RELIABILITY OF WALKING SPEED, STRIDE TIME AND STRIDE LENGTH VARIABILITY USING FEEDBACK-CONTROLLED TREADMILL

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of walking speed, stride time and stride length variability using a feedback-controlled treadmill. Ten subjects performed 3 trials of walking experiment for 5 min with a feedback-controlled treadmill. To check the reliability of gait parameters such as walking speed, average and variability (i.e. coefficient of variance, CV) of stride time and stride length, those parameters were compared in this study. Results showed that all gait variables were confirmed the reliability within-trial (walking speed: intra-class correlation, ICC=0.996, standard error of measurement, SEM=0.03, average stride time: ICC=0.989, SEM=0.01, stride time variability: ICC=0.680, SEM=0.18, average stride length: ICC=9.994, SEM=0.01, stride length variability: ICC=0.830, SEM=0.25). This feedback-controlled treadmill can be used for various gait dynamics study using spatio-temporal variables

Evaluation on Recovery of Glass and Plastics from Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) by Air Separation Unit

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are composed of glass, plastic, non-ferrous metal, ferrous metal, paper, plastic, rubber, and so on. In order to separate glass and plastic among CFLs components, air separation unit is applied using the difference in specific gravity. Since specific gravities of glass, plastic, non-ferrous metals, rubber, etc. were widely spread, it can be separated by the different specific gravity between 0.40 and 4.36. In air separation unit, particle size and air speed are controlled to recover glass and plastics among the components of CFLs. In other words, it can be removed paper and vinyl to recover glass and plastics. The specific gravities of paper and vinyl in CFLs are 0.45 and 0.88, respectively. And the specific gravities of glass and plastics are almost similar to be 2.2 - 2.6. In air separation unit, the used particle size of the components from CFLs is less than 6 mm. Since phosphor powder and ferrous metals are recovered prior to the air separation unit, the components are not involved those materials. By utilizing a vertical and zigzag type of air separation unit, thereafter, recovery of glass and plastics is estimated with changing air speed. As the air speed increased from 3.08 m/s to 6.75 m/s, separation efficiency of glass and plastics increased from 42.0% to 99.3%. Due to the experimental results of air separation unit, it can find that paper and vinyl from the components of CFLs be efficiently removed by the air separation unit

Fuzzy Study on the Winning Rate of Football Game Betting

This study aims to find variables that affect the winning rate of the football team before a match. Qualitative variables such as venue, match importance, performance, and atmosphere of both teams are suggested to predict the outcome. Regression analysis is used to select proper variables. In this study, the performance of the football team is based on the opinions of experts, and the team atmosphere can be calculated with the results of the previous five games. ELO rating represents the state of the opponent. Also, the selected qualitative variables are expressed in fuzzy numbers using fuzzy partitions. A fuzzy regression model for the winning rate of the football team can be estimated by using the least squares method and the least absolute method. It is concluded that the stadium environment, ELO rating, team performance, and importance of the match have effects on the winning rate of Korean National Football (KNF) team from the data on 118 matches

miRNA regulation of cytotoxic effects in mouse Sertoli cells exposed to nonylphenol

Background: It is known that some environmental chemicals affect the human endocrine system. The harmful effects of endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) nonylphenol (NP) have been studied since the 1980s. It is known that NP adversely affects physiological functions by mimicking the natural hormone 17 beta-estradiol. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of miRNAs and their target genes in mouse Sertoli TM4 cells to better understand the regulatory roles of miRNAs on Sertoli cells after NP exposure. Methods: Mouse TM4 Sertoli cells were treated with NP for 3 or 24 h, and global gene and miRNA expression were analyzed using Agilent mouse whole genome and mouse miRNA v13 arrays. Results: We identified genes that were > 2-fold differentially expressed in NP-treated cells and control cells (P < 0.05) and analyzed their functions through Gene Ontology analysis. We also identified miRNAs that were differentially expressed in NP-treated and control cells. Of the 186 miRNAs the expression of which differed between NP-treated and control cells, 59 and 147 miRNAs exhibited 1.3-fold increased or decreased expression at 3 and 24 h, respectively. Network analysis of deregulated miRNAs suggested that Ppara may regulate the expression of certain miRNAs, including miR-378, miR-125a-3p miR-20a, miR-203, and miR-101a, after exposure to NP. Additionally, comprehensive analysis of predicted target genes for miRNAs showed that the expression of genes with roles in cell proliferation, the cell cycle, and cell death were regulated by miRNA in NP-treated TM4 cells. Levels of expression of the miRNAs miR-135a* and miR-199a-5p were validated by qRT-PCR. Finally, miR-135a* target gene analysis suggests that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) following exposure to NP exposure may be mediated by miR-135a* through regulation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusions: Collectively, these data help to determine NP's actions on mouse TM4 Sertoli cells and increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of xenoestrogens on the reproductive system.This work was supported an Eco-Technopia 21 project grant from the Ministry of Environment (Development of Decision Method of Chromosomal Abnormality in Reproductive System by Toxic Substances at the Korea Institute of Toxicology)

Concurrence of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Bilateral Parotitis after Minocycline Therapy

Minocycline is an antibiotic of tetracycline derivatives that is commonly used in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris. It has been reported to cause rare adverse events from mild cutaneous eruption to severe forms including drug-induced lupus, serum sickness-like reaction, and hypersensitivity reactions, etc. The risks of adverse events attributed to minocycline have not been ascertained reliably and there are concerns about the safety of minocycline which could possibly result in life-threatening events such as the Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Here we demonstrate an unusual case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome in conjunction with bilateral parotitis after the intake of minocycline in a Korean boy suggesting discreet use of the drug