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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although body weight variability has been associated with mortality, cardiovascular disease, and dementia, the relationship between body weight variability and Parkinson disease (PD) has rarely been studied. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between body weight variability and PD incidence. METHODS A nationwide population-based, cohort study was conducted using the database from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of the whole Korean population. We analyzed 2,815,135 participants (≥40 years old, mean age = 51.7 ± 8.6 years, 66.8% men) without a previous PD diagnosis. We determined individual body weight variability from baseline weight and follow-up visits. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS The highest quartile group was associated with increased PD incidence compared with the lowest quartile group after adjustment for confounding factors (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08-1.29). In contrast, baseline body mass index, baseline waist circumference, and waist circumference variability were not associated with increased PD incidence. In the body weight loss group, individuals within the quartile of the highest variation in body weight showed a higher HR of PD risk than those within other quartiles (HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.18-1.68). CONCLUSIONS Body weight variability, especially weight loss, was associated with higher PD incidence. This finding has important implications for clinicians and supports the need for preventative measures and surveillance for PD in individuals with fluctuating body weight.

Background: Prognosis prediction is a challenge for clinicians caring for patients with cancer in end-of-life. Although previous studies have shown several biological parameters to be prognostic factors, it remains unclear which factors can predict the exact prognosis. Additionally, blood tests for patients with terminal cancer are limited, it is practically difficult to utilize usual parameters as prognostic factors. Therefore, a universal, readily available, and the cost-effective clinical parameter is needed to predict the survival times of patients with cancer in end-of-life regardless of age, sex, or cancer type.Methods: We analyzed the medical records of 280 patients admitted to the palliative care unit at Korea University Guro Hospital from July 2019 to June 2021. After analysis of survival time according to patients’ clinical parameters, Kaplan-Meier survival curves using Serum Creatinine (Scr) levels (cut-off: 1.2 mg/dL) were plotted and compared using the log-rank test. Finally, using stepwise selection, multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify significant prognostic factors.Results: Patients with high Scr (≥1.2 mg/dL) had shorter median survival than those with normal levels (12 days vs 23 days). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard model identified male (HR=1.47; P=0.019), stomach cancer (HR=1.88; P=0.020), poor performance status (HR=1.56; P=0.004), leukocytosis (HR=1.81; PConclusions: High Scr was significantly associated with poor survival in patients with cancer near end-of-life. This readily available and simple clinical parameter might be helpful in predicting prognosis in palliative care settings.

Existing studies show that women are more susceptible to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, and that obesity affects the risk of these airway obstructive diseases. We aimed to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) on COPD and asthma development in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.This nationwide population-based cohort study included 1,644,635 women ages ≥30 years without diagnosis of COPD or asthma, who underwent national cancer screening in 2009. We classified them as premenopausal and postmenopausal women based on their menopause status at the time of cancer screening. Baseline BMI and WC were measured, and they were classified into five BMI groups (18.5 kg/m2, 18.5-23 kg/m2, 23-25 kg/m2, 25-30 kg/m2, and ≥30 kg/m2) and WC groups (60 cm, 65-75 cm, 75-85 cm, 85-95 cm, and ≥95 cm). The hazard ratios (HRs) for COPD and asthma were measured for each group.Regardless of the menopausal status, the high BMI and WC groups had a significantly higher COPD and asthma incidence than that of the normal group, and the HRs increased further with increases in BMI and WC. However, the HR in the underweight group was significantly higher among the postmenopausal women. The HR for asthma in the obese group was significantly higher for both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The HR for COPD was significantly higher in the group with a WC of ≥95 cm for both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, respectively; the HR for asthma was also significantly higher in this group.Obesity and abdominal obesity are risk factors for COPD and asthma in premenopausal and postmenopausal Korean women. Controlling weight and maintaining a healthy body shape can help prevent COPD and asthma in women.

ObjectiveTo investigate the longitudinal association among high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, HDL-C variability, and the risk of developing Parkinson disease (PD).MethodsWe conducted a nationwide, population-based cohort study. We included 382,391 patients aged ≥65 years who underwent at least 3 health examinations provided by the Korean National Health Insurance System from 2008 to 2013 and followed up until 2017. Individuals with a history of PD and missing values were excluded (n = 1,987). We assessed HDL-C variability using 3 indices, including variability independent of the mean (VIM). A multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed.ResultsAmong the 380,404 participants, 2,733 individuals were newly diagnosed with PD during a median follow-up period of 5 years. The lowest quartile (Q1) group of baseline HDL-C and mean HDL-C was associated with increased PD incidence as compared with the highest quartile (Q4) group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.34; and aHR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04–1.30, respectively). The Q4 group of HDL-C variability (VIM) was associated with increased PD incidence compared to the Q1 group (aHR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06–1.33). The group with the Q1 of baseline HDL-C and with the Q4 of HDL-C variability had the highest risk of PD incidence (aHR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.31–1.96).ConclusionLower HDL-C level and greater HDL-C variability were associated with a higher incidence of PD.

OBJECTIVE Obesity and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and mortality, and they commonly result in weight variabilities. We aimed to investigate the association between body weight variability and risk of major cardiovascular outcomes and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes using large-scale, nationwide cohort data on the Korean population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We enrolled 624,237 individuals with type 2 diabetes who underwent health examinations provided by the Korean National Health Insurance System between 2009 and 2010, with three or more body weight measurements within 5 years since enrollment and followed up until the end of 2017. We assessed body weight variability using four indices, including variability independent of the mean (VIM). A multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed. RESULTS During the follow-up, 15,832, 25,038, and 44,716 cases of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality, respectively, were recorded. Body weight variability was associated with increased risks of major cardiovascular outcomes after adjusting for confounding variables. Compared with the hazard ratios (HRs) of the lowest quartile group, the HRs (95% CIs) of the highest quartile group of VIM for body weight were 1.15 (1.10–1.20), 1.22 (1.18–1.26), and 1.58 (1.53–1.62) for MI, stroke, and all-cause mortality, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Body weight variability was associated with increased risks of MI, stroke, and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and may be a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes in such patients. Appropriate interventions to maintain stable weight could positively influence health outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Serum lipid profile is an important factor in predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease, and smoking is considered to affect serum lipid levels adversely by altering lipid metabolism. Although traditional lipid profiles are important in patient evaluation for predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease, the clinical significance of lipid ratios has recently gained attention as well. We aimed to investigate the relationship between smoking and serum lipid profiles and ratios in Korean older adults.METHODS: This cross‐sectional analysis used a nationally representative sample from the 2014–2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). In total, 4,349 participants aged ≥60 years with urine cotinine values were included. The outcome was a comparison of unfavorable lipid profiles/ratios in respect to urine cotinine-verified smoking status (urine cotinine level ≥50 ng/mL), and quantification of the associations between smoking and unfavorable lipid profiles/ratios using multivariable logistic regression analyses. In our analyses, the lowest quartile (Q1) of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and the highest quartile (Q4) of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), and their ratios (TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, and TG/HDL-C) were considered as unfavorable.Results: The percentages of unfavorable lipid profiles/ratios except for serum TC and LDL-C were significantly higher in the urine cotinine-verified smoker group. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of urine cotinine-verified smokers for the Q1 of HDL-C and for the Q4 of TG, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, and TG/HDL-C were 1.67 (95% CI: 1.29–2.17) and 1.49 (95% CI: 1.14–1.96), 1.50 (95% CI: 1.14–1.97), 1.44 (95% CI: 1.10–1.89), and 1.75 (95% CI: 1.35–2.28), respectively.Conclusion: Urine cotinine-verified smoking status was significantly associated with unfavorable serum lipid profiles/ratios in Korean older adults.

Background In the very elderly, “the lower the better” hypothesis has constantly been contradicted by randomized control trials and various cohort studies, but inconsistency in results led to unclear blood pressure treatment targets. This study aimed to assess the relationship between baseline blood pressure (BP) and ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality in very elderly people treated for hypertension. Methods This large population-based retrospective cohort study was based on the national claims database of the Korean National Health Insurance System, which covers the entire Korean population. 374,250 participants aged ≥ 75 years taking antihypertensive agents were recruited, excluding patients with a history of previous ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction. Results Systolic BP (SBP) followed a J curve for ischemic stroke and a U curve for all-cause mortality, with nadir ranges of 120 to 129 mmHg and 140 to 149 mmHg, respectively. While increasing diastolic BP (DBP) generally resulted in higher HRs for ischemic stroke, HRs for myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality significantly increased only when DBP was ≥ 80 mmHg and ≥ 90 mmHg, respectively. The SBP/DBP combination analysis showed that even with SBP < 130 mmHg, higher DBP ≥ 90 mmHg had higher HRs for all three outcomes compared to the reference group (130 to 149 / < 80 mmHg). Conclusions There were no further benefits or even harm below certain BP levels for ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality in very elderly hypertensive patients.

Revascularization procedures, including percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), for coronary artery disease (CAD) are increasingly performed in Korea. However, studies on blood pressure control targets in these patients remain insufficient. To assess the relationship between baseline blood pressure and all-cause mortality in CAD patients who underwent PCI. A population-based retrospective cohort study based on the national claims database of the Korean National Health Insurance System, which represents the entire Korean population. A total 38,330 patients with a history of PCI for CAD between 2005 and 2008 were recruited and followed up for all-cause mortality until December 31, 2017. Baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured, and they were classified into eight SBP and DBP groups each. The hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were measured for each group. The pattern of SBP and DBP in this population followed a J-curve relationship for all-cause mortality, with the nadir point at 119 and 74 mmHg, respectively. In subjects aged > 60 years, high SBP (≥ 160 mmHg) and high DBP (≥ 90 mmHg) were significantly related to death. Moreover, in subjects aged > 60 years, low DBP (

The association between obesity and vertebral fracture remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association between obesity/abdominal obesity and vertebral fracture according to menopausal status. This nationwide population-based epidemiologic study collected data from the Korean National Health Insurance Services to investigate the association between obesity/abdominal obesity and vertebral fracture in pre and postmenopausal women who underwent national cancer screening in 2009. We used three body composite indices of obesity, body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio, to classify participants into obesity and abdominal obesity groups. In both pre and postmenopausal groups, participants with obesity showed a higher risk of vertebral fracture and the association was stronger in those with abdominal obesity (p < 0.001). Participants with obesity showed a high risk of vertebral fracture, and the association was stronger in participants with abdominal obesity (p < 0.001). In both pre and postmenopausal groups, participants with obesity showed a higher risk of vertebral fracture (adjusted HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.19–1.30), (adjusted HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03–1.05, and those with abdominal obesity showed even higher risk of vertebral fractures (adjusted HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.27–1.43), (adjusted HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.11–1.14). Vertebral fracture risk is higher in pre and postmenopausal women with obesity and even higher in those with abdominal obesity. Therefore, weight management can prevent vertebral fractures.

Background This study aimed to explore the time interval distribution pattern between the Physicians Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form completion and death at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. It also examined the association between various independent parameters and POLST form completion timing. Methods A total of 150 critically ill patients admitted to Korea University Guro Hospital between June 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018 who completed the POLST form were retrospectively analyzed and included in this study. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and group comparisons were performed using the chi-square test for categorical variables. Fisher's exact test was also used to compare cancer versus non-cancer groups. Results More than half the decedents (54.7%) completed their POLST within 15 days of death and 73.4% within 30 days. The non-cancer group had the highest percentage of patients (77.8%) who died within 15 days of POLST form completion while the colorectal (39.1%) and other cancer (37.5%) groups had the lowest (P=0.336). Conclusion Our findings demonstrated a current need for more explicit guidance to assist physicians with initiating more timely, proactive end-of-life discussions.

With the purpose of developing a new zeolite scintillator, fully dehydrated Cs,Na-A was exposed to ZrCl4 (g, 3.7 × 103 Pa) at 523 K. The crystal structures of Cs,Na-A and of the product, |Zr0.14Cs5.69Na4.13Cl0.85|[Si12Al12O48]-LTA (Zr,Cs,Na,Cl-A), were determined by single-crystal crystallography using synchrotron X-radiation. The structure of Zr,Cs,Na,Cl-A was refined in the space group Pm3m (a = 12.230(1) A) with all unique data to the final error index R1 = 0.069 for the 639 reflections for which Fo > 4σ(Fo). Its composition was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX). Octahedral ZrCl62– ions center 14% of the large cavities; each Cl– ion bonds to an 8-ring Cs+ ion. These Cs+ ions bridge between ZrCl62– ions to form a continuum with unit cell formula Cs3ZrCl6+ in the near-surface volume of the crystal. Other Cs+ ions lie opposite 6-rings in the sodalite and large cavities; Na+ ions occupy the remaining 6-rings. Upon X-irradiation, Zr,Cs,Na,Cl-A luminesces b...

This study evaluated the efficacy and the skin safety and stability of a cosmetic that is an applied water extract and fermented hydrolysate of abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino), which was produced at the south coast of Korea. In the patch test, purified water, 1,3-butylene glycol and liquid crystal lotion were used as the reference group, and water extract and fermented hydrolysate of abalone and lotion formulation of water extract and fermented hydrolysate of abalone were used as the sample group. The results of patch test showed no irritation on skin among in any of the test groups. Therefore, the water extract and fermented hydrolysate of abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino) are safe for human skin.

System in Foil (SiF) package could realize flexible, multi-functional and higher performance package using flexible substrate and ultra-thin heterogeneous chip integration. In this study, PEB(polymer elastic bump) bonding process is suggested newly, whichcould reduce stress concentration remarkably near bump and chip face by soft polymer bump material with electroconductive metal linepattern and usage of NCF(non-conductive adhesive film) and also lower bonding temperature during facedown interconnect process between flexible substrate and ultrathin chip. Compared to conventional bonding process by metal bumps, it improves flexibility of package because PEB is softer than metal bump and NCF adhesive film keeps mechanical contact between PEB and pad. Elastic deformation and restoration behavior of PEB bump during bonding process are investigated using FEM analysis to calculate bump-to-pad contact area related to electrical contact resistance. Through experiments PEB fabrication process is developed using thermal reflow process and spiraltype and spoke type PEB are developed in order to solve the Au cap metal line crack problem due to excessive deformation of PEB. We find optimal bonding conditions and effect of bonding parameters.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of water extract and fermented hydrolysate of abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino) were examined. Experimental models were used to characterize the antioxidant activities, which were compared with the standard antioxidants α-tocoferol and EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid). Antioxidant activities of water extract and fermented hydrolysate were examined at the cellular level and evaluated for anti-inflammatory activities in LPS (lipopolysaccharides)-stimulated murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. Production of the pro-inflammatory mediators nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PGE2) was significantly (p

In this paper, we propose a new control scheme, position and velocity profile tracking control for new generation servo track writing (STW). While conventional servo track writers need controllers that perform fast positioning control with fast track seek and regulation, spiral servo track writers require accurate position and velocity profile tracking control for high quality servo patterns on the media disk. Since STW timing eventually renders geometrically accurate servo patterns, in constant velocity region both position and and velocity error signals should be regulated within small bounds. It is known that regulation via integral sliding mode controller (SMC) provides a good tracking performance, but using a high switching gain is not appropriate for a system having resonance modes. In this paper, thus we apply sliding mode control with disturbance observer to STW. To verify utility of the proposed position/velocity profile track control, we conducted some experiments using a state-of-the-art STW system. Comparative study with the conventional control method was made. The performance of proposed method was experimentally validated.

Citrus ‘Hallabong’ powders were prepared using hot air and freeze drying methods, and their physicochemical and flow properties were measured. The yields of the powders from whole fruit and pressed cake by hot air drying method were 17.5 and 22.0%, while those by freeze drying method were 20.0 and 22.5%, respectively. Vitamin C was high in freeze-dried whole fruit powders (220.8–364.7 mg/100 g) compared with those in hot air-dried ones (80.1–114.6 mg/100 g). Browning index of freeze-dried powders was significantly lower than those of hot air-dried ones. Bulk densities, compaction densities, and Hausner ratios of the powders were significantly higher in freeze drying method compared with hot air drying method. Water solubilities and hygroscopicities of freeze-dried powders were higher than those of hot air-dried ones. In conclusion, ‘Hallabong’ powders can be made using freeze drying method with high quality in terms of vitamin C content, color, and water solubility.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between serum ferritin levels and metabolically obese normal weight (MONW) and to determine the appropriate cut-off value of serum ferritin for the prediction of clinical metabolic status in nonobese Korean adults. Data from 9411 participants in the fourth (2008) and fifth (2010) annual Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were used in this study. MONW was determined by combining National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, Wildman criteria, and homeostatic model assessment criteria for metabolic healthy obesity. The mean serum ferritin level was 103.5 ± 1.2 ng/mL in men and 45.5 ± 0.6 ng/mL in women. The estimated cutoff value of serum ferritin for the prediction of MONW was 127.03 ng/mL in men and 46.87 ng/mL in women. Both men and women who had higher serum ferritin levels than the cutoff value had a higher prevalence of MONW than those individuals who had lower serum ferritin levels than the cutoff value. In the final multivariable adjusted logistic regression model, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of MONW in the subjects who had higher serum ferritin levels than the cutoff value was 1.631 (1.312–2.028) in men and 1.298 (1–1.685) in women. In this study, serum ferritin levels were positively associated with MONW, and those subjects who had higher serum ferritin levels than the cutoff value had a higher prevalence and a higher adjusted odds ratio for MONW despite being nonobese.

We prepared thin films by electron-beam evaporation at various oxygen pressures, and investigated their optical and structural properties as a function of the annealing temperature. The physical properties of the thin films depend upon the injection oxygen content. With the increased injection of oxygen, the phase transformation temperature and the transmittance of thin films in the range of visible wavelength were increased. For low injection of oxygen, the absorption edges of thin films were more red-shifted when annealed at temperatures from to .

Cinnamaldehyde derivatives isolated from Cinnamomum cassia have been widely used for treating dyspepsia, gastritis, and inflammatory disease as well as cancer. To investigate the anti-tumor activities of several cinnamaldehyde derivatives, we compared the inhibitory effect of cinnamaldehyde derivatives on cell growth and AP-1 transcriptional activity in SW620 human colon cancer cells since AP-1 is a transcriptional factor implicated to control cancer cell growth. Among the derivatives, 2’-hydroxycinnamaldehyde (HCA) most significantly inhibited cancer cell growth and AP-1 transcriptional activity in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 12.5 and 9 µg/ml, respectively. In further studies on the mechanism, we found that consistent with the inhibitory effect on cell growth, HCA dose-dependently (0 – 20 µg/ml) inhibited DNA binding activity of AP-1 accompanied with down regulation of c-Jun and c-Fos expressions. HCA also induced apoptotic cell death as well as expression of the apoptosis-regulating gene caspase-3, but inhibited the anti-apoptosis regulating gene bcl-2 in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that HCA has the most potent inhibitory effect against human colon cancer cell growth, and AP-1 may be an important target of HCA. Keywords:: 2’-hydroxycinnamaldehyde (HCA), AP-1, colon cancer, cell growth inhibition

Cu-doped thin films were prepared by RF magnetron co-sputtering, and their structural, optical and photodegradation. properties were examined as a function of calcination temperature. XRD results showed that the crystallite size of Cu/ thin films was bigger than that of the pure thin films. SEM results revealed that the agglomerated particle size of the Cu/ films was more uniform and smaller than that of pure films. The absorption edge of thin films calcined at was red shifted, resulting from the phase transformation from anatase to rutile phase, and the transmittance of the thin film rapidly decreased due to an increase in particle size. The photodegradation properties of the Cu/ thin films were superior to those of the pure thin films.

In order to accomplish the biological nutrient removal with a weak sewage at low temperature, a hybrid process consisted of anoxic denitrifying phosphorus accumulating organism (dPAO) and nitrifying biological aerated filter (BAF) was studied in both lab and field pilot plants with weak sewage. The biofilm BAF was used as a post-nitrification process that provided sufficient nitrate to suspended growth dPAO. The anoxic/BAF configuration could remove nitrogen and phosphorus appreciably compared to other BNR systems. The enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) was mainly occurred in anoxic zone of suspended growth reactor. It has been found that P removal efficiency of dPAO was enhanced with an addition of a short oxic zone in suspended reactors compared to that of without oxic zone. However, the degree of aerobic P uptake in oxic zone was far lower than anoxic P uptake. The operating results of field plant indicated that dPAO/BAF configuration successfully reduced the adverse temperature effects at lower than 15°C.

2'-Hydroxycinnamaldehyde (HCA) inhibits cell growth of several human cancer cells with unknown mechanisms. We investigated the inhibitory effect of HCA on TNF-alpha-induced cell growth and possible signal pathway in SW620 colon cancer cells. HCA inhibited TNF-alpha-induced SW620 colon cell growth in time- and dose-dependent manner through induction of apoptotic cell death. Parallel with inhibitory effect on cell growth, HCA dose dependency inhibited TNF-alpha-induced activation of NF-kappaB accompanied with inhibition of the translocation of p50. HCA also induced expression of caspase-3 and Bax, but decreased Bcl-2. HCA furthermore activated ERK pathway, and ERK inhibitor reversed inhibitory effect of HCA on cell growth and transcriptional activation of NF-kappaB. These results demonstrate that HCA inhibits cell growth through induction of apoptotic cell death by ERK pathway-dependent NF-kappaB inactivation.

Platinized TiO2 films were prepared by photodepostion of platinum on the sol–gel TiO2 films. The prepared Pt/TiO2 films exhibited excellent optical and photocatalytic properties. Under photodeposition conditions used in this work, the amount of Pt loading was extremely small and photodeposited Pt particles were well dispersed on the TiO2 films. At the optimum Pt loading where the photoactivity becomes the maximum, about 90% of gaseous benzene was decomposed after UV illumination for 60 min. Below the optimum Pt loading, the effect of recombination retardation of electron-hole pairs prevailed over the shading effect of TiO2 surface by Pt particles. Above the optimum Pt loading, the shading effect played an important role. Above the optimum Pt loading, the photoactivity of the Pt/TiO2 films was still superior to that of the unloaded TiO2 films in the case of UV illumination, while the former was inferior to the latter in the case of fluorescent illumination.

Ag-doped thin films were prepared by RF magnetron co-sputtering method, and their physical and chemical properties were examined as a function of calcination temperature. XRD results showed that the crystallite size of Ag-doped films was smaller than that of the thin films. SEM results showed that the particle size of film was smaller and more uniform than pure film. The films had high transparency in the visible range. The films calcined at were the anatase phase, and the films calcined at were a mixture of anatase and rutile phases. The absorption edge of films calcined at was red-shifted. This is due to the augmented absorption resulting from the phase transformation from anatase to rutile phase. And the transmittance of films decreased by the light scattering and absorption in the films. Photocatalytic activity of thin films was higher than that of the pure thin films.

Flory's lattice theory has been applied to the polymer blends containing a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) and flexible chain polymers. The phase behavior of blends of a thermotropic LCP and a flexible chain polymer at melt processing temperature can be evaluated by two quantitative parameters: the polymer–polymer interaction parameter ( χ 12 ) and the degree of disorder ( y / x 1 ). From the results of the model calculation, it has been found that the miscibility is increased with the increase of the degree of disorder ( y / x 1 ) of the LCP and with the decrease of the degree of polymerization ( x 1 m and/or x 2 ). The simulated spinodal curve of ternary polymer blends containing a thermotropic LCP and two flexible chain polymers has been calculated using the lattice theory. When three pairs of binary polymer blends are immiscible, the coexistence curve of the three phases appears for the ternary blend having similar values of χ ij among component polymers. When the LCP is immiscible with two flexible chain polymers, and also when the two flexible chain polymers are miscible with each other, the strong effect of anisotropy of the LCP is observed in the simulated spinodal curve. When three pairs of binary polymer blends are miscible, a phase separation is also observed due to the |Δ χ | effect.

The objective of this study was to examine the association of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) with hearing impairment among diabetic adults in Korea. The study was based on data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2012. Participants were 1206 diabetic adults, aged over 19 years, who completed audiometric testing supervised by nationally certified clinicians. Hearing impairment was defined in three grades: no hearing impairment (pure-tone average 0–25 dB), slight hearing impairment (26–40 dB), and disabling hearing impairment (>40 dB) in the better ear at frequencies 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 kHz. Using logistic regression, risk of hearing impairment was assessed after having controlled for confounding factors. Higher levels of ACR and lower levels of eGFR correlated with an increase in percentage of disabling hearing impairment both unilaterally and bilaterally (P