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The presence and distribution characteristics of microplastics become a big issue due to the adverse effects on marine organisms caused by not only microplastics but any incorporated and/or adsorbed pollutants. Distribution of microplastics (50- to 5000-μm size) was determined for three sandy beaches on an isolated island in a high-tidal costal region to elucidate spatial distributions in relation to beach locations. The abundances of microplastics ( n  = 21) measured were 56–285,673 (46,334 ± 71,291) particles/m 2 corresponding to the highest level globally. Out of observed polymer types, expanded polystyrene was overwhelmingly dominant. Although lying toward the estuary of the largest river in the country, the north-side beach contained a 100-fold lower abundance than two south-side beaches that faced southerly wind and currents that were prevalent throughout the study season. In addition, distinct differences between the beaches on either side were also present in terms of size distribution and spatial homogeneity of microplastics on the same beach. Winds and currents are therefore considered to be the driving forces in the distribution of microplastics.

Microplastics in marine environments are of emerging concern due to their widespread distribution, their ingestion by various marine organisms, and their roles as a source and transfer vector of toxic chemicals. However, our understanding of their abundance and distribution characteristics in surface seawater (SSW) remains limited. We investigated microplastics in the surface microlayer (SML) and the SSW at 12 stations near-shore and offshore of the Korean west coast, Incheon/Kyeonggi region. Variation between stations, sampling media, and sampling methods were compared based on abundances, size distribution, and composition profiles of microsized synthetic polymer particles. The abundance of microplastics was greater in the SML (152,688 ± 92,384 particles/m 3 ) than in SSW and showed a significant difference based on the sampling method for SSWs collected using a hand net (1602 ± 1274 particles/m 3 ) and a zooplankton trawl net (0.19 ± 0.14 particles/m 3 ). Ship paint particles (mostly alkyd resin polymer) accounted for the majority of microplastics detected in both SML and SSWs, and increased levels were observed around the voyage routes of large vessels. This indicates that polymers with marine-based origins become an important contributor to microplastics in coastal SSWs of this coastal region.

Patient-centered care (PCC) emphasizes providing patients with clear information to support active participation in medical decision-making. However, the fast-paced nature of emergency departments (ED), coupled with communication barriers and varying health literacy, limits effective patient engagement. While large language models (LLMs) have shown potential in generating patient-friendly documents, their use in ED settings remains underexplored. This study aimed to develop LLM-generated patient-friendly clinical notes (PFCNs) that transform clinical notes into plain language, and to evaluate whether PFCNs could enhance patient participation in ED consultations. In this study, a total of 120 PFCNs were generated and evaluated, receiving high understandability ratings from both 10 clinicians and 20 patients (PEMAT score: 87.2%). Patients who used PFCNs during simulated ED consultations reported significantly higher participation levels compared to prior ED experiences (PPQ, P  < 0.05). Qualitative data showed that PFCNs supported understanding, question preparation, emotional reassurance and improved relationships with clinicians, though concerns about hallucinations and integration into clinical workflows remained. These findings suggested that PFCNs generated by LLMs show promise for enhancing patient participation in ED consultations. Future work should address accuracy and explore real-world integration to support safe and effective deployment.

Background Parental depression is a significant problem that negatively affects parents’ welfare and influences family dynamics, children’s academic and health behaviors, and mental health. However, there is limited evidence regarding the impact of the parental depression into the children’s’ psychological and physical wellbeing on Asian cultures. This study examined the psychological burdens and health behaviors of adolescent children with parents with depression in the Republic of Korea. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) spanning 2013 to 2021 to compare health behaviors and mental health outcomes between 203 adolescent children with parents diagnosed with depression and 3,856 control adolescents aged 12–19 years. Results Following multivariate adjustments, the risk of depressive mood for more than two weeks was significantly increased in boys with parental depression (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 2.05, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.91–3.52) and adolescents with parents with moderate-to-severe depression (aOR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.17–5.77). Adolescents with parental depression reported significantly worse subjective health status (aOR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.05–3.36) and higher stress levels (aOR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.33–2.76). Additionally, when parental depression was present and the time since depression diagnosis was more than five years, adolescents with parental depression exhibited even poorer subjective health status and higher stress levels. Conclusions The study found that adolescents whose parents experienced depression had poorer mental health than those whose parents did not have mental health issues. These findings emphasize the importance of providing support for the mental health of adolescents in families affected by parental depression.

Individuals with autism often experience heightened anxiety in workplace environments because of challenges in communication and sensory overload. As these experiences can result in negative self-image, promoting their self-efficacy in the workplace is crucial. Virtual reality (VR) systems have emerged as promising tools for enhancing the self-efficacy of individuals with autism in navigating social scenarios, aiding in the identification of anxiety-inducing situations, and preparing for real-world interactions. However, there is limited research exploring the potential of VR to enhance self-efficacy by facilitating an understanding of emotional and physiological states during social skills practice. This study aims to develop and evaluate a VR system that enabled users to experience simulated work-related social scenarios and reflect on their behavioral and physiological data through data visualizations. We intended to investigate how these data, combined with the simulations, can support individuals with autism in building their self-efficacy in social skills. We developed WorkplaceVR, a comprehensive VR system designed for engagement in simulated work-related social scenarios, supplemented with data-driven reflections of users' behavioral and physiological responses. A within-subject deployment study was subsequently conducted with 14 young adults with autism to examine WorkplaceVR's feasibility. A mixed methods approach was used, compassing pre- and postsystem use assessments of participants' self-efficacy perceptions. The study results revealed WorkplaceVR's effectiveness in enhancing social skills and self-efficacy among individuals with autism. First, participants exhibited a statistically significant increase in perceived self-efficacy following their engagement with the VR system (P=.02). Second, thematic analysis of the interview data confirmed that the VR system and reflections on the data fostered increased self-awareness among participants about social situations that trigger their anxiety, as well as the behaviors they exhibit during anxious moments. This increased self-awareness prompted the participants to recollect their related experiences in the real world and articulate anxiety management strategies. Furthermore, the insights uncovered motivated participants to engage in self-advocacy, as they wanted to share the insights with others. This study highlights the potential of VR simulations enriched with physiological and behavioral sensing as a valuable tool for augmenting self-efficacy in workplace social interactions for individuals with autism. Data reflection facilitated by physiological sensors helped participants with autism become more self-aware of their emotions and behaviors, advocate for their characteristics, and develop positive self-beliefs.

In this study, electromechanical characteristics of (1-x) Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –xSrTiO 3 (ST26, x = 0.26)/(1-y) Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –ySrTiO 3 (ST10, y = 0.1) (matrix/seed) composites were studied. The ST26 (high relaxor phase) and ST10 (a relaxor ferroelectric (RF), high ferroelectric phase) composite with large (r-ST26-ST10) and small (t-ST26-ST10) grains exhibited frequency-related dielectric properties and large strain response at a low triggering electric field (an incipient piezoelectricity). It is ascribed to a matrix-seed effect originating from the inhomogeneous composition due to the presence of two phases. The r-ST26-ST10 composite sintered at 4 h, prominent material, showed a high normalized dynamic strain (d 33 *) of ~700 pm/V (large grains) with stable frequency dependence properties at a low field of 40 kV/cm. The properties of the r-ST26-ST10 composite exhibit less decay with frequency-related polarization and strain compared to those of t-ST26-ST10 composite. The increase in soaking time promotes the diffusion and homogenization of the microstructure in composites, leading to changes in the core-shell structure in the solid solution. The polarization and strain of the ST26-ST10 composites with the frequency are linked to the stability of the internal random fields created by non-ergodic relaxor phase of seed and the amount of phase change in the ergodic relaxor matrix.

Face-centered-cubic crystallized super-fine (~ 2 nm in size) wet-ceria-abrasives are synthesized using a novel wet precipitation process that comprises a Ce 4+ precursor, C 3 H 4 N 2 catalyst, and NaOH titrant for a synthesized termination process at temperature of at temperature of 25 °C. This process overcomes the limitations of chemical–mechanical-planarization (CMP)-induced scratches from conventional dry ceria abrasives with irregular surfaces or wet ceria abrasives with crystalline facets in nanoscale semiconductor devices. The chemical composition of super-fine wet ceria abrasives depends on the synthesis termination pH, that is, Ce(OH) 4 abrasives at a pH of 4.0–5.0 and a mixture of CeO 2 and Ce(OH) 4 abrasives at a pH of 5.5–6.5. The Ce(OH) 4 abrasives demonstrate better abrasive stability in the SiO 2 -film CMP slurry than the CeO 2 abrasives and produce a minimum abrasive zeta potential (~ 12 mV) and a minimum secondary abrasive size (~ 130 nm) at the synthesis termination pH of 5.0. Additionally, the abrasive stability of the SiO 2 -film CMP slurry that includes super-fine wet ceria abrasives is notably sensitive to the CMP slurry pH; the best abrasive stability (i.e., a minimum secondary abrasive size of ~ 130 nm) is observed at a specific pH (6.0). As a result, a maximum SiO 2 -film polishing rate (~ 524 nm/min) is achieved at pH 6.0, and the surface is free of stick-and-slip type scratches.

Aortic valve morphology has been invoked as intrinsic to outcomes of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) for congenital aortic valve stenosis. We sought to use aortic valve morphologic features to discriminate between valves that respond favorably or unfavorably to BAV, using aortic insufficiency (AI) as the primary outcome. All patients who underwent BAV at 2 large-volume pediatric centers from 2007 to 2014 were reviewed. Morphologic features assessed on pre-BAV echo included valve pattern (unicuspid, functional bicuspid, and true bicuspid), leaflet fusion length, leaflet excursion angle, and aortic valve opening area and on post-BAV echo included leaflet versus commissural tear. Primary end point was increase in AI (AI+) of ≥2°. Eighty-nine patients (median age 0.2 years) were included in the study (39 unicuspid, 41 functional bicuspid, and 9 true bicuspid valves). Unicuspid valves had a lower opening area (p <0.01) and greater fusion length (p = 0.01) compared with functional and true bicuspid valves. Valve gradient pre-BAV and post-BAV were not different among valve patterns. Of the 16 patients (18%) with AI+, 14 had leaflet tears (odds ratio 13.9, 3.8 to 50). True bicuspid valves had the highest rate (33%) of AI+. On multivariate analysis, leaflet tears were associated with AI+, with larger opening area pre-BAV and lower fusion length pre-BAV. AI+ was associated with larger pre-BAV opening area. Gradient relief was associated with reduced angle of excursion. Valve morphology influences outcomes after BAV. Valves with lesser fusion and larger valve openings have higher rates of leaflet tears which in turn are associated with AI.

In this study, an acoustic emission (AE) sensor was fabricated using lead-free Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT–BCT) ceramics. The acoustic and electromechanical properties of the AE sensor were determined by the shapes of the piezoelectric ceramics. To optimize the AE sensor performance, the shapes of the ceramics were designed according to various diameter/thickness ratios (D/T) = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0. The BZT–BCT ceramic with D/T = 1.0 exhibited excellent values of a piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33), piezoelectric voltage coefficient (g33), and electromechanical coupling factor (kp), which were 370 (pC/N), 11.3 (10−3 Vm/N), and 0.58, respectively. Optimum values of resonant frequency (fr) = 172.724 (kHz), anti-resonant frequency (fa) = 196.067 (kHz), and effective electromechanical coupling factor (keff) = 0.473 were obtained for the manufactured BZT–BCT ceramic with D/T = 1.0. The maximum sensitivity and frequency of the AE sensor made of the BZT–BCT ceramic with a D/T ratio of 1.0 were 65 dB and 30 kHz, respectively.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects of Rubus coreanus-derived lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermented feed (RC-LAB fermented feed) and three types of LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis) on the expression of transcription factors and cytokines in Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in the intestinal lymph nodes and spleens of rats. In addition, the effect on intestinal microbiota composition and body weight was investigated.Methods: Five-week-old male rats were assigned to five treatments and eight replicates. The expression of transcription factors and cytokines of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in the intestinal lymph nodes and spleens was analyzed using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays. Intestinal tract microbiota compositions were analyzed by next-generation sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays.Results: RC-LAB fermented feed and three types of LAB increased the expression of transcription factors and cytokines in Th1, Treg cells and Galectin-9, but decreased in Th2 and Th17 cells. In addition, the intestinal microbiota composition changed, the body weight and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio decreased, and the relative abundance of LAB increased.Conclusion: LAB fermented feed and three types of LAB showed an immune modulation effect by inducing T cell polarization and increased LAB in the intestinal microbiota.