Molecular identification of Reesa vespulae (Milliron) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), a newly recorded species from Korea

AbstractA museum pest belonging to the family Dermestidae was found in the Museum of Sunchon National University, Sunchon, Korea and identified using its morphological characteristics and a DNA-based analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. This marks the first recorded appearance of this pest, which is identified as Reesa vespulae (Milliron), in the Korean Peninsula. We provide the details of the morphological diagnosis with the habitus of its adult and larva and its COI barcode data, and introduce historical data about its invasion around the world

IL-1α Stimulation Restores Epidermal Permeability and Antimicrobial Barriers Compromised by Topical Tacrolimus

In a previous study, we showed that barrier recovery was delayed after acute barrier disruption in the skin treated with topical calcineurin inhibitors. Tacrolimus decreases lipid synthesis and the expressions of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) and IL-1α in the epidermis. IL-1α is an important cytokine for improving barrier function, lamellar body (LB) production, and lipid synthesis in keratinocytes (KCs). We aimed to evaluate whether IL-1α stimulation could restore the barrier dysfunction observed in tacrolimus-treated skin. Topical imiquimod, an IL-1α inducer, restored the epidermal permeability barrier recovery that had been inhibited by tacrolimus treatment in human (n=15) and murine (n=10) skins, and improved stratum corneum integrity by restoring corneodosmosomes in murine skin (n=6). Imiquimod co-applied on the epidermis resulted in an increase in the production of LB and three major lipid synthesis-related enzymes, and in the expressions of mBD3, CRAMP, and IL-1α (n=5). Furthermore, intracutaneous injection of IL-1α restored permeability barrier recovery (n=6). In IL-1 type 1 receptor knockout mice, topical imiquimod was unable to restore permeability barrier recovery after tacrolimus treatment (n=21). In conclusion, IL-1α stimulation induced positive effects on epidermal permeability and antimicrobial barrier functions in tacrolimus-treated skin. These positive effects were mediated by an increase in epidermal lipid synthesis, LB production, and AMP expression.JID JOURNAL CLUB ARTICLE: For questions, answers, and open discussion about this article, please go to http://www.nature.com/jid/journalclu

Neural Substrates of Reserve Observed in a Non-Demented Aging Population

Cognitive decline in dementia does not correspond precisely to the amount of neurodegeneration in the brain. This discrepancy in brain damage and its clinical manifestation has been explicated by the concept of reserve. Brain reserve inferred from the brain size had moderate success in explaining the discrepancy, and numerous studies have reported the effects of education supporting cognitive reserve. Yet the neural substrates of reserve have been elusive. Utilizing optimized voxel-based morphometry, we have identified brain regions that were significantly smaller in individuals with low cognitive performance (LCP) compared to those with normal cognitive performance (NCP) in community-residing non-demented elderly people both with low educational attainment. It was assumed that the cognitive performance in this population reflected long-standing cognitive functioning of the individual, possibly the reserve, based on their stable follow-up performance and clinical interviews. Bilateral precuneus, right superior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus were smaller in individuals with LCP. Further, the LCP individuals had weaker correlation between the gray matter volume of those regions and the rest of the cortex. On the other hand, volume of these regions was more tightly correlated with the K-DRS Total score in these individuals. Finally, an outcome study of the community sample from which this study's participants were recruited from reported five times higher risk of dementia in the LCP group. Precuneus and prefrontal cortex are proposed as key sites comprising the neural substrates that underlie the reserve

Neural Substrates of Reserve Observed in a Non-Demented Aging Population

Cognitive decline in dementia does not correspond precisely to the amount of neurodegeneration in the brain. This discrepancy in brain damage and its clinical manifestation has been explicated by the concept of reserve. Brain reserve inferred from the brain size had moderate success in explaining the discrepancy, and numerous studies have reported the effects of education supporting cognitive reserve. Yet the neural substrates of reserve have been elusive. Utilizing optimized voxel-based morphometry, we have identified brain regions that were significantly smaller in individuals with low cognitive performance (LCP) compared to those with normal cognitive performance (NCP) in community-residing non-demented elderly people both with low educational attainment. It was assumed that the cognitive performance in this population reflected long-standing cognitive functioning of the individual, possibly the reserve, based on their stable follow-up performance and clinical interviews. Bilateral precuneus, right superior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus were smaller in individuals with LCP. Further, the LCP individuals had weaker correlation between the gray matter volume of those regions and the rest of the cortex. On the other hand, volume of these regions was more tightly correlated with the K-DRS Total score in these individuals. Finally, an outcome study of the community sample from which this study's participants were recruited from reported five times higher risk of dementia in the LCP group. Precuneus and prefrontal cortex are proposed as key sites comprising the neural substrates that underlie the reserve

Heterogeneity of Skin Surface Oxygen Level of Wrist in Relation to Acupuncture Point

The distribution of partial oxygen pressure (pO2) is analyzed for the anterior aspect of the left wrist with an amperometric oxygen microsensor composed of a small planar Pt disk-sensing area (diameter = 25 μm). The pO2 levels vary depending on the measurement location over the wrist skin, and they are systematically monitored in the analysis for both one-dimensional single line (along the wrist transverse crease) and two-dimensional square area of the wrist region. Relatively higher pO2 values are observed at certain area in close proximity to the position of acupuncture points with statistical significance, indicating strong relationship between oxygen and acupuncture point. The used oxygen microsensor is sensitive enough to detect the pO2 variation depending on the location. This study may provide information helpful to understand possible physiological roles of the acupuncture points

Assessment of foodservice quality and identification of improvement strategies using hospital foodservice quality model

The purposes of this study were to assess hospital foodservice quality and to identify causes of quality problems and improvement strategies. Based on the review of literature, hospital foodservice quality was defined and the Hospital Foodservice Quality model was presented. The study was conducted in two steps. In Step 1, nutritional standards specified on diet manuals and nutrients of planned menus, served meals, and consumed meals for regular, diabetic, and low-sodium diets were assessed in three general hospitals. Quality problems were found in all three hospitals since patients consumed less than their nutritional requirements. Considering the effects of four gaps in the Hospital Foodservice Quality model, Gaps 3 and 4 were selected as critical control points (CCPs) for hospital foodservice quality management. In Step 2, the causes of the gaps and improvement strategies at CCPs were labeled as "quality hazards" and "corrective actions", respectively and were identified using a case study. At Gap 3, inaccurate forecasting and a lack of control during production were identified as quality hazards and corrective actions proposed were establishing an accurate forecasting system, improving standardized recipes, emphasizing the use of standardized recipes, and conducting employee training. At Gap 4, quality hazards were menus of low preferences, inconsistency of menu quality, a lack of menu variety, improper food temperatures, and patients' lack of understanding of their nutritional requirements. To reduce Gap 4, the dietary departments should conduct patient surveys on menu preferences on a regular basis, develop new menus, especially for therapeutic diets, maintain food temperatures during distribution, provide more choices, conduct meal rounds, and provide nutrition education and counseling. The Hospital Foodservice Quality Model was a useful tool for identifying causes of the foodservice quality problems and improvement strategies from a holistic point of view

3DTeethSeg'22: 3D Teeth Scan Segmentation and Labeling Challenge

Teeth localization, segmentation, and labeling from intra-oral 3D scans are essential tasks in modern dentistry to enhance dental diagnostics, treatment planning, and population-based studies on oral health. However, developing automated algorithms for teeth analysis presents significant challenges due to variations in dental anatomy, imaging protocols, and limited availability of publicly accessible data. To address these challenges, the 3DTeethSeg'22 challenge was organized in conjunction with the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) in 2022, with a call for algorithms tackling teeth localization, segmentation, and labeling from intraoral 3D scans. A dataset comprising a total of 1800 scans from 900 patients was prepared, and each tooth was individually annotated by a human-machine hybrid algorithm. A total of 6 algorithms were evaluated on this dataset. In this study, we present the evaluation results of the 3DTeethSeg'22 challenge. The 3DTeethSeg'22 challenge code can be accessed at: https://github.com/abenhamadou/3DTeethSeg22_challengeComment: 29 pages, MICCAI 2022 Singapore, Satellite Event, Challeng