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Lipids are crucial components of cellular function owing to their role in membrane formation, intercellular signaling, energy storage, and homeostasis maintenance. In the brain, lipid dysregulations have been associated with the etiology and progression of neurodegeneration and other neurological pathologies. Hence, brain lipids are emerging as important potential targets for the early diagnosis and prognosis of neurological diseases. This review aims to highlight the significance and usefulness of lipidomics in diagnosing and treating brain diseases. We explored lipid alterations associated with brain diseases, paying attention to organ-specific characteristics and the functions of brain lipids. As the recent advances in brain lipidomics would have been impossible without advances in analytical techniques, we provide up-to-date information on mass spectrometric approaches and integrative analysis with other omic approaches. Last, we present the potential applications of lipidomics combined with artificial intelligence techniques and interdisciplinary collaborative research for treating brain diseases with clinical heterogeneities.

The Center for Air Quality &Control at the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and the Environment (SIHE) has monitored changes in the concentration of fine dust in Seoul over the past 10 years and investigated meteorological factors as well as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in northeastern China and its contribution to the PM2.5 concentration in Seoul. The concentration of fine dust in Seoul in 2020 was 21 µg/m3, which is down 16% from 2019 and the lowest since 2010. In 2020, China’s emissions of pollutants such as NO2 have decreased significantly due to regional blockades, social distancing, and factory shutdowns caused by COVID-19. As a results, the concentration of precursors such as SO2 and NO2, and PM2.5 in northeastern China are also decreased, which contributed to the reduction in PM2.5 concentration in Seoul caused by westerly winds blowing. In addition, the ratio of east and south winds that usually contain low concentrations of pollutants was more than 30% of the total air currents into Seoul, which is the highest in the last three years. Moreover, the mean wind velocity and the amount of precipitation were also the highest recorded values of 2.4 m/s and 1651.0 mm, respectively. Calculations using Comprehensive Air quality Model with eXtensions (CAMx)-Particulate Source Apportionment Technology (PSAT) show that the contribution of external inflows to the PM2.5 concentration in Seoul was 65%. We believe that the reasons for the low PM2.5 concentration in 2020 are due to meteorological factors and a decrease in air pollution in northeastern China. Meanwhile, the major contribution of emissions in Seoul (resuspended road dust and non-exhaust dust) was high. When the concentration of PM2.5 was high, the contribution of resuspended road dust was reduced due to an increase of secondary generating materials. Currently, data on emission reduction due to the COVID-19 cannot be assessed, which we believe will enable more accurate contribution calculations in the future. © 2021

BackgroundAsbestos is a silicate mineral that is naturally generated by geological processes in the Earth's crust. The six types of commercially used asbestos each display the asbestiform crystal habit that is characterized by fibrous aggregates of extremely long, thin crystals. This study provided data that can be used to discriminate asbestiform and non-asbestiform amphiboles contained in landscaping rocks in parks. MethodIn five of the 21 parks, two or more landscaping rocks were found to contain asbestos. These five were selected for additional study. The length and width of fibers being at least 5 ㎛ long and with a minimum aspect ratio of 3:1 were measured using a Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM) and compared to a standard asbestos sample.ResultsThe park samples were thicker than 1 ㎛(average 1.9 ㎛) while the Health and Safety Executive(HSE) reference sample averaged 0.3 ㎛ in width with 100 % thinner than 1.0 ㎛. The average aspect ratios were 7.1 for the park samples and 67.1 for the HSE reference sample. The actinolite contained in the landscape rocks of the five selected parks did not show the typical asbestiform structure that was observed in the standard asbestos sample.ConclusionsBased on these distributions, the amphibole fibers in sampled landscape rocks were found to be thicker and lower aspect ratio than those of the standard sample. The result of this study can contribute to the public policy for managing and controlling of landscaping rocks containing naturally occurring asbestos(NOA) and also to communicate about the possible health risk resulting from NOA contained in landscaping rocks.

With the increasing importance of monitoring and verifying urban CO2 concentrations to mitigate carbon emissions from cities, a high-resolution ground networks of low-cost CO2 sensors are emerging that have a price advantage over existing high-cost sensors. This study develops a low-cost CO2 instrument called the Seoul National University CO2 Measurement (SNUCO2M) to monitor and analyze intra-city CO2 concentrations over Seoul, Korea. The first step of establishing this low-cost CO2 sensor network involved installing the SNUCO2M at the Yongsan Building (YSB; 113 m MASL) and Namsan Seoul Tower-High (NSTH; 385 m MASL) on October 18, 2018 and July 8, 2019, respectively. For comparison with the SNUCO2M, we utilized CO2 concentrations measured by the Picarro instrument (high-cost CO2 sensor) at Gwanak Mountain (GWA) background measurement site and the lower part of the NST (NSTL). The initial CO2 measurements from the SNUCO2M, show that 1) the SNUCO2M has a 0.71% maximum error range and is sufficient to measure urban atmospheric CO2 concentrations; and 2) the SNUCO2M captures 26.92 and 20.30 ppm of Seoul’s summer and winter time CO2 enhancement compared to the GWA background site. Our results suggest that the low-cost sensors such as SNUCO2M successfully detect urban CO2 characteristics over the megacity and has great potential to replace high-cost sensors with cost and management limitations.

Despite the prolonged global spread of COVID-19, few studies have investigated the environmental influence on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 RNA with a metropolitan scale, particularly the detection of SARS-CoV-2 after disinfection at multi-use facilities. Between February 2020 and January 2021, 1,769 indoor air samples and object surfaces were tested at 231 multi-use facilities where confirmed cases were known to have occurred in Seoul, to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 RNA could be detected even after disinfection. Samples were collected by air scanner and swab pipette and detected by real-time RT-PCR. As a result, 10 (0.56%) positive samples were detected despite disinfection. The common environmental features of all 10 were surfaces that contained moisture and windowless buildings. With the aim of preventing the spread of COVID-19, from January to February 2021, we next conducted 643 preemptive tests before the outbreak of infections at 22 multi-use facilities where cluster infections were frequent. From these preemptive inspections, we obtained five (0.78%) positive results from two facilities, which enabled us to disinfect the buildings and give all the users a COVID-19 test. Based on the study purpose of finding and investigating cases of positive detection even after disinfection in the field through long-term environmental detection in a large city, our preemptive investigation results helped to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by confirming the potential existence of an asymptomatic patient.

With the spread of the COVID-19 virus globally, cities worldwide have implemented unprecedented social distancing policies to mitigate infection rates. Many studies have demonstrated that improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, questions remain regarding changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations because of the complex cycles involving the interaction of CO2 with the natural environment. In this study, we compared the changes in urban CO2 enhancement (△CO2) reflecting the contribution of local CO2 emissions to the atmospheric CO2 in urban areas, according to the intensity of social distancing policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul, South Korea. We used data from three CO2 ground observation sites in the central area of Seoul and outside the urban area of Seoul. By comparing the urban CO2 concentration in Seoul with that of the background area using two different methods, considering both vertical and horizontal differences in CO2 concentration, we quantified the △CO2 of the pre-COVID-19 period and two COVID-19 periods, during which intensive social distancing policies with different intensities were implemented (Level 1, Level 2.5). During the pre-COVID-19 period, the average △CO2 calculated using the two methods was 24.82 ppm, and it decreased significantly to 16.42 and 14.36 ppm during the Level 1 and Level 2.5 periods, respectively. In addition, the urban contribution of Seoul to atmospheric CO2 concentration decreased from 5.27% during the pre-COVID-19 period to 3.54% and 3.19% during the Level 1 and Level 2.5 periods, respectively. The results indicate that the social distancing policies implemented in Seoul resulted in reduced local CO2 emissions, leading to a reduction in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Interestingly, it also shows that the extent of atmospheric CO2 concentration reduction can be greatly affected by the intensity of policies. Our study suggests that changes in human activity could reduce the urban direct contribution to the background CO2 concentration helping to further mitigate climate change.

An enzyme-addition method to pretreat fried fruit and vegetable chips for acrylamide analysis is reported, followed by determination of the acrylamide contents in 36 marketed fruit and vegetable chip products using LC-MS/MS. To improve the extraction process, the FDA method was modified. Specifically, digestive enzymes were added, overcoming the clogging of filters (or SPE cartridges) after extraction of vegetable chips using water. Diastase was added to extract high-starch products, including potato chips. Recoveries of 90.3–105.5% acrylamide were obtained at the spiking levels of 25–500 μg/kg. LOD and LOQ were similar between the method with (4.5 and 13.7 μg/kg) and without diastase addition (4.4 and 13.2 μg/kg). Okra chip with high mucin content was extracted after adding pepsin. This method provided a recovery of 99.8–102.2%, LOD of 6.0 μg/kg, and LOQ of 18.1 μg/kg. Both methods could be used for analyzing acrylamide, with critical method parameters satisfying European Union regulations.

With the spread of the COVID-19 virus globally, cities worldwide have implemented unprecedented social distancing policies to mitigate infection rates. Many studies have demonstrated that improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, questions remain regarding changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations because of the complex cycles involving the interaction of CO2 with the natural environment. In this study, we compared the changes in urban CO2 enhancement (△CO2) reflecting the contribution of local CO2 emissions to the atmospheric CO2 in urban areas, according to the intensity of social distancing policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul, South Korea. We used data from three CO2 ground observation sites in the central area of Seoul and outside the urban area of Seoul. By comparing the urban CO2 concentration in Seoul with that of the background area using two different methods, considering both vertical and horizontal differences in CO2 concentration, we quantified the △CO2 of the pre-COVID-19 period and two COVID-19 periods, during which intensive social distancing policies with different intensities were implemented (Level 1, Level 2.5). During the pre-COVID-19 period, the average △CO2 calculated using the two methods was 24.82 ppm, and it decreased significantly to 16.42 and 14.36 ppm during the Level 1 and Level 2.5 periods, respectively. In addition, the urban contribution of Seoul to atmospheric CO2 concentration decreased from 5.27% during the pre-COVID-19 period to 3.54% and 3.19% during the Level 1 and Level 2.5 periods, respectively. The results indicate that the social distancing policies implemented in Seoul resulted in reduced local CO2 emissions, leading to a reduction in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Interestingly, it also shows that the extent of atmospheric CO2 concentration reduction can be greatly affected by the intensity of policies. Our study suggests that changes in human activity could reduce the urban direct contribution to the background CO2 concentration helping to further mitigate climate change.

In this study, we simultaneously measured the PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations and their heavy metal content for three days at a subway station in Seoul to investigate the airborne PM flows. The average concentrations were 59 µg m–3, 37 µg m–3, 111 µg m–3, and 369 µg m–3 for the PM10 and 43 µg m–3, 28 µg m–3, 58 µg m–3, and 132 µg m–3 for the PM2.5 at the outdoor air inlet, in the concourse, on the platform, and in the tunnel, respectively. We also found strong correlations between the temporal variations at adjacent sampling locations for both fractions, although they were higher for the PM2.5. Additionally, of the airborne trace metals detected at the sampling locations inside the station (the concourse, platform, and tunnel), iron (Fe) displayed the highest concentration and was thus selected as a tracer of PM. Applying a simple mass balance model to the Fe concentrations and ventilation rates revealed that 78% of the PM10 and 62% of the PM2.5 on the platform emanated from the tunnel, whereas 84% of the PM10 and 87% of the PM2.5 in the concourse originated outdoors (and arrived in the filtered air). These results further confirm that reducing PM emission from the tunnel is the most effective strategy for improving air quality on the platform and achieving compliance with the national guideline.

Development of a dual-display handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for retina and optic-nerve-head diagnosis beyond the volunteer motion constraints is reported. The developed system is portable and easily movable, containing the compact portable OCT system that includes the handheld probe and computer. Eye posterior chambers were diagnosed using the handheld probe, and the probe could be fixed to the bench-top cradle depending on the volunteers’ physical condition. The images obtained using this handheld probe were displayed in real time on the computer monitor and on a small secondary built-in monitor; the displayed images were saved using the handheld probe’s built-in button. Large-scale signal-processing procedures such as k-domain linearization, fast Fourier transform (FFT), and log-scaling signal processing can be rapidly applied using graphics-processing-unit (GPU) accelerated processing rather than central-processing-unit (CPU) processing. The Labview-based system resolution is 1,024 × 512 pixels, and the frame rate is 56 frames/s, useful for real-time display. The 3D images of the posterior chambers including the retina, optic-nerve head, blood vessels, and optic nerve were composed using real-time displayed images with 500 × 500 × 500 pixel resolution. A handheld and bench-top hybrid mode with a dual-display handheld OCT was developed to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional method.

Key Words: Synthetic Natural Gas(합성천연가스), Coal Gasification(석탄가스화), Gasifier(가스화기)초록: 최근고유가와천연가스수요상승에따른가격상승으로인하여상대적으로낮은가격의석탄을이용한에너지생산이주목을받고있다. IGCC를비롯한석탄가스화분야는오래전부터청정화석연료를이용한유망한기술로각광받아왔었다. 본연구에서는이러한석탄가스화기술을이용하여합성천연가스를생산하는실제프로젝트개발단계에서석탄가스화기선정을위한기술적검토를수행하였다.합성천연가스생산에적합하다고판단되는가스화기로써고정층슬래그가스화기, 습식분류층가스화기, 건식분류층가스화기를검토대상으로선정하여연구를진행하였다. 선정된가스화기별주요공정특징및성능에대하여검토하였으며, 종합검토내용을토대로합성천연가스생산시석탄가스화기선정방향에대하여제시하였다.Abstract: Because of the increasing cost of oil and natural gas, energy production technologies using coal, includingsynthetic natural gas (SNG) and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), have attracted attention because of therelatively low cost of coal. During the early stage of a project, the developer or project owner has many options withregard to the selection of a gasifier. In particular, from the viewpoint of feasibility, the gasifier is a key factor in theeconomic evaluation. This study compares the technical aspects of gasifiers for a real SNG production project in anearly stage. A fixed-bed slagging gasifier, wet-type entrained gasifier, and dry-type entrained gasifier, all of which havespecific advantages, can be used for the SNG production project. Base on a comparison of the process descriptions andperformances of each gasifier, this study presents a selection guideline for a gasifier for an SNG production projectthat will be beneficial to project developers and EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contractors.

The levels of six perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs), four perfloroalkylsulfonates (PFASs), and one sulfonamide were measured in paired samples of maternal serum, umbilical cord serum, and breast milk. The maternal and cord sera were strongly correlated with each other for all measured compounds (r>0.5 and p

In this study, the formability of AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets was investigated through experimental and numerical approaches. Tensile tests and limit dome height tests were carried out at several temperatures between 25 °C and 300 °C to obtain the mechanical properties and forming limit diagram (FLD). The interfacial heat transfer coefficient between two adjacent tools, and the convection coefficient were estimated by comparing the tool temperatures obtained from trial heat transfer analyses with actual measured data. The FLD-based criterion considering the strain path and the blank temperature was used to predict by finite element analysis (FEA) the forming limit in a cross-shaped cup deep drawing process. A comparison of the FEA and experimental data showed that this criterion was very useful and reasonable. In particular, the temperature of each forming tool that provided the best formability of AZ31 sheets was determined by coupled temperature-deformation analyses. A practical method that can greatly reduce the forming time by increasing the punch speed during the forming process was suggested.

Magnesium alloy sheets are usually formed at temperatures between 150 and 300°C because of their poor formability at room temperature. In the present study, the formability of AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets was investigated by the analytical and experimental approaches. First, tensile tests and limit dome height tests were carried out at several temperatures between 25 and 300°C to get the mechanical properties and forming limit diagram (FLD). A FLD-based criterion considering the material temperature during deformation was used to predict the forming limit from a finite element analysis (FEA) of the cross-shaped cup deep drawing process. This criterion proved to be very useful in designing the geometrical parameters of the forming tools and determining optimal process conditions such as tool temperatures and blank shape by the comparison between finite element temperature-deformation analyses and physical try-out. The heating and cooling channels were also optimally designed through heat transfer analyses.

Desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) was evaluated for the detection of proteins ranging in molecular mass from 12 to 66 kDa. Proteins were uniformly deposited on a solid surface without pretreatment and analyzed with a DESI source coupled to a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. DESI-MS parameters optimized for protein detection included solvent flow rate, temperature of heated capillary tube, incident and reflection angle, sheath gas pressure, and ESI voltage. Detection limits were obtained for all protein standards, and they were found to decrease with decreasing protein molecular mass: for cytochrome c (12.3 kDa) and lysozyme (14.3 kDa) a detection limit of 4 ng/mm2 was obtained; for apomyoglobin (16.9 kDa) 20 ng/mm2; for β-lactoglobulin B (18.2 kDa) 50 ng/mm2; and for chymotrypsinogen A (25.6 kDa) 100 ng/mm2. The DESI-MS analysis of higher molecular mass proteins such as ovalbumin (44.4 kDa) and bovine serum albumin (66.4 kDa) yielded mass spectra of low signal-to-noise ...

Immunoglobulins (Igs) were purified from sera obtained from olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus immunized with goat IgG using immunoaffinity and mannan-binding protein (MBP) affinity columns and designated IMMIg and MBPIg respectively. SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) analyses demonstrated that the olive flounder serum contained at least two different types of Ig in terms of molecular weight and pI of heavy chain. 2-DE separation of the Igs followed by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) revealed that these two Igs were IgM and IgM precursor of olive flounder. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against the IMMIg and MBPIg and proteome analysis of Lactococcus garvieae using these MAbs and olive flounder immune sera demonstrated that IMMIg and MBPIg recognized different antigens of L. garvieae. This suggested that different Igs are possibly involved in protecting olive flounder against L. garvieae infection.

The efficacy of protein A-horse radish peroxidase (HRP), as compared to that of mouse polyclonal antibody raised against purified Ig, in detection of black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli Higendorf) immunoglobulin (Ig) was examined. Protein A affinity chromatography successfully purified Ig from black rockfish serum; the purified-Ig could be visualised as two protein bands (MW 70 and 25kDa) following resolution with sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under reducing conditions. In SDS-PAGE immunoblot profiles of the purified-Ig, the mouse polyclonal antibody recognised both the light chain and heavy chains of rockfish Ig, whereas protein A-HRP immunostained only the heavy chain of rockfish Ig. These results suggest that protein A-HRP may be used to detect rockfish antibody-antigen complexes in immunoassays. In a 2-DE immunoblot assay for exploring antigenic profiles of Lactococcus garvieae KG9408, protein A-HRP successfully detected specific antibodies to antigenic proteins of L. garvieae in the rockfish Ig. In addition, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed a high correlation between the results obtained for positivity of L. garvieae when protein A-HRP and the mouse polyclonal antibody-was used to analyse samples from 25 diseased rockfish. These results collectively indicate that protein A-HRP has a high affinity for Ig, and may be useful for new investigations into the humoral immune responses of rockfish.

The objective of this study was to develop and assess a method for estimating the rain scavenging ratios (RSRs) of particle-bound PAHs and PCBs using measured scavenging ratio of particulate matters (PM) and routinely available data of physico-chemical properties of PM. Paired atmospheric and rainwater sampling was conducted for a total of 4 rain events. Assuming equilibrium partitioning in rainwater-gas-PM system, an equation was derived for estimating the RSR of particle-bound chemicals as a function of RSR of PM and three equilibrium partition constants (i.e. dimensionless Henry's law constant, gas-particle partition coefficient, and water-particle partition coefficient). For all PAHs, the model significantly under-predicted the RSR while the model prediction for PCBs agreed with observation mostly within a factor of 5. The RSR model for the chemicals is of limited use as its accuracy critically depends on how close the observed partitioning of the chemicals in the gas-PM-rainwater system is to that estimated under the equilibrium assumption.

This study was conducted to explore the relationship between two isolates of Neospora caninum (N. caninum) (KBA-2 and VMDL-1) using proteomics. To achieve the goal, proteins of N. caninum tachyzoite lysates of KBA-2 and VMDL-1 were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), stained with silver-nitrate and analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to compare protein profiles. In addition, proteins separated by 2-DE were transferred to membranes, probed with bovine anti-N. caninum KBA-2 immunoglobulin G, and reactive proteins were visualized and compared between the two isolates. Most spots on 2-DE profiles and antigenic spots on 2-DE immunoblot profiles were located at similar locations in terms of isoelectric point and molecular weight. Proteins common to both isolates included the following: heat shock protein 70, subtilisin-like serine protease, nucleoside triphosphatase, heat shock protein 60, pyruvate kinase, tubulin α, tubulin β, enolase, putative protein disulfide isomerase, actin, fructase-1,6-bisphosphatase, putative ribosomal protein S2, microneme protein Nc-P38, lactate dihydrogenase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase aldolase, serine threonine phosphatase 2C, 14-3-3 protein homologue, N. caninum dense granule-1 and NcGRA2. As a consequence, even though N. caninum KBA-2 and VMDL-1 isolates were isolated from geographically distinct locations there were significant homology in the proteome and antigenic proteome profiles. In addition, proteomic approach was verified as a useful tool for understanding of host immune response against different isolates of protozoa.

The shearing process for the sheet metal is normally used in the precision elements such as semi-conductor components. In these precision elements, the burr formation brings a bad effect on the system assembly and demands the additional de-burring process, so this imposes high cost on manufacturing. In this paper, we have developed the in-situ auto-aligning precision meso-punching system to investigate the burr formation mechanism and ultimately minimize burr. Firstly, we introduced the punch-die contact sensing method to align the punch and the die at initial state prior to the punching process. Secondly, by using the low-price semi-conductor laser, burr formed on the edges is measured intermittently during the punching process. We could, finally, make burr on the sheet metal uniformized and minimized by controlling of the precision X-Y table, 1 un resolution, and measuring burr height by semiconductor laser. Experimental results show the validity of our system for pursuing the burr-free punched elements.

Protein profiles of two isolates of Neospora caninum (KBA-2 and JPA1) and Toxoplasma gondii RH strain were investigated by proteomic approach. Approximately, 78% of protein spots on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) profiles and 80% of antigen spots on 2-DE immunoblotting profiles were exhibited to share the same pI and Mr between KBA-2 and JPA1 of N. caninum. On the other hand, a total of 30 antigen spots of T. gondii were recognized on 2-DE immunoblotting profile using rabbit antiserum against N. caninum KBA-2. A number of homologue proteins, such as heat shock protein 70, tubulin α- and β-chain, putative protein disulfide isomerase, actin, enolase and 14-3-3 protein homologue are believed as the conserved proteins in both N. caninum and T. gondii. On the contrary, NcSUB1, NcGRA2 and NCDG1 (NcGRA7) might be the species-specific proteins for N. caninum tachyzoites. The present study showed that the high degree of similarity between N. caninum isolates (KBA-2 and JPA1), whereas large differences between N. caninum and T. gondii were noticed by proteome comparisons.

Recently mass spectrometry and separation methods such as liquid chromatography have become major tools in the field of proteomics. In this report, we describe in detail our efforts to develop ultra-high pressure capillary reverse-phase liquid chromatography (cRPLC) and its online coupling to a mass spectrometer by a nanoelectrospray (nanoESI) interface. The RPLC system is constructed in house to deliver LC solvents at the pressure up to 20,000 psig, which is four times higher than conventional RPLC systems. The high operation pressure allows the efficient use of packed micro-capillary columns (50, 75 and 150 µm i.d., up to 1.5 m long). We will discuss the effect of column diameter on the sensitivity of cRPLC/MS/MS experiments and the utility of the developed technique for proteome analysis by its application in the analysis of proteome samples having different levels of complexity.

The paper discusses the results of steam explosion experiments of TROI-13, TROI-14, and TROI-15, which were performed under the research program named “Test for Real cOrium Interaction with water (TROI).” TROI-13 and TROI-14 used corium, which is a mixture of UO2 and ZrO2 at a 70:30wt%, while TROI-15 used ZrO2. These three cases resulted in spontaneous steam explosions. It is an important observation from the aspect of the explosivity of prototypic material, as it was not observed in the previous experiments. Various aspects of the test results including cold crucible melting, hydrogen generation, melt temperature measurement, debris morphology, size distribution of the debris, dynamic pressure, dynamic force, shape of the melt jet, location of the trigger, response of the vessel pressure, and the response of the water pool temperature are discussed. The potential contributors to the explosivity of corium are suggested.

The quenching distance of hydrogen gas was experimentally investigated by considering the effects of the initial pressure and steam addition. The quenching distance decreases with the initial pressure and there is a little increase with the addition of steam. Performance tests have been carried out to check the applicability of quenching mesh for the purpose of arresting hydrogen flame propagation during a severe accident in nuclear power plants. The experimental facility for the performance test of the quenching mesh consisted of a model compartment, a visualization system and an ignition system. Dimensions of the single model compartment were 300×300×300 mm. Three-compartments are connected in parallel. The quenching mesh is located between the first and second compartments. It was observed that the flame from the first compartment where the ignition starts does not propagate to the second compartment. The quenching mesh played a role of preventing flame propagation.

Pseudomonas sp. BCNU 171, when grown with 10% (v/v) toluene for 2 h, accumulated approximately 7.7 mM trehalose probably arising by the action of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (E.C. 2.4.1.15). Trehalose may thus play a significant role in the tolerance of the Pseudomonas sp. to toluene.

Computer simulations and test trials are carried out to get the optimal conditions of the design for the stamping of the laser tailor welded automotive body panels. Through test trials with new manufactured die for Tailor Welded Blanks (TWB), the effects of the initial position of blank, blank holding force, drawbead shape, and corner radius are investigated. The results of computer simulations show good correspondence with those of test trials. The results are directly applied to the modification of the die or changing of the forming conditions, to obtain well controlled sound product free from fracture, wrinkling or excessive weld line movement.

Mold performance with high strength aluminum alloy QC-10® in injection molding was investigated and compared with NAK 80 steel mold. Two different shapes of molds were tooled and tested. Interfacial heat fluxes between cooling mold and solidifying polymer melt were measured using the IHCP (Inverse Heat Conduction Method) technique during the injection molding cycles. The influence of thermo-physical properties of mold materials and polymer resins on molding cycle time and internal residual stress were also investigated by injection molding control optimization and birefringence analyzer. Evaluation of the thermal energy absorbed and uniform heat extraction during injection molding revealed that aluminum mold QC-10® resulted in significant cycle time reduction and produced the part with less distortion. In addition to the benefit of reduced tooling time, it was proven that aluminum mold is a promising mold material for increasing the productivity in plastic injection molding operations.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) measured in surface running waters indicated the existence of different emission sources in eight main city basins. The tap water reflected the contamination pattern and levels in their corresponding source water basins. The daily intakes through tap water consumption ranged from0.01 to 0.73 ng kg(-1) d(-1) for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and0.01 to 0.08 ng kg(-1) d(-1) for perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS). Tap water intake-derived exposure accounted for 8.6%-101% (for PFOA) and while10% (for PFOS) of total daily exposure, which was estimated from Korean serum concentrations using a pharmacokinetic model. Our findings indicate that tap water intake could be an important contributor to PFOA exposure in Korean populations; accordingly, additional efforts are necessary to improve the removal efficiency of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the water purification process. However, more fundamentally the aim would be to reduce the discharge of PFCs from potential sources within the basin.

An on-probe pyrolyzer has been constructed and interfaced with Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) Mass Spectrometry (MS) for the rapid analysis of non-volatile pyrolysis products. The detection and analysis of non-volatile pyrolysis products of peptides, proteins and the synthetic polymer poly(ethylene glycol) are demonstrated with this instrument. The on-probe pyrolyzer can be operated off-line or on-line with the DESI source and was interfaced with a tandem MS (MS/MS) instrument, which allowed for structure characterization of the non-volatile pyrolytic products. Advantages of this system are its simplicity and speed of analysis since the pyrolysis is performed in situ on the DESI source probe and hence, it avoids extraction steps and/or the use of matrices (e.g., as in MALDI-MS analyses).

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometry (MS) was used to differentiate seven bacteria species on the basis of their measured DESI-mass spectral profile. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were tested and included Escherichia coli, Staphyloccocus aureus, Enterococcus sp., Bordetella bronchiseptica, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhimurium. Distinct DESI-mass spectra, in the mass range of 50–500 u, were obtained from whole bacteria in either positive or negative ion modes in less than 2 mins analysis time. Positive ion DESI-mass spectral fingerprints were compared using principal components analysis (PCA) to investigate reproducibility for the intraday and the day-to-day measurements and the method selectivity to differentiate the bacteria studied. Detailed study of variances in the assay revealed that a large contribution to the DESI-mass spectral fingerprint variation was the growth media preparation procedure. Specifically, experiments conducted with the growth media prepared using the same batch yielded highly reproducible DESI-mass spectra, both in intraday and in day-to-day analyses (i.e. one batch of growth media used over a 3-day period versus a new batch every day over the same 3-day period). Conclusions are drawn from our findings in terms of strategies for rapid biodetection with DESI-MS. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

To examine the proteomes of 2 important causative agents of fish streptococcosis, Streptococcus iniae ATCC29178 and Lactococcus garvieae KG9408, we used 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by mass spectrometry to generate 2-DE maps of these type strains. Silver-stained 2-DE gels of S. iniae ATCC29178 and L. garvieae KG9408 revealed approximately 320 and 300 spots, respectively, and immobilized pH gradient strips (13 cm, pH 4 to 7) revealed that the majority of the detected spots were concentrated in the pH range of 4.5 to 5.5. The spots were randomly selected from the 2-DE profiles and identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. The majority of the identified proteins were functionally related to energy and carbohydrate metabolism (e.g. enolase ATPase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) or translation and translocation (e.g. elongation factor G, elongation factor Tu, DNA-directed RNA polymerase alpha chain). These data, along with our partial 2-DE maps of S. iniae ATCC29178 and L. garvieae KG9408, may help suggest antigenic proteins for the development of effective diagnostic tools and vaccines against S. iniae and L. garvieae.

Antigenic proteins of Neospora caninum (N. caninum) against bovine immunoglobulins M, E, A, and G were investigated by using immunoproteomics. Proteins of N. caninum (KBA-2) tachyzoite lysates separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis were transferred to polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes, probed with different bovine immunoglobulin class and classified. Antigenic spots recognized were also identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis. 132, 84, 4, and 40 antigenic protein spots were recognized on N. caninum immunoblot profiles against bovine IgM, IgE, IgA, and IgG, respectively. Of these protein spots, the antigenic proteins recognized by either IgM, IgE, and IgG, or IgM and IgG were HSP70, pyruvate kinase, actin, NCDG-1, tubulin alpha-chain, and putative ribosomal protein S2. On the other hand, IgM, IgE, and IgA reacted with NTPase, HSP60, tubulin beta-chain, putative protein disulfide isomerase, enolase, lactate dehydrogenase, serine-threonine phosphatase, 14-3-3 protein homologue, and GRA2 protein. Most of the antigenic proteins identified were associated with the process of invasion, proliferation, and egression of apicomplexans. In our study, HSP70, actin, NTPase, HSP60, pyruvate kinase, enolase, putative ribosomal protein S2, NCDG-1, and GRA2 proteins were found to be immunodominant proteins, which may contribute to the development of diagnostic markers and vaccine.

Complex interconnects in highly integrated system chips are implemented with the bus structures. From a testing point of view, bus-structured systems require more complicated consideration than simple wiring networks since a bus line receives data from many drivers. Therefore, some faults are detected all the time and others are detected only at a particular time. We propose a new interconnect test algorithm for bus structures. The MD+ algorithm supports maximal diagnosis for the bus-structured system and its test period is shorter than the previous algorithms. Moreover, the MD+ algorithm is easy to apply since it is based on a complete diagnosis algorithm for wiring networks. The effectiveness of the MD+ algorithm is confirmed by comparing the test length with previous bus-based interconnect test algorithms.

Identification of expressed protein profiles and antigenic determination are some of the most challenging aspects of proteomics. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with immunoblot analysis were employed to study the N. caninum proteome. Protein sample preparation was carried out by first conducting sonication, followed by adding lysis buffer containing 7M urea plus 2M thiourea to the purified tachyzoites in order to complete disruption. A total of 335 differentially expressed protein spots were detected using pH 4-7 IPG strip (7 cm) that were run in a 56 kVh isoelectric focusing (IEF) system. Of the spots analyzed, 64 were identified as antigenic spots on immunoblot profile. Major antigenic spots appeared at 65 kDa (pI 5.2-5.3), 51 kDa (pI 5.5), 38 kDa (pI 5.1), 33 kDa (pI 4.4), 29 kDa (pI 5.6) and 15.5 kDa (pI 5.0) were observed to be significantly distinct compared to the rest of the antigenic spots. The results indicate that combination of 2-DE and immunoblotting methods were thought as very useful tools in defining both proteins and antigens of N. caninum tachyzoites. Additionally, present 2-DE profiles may be valuable in further proteomic approaches and study of the pathogen.

Expressed proteins and antigens from Neospora caninum tachyzoites were studied by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Thirty-one spots corresponding to 20 different proteins were identified from N. caninum tachyzoites by peptide mass fingerprinting. Six proteins were identified from a N. caninum database (NTPase, 14-3-3 protein homologue, NcMIC1, NCDG1, NcGRA1 and NcGRA2), and 11 proteins were identified in closely related species using the T. gondii database (HSP70, HSP60, pyruvate kinase, tubulin alpha- and beta-chain, putative protein disulfide isomerase, enolase, actin, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and glyceradehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase). One hundred and two antigen spots were observed using pH 4-7 IPG strips on immunoblot profiles. Among them, 17 spots corresponding to 11 antigenic proteins were identified from a N. caninum protein map. This study involved the construction of in-depth protein maps for N. caninum tachyzoites, which will be of value for studies of its pathogenesis, drug and vaccine development, and phylogenetic studies.

Protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of fight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) can analyze unambiguously identity of the spots from a 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) gel. This study developed a technique for 2-DE of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (8. enteritidis) by improving the dissolution conditions by 2-DE using a pH 4 - 7 immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strip. This report examines the protein components from the patterns of the S. enteritidis protein. The most abundant protein displayed a great number of clusters within the pH 4.5 - 7 range with a molecular mass ranging from 35-80 kDa. Some of these spots were identified as metabolic related enzymes. The protein fraction was also analyzed using an immobilized pH gradient strip. Different proteins were identified on the spot according to the elongation factors. In addition, this study showed that the 2-DE analysis of S. enteritidis provides useful information regarding the S. enteritidis proteome, and this approach might provide a strategy for identifying bacterial proteins using a proteome technology.

Climate change, caused by global warming, is increasingly recognized as a major threat to mankind's survival. Climate change concurrently has both direct and modifying influences on environmental, social, and public health systems undermining human health as a whole. Environmental health policy-makers need to make use of political and technological alternatives to address these ramifying effects. The objective of this paper is to review public health policy in Korea, as well as internationally, particularly as it relates to climate change health adaptation and mitigation programs (such as C-CHAMP of Korea), in order to assess and elicit directions for a robust environmental health policy that is adaptive to the health impacts of climate change. In Korea, comprehensive measures to prevent or mitigate overall health effects are limited, and the diffusion of responsibility among various government departments makes consistency in policy execution very difficult. This paper proposes integration, synergy, and utilization as the three core principles of policy direction for the assessment and adaptation to the health impacts of climate change. For specific action plans, we suggest policy making based on scientifically integrated health impact assessments and the prioritization of environmental factors in climate change; the development of practical and technological tools that support policy decisions by making their political implementation more efficient; and customized policy development that deals with the vulnerability of local communities.