Clinical features and natural course of pediatric longitudinal melanonychia: A retrospective cohort study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Large studies on the clinical features and natural course of pediatric longitudinal melanonychia (LM) are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and natural course of pediatric LM. METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis of pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years) with LM. RESULTS: We examined 703 LM lesions in 381 children. Single, narrow, and homogeneously pigmented fingernail lesions were most frequently observed. Our results suggested that within 3, 4.5, and 9.5 years after onset, approximately 3%, 5%, and 10% of LM lesions, respectively, will completely regress and that single, left-sided, and homogeneously pigmented lesions are more likely to disappear completely. The age of onset, sex, finger/toe position, Hutchinson's sign, and nail dystrophy were not associated with complete regression. During follow-up, most cases demonstrated no change in color or width between the first and last visit, and early darkening/widening before stabilization or lightening/narrowing was common. The lightning of pigmentation was associated with complete regression, whereas change in width was not. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study at a tertiary center. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that clinicians ought to follow pediatric patients with LM without intervention for several years even if lesions grow darker or wider. Single, left-sided, and homogeneously colored lesions are more likely to regress.

Veganism during the COVID-19 pandemic: Vegans' and nonvegans' perspectives.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered growing public interest in veganism, veganism's conceptualization remains ambiguous. Moreover, vegans' and nonvegans' different perspectives have rarely been addressed. Hence, this study involved the opinions of both vegans and nonvegans in the COVID-19 context to understand their attitudes, motivations, and opinions related to veganism. We analyzed online discourses in vegan and antivegan online communities using Word2Vec analysis and qualitative analysis. We identified lists of terms associated with three key veganism dimensions (i.e., lifestyle, animal rights, and food). Moreover, we compared actual online discussions among vegans to those among nonvegans regarding specific veganism attributes. This study preliminarily identifies specific attributes associated with veganism in online discourse among vegans. The issues addressed in this study can be tested in future research. Our findings can also be useful for people in various stages of veganism-such as active vegans, people who are interested in veganism, or even nonvegans who are uninterested in veganism-to comprehend the different perceptions prevailing in each group.

Digital Forensic Case Studies for In-Vehicle Infotainment Systems Using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Vehicle systems have been one of the fastest-growing fields in recent years. Vehicles are extremely helpful for understanding driver behaviors and have received significant attention from a forensic perspective. Extensive forensic research was previously conducted on on-board vehicle systems, such as an event data recorders, located in the electronic control unit or manufacturer-based infotainment systems. However, unlike previous vehicles that used only manufacturer-based infotainment systems, most vehicles today are equipped with infotainment systems such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. These in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems connect to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The vehicle can periodically communicate with a smartphone and thus a network outside the vehicle. Drivers can use more services in their vehicles than ever before. Accordingly, an increasing number of diverse data are being stored in vehicles, with mobile devices connected to both the vehicle and the cloud. Such data include information that can be of significant help to investigators in solving problems during forensic investigations. Therefore, forensics of IVI systems such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are becoming increasingly important. We analyzed various forensic studies conducted on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Most of the research was mainly focused on mobile devices connected through a wired USB connection. The use of wireless-based IVI systems has recently been increasing. However, the analysis of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay from this point of view is insufficient. Therefore, we proposed a forensic methodology that fully considers such limitations. A forensic analysis was conducted on various IVI systems. We also developed an IVI system forensics tool that works based on the proposed methodology.

Digital Forensic Analysis to Improve User Privacy on Android.

The Android platform accounts for 85% of the global smartphone operating-system market share, and recently, it has also been installed on Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices such as wearable devices and vehicles. These Android-based devices store various personal information such as user IDs, addresses, and payment information and device usage data when providing convenient functions to users. Insufficient security for the management and deletion of data stored in the device can lead to various cyber security threats such as personal information leakage and identity theft. Therefore, research on the protection of personal information stored in the device is very important. However, there is a limitation that the current research for protection of personal information on the existing Android platform was only conducted on Android platform 6 or lower. In this paper, we analyze the deleted data remaining on the device and the possibility of recovery to improve user privacy for smartphones using Android platforms 9 and 10. The deleted data analysis is performed based on three data deletion scenarios: data deletion using the app's own function, data deletion using the system app's data and cache deletion function, and uninstallation of installed apps. It demonstrates the potential user privacy problems that can occur when using Android platforms 9 and 10 due to the leakage of recovered data. It also highlights the need for improving the security of personal user information by erasing the traces of deleted data that remain in the journal area and directory entry area of the filesystem used in Android platforms 9 and 10.

Clinical application of the optimized X-ray parameter model through analysis of disease risk and image quality when combining the ion chamber of automatic exposure control of digital radiography.

OBJECTIVE: To present an optimized examination model by analyzing the risk of disease and image quality according to the combination of the ion chamber of automatic exposure control (AEC) with digital radiography (DR). METHODS: The X-ray quality was analyzed by first calculating the percentage average error (PAE) of DR. After that, when using AEC, the combination of the ion chambers was the same as the left and centre and right, right and centre, left and centre, centre, right, and left, for a total of six. Accordingly, the entrance surface dose (ESD), risk of disease, and image quality were evaluated. ESD was obtained by attaching a semiconductor dosimeter to the L4 level of the lumbar spine, and then irradiating X-rays to dosimeter centre through average and standard deviation of radiation dose. The calculated ESD was input into the PCXMC 2.0 programme to evaluate disease risk caused by radiation. Meanwhile, image quality according to chamber combination was quantified as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) through Image J. RESULTS: X-ray quality of DR used in the experiment was within the normal range of±10. ESD of six ion chamber combinations was 1.363mGy, 0.964mGy, 0.946mGy, 0.866mGy, 0.748mGy, 0.726mGy for lumbar anteroposterior (AP), and the lumbar lateral values were 1.126mGy, 0.209mGy, 0.830mGy, 0.662mGy, 0.111mGy, and 0.250mGy, respectively. Meanwhile, disease risk analyzed through PCXMC 2.0 was bone marrow, colon, liver, lung, stomach, urinary and other tissue cancer, and disease risk showed a tendency to increase in proportion to ESD. SNR and CNR recorded the lowest values when three chambers were combined and did not show proportionality with dose, while showed the highest values when two chambers were combined. CONCLUSION: In this study, combination of three ion chambers showed the highest disease risk and lowest image quality. Using one ion chamber showed the lowest disease risk, but lower image quality than two ion chambers. Therefore, if considering all above factors, combination of two ion chambers can optimally maintain the disease risk and image quality. Thus, it is considered an optimal X-ray examination parameter.

How does COVID-19 differ from previous crises? A comparative study of health-related crisis research in the tourism and hospitality context.

The importance of the risk to tourism and hospitality operations from pandemic-related crises has increased. Therefore, the current study offers a literature review targeting tourism and hospitality stakeholders' perceptions of past diseases and has three objectives: (1) Explore major topics from previous research on infectious diseases using topic modeling; (2) compare non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 crises; (3) investigate research topics in the tourism and hospitality industries. To meet our research objectives, we reviewed published pandemic-related articles in the tourism and hospitality literature since the year 2000. Based on the results, we first identified nine key topics related to infectious diseases (i.e., policy, human resources, branding, resilience, technology, global or community change, risk perception, disease impact, and lifestyle). Second, we suggest the application of different topic weights in non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 research. Third, we found that it is appropriate to apply different topic weights in tourism and hospitality research.

What Topics Do Members of the Eating Disorder Online Community Discuss and Empathize with? An Application of Big Data Analytics.

Given the stigma of eating disorders (EDs), anonymous online communities of individuals with EDs can play a critical role in their treatment. In our study, we aimed to identify prevalent topics related to EDs in one community. To discover latent topics in an online community dedicated to EDs, we applied an automated text-mining approach to topic modeling after collecting data from Reddit created between January 2011 and September 2020. As a result of topic modeling, topics regarding emotional support, informational support, and inquiries about EDs were discovered. In frequently asked questions and advice about EDs in the online community, community members empathized more with topics soliciting emotional support rather than informational support. Despite the importance of online communities, studies on this topic, especially those analyzing online conversations, have remained limited. By demonstrating the role of online communities in supplementary interventions, our findings can support clinicians in caring for patients with EDs.

Scrotal swelling caused by acute necrotizing pancreatitis: CT diagnosis.

Scrotal involvement is a rare complication of acute pancreatitis. It presents as scrotal swelling and skin color change, which mimics the presentations of testicular torsion, epididymitis, and testicular tumor. Its differential diagnosis is important because scrotal involvement of acute pancreatitis can be treated conservatively. Abdominopelvic CT provides a useful means of diagnosing this complication. Here, the authors present a case of acute pancreatitis extending to the left scrotum, mimicking a testicular tumor. A CT scan helped avoid unnecessary orchiectomy.

Age-dependent pathogenesis of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 infection of the central nervous system.

Gammaherpesvirus infection of the central nervous system (CNS) has been linked to various neurological diseases, including meningitis, encephalitis, and multiple sclerosis. However, little is known about the interactions between the virus and the CNS in vitro or in vivo. Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68 or (gamma)HV-68) is genetically related and biologically similar to human gammaherpesviruses, thereby providing a tractable animal model system in which to study both viral pathogenesis and replication. In the present study, we show the successful infection of cultured neuronal cells, microglia, and astrocytes with MHV-68 to various extents. Upon intracerebroventricular injection of a recombinant virus (MHV-68/LacZ) into 4-5-week-old and 9-10-week-old mice, the 4-5-week-old mice displayed high mortality within 5-7 days, while the majority of the 9-10-week-old mice survived until the end of the experimental period. Until a peak at 3-4 days post-infection, viral DNA replication and gene expression were similar in the brains of both mouse groups, but only the 9-10-week-old mice were able to subdue viral DNA replication and gene expression after 5 days post-infection. Pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNAs of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 1beta, and interleukin 6 were highly induced in the brains of the 4-5-week-old mice, suggesting their possible contributions as neurotoxic factors in the agedependent control of MHV-68 replication of the CNS.

Synthesis and in vitro biological activity of retinyl polyhydroxybenzoates, novel hybrid retinoid derivatives.

A new hybrid derived from retinol was designed to improve the stability and anti-oxidant activity of retinol and also to add whitening properties besides its usual anti-aging properties. A variety of polyhydroxybenzoates of retinol were prepared either by base-catalysis or by direct esterification of retinol and screened for such desirable properties by analyzing the in vitro biological activity of the hybrids. Some of the retinol derivatives enhanced their thermal stability and decreased photosensitivity, and exhibited an activity in collagen synthesis similar to that of retinol. In addition, the retinyl gallate 6 showed higher activities in free radical scavenging and melanogenesis inhibition than retinol. Thus, owing to its excellent stabilities, retinyl gallate 6 may be conveniently used not only as an additive for cosmetics for prevention and improvement of skin aging and whitening but also as medicine for the treatment of skin troubles.

The influence of corporate social responsibility, ability, reputation, and transparency on hotel customer loyalty in the U.S.: a gender-based approach.

This research explored a conceptual framework incorporating interrelationships among corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate ability (CA), corporate reputation (CR), and CSR-related transparency on customer loyalty within the hotel context. In this study, we also analyzed consumers' propensity to support CSR initiatives through the socio-demographic indicator of gender. We used independent sample t test and multiple regression analysis to test hypotheses based on 487 responses from American participants. Four antecedents (i.e., CSR, CA, CR, and transparency) exhibited favorable effects on customer loyalty. Among these four factors, the positively perceived CSR initiatives had a greater impact on customer loyalty. In addition, according to our findings, female participants were more likely to have a positive perception of the four antecedents than males.

Stereotactic guidance for navigated percutaneous sacroiliac joint fusion.

Arthrodesis of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) for surgical treatment of SIJ dysfunction has regained interest among spine specialists. Current techniques described in the literature most often utilize intraoperative fluoroscopy to aid in implant placement; however, image guidance for SIJ fusion may allow for minimally invasive percutaneous instrumentation with more precise implant placement. In the following cases, we performed percutaneous stereotactic navigated sacroiliac instrumentation using O-arm® multidimensional surgical imaging with StealthStation® navigation (Medtronic, Inc. Minneapolis, MN). Patients were positioned prone and an image-guidance reference frame was placed contralateral to the surgical site. O-arm® integrated with StealthStation® allowed immediate auto-registration. The skin incision was planned with an image-guidance probe. An image-guided awl, drill and tap were utilized to choose a starting point and trajectory. Threaded titanium cage(s) packed with autograft and/or allograft were then placed. O-arm® image-guidance allowed for implant placement in the SIJ with a small skin incision. However, we could not track the cage depth position with our current system, and in one patient, the SIJ cage had to be revised secondary to the anterior breach of sacrum.

Comparison of computed tomography findings between bacteremic and non-bacteremic acute pyelonephritis due to Escherichia coli.

AIM: To identify computed tomography (CT) findings that are associated with the presence of bacteremia in patients with acute pyelonephritis (APN) due to Escherichia coli (E. coli). METHODS: The clinical data and contrast-enhanced CT findings of 128 patients who were diagnosed with APN due to E. coli and showed renal abnormality on contrast-enhanced CT between January 2003 and November 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of bacteremia: The bacteremia group and the non-bacteremia group. The abnormality on contrast-enhanced CT were categorized into 5 renal and 4 extrarenal CT findings and compared between the two groups using the χ (2) test and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 128 patients, 34 patients (26.6%) were classified into the bacteremia group and 94 patients (73.4%) into the non-bacteremia group. There was no statistically significant difference in gender between the two groups (P = 0.09), but the age of the patients in the bacteremia group was higher than that of the patients in the non-bacteremia group (P < 0.01). Compared to the non-bacteremia group, 1 renal CT finding such as urothelial thickening and 3 extrarenal CT findings such as diffuse peritoneal thickening, cystitis and pulmonary congestion were more frequently observed in the bacteremia group with statistical significance. The logistic regression analysis revealed that CT findings, including urothelial thickening, diffuse peritoneal thickening, cystitis and pulmonary congestion were suggested as the predictive CT findings of bacteremic APN. CONCLUSION: On CT, urothelial thickening, diffuse peritoneal thickening, cystitis, and pulmonary congestion are more frequently observed in patients with bacteremic APN due to E. coli.

A Nationwide Retrospective Study of Opioid Management Patterns in 2,468 Patients with Spinal Pain in Korea.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective patient data collection and investigator survey. PURPOSE: To investigate patterns of opioid treatment for pain caused by spinal disorders in Korea. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Opioid analgesic prescription and adequacy of consumption measures in Korea have markedly increased in the past decade, suggesting changing patterns in pain management practice; however, there is lack of integrated data specific to Korean population. METHODS: Patient data were collected from medical records at 34 university hospitals in Korea. Outpatients receiving opioids for pain caused by spinal disorders were included in the study. Treatment patterns, including opioid types, doses, treatment duration, outcomes, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs), were evaluated. Investigators were interviewed on their perceptions of opioid use for spinal disorders. RESULTS: Among 2,468 analyzed cases, spinal stenosis (42.8%) was the most common presentation, followed by disc herniation (24.2%) and vertebral fracture (17.5%). In addition, a greater proportion of patients experienced severe pain (73.9%) rather than moderate (19.9%) or mild (0.7%) pain. Oxycodone (51.9%) and fentanyl (50.8%) were the most frequently prescribed opioids; most patients were prescribed relatively low doses. The median duration of opioid treatment was 84 days. Pain relief was superior in patients with longer treatment duration (≥2 months) or with nociceptive pain than in those with shorter treatment duration or with neuropathic or mixed-type pain. ADRs were observed in 8.6% of cases. According to the investigators' survey, "excellent analgesic effect" was a perceived advantage of opioids, while safety concerns were a disadvantage. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid usage patterns in patients with spinal disorders are in alignment with international guidelines for spinal pain management. Future prospective studies may address the suitability of opioids for spinal pain treatment by using appropriate objective measurement tools.

Use of monoclonal antibodies for flow cytometric detection of intracellular Toxoplasma gondii in murine splenic lymphocytes.

Various monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Toxoplasma gondii RH tachyzoites were used for flow cytometric detection of intracellular parasites in murine splenic lymphocytes. Tg110 and Tg563 (reacting with the major surface protein SAG1), Tg505 (with another surface protein SAG2), Tg695 and Tg786 (with rhoptry proteins), Tg507, Tg621, and Tg317 (with dense granule proteins), Tg536 (with a microneme protein), and Tg685 (with a cytosol antigen) were the mAbs used. After an in vitro infection of lymphocytes with tachyzoites and reactions with the different mAbs, flow cytometry was performed using an indirect immunofluorescent technique. The proportions of whole infected lymphocytes and of each infected lymphocyte phenotype, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and B cells, were determined, and their fluorescent intensities were quantified. The best reaction was seen when Tg110 or Tg695 was used as the mAbs. The results suggest that mAbs against surface or rhoptry proteins are highly useful for the flow cytometric detection of intracellular T. gondii in host cells.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives against Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma cruzi.

A high-throughput (HTS) and high-content screening (HCS) campaign of a commercial library identified 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazole analogues as a novel class of anti-parasitic agents. A series of synthetic derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro anti-leishmanial and anti-trypanosomal activities against Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma cruzi, which have been known as the causative parasites for visceral leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, respectively. In the case of Leishmania, the compounds were tested in both intracellular amastigote and extracellular promastigote assays. Compounds 4 and 24 showed promising anti-leishmanial activity against intracellular L. donovani (3.05 and 5.29 µM, respectively) and anti-trypanosomal activity against T. cruzi (1.10 and 2.10 µM, respectively) without serious cytotoxicity toward THP-1 and U2OS cell lines.

Prospective observational study of the early loading of nanostructured calcium phosphate-coated tapered implants in the mandible and maxilla.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prospective clinical results of early loading. Implants were inserted in 11 maxillae (group I, 23 implants) and 12 mandibles (group II, 19 implants). Six months after prosthetic loading, several factors were investigated. Significant differences between the primary and secondary stability were not observed in groups I and II. The primary stability in the mandible was 81.1 implant stability quotient (ISQ), which was significantly higher than the 73.3 ISQ value observed in the maxilla (P = .003). The survival rates were 100% in group I and 94.7% in group II for 9 and 10.4 months, respectively. The marginal bone loss was 0.07 mm in group I and -0.07 mm in group II. After the placement of nanostructured calcium phosphate- coated implants, excellent primary and second stability was obtained.

Rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing by tracking single cell growth in a microfluidic agarose channel system.

Sepsis is one of the major causes of death in the US, necessitating rapid treatment with proper antibiotics. Conventional systems for antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) take far too long (16-24 h) for the timely treatment of sepsis. This is because they rely on measuring optical density, which relates to bacterial growth, to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of relevant antibiotics. Thus, there is a desperate need for more improved and rapid AST (RAST) systems. The RAST system can also reduce the growing number of clinical problems that are associated with antibiotic resistance caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. In this study, we demonstrate a microfluidic agarose channel (MAC) system that reduces the AST assay time for determining MICs by single bacterial time lapse imaging. The MAC system immobilizes bacteria by using agarose in a microfluidic culture chamber so that single cell growth can be tracked by microscopy. Time lapse images of single bacterial cells under different antibiotic culture conditions were analyzed by image processing to determine MICs. Three standard bacteria from the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) were tested with several kinds of antibiotics. MIC values that were well matched with those of the CLSI were obtained within only 3-4 h. We expect that the MAC system can offer rapid diagnosis of sepsis and thus, more efficient and proper medication in the clinical setting.