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Systemic contact dermatitis (SCD) develops when a person who was previously sensitized to an allergen is exposed to the same allergen via the systemic route. In East Asia, the use of lacquer for polishing furniture is common and a part of the traditional culture. Contact exposure to tableware polished with Rhus lacquer may lead to sensitization. In Korea, SCD is commonly observed after systemic exposure to Rhus, a nutritious food item consumed because of the common belief of it improving the immune system. In this study, we reviewed the medical records of 21 Korean patients with SCD caused by Rhus ingestion. We found that the most significant epidemiological factor for SCD was the season of the year. Furthermore, 66.67% of the patients presented with leucocytosis and 23.81% showed increased liver enzyme levels. It is important to educate people on the risks associated with the systemic ingestion of Rhus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Psychological aspect and quality of life should be considered in treating patients with psoriasis. Objective: We sought to ascertain which clinical characteristics including presence of exposed lesions are associated with impairment of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with psoriasis. Methods: The EPI‐PSODE study was a nationwide, multicenter, cross‐sectional study conducted in Korea that included 1260 adult patients with psoriasis. In addition to clinical characteristics including presence of exposed lesions, data were collected using the Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Screening and Evaluation (PASE), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), MOS 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36), Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire Psoriasis (WPAI: PSO) and Medication Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). Results: Patients with a DLQI score > 5 (n = 990) were younger, had an earlier onset of psoriasis, scored higher on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), had higher body surface area (BSA) and had higher PASE scores than patients with DLQI ≤ 5 (n = 266). The group of patients with exposed lesions (n = 871) were younger and male predominance, earlier onset of psoriasis, longer disease duration, higher PASI/BSA score and a higher proportion with drinking and smoking history each than the group of patients without exposed lesions (n = 389). Presence of exposed lesions negatively influenced DLQI, 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36) (mental component), presenteeism, total work productivity impairment and total activity impairment in the WPAI: PSO. In multiple regression model, PASI score was the only variable which was significantly associated with all HRQoL measures. Presence of exposed lesions was a significant factor affecting DLQI and SF‐36 (mental). Conclusion: The presence of exposed lesions has a negative impact on quality of life, mental health and work productivity. Therefore, effective treatments are particularly needed for psoriasis patients with exposed lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Hereditary factors are involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, AD‐related gene variations are significantly different across ethnicities. Aim: To identify mutations and single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in barrier‐ or immune‐related genes from Korean patients with AD and compare the variations with those observed in nonatopic healthy controls (HCs), and to use novel reverse blot hybridization assay (REBA) for AD‐related gene variants. Methods: We carried out REBA to simultaneously detect variations in genes related to barrier or immune function, namely, FLG, SPINK5, KLK7, DEFB1, TNFα, KDR, FCER1A, IL4, IL5,IL5RA, IL9, IL10, IL12, IL12R, IL13 and IL18, from Korean patients with AD, and compared the variation to that in nonatopic healthy controls. Results: The homozygous mutants of KLK7 and SPINK5‐2475, and the heterozygous mutants of FLG 3321delA, SPINK5‐1156, DEFB1, KDR, IL5RA, IL9 and IL12RB1 were significantly more frequent in AD. It has been predicted that the larger the number of gene variants, the higher the odds ratio of AD prevalence; however, we did not find any significant correlation between the number of gene variants and AD severity. Conclusion: Using REBA, we identified more genetic variants that can predict AD occurrence. We also verified that REBA can be used to easily and accurately detect multiple AD‐related gene variants simultaneously. In addition, we identified a correlation between KLK7 mutation and AD in Koreans, which is the first such report, to our knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water atomization of iron powder with a composition of Fe-3Cr-0.5Mo (wt.%) at 1600°C and 150 bar creates an oxide layer, which in this study was reduced using a mixture of methane (CH4) and argon (Ar) gas. The lowest oxygen content was achieved with a 100 cc/min flow rate of CH4, but this also resulted in a co-deposition of carbon due to the cracking of CH4. This carbon can be used directly to create high-quality, sinter hardenable steel, thereby eliminating the need for an additional mixing step prior to sintering. An exponential relationship was found to exist between the CH4 gas flow rate and carbon content of the powder, meaning that its composition can be easily controlled to suit a variety of different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have developed the manufacturing technology for high strength gray cast irons by using the spent permanent magnet scraps. The cast specimen inoculated by using a spent magnet scraps showed the excellent tensile strength up to 306MPa. This tensile strength value is 50MPa higher than that of the specimen cast without inoculation, and is similar to that of the specimen inoculated by using the expensive misch-metal. These superior mechanical properties are attributed to complex sulfides created during solidification that promote the formation and growth of Type-A graphite. It is therefore concluded that spent magnets scrap can provide an efficient and cost-effective inoculation agent for the fabrication of high-performance gray cast iron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Filaggrin is a key protein involved in skin barrier function. Mutations in the gene encoding filaggrin ( FLG) have been identified as the cause of ichthyosis vulgaris and have been shown to be major predisposing factors for atopic dermatitis ( AD). Aim To investigative the clinical characteristics of patients with AD with FLG mutations and determine the differences between patients with AD with and without FLG mutations. Methods We identified FLG mutations in patients with AD by complete sequencing and SNaPshot methods, and then analysed the data on clinical characteristics from questionnaire responses. Results We found that earlier age of AD onset ( P < 0.05), tendency to respiratory atopy ( P = 0.03), more severe clinical characteristics of AD (higher Eczema Area and Severity Index, P = 0.02) and decrease in skin hydration ( P = 0.04) were associated with FLG-related AD. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that FLG mutations are indicators of a poor prognosis in AD, and are predisposing factors that exist in early infancy and persist into adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samples of fog water were collected at Baengnyeong Island (BYI) in the Yellow Sea during the summer of 2014. The most abundant chemical species in the fog water were NH4+ (mean of 2220 µM), NO3- (1260 µM), SO4-2 (730 µM), and Na+ (551 µM), with substantial contributions from other species consistent with marine and biomass burning influence on some dates. The pH of the samples ranged between 3.48 and 5.00, with a mean of 3.94, intermediate within pH values of fog/cloud water reported previously in Southeast Asia. Back trajectories (72 h) showed that high relative humidity ( > 80 %) was encountered upwind of the sampling site by all but one of the sampled air masses, and that the fog composition at BYI can be impacted by several different source regions, including the Sea of Japan, southeastern China, northeastern China, and the East China Sea. Sulfur in the collected fog was highly oxidized: low S(IV) concentrations were measured (mean of 2.36 µM) in contrast to SO4-2 and in contrast to fog/cloud S(IV) concentrations from pollutant source regions; organosulfate species were also observed and were most likely formed through aging of mainly biogenic volatile organic compounds. Low-molecular-mass organic acids were major contributors to total organic carbon (TOC; 36-69 %), comprising a fraction of TOC at the upper end of that seen in fogs and clouds in other polluted environments. Large contributions were observed from not only acetic and formic acids but also oxalic, succinic, maleic, and other organic acids that can be produced in aqueous atmospheric organic processing (AAOP) reactions. These samples of East Asian fog water containing highly oxidized components represent fog downwind of pollutant sources and can provide new insight into the fate of regional emissions. In particular, these samples demonstrate the result of extensive photochemical aging during multiday transport, including oxidation within wet aerosols and fogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It should be emphasized that the colour of the tattoo, the wavelength of the laser and the laser fluence play essential roles in tattoo darkening. The darkened test areas exhibited improvement after a total of five treatments using a low-fluence picosecond Nd: YAG laser (1064 nm, 10 mm spot, 0.25 J), applied at 1-month intervals (Fig. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a case study of 49-year-old woman who was presented with swollen, erythematous, unilateral sclerosing patch on the right face. Topics mentioned include the use of type A injectable cosmetic botulinum toxin (BTX) for her wrinkles, the cellulitis diagnosis with no improvement on treatment, and the immunohistochemical studies that showed the embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) diagnosis.

Enigmatic tracks and dinosaur trackways from lacustrine margin sediments of the Lower Cretaceous Haman Formation of the southern coast of Korea represent a new ichnospecies. Trackways with large, pes-only tracks with lengths up to 39 cm, characterized by elongate, subtriangular outlines, impressions of four digits and a subangular heel, are attributed to plantigrade pterodactyloids and assigned to Haenamichnus gainensis ichnosp. nov. These tracks comprise one of the largest and longest pterosaur trackways hitherto reported and provide intriguing new insight into pterosaur locomotory gait and stance, which has been the subject of a 200-year-long controversy. Associated sauropod tracks, assigned herein to Brontopodus birdi, reach 70 cm in length, are medium-gauged, and show outwardly curved digit impressions. E-W trackway alignments likely indicate shoreline trends but could possibly suggest behavioral hunting scenarios. Pes-only pterosaur tracks at this locality are another example of spoor incorrectly interpreted by creationists as the footprints of humans that coexisted with dinosaurs during the Cretaceous Period. This erroneous interpretation is popular in some circles in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new insect member of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family of transcription factors, Hyphantria cunea STAT (HcSTAT), was cloned from the lepidopteran H. cunea. The domain involved in DNA interaction and the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain were well conserved. During all developmental stages, the gene was expressed at a low level in the haemocytes, fat body cells, midgut, epidermis and Malpighian tubules. The haemocytes and Malpighian tubules showed transcriptional activation of HcSTAT upon Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial challenges. These challenges increased the induction and nuclear translocation of the HcSTAT protein that recognizes a STAT target site in H. cunea haemocytes. In vivo treatment with sodium orthovanadate translocated HcSTAT to the haemocyte nucleus. This study shows the involvement of the haemocyte Janus kinase/STAT pathway after microbial infection in lepidopteran insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work performs numerical optimization for design of blade stacking line for an axial flow fan with response surface method using three-dimensional Navier–Stokes analysis, and evaluates the effects of sweep and lean on the performance of the fan blade. Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations are discretized with finite-volume approximations using unstructured grids. Four geometric variables concerning spanwise distributions of sweep and lean of blade stacking line are chosen as design variables to find maximum efficiency. The computational results show good agreements with experimental data. The total efficiency is successfully increased in comparison with the reference fan by optimizing three-dimensional stacking line with sweep and lean. Coupling of sweep and lean also improves off-design performance of the blade remarkably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bipedal architecture is highly suitable for a robot built to work in human environments since such a robot will find avoiding obstacles a relatively easy task. However, the complex dynamics involved in the walking mechanism make the control of such a robot a challenging task. The zero-moment point (ZMP) trajectory in the robot's foot is a significant criterion for the robot's stability during walking. If the ZMP could be measured on-line then it becomes possible to create stable walking conditions for the robot and here also stably control the robot by using the measured ZMP, values. ZMP data is measured in real-time situations using a biped walking robot and this ZMP data is then modelled using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy system (ANFS). Natural walking motions on flat level surfaces and up and down a 10° slope are measured. The modelling performance of the ANFS is optimized by changing the membership functions and the consequent part of the fuzzy rules. The excellent performance demonstrated by the ANFS means that it can not only be used to model robot movements but also to control actual robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract cDNA clones for two of the yolk proteins, YP1 and YP2, produced by the fat body of the moth, Hyphantria cunea , were sequenced and found to be homologous to the follicular epithelium yolk proteins of pyralid moths. Both cDNA clones coded for polypeptides of 290 residues and the deduced amino acid sequence identity between YP1 and YP2 was very high (79.0%). Analysis of the secondary structure of the predicted polypeptides suggests that YP1 and YP2 do not form heteromeric proteins because of differences in secondary structure due to the lack of alpha helices in YP1. Northern blot analysis showed that the transcripts for YP1 (1.2 kb) and YP2 (1.1 kb) were present primarily in the female fat body with only trace levels detectable in the ovary of the adult female. In a developmental study, the YP1 and YP2 transcripts were first detectable in 10-day-old pupae and increased into the adult stage. These results suggest that the YP1 and YP2 genes in H. cunea have been recruited to replace the vitellogenin gene as the primary source of yolk proteins. During this process they have acquired a modified pattern of expression that is different from homologous genes reported in pyralid moths. The assessment of the evolution of proteinaceous yolk in these moths should serve as an excellent model for the evolution of gene recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical study is presented for Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes analysis of three-dimensional turbulent flows in a multiblade centrifugal fan. Present work aims at development of a relatively simple analysis method for these complex flows. A mathematical model of impeller forces is obtained from the integral analysis of the flow through the impeller. A finite volume method for discretization of governing equations and a standard k-ε model as turbulence closure are employed. For the validation of the mathematical model, the computational results for velocity components, static pressure, and flow angles at the exit of the impeller were compared with experimental data. The comparisons show generally good agreement, especially at higher flow coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]