This study evaluated the sub-chronic oral toxicity of freeze-dried deer velvet antler (DVA) extract in ICR mice over a 90-day period. The extract was administered orally to male and female mice at doses of 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg body weight daily; the control group (0 mg/kg body weight) received vehicle only. No clinical signs of toxicity or mortality were observed. Body weight gain, food consumption, and general behavior remained normal across all groups. Hematological analysis revealed no dose-dependent alterations in hemoglobin levels, platelet characteristics, or red or white blood cell counts. Males administered 2,000 mg/kg DVA exhibited a slight increase in reticulocyte count, whereas females exhibited reduced count at 5,000 mg/kg; however, neither finding was doseresponsive or toxicologically significant. Serum biochemistry including liver and kidney function markers (ALT, AST, -GT, BUN, and creatinine) remained within normal range, and no evidence of organ damage was observed. Notably, male mice exhibited a significant reduction in serum triglycerides compared with those in the control group, suggesting potential lipid-modulating effects of DVA; however, this finding requires further investigation. Based on these findings, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of DVA extract was determined to be greater than 5,000 mg/kg/day in both sexes. These results support the safety profile of DVA extract at the tested doses, and its potential metabolic benefits.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has emerged as an important alternative to transpapillary biliary drainage by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for malignant biliary obstruction (MBO), especially in cases with failed ERCP. Given the increasing evidences of safety and effectiveness of EUS-BD, EUS-BD as primary biliary drainage has been investigated in clinical trials. However, there are still obstacles that need to be addressed prior to clinical application. In this narrative review, clinical outcomes, hurdles and future perspectives of primary EUS-BD for MBO are discussed.

목적 : 근시 교정 렌즈에서 편심에 따른 색수차를 조사하고자 하였다. 방법 : 근축 근사를 배제한 정확한 굴절 법칙을 이용하여 광선 추적 시뮬레이션을 수행하였으며, 486.1 nm 및 589.3 nm 파장에서 초점거리와 굴절력을 계산하였다. 또한, 3D 굴스트란드 모형안을 사용하여 다양한 파장에서 스넬렌 E 문자의 망막 상 형성을 시뮬레이션하였으며, 이를 통해 파장별 상의 이동과 왜곡을 포괄적으로 비교하 였다. 결과 : 중심 광선에서 편심이 증가할수록 초점거리는 감소했다. 이는 주로 교정 렌즈 주변부에서 프리즘 굴절력 증가가 원인으로 확인되었다, 또한, 편심이 증가함에 따라 횡 방향 편심거리도 증가하였다. 비축 광선은 광선 자체 의 프리즘 영향과 편심에 따른 프리즘 영향이 동시에 발생하여 상대적으로 복잡한 양상을 보였다. 비축 광선의 경 우 초점거리가 증가할수록 굴절력이 감소하는 반대 경향을 보였으며, 횡 방향 편심거리는 초점거리에 따라 증가했 다. 망막 상의 해상도는 렌즈의 교정 효과로 인해 망막 위치에서 높았으며, 황색 파장에서 가장 높은 것으로 확인 되었다. 편심이 존재하는 경우 해상도가 약간 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 결론 : 본 연구 결과로 렌즈 편심이 색수차와 시각적 성능에 미치는 영향에 대한 통찰력을 제공했다 생각된다.

This study evaluated the effects of a high-concentration soy pulp (HSP) diet on pig production performance and carcass traits under commercial farming conditions. Data were collected from a pig farm in Jeju, Korea, between 2019 and 2024. From 2019 to 2021, pigs were fed a control diet containing 2.3% soy pulp, and from 2022 to 2024, the proportion of soy pulp was increased by 254% (HSP, 21.9%). We evaluated production performance indicators including shipment date, feed cost per kilogram of weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass weight, carcass yield, and proportion of high-grade carcasses. The feed cost per kilogram remained constant under both diet conditions; however, pigs fed an HSP diet reached market weight significantly earlier than those on the control diet and the feed conversion ratio, carcass weight, and proportion of high-grade carcasses were significantly improved. The carcass yield percentage was non-significantly higher for pigs fed the HSP diet than for those fed the control diet. These findings suggest that providing HSP feed to grow–finish pigs enhance growth performance, improves carcass quality, and shortens the production period, indirectly reducing feed costs. Further studies should explore the long-term economic impacts and potential interactions of HSP with gut health and nutrient digestibility.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and neurological disability though mechanisms involving oxidative stress and the activation of apoptosis-related pathways. Retinoic acid, an active metabolite of vitamin A, is known for its neuroprotective effects via antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. 14-3-3 γ is abundantly expressed in the brain and plays a critical role in maintaining neuronal function and survival. However, the effect of retinoic acid on the expression of 14-3-3 γ protein has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine whether retinoic acid regulates the expression of 14-3-3 γ protein in the cerebral cortex of a stroke animal model. Male rats were randomly divided into four groups: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) + sham, retinoic acid + sham, PBS + middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and retinoic acid + MCAO. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced using the MCAO method. Retinoic acid (5 mg/kg) or PBS was administered intraperitoneally immediately after MCAO. Neurological deficit scores and corner tests were conducted 24 h after MCAO surgery, and the cerebral cortex was harvested for analysis of 14-3-3 γ expression at the mRNA and protein levels. Neurological assessments showed that retinoic acid treatment significantly alleviated MCAO-induced behavioral impairments. Proteomic analysis revealed that MCAO markedly reduced the expression of 14-3-3 γ protein in the cerebral cortex, whereas retinoic acid administration effectively attenuated this reduction. These findings were further supported by reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot analyses, which showed consistent results at both the mRNA and protein levels. Retinoic acid attenuates the ischemia-induced downregulation of 14-3-3 γ expression in the cerebral cortex. Our findings can suggest that retinoic acid exerts neuroprotective effects in ischemic brain injury through the regulation of 14-3-3 γ protein expression.

This study aimed to confirm the species identity and characterize two Selenomonas sputigena strains (KCOM 1787 and KCOM 2046) isolated from the oral cavities of Korean individuals using genomic and chemotaxonomic approaches. Whole-genome sequencing was performed with PacBio RSII and Illumina platforms. Species-level classification was assessed using 16S rDNA similarity, average nucleotide identity (OrthoANI), and genome-togenome distance calculation (GGDC). Chemotaxonomic analysis included cellular fatty acid profiling using gas chromatography and polar lipid analysis using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The two strains showed 16S rDNA similarities of 98.85% and 99.53% with the S. sputigena type strain ATCC 35185T. OrthoANI values exceeded the species threshold (95.34% and 95.69%), whereas GGDC values were below the conventional cutoff (61.6% and 63.7%). Despite the low GGDC values, classification as S. sputigena was supported by the combined evidence of high 16S similarity, OrthoANI values above the species demarcation threshold, and minimal differences in genomic GC content (< 1 mol%). Chemotaxonomic analysis revealed that the major fatty acids were C14:0 DMA and C16:1 cis -7, while the polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine and several unidentified aminolipids. Although GGDC values were below the 70% species threshold, the high OrthoANI values, 16S rDNA similarity, and genomic GC content supported the classification of KCOM 1787 and KCOM 2046 as S. sputigena. These strains may serve as valuable resources for future studies on intraspecies variation and the pathogenesis of oral Selenomonas species.

The prediction of satisfactory orthodontic treatment outcomes can be very challenging owing to the subjectivity of orthodontists’ judgment, along with the inherent difficulties when considering numerous factors. Therefore, this study introduced a deep learning-based method for predicting orthodontic treatment outcomes based on the image-to-image translation of dental radiographs using the Pix2Pix model. This proposed method addresses the aforementioned issues using a Pix2Pix-based prediction model constructed from adversarial deep learning. Patient datasets and prediction models were separated and developed for extraction and non-extraction treatments, respectively. The patients’ radiographs were pre-processed and standardized for training, testing, and applying the Pix2Pix models by uniformly adjusting the degree of blackness for the region of interest. A comparison of actual with Pix2Pix-predicted images revealed high accuracy, with correlation coefficients of 0.8767 for extraction orthodontic treatments and 0.8686 for non-extraction treatments. The proposed method establishes a robust clinical and practical framework for digital dentistry, offering both quantitative and qualitative insights for orthodontists and patients.

The development of digital media has fundamentally transformed modes of visual expression and mechanisms of emotional communication, redefining the identity and performative function of fashion illustration, particularly within short-form content. This study thus aims to analyze the emotional performance strategies used in short-form video fashion illustration content and to interpret these strategies through an integrated framework combining performative image and emotional design theories. As a methodology, five actively operating English-language YouTube channels were selected, each recognized for producing fashion illustration content in short-form videos and holding a subscriber base of over 50,000. The study conducted a qualitative analysis of short-form videos from these channels, examining how they engage viewers emotionally across Norman’s three levels: visceral, behavioral, and reflective. The results revealed that short-form video fashion illustration content employs multi-layered emotional strategies: immediate aesthetic stimulation through visceral visual impact, behavioral immersion via sharing of the drawing process, and reflective meaning-making through storytelling and socio-cultural messages. Notably, these strategies extend beyond the mere display of images, positioning the illustration as an active agent that performs and elicits sensory, emotional, and social engagement from audiences. The study concludes that the convergence of performative image theory and emotional design offers a comprehensive lens to decode how fashion illustration short-form videos function both as visual art and as performative acts. These findings contribute theoretical and practical insights for future digital fashion content creation and research in the visual arts, highlighting how emotional experiences are strategically constructed in contemporary digital media contexts.

본 연구는 GNSS 기반 위치추적기를 부착한 큰고니(Cygnus cygnus) 12개체를 대상으로 2024년 12월부터 2025년 3월까지 낙동강 하구에서의 월동 행동권 및 북상 전 내륙 이동 특성을 분석하였다. 총 21,721개의 유효 좌표 데이터를 활용하여 Minimum Convex Polygon(MCP) 및 Kernel Density Estimation(KDE) 분석을 수행하였고, 월별 공간 이용 및 핵심 서식지 변화 양상을 파악하였다. 전체 평균 행동권 면적은 MCP 기준 113.38±251.36 ㎢, KDE 95% 기준 39.55±71.30 ㎢, KDE 50% 기준 7.21±12.19 ㎢로 나타났으며, 낙동강 하구 내 자료만 적용시 평균 면적은 각각 25.99 ㎢ (MCP), 12.72 ㎢ (KDE 95%), 2.81 ㎢ (KDE 50%)로 감소하였다. 대부분 개체는 을숙도, 맥도생태공원, 삼락생태공 원 및 백합등 등 특정 지역을 집중 이용하며 높은 서식지 충성도를 보였고, 일부 개체는 3월 중 주남저수지(창원), 해평천(구미) 등으로 단기 내륙 이동으로 북상 전 에너지 확보 또는 탐색 활동을 수행하였다. 특히, 2~3월에는 공간 이용 범위가 점차 확대되었고 핵심 서식지는 을숙도에서 맥도생태공원으로 이동하는 양상이 관찰되었다. 본 연구 결과는 낙동강 하구가 동아시아-대양주 철새이동경로(EAAF) 상의 핵심 월동지이자 중간기착지로서 기능하고 있음을 실증하였 고 서식지 보호, 먹이 제공 정책, HPAI 대응 등 실질적인 보전 전략 수립에 필요한 자료로 활용될 것으로 기대된다