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We demonstrated that bromine in ethyl acetate can selectively separate metallic contents in lanthanide metal-oxide mixtures for analysis, which had been validated for uranium. This Br2-EtOAc dissolution method was applied to determine the constituents of metal and metal oxide in SIMFuel that was electrochemically reduced from oxide fuel in the molten salt. Compared with the analysis results obtained after dissolving the fuel in an acid solution, we concluded that the Br2-EtOAc method can be applied to uranium and rare earths but not to noble metals for the reduction yield determination.

A series of electrolytic reduction experiments were carried out using a simulated oxide spent fuel to investigate the reduction behavior of elements in a mixed oxide condition and the fates of elements in the reduction process with 1.0 wt% Li2O-LiCl. It was found out that 155% of the theoretical charge was enough to reduce the simulated. Te and Eu were expected to possibly exist in the precipitate and on the anode surface, whereas Ba and Sr showed apparent dissolution behaviors. Rare earths showed relatively low metal fractions from 28.2 to 34.0% except for Y. And the solubility of rare earths was observed to be low due to the low concentration of Li2O. The reduction of U was successful as expected showing 99.8% of a metal fraction. Also it was shown that the reduction of ZrO2 would be effective when a relatively small amount was included in a metal oxide mixture.

BACKGROUND: Water quality is of concern to water utility operators, public health officials, and populations using the water. If any contaminant is released from a point of entry, it could be spread rapidly throughout the water stream. So the identification of the location of the points of entry and its release history are critical informations to establish the management strategy.METHODS AND RESULTS: Aniline, nonylphenol, pentachlorophenol and formaldehyde in 39 surface water samples were analysed using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Formaldehyde, aniline and nonylphenol were mainly detected in the near sites where industrial waste water and domestic sewage were discharged into stream. But pentachlorophenol was detected in the downstream samples where pulp manufacturing plants were operated.CONCLUSION: Results indicate that pentachlorophenol found in main stream of Guem river was mainly introduced from pulp manufacture industries. Otherwise, formaldehyde, aniline and nonylphenol were mainly contaminated from the industrial waste water and domestic sewage.

Background Although herbal medicines (HMs) are widely used in Asian and Western countries, medicinal information concerning their hepatic toxicity or interaction with conventional medicines (CMs) is sparse. Purpose The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) among total inpatients prescribed HMs or CMs. Furthermore, we noted all medications suspected to be associated with hepatotoxicity in the liver injury group during the period of hospitalization. Study design We retrospectively observed medical records of 1169 inpatients in a single medical center from January 2012 to July 2014. Methods Based on a database of the 1169 inpatients at a single medical center, we researched the occurrence rate and type of liver injury according to the criteria of the Council for International Organization of Medical Science (CIOMS). We also utilized a simplified Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) score for probable causality assessment between drugs and liver injury. Results Among a total of 1169 inpatients, 13 cases whose baseline LFTs had been in the normal range at admission had abnormal liver parameters at the time of follow-up, and 11 of them (0.94%) were attributed to drugs: 0.43% (5 of 1169) to HMs, 0.43% (5 of 1169) to CMs, and 0.09% (1 of 1169) to combined drug classes. Two of them were found to have liver injury because of pneumonia and sepsis. As for liver injury type, 8 cases were hepatocellular, 2 were cholestatic, and 1 was of mixed pattern. The common causative HMs for hepatotoxicity were Ephedrae Herba and Scutellariae Radix, while CMs included antidepressants, antihistamines, and antibacterials. Conclusions We investigated approximate incidence rates and analyzed suspicious drugs associated with liver damage, which revealed a low frequency of liver injury induced by HMs. However, further study, based on a well-designed, long-term, multicenter prospective study, will be required to determine the safety of HMs.

UV–VIS spectra of uranium ions provided information not only on the electronic state of U(III)–Cl and U(IV)–Cl species, but also on the metal–ligand bonding properties. The 5f – 6d transition lines in the electronic absorption spectra of U(III) and U(IV) provided key information on the covalent bonding properties of U(III)–Cl and U(IV)–Cl complexes. The position and intensities of 5f – 6d and 5f – f5 transitions varied depending on the oxidation state and bonding properties. The 5f – 6d transitions of U(III) ion occur at a lower energy of as low as the 400–600 nm range with decreased intensity. However, U(IV) ions occur at the much higher ~ 250 nm range. The 5f – 6d / 5f – 5f intensity ratio indicated the degree of covalency. The U(III)–Cl species exhibited stronger covalent bonding than the U(IV)–Cl. This means that U(III)–Cl bonding is stronger than U(IV)–Cl species. Compared with uranium ions, Eu(II) ion showed no measurable covalent bonding under the same conditions, which means that Eu(II)–Cl bonding is predominantly ionic in nature. The bond strength (covalency) was evaluated in the order of U(III)–Cl > U(IV)–Cl ≫ Eu(II)–Cl. The reduction rate of U(IV) is ~ 4 times faster than that of the oxidation of U(III), indicating that U(III)–Cl is more stable than U(IV)–Cl species. The UV–VIS spectral analysis method may also be effective in investigating the bonding properties of neptunium and plutonium ions with chloride ligands in molten salt media.

We prepared neptunium chloride complexes electrochemically and performed spectroelectrochemical measurements of neptunium ions in LiCl–KCl eutectic melts at 450 °C, where the neptunium concentrations studied were in the range of 0.1–1 mM. We observed a highly absorbing f–d transition band of Np3+ at 383 nm, which was used to determine an formal potential of the Np4+|Np3+ redox couple (E°′ = 0.45 V vs. Ag|Ag+) with a solution of concentration as low as ~0.1 mM. This result agreed well with the value (E°′ = 0.42 V vs. Ag|Ag+) determined by cyclic voltammetry with a ~15 mM solution.

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was used for determining seven pesticides (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, methomyl, aldicarb, 2-methyl- 4-chlorophenoxy- ace- tic acid, molinate, carbaryl and carbofuran) and two synthetic materials (quinoline and bisphenol-A) in surface water. The ana- lytes were extracted using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The eluate was concentrated by nitrogen gas. 100 microliters of 30% (v/v) methanol aqueous solution were used to dissolve the residue and an aliquot of the reconstituted solution was directly injected into LC-ESI-MS/MS after the filtration using 0.2 μm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) syringe filter. Under the estab- lished condition, the calibration curves of the analytes were linear with correlation coefficients of above 0.997. The quantifica- tion limit was 0.002~0.011 μg/L and the relative standard deviations were less than 16.4%. In addition, accuracy was in the range of 84~107% and the recoveries were values between 56.2 and 98.6%. In this study, the developed method was applied to the analysis of real surface water samples.

The seed of the Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf seed (CLMS) extract has been prescribed to alleviate obesity by practitioners of traditional Korean medicine. Here, we investigated the effect of CLMS extract on PPARγ 2 and c/EBPα and obesity responses in C57BL/6J obese mice fed on a high fat diet. The mouse body index, blood profile, and fat accumulation levels in the liver were measured. The protein expression levels of PPARγ 2 and c/EBPα in the mice livers were also measured to determine the molecular mode-of-action of the reducing effect of CLMS extract on mouse adipogenesis. The results showed that HFD-induced mouse obesity, fat accumulation, and serum cholesterol were alleviated by the CLMS extract addition. Moreover, PPARγ 2 and C/EBPα, proteins, those are related to the adipogenesis, were downregulated by the CLMS extract intake considerably. This study indicates that as a food additive, CLMS extract has a reducing effect on the high-fat diet induced fat accumulation and on body weight through the downregulation of adipogenesis.

The flight control of aircraft, which has nonlinear time-varying dynamic characteristics depending on the various and unexpected external conditions, can be performed on two motions: longitudinal motion and lateral motion. In the longitudinal motion control of aircraft, pitch and trust are major control parameters and roll and yaw are control ones in the lateral motion control. Until now, a number of efficient and reliable control schemes that can guarantee the stability and maneuverability of the aircraft have been developed. Recently, the intelligent flight control scheme, which differs from the conventional control strategy requiring the various and complicate procedures such as the wind tunnel and environmental experiments, has attracted attention. In this paper, an intelligent longitudinal control scheme has been proposed utilizing Interval Type-2 fuzzy logic which can be recognized as a representative intelligent control methodology. The results will be verified through computer simulation with a F-4 jet fighter.

We report here a sampling method using a gas-tight syringe (GTS) in the determination of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in aerosols from electronic cigarettes. The method is based on extraction with a solvent at the same time as the aerosol is introduced into a GTS. The analytes were dissolved in the solvent after it had been injected into the GTS and the extract was then directly injected into a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry system. The optimum extraction conditions for the TSNAs were: solvent, methylene chloride; volume, 10 mL; and shaking time, 3 min. The proposed GTS method was compared with conventional impinger methods. The GTS method showed good recoveries of 98–103% with a small relative standard deviation of 2%. The amounts of TSNAs per 50 mL puff were 3.5–45.5 pg for N′-nitrosonornicotine, 3.5–759.5 pg for 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, 3.5–164.5 pg for N′-nitrosoanabasine, and 3.5–612.5 pg for N′-nitrosoanatabine in the aerosols from 50 brands of electronic cigarettes from 11 different companies purchased in Korean shops. When the developed method was applied to aerosols from electronic cigarettes using prepared replacement liquids containing TSNA precursors, no TSNA was observed. Therefore we suggest that the TSNAs were not formed during the operation of the electronic cigarettes. We used the same method to determine the concentrations of TSNAs in 10 conventional cigarettes produced by five different companies and purchased from shops in Korea. The total observed concentrations of TSNAs in the electronic cigarettes were about 100-fold lower than in the conventional cigarettes.

Background/aims Fructose malabsorption (FM) mimics symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and its prevalence has increased. Diagnosing FM in IBS is challenging because of its overlap with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). We assessed the prevalence of FM by comparing patients with IBS with asymptomatic control individuals after excluding SIBO using the glucose hydrogen breath test (HBT). Methods Patients diagnosed with IBS and asymptomatic control individuals were enrolled prospectively. Dietary habits were assessed with the Food Frequency Questionnaire. After excluding SIBO, participants underwent HBTs with both 15 g and 25 g of fructose. Results Thirty-five patients with IBS and 35 age- and sex-matched asymptomatic control individuals were enrolled. The 15-g fructose HBT yielded positive results in 7 of the 35 (20.0%) patients with IBS and in 2 of 35 (5.7%) controls (P = 0.070). The 25-g fructose HBT was positive in 16 of the 35 (45.7%) patients with IBS and in 8 of the 35 (22.9%) controls (P = 0.040). Analysis of the Food Frequency Questionnaire responses showed no significant differences between the 2 groups in dietary intake, although patients with IBS showed a significantly higher mean fiber intake than controls (21.24 ± 11.35 g vs 15.87 ± 7.07 g, respectively, P = 0.040). Conclusions The 25-g fructose HBT identified FM in a significantly higher percentage of SIBO-negative patients with IBS than in asymptomatic control individuals, suggesting that FM may correlate with IBS. Education regarding dietary control of foods containing fructose may be useful for the management of patients with IBS.

A sensitive gas chromatographic mass spectrometric (GC–MS) method has been established for the simultaneous determination of acetamide (AA), propanamide (PA), and butyramide (BA) in surface and drinking water based on derivatization with 9-xanthydrol. Deuterated acrylamide was chosen as the internal standard for analyzing the water sample. The derivatization of AA, PA, and BA was performed directly in water and the reaction conditions (10.0-mM 9-xanthydrol, 0.5-M HCl, 20-min reaction time, and ambient temperature) were established. Under these conditions, the detection limit of the analytes was 0.03 μg L −1 , and the interday relative standard deviation was less than 16% at concentrations of 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 μg L −1 . The proposed GC–MS method enables the reliable analysis of trace AA, PA, and BA in environmental water.

Objectives: This case report was conducted to introduce the effectiveness of herbal decoction on patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Methods: We closely observed two patients who were admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine 1 of Kyung-Hee Korean Medical Hospital due to ITP. We gave a herbal decoction to these patients and then analyzed the changes in their general conditions as well as blood test results. Results and Conclusions: The treatment with herbal decoctions was helpful for ITP patients.

We have measured the electronic absorption spectra of the U (III) and U (IV) ions in a LiCl–KCl eutectic melt at 450 °C to understand their spectrochemical behavior in the context of pyrochemical process of spent nuclear fuel. The UV–VIS spectra of the U (III) ion consist of two main peaks in the range of 400–600 nm which are attributable to the 5f 3 – 5f 2 6d 1 transitions. The 5f – 6 d transitions of U (III) ion occurred at lower energy as low as 400–600 nm range while that of Nd (III) and U (IV) ion occur at much higher energy over the normal UV range. For the U (III) ion, the intensities of 5f – 5f transitions are about one order of magnitude larger than the 4f – 4f transitions in lanthanides. And the 5f – 6 d transitions are about one order of magnitude smaller than in the 4f – 5 d transitions in the lanthanide ions. The electronic energy levels of the U (III), U (IV) and Nd (III) ions are estimated to understand their electronic transitions. The features of the electronic absorption spectra of U (III), Nd (III), U (IV) ions are reasonably explainable by their electronic structure. In-situ monitoring of the U (III) ↔ U (VI) redox reaction in a high temperature LiCl–KCl showed that the redox reaction is reversible.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a GENESIS-BCP™ scaffold composed of hydroxyapatite (HAp) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) on bone formation. The relative ratio of components forming GENESIS-BCPTM was investigated by confirming the molar ratio of Ca/P through energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis. The results being that the scaffold is comprised of 60% HAp and 40% β-TCP. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed a unique surface morphology similar to a soccer ball. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the porosity, crystallinity, and Ca/P ratio were 65.5%, 84.9%, and 1.61%, respectively. In vitro tests including cytotoxicity and cell proliferation showed a good biocompatibility of GENESIS-BCP™. In vivo tests, including mouse skull test, and hematoxylin and eosin stains of GENESIS-BCP™ implanted in rabbit and human subjects showed that the bone graft is effective to accelerate new bone formation. It was concluded that GENESIS-BCP™ can be used as an effective alloplast bone graft.

We have measured the electronic absorption spectra of the U(III) ion in LiCl–KCl eutectic melt at 450 °C to understand its chemical behavior in the context of pyrochemical process of spent nuclear fuel. The UV–VIS spectra of the U(III) ion consist of two main peaks in the range of 400–600 nm which are attributable to the 5f 3 –5f 2 6d 1 transitions. With the aid of UV–VIS spectroscopic tool, in-situ measurement of chemical reactions of the U(III) with oxide ion as well as neodymium oxide was successfully achieved. The U(III) ion forms insoluble uranium oxide phases by reacting with oxide ion and lanthanide oxides.

Cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to investigate the electrodeposition of Eu and Al in an LiCl–KCl eutectic melt containing Eu2+ and Al3+ at 450 °C. In order to deposit a pure Eu and Al alloy, the stoichiometrically lower concentration of Al3+ than that of Eu2+ and Al wires as a counter electrode was introduced into the bath of LiCl–KCl melt for the electrodeposition. The electrodeposition takes place at a potential more negative than −1.95 V vs. Ag|Ag+ while the deposit is oxidized at more positive potential than −1.92 V. Two new reduction peaks and an anodic peak on a W working electrode were observed at −2.39 V, −2.42 V, and −2.1 V, vs. Ag|Ag+, respectively, suggesting that the potential window of the Al system in LiCl–KCl melt can be extended to −2.43 V vs. Ag|Ag+. The EDS analysis indicated that AlEu can be deposited at the potential more negative than −2.37 V.

Both a potentiometric and a chronoamperometric electrochemical technique have been applied in an attempt to develop an efficient method for an on-line monitoring of a lithium metal reduction process of uranium oxides at a high-temperature in a molten salt medium. As a result of this study, it was concluded that the chronoamperometric method provided a simple and effective way for a direct on-line monitoring measurement of a lithium metal reduction process of uranium oxides at 650 °C by the measuring electrical currents dependency on a variation of the reduction time for the reaction. A potentiometric method, by adopting a homemade oxide ion selective electrode made of ZrO 2 stabilized by a Y 2 O 3 doping, however, was found to be inappropriate for an on-line monitoring of the reduction reaction of uranium oxide in the presence of lithium metal due to an abnormal behavior of the adopted electrodes. The observed experimental results were discussed in detail by comparing them with previously published experimental data.

Background: Liver steatosis was caused by lipid accumulation in the liver. Alisma orientale (AO) is recognized as a promising candidate with therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). HepG2 hepatocyte cell line is commonly used for liver disease cell model. Method: The HepG2 cells were cultured with the NEFAs mixture (oleic and palmitic acids, 2: 1 ratio) for 24 h to induce hepatic steatosis. Then different doses of Alisma orientale extract (AOE) was treated to HepG2 for 24 h. Incubated cells were used for further experiments. Results: The AOE showed inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in the Oil Red O staining and Nile red staining tests with no cytotoxicity at a concentration of 300 mu g/mL. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) mRNA and protein expression level were down-regulated after AOE treatment. Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mRNA expression level were decreased as well as p-JNK (activated form of JNK), Bax, cleaved caspase-9, caspase-3 protein expression level. Anti-apopototic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein level increased after AOE treatment. In addition, inflammatory protein expression including p-p65, p65, COX-2 and iNOS were inhibited by AOE treatment. Conclusion: The results suggest that AOE has anti-steatosis effects that involve lipogenesis, anti-lipoapoptosis, and anti-inflammation in the NEFA-induced NAFLD pathological cell model.

High-temperature LiCl–KCl molten salt medium provides an efficient way to produce the paramagnetic Eu(II) ion to be magnetically diluted into a diamagnetic host medium. Eu(II) was formed by a dissolution and an auto-reduction processes in a high-temperature LiCl–KCl eutectic melt at 723 K by using Eu2O3 as a starting material. By using EPR and luminescence spectroscopic method, we studied the nature of the magnetically isolated paramagnetic Eu(II) ion diluted in a LiCl–KCl medium. With the aid of these spectroscopic tools, it was found that stable Eu(II) species was formed spontaneously at 723 K under anaerobic conditions. EPR and luminescence spectroscopy provided detailed information regarding the nature of the europium ion in a molten salt.

Cu(II) sorbed on kaolinite (KGa-1b) was studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy over various pH, ionic strength, and Cu(II) concentration conditions. Two different absorption lines, namely, an isotropic ( g iso = 2.193) and an anisotropic signal ( g || = 2.365 and g ⊥ = 2.088) were observed at room temperature. The signals were assigned to an outer-sphere and an inner-sphere Cu(II) surface complex, respectively. The intensity of the two signals varied with the sorption conditions or post-sorptional treatments such as rinsing and dehydration/rehydration. The intensity of the isotropic signal was not directly proportional to the amount of sorbed Cu(II). Rinsing of the Cu-loaded surface had a different impact on the signal intensity depending on the sorption pH. The isotropic signal together with the anisotropic signal was simultaneously observed on the kaolinite surface air-dried at room temperature for as long as 13 months. On the other hand, only the anisotropic signal was observed on the surface dried at 105 °C overnight. The re-wetting of the once dried kaolinite with deionized water immediately restored the isotropic signal. These results show that an outer-sphere surface complex is the dominant form of the sorbed copper ions and that the drying and aging of the surface convert the outer-sphere complex into the inner-sphere complex or surface precipitate, at least a part of which was reversibly converted back into the outer-sphere complex by the rehydration of the surface. This work suggests that dehydration during aging as well as solution variables such as pH, concentrations of Cu(II) and competing cations can have an impact on the amount and long-term fate of the outer-sphere Cu(II) complex formed on the kaolinite surface.

The nature of the interaction among Cu(II), adsorbed water, and quartz surface was studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The EPR lineshape gave information concerning the motional status of sorbed Cu(II) that revealed its binding strength at the surface. Two distinct absorption lines of sorbed Cu(II), namely, the liquid-type and the solid-type signal, were simultaneously observed at the fully hydrated surface at room temperature. The absorption lines and the variation of their intensity with experimental and measurement conditions such as degree of hydration, pH, ionic strength, and surface coverage indicated that there exist three kinds of Cu(II) entities, the inner-sphere surface complex, the outer-sphere surface complex, and the surface precipitate on the quartz surface, and that their concentrations change with experimental conditions. The reversible conversion of the liquid-type signal to the solid-type one during the drying-wetting or freezing-melting of the surface suggested the development of multiple layers of adsorbed water molecules on the quartz surface. It is assumed that the innermost layer of the water layers contains the inner-sphere Cu(II) surface complexes, while the outer layers contain the outer-sphere complexes whose binding strength decreases outward with increasing distance from the surface. The result of this work suggests that the sorption mechanism of a metal cation on a given mineral surface; hence its mobility in the environment may change significantly with the solution pH, the ionic strength, and the surface coverage.

A solid-state reaction of with as-synthesized H-SAPO-34 generated paramagnetic Mo(V) species. The dehydration resulted in weak Mo(V) species, and subsequent activation resulted in the formation of Mo(V) species such as and that are characterized by ESR. The data of ESR and ESEM show the oxomolybdenum species, to be or . The species seems to be more probable. Since H-SAPO-34 has a low framework negative charge, with a high positive charge can not be easily stabilized. A solution reaction between the solution of silico-molybdic acid and calcined H-SAPO-34 resulted in only species. A rhombic ESR signal is observed on adsorption of , , and . The Location and coordination structure of Mo(V) species has been determined by three-pulse electron spin-echo modulation data and their simulations. After the adsorption of methanol, ethylene, ammonia, and water for MoH-SAPO-34, three molecules, one molecule, one and one molecule, respectively, are directly coordinated to .

We have measured the absorption spectra of Sm(II) and Yb(II) ions in LiCl–KCl eutectic at 450 °C. The UV spectra of Sm(II) and Yb(II) exhibited intense and broad peaks at around ∼260 nm, which is attributable to the 4 f –5 d transitions. With the aid of the UV–vis spectroscopic method, in-situ identification of spontaneous reduction of trivalent Sm and Yb ions to divalent ions was achieved.

Eu), a calibrationplot was obtained. The calibration of the EPR intensity shows a good linearity according to the amount ofEu(II). The EPR intensity was identified to increase proportiona lly with a decrease of the attenuation parameterfor EPR microwave power. The fluorescen ce technique was used qualitatively to find whether either of Eu(II)or Eu(III) ions exists in a molten salt sample. The IC P-AES technique was also adopted to determine the totalconcentration of europium in the sample, since EPR is only sensitive for detecting the Eu(II) ion. The extent ofthe reduction of Eu(III) in the LiCl-KCl eutectic melt at 723 K was determined by using this technique.

In a dialogue, ellipsis and anaphora are the main tools for reflecting the context appropriately. This paper suggests a decision strategy for applying ellipsis and anaphora with a viewpoint of context-intimacy in the response generation of a dialogue system. The decision of the context-intimacy is made on every word of a response sentence. The context-intimacy is either distinctive or intimate. If a word is a part of a context, then the context-intimacy of a word with that context is intimate and otherwise it is distinctive. The surface form of a word is decided differently according to whether the context neighbours with the word or not. Considering this, we suggest two evaluation criteria, one for the neighbouring context and the other for the separated context

The sorption behavior of137Cs onto kaolinite, bentonite, illite, and zeolite was studied at different ionic strengths of Na+, K+, Ca2+. A significant effect of ionic strengths on the sorption has been observed. Clay minerals with 2∶1 structure (bentonite, illite) showed much higher sorption than that of 1∶1 structure (kaolinite). Zeolite showed high selectivity for137Cs sorption. Sorption behavior of137Cs on clay minerals can be explained by their surface charge characteristics originated from mineral structure.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important outcome factor in chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study used the Korean translation of the disease-specific, self-administered Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) to compare HRQOL in ulcerative colitis (UC; n = 98), Crohn's disease (CD; n = 49), and intestinal Behcet's disease (BD; n = 34). In addition to the current status, patients were asked retrospectively to recall their symptoms at the beginning and during the worst period of their disease. Disease activity was measured by St. Mark's Activity Index, Crohn's disease Activity Index (CDAI), and the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI). In all IBD patients, including those with BD, the IBDQ total score during the worst period was significantly lower than that at present and that at the beginning of the disease. However, there were no significant differences between groups regarding the total IBDQ score or its various dimensions. In UC a strong correlation between IBDQ scores and St. Mark's Activity Index was observed (r = -0.708, P < 0.001). IBDQ scores were also highly correlated with CDAI and HBI in both CD (r = -0.506, P < 0.001 for CDAI; r = -0.600, P < 0.001 for HBI) and BD (r = -0.687, P < 0.001 for CDAI; r = -0.531, P < 0.001 for HBI). However, the current IBDQ score was not related to demographic parameters such as gender, age, educational status, economic status, and marital status as well as disease factors such as duration of disease, history of operation or hospital admission, extent of disease in UC, involved region in CD, and clinical type in BD. We conclude that the Korean IBDQ is a responsive and promising instrument for measuring HRQOL of IBD patients in clinical trials. In addition, the IBDQ can be helpful in developing a disease-specific activity index in BD.

Purpose Myofascial trigger points are a common component of musculoskeletal neck pain. Capsaicin, a vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor agonist, has been shown to induce pain in human tendon tissues and to increase trigger point sensitivity in humans. TRPV1 receptor agonists, with repeated use, inhibit the initiation of transmission of pain-related neurotransmitters and may alleviate pain. This study evaluated the efficacy of a hydrogel patch containing capsaicin 0.1% compared to a placebo hydrogel patch without capsaicin to treat chronic myofascial neck pain.

Synthesis of U 3+ with Cd 2+ or Bi 3+ was investigated in a LiCl―KCl eutectic melt at 500°C by using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. CV results showed that the equilibrium potentials of the species are larger in sequence of U 0/3+ < Cd 0/2+ < U 3+/4+ < Bi 0+/3+ . UV-vis spectroscopy results exhibited that U 3+ was directly produced in the eutectic melt containing Cd 2+ . In BiCl 3 , U metal was oxidized to U 4+ by Bi 3+ , and then U 4+ was reduced to U 3+ by additional U. From these results, the reaction mechanisms taking place during the synthesis are proposed.

An ultrasonic imaging apparatus is suitably configured such that certain ultrasound beams from a probe are diffused perpendicular to the scanning direction to thereby enable an ultrasonic image to be produced which approximates a surface image while certain other ultrasound beams are focused to thereby enable a two-dimensional ultrasonic image to be produced. A conventional ultrasonic imaging apparatus and process can be used.