Obesity is the cause of many diseases, and its severity continues to increase. Promoting non-shivering thermogenesis is attracting attention as a new treatment strategy for obesity. This study summarized the studies that evaluated the effect of Panax ginseng on promoting non-shivering thermogenesis in animal models. A total of 7 studies were included according to the selection criteria, of which five were judged to have a high risk of bias. Indicators of UCP1 mRNA, UCP1 protein, and PGC- 1a were used in the meta-analysis, and the certainty of evidence progressed for each indicator, with UCP1 protein showing the highest certainty of evidence. Meta-analysis was conducted on 5 works of literature with standard indicators. As a result of meta-analysis, UCP1 protein level and PGC-1a mRNA level were significantly increased statistically. In addition, the protein levels of PRDM16 and TFAM increased in several studies (not a meta-analysis). These findings suggest that Panax ginseng could be a potential therapeutic agent for obesity. However, further research is needed to understand its mechanisms and possible side effects fully. Thus, it is concluded that Panax ginseng in animal models can promote non-shivering thermogenesis and improve mitochondria function in animal models, opening up new avenues for research and potential clinical applications.

Activated carbon (AC) is a versatile and extensively employed adsorbent in environmental remediation. It possesses distinct properties that can be enhanced to selectively target specific pollutants through modifications, including chemical impregnation or incorporation into composite materials. In this study, porous calcium alginate beads (PCAB) were synthesized by incorporating AC and natural alginate through ion gelation in a Ca(II) ion-containing solution, with the addition of sodium lauryl sulfate as a surfactant. The prepared PCAB was tested for Cu(II) removal. PCAB exhibited a spherical shape with higher porosity and surface area (160.19 m2. g−1) compared to calcium alginate beads (CAB) (0.04 m2. g−1). The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-first-order model for PCAB and the pseudo-second-order model for CAB. The Langmuir isotherm model provided the best fit for adsorption on PCAB, while the Freundlich model was suitable for CAB. Notably, PCAB demonstrated a maximum adsorption capacity of 75.54 mg.g−1, significantly higher than CAB's capacity of 9.16 mg. g−1. Desorption studies demonstrated that 0.1 M CaCl2 exhibited the highest efficiency (90%) in desorbing Cu(II) ions from PCAB, followed by 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M NaCl. PCAB showed efficient reusability for up to four consecutive adsorption– desorption cycles. The fixed-bed column experiment confirmed the match with the Thomas model to the breakthrough curves with qTH of 120.12 mg.g−1 and 68.03 mg.g−1 at a flow rate of 1 mL.min−1 and 2 mL.min−1, respectively. This study indicated that PCAB could be an effective adsorbent for Cu(II) removal, offering insights for further application and design considerations.

The widespread and extensive use of glyphosate in agriculture has raised concerns about its potential impact on the quality and safety of agricultural products. Conventional detection methods require long analysis times, making them impractical for the rapid detection of large quantities of samples. Therefore, developing a fast and simple detection system for glyphosate pesticide residues is urgent. In this study, the development of a facile fluorescence probe synthesized using a simple one-pot hydrothermal method for the determination of glyphosate is an important step toward addressing the need for a fast and simple detection system. The present sensor was created using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a precursor, and the sensor operates by producing an “off–on” fluorescent signal. The bovine albumin-derived BSA-CDs emitted light yellow fluorescence, but this fluorescence was quenched (or suppressed) by the presence of Cu2+ ions. However, the fluorescence can be restored by the presence of glyphosate, which interacts with the Cu2+ ions to form a complex and release the BSACDs from suppression. The functional groups in glyphosate can capture Cu2+ and break the BSA-CDs/Cu2+ combinatorial system. The BSA-CDs/Cu2+ fluorescence quenching system had good selectivity for glyphosate. The detection limit of the BSA-CD/Cu2+ fluorescence sensor was 0.05 μg/mL. This developed method was utilized to successfully detect glyphosate in Chinese wheat. The average recoveries ranged from 98.9 to 100.7%, with a relative standard deviation < 3.0%, showing good prospects for practical applicability.

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading global cause of mortality, demanding effective prevention and management. This systematic review explores the impact of lycopene, prevalent in various fruits, on cardiovascular health. Thirteen randomized and controlled trials were analyzed, involving 385 participants with cardiovascular risk factors. Notable findings included significant blood pressure reductions, particularly among hypertensive individuals, and favorable alterations in lipid profiles. Lycopene interventions also demonstrated potential in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation markers. While these findings show promise, more rigorously designed studies are essential to determine optimal dosages and durations for precise cardiovascular benefits. In conclusion, lycopene shows potential in managing cardiovascular risk factors, and its role in blood pressure regulation, lipid profile improvement, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects is encouraging. Nonetheless, further research is warranted to provide definitive guidance on integrating lycopene to enhance cardiovascular health.

The biological efficiencies of promising Pleurotus spp. were evaluated. Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus tuberregium,and Pleurotus sajor-cajuwere investigated at temperatures of 22oC, 20oC, and 18oC to determine their ability to adapt to temperatures that are likely to be found in subtropical regions. The experiment was conducted using a substrate comprising Popular sawdust 60% + cotton seed 20% + beet pulp 20% under a relative humidity of 65%. The results indicated that there were significant differences in terms of biological efficiency between the species: P. tuber regium 128.84% at 22oC, P. ostreatus 108.41% at 22oC, and P. sajor-caju is 80% at 20oC. The common temperatures at which all species showed the highest biological efficiencies were 22oC and 20oC. Therefore, the production of the evaluated species was equal to or surpassed biological efficiencies reported in tropical environments, thereby demonstrating a potential opportunity to adapt to tropical environments without compromising quality standards.

Currently, there is no treatment to reverse or cure heart failure caused by ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction despite the remarkable advances in modern medicine. In addition, there is a lack of evidence regarding the existence of stem cells involved in the proliferation and regeneration of cardiomyocytes in adult hearts. As an alternative solution to overcome this problem, protocols for differentiating human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) into cardiomyocyte have been established, which further led to the development of cell therapy in major leading countries in this field. Recently, clinical studies have confirmed the safety of hPSC-derived cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). Although several institutions have shown progress in their research on cell therapy using hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, the functions of cardiomyocytes used for transplantation remain to be those of immature cardiomyocytes, which poses a risk of graft-induced arrhythmias in the early stage of transplantation. Over the last decade, research aimed at achieving maturation of immature cardiomyocytes, showing same characteristics as those of mature cardiomyocytes, has been actively conducted using various approaches at leading research institutes worldwide. However, challenges remain in technological development for effective generation of mature cardiomyocytes with the same properties as those present in the adult hearts. Therefore, in this review, we provide an overview of the technological development status for maturation methods of hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and present a direction for future development of maturation techniques.

Recently, activated carbon derived from different agricultural by-products or bio-waste is receiving a great deal of attention due to its low or zero cost and environmental friendliness. In this work, flowers obtained from Borassus flabellifer (BFL) is used as a carbon source and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as activation precursor to produce activated carbon with high specific surface area and predominant micropore. The obtained carbon material was activated at 650 °C. The as-prepared sample had a specific surface area of 930.3 m2/ g and pore size distribution of 1.96 nm. The carbon material exhibited high electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 247 F/g at 0.5 A/g in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte and an excellent cycling stability of 94% after 2500 cycles. A specific energy of 101.1 Wh/kg and a specific power of 4500 kW/kg were obtained. Based on the electrochemical properties exhibited by BFL, it could be used as an excellent electrode material for supercapacitor applications.

Effective processing and use of coal slime is of great significance to protect the environment and save resources. Different coal slimes (untreated with 43 wt% ash content, crushed and flotation treated with 10 wt% ash content, and pre-carbonized) were activated with KOH to prepare porous activated carbon. The results show the activated carbon prepared from coal slime with 10 wt% ash had high specific surface area (3037 m2/ g) and pore volume (1.66 cm3/ g), which was ascribed to the suitable contents of minerals as template and oxygen-containing functional groups. Electrochemical measurements exhibited the best specific capacitance of 220 F/g at 0.1 A/g and the cycle stability of over 100% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles at 5 A/g in 6 M KOH solution. Due to the high specific surface area, superior electrochemical performance, and facile and low cost, developing highly porous activated carbon for supercapacitors is one alternative way for effective use of coal slime waste.

바둑게임은 중국에서 적어도 2,500년 전에 창안되었으며, 게임을 이기기 위해 상대방보다 더 많은 영역을 둘러싸는 것을 목표로 한다. 간단한 규칙에도 불구하고 바둑은 인공지능(AI) 분야에서 아주 복잡한 전략적인 보드게임이다. 몬테카를로 트리탐색(MCTS)은 국면 평가의 어려움을 극복하고 게임트리 내의 엄청난 분기수를 줄여주는 최상우선탐색 알고리즘이다. 컴퓨터바둑 게임에서 MCTS는 수많은 플레이아웃을 수행한 후, 게임트리 내에 있는 현재노드로부터 단말노드까지의 임의의 수순을 표본 추출하여 다음 후보 착수에 대한 승률을 근사적으로 계산해낸다. AlphaGo를 포함한 모든 강력한 컴퓨터바둑 프로그램은 컴퓨터바둑 게임 진행에 있어 MCTS를 이용하여 가장 유망한 착수를 구해왔다. 본 연구는 소형바둑 컴퓨터게임에 있어 순수 MCTS를 이용하여 가장 유망한 일련의 수순을 찾고자 했다. 실험결과에 의하면 순수 MCTS는 소형바둑에서 19줄바둑게임에서 벌어지는 포석, 중반전, 끝내기라는 3단계가 아닌 중반전과 끝내기라는 단지 2단계를 진행하였으며, 아울러 순수 MCTS는 맥과 연단수와 같은 하위개념의 지식을 이해 못하는 것을 보였다.

The purpose of this paper is an application of AHP(Analytic Hierarchy Process) in the priority setting of promising technology in division of senior friendly product based on the previous studies. In this paper, the decision criteria for evaluating promising technologies in division of senior friendly product are identified and the hierarchical structure of decision making process is developed systematically. Subsequently the values of weights for relative importance among decision criteria are derived using AHP methodology, and the score of importance of promising technology in division of senior friendly product with respect to each criterion is evaluated. Finally the score of each promising technology in division of senior friendly product is quantified in order to prioritize them. We discuss implications of our results with a viewpoint of technology policy in division of senior friendly product.

Childrena zenobia is very hopeful as an industrial insect for its beautiful color and long life span. This study was conducted to establish the mass rearing methods of C. zenobia to develop it as an industrial insect. C. zenobia appeared in the high mountains of about 1,000m above sea level at Pocheon and Gapyoung during high temperature season from July to August, and in the low mountains of about 400m above sea level at Yeoncheon on September. The first oviposition time after mating took 27.8±9.0 days and the number of eggs per female was 180. The life span of adult was 39.3±20.2 days in male and 59.0±18.7 days in female. The hatchability of F1 generation showed high rate over 80% at 20∼30℃, while the rate of F5 generation was very low under 5%. The proper food for rearing the larva was Viola papilionacea. The developmental period from 1st larva to adult was 63.6±5.1 days and the hatching time was 8.7±0.9 days at 20℃ and 48.0±3.3 days and the hatching time was 8.1±1.2 days at 25℃. These results seemed to be very suggestive that C. zenobia could be massively reared in the condition of indoor rearing room resulting in the utilization of it as an industrial insect for various regional festivals.

This paper proposes an approach to analyzing the relationship between technology and services, and to identifying promising service areas for technology-based firms with the analysis of business model (BM) patents. First, BM patents and technology patents are collected and classified into their relevant categories, respectively. Second, patent citation analysis is conducted to analyze the linkage and impacts between each technology and service field at macro level. Third, as a micro level analysis, patent co-classification analysis is employed to identify the interrelationships among specific technology and service areas. Finally, the promising service areas for technology-based firms seeking service areas for diversification is investigated with portfolio analysis. The working of the proposed approach is provided with the help of a case study of IT and mobile services. The proposed approach could guide and help managers of technology-based firms to discover the opportunity of the diversification to new areas in emerging service fields.