia diagnosis model using conditional GAN-based synthetic data generation for visuomotor adaptation task.

This study proposes a synthetic data generation model to create a classification framework for cerebellar ataxia patients using trajectory data from the visuomotor adaptation task. The classification objectives include patients with cerebellar ataxia, age-matched normal individuals, and young healthy subjects. Synthetic data for the three classes is generated based on class conditions and random noise by leveraging a combination of conditional adversarial generative neural networks and reconstruction networks.

Reduction of Multipath Effect in GNSS Positioning by Applying Pseudorange Acceleration as Weight.

A novel approach is proposed to mitigate the multipath effect that is considered a major source of error in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning in urban areas. We utilize code pseudorange acceleration measurements as a weight in a least squares estimation process. If GNSS signals are reflected off a surrounding surface, they cause large variations in the recorded pseudorange measurement.

Comprehensive phenotypic assessment of nonsense mutations in mitochondrial ND5 in mice.

Mitochondrial dysfunction induced by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations has been implicated in various human diseases. A comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial genetic disorders requires suitable animal models for human disease studies. While gene knockout via premature stop codons is a powerful method for investigating the unique functions of target genes, achieving knockout of mtDNA has been rare.

Prediction of fellow eye neovascularization in type 3 macular neovascularization (Retinal angiomatous proliferation) using deep learning.

Purpose: To establish a deep learning artificial intelligence model to predict the risk of long-term fellow eye neovascularization in unilateral type 3 macular neovascularization (MNV).

Methods: This retrospective study included 217 patients (199 in the training/validation of the AI model and 18 in the testing set) with a diagnosis of unilateral type 3 MNV. The purpose of the AI model was to predict fellow eye neovascularization within 24 months after the initial diagnosis.

Futile recanalization after endovascular treatment in acute ischemic stroke with large ischemic core.

Background: Endovascular therapy (EVT) is the treatment of choice for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large vessel occlusion. However, in many patients, successful EVT recanalization does not correspond to a clinical improvement, called futile recanalization (FR). We aimed to identify stroke risk factors and patient characteristics associated with FR in AIS with large core infarct (LCI).

Differentiating between Lymphoma and Metastasis Presenting as Solid Cerebellar Mass Lacking Necrosis.

This study aimed to identify radiologic features that differentiate lymphoma from metastasis manifesting as a solid enhancing mass lacking necrosis in the cerebellum. Pathologically confirmed 24 primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and 32 metastasis patients with solid enhancing cerebellar masses without necrotic or hemorrhagic components were retrospectively analyzed. We evaluated the imaging characteristics using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Optimizing Surface Characteristics of Stainless Steel (SUS) for Enhanced Adhesion in Heterojunction Bilayer SUS/Polyamide 66 Composites.

The increasing environmental concerns and stringent regulations targeting emissions and energy efficiency necessitate innovative material solutions that not only comply with these standards but also enhance performance and sustainability. This study investigates the potential of heterojunction bilayer composites comprising stainless steel (SUS) and polyamide 66 (PA66), aiming to improve fuel efficiency and reduce harmful emissions by achieving lightweight materials. Joining a polymer to SUS is challenging due to the differing physical and chemical properties of each material.

New Suggestion of Highly Durable Electrode Design for Ordered Mesoporous Ni-Mn Binary Transition Metal Oxide Anode Material in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Anode materials storing large-scale lithium ions gradually decrease electrochemical performance due to severe volume changes during cycling. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop anode materials with high electrochemical capacity and durability, without deterioration arising due to the volume changes during the electrochemical processes. To date, mesoporous materials have received attention as anode materials due to their ability to mitigate volume expansion, offer a short pathway for Li transport, and exhibit anomalous high capacity.

Uncaria Rhynchophylla and hirsuteine as TRPV1 agonists inducing channel desensitization.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) is recognized for its therapeutic applications in treating hypertension and inflammation. However, the specific molecular mechanisms how UR and its bioactive constituents modulate inflammatory pathways remain unknown. This study investigates the effects of UR extract and its constituent, hirsuteine (HST), on TRPV1 channel modulation which is related to hypertension and inflammation.

Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Vinyl Arene-Derived Chiral Benzylcopper Nucleophiles.

We report the copper-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of vinyl arene-derived nucleophiles to α,β-unsaturated diesters. Due to the high electrophilicity of α,β-unsaturated diesters toward nucleophilic copper catalysts, inclusion of vinyl arenes as pronucleophiles is challenging due to chemoselectivity issues in a multicomponent reaction compared with those of other successful examples of dienes, allenes, and enynes. In this method, chemoselective generation of a chiral benzylic copper intermediate and its stereoselective addition to α,β-unsaturated diesters provided organoboron adducts with contiguous stereogenic centers with good levels of diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity (≤85:15 diastereomeric ratio and 99% enantiomeric excess, respectively).

Clinical Significance of Biliary Invasion at Diagnosis in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage B-C Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Nationwide Cohort Analysis in South Korea.

Introduction: Evidence of biliary invasion as a prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. We aimed to verify the significance of clinically diagnosed biliary involvement in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B-C (BCLC B-C) HCC.

Methods: The Korean Liver Cancer Study Group randomly extracted data of patients with HCC enrolled in the Korean Central Cancer Registry between 2011 and 2016 from approximately 50 hospitals nationwide.