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Background: Smoking is known to be closely related with cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that smoking increases hemoglobin A1c levels in patients with diabetes. We aimed to explore the relationship between smoking and hemoglobin A1c levels in adults without diabetes based on body mass index values. Methods: In a general hospital in Korea, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey among 406 adults (both men and women) with no history of diabetes. We collected information about their age, sex, smoking habits, drinking habits, exercise regime, height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure and conducted routine biochemical tests. Subjects were divided into groups according to their body mass index values, hemoglobin A1c levels, and smoking habits. Subsequently, the relationship between smoking and hemoglobin A1c levels was assessed. Results: We determined a correlation between smoking and hemoglobin A1c levels in all the subjects particularly those with normal body mass index values (body mass index below 23.0 kg/m 2 ). Subjects with a history of smoking were odds ratio [OR] 1.091 more likely (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.006–1.183; P=0.03) to have hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% to 6.4% as compared to those who were OR 1.168 (95% CI, 1.054–1.294; P=0.003) likely to have hemoglobin A1c levels below 5.6%. Conclusion: In all the subjects including adults with normal body mass index values (body mass index below 23.0 kg/m 2 ), a statistically significant relationship between smoking and hemoglobin A1c levels was observed.

인의 갑상선 결절 유병률은 41%로 보고되고 있으며,1) 대부분은 양성 종양이어서 진단 후 별다른 치료 없이 경과관찰 하는 것으로 충분한 반면, 일부(5%–10%)는 악성이어서 수술 등의 치료가 요구된다.2) 갑상선 결절이 있는 대상자는 혈중 갑상선자극호르몬(thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH)의 농도에 영향을 미칠 수 있기 때문에 2009년 미국 갑상선학회의 권고안에 따르면 TSH 측정을 시행하도 록 권고하고 있으며, TSH이 억제되어 있으면 양성임을 시사한다.3) TSH은 갑상선 세포의 성장과 증식을 촉진하여 갑상선 호르몬의 합 성 및 분비를 자극한다. TSH의 농도가 높을수록 갑상선 암의 빈도 가 높아질 뿐 아니라 진행된 병기와 연관이 있다고 밝혀져 있다.4) 또 한, 에너지 항상성, 지질 및 당 대사에 중요한 작용을 하는 갑상선호 르몬은 정상 범위라도 높은 TSH 혈중농도가 대사증후군과 관련이 Original Article

To assess the groundwater&minus, river water interaction in a point-bar alluvial aquifer as a crucial step in site assessment for riverbank filtration, hydrochemical and hydrogeologic investigations were performed on a riverine island at the low reach of the Nakdong River, South Korea. The site was evaluated for the application of large-scale bank filtration. Unconsolidated sediments (~40 m thick) of the island comprise fine- to medium-grained sand (upper aquifer), silty sand with clay intercalations, and sandy gravel (lower aquifer) in descending order. The intermediate layer represents an impermeable aquitard and extends below the river bottom. A total of 66 water samples were collected for this study, groundwater (n = 57) was sampled from both preexisting irrigation wells, and three multi-level monitoring wells (each 35 m deep). Groundwater chemistry is highly variable, but it shows a distinct hydrochemical change with depth: shallow groundwater (&lt, 25 m deep) from the upper aquifer is characteristically enriched in NO3&minus, and SO42&minus, due to agricultural contamination from the land surface, while deeper groundwater (&gt, 25 m deep) from the lower aquifer is generally free of NO3&minus, and relatively rich in F. The lower aquifer groundwater is also higher in pH, and concentrations of K+, Mg2+, and HCO3&minus, indicating that the aquifer is likely fed by regional groundwater flow. Such separation of groundwater into two water bodies is the result of the existence of an impermeable layer at intermediate depth. In addition, the hyporheic flow of river water is locally recognized at the upstream part of the upper aquifer as the zone of low TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) values (&lt, 200 mg/L). This study shows that the study site does not seem to be promising for large-scale riverbank filtration because 1) the productive, lower aquifer is not directly connected to the bottom of the river channel, and 2) the upper aquifer is severely influenced by agricultural contamination. This study implies that the subsurface hydrogeologic environment should be carefully investigated for site assessment for riverbank filtration, which can be aided by a detailed survey of groundwater chemistry.

New deep-red light-emitting phosphorescent dendrimers with hole-transporting carbazole dendrons were synthesized by reacting tris(2-benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl-pyridyl) iridium (III) complex with carbazolyl dendrons by DCC-catalyzed esterification. The resulting first-, second-, and third-generation dendrimers were found to be highly efficient as solution-processable emitting materials and for use in host-free electrophosphorescent light-emitting diodes. We fabricated a host-free dendrimer EL device with configuration ITO/PEDOT:PSS (40 nm)/dendrimer (55 nm)/BCP (10 nm)/ Alq 3 (40 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (100 nm) and characterized the device performance. The multilayered devices showed luminance of 561 cd/m 2 at 383.4 mA/cm 2 (12 V) for 15, 1302 cd/m 2 at 321.3 mA/cm 2 (14 V) for 16, and 422 cd/m 2 at 94.4 mA/cm 2 (18 V) for 17. The third-generation dendrimer, 17 (η ext = 6.12% at 7.5 V), showed the highest external quantum efficiency (EQE) with an increase in the density of the light-harvesting carbazole dendron. Three dendrimers exhibited considerably pure deep-red emission with CIE 1931 (Commission International de L'Eclairage) chromaticity coordinates of x = 0.70, y = 0.30. The CIE coordinates remained very stable with the current density. The integration of rigid hole-transporting dendrons and phosphorescent complexes provides a new route to design highly efficient solution-processable materials for dendrimer light-emitting diode (DLED) applications.

Three-armed, star-shaped molecules containing 4-(N,N-diphenyl)amino-4'-nitroazobenzene chromophores were synthesized to study the diffraction behavior after inscribing surface relief gratings. The two molecules dif- fered in terms of their mode of chromophore attachment to the core. In compound 5, they were bound to the core laterally through alkylene spacers, whereas the chromophores were tethered perpendicularly to the core in com- pound 4. Although 60 wt% of the polar azobenzene chromophores was comprised of large molecules, no aggrega- tion behavior was observed in the absorption spectra of the thin films. The surface relief gratings were elaborated on the surface of the molecular films by the two-beam interference method. The dynamics of grating formation were studied in terms of the diffraction efficiency using two different film samples made up of two star-shaped molecules. The maximum diffraction efficiency of D-(ENAZ) , compound 4, was measured to be about 30%, which was sig- nificantly high. The mode of chromophore attachment affected the dynamic properties of the diffraction gratings.

New light emitting dendrimers were synthesized by reacting 3,5-bis-(3,5-bis-benzyloxy-benzyloxy)-benzoic acid or 3,5-bis-[3,5-bis-(3,5-bis-benzyloxy-benzyloxy)-benzyloxy]-benzoic acid with a carbazolyl vinyl spirobifluorene moiety. A blue-emitting core dye was encapsulated by multibenzyloxy dendrons, and two dendrimers having different densities of dendrons were prepared. Photoluminescence (PL) studies of the dendrimers demonstrated that at the higher density of benzyloxy dendrons, the featureless vibronic transitions were improved, causing lesser excimer emission. The similarity of the solution and solid emission spectra of the larger dendrimer, 10, revealed the suppression of molecular aggregation in the solid film, which is attributed to the presence of the bulky benzyloxy dendrons. The electroluminescence spectra of multilayered devices made using 10 predominantly exhibited blue emissions; similar emission was observed in the PL spectra of its thin film. The multilayered devices made using 3, 9, and 10 showed luminances of 1021 cd m -2 at 5 V, 916 cd m -2 at 6 V, and 851 cd m -2 at 6.5 V, respectively. The largest dendrimer, 10, bearing a greater number of benzyloxy dendrons, exhibited a blue-like emission with CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinates of x= 0.16 and y = 0.13, which is due to the influence of a higher shielding effect.

Modified polycaprolactone was synthesized by melt reaction of PCL and reactive monomers such as glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and maleic anhydride (MAH) in the presence of benzoyl peroxide in Brabender mixer. MAH showed a different grafting phenomenon compared to GMA. The reaction mechanism was discussed with different reactive monomers. Reactive blends of the PCL-g-GMA and the gelatinized starch with glycerin were prepared and their mechanical properties and biodegradabilities were investigated. Reactive blends of PCL-g-GMA and starch showed well-dispersed starch domain in the matrix and better mechanical strength than the unmodified PCL/starch blend. However, the reaction between PCL-g-GMA and starch induced a crosslinking during the reactive blending and this crosslinking in the blend lowered the biodegradation of the blend during the composting test. The biodegradability was investigated by the weight loss and surface morphology change of the blend in the composting medium.

We have synthesized a new deep-red light-emitting phosphorescent third-generation dendrimer with hole-transporting carbazole dendrons. The new dendrimer is highly efficient when used as a solution-...

We have reported that the natural DNA and DNAs intercalated with organic radicals were able to show the noble magnetic properties in dry state. Extending our study on the Magnetic properties of DNAs, we intercalated the photoresponsive proflavine (PF) molecules into DNAs when the intercalated DNA complexes were illuminated by a laser beam of 488 nm. Electron magnetic resonance (EMR) new signals appeared. We succeeded in measurement of photomagnetic properties of modified DNAs through electron magnetic resonance (EMR) spectroscopy and SQUID measurement. A significant increase in magnetization was observed for the photo-illuminated DNA/proflavine samples.

The authors report the near-IR sensitive star-shaped molecule [D-(CBz-TCP)3] containing bifunctional chromophores. A nonlinear optical active tricyanopyrroline-based plasticizer was also synthesized and introduced into the prepared molecular glass so as to control the glass transi-tion temperature of the photorefractive matrix. In a doped glass, they observed significantly enhanced photorefractive performances with regard to the asymmetric energy transfer and the diffraction efficiency at 830nm. In the presence of a small amount of (2,4,7-trinitro-9- fluorenylidene)malononitrile, they could demonstrate a very large net two beam coupling gain higher than 300cm−1 and a diffraction efficiency of 58%.