Background: Flexible flatfoot impairs gait and posture by weakening arch support, potentially leading to musculoskeletal dysfunction. Strengthening exercises, such as the short foot exercise (SFE), have shown promise in correcting this condition. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of SFE with visual feedback on medial arch height and foot function in adults with flexible flatfoot. Design: Experimental research. Methods: Adults diagnosed with flexible flatfoot were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group performed SFE with visual feedback, whereas the control group performed the same exercises without feedback. Both groups trained three times per week for five weeks. Outcome measures included the Navicular Drop Test (NDT), YBalance Test (YBT), and Tetrax postural analysis. Results: In the NDT, both groups showed significant improvements (P<.05), while in the YBT, only the experimental group showed a significant improvement (P<.05). In contrast, there were no significant changes in the Weight Distribution Index (WDI) and Stability Test (ST) areas of the Tetrax system in either group (P>.05). Conclusion: SFE effectively improved arch height regardless of visual feedback, though only the visual feedback group showed significant improvements in dynamic balance. However, between-group differences were not statistically significant, suggesting that visual feedback provides subtle rather than substantial additional benefits. Further research with larger samples is needed to establish the clinical value of adding visual feedback to SFE protocols.

Magnetic nanoparticles in nanofluid have a unique ability in that they can be influenced by an external magnetic field, making them a promising heat-exchanging fluid to meet the demands of highly efficient thermal systems. The parametric impact of the magnetic field (static and time-varying) on the heat exchanging rate of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and water-based ferrofluid was investigated in this study. The experimental setup for generating a variable frequency magnetic field and analyzing the thermal behavior of ferrofluid is presented. Temperature data was obtained as heat is transferred from heated water to the ferrofluid used as a coolant. An enhancement of the heat transfer of the magnetic nanofluid was observed when varying the magnetic field frequency, through experimental analysis. The concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the ferrofluid was varied (0.5 wt%, 1 wt%)to study the impact of nanoparticle loading on heat transfer. An alternative approach for controlling the heat exchange rate in thermal systems is proposed, utilizing the magnetic tunability of the ferrofluid.

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of gypsum application on dry matter yield (DMY), mineral content of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and soil properties in reclaimed tidal land in South Korea. The experiment was conducted in Seokmun, located on the west coast of South Korea, which is reclaimed with approximately 70 cm depth of degraded island soil. Treatments consisted of a control with no gypsum application (G0), 2 ton ha-1 (G2), and 4 ton ha-1 (G4) of gypsum application. The first harvest was carried out when the alfalfa reached 10% flowering, and subsequent harvests were conducted at 35-day intervals. Over the three-year experimental periods (2019-2021), the total DMY of G2 treatment was significantly higher than those of G0 and G4 (p<0.05). Although both G2 and G4 gypsum application treatments lowered soil pH, the G4 treatment increased the electrical conductivity (EC) content of the soil. Additionally, gypsum application affected the mineral contents of alfalfa, resulting in reduced concentration of sodium (Na) and Magnesium (Mg). Therefore, this present study suggests that a gypsum application rate of 2 ton ha-1 is optimal for improving alfalfa dry matter yield and mineral balance, as well as enhancing soil chemical properties in reclaimed tidal land in South Korea.

A survey was carried out in Paraguay to investigate the prevalence and distribution of sweet potato virus diseases. Two DNA viruses, Sweet potato pakakuy virus (SPPV) and Sweet potato symptomless virus (SPSMV), and three RNA viruses, Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), and Sweet potato virus C (SPVC), were detected. They were cloned and sequenced. Sequences were deposited in GenBank of the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Of 53 samples from which viruses were detected, SPVG was detected in 29, representing 57.6% of virus-detected samples. The second most common virus was SPFMV. It was detected in 23 samples. This is the first report of a sweet potato virus disease outbreak in Paraguay confirmed through viral sequence analysis.

Background: The 75-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP75) plays a crucial role in regulating the formation of mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs), facilitating the transfer of Ca2+ ions, and is essential for lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, calcium homeostasis, and apoptosis in mammalian cells. However, the relationship between GRP75 expression and preimplantation embryonic development in pigs remains unknown. Methods: In this study, we investigated whether GRP75 influences ER–mitochondrial junctions and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels in porcine embryos in vitro . We examined the expression of GRP75 at the zygote, cleavage, and blastocyst stages using immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis. Results: GRP75 fluorescence and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels were significantly lower (p < 0.01) in the blastocysts than in the zygotes. Western blot analysis revealed a decline in the expression of mitochondrial fusion factors mitofusin 2, GRP75, and the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex MICU1 protein at the blastocyst stage. To investigate the effects of GRP75 on blastocyst developmental competence, porcinespecific GRP75-siRNA (25 nM) was microinjected at the zygote stage. The results showed a significant decrease in the development capacity until the blastocyst stage (Control: 31.2 ± 2.0%, N.C. siRNA (25 nM): 29.8 ± 3.1%, vs. GRP75-siRNA (25 nM): 24.1 ± 1.6%; p < 0.05). GRP75 in the mitochondria and ER-localized GRP75 were both significantly reduced in blastocysts of pigs microinjected with GRP75 siRNA. Along with ER–mitochondrial colocalization, the MAM formation ratio was significantly reduced in the GRP75-siRNA group compared with that in the control (Control: 29.3% vs. GRP75- siRNA (25 nM): 15.7%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the GRP75-derived MAM region is involved in the development of early embryos in porcine blastocysts.

Due to cognitive differences, traditional perceptual engineering (KE) frequently relies too heavily on designers' experience in analyzing customers' emotional demands, which can result in product designs that deviate from users' expectations. This work suggests a thorough evaluation approach that combines the particle swarm optimization-support vector regression (PSO-SVR) model and perceptual engineering to increase the scientificity and precision of design choices. The approach first determines the subjective weights of users' emotional needs using spherical fuzzy hierarchical analysis (SFAHP). Next, it uses the entropy weighting method to determine the objective weights. Finally, it combines the subjective and objective data using game theory to produce a more rational evaluation system. Finally, the emotional prediction model based on PSO-SVR is constructed to realize the accurate mapping between emotional needs and design features. The empirical study shows that“speed”, “dynamic”and“luxury” are the core emotional demands of users, and the algorithm's prediction results are highly consistent with users' actual evaluations, which strongly verifies the accuracy of the model. Compared with the traditional KE method, the model better integrates subjective experience and objective data and provides more practical support for the design of flybridge yachts.

With the rapid development of economic globalization and the shipping industry, seafarers have been working at sea for a long time, facing psychological problems such as loneliness, depression, and frustration, which pose serious threats to their physical and mental health. The occurrence of psychological symptoms among crew members during their service on board and during their vacations was analyzed through psychological surveys. Research has found that crew members are prone to psychological problems such as obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and paranoia during their time on board. The two stages with a relatively high probability of developing psychological problems are: one month and 3-6 months after starting working on board. In response to these issues, some onboard management measures and shore-based support measures have been proposed.

The success of artificial insemination (AI) in the swine industry relies on conserving the quality of boar sperm during liquid storage, as boar spermatozoa are prone to oxidative stress due to the high polyunsaturated fatty acid content and lack of antioxidant defenses. Sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity, and DNA stability are all affected by the increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) during storage, which lowers fertility. Ethyl pyruvate (EP), a stable derivative of pyruvate, has good antioxidant properties and has been shown to protect sperm quality in vivo. Its effects on boar sperm during in vitro preservation have not yet been investigated. This study investigated the effect of different concentrations of EP (0.1–1 mM) in Beltsville thawing solution at 17°C on the sperm quality parameters of boar spermatozoa over five days. Changes in sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity, chromatin stability, and ROS were observed. The results showed that boar spermatozoa stored with 0.25–0.75 mM EP showed a significant increase in sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity, and chromatin stability compared with the control (without EP) and 1 mM EP for 5 days. Compared to the control and 1 mM EP, ROS levels statistically decreased in sperm stored in 0.25–0.75 mM EP on both storage days 3 and 5. Our findings demonstrated that 0.25–0.75 mM of EP could enhance the boar sperm quality and mitigate the oxidative stress during liquid storage, thus revealing a strategy to improve fertility rates during AI in pig production.

With the increasing demand for energy conservation and emissions reduction in the shipping industry, suctionbased turbine sails have emerged as a novel wind energy utilization technology and have become a research hotspot. This study focuses on the aerodynamic performance of suction-based turbine sails with the aim of investigating the effects of suction intensity and suction port position on their aerodynamic characteristics. By employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations using the Re-Normalization Group (RNG) k–ε turbulence model and the SIMPLE algorithm, this study provides a detailed analysis of lift and drag coefficients, pressure distribution, and vorticity distribution under various combinations of suction intensity (γ) and suction port position (α). The results show that variations in suction intensity significantly affect the lift and drag characteristics of the turbine sail, while changes in the suction port position directly influence the attachment and separation behavior of airflow on the sail surface. Furthermore, a synergistic effect is observed between γ and α—their interaction not only alters the flow distribution but also plays a critical role in determining the overall performance of the turbine sail.By comprehensively considering the influence of these two factors, the study draws key conclusions for optimizing the design of suction-based turbine sail, providing valuable theoretical insights and technical guidance for their practical application in wind-assisted marine propulsion.

In recent years, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have attracted considerable attention in materials engineering due to their unique phase stability and mechanical properties compared to conventional alloys. Since the inception of HEAs, CoCrFeMnNi alloys have been widely investigated due to their outstanding strength and fracture toughness at cryogenic temperatures. However, their lower yield strength at room temperature limits their structural applications. The mechanical properties of HEAs are greatly influenced by their processing methods and microstructural features. Unlike traditional melting techniques, powder metallurgy (PM) provides a unique opportunity to produce HEAs with nanocrystalline structures and uniform compositions. The current review explores recent advances in optimizing the microstructural characteristics in CoCrFeMnNi HEAs by using PM techniques to improve mechanical performance. The most promising strategies include grain refinement, dispersion strengthening, and the development of heterogeneous microstructures (e.g., harmonic, bimodal, and multi-metal lamellar structures). Thermomechanical treatments along with additive manufacturing techniques are also summarized. Additionally, the review addresses current challenges and suggests future research directions for designing advanced HEAs through PM techniques.

Though Farnesiferol C (FC) derived from Ferula asafoetida is known to have antiangiogenic and apoptotic effect in gastric, breast, nonsmall lung cancers, the underlying antitumor mechanism of FC is not fully understood so far. Hence, in the current study, apoptotic mechanism of FC was explored in colon cancers in association with carbon catabolite repression 4-negative on TATA-less 2 (CNOT2)/c-Myc signaling. Herein FC significantly increased cytotoxicity and reduced the number of colonies in HCT116 cells more effectively than in SW480 cells, though FC enhanced sub-G1 cell population in HCT116 and SW480 cells compared to untreated control. Consistently, FC activated the cleavages of Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and Bax and attenuated the expression of pro-PARP and Cyclin D1 in HCT116 cells better than SW480 cells. Also, FC significantly reduced the expression of CNOT2 and c-Myc. Also, FC reduced of c-Myc stability in HCT116 cells by cycloheximide assay. Notably, CNOT2 depletion reduced the expression of c-Myc, while c-Myc depletion also attenuated the expression of CNOT2 in HCT116 cells, implying the crosstalk between CNOT2 and c-Myc. Furthermore, overexpression of c-Myc or CNOT2 promoted the expression of pro-PARP in HCT116 cells. Overall, these findings suggest that FC induces apoptosis via inhibition of CNOT2 and c-Myc in colon cancers for a potent anticancer candidate for further agriculture cultivation in Korea.