Effect of respiratory syncytial virus infection on regulated on activation, normal T-cells expressed and secreted production in a murine model of asthma

PurposeSynthesis of regulated on activation, normal T-cells expressed and secreted (RANTES) in the airway has previously been shown to be elevated after respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. However, since few studies have examined whether RSV-infected asthma patients express a higher level of RANTES than do normal individuals, we used a murine model of asthma to address this question.MethodsWe prepared Dermatophagoides farinae-sensitized mice as an asthma model, and then infected them with RSV and analyzed the changes in airway responsiveness and the cell populations and cytokine levels of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.ResultsRANTES synthesis increased in response to RSV infection in both control mice and in asthma model (D. farinae) mice. However, there was no significant difference in the amount of RANTES produced following RSV infection between control and D. farinae mice. RSV infection affected neither interferon-γsynthesis nor airway responsiveness in either control or D. farinae mice.ConclusionRSV infection did not induce more RANTES in a murine model of asthma than in control mice

The Atmospheric Input of Dissolvable Pb Based on the Radioactive ²¹⁰Pb Budget in the Equatorial Western Indian Ocean

To estimate the atmospheric deposition flux of 210Pb in the equatorial western Indian Ocean, we determined the dissolved (210Pb (>0.45 μm) in the water column. In addition, we calculated the atmosphere-derived dissolvable Pb in seawater using the budget of 210Pb. The dissolved 210Pb and total 210Pb were higher in the surface layer and, overall, showed a decreasing distribution with depth. In particular, radioactive 210Pb activities in the surface-to-upper layer (210Pb input in recent years. Based on the mass balance of the total 210Pb budget in the water column, we estimated the atmospheric deposition flux of 210Pb and the residence time of Pb for the first time in this region. The atmospheric deposition flux of 210Pb was estimated to be 0.1–0.5 dpm cm−2 yr−1, and these values agreed with the general global estimations for the major oceans (0.1–0.7 dpm cm−2 yr−1). Considering the residence time of 210Pb (29–41 years) in the water column (estimated from the 210Pb inventory and 234Th-based Pb scavenging rate), the atmospheric input of seawater-dissolvable Pb was quantified to be 0.08–0.1 nmol cm−2 yr−1, which is about eight times higher than the estimated input in the early 1990s in the region. Therefore, these results imply that radioactive 210Pb could be a useful tracer for quantifying Pb flux in seawater

A case of azoospermia in a non-destructive testing worker exposed to radiation

Abstract Background Interest in radiation-related health problems has been growing with the increase in the number of workers in radiation-related jobs. Although an occupational level of radiation exposure would not likely cause azoospermia, several studies have reported the relation between radiation exposure and azoospermia after accidental or therapeutic radiation exposure. We describe a case of azoospermia in a non-destructive testing (NDT) worker exposed to radiation and discuss the problems of the related monitoring system. Case presentation A 39-year-old man who was childless after 8 years of marriage was diagnosed with azoospermia through medical evaluations, including testicular biopsy. He did not have any abnormal findings on biochemical evaluations, other risk factors, or evidence of congenital azoospermia. He had been working in an NDT facility from 2005 to 2013, attaching and arranging gamma-ray films on the structures and inner spaces of ships. The patient’s thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) badge recorded an exposure level of 0.01781 Gy for 80 months, whereas results of his florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) translocation assay showed an exposure level of up to 1.926 Gy of cumulative radiation, which was sufficient to cause azoospermia. Thus, we concluded that his azoospermia was caused by occupational radiation exposure. Conclusion The difference between the exposure dose records measured through TLD badge and the actual exposure dose implies that the monitor used by the NDT worker did not work properly, and such a difference could threaten the health and safety of workers. Thus, to protect the safety and health of NDT workers, education of workers and strengthening of law enforcement are required to ensure that regulations are strictly followed, and if necessary, random sampling of NDT workers using a cytogenetic dosimeter, such as FISH, should be considered

Distributions of Radiocesium and Plutonium in the Korean Seas and North Pacific after the Fukushima Accident, 2011–2014

The distributions of artificial radionuclides, radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) and plutonium isotopes (238Pu and 239+240Pu), in the surface water around the Korean seas (East/Japan Sea and Yellow Sea) in 2011–2012 and in three sections in the North Pacific between 2011 and 2014 were examined. The 137Cs activities in the surface water in the Korean seas in 2011 (immediately after the Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP) accident on 17 March 2011) were comparable or not significantly different relative to those in 2010 and 2012. However, 134Cs, which had been not detected in the study area before the Fukushima accident (under the detection limit of 0.1 mBq kg−1 level), were detected rapidly in 2011 after the accident (in about 60% of the 72 samples) and gradually disappeared due to their short half-life (t1/2 = 2.06 years) in 2012 (detected in about 16% of the 24 samples). In addition, the highest activities of radiocesium and Pu isotopes appeared locally in some stations of the Korean Strait region (located between Korea and Japan) within 1–2 months immediately after the accident. This suggests that the radioactive nuclides released immediately after the Fukushima accident were significantly introduced through the atmosphere, based on recent studies conducted in neighboring areas. We also showed that the spatial distribution of radiocesium in the North Pacific moved eastward from 2012 to 2014, and we attempted to quantify the residence time of radiocesium (137Cs) in the Korean seas based on the long-term (tens of years scale) temporal trends of 137Cs activity data, which have been collected since the 1960s and 1970s. The estimated retention time of 137Cs in the East/Japan Sea and Yellow Sea were 25 ± 0.6 and 8.0 ± 0.1 years, respectively. These results are expected to be used as a preliminary study for a potential future event of a marine radioactive accident (which, of course, cannot be predicted) and as basic data for predicting the influences of radionuclide releases in the ocean

Unraveling the MEV Enigma: ABI-Free Detection Model using Graph Neural Networks

The detection of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) in blockchain is crucial for enhancing blockchain security, as it enables the evaluation of potential consensus layer risks, the effectiveness of anti-centralization solutions, and the assessment of user exploitation. However, existing MEV detection methods face limitations due to their low recall rate, reliance on pre-registered Application Binary Interfaces (ABIs) and the need for continuous monitoring of new DeFi services. In this paper, we propose ArbiNet, a novel GNN-based detection model that offers a low-overhead and accurate solution for MEV detection without requiring knowledge of smart contract code or ABIs. We collected an extensive MEV dataset, surpassing currently available public datasets, to train ArbiNet. Our implemented model and open dataset enhance the understanding of the MEV landscape, serving as a foundation for MEV quantification and improved blockchain security

Artificial neural network.

<p>There are three layers; an input layer, hidden layers, and an output layer. Inputs are inserted into the input layer, and each node provides an output value via an activation function. The outputs of the input layer are used as inputs to the next hidden layer.</p

The Effects of Planting Date and Tillage Practice on Growth and Yield of Maize and Soybean in Rotation with Winter Onion

Introducing summer staple crops to diversify conventional summer paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) rotation is important for sustainable agriculture. Herein, we evaluate the effects of planting date (early June to late July) and tillage practice (deep cultivation, DC; conventional tillage, CT) on two maize and soybean cultivars over 4 years (2018–2021) in converted paddy soil in Korea. Due to the growing degree-day differences, the yields of June and July planted crops were 7050 and 5554 total digestible nutrient kg ha−1, respectively, for silage corn, and 7410 and 6473 marketable fresh ear kg ha−1, respectively, for waxy corn. Delaying soybean planting from June to July significantly reduced crops’ yield and interfered with field preparation for the following winter cash crops. The June and July planting yields were 2672 and 2090 kg ha−1, respectively, for large-grain soybean, and 2416 and 1861 kg ha−1, respectively, for small-grain soybean. Deep tillage had no effect on summer crops yield. Additionally, the summer crop growing practice had no residual effect on onion yield. Our study recommends mid to late June planting for growers who wish to introduce maize and soybean in rotation with winter onion in the region

The Effects of Planting Date and Tillage Practice on Growth and Yield of Maize and Soybean in Rotation with Winter Onion

Introducing summer staple crops to diversify conventional summer paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) rotation is important for sustainable agriculture. Herein, we evaluate the effects of planting date (early June to late July) and tillage practice (deep cultivation, DC; conventional tillage, CT) on two maize and soybean cultivars over 4 years (2018&ndash;2021) in converted paddy soil in Korea. Due to the growing degree-day differences, the yields of June and July planted crops were 7050 and 5554 total digestible nutrient kg ha&minus;1, respectively, for silage corn, and 7410 and 6473 marketable fresh ear kg ha&minus;1, respectively, for waxy corn. Delaying soybean planting from June to July significantly reduced crops&rsquo; yield and interfered with field preparation for the following winter cash crops. The June and July planting yields were 2672 and 2090 kg ha&minus;1, respectively, for large-grain soybean, and 2416 and 1861 kg ha&minus;1, respectively, for small-grain soybean. Deep tillage had no effect on summer crops yield. Additionally, the summer crop growing practice had no residual effect on onion yield. Our study recommends mid to late June planting for growers who wish to introduce maize and soybean in rotation with winter onion in the region

Predictability of machine learning techniques to forecast the trends of market index prices: Hypothesis testing for the Korean stock markets

<div><p>The prediction of the trends of stocks and index prices is one of the important issues to market participants. Investors have set trading or fiscal strategies based on the trends, and considerable research in various academic fields has been studied to forecast financial markets. This study predicts the trends of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index 200 (KOSPI 200) prices using nonparametric machine learning models: artificial neural network, support vector machines with polynomial and radial basis function kernels. In addition, this study states controversial issues and tests hypotheses about the issues. Accordingly, our results are inconsistent with those of the precedent research, which are generally considered to have high prediction performance. Moreover, Google Trends proved that they are not effective factors in predicting the KOSPI 200 index prices in our frameworks. Furthermore, the ensemble methods did not improve the accuracy of the prediction.</p></div