Assessment of satellite rainfall nowcasting based on extrapolation technique

Póster presentado en: 3rd European Nowcasting Conference, celebrada en la sede central de AEMET en Madrid del 24 al 26 de abril de 2019

Comparison of air pollution and the prevalence of allergy-related diseases in Incheon and Jeju City

PurposeA high level of air pollutants can increase the number of patients with allergy-related diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). To analyze the association between air pollution and allergic disease, we investigated 2 areas in Korea: Incheon, an industrial area, and Jeju, a non-industrialized area.MethodsSecond grade students at elementary schools (11 schools in Incheon and 45 schools in Jeju) were examined in a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was used and a skin prick test was performed. The levels of NO2, CO2, O3, particulate matter (PM) PM10/2.5, formaldehyde, tVOCs, and dust mites in the classrooms and grounds were determined.ResultsThe levels of outdoor CO, PM10, and PM2.5 were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The levels of indoor CO, CO2, PM10, PM2.5 were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The prevalence rates of AR symptoms at any time, AR symptoms during the last 12 months, diagnosis of rhinitis at any time, and AR treatment during the last 12 months were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The prevalence rate of wheezing or whistling at any time, and wheezing during the last 12 months were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01).ConclusionWe found that the children living in Incheon, which was more polluted than Jeju, had a higher rate of AR and asthma symptoms compared to children in Jeju. To determine the effect of air pollution on the development of the AR and asthma, further studies are needed

Mild Encephalopathy with Reversible Lesion in the Splenium of the Corpus Callosum and Bilateral Frontal White Matter

A 59-year-old man visited an emergency room due to the sudden onset of severe dysarthria with a drowsy mental status. MRI demonstrated T2 prolongation and restricted diffusion involving the splenium of the corpus callosum and bilateral frontal white matter neurological signs and symptoms were mild, and the recovery was complete within a week. Follow-up MRI performed one month later revealed complete resolution of the lesions. The clinical and radiological courses were consistent with previously reported reversible isolated splenial lesions in mild encephalitis/encephalopathy except for the presence of frontal lesions. This case suggests that such reversible lesions can occur outside the splenium

A new concept for controlling tiny-scale insect pest in green house – noval technology to apply liquid ethyl formate: Poster

As increased agricultural insecticide uses and trends in insecticide resistance, increased labor cost to apply insecticide and limited its application to fertility season in green house. There is a need of a safe, labor-saving and confined space application concept to manage control tiny-scale insect pest such as thrips and whitefly. Fumigation with ethyl formate (EF), which is considered as effective to various insect pest and safely use in quarantine treatment, was evaluated in the confined space (glass house) and semi-confined space (vinyl house). The new application technology for application of liquid EF could be the one of the key options for control of tiny flying insects in greenhouses that would save labor and operation costs. It could be connected to smartfarm technologies in the near future.As increased agricultural insecticide uses and trends in insecticide resistance, increased labor cost to apply insecticide and limited its application to fertility season in green house. There is a need of a safe, labor-saving and confined space application concept to manage control tiny-scale insect pest such as thrips and whitefly. Fumigation with ethyl formate (EF), which is considered as effective to various insect pest and safely use in quarantine treatment, was evaluated in the confined space (glass house) and semi-confined space (vinyl house). The new application technology for application of liquid EF could be the one of the key options for control of tiny flying insects in greenhouses that would save labor and operation costs. It could be connected to smartfarm technologies in the near future

Establishment of an experimental model of ovalbumin-induced atopic dermatitis in canines

IntroductionA reliable standard model is required to evaluate the efficacy of new drugs for companion animals, especially dogs. Canine atopic dermatitis (cAD), also known as allergic inflammatory skin disease, is a common condition. Currently, the house dust mite animal model is used in the research of cAD; however, this model exhibits significant individual variation and is difficult to standardize. In this study, we used ovalbumin as an antigen to sensitize and stimulate dogs, thereby establishing a stable model mimicking the T-helper 2 (Th2) response seen in cAD. Our objective was to create a cAD model that could be employed to evaluate the efficacy of novel drugs and mimic the Th2 dominant allergic response observed in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis of dogs.MethodsIn this study, six beagles were used. Normal saline was applied to two animals, and ovalbumin to four, on their dorsal skin.ResultsThe ovalbumin-treated groups exhibited clinical cAD symptoms, such as pruritus and erythema. Moreover, plasma levels of the cAD markers immunoglobulin E and CCL17 chemokine were higher in the ovalbumin-treated group than in the vehicle control group. The skin thickness of the epidermis was significantly increased in the ovalbumin-treated group, with infiltration of inflammatory cells observed in the thickened dermis region. In conclusion, treatment of canine skin with an optimal concentration of ovalbumin induced typical cAD-like symptoms, and histological and molecular analyses confirmed an enhanced Th2-related immune response.ConclusionTherefore, we successfully established a suitable Th2-dominant response mimicking cAD, which will facilitate targeted research of atopic dermatitis in dogs

L-Asparaginase delivered by Salmonella typhimurium suppresses solid tumors

Bacteria can be engineered to deliver anticancer proteins to tumors via a controlled expression system that maximizes the concentration of the therapeutic agent in the tumor. L-asparaginase (L-ASNase), which primarily converts asparagine to aspartate, is an anticancer protein used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In this study, Salmonellae were engineered to express L-ASNase selectively within tumor tissues using the inducible araBAD promoter system of Escherichia coli. Antitumor efficacy of the engineered bacteria was demonstrated in vivo in solid malignancies. This result demonstrates the merit of bacteria as cancer drug delivery vehicles to administer cancer-starving proteins such as L-ASNase to be effective selectively within the microenvironment of cancer tissue

Giant thermal hysteresis in Verwey transition of single domain Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Most interesting phenomena of condensed matter physics originate from interactions among different degrees of freedom, making it a very intriguing yet challenging question how certain ground states emerge from only a limited number of atoms in assembly. This is especially the case for strongly correlated electron systems with overwhelming complexity. The Verwey transition of Fe3O4 is a classic example of this category, of which the origin is still elusive 80 years after the first report. Here we report, for the first time, that the Verwey transition of Fe3O4 nanoparticles exhibits size-dependent thermal hysteresis in magnetization, 57Fe NMR, and XRD measurements. The hysteresis width passes a maximum of 11 K when the size is 120 nm while dropping to only 1 K for the bulk sample. This behavior is very similar to that of magnetic coercivity and the critical sizes of the hysteresis and the magnetic single domain are identical. We interpret it as a manifestation of charge ordering and spin ordering correlation in a single domain. This work paves a new way of undertaking researches in the vibrant field of strongly correlated electron physics combined with nanoscience.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

CSF pulsations measured in Parkinson’s disease patients using EPI-based fMRI data

IntroductionCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow is involved in brain waste clearance and may be impaired in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the CSF pulsation and the development of dementia in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients using EPI-based fMRI.MethodsWe measured CSF pulsation in the 4th ventricle of 17 healthy controls and 35 PD patients using a novel CSF pulsation index termed “CSFpulse” based on echo-planar imaging (EPI)-based fMRI. The PD patients were classified into a PD with dementia high-risk group (PDD-H, n = 19) and a low risk group (PDD-L, n = 16), depending on their development of dementia within 5 years after initial brain imaging. The size of the 4th ventricle was measured using intensity-based thresholding.ResultsWe found that CSF pulsation was significantly higher in PD patients than in healthy controls, and that PD patients with high risk of dementia (PDD-H) had the highest CSF pulsation. We also observed an enlargement of the 4th ventricle in PD patients compared to healthy controls.ConclusionOur results suggest that CSF pulsation may be a potential biomarker for PD progression and cognitive decline, and that EPI-based fMRI can be a useful tool for studying CSF flow and brain function in PD

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Isolates from a Korean Tertiary Care Hospital

We determined the antimicrobial susceptibility of 90 clinical isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia collected in 2009 at a tertiary care hospital in Korea. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, minocycline, and levofloxacin were active against most of the isolates tested. Moxifloxacin and tigecycline were also active and hold promise as therapeutic options for S. maltophilia infections

Simultaneous Detection of EGFR and VEGF in Colorectal Cancer using Fluorescence-Raman Endoscopy

Fluorescence endomicroscopy provides quick access to molecular targets, while Raman spectroscopy allows the detection of multiple molecular targets. Using a simultaneous fluorescence-Raman endoscopic system (FRES), we herein demonstrate its potential in cancer diagnosis in an orthotopically induced colorectal cancer (CRC) xenograft model. In the model, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were targeted with antibody-conjugated fluorescence and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (F-SERS) dots. FRES demonstrated fast signal detection and multiplex targeting ability using fluorescence and Raman signals to detect the F-SERS dots. In addition, FRES showed a multiplex targeting ability even on a subcentimeter-sized CRC after spraying with a dose of 50 µg F-SERS dots. In conclusion, molecular characteristics of tumor cells (EGFR in cancer cell membranes) and tumor microenvironments (VEGF in the extracellular matrix) could be simultaneously investigated when performing a colonoscopy