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Modern people spend most of their time indoors and so are chronically exposed to indoor air pollutants. To identify the health effects of pollutant exposure, it is necessary to understand the changes over time in indoor pollutant concentrations. There are two approaches for simulating pollutant concentration changes: mass balance model, computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Although the mass balance model is suitable for long-term simulation because it is simple, there is a limit to the detailed analysis considering concentration distribution. CFD can simulate the distribution of indoor air pollutants, but long-term analyses require too many computational resources. This study proposed a novel simulation method that couples the mass balance model with the contribution ratio of pollutant sources (CRPS) index, which indicates the individual impact of all pollutant sources and is extracted from CFD result. By introducing the CRPS index, long-term pollutant concentrations can be calculated as fast as the mass balance model while considering the pollutant distribution like CFD. The method was validated using previous experimental data. The case study was conducted and simulated changes in pollutant concentrations in a new residential unit for one week. The results showed that the CRPS-coupled method was different from conventional methods in that it more realistically calculates pollutant concentrations using relatively little computational resources.

The fine particles (PM2.5, PM10) have worsened indoor air quality and have caused an adverse effect on health. While range hoods have been typically used to exhaust cooking-generated fine particles in residential buildings, it is difficult to remove the fine particles effectively. The present study analyzed the effect of cooking on indoor air quality through the on-site measurements of cooking-generated fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) in 30 residential buildings. The results of the field measurement showed that the fine particles occurred during the cooking and the concentration exceeded the Korean indoor fine particle concentration standards for PM10 and PM2.5. The particle decay rate constant in field measurement was 1.27–21.83 h−1. The emission rates were 0.39–20.45 mg/min. In addition, the fine particles were measured in the experimental building by varying the cooking methods and ventilation types. Four different cooking methods were selected including broiling fish, meat, frying egg, and meat. By operating the range, hood system and the natural ventilation, the dispersion of the fine particle concentration, the particle emission rate, decay rate constant, and the Living–Kitchen (L/K) Ratio change was evaluated quantitatively. Based on the obtained results, the maximum concentrations of the fine particles were measured when broiling fish. Moreover, the range hood system was not able to decrease the cooking-emitted particle concentration effectively during the cooking period. The cooking-emitted particles were removed rapidly when both natural ventilation and the range hood system were operated simultaneously, where the particle decay rate constant was approximately 9 h−1. Furthermore, the selection of cooking type was the most important factor that can significantly have an impact on indoor particle concentrations. Cooking - generated particles; Range hood; Particle decay rate constant; Living-Kitchen (L/K); PM2.5; Emission rate.

Indoor cooking is the main cause of particulate matter (PM) within residential houses along with smoking. Even with the range hood turned on, cooking-generated PM can spread quickly into the living room due to the heat generated by the cookstove. In order to improve the PM spread prevention performance of the range hood, a supply of make-up air is needed. Generally, make-up air is supplied through a linear diffuser between the kitchen and living room. In such cases, it is necessary to determine the appropriate location of the supply diffuser. This study evaluates the spread of PM according to different locations of the supply diffuser, which feeds in make-up air. For this purpose, indoor airflow and PM spread were analyzed through CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation analysis. By changing the location of the supply diffuser from the contaminant source, PM concentration was analyzed in the kitchen and living room of an apartment house in Korea. Based on the results, the optimal installation location was determined. In this study, 1.5 m from the source was the most effective location of make-up air supply to prevent the spread of cooking-generated particles.

Ultraviolet A (UVA) is a risk factor for photoaging and wrinkle formation. Zizania latifolia is an herbaceous perennial plant. It contains many bioactive compounds such as tricin that show antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiwrinkle effect of a mixture of hydrolytic enzyme (cellulase, hemicellulase and pectinase)-treated Z. latifolia extract (ZLE) and tricin on UVA-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and SKH-1 hairless mice. Treatment of UVA-irradiated HDF cells with ZLE and tricin significantly decreased UVA induced-plasma membrane rupture, generation of ROS, expression levels of total and secreted lysosomal associated membrane protein (LAMP-1), cathepsin B and metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inhibited NF-&kappa, B activation. In the animal study, UVA-damaged epidermal and dermal tissues were repaired by the ZLE and tricin treatments. Administration of ZLE or tricin to UVA-irradiated animals recovered skin surface moisture and collagen fiber in dermal tissue. Treatment of ZLE or tricin decreased wrinkle formation, secretion of MMPs and expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cathepsin B, and increased the expression level of collagen-1 in UVA-irradiated animals. Overall, the ZLE and tricin treatments decreased the skin damage induced by UVA irradiation via inhibition of lysosomal exocytosis and ROS generation. Therefore, ZLE and tricin are promising as antiwrinkle and antiphotoaging agents.

Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) bone invasion are surgically treated with bone resection, which results in severe physical and psychological damage. Here, we investigated the potential of fractalkine (CX3CL1), which is regulated by transforming growth factor (TGF-β), as a novel biomarker for correct prediction and early detection of OSCC-associated bone invasion. TGF-β knockdown and treatment with a TGF-β-neutralizing antibody decreased the level of fractalkine in the culture media of HSC-2 and YD10B OSCC cells. Treatment with a fractalkine-neutralizing antibody reduced TGF-β-stimulated invasion by HSC-2 and YD10B cells. Fractalkine treatment increased the viability, invasion, and uPA secretion of both OSCC cell lines. Furthermore, OSCC cell bone invasion was assessed following subcutaneous inoculation of wild-type or TGF-β knockdown OSCC cells in mouse calvaria. TGF-β knockdown prevented erosive bone invasion, reduced the number of osteoclasts at the tumor-bone interface, and downregulated fractalkine expression in mouse tumor tissues. Our results indicate that the production of fractalkine is stimulated by TGF-β and mediates TGF-β-induced cell invasion in several OSCC cell lines showing an erosive pattern of bone invasion. Fractalkine may be a useful predictive marker and therapeutic target for OSCC-induced bone destruction.

For evaluating the thermal comfort of occupants, human factors such as clothing thermal insulation (clo level) and metabolic rate (Met) are one of the important parameters as well as environmental factors such as air temperature (Ta) and humidity. In general, a fixed clo level is commonly used for controlling heating, ventilation, and air conditioning using the thermal comfort index. However, a fixed clo level can lead to errors for estimating the thermal comfort of occupants, because clo levels of occupants can vary with time and by season. The present study assesses a method for predicting the clo level of occupants using a thermoregulation model and an infrared (IR) camera. The Tanabe model and the Fanger model were used as the thermoregulation models, and the predicted performance for high clo level (winter clothing) was compared. The skin and clothing temperatures of eight subjects using a non-contact IR camera were measured in a climate chamber. In addition, the measured values were used for the thermoregulation models to predict the clo levels. As a result, the Tanabe model showed a better performance than the Fanger model for predicting clo levels. In addition, all models tended to predict a clo level higher than the traditional method.

Recently, several researchers have attempted to detect occupancy information and use it to reduce building energy. Although occupancy counting using a camera and deep learning is a very effective method that has recently emerged, there are few cases in which the experimental performance and utilization have been comprehensively evaluated. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the applicability of vision-based occupancy counting using the latest deep learning model. First, this study experimentally evaluated the performance of the vision-based occupancy-counting method in two offices and investigated the user's acceptance of this method using a questionnaire. Second, the energy-saving performance of various occupancy-centric control strategies applied to HVAC and lighting was analyzed. Experimental results showed high performance for a small office of fewer than five people (NRMSE: 0.0435) and lower performance in a larger office (NRMSE: 0.0918). In addition, despite several occupants feeling privacy invasion by the camera, they responded that the system could be accommodated to reduce building energy. Simulation results indicated that occupancy-centric control using the number of occupants could reduce annual HVAC and lighting energy in small offices by 10.2%. In addition, among several occupancy-centric control strategies, modulating the outdoor airflow rate was found to be the most effective in saving energy.

Purpose/Objective(s) There is a paucity of data studying the significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) planning to undergo preoperative RT. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of NLR in patients with LARC and whether there are modifiable factors in RT which influencing the level of NLR. Materials/Methods We studied 1366 patients treated with neoadjuvant RT with concurrent or sequential chemotherapy for LARC from 2006 to 2019. Most (97.8%) were treated with long-course RT (50-50.4 Gy in 25-28 fractions) with 3DCRT (n = 851) or helical tomotherapy (n = 504). Short-course RT (25 Gy in 5 fractions, followed by 6-week XELOX) was used in 30 cases (NCT03676517). The absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were obtained from the sample collected at the time of initial diagnosis, before and during the course of preoperative RT and before surgery. The primary endpoint was distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Results With the median follow-up time of 61.3 months (4.1-173.7 months), the 5-year DMFS was 80.1%. 5-year DMFS was significantly associated with the level of NLR after RT, but not with the level of NLR before RT. In Cox multivariate model, post-RT NLR greater than 4 was independently correlated with worse DMFS (HR 1.37, 95% CI, 1.08-1.73), along with higher icT stage, ypT stage and ypN stage. The 5-year OS of patients with post-RT NLR > 4.0 was 83.2%, compared to 94.4% in post-RT NLR ≤ 4 patients (P 4.0) was more frequently developed after long-course RT (OR, 2.77, P = 0.032) or helical tomotherapy (OR, 1.29, P .05). Conclusion Elevation of NLR after neoadjuvant RT is associated with increased risk of DM development and poor OS in LARC. Development of high NLR following RT is directly related to RT fractionation and delivery modality, and tumor characteristics. Incorporation of SCRT with 3D-CRT or active bone marrow sparing-IMRT may be a modifiable factor that can indirectly affect DMFS by means of attenuating NLR in LARC patients, which needs further investigations.

Background Patients with advanced sarcomas have a poor prognosis and few treatment options that improve overall survival. We assessed the efficacy and tolerability of pemetrexed and cisplatin combination therapy in patients with refractory bone and soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Patients and Methods Patients were included in this multicenter, phase II study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03809637) if they progressed after receiving one or more chemotherapy regimens containing an anthracycline and/or ifosfamide. Pemetrexed was first administered intravenously, followed by cisplatin, over a cycle of 21 days, for a maximum of six cycles. The primary endpoint was a progression-free rate (PFR) at 3 months (3-month PFR). Results From January 2017 to September 2019, we enrolled 37 patients; of these, 73% had previously undergone three or more rounds of chemotherapy. Five patients (13.5%) exhibited objective responses, including two patients (2/6, 33.3%) with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, one patient (1/4, 25%) with synovial sarcoma, one patient (1/4, 25%) with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, and one patient (1/4, 25%) with angiosarcoma. The median progression-free survival was 2.6 months, and the 3-month PFR was 45.9% (n = 17). None of the four patients with osteosarcoma exhibited objective responses or were progression free at 3 months. The most frequent treatment-related grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia (16.2%), anemia (13.5%), thrombocytopenia (13.5%), and fatigue (8.1%). Among 26 patients (70.3%) available for immunohistochemical assessments, patients in the low-excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) and low-thymidylate synthase expression groups showed a tendency for longer overall survival. Conclusions Combination therapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin was associated with clinically meaningful and sustained responses among patients with advanced and refractory STS. The combination therapy met its predefined primary study endpoint., Highlights • Pemetrexed and cisplatin show promising efficacy for advanced sarcoma treatment, particularly as a salvage therapy option. • The combination therapy met its predefined primary endpoint, with a 3-month PFR of 45.9%. • Pemetrexed and cisplatin showed acceptable toxicity in heavily treated sarcoma patients.

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with healthy controls, which justify prophylaxis in practice. There are few data on VTE in Asian IBD patients including Koreans. We aimed to investigate the incidence of VTE and the potential risk factors in Korean IBD patients. Methods A nationwide population-based cohort study was performed using claims data from the National Health Insurance service in Korea for 10 years, from 2006 to 2015. VTE, Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were operationally defined by using ICD-10 codes, codes for Rare and Intractable Diseases registration, and pharmaceutical prescriptions for IBD-specific drugs. Control group was defined as age- and sex-matched health insurance subscribers without IBD for the same period. The hazard ratio (HR) for the risk of VTE was calculated after adjusting for covariates such as age, sex, rural area, comorbidities, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), admission, and therapeutic drugs use for IBD using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression. Results A total of 45,037 patients were diagnosed with IBD (13,850 CD and 31,187 UC), and 133,019 were defined as controls. VTE occurred in 411 (0.91%) in IBD, 106 (0.76%) in CD, and 305 (0.98%) in UC, whereas 641 (0.48%) in controls. In univariate analysis among IBD patients, old age (>59 years: HR = 6.256), female sex (HR = 1.537), low income (HR = 1.3090), high CCI (>3 score: HR = 4.053), steroid use (HR = 1.872), emergency care (HR = 1.513) and hospitalisation (HR = 1.352) significantly increased a risk of VTE. However, anti-TNF agent use (HR = 0.611) significantly decreased a risk of VTE. In multivariate analysis with adjustment among all subjects, CD (HR = 15.833) and UC (HR = 8.125) significantly increased a risk of VTE compared with controls. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that VTE is significantly high in Korean IBD patients compared with controls. In addition, old age, female sex, low income, high CCI, steroid use, emergency care, and hospitalisation are suggested as risk factors of VTE in IBD. Interestingly, use of anti-TNF agents may reduce risk of VTE, which should be considered for prophylaxis strategy suitable for Korean IBD patients.

Cooking is a major contributor to indoor particulate matter (PM) concentrations. Studies suggest that cooking-generated PM rapidly disperses even when a range hood is in operation, suggesting that range hoods fail to perform sufficiently when used in isolation. However, the performance of range hoods can be improved by a supply of make-up air equivalent to the airflow rate of the range hood. This study evaluates the prevention of the dispersion of cooking-generated PM and the discharge performance when a range hood and ventilation system are integrated. Three operation strategies were established, and the PM concentration was measured to estimate the effect of particle dispersion. An auxiliary supply system (AS) and supply of heat recovery ventilator (HRV) were used for the make-up air supply. The integrated operation of the AS and range hood was effective in preventing PM dispersion during cooking, thereby reducing the maximum PM concentrations by 54.6% and 75.1% in the kitchen and living room of the experimental house, respectively. The integrated operation of the HRV and range hood was more effective in discharging dispersed PM after cooking. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that the integrated application of a range hood and make-up air is applied during and after cooking.

// Junhee Park 1, 2 , Hyun-Jeong Kim 2 , Ki Rim Kim 3 , Sun Kyoung Lee 2 , Hyungkeun Kim 2, 4 , Kwang-Kyun Park 1, 2, 4 , Won-Yoon Chung 1, 2, 4 1 Department of Dentistry, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea 2 Department of Oral Biology, Oral Cancer Research Institute, and BK21 PLUS Project, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752, Republic of Korea 3 Department of Dental Hygiene, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 742-711, Korea 4 Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea Correspondence to: Won-Yoon Chung, email: wychung@yuhs.ac Kwang-Kyun Park, email: biochelab@yuhs.ac Keywords: oral squamous cell carcinoma, bone invasion, runt-related transcription factor 3, transforming growth factor-β Received: October 08, 2015 Accepted: December 15, 2016 Published: December 21, 2016 ABSTRACT High recurrence and lower survival rates in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are associated with its bone invasion. We identified the oncogenic role of RUNX3 during bone invasion by OSCC. Tumor growth and the generation of osteolytic lesions were significantly inhibited in mice that were subcutaneously inoculated with RUNX3-knockdown human OSCC cells. RUNX3 knockdown enhanced TGF-β-induced growth arrest and inhibited OSCC cell migration and invasion in the absence or presence of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a major growth factor abundant in the bone microenvironment. RUNX3 knockdown induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 and G2 phases and promoted G2 arrest by TGF-β in Ca9.22 OSCC cells. RUNX3 knockdown also inhibited both the basal and TGF-β-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by increasing E-cadherin expression and suppressing the nuclear translocation of β-catenin. In addition, the expression and TGF-β-mediated induction of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), one of key osteolytic factors, was blocked in RUNX3-knockdown OSCC cells. Furthermore, treating human osteoblastic cells with conditioned medium derived from RUNX3-knockdown OSCC cells reduced the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin ratio compared with treatment with conditioned medium from RUNX3-expressing cells. These findings indicate that RUNX3 expression in OSCC cells contributes to their bone invasion and the resulting osteolysis by inducing their malignant behaviors and production of osteolytic factors. RUNX3 alone or in combination with TGF-β and PTHrP may be a useful predictive biomarker and therapeutic target for bone invasion by oral cancer.

Chemerin is secreted as prochemerin from various cell types and then cleaved into the bioactive isoform by specific proteases. In various cancer types, chemerin exhibits pro- or antitumor effects. In the present study, chemerin treatment significantly inhibited the viability and invasion of breast cancer cells in the absence or presence of transforming growth factor (TGF)-&beta, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1. The expression levels of E-cadherin and vimentin were reduced in chemerin-treated breast cancer cells. However, chemerin treatment recovered the reduced E-cadherin expression level in breast cancer cells treated with TGF-&beta, or IGF-1. Chemerin treatment inhibited nuclear &beta, catenin levels in breast cancer cells stimulated with or without TGF-&beta, or IGF-1. In addition, chemerin treatment blocked the increase in the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-&Beta, ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio in osteoblastic cells exposed to metastatic breast cancer cell-derived conditioned medium. Chemerin treatment inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and bone resorption by reducing the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and cathepsin K. Intraperitoneal administration of chemerin inhibited tumor growth in MCF-7 breast cancer cell-injected mice and reduced the development of osteolytic lesions resulting from intratibial inoculation of MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, chemerin inhibits the growth and invasion of breast cancer cells and prevents bone loss resulting from breast cancer cells by inhibiting finally osteoclast formation and activity.

The fine particles (PM

Objective Remodeling of alveolar bone is controlled by osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-induced bone formation. LPS of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major causative agent of periodontitis, produces proinflammatory cytokines in host immune cells, which thereby triggers osteoclastogenesis and leads to alveolar bone resorption. We investigated the anti-periodontitis potential of Platycarya strobilacea leaf extract (PLE), which is used as a traditional medicine in Asian countries. Design TNF-α levels in cell culture media were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Osteoclast differentiation was observed by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, and the expression levels of osteoclastogenic genes were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Bone-resorbing activity was confirmed by the resorption pit formation, gelatin zymographic, and the cathepsin K activity assays. Osteogenic differentiation was confirmed with an ALP activity assay and alizarin red S staining. Results PLE treatment inhibited the production of TNF-α in P. gingivalis LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. In bone marrow-derived macrophages serving as osteoclast precursors, PLE treatment blocked RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and gene expression levels of the osteoclastogenic transcription factor NFATc1, DC-STAMP for osteoclast fusion, and cathepsin K for osteoclast activity. In addition, PLE treatment reduced the formation of resorption pits and the secretion of MMP 9 and cathepsin K from the differentiated osteoclasts. Furthermore, PLE treatment induced osteogenesis by increasing ALP activity and calcium content in preosteoblastic cells. Conclusion PLE inhibits P. gingivalis LPS-induced TNF-α production and bone resorption and induces bone formation. PLE may be a beneficial agent to promote oral health by inhibiting periodontitis-induced alveolar bone loss.

Two types of methods are used to evaluate pedestrian comfort: pedestrian wind comfort and outdoor thermal comfort. To accurately ascertain the outdoor wind environment, wind speed is the only parameter considered. However, pedestrians may still feel discomfort when the perceived temperature is low, even though the wind comfort criterion has been satisfactorily fulfilled. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to investigate pedestrian comfort when the perceived temperature is low, especially in winter conditions. To achieve this, a pedestrian survey was conducted, and 588 respondents completed a questionnaire. The results show that pedestrians feel discomfort when the WCET (Wind Chill Equivalent Temperature) is low, with almost 40 percent of respondents answering that they feel discomfort in these conditions. In conclusion, the threshold wind speed of the winter season could be determined to be lower than that of the existing comfort criteria by applying the WCET.

Finding an alternative fuel and reducing environmental pollution are the main goals for future internal combustion engines. The purpose of this study is to obtain low-emission and high-efficiency by hydrogen enriched LPG fuel in a LPG engine. An experimental study was carried out to obtain fundamental data for the emit HC emission characteristics at cold start of pre-mixed LPG and hydrogen in a LPG engine with various fractions of hydrogen-LPG blends. To maintain equal volume ratio of fuel blend, the amount of HC was decreased as hydrogen was gradually added. The results showed that as hydrogen increases, in-cylinder pressure increased. Also emission of unburned hydrocarbon (HC) is sharply decreased.

The HLA-C*02:02:33 allele differs by a single nucleotide at codon 215 compared with HLA-C*02:02:02:01.

Background Although the current standard preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) for stage II/III rectal cancer decreases the risk of local recurrence, it does not improve overall survival and increase the likelihood of preoperative overtreatment, especially in patients without the circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement. Methods Stage II/III rectal cancer without CRM involvement and lateral lymph node metastasis was radiologically defined by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients who received either PCRT followed by TME (PCRT group) or upfront surgery with TME (US group) between 2011 and 2016 were analyzed. We derived cohorts of PCRT group versus US group using propensity-score matching using staging, age, and distance from anal verge). Three-year relapse-free survival rate, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between two groups. Results A total of 221 patients were analyzed after propensity score matching. There were no differences in baseline characteristics. The median follow-up was 75 months (range, 28-101). No difference in 3-year relapse-free survival rate was noted between PCRT and US groups (89% vs 92% with US; P=0.657). Likewise, there was no statistically significant difference in DFS (7.7 years vs 8.0 years with US; P=0.162) and OS (8.1 years vs 8.3 years with US; P=0.431), respectively. The rates of locoregional recurrence (2.9% vs 0% with US, P=0.301) and distant metastasis (7.4% vs 7.1%, P=1.0) at 3-years were not significantly different between two groups. Interestingly, approximately half of patients had pathologic stage I cancer in both groups (56% with PCRT vs 45% with US; P=0.167) and 69% of patients in US group had not received adjuvant treatment, suggesting that upfront surgery without neoadjuvant therapy can be considered in early stage patients with good prognosis. Conclusions PCRT may not be required for all stage II/III rectal cancer patients, especially for the MRI-based intermediate-risk group (cT1-2/N1, cT3N0) without CRM involvement and lateral lymph node metastasis. Further prospective studies are warranted. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

This study measured five apartments in the Daejeon. There is higher fluctuation for ambient air particle conditions. The average PN (particle number) concentrations was 5.2x108/m3. There are differences between five sites because of fluctuation for ambient air conditions. Particle concentration has different each occupant schedule. I/O ratios were different by occupancy schedules. Indoor particles exceeded 0.7 μm was significant emitted indoor activities. This result comes from two reasons. 1) Penetration by envelopes. 2) Indoor sources by occupants’ activities. PN decay rate (a+k) were 0.49-4.29 h−1 during indoor peak events. Total emitted particles (σ) was 0.0136.15 x 1013 particles per events. The cooking generated PN were wide range because of different event conditions. The ventilation rate is not enough to remove particles.

One of the most important problems of cooking-generated particulate matter (PM) is that it rapidly disperses when the range hood is in operation during cooking. To improve the performance of the range hood and prevent the dispersion of PM, a supply of make-up air equivalent to the airflow rate of the range hood should be provided. In this regard, we place an auxiliary supply system as a make-up supply to solve such problems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the make-up air supply system and the range hood. To evaluate this system, several case studies were performed involving CFD simulations. The auxiliary supply system is optimized through three types of variables (size of diffuser, distance from the source, and flow angle). An increase in the length of the diffuser causes PM dispersion to decrease. The installation of the diffuser at a certain distance from the emission source is effective in preventing dispersion of cooking-generated PM. In the building analyzed in this study, supplying the make-up air at an angle of 10° was observed to be most effective.

This study describes the environmental impact of the material production, transportation, and construction phases from the construction site perspective. CO2 emissions for each process were determined using the Korea Life Cycle Inventory Database (LCI DB) in the material production phase, and the actual amounts of oil consumption for transportation equipment were identified in the material transportation phase. Generally, the oil and electric energy consumed during the construction was evaluated by direct monitoring. Through the construction period and cost according to work type, a correlation with CO2 emissions was also investigated. In addition, CO2 emissions were examined through the system capacity and gross floor area for each work type. The calculations have shown that CO2 emissions from the material production phase constitute 93.4% of the total CO2 emissions. In addition, CO2 emissions from the material transportation and on-site construction account for 2.4% and 4.2% of the total CO2 emissions, respectively. This paper concludes that it is important to select appropriate input materials and resources for the reduction of CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the amount of CO2 emissions arising from the construction site was reduced by finding and practicing measures to reduce CO2 emissions for each process.

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*51 genotype is one of the well-known genetic factors associated with the development of Behcet's disease. We evaluated three sequence-specific priming (SSP) assays and one real-time PCR assay for detecting HLA-B*51 alleles using 93 whole blood samples, which were genotyped by high-resolution sequence-based typing (SBT). All HLA-B*51 alleles determined by SBT were detected by the four evaluated assays, and the results for all HLA-B alleles other than HLA-B*51 were negative on all assays. Thus, all HLA-B51 tests showed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for detecting HLA-B*51 alleles. The three SSP assays and the real-time PCR test for HLA-B*51 genotyping are simple, but reliable for detecting HLA-B*51 alleles in clinical laboratories.

Summary Background Because inflammatory cytokines are known to be potent inducers of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and MMPs themselves can promote inflammation, we speculated that MMP activation might be involved in the pathogenesis of Henoch–Schonlein purpura (HSP) vasculitis. Objectives To investigate the gene expression profile of all known MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in children with HSP and to examine the role, if any, of MMPs in the pathogenesis of HSP. Methods Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 10 patients with HSP (nine were in the acute stage, one had HSP nephritis) and four healthy controls. Peripheral blood samples were also taken from the nine patients with HSP when they reached the convalescent stage of the disease. From these samples, total RNA was purified and gene expressions were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results MMP-8 expression was decreased in patients with arthralgia (P = 0·038), and MMP-3 (P = 0·03) and TIMP-4 expressions (P = 0·016) were elevated in HSP patients with nephritis. Soft tissue oedema was associated with decreased expressions of MMP-26 (P = 0·038) and MMP-28 (P = 0·038). MMP-1, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-10, MMP-13, MMP-16 and MMP-26 levels were significantly higher in patients in the acute stage of HSP than in normal controls (P

A new process for ∼200 μm thick multilayer dielectric films on aluminum was developed via chemically bonded composite sol–gel. The sol–gel process used alumina and chemical bonding used phosphoric acid and aluminum phosphates. An interlayer was introduced between the coatings and aluminum substrate to decrease the thermal expansion mismatch between the ceramic and the substrate. The dielectric breakdown voltage of about 2500 V was measured for the films at room temperature.

Unilateral condylar overgrowth induces severe facial asymmetry. Therefore, treatment focuses on both elimination of the condyle lesion and correction of the facial asymmetry. The aim of this report is to present three patient cases, introducing a simpler surgical method, the indications for this surgical method, and a treatment planning flow that is consistently applicable regardless of the origin of the condylar lesion. Condylectomy was performed simultaneously with orthognathic surgery, with the vertical ramus osteotomy selected as the method of ramus surgery; ipsilateral ramus surgery was not performed on the condylectomy side. This method is applicable in cases in which facial asymmetry originates solely from unilateral condylar overgrowth, and the maxilla and mandible are presumed to have been in the normal class I anteroposterior position before the onset of condylar lesion growth. After surgery, temporomandibular joint pain and/or mouth limitations were resolved, the new condyle showed satisfactory bone remodelling, and favourable facial symmetry was attained. The postoperative results were maintained long-term and there was no recurrence on the condylectomy side. This simply modified surgical strategy for facial asymmetry due to unilateral condylar overgrowth may be used in selected patients, regardless of the origin of the condylar lesion.

Many osteopenic disorders, including a postmenopausal osteoporosis and lytic bone metastasis in breast and prostate cancers, are linked with a hyperosteoclast activity due to increased receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) expression in osteoblastic/stromal cells. Therefore, inhibition of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast-induced bone resorption is an important approach in controlling pathophysiology of these skeletal diseases. We found that, of seven type I, II, and III saikosaponins isolated fromBupleurum falcatum, saikosaponins A and D, type I saikosaponins with an allyl oxide linkage between position 13 and 28 and two carbohydrate chains that are directly attached to the hydroxyl groups in position 3, exhibited the most potent inhibition on RANKL-induced osteoclast formation at noncytotoxic concentrations. The stereochemistry of the hydroxyl group at C16 did not affect their activity. Saikosaponins A and D inhibited the formation of resorptive pits by reducing the secreted levels of matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 2, MMP-9, and cathepsin K in RANKL-induced osteoclasts. Additionally, saikosaponins A and D inhibited mRNA expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein as well as cell viability and invasion in metastatic human breast cancer cells. Thus, saikosaponins A and D can serve as a beneficial agent for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and cancer-induced bone loss.