Validation of a Korean version of the quality-of-life profile for spine deformities (QLPSD) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the adapted Korean version of the Quality-of-Life Profile for Spine Deformities (QLPSD) questionnaire.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

English version of QLPSD was translated into Korean according to previously published guidelines. The Korean version of the QLPSD questionnaire and the Korean version of the SRS-22 was sent to 120 consecutive idiopathic scoliosis patients wearing braces recruited from the outpatient clinic. Reliability assessment and construct validity were evaluated.

RESULTS

The intraobserver reliability of all items in the questionnaire had a kappa statistic of agreement greater than 0.6. The QLPSD showed good test/re-test reliability (ICC = 0.815). The internal consistency of Cronbach's α was found to be very good (α = 0.918). The Korean version of QLPSD showed a significant correlation with the SRS-22 total score (p<0.001, r=-0.811) and single SRS-22 domains scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The adapted Korean version of the QLPSD was successfully translated and showed good measurement properties. As such, it is considered suitable for outcome assessments in Korean-speaking patients with idiopathic scoliosis.

Link overlap influences opinion dynamics on multiplex networks of Ashkin-Teller spins

Consider a multiplex network formed by two layers indicating social interactions: the first layer is a friendship network and the second layer is a network of business relations. In this duplex network each pair of individuals can be connected in different ways: they can be connected by a friendship but not connected by a business relation, they can be connected by a business relation without being friends, or they can be simultaneously friends and in a business relation. In the latter case we say that the links in different layers overlap. These three types of connections are called multilinks and the multidegree indicates the sum of multilinks of a given type that are incident to a given node. Previous opinion models on multilayer networks have mostly neglected the effect of link overlap. Here we show that link overlap can have important effects in the formation of a majority opinion. Indeed, the formation of a majority opinion can be significantly influenced by the statistical properties of multilinks, and in particular by the multidegree distribution. To quantitatively address this problem, we study a simple spin model, called the Ashkin-Teller model, including two-body and four-body interactions between nodes in different layers. Here we fully investigate the rich phase diagram of this model which includes a large variety of phase transitions. Indeed, the phase diagram or the model displays continuous, discontinuous, and hybrid phase transitions, and successive jumps of the order parameters within the Baxter phase.

Cystic angiomatosis of the bone, liver, and spleen

Introduction/Objective

Cystic angiomatosis is a very rare entity characterized by multifocal cystic angiomatous lesions of the skeletal system, occasionally involving visceral organ systems. Clinical presentation and progression are extremely variable. Cases with liver involvement are even rarer, and have been described as invariably fatal. The pathogenesis of this disorder is poorly understood, and no treatments are currently available.

Methods/Case Report

A 24 year old man with history of polysubstance abuse and untreated hepatitis C presented with acute abdominal pain. Imaging revealed hepatosplenomegaly and multiple liver, spleen, and skeletal lesions. Differential diagnoses included metastatic disease, lymphoma, and infection. Apart from known untreated chronic hepatitis C, all infectious, autoimmune and hypercoagulability work-ups were negative. Biopsies of the liver and iliac bone lesions showed areas of benign-appearing vascular proliferation in a background of fibrosis. The vascular endothelial cells were positive for CD34 and CD31 but negative for D2-40. On follow-up approximately eight months later, the patient was asymptomatic.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA

Conclusion

Liver involvement by cystic angiomatosis is exceedingly rare and has been associated with increased mortality. This case provides an example of a patient with incidentally discovered cystic angiomatosis involving liver, spleen, and bone who remains asymptomatic at follow-up. Additional cases are required to understand the pathophysiology and disease course in this group of patients, and to investigate possible therapeutic targets.

Associations of hemoglobin and change in hemoglobin with risk of incident hip fracture in older men and women: the cardiovascular health study

In a multi-site longitudinal cohort study, decreasing hemoglobin was associated with increased hip fracture risk in men. Anemia was associated with hip fracture in men and in African American women. Decreasing hemoglobin may be a marker of progressing bone fragility, making its serial measurement useful for fracture risk stratification.

INTRODUCTION

Hematopoiesis and bone health are interdependent. Anemia has been associated with risk of fracture in humans. To further elucidate this relationship, we hypothesized that decreasing hemoglobin could indicate defective hematopoiesis and would also predict fracture risk.

METHODS

We performed a prospective analysis from study baseline (1992) of the Cardiovascular Health Study, a multi-site longitudinal cohort study. A total of 4670 men and women, ages >65 years, who were able to consent and not institutionalized or wheelchair bound, had hemoglobin (Hb) measured in 1992. For 4006 subjects, Hb change from 1989 to 1992 was annualized and divided into sex-specific quartiles. Incident hip fractures were verified against Medicare claims data during a median follow-up of 11.8 years.

RESULTS

Nested Cox proportional-hazard models estimated association of hip fracture with anemia (men Hb <13 g/dL, women Hb <12 g/dL) and separately, greatest Hb decrease (versus others). Anemia was associated with increased hip fracture risk in all men (HR 1.59; 95% CI 1.01-2.50) and African American women (HR 3.21; 95% CI 1.07-9.63). In men, an annualized Hb loss of >0.36 g/dL/year was associated with a higher risk of hip fracture (HR 1.67; 95% CI 1.10-2.54), which was lessened by anemia at the start of fracture follow-up (HR 1.53; 95% CI 0.99-2.39).

CONCLUSIONS

Decreasing Hb may be an early marker for subsequent hip fracture risk in men, which may be less informative once an anemia threshold is crossed. Only African American women with anemia had increased hip fracture risk, suggesting a race difference in this relationship.

The Safety of Intra-arterial Tirofiban during Endovascular Therapy after Intravenous Thrombolysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The safety and efficacy of tirofiban during endovascular therapy in patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant IV tPA remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of intra-arterial tirofiban use during endovascular therapy in patients treated with IV tPA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using a multicenter registry, we enrolled patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent endovascular therapy. Safety outcomes included postprocedural parenchymal hematoma type 2 and/or thick subarachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, and 3-month mortality. Efficacy outcomes included the successful reperfusion rate, postprocedural reocclusion, and good outcomes at 3 months (mRS scores of 0-2). The tirofiban effect on the outcomes was evaluated using a multivariable analysis while adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Among enrolled patients, we identified 314 patients with stroke (279 and 35 patients in the no tirofiban and tirofiban groups, respectively) due to an intracranial artery occlusion who underwent endovascular therapy with intravenous thrombolysis. A multivariable analysis revealed no association of intra-arterial tirofiban with postprocedural parenchymal hematoma type and/or thick subarachnoid hemorrhage (adjusted OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.20-4.10; P = .918), intraventricular hemorrhage (adjusted OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.02-2.85; P = .467), and 3-month mortality (adjusted OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.04-1.87; P = .299). Intra-arterial tirofiban was not associated with good outcome (adjusted OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 0.89 -6.12; P = .099).

CONCLUSIONS

Using intra-arterial tirofiban during endovascular therapy after IV tPA could be safe.

Voltage-Tunable Ultra-Steep Slope Atomic Switch with Selectivity over 1010

Atomic switch-based selectors, which utilize the formation of conductive filaments by the migration of ions, are researched for cross-point array architecture due to their simple structure and high selectivity. However, the difficulty in controlling the formation of filaments causes uniformity and reliability issues. Here, a multilayer selector with Pt/Ag-doped ZnO/ZnO/Ag-doped ZnO/Pt structure by the sputtering process is presented. A multilayer structure enables control of the filament formation by preventing excessive influx of Ag ions. The multilayer selector device exhibits a high on-current density of 2 MA cm^-2 , which can provide sufficient current for the operation with the memory device. Also, the device exhibits high selectivity of 10¹⁰ and a low off-current of 10^-13 A. The threshold voltage of selector devices can be controlled by modulating the thickness of the ZnO layer. By connecting a multilayer selector device to a resistive switching memory, the leakage current of the memory device can be reduced. These results demonstrate that a multilayer structure can be used in a selector device to improve selectivity and reliability for use in high-density memory devices.

Designing zero-dimensional dimer-type all-inorganic perovskites for ultra-fast switching memory

Resistive switching memory that uses halide perovskites (HP) has been considered as next-generation storage devices due to low operation voltage and high on/off ratio. However, the memory still faces challenges for stable operation with fast switching speed, which hinders the practical application. Thus, it should be considered from the stage of designing the HP for memory applications. Here, we design the perovskite memory using a high-throughput screening based on first-principles calculations. Total 696 compositions in four different crystal structures are investigated and essential parameters including stability, vacancy formation, and migration are considered as the descriptor. We select dimer-Cs3Sb2I9 as an optimal HP for memory; the device that uses dimer-Cs3Sb2I9 has ultra-fast switching speed (~20 ns) compared to the device that uses layer-Cs3Sb2I9 (>100 ns). The use of lead-free perovskite avoids environmental problems caused by lead in perovskite. These results demonstrate the feasibility to design the memory with ultra-fast switching speed.

Left atrial wall stress and the outcome of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: artificial intelligence-based prediction of clinical outcome

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background/Introduction: Left atrial (LA) wall stress (LAW-str) may contribute to the mechanism of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Purpose

We explored the clinical characteristics and the rhythm outcome of AF depending on LAW-str among the patients who underwent AF catheter ablation (AFCA). We also tested whether artificial intelligence (AI) properly estimate LAW-str without invasive parameters.

Methods

We included 2223 patients (72.8% male, 59.0 [52.0–67.0] years old, 28.7% with persistent AF [PeAF]) who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). LAW-str was calculated by the Law of Laplace using LA diameter (echocardiogram), peak LA pressure, and mean LA wall thickness (computed tomography) measured by customized software. Based on the quartile (Q1–4) or AI-estimated values of LAW-str, we compared clinical characteristics and rhythm outcome.

Results

LAW-str was independently associated with PeAF (p &lt; 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.012) and vascular disease (p = 0.002), body mass index (p &lt; 0.001), E/Em (p &lt; 0.001), and mean LA voltage (p &lt; 0.001). During 26.0 (12.0–52.0) months follow-up, clinical recurrence of AF was significantly higher in the Q4 of LAW-str group (log rank p = 0.001). LAW-str was independently associated with clinical recurrence after AFCA (HR 1.001 [1.000–1.002], p = 0.013). AI-based model using non-invasive parameters predicted Q4 of LAW-str with area under the curve (AUC) 0.734, which was similar to logistic regression based predictive model using all data including invasive parameters (AUC 0.726). Patients in Q4 of LAW-str showed consistently worse rhythm outcome regardless of the type of AF, sex, or AI-based prediction (p = 0.039).

Conclusions

The LAW-str seems to be associated with rhythm outcome of AFCA and AI can predict this complex parameter with moderate accuracy. TableMultivariateβ (95% CI)PPersistent AF31.08 (21.77-40.39)&lt;0.001Diabetes mellitus15.36 (3.35-27.38)0.012Vascular disease22.27 (8.4-36.14)0.002Body mass index2.91 (1.53-4.29)&lt;0.001E/Em4.95 (3.87-6.02)&lt;0.001Mean LA voltage-22.24 (-27.96–16.52)&lt;0.001Linear regression analysis for clinical variables predictive of LA wall stress (10^3 dyn/cm2).Abstract Figure. AF recurrence by LAW-str, AI-prediction

Parity-preserving and magnetic field-resilient superconductivity in InSb nanowires with Sn shells

Improving materials used to make qubits is crucial to further progress in quantum information processing. Of particular interest are semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures that are expected to form the basis of topological quantum computing. We grew semiconductor indium antimonide nanowires that were coated with shells of tin of uniform thickness. No interdiffusion was observed at the interface between Sn and InSb. Tunnel junctions were prepared by in situ shadowing. Despite the lack of lattice matching between Sn and InSb, a 15-nanometer-thick shell of tin was found to induce a hard superconducting gap, with superconductivity persisting in magnetic field up to 4 teslas. A small island of Sn-InSb exhibits the two-electron charging effect. These findings suggest a less restrictive approach to fabricating superconducting and topological quantum circuits.

Distinctive patterns of pulmonary function change according to baseline lung volume and diffusing capacity

SETTING: Multicentre retrospective study in South Korea.OBJECTIVE: To longitudinally evaluate changes in lung volume and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) with forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV₁).DESIGN: A total of 155 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), whose pulmonary function parameters were measured annually for 5 years, were selected from a prospective cohort in South Korea. A random coefficients model was used to estimate mean annual FEV₁, lung volume parameter and DLCO change rates.RESULTS: Patients were classified into four groups based on baseline DLCO and residual volume/total lung capacity (RV/TLC) measurements. The annual FEV₁ decline rate was greater in patients with low DLCO than in those with normal DLCO, with the greatest decline occurring in patients with low DLCO and normal RV/TLC. RV and RV/TLC declined in patients with high RV/TLC, whereas these increased in patients with normal RV/TLC. DLCO decreased longitudinally in all four groups, with the greatest decline occurring in patients with normal DLCO and normal RV/TLC.CONCLUSIONS: Different subgroups of patients with COPD exhibited distinctive pulmonary function change patterns. Baseline DLCO and RV/TLC may be used as physiological markers to predict long-term changes in pulmonary function.

Bifunctional Silver-Doped ZnO for Reliable and Stable Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Memory

Halide perovskites (HPs) have possible uses as an active layer for emerging memory devices due to their low operation voltage and high on/off ratio. However, HP-based memory devices, which are operated by the formation of a conductive filament, still suffer from reliability issues such as limited endurance and stability. To solve the problems, it is essential to control filament formation in the active layer. Here, we present nanoscale HP-based memory devices that have a Ag-doped ZnO (AZO) layer on HP. The AZO layer is used as a Ag ion reservoir for filament formation in HP, and this reservoir enables control of filament formation. By adjusting the Ag concentration in the AZO layer, the controlled filament composed of Ag can be formed; as a result, the memory device has excellent endurance (3 × 10⁴ cycles) compared to the device that uses a Ag electrode instead of an AZO layer (4 × 10² cycles). Also, an AZO layer can passivate HP, so the device operates stably in ambient air for 15 days with a high on/off ratio (10⁶). These results demonstrate that the introduction of the AZO layer can improve the reliability of HP-based memory devices for high-density applications.

CMOS-compatible ferroelectric NAND flash memory for high-density, low-power, and high-speed three-dimensional memory

Ferroelectric memory has been substantially researched for several decades as its potential to obtain higher speed, lower power consumption, and longer endurance compared to conventional flash memory. Despite great deal of effort to develop ferroelectric memory based on perovskite oxides on Si, formation of unwanted interfacial layer substantially compromises the performance of the ferroelectric memory. Furthermore, three-dimensional (3D) integration has been unimaginable because of high processing temperature, non-CMOS compatibility, difficulty in scaling, and complex compositions of perovskite oxides. Here, we demonstrate a unique strategy to tackle critical issues by applying hafnia-based ferroelectrics and oxide semiconductors. Thus, it is possible to avoid the formation of interfacial layer that finally allows unprecedented Si-free 3D integration of ferroelectric memory. This strategy yields memory performance that could be achieved neither by the conventional flash memory nor by the previous perovskite ferroelectric memories. Device simulation confirms that this strategy can realize ultrahigh-density 3D memory integration.

Emerging Materials for Neuromorphic Devices and Systems

Neuromorphic devices and systems have attracted attention as next-generation computing due to their high efficiency in processing complex data. So far, they have been demonstrated using both machine-learning software and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-based hardware. However, these approaches have drawbacks in power consumption and learning speed. An energy-efficient neuromorphic computing system requires hardware that can mimic the functions of a brain. Therefore, various materials have been introduced for the development of neuromorphic devices. Here, recent advances in neuromorphic devices are reviewed. First, the functions of biological synapses and neurons are discussed. Also, deep neural networks and spiking neural networks are described. Then, the operation mechanism and the neuromorphic functions of emerging devices are reviewed. Finally, the challenges and prospects for developing neuromorphic devices that use emerging materials are discussed.

Addressing Syndemics and Self-care in Individuals with Uncontrolled HIV: An Open Trial of a Transdiagnostic Treatment

Interventions addressing syndemics and ART adherence are needed for individuals with uncontrolled HIV and psychosocial problems. Twenty-seven participants with detectable HIV plasma viral load (PVL) or recent STI participated in an open trial of transdiagnostic adherence counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy. Outcomes were collected at baseline, 4-, and 8-months. Log PVL improved from baseline to 4-month (γ = - 1.13, 95% CI - 1.72, - 0.55, p < 0.001) and 8-month (γ = - 0.93, 95% CI - 1.57, - 0.30, p = 0.006), with more participants suppressed at 4- (χ2(1) = 9.09, p = 0.001) and 8-month (χ2(1) = 5.14, p = 0.016). Self-reported adherence improved across major assessments (γ = 0.87, 95% CI 0.28, 1.46, p = .005); Wisepill adherence did not. Negative affect declined during treatment (γ = - 0.28, 95% CI - 0.40, - 0.16, p < 0.001), with improvement at 4- (γ = - 4.34, 95% CI - 6.99, - 1.69, p = 0.002) but not 8-month. Positive affect trended positively during treatment and from baseline to 4-month, with significant 8-month improvement (γ = 3.84, 95% CI 0.33, 7.44, p = 0.04). Depressive symptoms did not change. In a complicated sample of participants selected for uncontrolled HIV, the intervention yielded improved PVL and self-reported adherence. Efforts to end HIV should improve upon strategies such as these, addressing syndemics. Registration: clinicaltrial.gov: NCT02696681.

Identification of Pistacia-associated flexivirus 1, a putative mycovirus of the family Gammaflexiviridae, in the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) transcriptome

In this study, we identified the genome sequence of the novel virus Pistacia-associated flexivirus 1 (PAFV1), a putative member of the mycovirus family Gammaflexiviridae (the order Tymovirales), via analysis of a transcriptome dataset for the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus, the family Anacardiaceae). PAFV1 was predicted to have three open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1, encoding a replicase (REP) with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity; ORF2, a movement protein (MP); and ORF3, a hypothetical protein. The PAFV1 REP sequence showed high similarity to those of three known members of the family Gammaflexiviridae i.e., Entoleuca gammaflexivirus 1 (EnFV1), Entoleuca gammaflexivirus 2 (EnFV2), and Botrytis virus F (BVF). A genome contig of the fungus Monosporascus cannonballus also contained a sequence of an endogenous virus similar to that of PAFV1. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis indicated that PAFV1, EnFV1, and the endogenous virus of M. cannonballus formed a distinct subgroup (apart from EnFV2 and BVF), and may be the founding members of a novel genus in the family Gammaflexiviridae. Notably, MP sequences of PAFV1/EnFV1 showed similarity to the MP sequences of the mycovirus group called tobamo-like mycoviruses (an unassigned taxon), implying that genomic recombination occurred between members of the family Gammaflexiviridae and tobamo-like mycoviruses. Since PAFV1 is phylogenetically related to mycoviruses, PAFV1 may also be a mycovirus that infected a fungus associated with the mastic tree sample, which is evidenced by the presence of fungal ribosomal RNA sequences in the mastic tree transcriptome. Thus, the PAFV1 genome sequence may be useful in elucidating the genome evolution of Gammaflexiviridae and tobamo-like mycoviruses. Keywords: Pistacia-associated flexivirus 1; Gammaflexiviridae; mycovirus, mastic tree.

Outcome of using vaginal misoprostol for treatment of retained products of conception after first trimester miscarriage: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Standard treatment for retained products of conception (RPOC) is dilation and curettage (D&C), however, this brings a risk of intrauterine synechiae and subsequent fertility issues. A treatment strategy to avoid D&C is medical management with misoprostol. The justification for misoprostol in this setting is extrapolated from miscarriage and termination literature, however, no studies have looked specifically in the setting of RPOC. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of misoprostol as definitive management of RPOC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2016 to March 2017 at an Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic. Patients diagnosed with RPOC with clinical symptoms and ultrasound findings of endometrial mass and/or doppler flow treated expectantly, medically with vaginal misoprostol or with a suction D&C underwent a chart review. Primary outcome was resolution of RPOC without surgical intervention.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Of 1743 unique pregnancies, 189 women were diagnosed with RPOC. 34% (65/178) chose misoprostol for management of RPOC. Baseline demographics between the three treatment modalities (expectant, medical, surgical) were comparable. 65% (42/65) of patients who took misoprostol avoided D&C. Misoprostol is most effective (76%) in the setting of RPOC if the primary treatment for miscarriage was expectant management, with less success with primary medical management (44%) and primary surgical management (40%).

Endoscopically assisted malarplasty: L-rotation technique

INTRODUCTION

Endoscopically assisted malarplasty with a greenstick fracture is a method for preserving the body eminence and improving arch protrusion. However, this technique is inadequate when malar body reduction is required. To compensate for these limitations, we developed a new surgical technique using the endoscope to reduce body protrusion.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We enrolled 261 patients who visited our clinic for zygoma reduction from January 2017 to December 2018. Their mean age was 31 (range 17-63) years. After a scalp incision, an incomplete osteotomy was created from the most prominent portion of the zygoma body to the zygomaticomaxillary suture line. A complete osteotomy was performed on the arch. These osteotomies resulted in an L-shaped zygoma segment after tapping the bone with a mallet.

RESULTS

Of the 261 patients who underwent our L-rotation technique, 242 also received a corticotomy. Of those patients, 15 underwent a different degree of zygoma reduction on both sides. A floating zygomatic segment occurred in four cases, although no further surgery was required. One patient's zygomatic segment dropped on one side, requiring rigid fixation through the intraoral approach. Most patients were satisfied and there were no specific complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopically assisted malarplasty using an L-rotation technique enables the protrusion of both the arch and body to be reduced. The zygoma reduction can be modified based on the location of the incomplete osteotomoy line and the number of corticotomies required.

Detecting Depression in People Living with HIV in South Africa: The Factor Structure and Convergent Validity of the South African Depression Scale (SADS)

Screening measures for depression developed in high-income countries have not always demonstrated strong psychometric properties in South Africa and with people living with HIV (PLWH). The present study explored the psychometric properties of the 16-item South African Depression Scale (SADS) comprised of idioms of distress specific to isiXhosa culture in PLWH. The SADS was administered to 137 Xhosa-speaking PLWH who met diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) together with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We conducted exploratory factor analysis, correlation, and reliability statistics. Four factors of the SADS emerged: Sadness, lethargy/burdened, anhedonia/withdrawal, and cognitive/somatic. All factors correlated significantly with the HAM-D and CES-D. Internal consistency of the overall measure was high (α = .89). The SADS promises to be a robust measure of depression in isiXhosa-speaking PLWH in South Africa likely due to the inclusion of local idioms of distress.

Mental health states and influencing factors of risky and problem drinking in South Korean female adolescents

OBJECTIVES

Alcohol is one of the most used and abused psychoactive substances by adolescents. We investigated influencing factors of risky and problem drinking in Korean female adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN

The study design used is a cross-sectional modeling.

METHODS

We used data from the 13th Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) conducted in 2017. KYRBS data were obtained from a stratified, multistage, clustered sample. Risky drinking was binge drinking and problem drinking was drinking with several conflicts association with alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

Among 62,276 participants, the rates of current, risky, and problem drinking among all participants were 16.1%, 8.3%, and 6.1%, respectively. Although all of these rates were higher in males, risky and problem drinking rates among current female drinkers were higher than those of males (55.4 vs 48.5%, 38.9 vs 37.2%, respectively). Problem drinking was most strongly associated with risky drinking (adjusted odds ratio: 17.53 [95% confidence interval: 14.63-21.00]), similarly, risky drinking was most strongly associated with problem drinking in female current drinkers (17.76 [14.84-21.27]). Current smoking was the second strongest risk factor for risky and problem drinking in females (5.22 [3.92-6.95] and 2.93 [2.21-3.89], respectively).

CONCLUSION

Many female adolescents in Korea drink alcohol in an unhealthy manner. The female risky and problem drinking rates among current drinkers were higher than those of males. Risky drinking and problem drinking was most significant influencing factor among females, reciprocally. Public education on abstinence in female adolescents is warranted.

Impact of the school lunch program on overweight and obesity among junior high school students: a nationwide study in Japan

BACKGROUND

Japan has experienced a low prevalence of childhood obesity. The Japanese nationwide school lunch program is suggested to have helped this phenomenon, but it has not been proven.

METHODS

From official statistics, we combined annual data for 2006-15 about the prefecture-level school lunch coverage rate for public junior high school students and the prefecture-level nutritional indicators calculated by randomly selected age-sex groups of 13-15-year olds: the percentage of overweight, obese or underweight children, who are 20% heavier, 30% heavier or 20% lighter than the standard weight by sex, age and height; and mean body weight (kg) or height (cm). We estimated the impact of the school lunch coverage rate on the nutritional indicators in subsequent years, adjusting for the lagged dependent variable and dummies for prefecture, age and year.

RESULTS

A 10 percentage point increase in the prefecture-level school lunch coverage rate significantly decreased the percentage of overweight (0.37%, 95% CI: 0.18-0.56) and obesity (0.23%, 0.10-0.37) in subsequent years among boys, but not among girls. No significant effect on the percentage of underweight or mean body weight/height was observed for either sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Appropriate nutritional intake through school lunch may be effective to reduce childhood obesity.

Heterosynaptic Plasticity Emulated by Liquid Crystal-Carbon Nanotube Composites with Modulatory Interneurons

The aim of the neuromorphic computing is to emulate energy-efficient and smart data-processing ability of the biological brain, which is achieved by massively interconnected neurons and synapses. The strength of a connection between two neurons is modified by homosynaptic and heterosynaptic plasticity. As current research in the neuromorphic device is mainly focused on emulating homosynaptic plasticity, complex biological functions are not easy to mimic because they require both homosynaptic and heterosynaptic plasticity. We demonstrate the use of a liquid crystal-carbon nanotube (LC-CNT) composite as a resistive switching material that can emulate both the homosynaptic and heterosynaptic functions of biological neurons. The LC-CNT composite undergoes resistance change by CNT alignment and aggregated wire formation subjected to an applied electric field. A two-terminal device that exploits this mechanism achieves analog switching and homosynaptic potentiation. In a multiterminal device structure, the modulatory interneuron could tune the synaptic properties to perform heterosynaptic functions such as heterosynaptic potentiation, heterosynaptic facilitation, and synaptic weight normalization to emulate complex biological functions of a brain. Artificial synapses that exploit this multifunctionality of the LC-CNT composite have uses in next-generation neuromorphic devices.

The effects of hidden female smokers on the association between smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Korean adults

OBJECTIVE

Smoking is an important causative factor of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and females are considered more susceptible to the effects of smoking than males. However, in previous Korean studies, the effects of sex differences on the association between smoking and COPD have been controversial. In this study, the effects of sex differences on the association between smoking and COPD and the effects of female hidden smokers on that association in Korean adults were investigated.

METHODS

Data were acquired from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES).

RESULTS

The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that self-reported smoking status for ex-smoker and current smoker correlated with COPD (odds ratio, OR: 1.67 and OR: 2.41, respectively). Self-reported smoking status for ex-smoker and current smoker correlated with COPD in men (OR: 1.61, OR: 2.43, respectively). Female self-reported current smoking status correlated with COPD (OR: 2.52), but female ex-smoker status was not significantly correlated with COPD. The ratios of cotinine-verified to self-reported smoking rates were 1.95 for women and 1.07 for men.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study were that sex differences might affect the association between COPD and smoking and that female hidden smoking might affect the association between smoking and COPD in Korean adults.

Disrupted Functional and Structural Connectivity in Angelman Syndrome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

This work investigated alterations in functional connectivity (FC) and associated structures in patients with Angelman syndrome (AS) by using integrated quantitative imaging analysis and connectivity measures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We obtained 3T brain MR imaging, including resting-state functional MR imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and 3D T1-weighted imaging from children with AS (n = 14) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 28). The brains of patients with AS were analyzed by measuring FC, white matter microstructural analysis, cortical thickness, and brain volumes; these were compared with brains of controls.

RESULTS

Interregional FC analysis revealed significantly reduced intra- and interhemispheric FC, especially in the basal ganglia and thalamus, in patients with AS. Significant reductions in fractional anisotropy were found in the corpus callosum, cingulum, posterior limb of the internal capsules, and arcuate fasciculus in patients with AS. Quantitative structural analysis also showed gray matter volume loss of the basal ganglia and diffuse WM volume reduction in AS compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This integrated quantitative MR imaging analysis demonstrated poor functional and structural connectivity, as well as brain volume reduction, in children with AS, which may explain the motor and language dysfunction observed in this well-characterized neurobehavioral phenotype.

Synergistic Improvement of Long-Term Plasticity in Photonic Synapses Using Ferroelectric Polarization in Hafnia-Based Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors

A number of synapse devices have been intensively studied for the neuromorphic system which is the next-generation energy-efficient computing method. Among these various types of synapse devices, photonic synapse devices recently attracted significant attention. In particular, the photonic synapse devices using persistent photoconductivity (PPC) phenomena in oxide semiconductors are receiving much attention due to the similarity between relaxation characteristics of PPC phenomena and Ca²⁺ dynamics of biological synapses. However, these devices have limitations in its controllability of the relaxation characteristics of PPC behaviors. To utilize the oxide semiconductor as photonic synapse devices, relaxation behavior needs to be accurately controlled. In this study, a photonic synapse device with controlled relaxation characteristics by using an oxide semiconductor and a ferroelectric layer is demonstrated. This device exploits the PPC characteristics to demonstrate synaptic functions including short-term plasticity, paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), and long-term plasticity (LTP). The relaxation properties are controlled by the polarization of the ferroelectric layer, and this polarization is used to control the amount by which the conductance levels increase during PPF operation and to enhance LTP characteristics. This study provides an important step toward the development of photonic synapses with tunable synaptic functions.

Conductance-Matrix Symmetries of a Three-Terminal Hybrid Device

We present conductance-matrix measurements of a three-terminal superconductor-semiconductor hybrid device consisting of two normal leads and one superconducting lead. Using a symmetry decomposition of the conductance, we find that antisymmetric components of pairs of local and nonlocal conductances qualitatively match at energies below the superconducting gap, and we compare this finding with symmetry relations based on a noninteracting scattering matrix approach. Further, the local charge character of Andreev bound states is extracted from the symmetry-decomposed conductance data and is found to be similar at both ends of the device and tunable with gate voltage. Finally, we measure the conductance matrix as a function of magnetic field and identify correlated splittings in low-energy features, demonstrating how conductance-matrix measurements can complement traditional single-probe measurements in the search for Majorana zero modes.