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Researchers recently suggested intravenous paracetamol as a potential cause of hypotension. We aimed to investigate risk factors of paracetamol- and propacetamol-associated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in Korean individuals.All adverse hypotension cases, regardless of suspected drug, and all ADRs associated with paracetamol and propacetamol use were collected from the Korea Adverse Event Reporting System database between 2011 and 2014. The seriousness, causality, and type of ADR were classified.Of 4,771 cases of adverse hypotension, 403 (8.4%) were reported to be related to propacetamol. This was comparable to the rate of hypotension associated with fentanyl (454, 9.5%), the major suspected drug of hypotension. Paracetamol-associated hypotension accounted for merely 1.2% (55 cases) of all hypotension cases. Among ADRs associated with propacetamol use, hypotension was the most common (37.1%), whereas cutaneous reactions were the primary paracetamol-associated ADR. Propacetamol/paracetamol-associated hypotension was frequently recorded in older patients (≥54 years) (53.9 ± 25.8 vs. 42.8 ± 21.7, P 0.001) and taking more concomitant drugs (1.9 ± 5.0 vs. 1.1 ± 3.2, P 0.001). Also, compared with other ADRs associated by propacetamol/paracetamol, hypotension was more commonly assessed as a serious outcome (27.3% vs. 11.4%, P 0.001). Regarding concomitant medications, the risk for hypotension associated with propacetamol was significantly increased in patients simultaneously taking antibacterials (J01), cold preparations (R05), drugs for acid related disorders (A02), blood substitutes (B05), or antithrombotics (B01).Propacetamol was found to be a major suspected drug of pharmacologically associated hypotension in Korea. Older and male patients taking medications in combination with propacetamol/paracetamol should undergo monitoring of their blood pressure. Copyright © 2017 John WileySons, Ltd.

This paper shows the Design and implementation of sensorless BLDC motor drive logic with FPGA. In this paper BEMF method was used to detect rotator position and start-up algorithm and implementation were suggested. This system was operated with the supply voltage range up to 24 V atl.5A, 120mNm load.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that adipokines affect immune responses and chronic urticaria (CU) is associated with an altered immune response related to chronic systemic inflammation. Our objectives were to investigate whether adipokines are involved in CU pathogenesis and to outline relationships between adipokines and urticaria severity and quality of life. Methods: Serum adiponectin, leptin, lipocalin-2 (LCN2), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 191 CU patients and 89 healthy controls. The effect of LCN2 on N-formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced neutrophil chemotaxis was assessed using migration assays. CU severity was assessed based on the urticaria activity score (UAS). To explore relationships between adipokines and UAS and the chronic urticaria-specific quality of life (CU-QoL) questionnaire, a structural equation model was used. Results: Mean levels of serum LCN2, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 were significantly higher in CU patients than in controls. Adiponectin levels were significantly lower in patients with CU than in controls. While serum IL-6 levels were significantly higher in refractory CU patients, compared to responsive CU individuals, LCN2 levels were significantly lower. LCN2 inhibited fMLP-induced neutrophil migration. LCN2 showed a direct relationship with UAS (β = -0.274, p < 0.001), and UAS was found to contribute to CU-QoL (β = 0.417, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our results highlighted an imbalance in pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines in CU patients. We suggest that LCN2 could be a differential marker for disease activity and the clinical responses to antihistamine treatment in CU patients. Modulation of systemic inflammation may be a therapeutic strategy for treating severe, refractory CU.

Infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is an important fish pathogen that infects both wild and cultured salmonids. Since the first isolation of IHNV from rainbow trout and masu salmon in 1991, a series of IHN disease outbreak has been reported in Korea. In 2011, we isolated two IHNV isolates from rainbow trout cultured in Korea. The full open-reading frame (ORF) encoding the glycoprotein (G) of them were sequenced and the amino acid sequences were phylogenetically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of the G revealed that both IHNV isolates were grouped into an Asian genogroup containing Korean IHNV isolates and Japanese IHNV isolates. However, based on their sequence variation, they were divided into different subgroup. While one isolate was similar to other Korean isolates, the other isolate showed a high level of similarity with Japanese isolates, suggesting the possibility of influx of new IHNV strain into Korea.

This paper presents an active anti-islanding detection method using negative sequence voltage injection to the grid through a three-phase photovoltaic inverters. Because islanding operation mode can cause a variety of problems, the islanding detection of grid-connected photovoltaic inverter is the mandatory feature. The islanding mode is detected by measuring the magnitude of negative sequence impedance calculated by the negative sequence voltage and current at the point of common coupling. Simulation and experimental test are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method which can detect the islanding mode in the specified time. The test has been done in accordance with the condition on IEEE Std 929-2000.

Objective To evaluate the usefulness of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in the management of cervical dystonia (CD) with botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injection. Method Thirty two subjects with CD were included. A BoNT-A injection was provided either by clinically targeting method (group 1) or by 18F-FDG PET/CT-assisted, clinically targeting method (group 2). In group 2, selection of target muscles and dosage of BoNT-A were determined according to the increased 18F-FDG uptake, in addition to physical examination and functional anatomy. The outcomes of BoNT-A injection was compared between the two groups, in terms of the number of subjects who had reinjection before and after 6 months, the number of reinjections, the interval of reinjections, the duration to the minimal Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS), the number of adverse events, the reduction rate of TWSTRS at 1-3 months and 3-6 months after injection, and the probability of reinjection-free living. Results The number of subjects who had reinjection within 6 months was significantly lower in group 2 than in group 1 (10 in group 1 vs. 3 in group 2). The reduction rate of TWSTRS after 3-6 months (37.8±15.7% of group 1 vs. 63.3±28.0% of group 2) and the probability of reinjection-free living were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1. Conclusion These findings suggest that 18F-FDG PET/CT study could be useful in management of CD in terms of the identification of dystonic muscles if there is an increase in the 18F-FDG uptake in the cervical muscle of the images.

We apply a discontinuous Galerkin method with symmetric interior penalty terms to approximate the solution of nonlinear Sobolev equations. And we introduce an appropriate elliptic type projection of the solution of a Sobolev equation and prove its optimal convergence. Finally we construct semidiscrete approximations of the solutions of nonlinear Sobolev differential equations, and prove that they converge in L2 normed space with optimal order of convergence.

The effects of Li substitution on the crystal structure and the strain properties of Bi0.5-(Na0.82K0.18)0.5(Ti0.95Sn0.05)O3 ceramics have been investigated. Li substitution enhanced the grain growth and densification, as well as the electric-field-induced strain (EFIS). Without Li substitution, the EFIS was 0.31% under a dc field of 6 kV/mm. However, the EFIS was enhanced to 0.39% when 4 mol% Na was replaced with Li, resulting in a normalized strain (S max /E max ) of 646 pm/V. The enhanced strain could be attributed to the increased flexibility in the lattice caused by simultaneous substitutions with both A-site Li ions and B-site Sn ions.

The effect of Bi(Mg1/2Sn1/2)O3 (BMS) modification on the crystal structure, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of Bi1/2(Na0.8K0.2)1/2TiO3 (BNKT) ceramics has been investigated. The BMS-substitution induced a transition from a ferroelectric (FE) tetragonal to a nonpolar pseudocubic phase, leading to degradations in the remnant polarization, coercive field, and piezoelectric coefficient d33. However, the electric-fieldinduced strain was significantly enhanced by the BMS substitution-induced phase transition and reached a highest value of Smax/Emax = 633 pm/V under an applied electric field of 6 kV/mm when the BMS content reached 6 mol%. The abnormal enhancement in strain was attributed to the field-induced transition of the pseudocubic symmetry to other asymmetrical structure, which was not clarified in this work.

Based on a mixed finite element method, we construct semidiscrete approximations of the solution u and the flux term ∇u+∇u t of the semilinear Sobolev equations. The existence and uniqueness of the semidiscrete approximations are demonstrated and the error estimates of optimal rate in L 2 normed space are derived. And also we construct the fully discrete approximations of u and ∇u+∇u t and analyze the convergence of optimal rate in L 2 normed space.

Background: Although arthroscopic shoulder surgery is less invasive and painful than open shoulder surgery, it can often cause intra-operative hemodynamic instability and severe post-operative pain. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of the interscalene brachial plexus block (IBPB) on intra-operative hemodynamic changes and post-operative pain during arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Methods: After institutional review board approval, 50 consecutive patients that had undergone arthroscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to one of two groups to evaluate intra-operative hemodynamic changes and post-operative pain control. Group 1 patients received an IBPB with 10 ml of normal saline guided by a nerve stimulator before induction, and Group 2 patients received 10 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine hydrochloride with the same technique. The heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were recorded before the incision and 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 minutes after the incision. Pre-operative and post-operative pain was evaluated with a visual analog scale 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. The patients were given tramadol as a rescue medication option. The total volume of tramadol that was injected was also evaluated over the same intervals. Results: Group 2 showed significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rates intra-operatively compared to Group 1 (P < 0.05). The visual analog scale pain scores, except at 24 hours after surgery, were significantly lower in Group 2 (P < 0.05). The total tramadol consumption significantly reduced in Group 2 (P < 0.05). Conclusions: IBPB effectively controlled the hemodynamic changes that occurred during arthroscopic shoulder surgery as well as post-operative pain. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2012; 62: 30-34)

The fusiform gyrus is involved pathologically at an early stage of the amnestic form of mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and is also known to be involved in the perceptual stage of face processing. We assessed face perception in patients with aMCI to determine if this cognitive skill was impaired. We compared 12 individuals (4 men) with aMCI and 12 age- and education-matched healthy controls on the ability to discriminate changes in the spatial configuration or color of the eyes or the mouth in faces. Patients with aMCI performed less quickly and accurately for all changes on trials with limited viewing duration. With unlimited duration, they could achieve normal perceptual accuracy for configural changes to the mouth, but remained impaired for changes to eye color or configuration. Patients with aMCI show deficits in face perception that are more pronounced for the highly salient ocular region, a pattern similar to that seen in acquired prosopagnosia. This form of perceptual impairment may be an early marker of additional cognitive deficits beyond memory in aMCI.

Background: A microemulsion propofol causes a high incidence of pain during intravenous injection. In this study, we investigated the effect of ramosetron on pain induced by microemulsion propofol injection. Methods: After prospective power analysis and institutional review board approval, a total of 200 ASA I and II patients undergoing general anesthesia were divided into 4 groups. They received one of the following intravenously after tourniquet application on the forearm 1 min before induction of anesthesia using microemulsion propofol; normal saline (Group N, n = 50), lidocaine 20 mg (Group L, n = 50), ramosetron 0.3 mg (Group R, n = 50) and lidocaine 20 mg plus ramosetron 0.3 mg (Group LR, n = 50) diluted into a 5 ml solution. The occlusion was released after 30 seconds and microemulsion propofol was injected over 10-15 seconds. The patients were observed and asked immediately if they had pain in the arm, and their responses were assessed. Results: The incidence of pain in groups N, L, R and LR was 96%, 76%, 60% and 38%, respectively (P < 0.008). Two patients in Group LR (4.0%) and nine in Group R (18.0%) had moderate to severe pain, which was significantly lower than pain in Groups N (84.0%), L (40.0%) and R (P < 0.008). Conclusions: Pretreatment with ramosetron 0.3 mg with or without lidocaine 20 mg with a tourniquet on the forearm 30 seconds before the injection of microemulsion propofol is more effective than lidocaine 20 mg or normal saline in preventing pain from a microemulsion propofol injection. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2011; 61: 30-34)

Purpose Frequent changes in chronic urticaria (CU) activity over time can cause psychological stress, which also serves as a trigger of CU. To measure the control status of CU, the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) was developed in Germany. This study aimed to investigate the validity, reliability and responsiveness to changes in CU for the Korean version of the UCT (K-UCT) and its relation with salivary cortisol and cortisone levels. Methods Linguistic adaptation of the UCT into Korean was conducted. A total of 96 CU patients were enrolled, and 80 of them completed the study. The K-UCT and other outcome scores for CU were measured and repeated after 4 weeks of treatment. Control status was classified by physicians into well-controlled, partly-controlled, and uncontrolled CU. Salivary cortisol and cortisone were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results Excellent internal consistency and intra-class reliability were obtained. Strong correlations between the K-UCT and disease severity, reflected in the Urticaria Activity Score (UAS)/global assessment of urticaria control by physicians/patient assessment of symptom severity/CU-specific quality of life were noted. K-UCT scores ≥12 were found to be optimal for determining well-controlled CU (sensitivity, 75.0%; specificity, 758%; area under the curve, 0.824). Perceived stress scale scores were significantly correlated with the UAS and the K-UCT. Salivary cortisone levels were significantly correlated with K-UCT (r = 0.308, P = 0.009) and differed significantly according to control status determined by a K-UCT ≥12. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the K-UCT can be a valid instrument with which to gauge CU control status in Korean patients. Further studies are needed to validate salivary cortisone as a biomarker for CU control.

To assist the further development of hight-visibility clothing this study compared the visibility and subjective wear sensation of commercial protective vests with retro-reflecting materials or LEDs. Nine subjects compared high-visibility vests to evaluate how easy they were to see when exposed to the headlight of a car at night, and the subjects assessed the wear sensation of the vests also. The intensity and visibility of five different colored LEDs assembled on the five substrates separately were also evaluated to select the suitable LED color for night protective clothing. The intensity of illumination was measured by an illuminometer, and the visibility was evaluated by 11 participants both in a dark room and in front of a car outdoors at night. Results showed, the most effective LEDs were high intensity LEDs which shift blinking red and white were most effective. However, excessively high intensity of illumination could decrease the working efficiency. In subjective wear evaluation, the most favorable vest had a front opening, were adjustable at the sides, and had an electric power switch on the front of the vest.

To evaluate the heating performance of commercial heated vests, we investigated the thermal images and the temperature between body and vest for three heated vests. We captured infrared thermography by FT-IR Spectrometer to analyzed the heating temperature of the heating elements taken from the vests, and the maximum heating temperature of the vests was compared with thermal image in the room temperature(). In outdoor experiment(), we measured the inner temperature as well as the thermal image of heated vests. Four healthy men participated in this experiment, and the ANOVA and Duncan test was performed for statistical analysis. As the results, the heating temperature range of the heated vests used in this experiment was , much lower than the displayed temperature range in their specifications, so the exact specification for heating performance of heated clothing was required. In comparisons of the heating performance among the heated vests, we found out that the insulation of clothing is very important to design the heated clothing, because the inner temperature of the vest had good insulation by itself was higher than that of the vest shown higher temperature over than another vests at the heating temperature.

− In order to develop a topical preparation which has a high occlusive property with skin moisturization, nano-structured lipid carrier (NLC) systems along with solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) were designed. Various NLC dispersionswere successfully formulated with Compritol 888 ATO as a solid lipid, Labrafil M 1944 CS as an oil, and Tween 80 as asurfactant. The increase of oil content (5 to 50%) led to the decrease in the occlusion factor in the order of SLN > NLC-5 > NLC-15 = NLC-30 > NLC-50. Particle size of lipid particulates was in the range of 100 to 160 nm. NLC-based car-bogels were prepared by the employment of humectants such as urea, glycerin, and Tinocare GL to carbomer gel. NLC-30 gel formulations containing 4 or 8 % of lipid particles showed improved occlusive effect in vitro, compared to NLC-free gel base. Even though NLC-free gel base revealed comparable occlusion effect by itself, the occlusion factor of 4 %NLC-30 gel was about 2-fold higher than that of NLC-free gel base.Key words

Cite this as: N. S. Palikhe, S.-H. Kim,H.-Y. Lee, J.-H. Kim, Y.-M. Ye and H.-S. Park, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 179–185. Summary Background The thromboxane A2 receptor (TBXA2R) is a potent broncho- and vaso-constrictor and is associated with leukotriene synthesis. Polymorphisms in the TBXA2R gene have been linked to atopy, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. This study evaluated the association between genetic TBXA2R variants and the development of acetyl salicylic acid (ASA)-intolerant acute urticaria (AIAU). Methods AIAU patients (n=167), ASA-intolerant chronic urticaria (AICU) patients (n=149), and healthy controls (NC) (n=265) were included. All patients were enrolled at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, Korea. Two TBXA2R polymorphisms (−4684T>C and 795T>C) were genotyped by primer extension using a SNAPshot ddNTP primer extension kit. Luciferase activity was measured using a dual-luciferase reporter assay kit. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was performed using a nuclear extract from a human mast cell line (HMC-1). Results Genetic association data demonstrated that compared with NC subjects, AIAU patients had a significantly higher frequency of the homozygous TT genotype of TBXA2R−4684T>C (P=0.005, Pcorr=0.03). No differences were identified between the AICU and the NC groups. Luciferase activity, reflecting promoter activity, was significantly lower with the TBXA2R−4684T-containing construct than with the −4684C-containing construct (P

Long-term exposure to high radon concentration exerts pathological effects and elicits changes in respiratory function, increasing an individual&rsquo, s risk of developing lung cancer. In health risk assessment of indoor radon, consideration of long-term exposure thereto is necessary to identify a relationship between indoor radon exposure and lung cancer. However, measuring long-term indoor radon concentration can be difficult, and a statistical model for predicting mean annual indoor radon concentrations may be readily applicable. We investigated the predictability of mean annual radon concentrations using national data on indoor radon concentrations throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons in Korea. Indoor radon concentrations in Korea were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer. We derived seasonal correction and seasonal adjustment factors for each season based on the method proposed by previous study. However, these factors may not be readily applicable unless measured in a specific season. In this paper, we separate seasonal correction factors for each month of the year (new correction factors) based on correlations between indoor radon and meteorological factors according to housing type. To evaluate the correction factors, we assessed differences between estimated and measured mean annual radon concentrations. Roughly 97% of the estimated values were within &plusmn, 40 Bq/m3 of actual measured values in detached houses, and roughly 85&ndash, 87% of the estimated values were within &plusmn, 40 Bq/m3 of the measured values in other residences. In most cases, the seasonal correction factors and the new correction factors had slightly better agreement than the seasonal adjustment factor. For predicting mean annual radon concentrations, the seasonal correction factors or seasonal adjustment factors can be of use when actual measurements of indoor radon concentrations for a specific season are available. Otherwise, the new correction factors may be more readily applicable.

Biotransformation is the major clearance mechanism of therapeutic agents from the body. Biotransformation is known not only to facilitate the elimination of drugs by changing the molecular structure to more hydrophilic, but also lead to pharmacological inactivation of therapeutic compounds. However, in some cases, the biotransformation of drugs can lead to the generation of pharmacologically active metabolites, responsible for the pharmacological actions. This review provides an update of the kinds of pharmacologically active metabolites and some of their individual pharmacological and pharmacokinetic aspects, and describes their importance as resources for drug discovery and development.

In this paper we develop fully discrete discontinuous Galerkin approximation using symmetric interior penalty method. We construct finite element spaces which consist of piecewise continuous polynomials. We introduce an appropriate elliptic-type projection of u and prove its optimal convergence. We develop fully discrete discontinuous Galerkin approximations and prove the optimal convergence in l∞(L2) normed space.

This study evaluated the convenience and heating performance of 4 heated vests on the market through a trial of the vests. Participants were four healthy men who wore the garments outside in cold temperatures typical of the garments' real conditions of use. As the results, all the participants preferred the product, having an easily operable controller in ergonomic aspects and the good insulation for keeping the body temperature. The heating performance of vests was the most important factor in selecting the best product in this test. Indeed, the vests themselves found not to be sufficiently warm in the experimental condition. Thus, heated vests with the enhanced heating performance should be developed so that temperatures in the allowed range can be safely accessed.

The synthesis and spectroscopic properties of monoazo dye series, whose members consist of N-alkylphthalimide diazo components combined with a coupling component containing two ester groups, are reported. Such colourants are potentially alkali-clearable as a consequence not only of the presence of diester functionality on the coupler, but also through use of the base-sensitive phthalimide system. Shortening the N-alkyl group by removing one or two methylene units from a butyl chain made little difference to absorption properties, as would be expected given the relatively minor differences in inductive character produced. Shifts in the absorption maximum of the dyes associated with dibromination of the phthalimidylazo motif and its subsequent cyanodehalogenation were in agreement with theory and literature data for related series. Diester substitution on the coupling component brought about hypsochromism and hypochromism.

The effects of argon plasma (ArP) and helium plasma (HeP) jets on E-cadherin protein function have been tested in order to choose the working gas for a better plasma-mediated transdermal drug delivery. The plasma-mediated changes of the E-cadherin function and the skin penetration efficacies of epidermal growth factor (EGF) were monitored in vitro using HaCaT human keratinocytes and in vivo using hairless mice. The ArP showed higher efficacy for E-cadherin regulation and EGF absorption than HeP under the same applied voltage and the same gas flow rate. The ArP generates higher volume power density, higher discharge current peak, and more reactive species than HeP, especially for OH with the same operating parameters. Moreover, the effect of ArP on E-cadherin function was blocked by the use of a grounded metal mesh. Taken together, this study presents the possibility that the synergetic effect of negative charges with radicals plays an important role in plasma-mediated E-cadherin regulation, which leads to enhanced transdermal drug delivery.

The coloration of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fiber with 18 carbocyclic monoazo disperse dyes bearing a hydrolyzable phthalimide ring fused to the aromatic ring of their diazo components has been investigated. The phthalimidyl nitrogen atom was substituted with either a n-butyl, sec-butyl, or isopropyl group, while the adjoining phenyl ring bore a substitution pattern typical of commercial colorants. There was a broad correlation between percentage dye exhaustion onto PLA and that onto polyester (PET) fiber, although significant differences in certain instances were apparent with no clear trends regarding dye structure. Attempts to explain the observed percentage exhaustion values by mapping them to calculated partition coefficient or solubility parameter values were unsuccessful. Wash fastness was relatively good compared to that of some conventional disperse dyes applied to PLA. As was found to be the case with PET, the wash fastness of dyes on PLA tended to be highest when their diazo ring was substituted with electron acceptors.

The breast types of middle-aged women of 80A (formerly 80B) size were classified through a 3D scanned nude body. Thirty seven measurements including the radius of curvature, surface area, volume, surface length, and breast displacements were used as input variables. We extracted five main factors through the factor analysis of the measurements and classified 36 subjects into 3 clusters through the cluster analysis. As a result of the factor analysis, the size of the breast, breast sag, the curvature of the inner and the outer breast curve, the width of the breast, and the nipple direction were found as the main factors. For the results of the classification of breast types, Cluster 1 was characterized by narrow breast width and unsymmetrical under the breast curve, whereas Cluster 2 was a wide and sagged shape. Cluster 3 was classified into big breast volume and symmetrical under-breast curve. The results are useful to the product development of high quality brassieres which reflect the 3D characteristics of breast types of middle-aged women.

The coloration and fastness properties of 18 carbocyclic monoazo disperse dyes bearing a phthalimide ring fused to the aromatic ring of their diazo components have been investigated. In each case, the phthalimidyl nitrogen atom was substituted with either a butyl, sec-butyl or isopropyl group, while the adjoined phenyl ring bore a substitution pattern typical of commercial colorants. Dye uptake and build-up onto both conventional and microfibre polyester through exhaustion dyeing were examined: while the expected tendency of greater exhaustion on microfibre was noted, there were few clear trends with respect to dye structure. The nature of the N-alkyl group made no consistent difference to dye uptake. Attempts to explain the observed percentage exhaustion values by mapping them to calculated partition coefficient or solubility parameter values were unsuccessful. Wash fastness tended to be best for blue dicyano-substituted derivatives, which may be as a result in part of these substituents promoting hydrolysis of the adjacent phthalimide ring to give more soluble phthalate species. In contrast, the dicyano dyes had relatively poor photostability compared with their unsubstituted analogues.

In order to regulate plant growth, we studied blue fluorescent for agriculture light conversion films. The light conversion film containing blue fluorescent can convert ultraviolet (UV) and violet light (300-400 nm) into the blue-green light (400-500 nm) which is the more active wavelength band in photosynthesis. A durable and weather-resistance is important properties for applicate agriculture light conversion films.1,8-naphthalimide derivatives usually exhibit strong fluorescent emission on irradiation, excellent photoluminescence (PL) quantum efficiency, good photo-stability and film-forming properties as well as desirable chemical and thermal stabilities. In this study, 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives containing ethynyl link were synthesized and characterized. Synthesized fluorescent has high thermal stability and suitable photophysical properties for agriculture light conversion films.

To provide the basic information of the brassiere development for women with poor breast, we performed the survey on their wearing habits for brassieres by comparing the poor breast type women and the normal breast type women. Also, to suggest the advanced design methods for the mould brassiere for the poor breast women, we conducted the subjective wear test of commercial mould brassieres and measured the local thickness for mould cup under various loads. As the results, the good fitness of cup and wire, the natural wear silhouette, and the adaptation of soft and stretchy material for mould cup were very important to design the comfortable brassiere for the poor breast type. The good-fitness of upper cup was the key factor for the satisfactory wear appearance of brassiere and the cup should be designed not too thick at the upper and the bust point regions.

A set of azo dyes has been synthesised using N-substituted phthalimides as diazo components. 3,5-Dibromo-N-substituted-phthalimidylazo derivatives were cyanated by cyanodehalogenation to give dicyano analogues. All of the synthesised intermediates and dyes have been characterised by mass spectrometry, 1H-NMR or elemental analyses. The gamut of colour of the prepared dyes spanned much of the visible spectrum: absorption maxima of the dyes in formamide were observed in the range 436 to 609 nm. Consistent with results seen in previous studies of non-phthalimido monoazo disperse dyes, replacement of dibromo groups with dicyano functions in the phthalimide-based set led to large bathochromic shifts in absorption maxima, as did the introduction of acetylamino groups onto the coupler ring ortho to the azo link. However, switching an N-propyl function on the imido ring for a benzyl or 3-cyanopropyl substituent had little effect on absorption maxima. Good correlations between the observed absorption maxima of certain dyes and those of model analogues predicted by Pariser–Parr–Pople molecular orbital calculations were observed when steric effects were absent.

Objectives: Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), such as montelukast, have been used as a first-line treatment for patients with aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA). This study evaluated associations between the clinical requirement for LTRA and genetic polymorphisms of the ALOX5, LTC4S, COX-2, CysLTR1 and TBXA2R genes in the arachidonic acid cascade in the long-term management of 89 AIA patients from a Korean population. Methods: Asthma control status was monitored for 1 year with maintenance medications of inhaled corticosteroid and oral LTRA, and AIA patients were classified into three groups according to the mean montelukast dose required per month to maintain asthma control for 1 year: group I (≥200 mg montelukast/month; n = 37), group II (5–150 mg/month; n = 25) and group III ( T among the three groups (p = 0.007 for group I vs group II, p = 0.017 for group I vs group III), while there were no significant associations between LTRA requirements and polymorphisms of the other genes. The patients with the variant genotype (CT or TT) of the -634C = T CysLTR1 promoter polymorphism showed a higher expression level than those with the common genotype (CC). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the CysLTR1 promoter polymorphism is a useful genetic marker for predicting LTRA requirements in the long-term management of AIA patients.

In this study, we compared the roles of CysLT receptor type 1 (CysLTR1) and leukotriene C4 synthase (LTC4S) gene polymorphisms in two major aspirin-related allergic diseases, aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA) and aspirin-induced chronic urticaria/angioedema (AICU). CysLTR1-634C>T and LTC4S-444A>C polymorphisms were genotyped and its functional effect on the promoter activity was compared. As in vivo functional study, changes of peripheral mRNA level of CysLTR1 were measured by real-time PCR before and after aspirin challenge. A significant association was found for the CysLTR1 promoter polymorphism and the AIA phenotype compared to AICU (P = 0.015). In U937 cells, the variant genotype reporter construct showed significantly higher promoter activity than the common genotype (P < 0.05). The CysLTR1 mRNA levels increased significantly after aspirin challenge in AIA patients (P = 0.013). In conclusion, the CysLTR1 polymorphism may contribute to develop to the AIA phenotype and be used as a genetic marker for differentiating two major aspirin hypersensitivity phenotypes.

The control system for Solar powered LED Road traffic sign was designed. This system consists of 4 parts: energy transformation unit, energy charging unit, energy discharging unit and control unit. It has various functions such as day/night transition, light-time control and battery protection. This system is powered by both solar and battery. Test results showed 94% energy charging efficiency and 99.6% discharge efficiency (8.8mW standby power).

PURPOSE Chronic urticaria (CU) has a substantial impact on the quality of life. Little clinical data on the prognosis of CU has been reported. This study aimed to investigate the control status and remission rate of CU and to explore potential predictors of good responses to the treatment during a 6-month treatment period. METHODS A total of 75 patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) were enrolled from 3 university hospitals in Korea. Urticaria control state was classified into 2 groups: group I (remission and well-controlled) and group II (partly and uncontrolled). CU-specific quality of life (CU-QoL) and the urticaria activity score (UAS) were measured before and after the treatment. Autologous serum skin test (ASST), and anti-nuclear and anti-thyroid antibodies were measured at the enrollment into the study. Aspirin intolerance was confirmed by an oral provocation test. RESULTS Of 59 patients completing the study, 21 (35.6%) arrived at well-controlled status and only 2 (3.4%) achieved remission, whereas 26 (44.1%) remained at partly controlled status and 10 (16.9%) were at uncontrolled status. Mean changes in CU-QoL (36.5±2.7 vs 20.6±4.3, P=0.017) and UAS (-7.9±0.8 vs -3.0±1.0, P=0.001) were significantly different between groups I and II. The presence of serum autoantibodies and aspirin intolerance had no influence on the control of urticaria in this study. However, ASST positivity was identified as a significant predictor of CU control in multivariate analysis (OR=6.106, P=0.017). CONCLUSIONS The proportion of CSU patients that achieved remission or a well-controlled state was 39% for the 6 months of stepwise treatment. Longer observations are necessary to assess the exact prognosis of CSU. ASST results may be a useful parameter for predicting a better response to treatment and both UAS and CU-QoL are helpful to monitor therapeutic response.

B-type brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels increase during myocardial ischemia. Here, the authors undertook to evaluate the correlation between changes in plasma BNP levels during exercise and the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). The study subjects consisted of 159 hospitalized patients with a normal systolic function. Patients were allocated to a control group (N = 101, comprising patients with coronary artery stenosis of50%) or to a CAD group (N = 58, comprising patients with stenosis ofor = 50% or a greater coronary artery lesion). In addition, the CAD group was further subdivided into a single-vessel disease (VD) subgroup (N = 31) and a multi-VD subgroup (N = 27). All 159 study subjects underwent coronary angiography (CAG), and plasma BNP levels were measured before and immediately after exercise. A comparative study of BNP levels in the control and CAD groups before and after exercise revealed that BNP levels in the CAD group were significantly higher [22.4 (5.0-28.5) vs. 54.3 (13.1-74.6), P = 0.000; 35.0 (6.2-37.6) vs. 82.5 (23.2-102.8) pg/mL, P = 0.002, respectively]. Changes in BNP levels during exercise in the CAD group tended to be greater than in the control group, but without significance [12.6 (0-13.6) vs. 28.3 (2.8-25.5) pg/mL; P = 0.083]. Subgroup analysis showed that BNP levels tended to be positively related to the proportion of disease vessels, but statistical significance was only found between the control and multi-VD subgroup. Summarizing, this study shows that BNP level changes caused by exercise are closely related with the presence of CAD in patients with a normal systolic function. However, the relationship between these level changes and CAD severity requires further evaluation.

By applying the Landau-type transformation, we transform a Stefan problem with nonlinear free boundary condition into a system consisting of a parabolic equation and the ordinary differential equations. Fully discrete finite element method is developed to approximate the solution of a system of a parabolic equation and the ordinary differential equations. We derive optimal orders of convergence of fully discrete approximations inL2, H1 and H2 normed spaces.

In this paper, we apply finite element Galerkin method to a singlephase quasilinear Stefan problem with a forcing term. To construct the fully discrete approximation we apply the extrapolated Crank-Nicolson method and we derive the optimal order of convergence 2 in the temporal direction inL 2,H 1 normed spaces.

A two-degree-of-freedom out-of-plane model with contact stiffness is presented to describe dynamical interaction between the pad and disc of a disc brake system. It is assumed that the out-of-plane motion of the system depends on the friction force acting along the in-plane direction. Dynamic friction coefficient is modelled as a function of both in-plane relative velocity and out-of-plane normal force. When the friction coefficient depends only on the relative velocity, the contact stiffness has the role of negative stiffness. The results of stability analysis show that the stiffness of both pad and disc is equally important. Complex eigen value analysis is conducted for the case that the friction coefficient is also dependent on the normal force. The results further verify the importance of the stiffness. It has also been found that increasing the gradient of friction coefficient with respect to the normal force makes the system more unstable.

Based on Landau-type transformation, a Stefan problem with nonlinear free boundary condition is transformed into a system consisting of parabolic equation and the ordinary differential equations. Semidiscrete approximations are constructed. Optimal orders of convergence of semidiscrete approximation inL 2,H 1 andH 2 normed spaces are derived.

In this paper, we construct and analyze fully discrete method for a free boundary problem arising in polymer technology. This method is based on a Galerkin finite element formulation in space and a backward Euler time stepping technique. We derive optimal error estimates in the spatial and temporal directions in L^2, H^1 normed spaces.

In this paper, we apply finite element Galerkin method to a single-phase quasi-linear Stefan problem with a forcing term. We consider the existence and uniqueness of a semidiscrete approximation and optimal error estimates in L2, L∞, H1 and H2 norms for semidiscrete Galerkin approximations are derived.

Purpose Omalizumab, an anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody, has proved to be effective for the treatment of severe asthma. However, there is no direct evidence of effectiveness of omalizumab in Korean patients with severe asthma. We sought to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of omalizumab in Korean adult patients suffering from severe asthma and to identify predictors of favorable response. Methods A retrospective analysis of electrical medical records was performed on severe allergic asthmatic patients with omalizumab treatment group (OT group) for more than 6 months between March 2008 and February 2016. Propensity score matching was applied to define the standardized treatment control group (STC group) treated without omalizumab. Asthma-related outcomes were compared between the 2 groups, and analyzed before and after omalizumab use in the OT group. Responders to treatment were defined as patients showing >50% reduction in asthma exacerbations and/or systemic steroid requirement during the outcome period. Results One hundred twenty-four patients with severe asthma (62 in the OT group; 62 in the STC group) were enrolled in the study. Proportion of patients having the reduction of asthma exacerbation (53.2% vs 35.5%, P=0.015) and the rate of responders (67.7% vs 41.9%, P=0.007) were significantly higher in the OT group than in the STC group. Significant reductions were noted in asthma exacerbation (P=0.006), hospitalization (P=0.009), hospitalization days (P=0.006), systemic corticosteroid requirements (P=0.027), and sputum eosinophil count (P=0.031) in OT group compared with STC group. There were no significant differences in changes of forced expiratory volume in the 1 second (FEV1) levels between the 2 groups. No predictors of responders were found for omalizumab treatment. Conclusions Omalizumab can reduce exacerbations/hospitalization/systemic steroid burst in Korean adult patients with severe asthma.

Bacterial meningitis is rarely complicated by an intradural spinal abscess, and recurrent meningitis is an uncommon presentation of a spinal intramedullary abscess. Here, we report a 63-year-old patient with recurrent meningitis as the first manifestation of an underlying spinal intramedullary abscess. To the best of our knowledge, no previous report has been issued on recurrent meningitis accompanied by a spinal intramedullary abscess in an adult. In this article, the pathophysiological mechanism of this uncommon entity is discussed and the relevant literature reviewed.

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of chitosan addition on shelf life of bread. Four different molecular weights (MW) of chitosan, 1 kDa, 5 kDa, 30 kDa, and 120 kDa were used. The growth of spoilage bacteria was inhibited depending on MW and concentration of chitosan, and most inhibited conditions were 0.1% of 30 kDa and 120 kDa of chitosans. But the growth of yeast and mold showed very weak inhibition. This showed that yeast would grow normaly in the fermentation process of bread. Shelf-life of bread was improved depending on concentration of chitosans at WM 30 kDa and 120 kDa. Antioxidative effect of chitosan was increased with the larger molecular weight and the higher concentration during storage. The preservation of bread by adding chitosan was improved.

Monoclinic phases, as intermediate phases at the morphotropic phase boundary, have been considered as the origin of high piezoelectricity in various piezoelectric systems. However, those monoclinic phases have seldom been experimentally observed at the phase boundary in lead-free (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN)-based materials. This work shows that KNN epitaxial thin films demonstrate a monoclinic M-C phase stabilized by elastic strain at room temperature, which is identified by both synchrotron X-ray reciprocal space mapping and piezoresponse force microscopy. It is revealed that the piezoelectricity is greatly enhanced at 170 degrees C due to the monoclinic M-C-M-A phase boundary. The discovery of monoclinic phases in this work may open an avenue for developing a new thermotropic phase boundary in KNN-based materials. The results also provide a guide for the exploration of high piezoelectricity driven by monoclinic phases in lead-free piezoelectric materials.