Trust transfer effects on values and attitudes toward China and the Shanghai Expo 2010

Despite the increasing popularity of events, the application of trust transfer concepts has yet to be investigated. Linking trust transfer, values, attitude, and behavioral intentions in a theoretical model, this study employs an on-site survey of visitors attending 2010 Shanghai World Expo to test the theory. The results suggest that positive emotional values attributed to the Expo were associated with positive emotions toward China. In addition, positive perceptions of functional values of the Expo carried over to improved perceived functional and emotional perceptions of China and positive attitudes towards the Expo

Sink-Independent Model in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks generally support users that send queries and receive data via the sinks. The user and the sinks are mostly connected to each other by infrastructure networks. The users, however, should receive the data from the sinks through multi-hop communications between disseminating sensor nodes if such users move into the sensor networks without infrastructure networks. To support mobile users, previous work has studied various user mobility models. Nevertheless, such approaches are not compatible with the existing routing algorithms, and it is difficult for the mobile users to gather data efficiently due to their mobility. To improve the shortcomings, we propose a view of mobility for wireless sensor networks and propose a model to support a user mobility that is independent of sinks

Force-sensitive resistors to measure the distribution of weight in the pads of sound dogs in static standing position

The purpose of this study was to measure how weight is distributed in the pads of each of the 4 limbs of dogs and evaluate the intra-investigator reproducibility and inter-investigator reliability of the measurement method. Eight dogs were examined 3 times a day by 3 investigators at 1 week intervals for 3 weeks to determine the weight distribution to each of the pads. The force-sensitive resistor was used for measurement and specific software (PetLAB2) was used to calculate the weight applied to each pad. The intra-investigator reproducibility showed moderate to good reliability (ICC range, 0.575-0.873) and the inter-investigator reliability was moderate (ICC range, 0.525-0.746). Based on this study, it can be observed whether the weight distributed to each pad approaches the normal value after treatment in patients with orthopaedic and neurologic diseases. It is expected that this experimental method will be one of the objective indicators to evaluate the degree of recovery in patients with orthopaedic and neurologic diseases

Trends in Pneumonia and Influenza-associated Hospitalizations in South Korea, 2002-2005

Pneumonia and influenza are leading causes of morbidity and mortality across the globe. Korea has established the national health-insurance system to cover the entire Korean population since 1989. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiologic trends in pneumonia and influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths using the Korean National Health Insurance databases and national vital statistics. During 2002-2005, 989,472 hospitalizations and 10,543 deaths due to pneumonia and influenza were recorded. Eighty-one percent of the hospitalizations were related to diagnoses with unspecified aetiology. The average annual rate of hospitalizations due to pneumonia and influenza was 5.2 per 1,000 people [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.2-5.3], and the hospitalization rate increased by 28% (from 4.5 to 5.8 per 1,000 people) during the four-year study period. In addition, deaths due to pneumonia and influenza increased by 48% (2,829 during 2003, 3,522 during 2004, and 4,192 during 2005). Overall, the national burden of hospitalizations and deaths due to pneumonia and influenza in Korea was high, and it increased for all age-groups during the study period. A comprehensive review of potential interventions by the government authorities should aim to reduce the burden of pneumonia and influenza

Computer-Aided Designing and Manufacturing of Lingual Fixed Orthodontic Appliance Using 2D/3D Registration Software and Rapid Prototyping

The availability of 3D dental model scanning technology, combined with the ability to register CBCT data with digital models, has enabled the fabrication of orthognathic surgical CAD/CAM designed splints, customized brackets, and indirect bonding systems. In this study, custom lingual orthodontic appliances were virtually designed by merging 3D model images with lateral and posterior-anterior cephalograms. By exporting design information to 3D CAD software, we have produced a stereolithographic prototype and converted it into a cobalt-chrome alloy appliance as a way of combining traditional prosthetic investment and cast techniques. While the bonding procedure of the appliance could be reinforced, CAD technology simplified the fabrication process by eliminating the soldering phase. This report describes CAD/CAM fabrication of the complex anteroposterior lingual bonded retraction appliance for intrusive retraction of the maxillary anterior dentition. Furthermore, the CAD/CAM method eliminates the extra step of determining the lever arm on the lateral cephalograms and subsequent design modifications on the study model

Beneficial Effect of Efonidipine, an L- and T-Type Dual Calcium Channel Blocker, on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure in Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Essential Hypertension

Background and Objectives: Efonidipine hydrochloride, an L- and T-type dual calcium channel blocker, is suggested to have a heart rate (HR)-slowing action in addition to a blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of efonidipine on HR and BP in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. Subjects and Methods: In a multi-center, prospective, open-labeled, single-armed study, we enrolled 53 patients who had mild-to-moderate hypertension {sitting diastolic BP (SiDBP) 90-110 mmHg}. After a 2-week washout, eligible patients were treated with efonidipine (40 mg once daily for 12 weeks). The primary end point was the change in HR from baseline to week 12. The secondary end-point included the change in trough sitting BP and 24-hour mean BP between baseline and week 12. Laboratory and clinical adverse events were monitored at each study visit (4, 8, and 12 weeks). Results: Fifty-two patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. After 12 weeks of treatment with efonidipine, the resting HR decreased significantly from baseline to week 12 (from 81.5??5.3 to 71.8??9.9 beats/minute (difference, -9.9??9.0 beats/minute), p<0.0001}. The trough BP {sitting systolic blood pressure (SiSBP) and SiDBP} and 24-hour mean BP also decreased significantly (SiSBP: from 144.6??8.2 to 132.9??13.5 mmHg, p<0.0001; SiDBP: from 96.9??5.4 to 88.3??8.6 mmHg, p<0.0001, 24-hour mean systolic BP: from 140.4??13.5 to 133.8??11.6 mmHg, p<0.0001; 24-hour mean diastolic BP: from 91.7??8.7 to 87.5??9.5 mmHg, p<0.0001). Conclusion: Efonidipine was effective in controlling both HR and BP in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. Copyright ?? 2010 The Korean Society of Cardiology

Overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana brassinosteroid-related acyltransferase 1 gene induces brassinosteroid-deficient phenotypes in creeping bentgrass

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are naturally occurring steroidal hormones that play diverse roles in various processes during plant growth and development. Thus, genetic manipulation of endogenous BR levels might offer a way of improving the agronomic traits of crops, including plant architecture and stress tolerance. In this study, we produced transgenic creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) overexpressing a BR-inactivating enzyme, Arabidopsis thaliana BR-related acyltransferase 1 (AtBAT1), which is known to catalyze the conversion of BR intermediates to inactive acylated conjugates. After putative transgenic plants were selected using herbicide resistance assay, genomic integration of the AtBAT1 gene was confirmed by genomic PCR and Southern blot analysis, and transgene expression was validated by northern blot analysis. The transgenic creeping bentgrass plants exhibited BR-deficient phenotypes, including reduced plant height with shortened internodes (i.e., semi-dwarf), reduced leaf growth rates with short, wide, and thick architecture, high chlorophyll contents, decreased numbers of vascular bundles, and large lamina joint bending angles (i.e., erect leaves). Subsequent analyses showed that the transgenic plants had significantly reduced amounts of endogenous BR intermediates, including typhasterol, 6-deoxocastasterone, and castasterone. Moreover, the AtBAT1 transgenic plants displayed drought tolerance as well as delayed senescence. Therefore, the results of the present study demonstrate that overexpression of an Arabidopsis BR-inactivating enzyme can reduce the endogenous levels of BRs in creeping bentgrass resulting in BR-deficient phenotypes, indicating that the AtBAT1 gene from a dicot plant is also functional in the monocot crop.111Ysciescopu

Slow and soft passage through tipping point of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a changing climate

Paleo-proxy records suggest that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) exhibits a threshold for an abrupt change, a so-called tipping point. A classical bifurcation theory, a basis of the tipping dynamics of AMOC implicitly assumes that the tipping point is fixed. However, when a system is subjected to time-varying forcing (e.g., AMOC exposed to ice meltwater) an actual tipping point can be overshot due to delayed tipping, referred to as the slow passage effect. Here, using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity and a low-order model with freshwater forcing, we show that the tipping point of AMOC is largely delayed by the slow passage effect. It causes a large tipping lag of up to 1300 years, and strongly relaxes the abruptness of tipping as well. We further demonstrate that the tipping modulation can actively occur in past, present, and future climates by quantifying the effect during Dansgaard-Oeschger events, meltwater pulse 1A (MWP-1A), and current Greenland ice sheet melting. The suggested slow passage effect may explain the observed lagged AMOC collapse to MWP-1A of about 1000 years and provides implications tipping risk in the future

Thyroid function in obese Korean children and adolescents: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2015

Purpose In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on thyroid function in pediatric obese patients, but no nationwide study evaluating the relationship between thyroid function and obesity has yet been conducted in Korea. We aimed to evaluate thyroid dysfunction in obese Korean children. Methods We analyzed the associations between obesity and thyroid hormone levels among 975 Korean boys and girls aged 10–18 years and who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013–2015). Results Average serum thyrotropin (TSH) and serum free thyroxine (fT4) levels in the nonobese group were 2.7±0.1 μIU/mL and 1.3±0.0 ng/dL, respectively, and those in the overweight group were 3.1±0.2 μIU/mL and 1.2±0.0 ng/dL. Serum TSH level was significantly higher in the abdominal obesity group than in the normal group (P=0.023). fT4 level was significantly lower in both the overweight and abdominal obesity groups than in the normal group (P<0.001, P=0.014). Serum TSH level was associated positively with abdominal obesity and levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride. Serum fT4 level was negatively correlated with abdominal obesity (P=0.014). Conclusions Korean children with abdominal obesity showed increased TSH and decreased fT4 levels compared to normal children