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In this study, the concentration of urinary creatinine (Cr) and urine color were analyzed, and a correlation obtained, to objectively verify normal urine samples prior to forensic drug testing. Cr was analyzed via a colorimetric method based on the Jaffé reaction using a Cobas C-311 analyzer (Roche SA, Basel, Switzerland; Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan). The Cr concentration for urine specimen validity testing was measured to screen urine samples submitted after dilution or upon the addition of a foreign substance that interferes with drug testing. Urine samples containing < 20 mg/dL of Cr were classified as abnormal. The Korea Standard Color Analysis program was used for urine color analysis and correlations with Cr concentration analyzed. The color and Cr concentration of 271 urine samples were analyzed according to age and sex. The mean ± standard deviation of Cr concentration in males and females was 136.4 ± 66.2 mg/dL and 109.5 ± 71.1 mg/dL, respectively, with a statistically insignificant difference (p = 0.4554). Furthermore, the participants were categorized into young (19–34 years), middle-aged (35–49 years), and elderly (≥ 50 years) groups to compare Cr concentration; however, no significant difference was found (p = 0.2143–0.983). Strong variable correlations were identified between Cr and the characteristics of urine color. Despite various factors such as water consumption, health problems, and vitamins, urine color was found applicable for urine specimen validity testing. Future plans include the development of a smartphone camera application for use in urine color analysis to identify abnormal urine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, rational, and efficient way to explore high-performance electrocatalysts was developed by controlling the reaction kinetics of the rate-determining step (RDS). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the RDS for the oxygen evolution reaction driven by transition metal hydroxides/oxides, i.e., surface adsorption of OH−/OOH• species, can be significantly promoted by increasing the electrophilicity of electrocatalysts via hybridization with electron-withdrawing inorganic nanosheets. As predicted by DFT calculation, the hybridization of Ni-Fe-layered double hydroxide (LDH)/Ni-Co-LDH, with RuO2 nanosheets (1.0 wt%) leads to significant lowering of the overpotentials to 207/276 mV at 10 mA cm−2, i.e., one of the smallest overpotentials for LDH-based materials, with the increase in the current density. The necessity of a very small amount of RuO2 nanosheets (1.0 wt%) to optimize the electrocatalyst activity highlights the remarkably high efficiency of the RuO2 addition. The present study underscores the importance of kinetic control of the RDS via hybridization with electron-withdrawing species for exploring novel efficient electrocatalysts. Platinum and other precious metals currently used in fuel cells may ultimately be replaced by nanostructured catalysts designed with the help of computers. Catalysts are essential for speeding up the oxygen evolution reaction in fuel cells, a normally slow extraction of electrons and protons from water molecules. A team led by Hyungjun Kim from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejon and Seong-Ju Hwang from Ewha Womans University in Seoul have now used computer simulations to optimize inexpensive oxygen evolution catalysts made from transition metal hydroxides. Their calculations predicted that these normally multilayered catalysts could split water faster if exfoliated into individual sheets and attached to a ruthenium nanostructure. Fabrication of these materials revealed they had significantly higher active surface areas and improved energy efficiency compared to typical metal hydroxide catalysts. A rational way to explore economically feasible high-performance electrocatalyst for OER is developed by improving the reaction kinetics of rate-determining step via the hybridization with electron-withdrawing RuO2 nanosheet. Even with very low RuO2 content, self-assembled Ni-Fe-/Ni-Co-layered double hydroxide (LDH)-RuO2 nanohybrids show very small overpotentials of 207/276 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for oxygen evolution reaction with greatly improved current densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxocariasis is one of the causes of eosinophilia in peripheral blood and provokes eosinophilic infiltration in internal organs. Extended studies on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of toxocariasis have been rare. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of toxocariasis in unknown eosinophilia and to analyze the efficacy of toxocara enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We evaluated patients presenting with peripheral blood eosinophilia (>500 cells/μl or ≥10% of white blood cell count). After checking drug histories and the presence of allergic diseases and parasitic infections, specific serum IgG antibody to Toxocara canis larval antigen was measured by ELISA. Liver and lung involvement was also evaluated. One-hundred and three patients were evaluated, and the mean age was 50.9 years old. Seventy patients (68.0%) were diagnosed as having toxocariasis. The patients who had a history of raw liver eating had a higher incidence, and the patients with liver involvement had higher serum eosinophil cationic protein values. The eosinophil count was normalized in 7 of 16 treated patients and in 25 of 54 untreated patients. The mean improvement duration was 12 months. We concluded that the prevalence of toxocariasis was high in patients with unknown eosinophilia, and the toxocara ELISA was essential for evaluation of the causes of unknown eosinophilia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]