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

Expression of VEGF, HGF, IL-6, IL-8, MMP-9, Telomerase in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

ObjectivesThis study investigated the telomerase expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the relationship between the serum level of several soluble factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and matrix metallopeptidase-9 and the clinicopathological features of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).MethodsPeripheral blood samples were collected from 50 HNSCC patients and 15 normal controls. The telomerase activity in the PBMCs was measured by Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocols. The serum levels of the soluble factors were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsThe expression of telomerase in the PBMCs of HNSCC patients was significantly correlated with the N and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages. The serum VEGF level was significantly higher in the patients with an advanced T stage, N stage and AJCC stage. Serum VEGF was significantly related with the expression of telomerase in the PBMCs. The telomerase expression and the VEGF expression were shown to be independent factors associated with poor survival.ConclusionThe telomerase expression in the PBMCs and the serum VEGF level of HNSCC patients were significantly correlated with the N stage, the AJCC stage and the prognosis

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

An elevated likelihood of stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure in individuals with gout: a longitudinal follow-up study utilizing the National Health Information database in Korea

ObjectiveAccumulating evidence from other countries indicates potential associations between gout and cardiovascular diseases; however, the associations of gout with cardiovascular diseases, particularly stroke, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure, remain ambiguous in the Korean population. We hypothesized that individuals with gout are at a higher likelihood of stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure. This study expands upon previous research by ensuring a comparable baseline between patient and control groups and analyzing 16 years of data derived from an extensive healthcare database.MethodsWe selected 22,480 patients with gout and 22,480 control individuals from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort database (2002–2019), and matched them at a 1:1 ratio according to sex, age, income, and residence. A Cox proportional hazard model with weighted overlap was employed to examine the relationship between gout and the risk of stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure after adjustment for several covariates.ResultsThe incidences of stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure in participants with gout were slightly higher than those in controls (stroke: 9.84 vs. 8.41 per 1000 person-years; ischemic heart disease: 9.77 vs. 7.15 per 1000 person-years; heart failure: 2.47 vs. 1.46 per 1000 person-years). After adjustment, the gout group had an 11% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04–1.19), 28% (95% CI = 1.19–1.37), or 64% (95% CI = 1.41–1.91) higher likelihood of experiencing stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure, respectively, than the control group.ConclusionThe present findings suggest that individuals with gout in the Korean population, particularly those aged ≥ 60 years, were more likely to have stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure

Cilostazol Prevents Tumor Necrosis Factor-␣-Induced Cell Death by Suppression of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog Deleted from Chromosome 10 Phosphorylation and Activation of Akt/Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein Phosphorylation

ABSTRACT This study examines the signaling mechanism by which cilostazol prevents neuronal cell death. Cilostazol (ϳ0.1-100 M) prevented tumor necrosis factor-␣ (TNF-␣)-induced decrease in viability of SK-N-SH and HCN-1A cells, which was antagonized by 1 M iberiotoxin, a maxi-K channel blocker. TNF-␣ did not suppress the viability of the U87-MG cell, a phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN)-null glioblastoma cell, but it did decrease viability of U87-MG cells transfected with expression vectors for the sense PTEN, and this decrease was also prevented by cilostazol. Cilostazol as well as 1,3-dihydro-1-[2-hydroxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-benzimidazol-2-one (NS-1619) and (3S)-(ϩ)-(5-chloro-2-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-dihydro-3-fluoro-6-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-indole-2-one (BMS 204352), maxi-K channel openers, prevented increased DNA fragmentation evoked by TNF-␣, which were antagonizable by iberiotoxin. TNF-␣-induced increased PTEN phosphorylation and decreased Akt/ cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation were significantly prevented by cilostazol, those of which were antagonized by both iberiotoxin and paxilline, maxi-K channel blockers. The same results were evident in U87-MG cells transfected with expression vectors for sense PTEN. Cilostazol increases the K ϩ current in SK-N-SH cells by activating maxi-K channels without affecting the ATP-sensitive K ϩ channel. Thus, our results for the first time provide evidence that cilostazol prevents TNF-␣-induced cell death by suppression of PTEN phosphorylation and activation of Akt/CREB phosphorylation via mediation of the maxi-K channel opening. Recent research has shown that the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN) is implicated in the regulation of several cellular functions, including cell viability from apoptosi

CNN-LSTM 딥러닝 기반 전로 슬래그 다트 투입 영상 해석 모델 개발

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Hot Ductility Prediction Model of Cast Steel with Low-Temperature Transformed Structure during Continuous Casting

When various alloying elements are added or the cooling rate is increased, steel grades with U- or V-typed ductility behavior show N-shaped ductility behavior in which the ductility decreases in the low-temperature region. This study proposes a method that uses N-shaped data fitting and random forest to predict ductility behavior of steel grades that have bainite microstructure. To include the phenomenon in which that ductility decreases below the intermediate temperature, the data range was extended to temperature T T range in which the ductility decreases at T N-shaped data fitting method using six parameters was proposed. Comparison with the experimental values confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed model. Also, the model has better ability than models to predict bainite start temperature TBS. In a case study, the change of ductility behavior according to the cooling rate was observed for Nb-added steel. As the cooling rate increased from 1 °C/s to 10 °C/s, the formation of hard phase was relatively promoted, and different transformation behaviors appeared. This ability to predict the ductility behavior of alloy steels with a bainite microstructure, and to predict TBS below the intermediate temperature enables effective control of the secondary cooling conditions during continuous casting process, minimizing the formation of cracks on the slab surface