Information Technology Payoff: A Panel Data Application to Swine Farm in Korea

This paper intends to verify IT payoff using swine data from Korean farms. We collected productivity data from a MIS database of 120 farms. We have applied the panel data methods to estimate the productivity gains after MIS adoption. The results support positive IT payoff after IT adoption. Productivity of Korean sow has increased after adoption of an Information System. Farm size has positive IT impact on productivity, but the impact is not statistically significant. Time has positive and significant impact on productivity, thus implying Korean swine farms noticed serious gain in productivity after IT adoption. Our findings explain the differential impact of IT adoption on industry by the time of use and size of business

Simultaneous deletion of floxed genes mediated by CaMKIIa-Cre in the brain and in male germ cells: application to conditional and conventional disruption of Go-alfa

The Cre/LoxP system is a well-established approach to spatially and temporally control genetic inactivation. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha subunit (CaMKIIα) promoter limits expression to specific regions of the forebrain and thus has been utilized for the brain-specific inactivation of the genes. Here, we show that CaMKIIα-Cre can be utilized for simultaneous inactivation of genes in the adult brain and in male germ cells. Double transgenic Rosa26+/stop-lacZ::CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice generated by crossing CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice with floxed ROSA26 lacZ reporter (Rosa26+/stop-lacZ) mice exhibited lacZ expression in the brain and testis. When these mice were mated to wild-type females, about 27% of the offspring were whole body blue by X-gal staining without inheriting the Cre transgene. These results indicate that recombination can occur in the germ cells of male Rosa26+/stop-lacZ::CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice. Similarly, when double transgenic Gnao+/f::CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice carrying a floxed Go-alpha gene (Gnaof/f) were backcrossed to wild-type females, approximately 22% of the offspring carried the disrupted allele (GnaoΔ) without inheriting the Cre transgene. The GnaoΔ/Δ mice closely resembled conventional Go-alpha knockout mice (Gnao−/−) with respect to impairment of their behavior. Thus, we conclude that CaMKIIα-Cre mice afford recombination for both tissue- and time-controlled inactivation of floxed target genes in the brain and for their permanent disruption. This work also emphasizes that extra caution should be exercised in utilizing CaMKIIα-Cre mice as breeding pairs.Fil: Choi, Chan-Il. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Yoon, Sang-Phil. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Choi, Jung-Mi. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Kim, Sung-Soo. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Lee, Young-Don. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Birnbaumer, Lutz. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Estados Unidos. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Suh-Kim. Haeyoung. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del Su

High-resolution near-IR Spectral mapping with H2_{2} and [Fe II] lines of Multiple Outflows around LkHα\alpha 234

We present a high-resolution, near-IR spectroscopic study of multiple outflows in the LkH$\alpha$ 234 star formation region using the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS). Spectral mapping over the blueshifted emission of HH 167 allowed us to distinguish at least three separate, spatially overlapped, outflows in H${_2}$ and [Fe II] emission. We show that the H${_2}$ emission represents not a single jet, but complex multiple outflows driven by three known embedded sources: MM1, VLA 2, and VLA 3. There is a redshifted H${_2}$ outflow at a low velocity, \VLSR $<$ $+$50 {\kms}, with respect to the systemic velocity of \VLSR $=$ $-$11.5 {\kms}, that coincides with the H${_2}$O masers seen in earlier radio observations two arcseconds southwest of VLA 2. We found that the previously detected [Fe II] jet with $|$\VLSR$|$ $>$ 100 {\kms} driven by VLA 3B is also detected in H${_2}$ emission, and confirm that this jet has a position angle about 240$\degree$. Spectra of the redshifted knots at 14\arcsec$-$65\arcsec northeast of LkH$\alpha$ 234 are presented for the first time. These spectra also provide clues to the existence of multiple outflows. We detected high-velocity (50$-$120 {\kms}) H${_2}$ gas in the multiple outflows around LkH$\alpha$ 234. Since these gases move at speeds well over the dissociation velocity ($>$ 40 {\kms}), the emission must originate from the jet itself rather than H${_2}$ gas in the ambient medium. Also, position-velocity diagrams and excitation diagram indicate that emission from knot C in HH 167 come from two different phenomena, shocks and photodissociation.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Malignancies in Korean Patients with Inflammatory Myopathy

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and the common type of malignancies in Korean patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) and to evaluate the differences of clinical and laboratory findings between patients with malignancy and those without malignancy. Forty-one Korean patients, who were diagnosed as PM or DM, were enrolled in this study. They fulfilled the Bohan and Peter's criteria for a definite diagnosis of PM and DM. Patients with PM were 25 and those with DM were 16. Eleven out of 41 patients (26.8%) had malignancies. The malignancy was diagnosed simultaneously or later in 81.8% of patients with inflammatory myopathy (IM). The breast cancer was the most common malignancy. In this study, forty three years old as a screening age for malignancy had 88.9% sensitivity and 50.2% specificity. The serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) were significantly lower in patients with malignancy than those without malignancy

Aspergillus nidulans ArfB Plays a Role in Endocytosis and Polarized Growth

Filamentous fungi undergo polarized growth throughout most of their life cycles. The Spitzenkörper is an apical organelle composed primarily of vesicles that is unique to filamentous fungi and is likely to act as a vesicle supply center for tip growth. Vesicle assembly and trafficking are therefore important for hyphal growth. ADP ribosylation factors (Arfs), a group of small GTPase proteins, play an important role in nucleating vesicle assembly. Little is known about the role of Arfs in filamentous hyphal growth. We found that Aspergillus nidulans is predicted to encode six Arf family proteins. Analysis of protein sequence alignments suggests that A. nidulans ArfB shares similarity with ARF6 of Homo sapiens and Arf3p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An arfB null allele (arfB disrupted by a transposon [arfB::Tn]) was characterized by extended isotropic growth of germinating conidia followed by cell lysis or multiple, random germ tube emergence, consistent with a failure to establish polarity. The mutant germ tubes and hyphae that do form initially meander abnormally off of the axis of polarity and frequently exhibit dichotomous branching at cell apices, consistent with a defect in polarity maintenance. FM4-64 staining of the arfB::Tn strain revealed that another phenotypic characteristic seen for arfB::Tn is a reduction and delay in endocytosis. ArfB is myristoylated at its N terminus. Green fluorescent protein-tagged ArfB (ArfB::GFP) localizes to the plasma membrane and endomembranes and mutation (ArfB(G2A)::GFP) of the N-terminal myristoylation motif disperses the protein to the cytoplasm rather than to the membranes. These results demonstrate that ArfB functions in endocytosis to play important roles in polarity establishment during isotropic growth and polarity maintenance during hyphal extension

Theoretical investigations on microwave Fano resonances in 3D-printable hollow dielectric resonators

High-index dielectric structures have recently been studied intensively for Mie resonances at optical frequencies. These dielectric structures can enable extreme light manipulation, similar to that which has been achieved with plasmonic nanostructures. In the microwave region, dielectric resonators and metamaterials can be fabricated directly using 3D printing, which is advantageous for fabricating structurally complicated 3D geometries. It is therefore especially suitable for the fabrication of subwavelength structures. Here we report theoretical investigations on microwave Fano resonances in 3D-printable dielectric materials and structures. In particular, we propose and analyse 3D-printable, hollow, dielectric resonators with relatively low refractive indices, which exhibit sharp Fano resonances. We can control the interaction between bright and dark modes in a coupled dielectric particle pair by adjusting the inner-hole size, and thus we can increase the radiative Q factors further. We also find that Fano resonances in these hollow dielectric resonators are very sensitive to an index change in the surrounding medium, which could be useful for long-distance environmental sensing. New possibilities and opportunities are opening up with the rapid development of 3D-printing technologies. Our findings and the detailed investigations reported here can provide useful guidelines for future photonic devices based on 3D-printable materials and structures

The Significance of Lumbar Probing Combined with Continuous Irrigation and Undercutting Posterior Vertebral Body for Highly Upward Migrated Disc Herniation in ACDF: Case Reports and technical notes

The purpose of this report was to present successful cases and technical notes of the patients with up migrated cervical disc herniation to the upper level who were successfully treated using anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), describing the evaluation of treatment outcomes and perioperative complications. The cases of two patients who had ACDF in symptomatic up migrated cervical disc herniation to the upper level in February 2021 and November 2021 were reviewed. Two patients presented with a six-week history of posterior neck pain and radiating pain. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed a diagnosis of up migrated cervical disc extrusion. The patients were admitted to Daegu Wooridul Spine Hospital in Daegu, Korea. ACDF was performed under general anesthesia. Treatment outcomes were examined by comparing pre and postoperative Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and MRI. Treatment outcomes were favorable: posterior neck pain and radiating pain showed a significant reduction in NRS. Postoperative MRI showed that the up migrated discs were successfully removed in both cases. Neither patient developed perioperative complications. Anterior cervical discectomy can be feasible in patients with symptomatic up migrated cervical disc herniation to the upper level