Using pod based e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to reduce harm for adults with low socioeconomic status who smoke: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Alternative Nicotine Delivery Systems (ANDS) such as e-cigarettes (EC) and oral nicotine pouches (ONP) may facilitate the substitution of smoking for those unwilling to quit. This pilot study assesses the harm reduction potential of EC and ONP among smokers with low socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: Adults who smoked daily in the past 6 months, had a household income < 250% federal poverty level and had no intention of quitting smoking in the next 30 days were randomized 2:2:1 to 8 Weeks of 5% nicotine EC; 4mg ONP or assessment-only control (CC). The primary outcome was a within-group change in cigarettes per day (CPD) from Baseline to Week 8. RESULTS: 45 individuals were randomized (EC: N=18; ONP: N=18; CC: N=9). Analyses included 33 participants who completed the Week 8 visit. Mean age was 50.2 years (SD:10.7) and average CPD at baseline was 13.9 (SD: 10.1). For those randomized to EC, average CPD decreased from 14.7 (95%CI: 10.3; 19.1) at Baseline to 2.9 (95%CI: 0.09; 5.79) at Week 8 (p-value <0.001). For those randomized to ONP, average CPD decreased from 15.0 (95%CI: 5.02; 24.93) to 8.3 (95%CI: 1.34; 15.18) by Week 8 (p-value =0.01). In the EC and ONP groups, respectively, 4 (28.6%) and 1 (8.3%) participant fully switched from smoking to the ANDS product by Week 8. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with low SES who smoke had lower CPD after switching to EC or ONP. These findings show the potential of ANDS in helping smokers switch to less harmful devices. IMPLICATIONS: This study provides novel evidence that e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches can be a harm reduction tool for individuals with lower SES who smoke and are not willing to quit smoking, contributing to reducing tobacco-related disparities in this population.

Complete mouth rehabilitation in a patient with condylar fracture malunion: A clinical report.

Mandibular condyle fracture malunion and tooth loss can cause functional and esthetic problems. A patient with restricted mouth opening associated with muscle atrophy required prosthetic rehabilitation. Since the remaining teeth had a poor prognosis and the patient had difficulty adapting to the interim denture, complete mouth rehabilitation with implants was chosen. The implants were placed by using nerve lateralization and an autogenous bone graft. Prosthetic rehabilitation combines digital diagnosis and conventional prosthetic restorations. The definitive prosthesis was fabricated to ensure adequate oral hygiene and functional adaptation of the orofacial structures. Treatment resulted in stable masticatory function, occlusion, and esthetics and restored the function of the atrophied lips and restricted mouth opening.

Thyroid-Friendly Soft Materials as 3D Cell Culture Tool for Stimulating Thyroid Cell Function.

The disruption of thyroid hormones because of chemical exposure is a significant societal problem. Chemical evaluations of environmental and human health risks are conventionally based on animal experiments. However, owing to recent breakthroughs in biotechnology, the potential toxicity of chemicals can now be evaluated using 3D cell cultures. In this study, the interactive effects of thyroid-friendly soft (TS) microspheres on thyroid cell aggregates are elucidated and their potential as a reliable toxicity assessment tool is evaluated. Using state-of-the-art characterization methods coupled with cell-based analysis and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, it is shown that TS-microsphere-integrated thyroid cell aggregates exhibit improved thyroid function. Specifically, the responses of zebrafish embryos, which are used for thyroid toxicity analysis, and the TS-microsphere-integrated cell aggregates to methimazole (MMI), a known thyroid inhibitor, are compared. The results show that the thyroid hormone disruption response of the TS-microsphere-integrated thyroid cell aggregates to MMI is more sensitive compared with those of the zebrafish embryos and conventionally formed cell aggregates. This proof-of-concept approach can be used to control cellular function in the desired direction and hence evaluate thyroid function. Thus, the proposed TS-microsphere-integrated cell aggregates may yield new fundamental insights for advancing in vitro cell-based research.

How do freshwater microalgae and cyanobacteria respond to antibiotics?

Antibiotic pollution is an emerging environmental challenge. Residual antibiotics from various sources, including municipal and industrial wastewater, sewage discharges, and agricultural runoff, are continuously released into freshwater environments, turning them into reservoirs that contribute to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Thus, it is essential to understand the impacts of antibiotic residues on aquatic organisms, especially microalgae and cyanobacteria, due to their crucial roles as primary producers in the ecosystem. This review summarizes the effects of antibiotics on major biological processes in freshwater microalgae and cyanobacteria, including photosynthesis, oxidative stress, and the metabolism of macromolecules. Their adaptive mechanisms to antibiotics exposure, such as biodegradation, bioadsorption, and bioaccumulation, are also discussed. Moreover, this review highlights the important factors affecting the antibiotic removal pathways by these organisms, which will promote the use of microalgae-based technology for the removal of antibiotics. Finally, we offer some perspectives on the opportunities for further studies and applications.

Novosphingobium cyanobacteriorum sp. nov., isolated from a eutrophic reservoir during the Microcystis bloom period.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain, HBC54T, was isolated from periphyton during a Microcystis bloom. Based on the results of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain HBC54T was closely related to Novosphingobium aerophilum 4Y4T (98.36 %), Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM 12444T (98.08 %), Novosphingobium huizhouense c7T (97.94 %), Novosphingobium percolationis c1T (97.65 %), Novosphingobium subterraneum DSM 12447T (97.58 %), Novosphingobium olei TW-4T (97.58 %) and Novosphingobium flavum UCT-28T (97.37 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between HBC54T and its related type stains were below 78.97 and 23.7 %, which are lower than the threshold values for species delineation. The major fatty acids (>10.0 %) were identified as C14 : 0 2-OH, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c) and the respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10. The main polar lipids detected in the strain were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol and three unidentified phospholipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 64.8 mol%. Strain HBC54T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Novosphingobium, for which the name Novosphingobium cyanobacteriorum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HBC54T (=KCTC 92033T=LMG 32427T).

Association of cardiometabolic factors and insulin resistance surrogates with mortality in participants from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

BACKGROUND: Simple biochemical and anthropometric measurements such as fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI) are used to formulate insulin resistance (IR) indices. Whether these indices provide new predictive information for mortality remains unknown. This study examined the relationships of biochemical, anthropometric, and IR indices with mortality risk, as well as their predictive performance. METHODS: The data source was the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (2004-2020) involving 114,957 participants whose data were linked to death records. The IR indices- triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) were computed using standard formulae. The associations were examined using restricted cubic splines. The predictive performance was compared using the log-likelihood ratio chi-square test. RESULTS: Body mass index was U-shaped, HDL-C was reverse J-shaped, and FBG and TG levels were J-shaped associated with all-cause mortality. Results showed U-shaped (TyG), J-shaped (TyG-BMI, VAI, LAP, and METS-IR), and reverse J-shaped (TyG-WC) associations with all-cause mortality. The percentages of new predictive information for all-cause mortality explained by the FBG level, BMI, TyG-BMI, and METIR were 3.34%, 2.33%, 1.47%, and 1.37%, respectively. Other IR indices and biochemical and anthropometric measurements provided < 1.0% of new predictive information. For cardiovascular disease mortality, the FBG, BMI, METIR, TyG-BMI, and HDL-C levels explained 2.57%, 2.12%, 1.59%, 1.30%, and 1.27% of new predictive information respectively. Moreover, the risks of cancer mortality explained by FBG level, VAI, and HDL-C level were 2.05%, 1.49%, and 1.28%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting blood glucose level is a superior predictor of mortality risk and may be used as a simple predictive and preventative factor.

The Association of Serum High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Level With the Risk of Site-Specific Cancer Mortality: The Health Examinees (HEXA) Study Cohort.

Few studies have investigated the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and site-specific cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to examine the associations of hsCRP with overall and site-specific cancer mortality among South Koreans using data on the Health Examinees (HEXA) Study cohort (41,070 men and 81,011 women aged ≥40 years). We obtained mortality information from the National Statistical Office of Korea, which provided the dates and causes of all deaths occurring through December 31, 2015, by linking mortality data with each participant's unique national identifier. Cox proportional hazards and restricted cubic spline models were used to assess the association between hsCRP and cancer mortality with adjustment for covariates. An analysis of site-specific cancer mortality was focused on 5 major cancers (lung, liver, gastric, colorectal, and breast/prostate). Median hsCRP levels were 0.77 mg/L and 0.59 mg/L for men and women, respectively. A dose-response association between hsCRP and overall cancer mortality was observed in men but disappeared in women after exclusion of deaths occurring in the first 1 or 2 years of follow-up. Elevated hsCRP levels increased the risks of lung, liver, and gastric cancer mortality in men, but the risks of colorectal and breast cancer mortality were not increased. The dose-response association between hsCRP and cancer mortality was observed differently depending on site-specific cancer mortality by sex.

Integration of Bioinspired Fibrous Strands with 3D Spheroids for Environmental Hazard Monitoring.

Numerous methods have been introduced to produce 3D cell cultures that can reduce the need for animal experimentation. This study presents a unique 3D culture platform that features bioinspired strands of electrospun nanofibers (BSeNs) and aquatic cell lines to compensate for shortcomings in the current cell spheroid generation techniques. The use of BSeNs in 3D zebrafish liver cell cultures is found to improve liver and reproductive functions through spheroid-based in vitro assays such as whole transcriptome sequencing and reproductive toxicity testing, with optimized properties exhibiting results similar to those obtained for fish embryo acute toxicity (FET, OECD TG 236) following exposure to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (17ß-Estradiol (E2), 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-HT), and bisphenol compounds (bisphenol A (BPA) and 9,9-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene (BPFL)). These findings indicate that the beneficial effects of bioinspired materials that closely mimic ECM environments can yield efficient zebrafish cells with intrinsic functions and xenobiotic metabolism similar to those of zebrafish embryos. As a closer analog for the in vivo conditions that are associated with exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals, the straightforward culture model introduced in this study shows promise as an alternative tool that can be used to further eco-environmental assessment.

Panacibacter microcysteis sp. nov., isolated from a eutrophic reservoir during the Microcystis bloom period.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterial strain DH6T was isolated from fresh water of the Daechung Reservoir during the Microcystis bloom period. The strain grew at pH 6.0-8.5, at temperature 17-40 °C, and at 0-1% (w/v) NaCl concentration. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain DH6T exhibits the highest similarity with Panacibacter ginsenosidivorans Gsoil 1550T (96.6%). The average nucleotide identity (ANI), digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), and average amino acid identity (AAI) values of strain DH6T compared to its related type strains were below 74.2%, 22.3%, and 74.8%, respectively. The predominant fatty acids (> 5.0%) were identified as iso-C17:0 3-OH, iso-C13:0, iso-C15:0, C17:0 2-OH, iso-C11:0, anteiso-C13:0, and iso-C15:1 G. The polar lipid profile contained phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids, and three unidentified lipids. The respiratory quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The genomic DNA G + C content was 42.6%. Collectively, strain DH6T should be classified as a novel species within the genus Panacibacter, for which the name Panacibacter microcysteis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DH6T (= KCTC 82471T = LMG 32426T).

Endocrine-disrupting potential and toxicological effect of para-phenylphenol on Daphnia magna.

Several phenol derivatives are suspected endocrine disruptors and have received attention in risk assessment studies for several decades owing to the structural similarity between estrogens and phenolic compounds. We assessed the endocrine disrupting effect of the phenolic compound para-phenylphenol (PPP) through acute tests and evaluating chronic endpoints in an invertebrate model, Daphnia magna. Exposure of D. magna to PPP induced substantial adverse effects, namely, reduced fecundity, slowed growth rate, delayed first brood, and a reduction in neonate size. Furthermore, we investigated the mRNA expression of relevant genes to elucidate the mechanism of endocrine disruption by PPP. Exposure of D. magna to PPP induced the substantial downregulation of genes and markers related to reproduction and development, such as EcR-A, EcR-B, Jhe, and Vtg. Consequently, we demonstrated that PPP has an endocrine disrupting effect on reproduction and development in D. magna.

Lifestyle Behaviors According to the Duration of Hypertension: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2018.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the lifestyle characteristics of hypertensive patients and to investigate the association between the duration of hypertension and lifestyle characteristics. METHODS: A total 16,508 adults (including 5,933 hypertensive patients) aged 20 years and older who participated in the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2018 were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between the duration of hypertension and lifestyle factors. RESULTS: The longer duration of hypertension was associated with lower risk of drinking in men (odds ratio [OR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.93), and this observation remained when participants with hypertension for ≥ 13 years were compared to those with hypertension for < 1 year (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.37-0.88). On the other hand, increased duration of hypertension increased the odds of engaging in high physical activity (PA) in women (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.15-2.56), particularly in men with hypertension for 6-12 years (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.03-2.69) and women with hypertension for ≥ 13 years (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.38-9.62). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyle habits, particularly drinking cessation in men, and PA in both men and women was observed, and differences were observed depending on the duration of hypertension.

Review on the ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution on the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia.

The environmental impacts of plastic pollution have recently attracted universal attention, especially in the aquatic environment. However, research has mostly been focused on marine ecosystems, even though freshwater ecosystems are equally if not more polluted by plastics. In addition, the mechanism and extent to which plastic pollution affects aquatic biota and the rates of transfer to organisms through food webs eventually reaching humans are poorly understood, especially considering leaching hazardous chemicals. Several studies have demonstrated extreme toxicity in freshwater organisms such Daphnia. When such keystone species are affected by ambient pollution, entire food webs are destabilized and biodiversity is threatened. The unremitting increase in plastic contaminants in freshwater environments would cause impairments in ecosystem functions and structure, leading to various kinds of negative ecological consequences. As various studies have reported the effects on daphnids, a consolidation of this literature is critical to discuss the limitations and knowledge gaps and to evaluate the risk posed to the aquatic environment. This review was undertaken due to the evident need to evaluate this threat. The aims were to provide a meaningful overview of the literature relevant to the potential impact of plastic pollution and associated contaminants on freshwater daphnids as primary consumers. A critical evaluation of research gaps and perspectives is conducted to provide a comprehensive risk assessment of microplastic as a hazard to aquatic environments. We outlined the challenges and limitations to microplastic research in hampering better-focused investigations that could support the development of new plastic materials and/or establishment of new regulations.

Impact on social capital and learning engagement due to social media usage among the international students in the U.S.

International students who pursue their academic goals in United States are prone to difficulties when attempting to build social resources and adjust to the new culture. Social media is a practical means of connection due to its ease of use and accessibility. Previous research has indicated contradictory effects of social media use on academic engagement. In addition to the direct effect, this research examined social media use influences on international students' learning engagement by mediating social capital and cultural adjustment. A total of 209 international students completed a web-based survey distributed via e-mail and social media between November 2021 and May 2022. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Model. Results showed that only purposely using social media to collaborate with learning counterparts or materials directly improves international students' learning engagement. Other uses of social media (e.g., expanding new resources, solidifying close relationships) have no significant direct effects. Nonetheless, they are essential to improving levels of learning engagement via the mediation of bridging capital (social resources attributed to expanding relationships) and students' cultural adjustment in the U.S. International students' bonding capital (social resources available through trustworthy relationships) and home cultural retention showed little direct or indirect effects on learning engagement. This study recognizes the importance of social resources and cultural adjustment for international students. Also, this study provides valuable information to educators and administrators, as there is a need to identify the underlying mechanisms to contribute feasible learning intervention approaches and alleviate negative effects for international students.

Cochlodiniinecator piscidefendens gen. nov., sp. nov., an algicidal bacterium against the ichthyotoxic dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides.

Harmful algal blooms caused by Cochlodinium polykrikoides result in enormous economic damage to the aquaculture industry. Biological control methods have attracted wide attention due to their environmental-friendliness. In this study, a novel algicidal bacterium, designated strain M26A2MT, was determined for its taxonomic position and was evaluated for its potential to mitigate C. polykrikoides blooms. Strain M26A2MT exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the type strains of Planktotalea lamellibrachiae (97.3%), Halocynthiibacter namhaensis (97.2%), Pseudohalocynthiibacter aestuariivivens (96.8%) and Halocynthiibacter arcticus (96.4%) in the family Rhodobacteraceae. The predominant fatty acids were C10 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 8 (comprising C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. Q-10 was the respiratory quinone. Strain M26A2MT exerted significant algicidal activity against C. polykrikoides cells by destroying the membrane integrity and the photosynthetic system. Our findings suggest that strain M26A2MT shows a high potential to control outbreaks of C. polykrikoides. Based on the polyphasic characterization, strain M26A2MT is considered to represent a novel species within a novel genus of the family Rhodobacteraceae, for which the name Cochlodiniinecator piscidefendens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M26A2MT (=KCTC 82083T=JCM 34119T).

Mariniflexile maritimum sp. nov., isolated from seawater of the South Sea in the Republic of Korea.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic, non-motile bacterial strain, designated M5A1MT, was isolated from seawater collected from the South Sea of the Republic of Korea. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain M5A1MT was closely related to Mariniflexile gromovii KMM 6038T (95.3 %), Mariniflexile fucanivorans SW5T (95.2 %), Mariniflexile soesokkakense RSSK-9T (95.1 %), Yeosuana aromativorans GW1-1T (94.6 %) and Confluentibacter lentus HJM-3T (94.6 %). Genome-based phylogenetic analyses revealed that strain M5A1MT formed a distinct cluster with the type strains of the genus Mariniflexile. The major cellular fatty acid constituents (>5 % of the total fatty acids) were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C16:03-OH and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The respiratory quinone was identified as MK-6. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and one unidentified polar lipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain M5A1MT was determined to be 37.7 mol%. On the basis of its phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain M5A1MT is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Mariniflexile, for which the name Mariniflexile maritimum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M5A1MT (=KCTC 72895T=JCM 33982T).

Novosphingobium aquimarinum sp. nov., isolated from seawater.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, and rod-shaped bacterial strain, M24A2MT, was isolated from seawater in the Republic of Korea. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, strain M24A2MT was found to be closely related to Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1T and Novosphingobium mathurense SM117T with pair-wise sequence similarities of 97.4 and 96.9 %, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences indicated that M24A2MT formed a branch with Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1T and represented a member of the genus Novosphingobium. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C14 : 0 2-OH, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The polar lipids of strain M24A2MT consisted mainly of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentified phospholipid, and two unidentified lipids. The respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10. The genomic DNA G+C content was 63.9 %. Given the phenotypic characteristics along with the phylogenetic distinctness and chemotaxonomic features, strain M24A2MT is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Novosphingobium, for which the name Novosphingobium aquimarinum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Novosphingobium aquimarinum sp. nov. is M24A2MT (=KCTC 72894T=JCM 33983T).

Effect of 'rice' pattern on high blood pressure by gender and obesity: using the community-based KoGES cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the association between dietary pattern and the risk of high blood pressure (BP) and to estimate the attenuated effect by gender and obesity on the association using data from a prospective cohort study in Korea. DESIGN: Prospective study. Diet was assessed using a validated 103-item FFQ and was input into factor analysis after adjustment for total energy intake. SETTING: Community-based Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (KoGES) cohort. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy individuals (n 5151) without high BP at recruitment from the community-based cohort study. RESULTS: Dietary pattern was not associated with the risk of high BP regardless of the type of covariates, with the exception of the 'rice' pattern. The effect of the 'rice' pattern was observed in both men (Ptrend = 0·013) and women (Ptrend < 0·001), but the statistical significance remained only in women after adjustment for confounders (Ptrend = 0·004). The positive association of the 'rice' pattern with high BP risk was attenuated by obesity. After stratification by gender and obese status, in particular, the harmful effect of the 'rice' pattern was predominantly observed in obese women (Ptrend < 0·001) only. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal study in Korean adults found a positive association of the 'rice' pattern with long-term development of incident high BP, predominantly in women. The association is likely to be attenuated by gender and obese status.

Mucilaginibacter inviolabilis sp. nov., isolated from the phycosphere of Haematococcus lacustris NIES 144 culture.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterial strain, designated HC2T, was isolated from the phycosphere of Haematococcus lacustris NIES 144 culture. Strain HC2T was able to grow at pH 4.5-8.0, at 4-32 °C and in the presence of 0-2 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain HC2T was affiliated to the genus Mucilaginibacter and shared the highest sequence similarity with Mucilaginibacter lappiensis ANJKI2T (98.20 %) and Mucilaginibacter sabulilitoris SMS-12T (98.06 %). Strain HC2T contained summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and iso-C15 : 0 as the major fatty acids (>10.0 %). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified phospholipid, two unidentified aminolipids and four unidentified lipids. The respiratory quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The genomic DNA G+C content was 42.0 %. On the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain HC2T represents a novel species of the genus Mucilaginibacter, for which the name Mucilaginibacter inviolabilis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HC2T (=KCTC 82084T=JCM 34116T).

Trends and Correlates of High-Risk Alcohol Consumption and Types of Alcoholic Beverages in Middle-Aged Korean Adults: Results From the HEXA-G Study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to report the prevalence and correlates of high-risk alcohol consumption and types of alcoholic beverages. METHODS: The baseline data of the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study participants, including 43,927 men and 85,897 women enrolled from 2005 through 2013, were used for analysis. Joinpoint regression was performed to estimate trends in the age-standardized prevalence of alcohol consumption. Associations of demographic and behavioral factors, perceived health-related effects, social relationships, and the diagnostic history of diseases with alcohol consumption were assessed using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of alcohol consumption remained higher in men during the study period and increased in women. The amount of alcohol consumed has increased in women, especially that from beer and makgeolli, a traditional Korean fermented rice wine. Older participants were less likely to be high-risk drinkers (men and women who drink more than 40 or 20 g/day of alcohol, respectively) and drink Soju, a distilled liquor, and beer, and more likely to drink makgeolli. Educational level was negatively associated with high-risk drinking. However, it was positively associated with the consumption of strong spirits and wine. Smoking was associated with high-risk drinking and the consumption of soju and strong spirits. Engaging in regular exercise and having stress were associated with drinking all types of beverages except for soju. CONCLUSIONS: Sex-specific trends in alcohol consumption were influenced by demographic, behavioral, and perceived health-related factors. The findings will help improve the understanding of alcohol-related problems and provide evidence for establishing country-specific policies and campaigns in Korea.

Defect Analysis of Solution-Based Process CIGS Thin-Film Solar Cells Using Technology Computer-Aided Design.

Copper indium gallium sulfur selenide (Cu(In1-xGax)SeS, CIGS) thin film solar cells are fabricated using a solution-based process, and their defect models are studied through a computer-aided design method. Cu(In1-xGax)SeS is structured with a graded bandgap by controlling the ambient gas and precursor composition, during the fabrication process. The defects in the CIGS are modeled as two donor-like defects, which are differently distributed as per the CIGS grain size (large and small grains at upper and bottom layers, respectively), whereas those in the cadmium sulfide (CdS)/CIGS interface are modeled as a complex model of both donor- and acceptor-like defects in the CdS, near the interface. By measuring the external quantum efficiency and current density-voltage characteristics, the best-fitting match of the simulated values with the measured values are obtained. The simulation results demonstrate that the defects (defect density of ~7 × 1018) in the CdS interface are more serious, compared to the CIGS defects (defect density of ~2 × 1015 in the bottom), which were initially expected to be more severe because of grain nonuniformity. For increasing the cell efficiency, we establish that the process and material quality need to be further improved not only during CIGS formation using a multistep spin-coated precursor but also during the initial deposition of the CdS buffer. This numerical approach can enable better understanding of the defect behavior in solar cells, and indicate directions for improvement in the fabrication process and device structure, for developing high-efficiency solution-based CIGS solar cells.