Search

A set of 41 stream water samples of the Lo River catchment, Ha Giang province, collected in dry season was analyzed for pH, major cation and anion, trace element concentrations. The stream waters exhibits a midly acidic to alkaline, meanwhile, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) values have a wide range of 17.4–284.9 mg L–1. Among major cations and anions, the stream water within the Lo River catchment is characterized by the predominant presence of Ca2+ and . This compositional pattern gives rise to the emergence of the Ca–Mg–HCO3 water type as the most dominant species, followed by Na–Cl, Ca–Mg–Cl–SO4 and Na–HCO3–Cl types. However, the distribution of these water types corresponds closely with the geological conditions, with Na–Cl type prevailing in the watershed of granite complex, while watersheds characterized by lithologies such as Quaternary sediments, limestone, marble, shale, schist, and sandstone primarily exhibit the Ca–Mg–HCO3 water type. The dominant reaction in the water system is the dissolution of carbonate minerals, like calcite and dolomite, followed by the contribution of modest rainfall during the dry season, and small-scale processes of mixing and cation exchange. Comparison of major ions and trace element with technical standard reveal the stream waters are generally deemed suitable for the routine activities of the local population in Ha Giang province. However, stream water of a few specific sites may require treatment before these waters can be safely utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a method to fabricate carbon nanotubes (CNT)/conducting polymer composite films for the application of CNTs to field emission displays. The composite was prepared by a combination of electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole and electrophoretic deposition of CNTs. We obtained a uniform CNT/conducting polypyrrole polymer composite film. The CNTs were mainly coated on protrusions of the polypyrrole film and emitted electrons without rubbing and stretching. We realized a triode-type field emission array (FEA) using the CNT/polypyrrol composite. This FEA showed that the emission current was modulated by gate voltage of 30 V. The film morphology and emission characteristics of the CNT/conducting polymer composite were studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and an emission test in vacuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to establish standards for determining sex from fragmentary and complete femurs in a Korean population. Materials and methods: The statistical analysis of 12 variables (6 about breadth and 6 about length) based on 100 Korean femurs (from 50 males and 50 females) showed that all variables have significant sex differences. Results: The most accurate discriminant variable was the condylar breadth parallel with epicondylar breadth (87.6% accuracy). In contrast, the transverse shaft diameter was not a discriminant variable for sex determination (67.0% accuracy). Breadth-related variables were generally more accurate than length-related variables. Three variables (vertical diameter of the neck [VDN], medial epicondylar length [MCL], and condylar breadth [CB]) were selected from stepwise analysis for discriminating sex (93.5% accuracy). The discriminating equation was as follows: 0.171 x VDN + 0.172 x MCL + 0.128 x CB2 - 21.471. Conclusions: The results of this study are helpful for determining sex, even if a femur is found in a fragmented condition in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This prospective study was conducted with the Korean Cancer Study Group to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cetuximab combined with modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) as first-line treatment in recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer and to identify potential predictive biomarkers. Patients received cetuximab 400 mg m(-2) at week 1 and 250 mg m(-2) weekly thereafter until disease progression. Oxaliplatin (100 mg m(-2)) and leucovorin (100 mg m(-2)) were administered as a 2-h infusion followed by a 46-h continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (2400 mg m(-2)) every 2 weeks for a maximum of 12 cycles. Biomarkers potentially associated with efficacy were analysed. Among 38 evaluable patients, confirmed response rate (RR) was 50.0% (95% CI 34.1-65.9). Median time-to-progression (TTP) was 5.5 months (95% CI 4.5-6.5) and overall survival (OS) 9.9 months. Eleven patients having tumour EGFR expression by immunohistochemistry with low serum EGF and TGF-alpha levels showed a 100% RR compared to 37.0% in the remaining 27 patients (P<0.001). Moreover, ligand level increased when disease progressed in seven out of eight patients with EGFR expression and low baseline ligand level. No patient exhibited EGFR amplification or K-ras mutations. Gastric cancer patients with EGFR expression and low ligand levels had better outcomes with cetuximab/mFOLFOX6 treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pogo mouse is a new ataxic autosomal recessive mutant that arose in Korean wild mice (KJR/Mskist). Its ataxic phenotype includes difficulty in maintaining a normal posture and the inability to walk in a straight line. Several studies have reported that tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is persistently ectopically expressed in particular subsets of Purkinje cells in a parasagittal banding pattern in several ataxic mutant mice, e.g. tottering alleles and pogo mice. In this present study, we examined the expression of an enzymatically active form of TH and phosphorylated TH at Ser40 (phospho-TH) by using immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence in the cerebellum of pogo mice. TH immunostaining appeared in some Purkinje cells in pogo, but in only a few of Purkinje cells of their heterozygous littermate controls. In all groups of mice, no phospho-TH immunoreactive Purkinje cells were observed in the cerebellum, although subsets of TH immunoreactive Purkinje cells were found in adjacent sections. This study suggests that TH expression in the Purkinje cells of pogo abnormally increases without activation of this enzyme by phosphorylation. This may mean that TH in the Purkinje cells of these mutants does not catalyse the conversion of tyrosine tol-DOPA, and is not related to catecholamine synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ataxic pogo mouse ( pogo/ pogo) is a novel neurological mutant, which was derived as an inbred strain ( KJR/ MsKist) from a Korean wild mouse. The pathological manifestations include a difficulty in maintaining a normal posture, the failure of inter-limb coordination and an inability to walk straight. In this study, we examined the distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) immunoreactive cerebellar climbing fibres and their projections to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of the pogo mutant mouse using immunohistochemistry. In the pogo/ pogo mouse, a subset of climbing fibres was stained more intensely for CRF than in the control. Moreover, ataxic pogo mouse, neurons of the inferior olivary nucleus projecting climbing fibres were also more intensely stained for CRF than in the control. In the pogo/ pogo mouse, TH immunoreactivity was located in the Purkinje cells, whereas no TH expression was found in the control. Double immunostaining for CRF and TH in the pogo/ pogo cerebellum revealed that the distribution of TH-immunoreactive Purkinje cells corresponded to terminal fields of CRF-immunoreactive climbing fibres but not to the CRF-immunoreactive mossy fibres. Therefore, we suggest that an increase of CRF level may alter the function of targeted Purkinje cells and that it is related to the ataxic phenotype in the pogo mutant mouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]