Semantic network analysis of conflict in Korean society regarding the WHO classification of gaming disorder (disease code 6C51)

Background: In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO), in its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), classified ‘gaming disorder’ as a disease. As a result, countries are witnessing conflicts among stakeholders with regard to the introduction of the classification. The objective of this analysis is to identify trends of coverage made by major media outlets in Korea concerning the controversy over the introduction of ‘gaming disorder’ like a disease and, through such an analysis, examine how social perceptions have been formulated in Korea. Methods: Semantic network analysis was deployed to examine the semantic structure of messages delivered by the media. The analysis was conducted to identify what semantic structure and issues were pursued by the media with regard to the introduction of ‘gaming disorder’ as a disease in the context of social debates, by looking at the prominent of words in messages delivered by news media, and the interactive structure among these words. Results: In terms of their prevalence, the main keywords in major media reports were ‘addiction’, ‘WHO’, ‘classification’, ‘industry’, ‘code’, ‘domestic’, ‘objection’, ‘gaming industry’, ‘introduce’, ‘gaming disorder’, and ‘Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism/MCST’. The structural characteristics of the entire network of media reports were formed around keywords such as ‘addiction’, ‘WHO’, ‘classification’, ‘objection’, ‘industry’, ‘code’, ‘mental disorder’, and ‘backlash’. Words with high eigenvector centrality were ‘addiction’, ‘WHO’, ‘classification’, ‘industry’, ‘domestic’, ‘code’, ‘objection’, ‘introduce’, ‘controversy’, and ‘Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism/MCST’. Following CONCOR analysis, a total of four clusters were formed: Cluster 1 for objection, Cluster 2 for consent, Cluster 3 for expected problems, and Cluster 4 for factors for efforts towards conflict resolution. Conclusions: This research explored social perceptions in Korea regarding the issue of the WHO introducing gaming disorder as a disease, by identifying trends of the media coverage through a semantic network analysis of the media’s asymmetrical data. Through this, despite the inevitable introduction of the system to promote public health, it was shown that there is a sharp conflict between the medical and the game industry and related public organizations in Korea. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2020;34(Special issue-3):67-77] Keywords: Gaming disorder, disease code 6C51, conflicts, media reports, semantic network analysi

Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and Electoral Participation in the U.S. Counties: Revisiting the Inequality-Participation Nexus

Previous research has provided contested hypotheses about the impact of income inequality on electoral participation. This study reexamines the debate between conflict and relative power theories by focusing on a largely ignored factor: social mobility. We argue that social mobility conditions the inequality-participation nexus by alleviating the frustration, class conflict, and efficacy gaps between the rich and the poor that the prevailing theories assume income inequality to create. By utilizing the Cooperative Congressional Election Survey, we test this argument focusing on US counties. Our analysis confirms that the effects of income inequality on citizens’ likelihood of voting vary depending on mobility, suggesting that social mobility provides a crucial context in which income inequality can play out in substantially different ways. This article implies that more scholarly endeavors should be made to clarify the multifaceted structure of inequality for improving our understanding of the relationship between economic and political inequality

Economic Inequality and Political Participation in East Asian Democracies: The Role of Perceived Income Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility

This study examines how perceptions of economic inequality affect political participation focusing on East Asian democracies. It develops nuanced predictions on how perceptions of income inequality and social mobility and their interplay affect individuals’ engagement in various types of political activities in six East Asian democracies. Using the fourth wave of the Asian Barometer Survey, we examine novel arguments built upon the existing inequality-participation nexus. Our analysis suggests that inequality is a multifaceted concept, and the mechanisms of the inequality-participation nexus could vary depending on the regional, socioeconomic, and political context

A Novel Mechanism of PPARγ Regulation of TGFβ1: Implication in Cancer Biology

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and retinoic acid X-receptor (RXR) heterodimer, which regulates cell growth and differentiation, represses the TGFβ1 gene that encodes for the protein involved in cancer biology. This review will introduce the novel mechanism associated with the inhibition of the TGFβ1 gene by PPARγ activation, which regulates the dephosphorylation of Zf9 transcription factor. Pharmacological manipulation of TGFβ1 by PPARγ activators can be applied for treating TGFβ1-induced pathophysiologic disorders such as cancer metastasis and fibrosis. In this article, we will discuss the opposing effects of TGFβ on tumor growth and metastasis, and address the signaling pathways regulated by PPARγ for tumor progression and suppression

Histamine and Histamine H4 Receptor Promotes Osteoclastogenesis in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Histamine H4 receptor (H4R) has immune-modulatory and chemotaxic effects in various immune cells. This study aimed to determine the osteoclastogenic role of H4R in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The concentration of histamine in synovial fluid (SF) and sera in patients with RA was measured using ELISA. After RA SF and peripheral blood (PB) CD14+ monocytes were treated with histamine, IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22, and a H4R antagonist (JNJ7777120), the gene expression H4R and RANKL was determined by real-time PCR. Osteoclastogenesis was assessed by counting TRAP-positive multinucleated cells in PB CD14+ monocytes cultured with histamine, Th17 cytokines and JNJ7777120. SF and serum concentration of histamine was higher in RA, compared with osteoarthritis and healthy controls. The expression of H4R was increased in PB monocytes in RA patients. Histamine, IL-6, IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22 induced the expression of H4R in monocytes. Histamine, IL-17, and IL-22 stimulated RANKL expression in RA monocytes and JNJ7777120 reduced the RANKL expression. Histamine and Th17 cytokines induced the osteoclast differentiation from monocytes and JNJ7777120 decreased the osteoclastogenesis. H4R mediates RANKL expression and osteoclast differentiation induced by histamine and Th17 cytokines. The blockage of H4R could be a new therapeutic modality for prevention of bone destruction in RA

THE EFFECTS OF GREEN HOTEL PRACTICES ON HOTEL IMAGE, VISIT INTENTION, AND WORD-OF-MOUTH: FOCUSING ON THE MODERATING ROLES OF CONSUMER ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS

The objective of this study is to empirically examine the effects of hotel green practices on the image of firms, visit intention, and word-of-mouth. In addition, this study examines the moderating effect of an environmental worldview regarding green hotel attributes and image, and visit intention. A self-administrated survey will be conducted to collect data. For data analysis, simple descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and SEM will be utilized to confirm causal relationships among projected constructs. The results of this study will help hoteliers and hotel developers to understand what green hotel attributes are important and necessary to build favorable hotel images, and help researchers to develop future research projects relating to environmental hotel attributes and consumer behaviors.&nbsp

New Tubulocentric Insights for Diabetic Nephropathy: From Pathophysiology to Treatment

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, and one of the most important complications, diabetic nephropathy, constitutes a significant global health care and socioeconomic burden. Glomerular dysfunction is a major factor in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. However, emerging evidence suggests that tubular damage also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. This tubulocentric view shifts the focus markedly from glomeruli to proximal tubules, which might have an important role as a trigger or a driver in the early development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Accordingly, numerous studies have focused on several different tubular damage markers that are clinically indicated as potential biomarkers for the early detection of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, these findings are relevant for identifying therapeutics for diabetic nephropathy that target the proximal tubules. This review outlines new tubulocentric insights into diabetic nephropathy, from pathophysiological mechanisms to diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

Efficiency Analysis of Major Container Ports in Asia: Using DEA and Shannon’s Entropy

This paper attempts to evaluate performance (i.e. efficiency) of Asias container ports. Measurement of the ports performance is critical to increase the competitiveness of maritime transport, ultimately leading to one nations competitive advantages over other countries. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which is a non-parametric method widely used for assessing efficiency of units which have similar characteristics, was selected to analyse the data. Due to the limitations of the DEA method producing diverse results according to different models, and to the complexities of choosing a specific model among several DEA models, Shannons Entropy was also employed. By including Shannons Entropy, the efficiency results calculated from each model were integrated in order to rank the ports. The results in this study will provide port managers with valuable information in order to understand the current status of Asias container ports in terms of their efficiency

Nicotiana benthamiana protein, NbPCIP1, interacting with Potato virus X coat protein plays a role as susceptible factor for viral infection

AbstractThe interactions of viral coat protein (CP) and host factors play an important role in viral replication and/or host defense mechanism. In this study, we constructed Nicotiana benthamiana cDNA library to find host factors interacting with Potato virus X (PVX) CP. Using yeast two-hybrid assay, we screened 3.3×106 independent yeast transformants from N. benthamiana cDNA library and identified six positive clones. One positive clone, named PVX CP-interacting protein 1 (NbPCIP1), is a plant-specific protein with homologue in N. tabacum (GenBank accession no. AB04049). We confirmed the PVX CP–NbPCIP1 interaction using yeast-two hybrid assay in yeast, protein–protein binding assay in vitro, and bimolecular fluorescent complementation assay in planta. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that the mRNA level of NbPCIP1 increased in PVX-infected N. benthamiana plants as compared to that of healthy plants. The green fluorescent protein (sGFP)-fused NbPCIP1 (NbPCIP1-sGFP) was localized in ER or ER-associated granular-like structure of cells. When we co-express NbPCIP1-sGFP and red fluorescent protein (RFP)-fused PVX CP (PVX CP-RFP), which were introduced by transiently expressing these proteins in N. benthamiana protoplasts and epidermal cells, however, we observed the co-localization of these proteins in the inclusion body-like complex in areas surrounding nucleus. Transient over-expression and transgene silencing of NbPCIP1 assay analysis indicated that NbPCIP1 plays a critical role in viral replication during PVX infection in host plant

Fishbone-Associated Actinomycosis of the Anterior Cervical Space: A Diagnostic Dilemma

We report the imaging and pathologic findings of fishbone-associated actinomycosis of the anterior cervical space in a 57-year-old man, misdiagnosed preoperatively as a malignancy originating from thyroglossal duct cyst. CT revealed an enhancing mass containing a small abscess pocket and two sharp linear calcifications within it, which infiltrated into the strap muscle. Pathologic examination demonstrated two fishbones within the actinomycotic abscess. Fishbone-associated actinomycosis should be considered when a cervical mass contains sharp linear calcifications