Background: With the increase of seated work, interest in forward head posture (FHP) has grown. Prolonged computer tasks with FHP have been considered a factor that increases the stiffness and tone of the upper trapezius (UT) muscle. Traditionally, many studies have measured the craniovertebral angle (CVA) in standing positions to assess FHP, making it difficult to determine whether the CVA measured in a habitual working posture correlates with the stiffness and tone of the UT muscle in office workers. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the relationship among CVA, UT muscle stiffness, and tone in both habitual working and standing postures among asymptomatic office workers. Methods: Forty asymptomatic office workers participated in the study. CVA was measured in both habitual working and standing postures. Stiffness and tone of the UT muscle were assessed after a 10-minute computer task. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to investigate the relationship between CVA and stiffness and tone of the UT muscle. Results: No significant correlations were found between CVA in standing posture and the stiffness and tone of the UT muscle. However, moderate negative correlations were observed between CVA measured in the habitual working posture and both the stiffness (dominant: r = –0.490, non-dominant r = –0.465) and tone (dominant: r = –0.501, non-dominant r = –0.446) of the UT muscle. Conclusion: This study highlights that decreased CVA in habitual working posture is associated with increased stiffness and tone of the UT muscle in asymptomatic office workers. Therefore, measuring CVA in the habitual working posture should be considered when evaluating stiffness and tone of the UT muscle.

During an investigation of indigenous prokaryotic species in the Republic of Korea, 17 bacterial strains belonging to the phylum Bacteroidota and 4 strains belonging to the phylum Bacillota were isolated from freshwater environments. These isolated bacterial strains formed a robust phylogenetic clade with type strains of the closest related bacterial species, with 16S rRNA gene sequences sharing similarities of higher than 98.7%. To date, there have been no official report of these 21 isolates in the Republic of Korea. At the genus level, these unreported species were affiliated with Mucilaginibacter and Pedobacter of class Sphingobacteriia, Flavobacterium and Gillisia of class Flavobacteriia, Hymenobacter of class Cytophagia, and Paenibacillus and Planococcus of class Bacilli. These species were further examined by performing Gram staining, analyzing their colonies and cell morphologies, and determining their basic biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic positions. Detailed descriptions of the 21 previously unreported species are provided.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding DDGS and full-fat soybean in the finishing diet on the performance, carcass characteristics and unsaturated fatty acid composition of Hanwoo steers. Thirty Hanwoo steers (average age, 26.4 months; weight, 756.69 kg) were assigned into Control (no additive), DS (DDGS supplemented) and FS (full-fat soybean supplemented). The feeding rate of DDGS and full-fat soybean was set at 10% and 5% in the finishing diet, respectively, and the in vivo trial was conducted for 122 days. The final body weight was 779.81, 774.20 and 791.95 kg for Control, DS and FS, respectively, and the average daily gain was not different among treatments. The feed conversion ratio was lower in FS compared to Control. Carcass cold carcass weight, backfat thickness, M. longissimus dorsi area and marbling scores were not different among treatments, and moisture, crude protein, and crude fat content in carcass were not different. The melting point of sirloin ranged from 25 to 26℃ among treatments. The saturated fatty acid, C18:0, was lower in the FS than in Control. C18:1, the main unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) in carcasses, did not show any difference among treatments, but C18:2 was higher in DS than in Control. Total UFAs were higher in the FS than in Control. Based on the above results, DDGS feeding was effective in improving feed conversion ratio and C18:2 content, and full-fat soybean feeding was effective in improving feed conversion ratio and increasing UFA content.

As part of the 2024 research initiative, “Investigation and Discovery of Prokaryotes in Freshwater Systems,” samples were collected from diverse freshwater habitats, including both water and soil environments. Approximately 2,000 bacterial strains were isolated as single colonies and identified through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Among these, 38 strains shared ≥98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with those of known bacterial species not previously reported in Korea. These strains were thus categorized as newly recorded bacterial species in Korea. These 38 bacterial strains displayed significant phylogenetic diversities, spanning 2 phyla, 4 classes, 15 orders, 24 families, and 34 genera. These unrecorded species were classified into the following classes: Actinomycetia (with genera including Microcella, Conyzicola, Curtobacterium, Leucobacter, Microbacterium, Frigoribacterium, Lysinibacter, Streptomyces, Nonomuraea, Actinocorallia, Ruania, and Actinoplanes), Alphaproteobacteria (Paracoccus, Youngimonas, Loktanella, Corticibacterium, Neorhizobium, Onobrychidicola, Ferranicluibacter, Aureimonas, Asticcacaulis, and Novosphingobium), Betaproteobacteria (Rhodoferax, Rugamonas, and Cupriavidus), and Gammaproteobacteria (Rheinheimera, Shewanella, Kosakonia, Leclercia, Hafnia, Yersinia, Pseudomonas, Lysobacter, and Acinetobacter ). Further characterization included assessment of Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, biochemical properties, and phylogenetic relationships. This report presents detailed phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics of these bacterial species.

This study investigates the factors influencing the seed longevity of Quercus myrsinifolia, a species with recalcitrant seeds highly sensitive to desiccation and freezing. The effects of moisture content, seed collection date, and storage methods on seed viability were analyzed using exponential decay modeling. Interactions between these factors were also explored to refine conservation strategies. Seeds with moisture content above 40% demonstrated a predicted seed longevity of 2.19 years, whereas those with moisture content below 30% had seed longevity of less than 1 year. Late-season seeds collected in November and December exhibited superior germination percentages and longer predicted seed longevity (1.32 years) compared to early-season seeds collected in September and October (<1 year). In seed weight, large seeds (2.0 g) showed longer predicted seed longevity about 1.5 times greater than that of small seeds (<1.2g). Storage methods significantly affected seed longevity, with refrigerator (4°C) with silica gel maintaining viability for 2–3 years, while seeds stored at room temperature (25°C) exhibited a seed longevity of less than 1 year. Silica gel was found to prevent seed deterioration due to over-desiccation, emphasizing the importance of balanced moisture regulation. Q. myrsinifolia seeds exhibited 𝑏 values ranging from 0.30 to 2.04, demonstrating a close relationship between decay constant, moisture content, storage conditions, and seed longevity. These findings provide critical insights into optimizing seed storage and propagation strategies for Q. myrsinifolia, contributing to its conservation and ecological restoration efforts.

Galaxy evolution studies require the measurement of the physical properties of galaxies at different redshifts. In this work, we build supervised machine learning models to predict the redshift and physical properties (gas-phase metallicity, stellar mass, and star formation rate) of star-forming galaxies from the broad-band and medium-band photometry covering optical to near-infrared wavelengths, and present an evaluation of the model performance. Using 55 magnitudes and colors as input features, the optimized model can predict the galaxy redshift with an accuracy of σ(Δz/1+z) = 0.008 for a redshift range of z < 0.4. The gas-phase metallicity [12 + log(O/H)], stellar mass [log(Mstar)], and star formation rate [log(SFR)] can be predicted with the accuracies of σNMAD = 0.081, 0.068, and 0.19 dex, respectively. When magnitude errors are included, the scatter in the predicted values increases, and the range of predicted values decreases, leading to biased predictions. Near-infrared magnitudes and colors (H, K, and H −K), along with optical colors in the blue wavelengths (m425–m450), are found to play important roles in the parameter prediction. Additionally, the number of input features is critical for ensuring good performance of the machine learning model. These results align with the underlying scaling relations between physical parameters for star-forming galaxies, demonstrating the potential of using medium-band surveys to study galaxy scaling relations with large sample of galaxies.

Background: Stroke patients often exhibit excessive kyphosis of the spine and a forward head posture (FHP), which negatively impacts their daily activities. These postural abnormalities not only negatively affect functional movement but also exacerbate musculoskeletal problems. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the effect of backward walking on FHP in stroke patients. Design: Single-case experimental design (A-B-A’ design). Methods: The study was conducted over a total of 8 weeks, comprising 24 sessions: 3 baseline sessions (A), 18 intervention sessions (B), and 3 regression baseline sessions (A'). No backward walking intervention was performed during baseline (A) and regression baseline (A’). To determine changes in FHP, the craniovertebral angle (CVA) was measured at all sessions. Results: The CVA increased in the intervention (B) and regression baseline (A’) compared to the baseline (A). Conclusion: Backward walking was effective in improving FHP, and the effect was maintained after intervention (B) in patients with stroke. Therefore, backward walking was effective in improving the postural alignment of stroke patients.

Maturity at harvest is the key factor influencing storage life and the final quality of fruit. This study examined how the firmness of ‘Sweet Gold’ kiwifruit at harvest affects its post-ripening characteristics to create a maturity chart. Throughout the storage period, firmness decreased in all categories of fruit: hard, medium, and soft. ‘Soft’ fruits lost 40% of their firmness within 2 days after harvest, whereas ‘hard’ fruits remained firmer than soft fruits throughout the storage period and had the least soluble solids content, indicating a slower ripening progression. The acidity of ‘soft’ kiwifruit was very low from the day of harvest, suggesting that it was utilized as a respiratory substrate during ripening. The a-values (indicating redness) for ‘soft’ fruits gradually increased until day 6, stabilizing thereafter. ‘Soft’ fruits exhibited the highest ethylene production rate throughout storage. They showed a climacteric rise in ethylene on day 13, compared to ‘medium’ and ‘hard’ fruits, which exhibited increases on days 19 and 21, respectively. This data can help determine the optimal ethylene treatment duration for ripening ‘Sweet Gold’ kiwifruit. The firmness of ‘Sweet Gold’ kiwifruit at harvest is a crucial factor in determining its marketability and can effectively serve as a maturity index to estimate its shelf life.

Additive manufacturing makes it possible to improve the mechanical properties of alloys through segregation engineering of specific alloying elements into the dislocation cell structure. In this study, we investigated the mechanical and microstructural characteristics of CoNi-based medium-entropy alloys (MEAs), including the refractory alloying element Mo with a large atomic radius, manufactured via laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF). In an analysis of the printability depending on the processing parameters, we achieved a high compressive yield strength up to 653 MPa in L-PBF for (CoNi)85Mo15 MEAs. However, severe residual stress remained at high-angle grain boundaries, and a brittle μ phase was precipitated at Mo-segregated dislocation cells. These resulted in hot-cracking behaviors in (CoNi)85Mo15 MEAs during L-PBF. These findings highlight the need for further research to adjust the Mo content and processing techniques to mitigate cracking behaviors in L-PBF-manufactured (CoNi)85Mo15 MEAs.

Industries that use or produce radionuclides have unintentionally released these substances into surrounding soils and sediments. To address this problem, Beautiful Environmental Construction (BEC) Co. developed the BEC’s Radioactive Soil Decontamination (BERAD) system to remove contaminants and reduce the volume of radionuclide-contaminated soils. Owing to the limited availability of radioactive isotopes such as 60Co, 90Sr, 137Cs, and uranium-contaminated soil, naturally occurring elements in soil were used in this demonstration. The soil was divided into six size fractions via manual wet sieving and the BERAD system. Then, the concentrations of uranium, cobalt, strontium, cesium, and iron in each fraction were measured. The results of both separations showed that a considerable amount of each element is retained in the finer size fractions (<0.2 mm). After BERAD separation, the corresponding values yielded 53% uranium, 45% strontium, 66% cobalt, and 53% cesium in the fine size (<0.2 mm) fractions of 35% by weight. The study found that the concentrations of these elements increased as the particle sizes decreased. Iron and micaceous minerals played a significant role in retaining the elements. The pilot scale BERAD system yielded results that were similar to those obtained via laboratory wet-sieving and was successfully demonstrated as a soil washing technology.

Ectopic ureter refers to a congenital anomaly in which one or both ureters do not connect to the urinary bladder at the correct anatomical site. This case report discusses the case of a 6-year-old female mixed-breed dog diagnosed with chronic urinary incontinence, systemic hypertension, pancreatitis, and sepsis resulting from an ectopic ureter. Treatment involved an initial nephro-ureterectomy to address severe pyonephrosis, followed by ureteroneocystostomy for the remaining functional kidney. Post-surgical outcomes showed notable improvements in clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and blood pressure. This report emphasizes the need for early diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment in cases of ectopic ureter. Additionally, it aims to present the clinical symptoms and conditions resulting from prolonged disease progression, as well as the corresponding treatment methods and prognosis.

In this study, an simultaneous LC-MS/MS multi-residue analytical method was developed and validated for the residues of six neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam) in honey. Sample preparation included a combination of QuEChERS extraction kit and liquid-liquid extraction method to effectively extract pesticide components from the honey matrix and optimized analytical conditions to achieve high sensitivity and selectivity. The limits of detection (LOD) and the limits of quantitation (LOQ) were set in the range of 6-15 ng/mL and 19-44 ng/mL, respectively and the correlation coefficient (R²) was greater than 0.99, confirming good linearity. In addition, the intra-day recoveries for each pesticide were 75-104%, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was less than 20%, which met the guideline recommended by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The LC-MS/MS method developed in this study is expected to be used as a multi-residue analysis method for 6 neonicotinoid pesticides in honey.

Background: The ability of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) to transduce various cell types with minimal immune responses renders them prominent vectors for gene editing (GE), with different AAV serotypes exhibiting distinct transduction efficiencies due to their specific cellular tropism. However, detailed molecular processes of AAV infection and penetration, as well as the optimal serotype for specific purposes, remain poorly understood. Porcine models are widely used in research benefitting both human and livestock due to anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. Methods: Transduction efficiencies of 18 AAV serotypes (AAV1–9, 6.2, rh10, DJ, DJ/8, PHP.eB, PHP.S, 2-retro, 2-QuadYF, and 2.7m8) were evaluated in immortalized porcine lung epithelial cells (pLCsImt) and pulmonary alveolar macrophages 3D4/31 (PAMs 3D4/31). Results: We found AAV2, DJ, and 2.7m8 to be the most effective in both cell types. The highest enhanced green fluorescent protein expression of 52.46 ± 2.4% in pLCsImt and 64.08 ± 2.4% in PAMs 3D4/31 was observed for AAV2, while negligible transduction was observed for AAV4, rh10, DJ, PHP.eB, PHP.S, and 2-retro. AAV-DJ showed superior transduction efficiency in PK-15, as compared to AAV2 and 2.7m8. Results emphasize the cell type-specific nature of AAV serotype transduction efficiencies. Notably, AAV2 was most effective in both lung and macrophage cells, whereas AAV-DJ was more effective in renal cells. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that AAV2 was identified as the most efficient serotype for transducing pLCsImt and PAMs 3D4/31, compare to the PK-15 cells. Understanding cell type-specific preferences of AAV serotypes offer crucial insight for tailoring AAV vectors to specific tissue and optimizing genome editing strategies, with potential implications for the advancement of personalized medicine and development of treatments for human and livestock.

This study investigated the morphological characteristics and regional variations of leaves, flowers, and seeds of Quercus myrsinifolia Blume to understand its ecological adaptation and the effects of environmental factors. Samples were collected from Jinju, Hapcheon, and Sancheong, and nine leaf traits, six flower traits, and five seed traits were analyzed. Significant regional variations were observed, with Hapcheon exhibiting the largest leaf and flower sizes, while Sancheong showed the largest and heaviest seeds. Jinju recorded the smallest values for most traits. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed distinct regional groupings, with Hapcheon displaying intermediate traits, Sancheong larger traits, and Jinju smaller traits. Correlation analysis identified strong positive relationships between leaf length and width, seed length and weight, and the number of staminate flowers and catkin width, highlighting key indicators for growth. Climate factors such as temperature and precipitation significantly influenced morphological traits, with higher temperatures negatively affecting leaf and seed sizes, while precipitation showed a weak positive correlation with seed weight. Among soil factors, pH and magnesium content were closely related to morphological traits. pH exhibited a negative correlation with leaf length and petiole length, while magnesium showed a positive correlation with seed weight and leaf width. These findings underscore the significant role of environmental factors in morphological variation and provide valuable insights for developing regionally adaptive breeding strategies. These findings provide foundational data for developing region-specific breeding strategies and cultivars for Q. myrsinifolia, contributing to ecological management and climate change adaptation strategies.

Si-based anodes are promising alternatives to graphite owing to their high capacities. However, their practical application is hindered by severe volume expansion during cycling. Herein, we propose employing a carbon support to address this challenge and utilize Si-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Specifically, carbon supports with various pore structures were prepared through KOH and NaOH activation of the pitch. In addition, Si was deposited into the carbon support pores via SiH4 chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and to enhance the conductivity and mechanical stability, a carbon coating was applied via CH4 CVD. The electrochemical performance of the C/Si/C composites was assessed, providing insights into their capacity retention rates, cycling stability, rate capability, and lithium-ion diffusion coefficients. Notably, the macrostructure of the carbon support differed significantly depending on the activation agent used. More importantly, the macrostructure of the carbon support significantly affected the Si deposition behavior and enhanced the stability by mitigating the volume expansion of the Si particles. This study elucidated the crucial role of the macrostructure of carbon supports in optimizing Si-based anode materials for LIBs, providing valuable guidance for the design and development of high-performance energy-storage systems.

In this study, ester co-solvents and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) were used as low-temperature electrolyte additives to improve the formation of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Four ester co-solvents, namely methyl acetate (MA), ethyl acetate, methyl propionate, and ethyl propionate, were mixed with 1.0 M LiPF6 ethylene carbonate:diethyl carbonate:dimethyl carbonate (1:1:1 by vol%) as the base electrolyte (BE). Different concentrations were used to compare the electrochemical performance of the LiCoO2/ graphite full cells. Among various ester co-solvents, the cell employing BE mixed with 30 vol% MA (BE/MA30) achieved the highest discharge capacity at − 20 °C. In contrast, mixing esters with low-molecular-weight degraded the cell performance owing to the unstable SEI formation on the graphite anodes. Therefore, FEC was added to BE/MA30 (BE/MA30-FEC5) to form a stable SEI layer on the graphite anode surface. The LiCoO2/ graphite cell using BE/MA30-FEC5 exhibited an excellent capacity of 127.3 mAh g− 1 at − 20 °C with a capacity retention of 80.6% after 100 cycles owing to the synergistic effect of MA and formation of a stable and uniform inorganic SEI layer by FEC decomposition reaction. The low-temperature electrolyte designed in this study may provide new guidelines for resolving low-temperature issues related to LIBs, graphite anodes, and SEI layers.

식품 포장 분야에서 바이오센서와 바이오폴리머 기반 나 노복합체, 즉 바이오나노복합체의 통합이 점차 산업 전문 가들에 의해 인식되고 있으며, 이는 식품의 품질과 안전 에 대한 우려가 증가함에 따라 주도되고 있습니다. 식품 포장에 내장된 바이오센서는 포장된 상품의 미생물에 의 한 변질을 지속적으로 모니터링함으로써 식품의 완전성을 유지하는 핵심 요소로 업계를 변화시킬 준비가 되어 있다. 동시에, 탁월한 기계적, 열적, 광학적, 항균적 특성으로 인 해 바이오폴리머 기반 나노복합체의 연구와 적용이 크게 확대되었다. 이러한 특성은 이들을 혁신적인 포장 솔루션 에 적합한 주요 재료로 만든다. 그러나 지능형 식품 포장 시스템 발전에 바이오센서와 바이오나노복합체를 사용하 는 잠재적인 장애물과 전망을 탐구하는 것은 아직 충분하 지 않다. 바이오나노복합체와 바이오센서의 융합을 제안 하는 것은 스마트 포장 산업을 재정의하는 획기적인 단계 로, 이 기술들을 더 깊이 이해하여 지속 가능하고 경제적 으로 실행 가능한 스마트 포장 옵션의 개발을 촉진할 필 요성을 강조한다. 이 리뷰는 바이오센서와 바이오나노복 합체에 대한 기존 연구와 개발 동향을 철저히 검토하고, 가까운 미래에 스마트 식품 포장 산업에서 진전을 이끌어 낼 앞으로의 도전과 기회를 강조하는 데 전념하고 있다.