Testing executive function models of ADHD and its comorbid conditions: A latent variable approach

Current theoretical models of ADHD (i.e., Disinhibition Model: Barkley, 1997; Working Memory Model: Rapport et al., 2001) conceptualize ADHD as the disorder of executive function (EF) with some variation in their emphases on particular components of the broadly-defined EF (e.g., working memory vs. inhibition) and in their postulated relationships with ADHD symptoms. Although these models provide systematic accounts of the manifestation of ADHD, they have not been extensively tested from an empirical standpoint. Moreover, despite the fact that ADHD is highly comorbid with other additional conditions such as learning and behavioral problems and EF deficits are found in individuals with these conditions as well as in those with ADHD, current EF models have not specified the developmental relationship between ADHD and its comorbid conditions. This study was: (1) to examine the extent to which two current models of ADHD are supported in a sample of 102 adults; (2) to present an ??integrated?? model by combining two current models of ADHD and linking them to recent research findings on two common comorbid conditions with ADHD (i.e., reading difficulty and substance abuse); and (3) to test and revise such an integrated model in the light of data using a latent variable analysis. Major findings provided a strong support for the Working Memory Model with a lesser degree of support for the Disinhibition Model. Preliminary evidence of working memory as the primary deficit in ADHD was also obtained in the present sample. Finally, the integrated EF model and its revised model (final model) demonstrated a very good fit to the data. These findings suggest that the integrated model provides a unified account of how EF deficits contribute to the manifestation of ADHD symptoms and comorbid conditions with ADHD. Given some limitations (e.g., sample size and scope) of the present study, current findings need to be replicated

Simultaneous Aortic and Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis due to Complication of Sinus of Valsalva Rupture

We experienced a case of ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva, and this resulted in simultaneous aortic and tricuspid valve endocarditis through a shunt. The echocardiography showed a ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm to the right atrium with a shunt. The aortic non-coronary cusp was fibro-thickened with vegetation. Vegetations of the septal leaflet and the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve were also found. The blood culture grew Enterococcus garllinarum. We replaced both tricuspid and aortic valve with successful surgical result

Selection of Elevation Models for Flood Inundation Map Generation in Small Urban Stream: Case Study of Anyang Stream

To reduce flood damages, the Ministry of Environment in Korea has provided a flood inundation map so that people can expediently identify flood-prone areas. However, the current flood inundation maps have been produced based on the DEM which makes it difficult to represent realistic situations due to the lack of reproduction of land surface conditions. This study aims to provide more accurate and detailed flood inundation maps for flooding events due to river overflow in small urban areas. In this study, flood inundation analysis is performed using the river analysis system, HEC-RAS 2D, with the DSM and the DEM of urban areas in the Anyang Stream Basin, Korea to examine the differences in terms of terrain data and flooded area. Finally, for urban areas with dense buildings and congested road networks, the flood inundation analysis based on DSM can represent a more realistic flood situation and create an appropriate flood inundation map

Hydraulic and ecological changes under drainage gate operations with coupled model SCHISM-CoSiNE in Saemangeum basin, Korea

The drainage gates have been controlled for desalination under normal conditions and flood defense in  Saemangeum basin, Korea. Recently, it became an issue that the gates have been opened not to deteriorate water quality in the lake. It is, thus, necessary to precisely estimate the changes of water quality characteristics, especially DO, phosphate and nitrate, in the lake according to various gate operations. In this study, Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model and Carbon, Silicate, Nitrogen Ecosystem model (SCHISM-CoSiNE) which is cable to simulate dynamic exchange such as gate operation conditions was utilized to obtain reliable and reasonable results including hydrodyanamic and environmental variables. For the verification, the measured data at 6 locations in Saemangeum basin was used to compare  incluidng temperatue and salintiy from 2016 and each relative error became small enough to show high accurary. Also, under various scenarios by changing the designated water surface elevation on flood seasons, this model has been applied to present the best designated water surface elevation in terms of both water quality and water supply in the Saemangeum basin. It becomes possbile to show reliable guidance for dynamic operations and environmental changes with this model as requested in near future

Seq2Seq-SC: End-to-End Semantic Communication Systems with Pre-trained Language Model

While semantic communication is expected to bring unprecedented communication efficiency in comparison to classical communication, many challenges must be resolved to realize its potential. In this work, we provide a realistic semantic network dubbed seq2seq-SC, which is compatible to 5G NR and can work with generalized text dataset utilizing pre-trained language model. We also utilize a performance metric (SBERT) which can accurately measure semantic similarity and show that seq2seq-SC achieves superior performance while extracting semantically meaningful information.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 3 table

A Score-Based Evaluation Model for Rehabilitation of Existing Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant Construction

As the proportion of new and renewable energy increases, power control demands are becoming more frequent due to variability in power generation. As a complementary means against this, the pumped storage hydropower plants (PSHP) are attracting attention as energy storage systems (ESS), but it has high construction costs. Therefore, this study aims to improve the economic feasibility by developing the evaluation model of the existing infrastructure into an upper/lower dam suitable for PSHP. The concept of upper dam capacity is newly defined, and the evaluation index is constructed using normalization. A new evaluation system is presented for five factors: environment, stability, energy, capacity, and economy. Finally, it is tested in the pilot area in Korea. Several candidates, including the PSHP in operation, are found to have been distributed with higher scores. These results will help to satisfy the selection of candidates during the preliminary feasibility study phase, and programming them will enable more accurate and rapid assessment

UNCERTAINTY PROPAGATION ANALYSIS FOR YONGGWANG NUCLEAR UNIT 4 BY MCCARD/MASTER CORE ANALYSIS SYSTEM

This paper concerns estimating uncertainties of the core neutronics design parameters of power reactors by direct sampling method (DSM) calculations based on the two-step McCARD/MASTER design system in which McCARD is used to generate the fuel assembly (FA) homogenized few group constants (FGCs) while MASTER is used to conduct the core neutronics design computation. It presents an extended application of the uncertainty propagation analysis method originally designed for uncertainty quantification of the FA FGCs as a way to produce the covariances between the FGCs of any pair of FAs comprising the core, or the covariance matrix of the FA FGCs required for random sampling of the FA FGCs input sets into direct sampling core calculations by MASTER. For illustrative purposes, the uncertainties of core design parameters such as the effective multiplication factor (keff), normalized FA power densities, power peaking factors, etc. for the beginning of life (BOL) core of Yonggwang nuclear unit 4 (YGN4) at the hot zero power and all rods out are estimated by the McCARD/MASTER-based DSM computations. The results are compared with those from the uncertainty propagation analysis method based on the McCARD-predicted sensitivity coefficients of nuclear design parameters and the cross section covariance data

Synergistic Uric Acid-Lowering Effects of the Combination of Chrysanthemum indicum

Chrysanthemum indicum Linne flower (CF) and Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Persl bark (CB) extracts have served as the main ingredients in several prescriptions designed to treat hyperuricemia and gout in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. However, little is known about the combination effects of a CF and CB (CC) mixture on hyperuricemia. In our study, we investigated the antihyperuricemic effects of CC mixture and the mechanisms underlying these effects in normal and potassium oxonate- (PO-) induced hyperuricemic rats. The CC mixture significantly decreased uric acid levels in normal and PO-induced hyperuricemic rats and showed the enhanced hypouricemic effect compared to CF or CB alone. Furthermore, the CC mixture increased renal uric acid excretion in PO-induced hyperuricemic rat. We found that CC mixture and its major components, chlorogenic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid (isochlorogenic acid), coumarin, cinnamaldehyde, trans-cinnamic acid, and o-methoxycinnamaldehyde, inhibit the activity of xanthine oxidase (XOD) in vitro. The CC mixture exerts antihyperuricemic effects accompanied partially by XOD activity inhibition. Therefore, the CC mixture may have potential as a treatment for hyperuricemia and gout

Transcriptional regulatory networks underlying the reprogramming of spermatogonial stem cells to multipotent stem cells

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are germline stem cells located along the basement membrane of seminiferous tubules in testes. Recently, SSCs were shown to be reprogrammed into multipotent SSCs (mSSCs). However, both the key factors and biological networks underlying this reprogramming remain elusive. Here, we present transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) that control cellular processes related to the SSC-to-mSSC reprogramming. Previously, we established intermediate SSCs (iSSCs) undergoing the transition to mSSCs and generated gene expression profiles of SSCs, iSSCs and mSSCs. By comparing these profiles, we identified 2643 genes that were up-regulated during the reprogramming process and 15 key transcription factors (TFs) that regulate these genes. Using the TF-target relationships, we developed TRNs describing how these TFs regulate three pluripotency-related processes (cell proliferation, stem cell maintenance and epigenetic regulation) during the reprogramming. The TRNs showed that 4 of the 15 TFs (Oct4/Pou5f1, Cux1, Zfp143 and E2f4) regulated cell proliferation during the early stages of reprogramming, whereas 11 TFs (Oct4/Pou5f1, Foxm1, Cux1, Zfp143, Trp53, E2f4, Esrrb, Nfyb, Nanog, Sox2 and Klf4) regulated the three pluripotency-related processes during the late stages of reprogramming. Our TRNs provide a model for the temporally coordinated transcriptional regulation of pluripotency-related processes during the SSC-to-mSSC reprogramming, which can be further tested in detailed functional studies.111Ysciescopuskc