Developing an eyeball positioning method in the eye orbit for craniofacial identification in Korean population.

We analysed the skulls and faces of Korean subjects using anthropometric methods to understand the anatomical characteristics of the eyeball and eye orbit region of Korean population and to determine the correlations between the hard and soft tissues around the eyeball and eye orbit region. In total, 82 sections in the region were measured to determine the correlations; among them, 34 showed significant differences by sex, and 6 showed significant differences by age. As the distance from the centre of the eye lens to the eye orbit is calculated as a ratio, we determined that the centre of the eye lens is located relatively on the lateral and superior position in each eye orbit in front view. Fourteen sections that could be used for craniofacial reconstruction/approximation in men and women were selected. Regression equations were derived according to the correlation of each section, and their reliabilities were verified by out of sample validation tests. Therefore, our results increase the accuracy of eyeball position determination, which would be useful for more efficient craniofacial reconstruction/approximation of the Korean population and should improve the efficiency of facial recognition.

Factors Affecting the Practice of Corona Virus Disease-19 Prevention Activities in Patients With Heart Diseases in Korea.

This study was conducted in a cross-sectional correlation design to identify factors affecting the practice of COVID-19 prevention activities in patients with heart diseases. A convenience sample of 195 patients with heart diseases from one tertiary teaching hospital completed questionnaires with items from the characteristics of these participants, their knowledge, attitude, and practice related to COVID-19 prevention activities. Participants' knowledge, attitude, and practice for COVID-19 prevention were relatively high but there was a significant difference in the degree of practice of COVID-19 prevention activities according to the characteristics of the participants. The higher the level of their knowledge and the more positive their attitude, the higher their practice. Attitude and information check about COVID-19 prevention were factors that influenced the practice of COVID-19 prevention activities, with an explanatory power of 32%. This study can help motivate and actively encourage COVID-19 prevention practices.

A portrait drawing of the 17th century Korean scholar based on craniofacial reconstruction.

As a technique mainly hiring in forensic investigation field to identify the descents, craniofacial reconstruction (CFR) is also used in archaeology to create the faces from ancient or medieval human remains, when there is little information about his/her appearance. Eung-Cheok Ko (1531-1605) was a writer and scholar in the mid Joseon period. In January of 2019, His mummified body was found at Gumi, Kyeonsangbuk-do, Korea. The remains were anthropologically examined, and archaeological CFR was also requested for this case. This report reveals the case's facial reconstruction process and his portrait that is drawn based on the 3-dimensional CFR result.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 deficiency attenuates oxidative stress and protects against ovariectomy-induced chronic inflammation in mice.

BACKGROUND: Loss of ovarian function is highly associated with an elevated risk of metabolic disease. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1, C-C chemokine ligand 2) plays critical roles in the development of inflammation, but its role in ovariectomy (OVX)-induced metabolic disturbance has not been known. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the role of MCP-1 in OVX-induced metabolic perturbation using MCP-1-knockout mice. OVX increased fat mass, serum levels of MCP-1, macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), and reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas MCP-1 deficiency attenuated these. OVX-induced increases of visceral fat resulted in elevated levels of highly inflammatory CD11c-expressing cells as well as other immune cells in adipose tissue, whereas a lack of MCP-1 significantly reduced all of these levels. MCP-1 deficiency attenuated activation of phospholipase Cγ2, transforming oncogene from Ak strain, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase as well as generation of ROS, which is required for up-regulating CD11c expression upon M-CSF stimulation in bone marrow-derived macrophages. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data suggested that MCP-1 plays a key role in developing metabolic perturbation caused by a loss of ovarian functions through elevating CD11c expression via ROS generation.