2,496 research outputs found
A Study to Verify the Practicality of Introducing an Arson Dog (K-9) Unit in Field Investigations
Combustion improvers are often found in acts of arson. Until recently, in fire investigations in Korea, these substances have been identified only by the olfactory sense of the fire inspectors or conventional gas detectors. These methods are neither efficient nor feasible in damaged buildings or large areas. Research on the canine sense of smell has shown that a dog can distinguish the remains of combusted hydrocarbon compounds, even in a large, open area. Field tests confirmed that arson dogs can find combustion improvers at fire sites in about five to 77 s. Therefore, this study verified the practicality of introducing arson dog units in field investigations of fire sites to identify combustion improvers sprayed for committing arson
Far-Ultraviolet Cooling Features of the Antlia Supernova Remnant
We present far-ultraviolet observations of the Antlia supernova remnant
obtained with Far-ultraviolet IMaging Spectrograph (FIMS, also called SPEAR).
The strongest lines observed are C IV 1548,1551 and C III 977. The C IV
emission of this mixed-morphology supernova remnant shows a clumpy
distribution, and the line intensity is nearly constant with radius. The C III
977 line, though too weak to be mapped over the whole remnant, is shown to vary
radially. The line intensity peaks at about half the radius, and drops at the
edge of the remnant. Both the clumpy distribution of C IV and the rise in the C
IV to C III ratio towards the edge suggest that central emission is from
evaporating cloudlets rather than thermal conduction in a more uniform, dense
medium.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, will be published in ApJ December 1, 2007, v670n2
issue. see http://astro.snu.ac.kr/~jhshinn/ms.pd
Broussonetia papyrifera Root Bark Extract Exhibits Anti-inflammatory Effects on Adipose Tissue and Improves Insulin Sensitivity Potentially Via AMPK Activation
The chronic low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue plays a causal role in obesity-induced insulin resistance and its associated pathophysiological consequences. In this study, we investigated the effects of extracts of Broussonetia papyrifera root bark (PRE) and its bioactive components on inflammation and insulin sensitivity. PRE inhibited TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappa B transcriptional activity in the NF-kappa B luciferase assay and pro-inflammatory genes' expression by blocking phosphorylation of I kappa B and NF-kappa B in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which were mediated by activating AMPK. Ten-week-high fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL6 male mice treated with PRE had improved glucose intolerance and decreased inflammation in adipose tissue, as indicated by reductions in NF-kappa B phosphorylation and pro-inflammatory genes' expression. Furthermore, PRE activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and reduced lipogenic genes' expression in both adipose tissue and liver. Finally, we identified broussoflavonol B (BF) and kazinol J (KJ) as bioactive constituents to suppress pro-inflammatory responses via activating AMPK in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Taken together, these results indicate the therapeutic potential of PRE, especially BF or KJ, in metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes
Effect of rhBMP-2 applied with a 3D-printed titanium implant on new bone formation in rabbit calvarium
Objective: This study sought to compare the biocompatibility of a three-dimensional (3D)-printed titanium implant with a conventional machined titanium product, as well as the effect of such implant applied with recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein Type 2 (rhBMP-2) for guided bone regeneration. Methodology: Disk-shaped titanium specimens fabricated either by the conventional machining technique or by the 3D-printing technique were compared by MC3T3-E1 cells cytotoxicity assay. New bone formation was evaluated using a rapid prototype titanium cap applied to the calvaria of 10 rabbits, which were divided into two groups: one including an atelopeptide collagen plug on one side of the cap (group I) and the other including a plug with rhBMP-2 on the other side (group II). At six and 12 weeks after euthanasia, rabbits calvaria underwent morphometric analysis through radiological and histological examination. Results: Through the cytotoxicity assay, we identified a significantly higher number of MC3T3-E1 cells in the 3D-printed specimen when compared to the machined specimen after 48 hours of culture. Moreover, morphometric analysis indicated significantly greater bone formation at week 12 on the side where rhBMP-2 was applied when evaluating the upper portion immediately below the ca p. Conclusion: The results suggest that 3D-printed titanium implant applied with rhBMP-2 enables new bone formation
Perceived marginalization and mental health of young adults with migration backgrounds in South Korea: exploring moderating and mediating mechanisms
This study explored the mediating effect of career maturity moderated by intimacy with parents and immigration backgrounds (native- or foreign-born young adults) on the relationship between perceived marginalization and the mental health of young adults with migration backgrounds (having mixed parentage of one Korean and one non-Korean immigrant parent) in South Korea. We collected data from 300 adults aged 25â34 with migration backgrounds (204 born in Korea and 96 born abroad) through the Gallup Research Institute of Korea and conducted a moderated-moderated mediation analysis using Model 21 of PROCESS Macro in SPSS. The analysis showed that career maturity moderated by intimacy with parents and migration backgrounds mediated the relationship between perceived marginalization and mental health. However, the results were only significant for participants who were born abroad and immigrated to Korea, and not for those who were born in Korea. These findings suggest that while greater perceived marginalization leads to lower career maturity and negatively impacts the mental health of foreign-born young adults, higher levels of intimacy with parents can buffer these negative effects
Quantitative Analysis of the Membrane Affinity of Local Anesthetics Using a Model Cell Membrane.
Local anesthesia is a drug that penetrates the nerve cell membrane and binds to the voltage gate sodium channel, inhibiting the membrane potential and neurotransmission. It is mainly used in clinical uses to address the pain of surgical procedures in the local area. Local anesthetics (LAs), however, can be incorporated into the membrane, reducing the thermal stability of the membrane as well as altering membrane properties such as fluidity, permeability, and lipid packing order. The effects of LAs on the membrane are not yet fully understood, despite a number of previous studies. In particular, it is necessary to analyze which is the more dominant factor, the membrane affinity or the structural perturbation of the membrane. To analyze the effects of LAs on the cell membrane and compare the results with those from model membranes, morphological analysis and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) measurement of CCD-1064sk (fibroblast, human skin) membranes were carried out for lidocaine (LDC) and tetracaine (TTC), the most popular LAs in clinical use. Furthermore, the membrane affinity of the LAs was quantitatively analyzed using a colorimetric polydiacetylene assay, where the color shift represents their distribution in the membrane. Further, to confirm the membrane affinity and structural effects of the membranes, we performed an electrophysiological study using a model protein (gramicidin A, gA) and measured the channel lifetime of the model protein on the free-standing lipid bilayer according to the concentration of each LA. Our results show that when LAs interact with cell membranes, membrane affinity is a more dominant factor than steric or conformational effects of the membrane
Properties of Central Caustics in Planetary Microlensing
To maximize the number of planet detections, current microlensing follow-up
observations are focusing on high-magnification events which have a higher
chance of being perturbed by central caustics. In this paper, we investigate
the properties of central caustics and the perturbations induced by them. We
derive analytic expressions of the location, size, and shape of the central
caustic as a function of the star-planet separation, , and the planet/star
mass ratio, , under the planetary perturbative approximation and compare the
results with those based on numerical computations. While it has been known
that the size of the planetary caustic is \propto \sqrt{q}, we find from this
work that the dependence of the size of the central caustic on is linear,
i.e., \propto q, implying that the central caustic shrinks much more rapidly
with the decrease of compared to the planetary caustic. The central-caustic
size depends also on the star-planet separation. If the size of the caustic is
defined as the separation between the two cusps on the star-planet axis
(horizontal width), we find that the dependence of the central-caustic size on
the separation is \propto (s+1/s). While the size of the central caustic
depends both on and q, its shape defined as the vertical/horizontal width
ratio, R_c, is solely dependent on the planetary separation and we derive an
analytic relation between R_c and s. Due to the smaller size of the central
caustic combined with much more rapid decrease of its size with the decrease of
q, the effect of finite source size on the perturbation induced by the central
caustic is much more severe than the effect on the perturbation induced by the
planetary caustic. Abridged.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, ApJ accepte
Effects of an internal medicine floor interdisciplinary team on hospital and clinical outcomes of seniors with acute medical illness
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/100310/1/ggi12035.pd
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