Fusarium amaranthi sp. nov. from Amaranth Is an Emergent Species Closely Related to F. circinatum.

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp. L) is not native to South Korea but is cultivated in small scales for ornamental purposes as well as leafy vegetables and pseudo cereals. In this study, a new species within the genus Fusarium was isolated from amaranth, showing stem rot symptoms from a farmer field in Hwaseong, South Korea. The disease is characterized by dark-brown spots with black borders, leading to withering. Phylogenetic analysis-based concatenated sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), beta-tubulin (tub2), calmodulin (cmdA), RNA polymerase largest subunit (RPB1), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes revealed that the obtained isolates formed a distinct clad within the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex and is closely related to F. circinatum. Cultural and morphological characteristics and pathogenicity on healthy amaranth plants (stem and leaves) were examined. The isolates readily differentiated from F. circinatum based on one- to five-septate macroconidia and the absence of sterile hyphae. Based on molecular and morphological characteristics, this fungus is demonstrated to be a new species and is described here as F. amaranthi, the causal agent of stem rot of amaranth in South Korea.

Revealing Photocatalytic Performance of ZnxCd1-xS Nanoparticles Depending on the Irradiation Wavelength.

Photocatalysts are useful for various applications, including the conservation and storage of energy, wastewater treatment, air purification, semiconductors, and production of high-value-added products. Herein, ZnxCd1-xS nanoparticle (NP) photocatalysts with different concentrations of Zn2+ ions (x = 0.0, 0.3, 0.5, or 0.7) were successfully synthesized. The photocatalytic activities of ZnxCd1-xS NPs varied with the irradiation wavelength. X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy were used to characterize the surface morphology and electronic properties of the ZnxCd1-xS NPs. In addition, in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed to investigate the effect of the concentration of Zn2+ ions on the irradiation wavelength for photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, wavelength-dependent photocatalytic degradation (PCD) activity of the ZnxCd1-xS NPs was investigated using biomass-derived 2,5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). We observed that the selective oxidation of HMF using ZnxCd1-xS NPs resulted in the formation of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid via 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid or 2,5-diformylfuran. The selective oxidation of HMF was dependent on the irradiation wavelength for PCD. Moreover, the irradiation wavelength for the PCD depended on the concentration of Zn2+ ions in the ZnxCd1-xS NPs.

Enhancement of Sulfur Source-Dependent Zn Vacancies in Different Photocatalytic Performances of ZnIn2S4 Nanoparticles.

This study focuses on the synthesis and investigation of ZnIn2S4 nanoparticle (NP) photocatalysts treated with different sulfur sources, thioacetamide (TAA), or thiourea (TU), to explore their wavelength-dependent photocatalytic activity. The research aims to understand the impact of Zn vacancies present on the surface of ZnIn2S4 NPs. The investigation involves electron spin resonance and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the photocatalytic activity of ZnIn2S4-TU and ZnIn2S4-TAA NPs, following the characterization of surface morphology and electronic properties using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the study delves into the wavelength-dependent photocatalytic degradation (PCD) activity of the ZnIn2S4 NPs using 2,5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) across a wide range. Notably, the selective oxidation of HMF using ZnIn2S4-TU NPs resulted in the formation of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) via 2,5-diformylfuran, with an efficiency exceeding 40% over the broad wavelength range. The research demonstrates that the irradiation wavelength for PCD is influenced by the number of defect structures introduced into the ZnIn2S4 NPs through the sulfur source.

A Meta-Analysis of Polymerase Chain Reaction for Prosthetic Joint Infection Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: One of the most dangerous side effects of joint replacement for the hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow is prosthesis joint infection (PJI). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been considered a promising method for PJI diagnosis due to its short diagnostic time and high sensitivity. Although several PCR methods such as multiplex PCR and broad-range PCR are useful diagnostic methods for detecting microorganisms causing PJI, values of different PCR methods for the diagnosis of PJI remain unclear. Thus, the objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of different PCR methods in the diagnosis of PJI to determine their diagnostic characteristics including sensitivity and specificity. METHODS: The following data were extracted: PCR method, number of patients, sample site and type, diagnosis standard, true positive, false positive, false negative, and true negative. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were calculated. Meta-regression analysis was conducted to assess heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was also performed to assess effects of several variables on meta-analysis results. RESULTS: The current study showed that pooled sensitivity and pooled specificity were 0.70 (95% CI: 0.67 - 0.73) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92 - 0.95), respectively. Results of subgroup analysis indicated that sequencing method showed the lowest sensitivity (0.63, 95% CI: 0.59 - 0.67). However, after excluding studies using tissue samples directly, sequencing method showed higher sensitivity (0.83, 95% CI: 0.73 - 0.90) than other PCR methods (0.74, 95% CI: 0.69 - 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: The main significance of this study was that we attempted to classify accuracies of several PCR methods and found that sequencing with a reliable sampling method could be used as an early screening strategy for PJI. Further comparisons for PCR technologies are needed to evaluate their cost effectiveness and diagnostic procedures, not just diagnostic values, to discover the optimal one for PJI diagnosis.

Analysis of Changes in Sleep Quality and Patterns after Hip Fracture Using Real Evidence of Artificial Intelligence Linked (REAL) Hip Cohort Data.

Background and Objectives: Hip fractures are commonly found in elderly patients, and often result in chronic pain and decreased physical function, as well as worsening of overall health. It is known that early surgical intervention during the acute phase and rehabilitation are important for improving clinical outcomes for these patients. However, the importance of management for improving the quality of life of these patients is becoming more emphasized. Studies on changes in sleep patterns after hip fractures are rare overseas. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of sleep disturbance in patients with hip fractures and to analyze the changes in sleep disturbance after surgery by comparing the preoperative and postoperative results. Materials and Methods: During the period from August 2022 to January 2023, patients who underwent surgical treatment for hip fractures and were recruited into the REAL Hip Cohort were selected as research subjects. The sleep survey was conducted using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI is composed of 18 questions, each divided into areas of sleep quality, sleep latency, duration, efficiency, disturbance, use of medication, and daytime dysfunction. Each area is scored 0-3 points and the total is 0-21. A score greater than five indicates sleep disorder. The PSQI was surveyed during hospitalization and three months after surgery for post-fracture sleep status. To analyze changes before and after the fracture, paired T-tests and chi-square tests were performed. Results: From August 2022 to January 2023, a total of 40 patients who were recruited into the REAL Hip Cohort responded to the PSQI survey. The average age was 77.4 years and 36 were female. Sleep quality worsened from 0.75 ± 1.0 before surgery to 1.4 ± 1.0 three months after surgery (p = 0.019), and sleep efficiency also worsened from 0.4 ± 0.6 to 1.4 ± 1.0 (p < 0.001). The PSQI increased from an average of 5.2 ± 2.8 before surgery to 8.2 ± 4.2 three months after surgery (p = 0.007), and the number of patients who could be diagnosed with sleep disorders also increased from 12 (40%) to 24 (60%) (p = 0.030). Conclusions: A decline in overall sleep status was observed in patients in a survey on sleep patterns three months after hip fracture. Additional management is needed to improve their sleep patterns.

Demographic and Genome Wide Association Analyses According to Muscle Mass Using Data of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is commonly found in the elderly due to a decline in muscle mass. Many researchers have performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to find genetic risk factors of sarcopenia. Although many studies have discovered sarcopenia associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), most of them are studies targeting Caucasians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate genetic correlation according to muscle mass in middle aged Koreans using data of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KOGES), a large population-based genomic cohort study. METHODS: Baseline participants were 10,030 subjects aged 40 to 69 years who were from Ansan or Anseong in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Among them, 9,351 subjects with laboratory data available were included in this study. To identify sarcopenia associated variants, those in the top 30% and bottom 30% of muscle mass index (MMI) were compared. A total of 7,452 people with an MMI of 30-70% were excluded. A total of 1,004 people were also excluded due to missing data. Finally, 895 people were selected for this study. The Korea Biobank Array generated 500,568 SNPs for this dataset. RESULTS: When subjects were divided into top 30% and bottom 30% of MMI, the top 30% had 169 men and 308 women and the bottom 30% had 220 men and 198 women. In men, age, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip were significantly (P < 0.005) different between top 30% and bottom 30% MMI groups. In women, age, BMI, waist, hip, and hypertension history were significantly different between the two MMI groups. There were 13 significant SNPs in men and 14 significant SNPs in women. Genes associated with variants in men based on the single-nucleotide polymorphism database (dbSNP) were LRP1B containing rs11679458 and RGS6 containing rs11848300. A gene associated with variants in women was Pi4K2A, which contained rs1189312 as a variant. In addition, rs11189312 was associated with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) of ZFYVE27 in skeletal muscles and other SNPs of ZFYVE27 (rs10882883, rs17108378, rs35077384) known to be associated with spastic paraplegia. The eQTL analysis revealed that rs11189312 was a variant associated with SNPs of ZFYVE27. CONCLUSIONS: In the demographic study, significant results were found in BMI, waist, hip, history of hyperlipidemia, and sedentary life status in male group, and significant results were found in BMI, waist, hip, and hypertension history in female group. Variant rs11189312 was found to be a novel variant affecting ZFYVE27 expressed in skeletal muscles, suggesting that rs11189312 might be related to sarcopenia as a novel discovery of this study. Further study is needed to determine the association between sarcopenia and ZFYVE27 known to be associated with spastic paraplegia.

Wearable Fabric Loop Sensor Based on Magnetic-Field-Induced Conductivity for Simultaneous Detection of Cardiac Activity and Respiration Signals.

In this study, a noncontact fabric loop sensor based on magnetic-field-induced conductivity, which can simultaneously detect cardiac activity and respiration signals, was developed and the effects of the sensor's shape and measurement position on the sensing performance were analyzed. Fifteen male subjects in their twenties wore sleeveless shirts equipped with various types of fabric loop sensors (spiky, extrusion, and spiral), and the cardiac activity and respiratory signals were measured twice at positions P2, P4, and P6. The measurements were verified by comparing them against the reference electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiratory signals measured using BIOPAC® (MP150, ECG100B, RSP100C). The waveforms of the raw signal measured by the fabric loop sensor were filtered with a bandpass filter (1-20 Hz) and qualitatively compared with the ECG signal obtained from the Ag/AgCI electrode. Notwithstanding a slight difference in performance, the three fabric sensors could simultaneously detect cardiac activity and respiration signals at all measurement positions. In addition, it was verified through statistical analysis that the highest-quality signal was obtained at the measurement position of P4 or P6 using the spiral loop sensor.

Hematological patterns and histopathological assessment of Miniature Pigs in the experiments on human mesenchymal stem cell transplantation.

Background: Multipotent and immune privileged properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were investigated for the treatment of various clinical diseases. For the years, many researches into the animal studies evaluated human stem cell therapeutic capacity related to the regenerative medicine. However, there were limited reports on immune privileged properties of human MSCs in animal studies. The present study investigated hematological and biochemical parameter and lymphocyte subset in mini-pigs following human MSCs transplantation as a means of validation of reliability that influence the animal test results. Methods: The miniature pigs were transplanted with human MSCs seeded with scaffold. After transplantation, all animals were evaluated by CBC, biochemistry and lymphocyte subset test. After 9 weeks, all pigs were sacrificed and organs were histologically analyzed. Results: CBC test showed that levels of RBC were decreased and reticulocyte, WBC and neutrophil were increased in transient state initially after transplantation, but returned to normal value. The proportion of B lymphocyte and cytotoxic T cell were also initially enhanced within the normal range temporarily. The female and male miniature pigs showed normal ranges for blood chemistry assessments. During the 9 weeks post-operative period, the animals showed a continuous increase in body weight and length. Furthermore, no abnormal findings were observed from the histological analysis of sacrificed pigs. Conclusions: Overall, miniature pigs transplanted with human MSCs seeded with scaffold were found to have physiologically similar results to normal animals. This result might be a reliable indicator of the animal experiments using miniature pigs with human MSCs.

Reconfigurable van der Waals Heterostructured Devices with Metal-Insulator Transition.

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials range from semimetallic graphene to insulating hexagonal boron nitride to semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides. Recently, metal-insulator-semiconductor field effect transistors built from these 2D elements were studied for flexible and transparent electronics. However, to induce ambipolar characteristics for alternative power-efficient circuitry, ion-gel gating is often employed for high capacitive coupling, limiting stable operation at ambient conditions. Here, we report reconfigurable MoTe2 optoelectronic transistors with all 2D components, where the device can be reconfigured by both drain and gate voltages. Eight different configurations for each fixed voltage are spatially resolved by scanning photocurrent microscopy. In addition, metal-insulator transitions are observed in both electron and hole carriers under 2 V due to strong Coulomb interaction in the system. Furthermore, the vertical tunneling photocurrent through multiple van der Waals layers between the gate and source contacts is measured. Our reconfigurable devices offer potential building blocks for system-on-a-chip optoelectronics.

Decreased Bone Volume and Bone Mineral Density in the Tibial Trabecular Bone Is Associated with Per2 Gene by 405 nm Laser Stimulation.

Low-level laser therapy/treatment (LLLT) using a minimally invasive laser needle system (MILNS) might enhance bone formation and suppress bone resorption. In this study, the use of 405 nm LLLT led to decreases in bone volume and bone mineral density (BMD) of tibial trabecular bone in wild-type (WT) and Per2 knockout (KO) mice. Bone volume and bone mineral density of tibial trabecular bone was decreased by 405 nm LLLT in Per2 KO compared to WT mice at two and four weeks. To determine the reduction in tibial bone, mRNA expressions of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Per2 were investigated at four weeks after 405 nm laser stimulation using MILNS. ALP gene expression was significantly reduced in the LLLT-stimulated right tibial bone of WT and Per2 KO mice compared to the non-irradiated left tibia (p < 0.001). Per2 mRNA expression in WT mice was significantly reduced in the LLLT-stimulated right tibial bone compared to the non-irradiated left tibia (p < 0.001). To identify the decrease in tibial bone mediated by the Per2 gene, levels of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and ALP mRNAs were determined in non-irradiated WT and Per2 KO mice. These results demonstrated significant downregulation of Runx2 and ALP mRNA levels in Per2 KO mice (p < 0.001). Therefore, the reduction in tibial trabecular bone resulting from 405 nm LLLT using MILNS might be associated with Per2 gene expression.

Assessment of Automated Identification of Phases in Videos of Total Hip Arthroplasty Using Deep Learning Techniques.

Background: As the population ages, the rates of hip diseases and fragility fractures are increasing, making total hip arthroplasty (THA) one of the best methods for treating elderly patients. With the increasing number of THA surgeries and diverse surgical methods, there is a need for standard evaluation protocols. This study aimed to use deep learning algorithms to classify THA videos and evaluate the accuracy of the labelling of these videos. Methods: In our study, we manually annotated 7 phases in THA, including skin incision, broaching, exposure of acetabulum, acetabular reaming, acetabular cup positioning, femoral stem insertion, and skin closure. Within each phase, a second trained annotator marked the beginning and end of instrument usages, such as the skin blade, forceps, Bovie, suction device, suture material, retractor, rasp, femoral stem, acetabular reamer, head trial, and real head. Results: In our study, we utilized YOLOv3 to collect 540 operating images of THA procedures and create a scene annotation model. The results of our study showed relatively high accuracy in the clear classification of surgical techniques such as skin incision and closure, broaching, acetabular reaming, and femoral stem insertion, with a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.75 or higher. Most of the equipment showed good accuracy of mAP 0.7 or higher, except for the suction device, suture material, and retractor. Conclusions: Scene annotation for the instrument and phases in THA using deep learning techniques may provide potentially useful tools for subsequent documentation, assessment of skills, and feedback.

Synergistic Interaction between Ruthenium Catalysts and Grafted Niobium on SBA-15 for 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid Production Using 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural.

This study entailed the synthesis of Ru nanocatalyst decorated on Nb-grafted SBA-15. A Nb-grafted SBA-15 support with varying Nb contents was utilized as a support for the Ru nanoparticles. The effect of Nb grafting on the immobilized Ru nanoparticle catalyst was systematically investigated, and its catalytic performance in the synthesis of furandicarboxylic acid using 5-hydroxymethylfurfural under base-free reaction conditions was evaluated. The results indicate the increased productivity of the Ru@Nb-grafted SBA-15 catalyst with a yield exceeding 95%, representing a significant advancement in catalysis. This study also affords insights into the complex relationship between the catalytic activity and selectivity and its unique surface attributes. Moreover, acidic sites were created, and the electron density within the active sites was modulated by monomeric Nb oxide species on the SBA-15. Additionally, the role of high-electron-density Ru atoms in facilitating the efficient adsorption and activation of the reactant, resulting in enhanced catalytic efficacy, was highlighted.

Atomic imaging of the irreversible sensing mechanism of NO2 adsorption on copper phthalocyanine.

Ambient NO2 adsorption onto copper(II) phthalocyanine (CuPc) monolayers is observed using ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to elucidate the molecular sensing mechanism in CuPc chemical vapor sensors. For low doses (1 ppm for 5 min) of NO2 at ambient temperatures, isolated chemisorption sites on the CuPc metal centers are observed in STM images. These chemisorbates almost completely desorb from the CuPc monolayer after annealing at 100 °C for 30 min. Conversely, for high NO2 doses (10 ppm for 5 min), the NO2 induces a fracture of the CuPc domains. This domain fracture can only be reversed by annealing above 150 °C, which is consistent with dissociative chemisorption into NO and atomic O accompanied by surface restructuring. This high stability implies that the domain fracture results from tightly bound adsorbates, such as atomic O. Existence of atomic O on or under the CuPc layer, which results in domain fracture, is revealed by XPS analysis and ozone-dosing experiments. The observed CuPc domain fracturing is consistent with a mechanism for the dosimetric sensing of NO2 and other reactive gases by CuPc organic thin film transistors (OTFTs).

The protective effect of IL-12/23 neutralizing antibody in sarcopenia associated with dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis.

BACKGROUND: The improvement of colitis symptoms by treatment with IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibody should increase the muscle mass and the function of the sarcopenia phenotype. METHODS: An experimental colitis model was induced by oral administration of 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 7 days. During induction of colitis, IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibody was injected twice on Days 3 and 5. The total body mass index was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The muscle function was measured by forelimb grip strength and fatigue running distance. The muscle fibre cross-sectional area (CSA) was calculated after the transverse section and haematoxylin and eosin staining, and gene expression was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Differentiated C2C12 cells were used as in vitro models and treated with recombinant IL12/23 proteins to mimic the enhanced cytokines in colitis. RESULTS: The symptoms of colitis were alleviated by injection of IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibody compared with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and the disease activity index score was significantly lower on Day 8 (0.0 ± 0.00 of cont. vs. 11.3 ± 0.9 of DSS + PBS, P < 0.0001; DSS + PBS vs. 7.7 ± 1.25 of DSS + p40Ab, P < 0.0001). The CSA of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscle fibres decreased in mice with DSS-induced colitis (gastrocnemius, 1258.2 µm2 ± 176.45 of cont. vs. 640.1 µm2 ± 59.83 of DSS + PBS, P < 0.0001; tibialis anterior, 1251.8 µm2 ± 331.48 of cont. vs. 678.9 µm2 ± 67.59 of DSS + PBS, P < 0.0001), and the treatment of IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibody partially restored CSA of the gastrocnemius (640.1 µm2 ± 59.83 of DSS + PBS vs. 1062.0 µm2 ± 83.41 of DSS + p40Ab, P < 0.0001) and tibialis anterior (678.9 µm2 ± 67.59 of DSS + PBS vs. 1105.3 µm2 ± 143.15 of DSS + p40Ab, P = 0.0003).vs. 640.1 µm2  ± 59.83 of DSS + PBS, P < 0.0001) and tibialis anterior (1251.8 µm2  ± 331.48 of cont. vs. 678.9 µm2  ± 67.59 of DSS + PBS, P < 0.0001), and the treatment of IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibody partially restored CSA of the gastrocnemius (640.1 µm2  ± 59.83 of DSS + PBS vs. 1062.0 µm2  ± 83.41 of DSS + p40Ab, P < 0.0001) and tibialis anterior (678.9 µm2  ± 67.59 of DSS + PBS vs. 1105.3 µm2  ± 143.15 of DSS + p40Ab, P = 0.0003). In the evaluation of muscle function, grip strength and fatigue distance decreased by colitis were partially restored (grip strength: 139.9 g ± 5.38 of cont. vs. 83.9 g ± 5.48 of DSS + PBS, P < 0.0001; DSS + PBS vs. 118.6 g ± 4.05 of DSS + p40Ab, P < 0.0001; fatigue distance: 872.5 m ± 104.01 of cont. vs. 58.2 m ± 107.72 of DSS + PBS, P < 0.0001; DSS + PBS vs. 328.0 m ± 109.71 of DSS + p40Ab, P = 0.0015) by injection of IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibody. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that Il-12/23 acts directly on muscle to induce atrophy, and the IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibody is effective not only in suppressing colitis but also in maintaining muscle mass and improving muscle function in an experimental colitis model.

Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Africa: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The world population gradually getting older, age-related sarcopenia is becoming more frequent. Known to be highly prevalent in high income countries, relative data in Africa are still scarce. This review aims to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in Africa and its characteristics. Study Design and Setting: A literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus was conducted in October 2022. All studies reporting the prevalence of sarcopenia in Africa within 15 years were included, and we did an assessment of bias with Hoy et al's risk bias assessment tool. The estimated prevalence of sarcopenia was the outcome and we performed secondary analyses by age, gender, and diagnostic criteria. The random effect model was used for the prevalence estimation. The prevalence of sarcopenia and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using the inverse-variance method. Results: A total of 17 studies met our eligibility criteria, for a study population of 12,690 participants with 44.3% males and 55.7% females. The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 25% (95% CI: 19-30%). The prevalence of sarcopenia among 50 years old and older was 23% (95% CI: 17-29%). We had a higher prevalence of sarcopenia among males (30%, %95 IC: 20-39%) than females (29%, %95 IC: 21-36%). The prevalence of sarcopenia was different depending on the diagnosis criteria used. Conclusion: The prevalence of sarcopenia in Africa was relatively high. However, the fact that the majority of included studies were hospital-based studies shows the necessity of further community-based studies in order to have a more accurate representation of the situation in the general population.

Relationship between DNA methylation changes and skeletal muscle mass.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is a disease diagnosed in the elderly. In patients with sarcopenia, the muscle mass decreases every year. The occurrence of sarcopenia is greatly affected by extrinsic factors such as eating habits, exercise, and lifestyle. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between muscle mass traits and genes affected by epigenetic factors with three different adjustment methods using Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KOGES) data. RESULTS: We conducted a demographic study and DNA methylation profiling by three studies according to the muscle mass index (MMI) adjustment methods: appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by body weight (MMI1); appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by square of height (MMI2); appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by BMI (MMI3). We analyzed differentially methylated regions (DMRs) for each group. We then restricted our subjects to be top 30% (T30) and bottom 30% (B30) based on each MMI adjustment method. Additionally, we performed enrichment analysis using PathfindR to evaluate the relationship between identified DMRs and sarcopenia. A total of 895 subjects were included in the demographic study. The values of BMI, waist, and hip showed a significant difference in all three groups. Among 446 participants, 44 subjects whose DNA methylation profiles were investigated were included for DNA methylation analysis. The results of enrichment analysis showed differences between groups. In the women group through MMI1 method, only the glutamatergic synapse pathway showed a significant result. In the men group through MMI2 method, the adherens junction pathway was the most significant. Women group through MMI2 method showed similar results, having an enriched Rap1 signaling pathway. In men group through MMI3 method, the Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway was the most enriched. Particularly, the notch signaling pathway was significantly enriched in women group through MMI3 method. CONCLUSION: This study presents results about which factor should be concerned first in muscle mass index (MMI) adjustment. The present study suggested that GAB2 and JPH3 in MMI1 method, HLA-DQB1 and TBCD in MMI2 method, GAB2, NDUFB4 and ISPD in MMI3 method are potential genes that can have an impact on muscle mass. It could enable future epigenetic studies of genes based on annotation results. The present study is a nationwide study in Korea with the largest size up to date that compares adjustment indices for MMI in epigenetic research.

Accelerometer-derived physical activity analysis of elderly osteoarthritis patients.

BACKGROUND: Because disability in Osteoarthritis (OA) may change physical activity (PA), which might affect the disease progression, it is important to measure a patient's daily PA to study the relationship between a patient's PA and disease progression. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between PA and patients with OA and people without OA using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: Demographic study was conducted to obtain data of comorbidities of participants. PA was compared between the group with OA (OA group) and the group without OA (non-OA group). In addition, PAs of OA patients with comorbidities and those without comorbidities were compared. The cut-off of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was obtained through a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: In the demographic study, there were significantly more educated participants in the OA group (p < .001). Actigraph data showed a significant decrease in MVPA (p < .001) but a significant increase in light activity (p = .002) in the OA group. In addition, the OA group showed significantly lower light PA but significantly higher MVPA in ≥10 min bout length. OA patients with comorbidities showed higher MVPA than OA patients without comorbidities (p = .044). The cut-off point of MVPA was 7.071 min/day when ROC curve was conducted. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that patients with OA and low activity need a certain level of physical activity and a cut-off point for MVPA is presented which accounts for comorbidities in OA patients.

Effect of Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning on Prediction of Hip Fracture Risk: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a preferred modality for screening or diagnosis of osteoporosis and can predict the risk of hip fracture. However, the DXA test is difficult to implement easily in some developing countries, and fractures have been observed before patients underwent DXA. The purpose of this systematic review is to search for studies that predict the risk of hip fracture using artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning, organize the results of each study, and analyze the usefulness of this technology. METHODS: The PubMed, OVID Medline, Cochrane Collaboration Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, and AHRQ databases were searched including "hip fractures" AND "artificial intelligence". RESULTS: A total of 7 studies are included in this study. The total number of subjects included in the 7 studies was 330,099. There were 3 studies that included only women, and 4 studies included both men and women. One study conducted AI training after 1:1 matching between fractured and non-fractured patients. The area under the curve of AI prediction model for hip fracture risk was 0.39 to 0.96. The accuracy of AI prediction model for hip fracture risk was 70.26% to 90%. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that predicting the risk of hip fracture by the AI model will help select patients with high fracture risk among osteoporosis patients. However, to apply the AI model to the prediction of hip fracture risk in clinical situations, it is necessary to identify the characteristics of the dataset and AI model and use it after performing appropriate validation.

Osteoporosis Feature Selection and Risk Prediction Model by Machine Learning Using a Cross-Sectional Database.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to verify the accuracy and validity of using machine learning (ML) to select risk factors, to discriminate differences in feature selection by ML between men and women, and to develop predictive models for patients with osteoporosis in a big database. METHODS: The data on 968 observed features from a total of 3,484 the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants were collected. To find preliminary features that were well-related to osteoporosis, logistic regression, random forest, gradient boosting, adaptive boosting, and support vector machine were used. RESULTS: In osteoporosis feature selection by 5 ML models in this study, the most selected variables as risk factors in men and women were body mass index, monthly alcohol consumption, and dietary surveys. However, differences between men and women in osteoporosis feature selection by ML models were age, smoking, and blood glucose level. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the area under the ROC curve for each ML model was not significantly different for either gender. CONCLUSIONS: ML performed a feature selection of osteoporosis, considering hidden differences between men and women. The present study considers the preprocessing of input data and the feature selection process as well as the ML technique to be important factors for the accuracy of the osteoporosis prediction model.

Assessing physical abilities of sarcopenia patients using gait analysis and smart insole for development of digital biomarker.

The aim of this study is to compare variable importance across multiple measurement tools, and to use smart insole and artificial intelligence (AI) gait analysis to create variables that can evaluate the physical abilities of sarcopenia patients. By analyzing and comparing sarcopenia patients with non sarcopenia patients, this study aims to develop predictive and classification models for sarcopenia and discover digital biomarkers. The researchers used smart insole equipment to collect plantar pressure data from 83 patients, and a smart phone to collect video data for pose estimation. A Mann-Whitney U was conducted to compare the sarcopenia group of 23 patients and the control group of 60 patients. Smart insole and pose estimation were used to compare the physical abilities of sarcopenia patients with a control group. Analysis of joint point variables showed significant differences in 12 out of 15 variables, but not in knee mean, ankle range, and hip range. These findings suggest that digital biomarkers can be used to differentiate sarcopenia patients from the normal population with improved accuracy. This study compared musculoskeletal disorder patients to sarcopenia patients using smart insole and pose estimation. Multiple measurement methods are important for accurate sarcopenia diagnosis and digital technology has potential for improving diagnosis and treatment.