Regional classification of high PM concentrations in the Seoul metropolitan and Chungcheongnam-do areas, Republic of Korea.

Since the Seoul metropolitan area is a highly developed megacity, many people are often exposed to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM), with mean aerodynamic diameters equal to or less than 10 μm (PM), in cold seasons. PM concentrations can be influenced by a combination of various factors, including meteorological conditions, anthropogenic emissions, atmospheric chemical reactions, transboundary transport, and geographic characteristics. However, the establishment of an efficient air quality management plan remains challenging due to the limited understanding of the regional PM concentration characteristics.

Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Showing Unilateral Motor Dysfunction Prior to Chemotherapy: A Diffusion Tensor Tractography Study.

This study aimed to evaluate children with lymphoblastic leukemia and examine the potential correlation between corticospinal tract (CST) injury and motor dysfunction prior to chemotherapy using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Nineteen consecutive patients with childhood leukemia (mean age 7.483 ± 3.

Disruption of the Corticospinal Tract in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Series.

Three patients who exhibited hemiplegic symptoms on conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), during maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, are reported. All patients exhibited unilateral motor weakness and poor hand function during chemotherapy. Conventional MRI revealed no definite abnormal lesions.

Spinal cord injury by direct damage during trigger point injection: a case report.

Trigger point injection (TPI) is commonly administered for myofascial pain syndrome management, but occasionally leads to complications, including bleeding, muscle hematoma, vasovagal syncope, skin infections, and pneumothorax. This report presents a case of TPI-induced iatrogenic spinal cord injury (SCI). A 59-year-old woman received TPI for myofascial pain on both thoracolumbar paraspinal muscles.

Ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance images of a gluteus maximus tear.

The diagnosis of a gluteal muscle tear or strain is based on clinical findings. However, for an accurate diagnosis, imaging examinations are also needed. Herein, we describe the case of a patient with a gluteus maximus muscle tear confirmed by ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Correlation Between D-Dimer Level and Deep Venous Thrombosis in Patients With Acute Spinal Cord Injuries.

Objective: Venous thromboembolism is a serious life-threatening complication of S SCI. Measurement of D-dimer levels is used as a screening test for deep vein thrombosis. However, trauma, surgery, and motor weakness are known as factors that affect D-dimer levels.

The Relation Between Loss of Consciousness, Severity of Traumatic Brain Injury, and Injury of Ascending Reticular Activating System in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: Loss of consciousness is an indicator of the severity of traumatic brain injury and the ascending reticular activating system has been considered as a main structure for consciousness. However, no study on the relation between loss of consciousness and ascending reticular activating system injury in traumatic brain injury has been reported. We investigated the relation between loss of consciousness, severity of traumatic brain injury, and ascending reticular activating system injury using diffusion tensor tractography.

Findings of lymphoscintigraphy and the severity of lymphedema according to the extent of axillary lymph node dissection.

Background: Lymphedema of the upper extremity is a common disease in breast cancer patients following breast cancer operation accompanied by lymphadenectomy. However, clinically, there is a discrepancy between the extent of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and the severity of lymphedema. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the severity of lymphedema following breast cancer operation, including ALND, and axillary lymph node findings on lymphoscintigraphy.

Size-dependent characteristics of diurnal particle concentration variation in an underground subway tunnel.

Understanding characteristics of diurnal particle concentration variation in an underground subway tunnel is important to reduce subway passengers' exposure to high levels of toxic particle pollution. In this study, real-time particle monitoring for eight consecutive days was done at a shelter located in the middle of a one-way underground subway tunnel in Seoul, Republic of Korea, during the summer of 2015. Particle mass concentration was measured using a dust monitor and particle number concentration using an optical particle counter.

Functional identification of oleate 12-desaturase and ω-3 fatty acid desaturase genes from Perilla frutescens var. frutescens.

We described identification, expression, subcellular localization, and functions of genes that encode fatty acid desaturase enzymes in Perilla frutescens var. frutescens. Perilla (Perilla frutescens var.

Detection of Carbonaceous Aerosols Released in CNT Workplaces Using an Aethalometer.

Objectives: Black carbon (BC) originating from various combustion sources has been extensively surveyed to characterize the effects of BC on global warming and human health, and many online monitors are available. In this study, BC was considered as a surrogate for carbon-based nanomaterials in an occupational health study.

Methods: Specifically, BC concentrations were monitored continuously with an aethalometer for 24h at four carbon nanotube (CNT) workplaces located in rural, urban, and industrial areas, which had different background air pollution levels.

Generation of Nanoparticles from Friction between Railway Brake Disks and Pads.

In this study, we measured the size distribution of particles ranging in size from 5.6 to 560 nm that were emitted between brake disks and pads under various braking conditions to observe and analyze changes to the resulting particle size distribution over braking time. A peak of 178-275 nm (200 nm peak) was observed in all braking conditions.

Heterologous Reconstitution of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Arabidopsis.

Reconstitution of nonnative, very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC-PUFA) biosynthetic pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana was undertaken. The introduction of three primary biosynthetic activities to cells requires the stable coexpression of multiple proteins within the same cell. Herein, we report that C22 VLC-PUFAs were synthesized from C18 precursors by reactions catalyzed by Δ(6)-desaturase, an ELOVL5-like enzyme involved in VLC-PUFA elongation, and Δ(5)-desaturase.

Senescence-inducible LEC2 enhances triacylglycerol accumulation in leaves without negatively affecting plant growth.

The synthesis of fatty acids and glycerolipids in wild-type Arabidopsis leaves does not typically lead to strong triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation. LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2) is a master regulator of seed maturation and oil accumulation in seeds. Constitutive ectopic LEC2 expression causes somatic embryogenesis and defects in seedling growth.

Translating building information modeling to building energy modeling using model view definition.

This paper presents a new approach to translate between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Building Energy Modeling (BEM) that uses Modelica, an object-oriented declarative, equation-based simulation environment. The approach (BIM2BEM) has been developed using a data modeling method to enable seamless model translations of building geometry, materials, and topology. Using data modeling, we created a Model View Definition (MVD) consisting of a process model and a class diagram.

Performance evaluation of advanced industrial SPECT system with diverging collimator.

An advanced industrial SPECT system with 12-fold-array diverging collimator was developed for flow visualization in industrial reactors and was discussed in the previous study. The present paper describes performance evaluation of the SPECT system under both static- and dynamic- flow conditions. Under static conditions, the movement of radiotracer inside the test reactor was compared with that of color tracer (blue ink) captured with a high-speed camera.

Coexpression of multiple genes reconstitutes two pathways of very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in Pichia pastoris.

The introduction of novel traits to cells often requires the stable coexpression of multiple genes within the same cell. Herein, we report that C22 very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) were synthesized from C18 precursors by reactions catalyzed by delta 6-desaturase, an ELOVL5 involved in VLC-PUFA elongation, and delta 5-desaturase. The coexpression of McD6DES, AsELOVL5, and PtD5DES encoding the corresponding enzymes, produced docosatetraenoic acid (C22:4 n-6) and docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5 n-3), as well as arachidonic acid (C20:4 n-6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3) in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris.

Development of advanced industrial SPECT system with 12-gonal diverging-collimator.

Industrial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a promising diagnosis technique to investigate the dynamic behavior of process media. In the present study, a 12-gonal industrial SPECT system was developed using diverging collimators, and its performance was compared with those of hexagonal and 24-gonal systems. Of all of the systems, the 12-gonal type showed the best performance, providing (1) a detection-efficiency map without edge artifacts, (2) the best image resolution, and (3) reconstruction images that correctly furnish multi-source information.

Ectopic overexpression of castor bean LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2) in Arabidopsis triggers the expression of genes that encode regulators of seed maturation and oil body proteins in vegetative tissues.

The LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2) gene plays critically important regulatory roles during both early and late embryonic development. Here, we report the identification of the LEC2 gene from the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), and characterize the effects of its overexpression on gene regulation and lipid metabolism in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. LEC2 exists as a single-copy gene in castor bean, is expressed predominantly in embryos, and encodes a protein with a conserved B3 domain, but different N- and C-terminal domains to those found in LEC2 from Arabidopsis.

Isolation and functional characterization of a delta 6-desaturase gene from the pike eel (Muraenesox cinereus).

Stearidonic acid (STA; 18:4n-3) and γ-linolenic acid (GLA; 18:3n-6) are significant intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway for the very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3) and arachidonic acid (ARA; 20:4n-6), respectively. To develop a sustainable system for the production of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, we focused on the action of the enzyme delta 6-desaturase (D6DES) on the essential acids, linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6) and α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3). A 1,335-bp full-length cDNA encoding D6DES (McD6DES) was cloned from Muraenesox cinereus using degenerate PCR and RACE-PCR methods.

Identification and functional characterization of polyunsaturated fatty acid elongase (McELOVL5) gene from pike eel (Muraenesox cinereus).

The cDNA coding for a polyunsaturated fatty acid elongase (McELOVL5) was isolated from the brain of the pike eel (Muraenesox cinereus) being based on available sequences in 23 types of fish. Four sequence variants were identified with different amino acid substitutions as compared with two clones of McELOVL5 gene (McELOVL5 11.7 and McELOVL5 12.

Functional characterization of polyunsaturated fatty acid delta 6-desaturase and elongase genes from the black seabream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii).

Fatty acid delta 6-desaturase (D6DES) and elongases are key enzymes in the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) including arachidonic acid (ARA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from microorganisms to higher animals. To identify the genes encoding D6DES and elongases for PUFAs, we isolated each cDNA with a high similarity to the D6DES and ELOVL5-like elongases of mammals and fishes via degenerate PCR and RACE-PCR from Acanthopagrus schlegelii. A recombinant vector expressing AsD6DES was subsequently constructed and transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae to test the enzymatic activity toward n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in the PUFA biosynthesis.

Functional analysis and tissue-differential expression of four FAD2 genes in amphidiploid Brassica napus derived from Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea.

Fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2), which resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), plays a crucial role in producing linoleic acid (18:2) through catalyzing the desaturation of oleic acid (18:1) by double bond formation at the delta 12 position. FAD2 catalyzes the first step needed for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in the glycerolipids of cell membranes and the triacylglycerols in seeds. In this study, four FAD2 genes from amphidiploid Brassica napus genome were isolated by PCR amplification, with their enzymatic functions predicted by sequence analysis of the cDNAs.