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The importance of disinfection has recently increased owing to the spread of infections, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, exposure to the biocidal products used for disinfection poses health risks. This study aimed to determine the safe use of biocides and the potential for secondary exposure in the general population. To obtain information on the exposure factors on site, an interview survey was conducted for 2 weeks and 10 days using a questionnaire. Toxicology studies were performed to determine the toxicity of each chemical in various biocidal products. The inhalation and dermal exposure algorithms in ConsExpo 4.0, a software developed by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), were used to assess the risk of active substances in biocidal products. The average amounts of disinfectants and pesticides used in indoor environments per unit time were 5948.50 ± 72,434.76 mg and 201.61 ± 305.91 mg, respectively. Ethanol had the highest inhalation hazard quotient (HQ inh ) of 1.48E+02 while sodium dichloroisocyanurate had the lowest value of 1.74E−10. The HQ inh /HQ der ratios for the 10 active substances ranged from 1.51E+00 to 2.73E+05 were greater than 1, indicating that inhalation exposure had a greater effect than dermal exposure. The hazard index (HI) of the 10 active substances, excluding ethanol, was less than 1, indicating the absence of potential health risks. Therefore, to reduce the health risks associated with secondary exposure, disinfection should be performed during periods when individuals are away from the site to be disinfected, such as after regular working hours, and individuals should be encouraged to enter this site the following day instead of after the disinfection exercise. Methods, such as applying an active substance from a biocidal product to a cloth or fabric to carry out the disinfection protocol, should also be considered.

The risk of urban flooding has escalated with increasing rainfall intensity and the expansion of impervious surfaces. While commercial models such as XP-SWMM provide reliable hydraulic analyses, their closed-source structure limits transparency and integration with external tools. In contrast, the Grid-Based Urban Drainage System Analysis Model (GUDS), developed on the Weighted Cellular Automata 2D (WCA2D) framework, offers greater flexibility for process verification and coupling with platforms such as GIS and spreadsheets. This study presents a comparative assessment of numerical stability and velocity estimation schemes between XP-SWMM and GUDS. Moving beyond previous validation-focused studies, it quantitatively examines how algorithmic formulations—particularly in flow velocity computation and numerical treatment—affect inundation propagation and model stability under varying topographic conditions. Results demonstrate that XP-SWMM yields higher analytical precision but is prone to numerical instability on steep slopes, whereas GUDS maintains stable simulations due to its simplified water-level-difference approach, albeit with reduced responsiveness to rapidly changing flows. The differences in maximum inundation depth, inundation area, and propagation speed were relatively minor—approximately 11.6%, 10.7%, and 9.2% on average, respectively. This work provides a novel quantitative perspective on the trade-offs between precision and stability in urban flood modeling, highlighting GUDS’s robustness and practical applicability as an open and extensible alternative to conventional equation-based models.

Determining the 3D atomic structures of multi-element nanoparticles in their native liquid environment is crucial to understanding their physicochemical properties. Graphene liquid cell (GLC) TEM offers a platform to directly investigate nanoparticles in their solution phase. Moreover, exploiting high-resolution TEM images of single rotating nanoparticles in GLCs, 3D atomic structures of nanoparticles are reconstructed by a method called “Brownian one-particle reconstruction”. We here introduce a 3D atomic structure determination method for multi-element nanoparticle systems. The method, which is based on low-pass filtration and initial 3D model generation customized for different types of multi-element systems, enables reconstruction of high-resolution 3D Coulomb density maps for ordered and disordered multi-element systems and classification of the heteroatom type. Using high-resolution image datasets obtained from TEM simulations of PbSe, CdSe, and FePt nanoparticles that are structurally relaxed with first-principles calculations in the graphene liquid cell, we show that the types and positions of the constituent atoms are precisely determined with root mean square displacement values less than 24 pm. Our study suggests that it is possible to investigate the 3D atomic structures of synthesized multi-element nanoparticles in liquid phase.

Crystal structures determine material properties, suggesting that crystal phase transformations have the potential for application in a variety of systems and devices. Phase transitions are more likely to occur in smaller crystals; however, in quantum‐sized semiconductor nanocrystals, the microscopic mechanisms by which phase transitions occur are not well understood. Herein, the phase transformation of 2D CdSe quantum nanosheets caused by off‐stoichiometry is revealed, and the progress of the transformation is directly observed by in situ transmission electron microscopy. The initial hexagonal wurtzite‐CdSe nanosheets with atomically uniform thickness are transformed into cubic zinc blende‐CdSe nanosheets. A combined experimental and theoretical study reveals that electron‐beam irradiation can change the stoichiometry of the nanosheets, thereby triggering phase transformation. The loss of Se atoms induces the reconstruction of surface atoms, driving the transformation from wurtzite‐CdSe(112¯ $\\bar{2}$ 0) to zinc blende‐CdSe(001) 2D nanocrystals. Furthermore, during the phase transformation, unconventional dynamic phenomena occur, including domain separation. This study contributes to the fundamental understanding of the phase transformations in 2D quantum‐sized semiconductor nanocrystals. This study reveals the mechanism for phase transformation of 2D CdSe quantum nanosheets induced by off‐stoichiometry. The loss of Se atoms in 2D wurtzite‐CdSe nanocrystals destabilizes the initial structure and modifies the surface atomic configuration to resemble zinc blende structure, which ultimately leads to phase transformation. Additional non‐conventional dynamic phenomena, including domain separation, are observed during the transformation.

Simulation has been applied to diverse domains such as urban growth modeling and market dynamics modeling. Some of these applications may require validations, based on some real-world observations modeled in the simulation. This validation can be conducted as either qualitative face-validation or quantitative empirical validation; however, as the importance and accumulation of data grows, the importance of quantitative validation has been highlighted in recent studies. The key component of quantitative validation is finding a calibrated set of parameters to regenerate the real-world observations in the simulation models. While the parameter of interest to be calibrated has hitherto been fixed throughout simulation executions, we expand the static parameter calibration in two dimensions in this study, dynamically and heterogeneously. The dynamic calibration changes the parameter values over the simulation period by reflecting the simulation output trend, and the heterogeneous calibration changes the parameter values per simulated entity clusters by considering the similarities of the entity states. We experimented with the proposed calibrations on a hypothetical case and a real-world case. For the hypothetical scenario, we used the wealth distribution model to illustrate how our calibration works. For the real-world scenario, we selected the real estate market model. The models were selected, because of two reasons. First, they have heterogeneous entities, being agent-based models. Second, they are agent-based models exhibiting real-world trends over time.

Emerging Oseltamivir-resistant influenza strains pose a critical public health threat due to antigenic shifts and drifts. We report an innovative strategy for controlling influenza A infections by use of a novel minibody of the 3D8 single chain variable fragment (scFv) showing intrinsic viral RNA hydrolyzing activity, cell penetration activity, and epidermal cell penetration ability. In this study, we examined 3D8 scFv’s antiviral activity in vitro on three different H1N1 influenza strains, one Oseltamivir-resistant (A/Korea/2785/2009pdm) strain, and two Oseltamivir-sensitive (A/PuertoRico/8/1934 and A/X-31) strains. Interestingly, the 3D8 scFv directly digested viral RNAs in the ribonucleoprotein complex. scFv’s reduction of influenza viral RNA including viral genomic RNA, complementary RNA, and messenger RNA during influenza A infection cycles indicated that this minibody targets all types of viral RNAs during the early, intermediate, and late stages of the virus’s life cycle. Moreover, we further addressed the antiviral effects of 3D8 scFv to investigate in vivo clinical outcomes of influenza-infected mice. Using both prophylactic and therapeutic treatments of intranasal administered 3D8 scFv, we found that Oseltamivir-resistant H1N1-infected mice showed 90% (prophylactic effects) and 40% (therapeutic effects) increased survival rates, respectively, compared to the control group. The pathological signs of influenza A in the lung tissues, and quantitative analyses of the virus proliferations supported the antiviral activity of the 3D8 single chain variable fragment. Taken together, these results demonstrate that 3D8 scFv has antiviral therapeutic potentials against a wide range of influenza A viruses via the direct viral RNA hydrolyzing activity.

Sensor-based air monitoring instruments (SAMIs) can provide high-resolution air quality data by offering a detailed mapping of areas that air quality monitoring stations (AQMSs) cannot reach. This enhances the precision of estimating PM2.5 concentration levels for areas that have not been directly measured, thereby enabling an accurate assessment of exposure. The study period was from 30 September to 2 October 2019 in the Guro-gu district, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Four models were applied to assess the suitability of the SAMIs and visualize the temporal and spatial distribution of PM2.5. Assuming that the PM2.5 concentrations measured at a SAMI located in the center of the Guro-gu district represent the true values, the PM2.5 concentrations estimated using QGIS spatial interpolation techniques were compared. The SAMIs were used at seven points (S1–S7) according to the distance. Models 3 and 4 accurately estimated the unmeasured points with higher coefficients of determination (R2) than the other models. As the distance from the AQMS increased from S1 to S7, the R2 between the observed and estimated values decreased from 0.89 to 0.29, respectively. The auxiliary installation of SAMIs could resolve regional concentration imbalances, allowing for the accurate estimation of pollutant concentrations and improved risk assessment for the population.

A heat pump with thermal storage system is a system that operates a heat pump during nighttime using inexpensive electricity; during this time, the generated thermal energy is stored in a thermal storage tank. The stored thermal energy is used by the heat pump during daytime. Based on a model of a dual latent thermal storage tank and a heat pump, this study conducts control simulations using both conventional and advanced methods for heating in a building. Conventional methods include the thermal storage priority method and the heat pump priority method, while advanced approaches include the region control method and the dynamic programming method. The heating load required for an office building is identified using TRNSYS (Transient system simulation), used for simulations of various control methods. The thermal storage priority method shows a low coefficient of performance (COP), while the heat pump priority method leads to high electricity costs due to the low use of thermal storage. In contrast, electricity costs are lower for the region control method, which operates using the optimal part load ratio of the heat pump, and for dynamic programming, which operates the system by following the minimum cost path. According to simulation results for the winter season, the electricity costs using the dynamic programming method are 17% and 9% lower than those of the heat pump priority and thermal storage priority methods, respectively. The region control method shows results similar to the dynamic programming method with respect to electricity costs. In conclusion, advanced control methods are proven to have advantages over conventional methods in terms of power consumption and electricity costs.

Osteosarcoma has poor prognosis owing to its aggressive metastasis and high recurrence rates due to residual cancer cells which are common even after surgical resection. In addition, for irregular defects, site-specific design is essential to ensure anatomical conformity. Consequently, a critical demand exists for a theragenerative approach that simultaneously provides structural reconstruction and functional eradication of residual cancer cells. Herein, we present a patient-specific 3D-printed theragenerative polyetheretherketone (PEEK) scaffold integrated with biofunctional 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) to impart enhanced bioactivity and dual-phototherapy. 2D monolayer MoS 2 synthesized via nanoseed-initiated atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) was subsequently integrated onto the 3D-printed PEEK through a polymer-assisted transfer process. The fabricated 2D MoS 2 -conformal 3D-printed PEEK scaffold (MoS 2 @PEEK) enabled simultaneous photothermal and photodynamic therapy via the intrinsic photoresponsive properties MoS 2 . Under dual-wavelength irradiation, this combined phototherapy effectively induced pronounced cancer cell apoptosis and exhibited antibacterial activity through the synergistic effects of localized hyperthermia and reactive oxygen species generation. In contrast, under the same photothermal stimulation, pre-osteoblasts and vascular endothelial cells exhibited enhanced attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. Therefore, this theragenerative system represents a promising patient-specific platform for simultaneous tumor suppression, infection control, and bone regeneration after osteosarcoma resection. Graphical abstract

The whole genome and transcriptome analyses were performed for prediction of the ecological characteristics of Arthrinium and the genes involved in gentisyl alcohol biosynthesis. Whole genome sequences of A. koreanum KUC21332 and A. saccharicola KUC21221 were analyzed, and the genes involved in interspecies interaction, carbohydrate-active enzymes, and secondary metabolites were investigated. Three of the seven genes associated with interspecies interactions shared by four Arthrinium spp. were involved in pathogenesis. A. koreanum and A. saccharicola exhibit the enzyme profiles similar to those observed in plant pathogens and endophytes rather than saprobes. Furthermore, six of the seven metabolites of known clusters identified in the genomes of the four Arthrinium spp. are associated with plant virulence. These results indicate that Arthrinium spp. are potentially pathogenic to plants. Subsequently, different conditions for gentisyl alcohol production in A. koreanum were established, and mRNA extracted from cultures of each condition was subjected to RNA-Seq to analyze the differentially-expressed genes. The gentisyl alcohol biosynthetic pathway and related biosynthetic gene clusters were identified, and gentisyl alcohol biosynthesis was significantly downregulated in the mannitol-supplemented group where remarkably low antioxidant activity was observed. These results indicate that gentisyl alcohol production in algicolous Arthrinium spp. is influenced by mannitol. It was suggested that the algicolous Arthrinium spp. form a symbiotic relationship that provides antioxidants when the photosynthetic activity of brown algae decreases in exchange for receiving mannitol. This is the first study to analyze the lifestyle of marine algicolous Arthrinium spp. at the molecular level and suggests a symbiotic mechanism with brown algae. It also improves the understanding of fungal secondary metabolite production via identification of the gentisyl alcohol biosynthetic gene clusters in Arthrinium spp.