A Review System Based On Product Features In A Mobile Environment

With the rapid growth of the mobile commerce, firms have been trying to get their online channels optimized for the mobile devices. However, many contents on online shopping sites are still focused on a desktop PC environment. Especially, consumer reviews are difficult to browse and grasp via a mobile device. Usually, it is not helpful to simply reduce the size of fonts or photos to fit to mobile devices without a fundamental transformation of the review presentation. In this study, we suggest a feature-based summarization process of consumer reviews in mobile environment. Further, we illustrate an implementation of the process by applying opinion mining techniques to product reviews crawled from a major shopping site in Korean. Finally, a plan for a controlled laboratory experiment is proposed to validate the effectiveness of the suggested review framework in this study

Gene expression profiling in the lung tissue of cynomolgus monkeys in response to repeated exposure to welding fumes

Many in the welding industry suffer from bronchitis, lung function changes, metal fume fever, and diseases related to respiratory damage. These phenomena are associated with welding fumes; however, the mechanism behind these findings remains to be elucidated. In this study, the lungs of cynomolgus monkeys were exposed to MMA-SS welding fumes for 229 days and allowed to recover for 153 days. After the exposure and recovery period, gene expression profiles were investigated using the Affymetrix GeneChip® Human U133 plus 2.0. In total, it was confirmed that 1,116 genes were up-or down-regulated (over 2-fold changes, P < 0.01) for the T1 (31.4 ± 2.8 mg/m3) and T2 (62.5 ± 2.7 mg/m3) dose groups. Differentially expressed genes in the exposure and recovery groups were analyzed, based on hierarchical clustering, and were imported into Ingenuity Pathways Analysis to analyze the biological and toxicological functions. Functional analysis identified genes involved in immunological disease in both groups. Additionally, differentially expressed genes in common between monkeys and rats following welding fume exposure were compared using microarray data, and the gene expression of selected genes was verified by real-time PCR. Genes such as CHI3L1, RARRES1, and CTSB were up-regulated and genes such as CYP26B1, ID4, and NRGN were down-regulated in both monkeys and rats following welding fume exposure. This is the first comprehensive gene expression profiling conducted for welding fume exposure in monkeys, and these expressed genes are expected to be useful in helping to understand transcriptional changes in monkey lungs after welding fume exposure

Hypersensitive Electrochemical Sequential Monitoring of Total IgE and their Effects with Ovalbumin Induced Mice

Monitoring of specific biomarker is critical for determining progression of a disease or efficacy of a treatment. Currently, the standard for assessing amount of specific biomarkers is the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which measures quantities on the nanogram scale. However, ELISA has high material costs, long incubation periods, requires large volume of samples and involves special instruments, which necessitates clinical samples to be sent to a lab. In order to provide rapid, accurate, easy, point-of-care measurement of biomarkers, electrochemical immunosensor can be used to provide specific and sensitive biomarker detection. Immunosensor allow near real-time results, reduced costs, and simple assays with no labelling. In this work, we developed an electrochemical biosensor to measure total immunoglobulin E (IgE), a marker of asthma disease that varies with age, gender, and disease in concentrations from 0.3–1000 ng/mL with consuming 20 µL volume of real blood sample. Also, sequential monitoring of total IgE with OVA induced mice is another application of this work and this sensor is an alternative approach for recording data and a more effective assay for understanding the cytotoxic effects of toxic materials

Battery System Modeling for a Military Electric Propulsion Vehicle with a Fault Simulation

This paper describes the development process and results of a battery system model with a fault simulation for electric propulsion vehicles. The developed battery system model can be used to verify control and fault diagnosis strategies of the supervisory controller in an electric propulsion vehicle. To develop this battery system model, three sub-models, including a battery model, a relay assembly model, and a battery management system (BMS) model, are connected together like in the target real battery system. Comparison results between the real battery system hardware and the battery system model show a similar tendency and values. Furthermore, the fault injection test of the model shows that the proposed battery system model can simulate a failure situation consistent with a real system. It is possible for the model to emulate the battery characteristics and fault situation if it is used in the development process of a BMS or for supervisory control strategies for electric propulsion systems

Comparison of asthma phenotypes in OVA-induced mice challenged via inhaled and intranasal routes

BACKGROUND: The respiratory system is exposed to various allergens via inhaled and intranasal routes. Murine models of allergic lung disease have been developed to clarify the mechanisms underlying inflammatory responses and evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutics. However, there have been no comparative studies on differences in allergic phenotypes following inhaled vs. intranasal allergen challenge. In this study, we compared the asthmatic features of mice challenged via different routes following allergen sensitization and investigated the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: To establish ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma models, BALB/c mice were sensitized to 20 μg OVA with 1 mg aluminum hydroxide by the intraperitoneal route and then challenged by inhalation or intranasal administration with 5% OVA for 3 consecutive days. Cellular changes and immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum, respectively, were assessed. Histological changes in the lungs were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) and periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining. Levels of T helper (Th)2 cytokines including interleukin (IL)-4, -5, and -13 in BALF and epithelial cytokines including IL-25 and -33 in BALF and lung tissues were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was evaluated by assessing airway resistance (Rrs) and elastance (E) via an invasive method. RESULTS: OVA-sensitized and challenged mice showed typical asthma features such as airway inflammation, elevated IgE level, and AHR regardless of the challenge route. However, H&amp;E staining showed that inflammation of pulmonary vessels, alveolar ducts, and alveoli were enhanced by inhaled as compared to intranasal OVA challenge. PAS staining showed that intranasal OVA challenge induced severe mucus production accompanied by inflammation in bronchial regions. In addition, Th2 cytokine levels in BALF and AHR in lung were increased to a greater extent by inhalation than by intranasal administration of OVA. Epithelial cytokine expression, especially IL-25, was increased in the lungs of mice in the inhaled OVA challenge group. CONCLUSION: OVA-sensitized mice exhibit different pathophysiological patterns of asthma including expression of epithelial cell-derived cytokines depending on the OVA challenge route. Thus, some heterogeneous phenotypes of human asthma can be replicated by varying the mode of delivery after OVA sensitization

Pore-Structure-Optimized CNT-Carbon Nanofibers from Starch for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

Porous carbon materials are used for many electrochemical applications due to their outstanding properties. However, research on controlling the pore structure and analyzing the carbon structures is still necessary to achieve enhanced electrochemical properties. In this study, mesoporous carbon nanotube (CNT)-carbon nanofiber electrodes were developed by heat-treatment of electrospun starch with carbon nanotubes, and then applied as a binder-free electrochemical electrode for a lithium-ion battery. Using the unique lamellar structure of starch, mesoporous CNT-carbon nanofibers were prepared and their pore structures were controlled by manipulating the heat-treatment conditions. The activation process greatly increased the volume of micropores and mesopores of carbon nanofibers by etching carbons with CO2 gas, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific area increased to about 982.4 m2·g−1. The activated CNT-carbon nanofibers exhibited a high specific capacity (743 mAh·g−1) and good cycle performance (510 mAh·g−1 after 30 cycles) due to their larger specific surface area. This condition presents many adsorption sites of lithium ions, and higher electrical conductivity, compared with carbon nanofibers without CNT. The research suggests that by controlling the heat-treatment conditions and activation process, the pore structure of the carbon nanofibers made from starch could be tuned to provide the conditions needed for various applications

Pulmonary Toxicity of Polystyrene, Polypropylene, and Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics in Mice

Globally, plastics are used in various products. Concerns regarding the human body’s exposure to plastics and environmental pollution have increased with increased plastic use. Microplastics can be detected in the atmosphere, leading to potential human health risks through inhalation; however, the toxic effects of microplastic inhalation are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the pulmonary toxicity of polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in C57BL/6, BALB/c, and ICR mice strains. Mice were intratracheally instilled with 5 mg/kg of PS, PP, or PVC daily for two weeks. PS stimulation increased inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of C57BL/6 and ICR mice. Histopathological analysis of PS-instilled C57BL/6 and PP-instilled ICR mice showed inflammatory cell infiltration. PS increased the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome components in the lung tissue of C57BL/6 and ICR mice, while PS-instilled BALB/c mice remained unchanged. PS stimulation increased inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β and IL-6, in BALF of C57BL/6 mice. PP-instilled ICR mice showed increased NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase-1 in the lung tissue compared to the control groups and increased IL-1β levels in BALF. These results could provide baseline data for understanding the pulmonary toxicity of microplastic inhalation

Kathon Induces Fibrotic Inflammation in Lungs: The First Animal Study Revealing a Causal Relationship between Humidifier Disinfectant Exposure and Eosinophil and Th2-Mediated Fibrosis Induction

Currently available toxicity data on humidifier disinfectants are primarily limited to polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate-induced lung fibrosis. We, therefore, investigated whether the sterilizer component Kathon, which is a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, induces fibrotic lung injury following direct lung exposure in an animal model. Mice were intratracheally instilled with either the vehicle or Kathon. Differential cell counts, cytokine analysis, and histological analysis of lung tissue were then performed to characterize the injury features, and we investigated whether Kathon altered fibrosis-related gene expression in lung tissues via RNA-Seq and bioinformatics. Cell counting showed that Kathon exposure increased the proportion of macrophages, eosinophils, and neutrophils. Moreover, T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage were significantly increased in the Kathon groups. Histopathological analysis revealed increased perivascular/alveolar inflammation, eosinophilic cells, mucous cell hyperplasia, and pulmonary fibrosis following Kathon exposure. Additionally, Kathon exposure modulated the expression of genes related to fibrotic inflammation, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway, extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)1 and ERK2 cascade, extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction pathway, transforming growth factor beta receptor signaling pathway, cellular response to tumor necrosis factor, and collagen fibril organization. Our results suggest that Kathon exposure is associated with fibrotic lung injury via a Th2-dependent pathway and is thus a possible risk factor for fibrosis

Do Mobile Devices Change Shopping Behavior? An Eye-tracking Approach

The proliferation of diverse mobile devices has had a significant impact on e-commerce. Due to the small size and ease of portability of mobile devices, mobile shopping is fundamentally different from traditional PC-based shopping. Existing studies based on survey methodology and clickstream data analysis have limitations in understanding shopping mechanism due to structural design and cognitive constraints of consumers. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the actual behavior of consumers in the processes from search to purchase in PC and mobile environment using Mobile Eye Tracker. Specifically, we will look at how attention decay changes in both environments, and how this varies with product placement and product type. Our findings will help us understand the different mechanisms for mobile and PC-based shopping. Also, these will help practitioners establish optimal product placement strategies based on the type of device and product