Mapping the spatial distribution of primary and secondary PM2.5 in a multi-industrial city by combining monitoring and modeling results.

Industrial cities are strongly influenced by primary emissions of PM2.5 from local industries. In addition, gaseous precursors, such as sulfur oxides (SOX), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), emitted from industrial sources, undergo conversion into secondary inorganic and organic aerosols (SIAs and SOAs). In this study, the spatial distributions of primary and secondary PM2.5 in Ulsan, the largest industrial city in South Korea, were visualized. PM2.5 components (ions, carbons, and metals) and PM2.5 precursors (SO2, NO2, NH3, and VOCs) were measured to estimate the concentrations of secondary inorganic ions (SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+) and secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP). The spatial distributions of SIAs and SOAs were then plotted by combining atmospheric dispersion modeling, receptor modeling, and monitoring data. Spatial distribution maps of primary and secondary PM2.5 provide fundamental insights for formulating management policies in different districts of Ulsan. For instance, among the five districts in Ulsan, Nam-gu exhibited the highest levels of primary PM2.5 and secondary nitrate. Consequently, controlling both PM2.5 and NO2 emissions becomes essential in this district. The methodology developed in this study successfully identified areas with dominant contributions from both primary emissions and secondary formation. This approach can be further applied to prioritize control measures during periods of elevated PM levels in other industrial cities.

A qualitative exploration of exercise motivation among colorectal cancer survivors: an application of the theory of planned behavior.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this qualitative study was to use semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to elicit key influencing factors (i.e., behavioral, normative, and control beliefs) related to physical activity and exercise in colorectal cancer survivors. METHODS: Colorectal cancer survivors (N = 17) were recruited from exercise programs designed for colorectal cancer survivors at the Yonsei Cancer Center, Seoul, South Korea. A purposive sampling method was used. Interview questions were informed by the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted, and open-ended questions addressed the research question. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants were on average 2.2 years post-treatment. The mean age of the sample was 55.9 years. Key behavioral, normative, and control beliefs emerged in the data. For behavioral beliefs, colorectal cancer survivors believed that exercise would result in physical and psychological improvements, and improve their bowel problems. For normative beliefs, most colorectal cancer survivors wanted their oncologists' approval for participation of exercise. Family members, more specifically the spouse, were also influencing factors for colorectal cancer survivors adopting physical activity. The most frequently mentioned control belief was that supervised exercise with an exercise specialist made exercise participation easier. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Beliefs identified in this study can inform TPB-based physical activity interventions tailored for colorectal cancer survivors. While information alone may not lead to behavior change, integrating these beliefs with other influential factors can potentially enhance intervention efficacy and promote physical activity in this population.

The complete mitochondrial genome of a wood-decaying fungus Vanderbylia fraxinea (Polyporaceae, Polyporales).

Vanderbylia fraxinea (Bull.) D.A. Reid, 1973 is an important wood-inhabiting fungus that plays a significant role in nutrient recycling in most forest ecosystems. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of V. fraxinea was characterized through de novo assembly using Illumina sequencing data and genome annotation. The mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 115,473 bp with a GC content of 28.66%. It comprises a total of 62 genes. Among these, 36 are protein-coding genes including 21 free-standing open reading frames (ORFs), 24 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. Core gene set commonly found in fungal mitochondrial genomes is also present in this genome, such as the apocytochrome b (cob), three subunits of the cytochrome c oxidase (cox1, cox2, and cox3), seven subunits of the NADH dehydrogenase (nad1, nad2, nad3, nad4, nad4L, nad5, and nad6), and three subunits of the ATP synthase (atp6, atp8, and atp9), as well as ribosomal RNA subunits (rns and rnl) and a set of transfer RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the protein-coding sequences from the mitochondrial genome revealed a close relationship between V. fraxinea and the Ganoderma species within the Polyporaceae family.

Short-term Changes in Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Level after Body Fat Reduction via Partial Meal Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels change during body weight reduction. However, the changes that occur during short-term body weight control interventions remain controversial. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in TSH levels according to body fat reduction. METHODS: We performed a 3-month intervention study involving partial meal replacement. Forty-nine participants completed the study. Correlations between changes in TSH levels and other body composition parameters were determined. The subjects were divided into two groups according to their body fat reduction (>1 kg, n=20; <1 kg, n=29). The changes in metabolic parameters, including TSH levels, were compared. For significant values, a multivariate analysis was performed after adjustment to evaluate the relationship between TSH changes and body fat reduction. RESULTS: The 3-month intervention caused favorable changes in body proportions and metabolic parameters. TSH levels changed significantly only after changes in total body fat, showing a partial correlation. Changes in TSH levels were significantly different between groups (P=0.014). Moreover, the change in TSH levels was significantly different after adjustment (P=0.012). CONCLUSION: A body fat reduction, especially >1 kg, can reduce serum TSH concentrations in subjects with metabolic syndrome after short-term body weight intervention.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is associated with homocysteine more than with apolipoprotein B.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has increased worldwide. Although a low serum vitamin D level is known to be associated with the risk of CVD, the mechanism is not well understood yet. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25[OH]D) with homocysteine and apolipoprotein B (ApoB). SUBJECTS/METHODS: Of 777 subjects recruited from one health promotion center for routine heath exam from January 2010 to December 2016, 518 subjects were included in this study. Serum 25(OH)D, serum homocysteine, and other metabolic parameters including ApoB were analyzed. Simple and partial correlations were carried out after adjustments. Simple linear regression analysis was used for precise correlation of parameters. Multivariate regression analysis was done to know which factor (serum homocysteine or ApoB) was more related to serum 25(OH)D after adjustments. Finally, logarithms of homocysteine concentrations according to tertiles of serum 25(OH)D were compared. RESULTS: After sex and age adjustments, serum 25(OH)D showed negative correlations with serum homocysteine (r' = -0.114) and ApoB (r' = -0.098). In simple linear regression analysis, serum 25(OH)D showed a significant negative correlation with ApoB (P = 0.035). However, in multivariate regression analysis, serum 25(OH)D was significantly associated with serum homocysteine after adjustments (P = 0.022). In addition, serum homocysteine concentration was significantly high in the lowest 25(OH)D group (P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Serum 25(OH)D concentration showed a stronger negative association with serum homocysteine than with ApoB.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CJLP243 in Patients with Functional Diarrhea and High Fecal Calprotectin Levels.

Micro-inflammation in the gut, assessed by fecal calprotectin (FC), is considered a component of the pathogenesis of functional diarrhea (FD). Since probiotics may suppress micro-inflammation in the intestine by competing with harmful bacteria, we hypothesized that they would reduce the ratio of loose stool symptoms and gut inflammation in patients with FD. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the clinical and laboratory effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP243 in FD patients with elevated FC levels for two months. Twenty-four patients diagnosed with FD with elevated FC levels were randomly assigned to either a probiotic group or a placebo group. After 2 months, 10 patients in the probiotic group and 12 patients in the placebo group completed the study, and FD symptoms, FC values, and intestinal flora were re-evaluated in these subjects. The percentage of subjects who had adequate FD relief (decrease in loose stool frequency) in the probiotic group was significantly increased after two months compared with the baseline. In addition, the probiotic group showed a statistically significant decrease in log-transformed FC values compared with the pre-treatment group, whereas the placebo group showed no difference before and after the intervention. Furthermore, the levels of Leuconostoc genus organisms in the gut microbiota composition in the probiotic group increased significantly after the end of the study compared with the baseline values. In this preliminary exploratory research, we found that two months of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CJLP243 treatment resulted in FD symptom improvement, reduced FC values, and increased Leuconostoc levels, suggesting that the intake of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum was helpful in those patients. These findings need to be validated via further clinical studies.

Effect of Grain Size on Carburization Characteristics of the High-Entropy Equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi Alloy.

In this study, the carburization characteristics of cast and cold-rolled CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with various grain sizes were investigated. All specimens were prepared by vacuum carburization at 940 °C for 8 h. The carburized/diffused layer was mainly composed of face-centered cubic structures and Cr7C3 carbide precipitates. The carburized/diffused layer of the cold-rolled specimen with a fine grain size (~1 µm) was thicker (~400 µm) than that of the carburized cast specimen (~200 µm) with a coarse grain size (~1.1 mm). In all specimens, the carbides were formed primarily through grain boundaries, and their distribution varied with the grain sizes of the specimens. However, the carbide precipitates of the cast specimen were formed primarily at the grain boundaries and were unequally distributed in the specific grains. Owing to the non-uniform formation of carbides in the carburized cast specimen, the areas in the diffused layer exhibited various carbide densities and hardness distributions. Therefore, to improve the carburization efficiency of equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi HEAs, it is necessary to refine the grain sizes.

Comprehensive Analysis of Cold-Cracking Ratio for Flux-Cored Arc Steel Welds Using Y- and y-Grooves.

This study investigates various factors that influence the cold-cracking ratio (CCR) of flux-cored arc welds through Y- and y-groove tests. Factors affecting the CCR include the alloy component, diffusible hydrogen content, microstructure, hardness, and groove shape. In weld metals (WMs; WM375-R and WM375-B) of a low-strength grade, the diffusible hydrogen content has a more significant effect on the CCR than the carbon equivalent (Ceq) and microstructure. However, the combined effects of the microstructure and diffusible hydrogen content on the CCR are important in high-strength-grade WM. The CCR of the WM increased upon increasing Ceq and the strength grade because hard martensite and bainite microstructures were formed. Moreover, y-groove testing of the 500 MPa grade WM revealed a more significant CCR than that of the 375 MPa grade WM. Therefore, in high-strength-grade WMs, it is necessary to select the groove shape based on the morphology in the real welds.

Prognostic impact of GPR56 in patients with colorectal cancer.

G protein-coupled receptor 56 (GPR56) belongs to the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor subfamily, which plays a role in cell progression and survival. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the GPR56 gene in a cell line study and the impact of its protein expression on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The effect of GPR56 on tumor cell proliferation (WST-1 assay), invasion (Transwell assay), migration (Transwell assay, wound healing assay), and colony-forming ability (semisolid agar colony-forming assay) was explored. The expression levels of GPR56 in tissue samples of 109 CRC patients were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of GRP56 was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The downregulation of GPR56 in the CRC cell line reduced cell proliferation as compared with that in a control sample (48 h; p=0.042, 72 h; p=0.001). Downregulation of the GPR56 expression reduced cell invasion and migration abilities and inhibited colony-forming abilities (p<0.005). The 5-year overall survival rate was worse in the high-expression group as compared with that in the low-expression group (51.6% vs. 74.4%, p=0.008). High GPR56 expression was a significant prognostic factor for overall survival of CRC patients in the univariate (p=0.001) and multivariate (p<0.001) analyses. The expression level of GPR56 plays an important role in tumor progression in CRC, and it may serve as a prognostic indicator in CRC patients.

Effect of home-based exercise intervention on fasting insulin and Adipocytokines in colorectal cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevated circulating insulin is associated with increased risk of recurrence and cancer mortality in early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC). We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of a 12-week home-based exercise program on fasting insulin, adipocytokines, and physical function in CRC survivors. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three stage II-III CRC patients were randomly assigned to either a home-based exercise (n=62) or standard care control group (n=61) for 12weeks. Home-based exercise consisted of aerobic and resistance training, with a goal of obtaining ≥18 metabolic equivalent task (MET)-h/wk. Participants in the exercise group were instructed to participate in >18MET-h/wk. of aerobic and resistance exercise while the participants in the control group were asked to maintain their usual daily activity. The primary outcome was fasting insulin levels. Secondary outcomes were adiponectin, TNF-α levels and 6min walk distance from baseline to post-intervention. RESULTS: After the 12-weeks, moderate-vigorous physical activity participation increased from 9.1±14.7MET-h/wk. to 26.6±21.7MET-h/wk. in the exercise group, with no change in the control group (p<0.01 for group and time interaction). Circulating insulin level decreased by 1µU/ml (6.0±3.9 vs. 5.0±3.5, p=0.009) in the exercise group with no change in the control group (p=0.022 for group and time interaction). A similar trend was observed in TNF-α (p=0.030 for group and time interaction). Six minute walk distance increased by 25.2m in the exercise group with no change in the control group (p=0.061 for group and time interaction). CONCLUSIONS: The 12week home-based exercise program increased level of physical activity and decreased circulating insulin levels in CRC survivors.

Magnetism of the hypo-oxide state at the diffuse interface between the ferromagnet and antiferromagnet phases.

At the interface between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, various spin configurations with a higher degrees of complexity than in the bulk states can be derived due to the diverse possible interface atomic structures, where coupling interactions among the constituting atoms can form in consistence with altered atomic configurations. The interface magnetic properties then depend on the collective behavior of such spin structures. In the present work, an extended interfacial configuration of a hypo-oxide state was prepared by establishing the gradient of oxygen concentration across the spatially diffuse interface region between ferromagnetic metallic and antiferromagnetic oxide phases at the nanometer scale. With these mixed ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic couplings among the atoms in the interfacial hypo- or sub-oxide state, novel magnetic behavior can be induced. We report here, for the first time, a significant increase of saturation magnetization with temperature over a broad temperature range, which is against the conventional expectation for any generally known magnetic materials. And the unusual temperature dependent behavior can be understood as the combined effects of competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic couplings acting on atoms in and near the interface region.

Serum chemerin levels are independently associated with quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors are known to experience various symptoms that significantly affect their quality of life (QOL); therefore, it is important to identify clinical markers related with CRC survivor QOL. Here we investigated the relationship between serum chemerin levels, a newly identified proinflammatory adipokine, and QOL in CRC survivors. METHODS: A data of total of 110 CRC survivors were analysed in the study. Serum chemerin levels were measured with an enzyme immunoassay analyser. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) scores were used as an indicator of QOL in CRC survivors. RESULTS: Weak but not negligible relationships were observed between serum chemerin levels and FACT-General (G) (r = -0.22, p<0.02), FACT-Colorectal cancer (C) (r = -0.23, p<0.02) and FACT-Fatigue (F) scores (r = -0.27, p<0.01) after adjusting for confounding factors. Both stepwise and enter method multiple linear regression analyses confirmed that serum chemerin levels were independently associated with FACT-G (stepwise: ß = -0.15, p<0.01; enter: ß = -0.12, p = 0.02), FACT-C (stepwise: ß = -0.19, p<0.01; enter; ß = -0.14, p = 0.02) and FACT-F scores (stepwise: ß = -0.23, p<0.01; enter: ß = -0.20, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a weak inverse relationship between serum chemerin and CRC survivor QOL. Although it is impossible to determine causality, our findings suggest that serum chemerin levels may have a significant association with CRC survivor QOL. Further prospective studies are required to confirm the clinical significance of our pilot study.

Hybrid Structure White Organic Light Emitting Diode for Enhanced Efficiency by Varied Doping Rate.

Novel materials based on Zn(HPB)2 and Ir-complexes were synthesized as blue or red emitters, respectively. White organic light emitting diodes were fabricated using the Zn(HPB)2 as a blue emitting layer, Ir-complexes as a red emitting layer and Alq3 as a green emitting layer. The obtained experimental results, were based on white OLEDs fabricated using double emission layers of Zn(HPB)2 and Alq3:Ir-complexes. The doping rate of the Ir-complexes was varied at 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0%. When the doping rate of the Alq3:Ir-complexes was 0.6%, a white emission was achieved. The Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage coordinates of the device's white emission were (0.316, 0.331) at an applied voltage of 10.75 V.

Cardiopulmonary fitness, adiponectin, chemerin associated fasting insulin level in colorectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Since circulating level of insulin is associated with colorectal cancer prognosis, it is important to identify factors contributing to fasting insulin level in colorectal cancer patients. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the association of physical fitness, adiponectin, and chemerin levels with circulating level of insulin in colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 123 stage II-III colorectal cancer patients who completed standard cancer treatment were recruited. Anthropometric characteristics, fitness measurements, fasting insulin level, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, lipid profiles, and adiponectin and chemerin levels were analyzed. RESULT: Cardiopulmonary fitness level inversely associated with fasting insulin levels (the least fit (1st tertile): 8.11 ± 0.64, moderately fit (2nd tertile): 6.02 ± 0.63, and highly fit (3rd tertile): 5.58 ± 0.66 µU/ml, unfit vs. moderately fit, p < 0.01; unfit vs. highly fit, p < 0.05) after adjustment for gender, age, stage, and BMI. In addition, fasting adiponectin and chemerin levels were associated with fasting insulin levels after adjustment for gender, age, stage, and BMI. In our combined analyses, participants with high adiponectin and low chemerin levels showed significantly lower fasting insulin levels (4.92 ± 0.75 vs. 8.07 ± 0.80 µU/ml, p < 0.01) compared with participants with low adiponectin and high chemerin levels. Multiple linear regression analysis confirmed that cardiopulmonary fitness and adiponectin levels (ß = -0.299, p = 0.002; ß = -0.201, p = 0.033) were independently associated with fasting insulin level. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that physical fitness and adiponectin and chemerin levels may contribute to circulating levels of insulin. These results suggest that exercise may influence the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients by influencing physical fitness level, circulating levels of adiponectin and chemerin.

The Characteristics of Bone Metastasis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Long-Term Report from a Single Institution.

BACKGROUND: Bone metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is very rare, and data are extremely lacking. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of bone metastasis in patients with CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a chart review of 63 patients (1.1 %) with bone metastasis among 5479 patients who underwent surgery for CRC. RESULTS: Most patients were stage 3 (17.5 %) or 4 (73.0 %), and 32 patients (50.8 %) were diagnosed with bone metastasis at initial diagnoses of CRC. Thirty-one patients developed bone metastasis during the follow-up period with median 10.1-month interval. PET-CT was most frequently used for the diagnosis of bone metastasis (71.4 %), and the spine was the most commonly involved site (77.8 %). Most patients had multiple bone metastases (73.0 %) and other metastases (87.3 %). Bone pain was the most common skeletal-related event (25.4 %), and patients were treated with radiation (25.4 %), surgery (14.3 %), or bisphosphonate (6.3 %). The median survival time was 17.8 months, and the 5-year survival rate was 5.7 %. In the multivariate analysis, the risk factors for survival included initial bone metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] 3.03; P < 0.001) and bone metastasis from colon cancer (HR 1.87; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Bone metastasis in patients with CRC is extremely rare and shows poor prognosis.

Use of Preoperative MRI to Select Candidates for Local Excision of MRI-Staged T1 and T2 Rectal Cancer: Can MRI Select Patients With N0 Tumors?

BACKGROUND: To minimize the recurrence rate after local excision of rectal cancer, the false-negative rate of nodal staging should be minimized. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a set of criteria using preoperative MRI that would minimize the false-negative rate for the diagnosis of regional lymph node metastasis. DESIGN: A prospectively maintained colorectal cancer database and MRI images were retrospectively reviewed. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at a multidisciplinary tertiary center. PATIENTS: A total of 246 consecutive patients who underwent MRI and curative-intent surgery for MRI-staged T1/T2 rectal cancer from January 2008 to July 2012 were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: MRI features significantly associated with lymph node metastasis were identified using a χ test. Five diagnostic criteria for lymph node metastasis were created based on these predictive MRI features, and their false-negative rates were compared using the generalized estimating equation method. RESULTS: Small size/homogeneity of lymph nodes and no visible tumor/partially involved muscular layer were significantly associated with lower risks of lymph node metastasis. When tumor invasion depth was not considered, the false-negative rate did not decrease below 10%, even when the strictest criterion for morphologic evaluation of lymph nodes (not visible or <3 mm) was used. Adding invasion depth to the diagnostic criteria significantly decreased the false-negative rate as low as 1.8%. LIMITATIONS: This study is limited by its small sample size and retrospective nature. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing both the depth of tumor invasion and lymph node morphology may reduce the false-negative rate and can be helpful to better identify candidates suitable for local excision of early stage rectal cancer. However, strict MRI criteria for oncologic safety might result in considerable false-positive cases and limit the application of local excision.

Effects of 12 weeks of probiotic supplementation on quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Probiotics may help resolve bowel symptoms and improve quality of life. We investigated the effects of 12 weeks of probiotics administration in colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The participants took probiotics (Lacidofil) or placebo twice a day for 12 weeks. The cancer-related quality of life (FACT), patient's health-9 (PHQ-9), and bowel symptom questionnaires were completed by each participant. RESULTS: We obtained data for 32 participants in the placebo group and 28 participants in the probiotics group. The mean ages of total participants were 56.18 ± .86 years and 58.3% were male. Administration of probiotics significantly decreased the proportion of patients suffering from irritable bowel symptoms (0 week vs. 12 week; 67.9% vs. 45.7%, p=0.03), improved colorectal cancer-related FACT (baseline vs. 12 weeks: 19.79 ± 4.66 vs. 21.18 ± 3.67, p=0.04) and fatigue-related FACT (baseline vs. 12 weeks: 43.00 (36.50-45.50) vs. 44.50 (38.50-49.00), p=0.02) and PHQ-9 scores (0 weeks vs. 12 weeks; 3.00 (0-8.00) vs. 1.00 (0-3.00), p=0.01). We found significant differences in changes of the proportion of patients with bowel symptoms (p<0.05), functional well-being scores (p=0.04) and cancer-related FACT scores (p=0.04) between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Probiotics improved bowel symptoms and quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors.

Visceral fat accumulation is associated with colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a known risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), and emerging data suggest that this association is mediated by visceral fat rather than total body fat. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating the association between visceral fat area and the prevalence of CRC. METHODS: To investigate the relationship between visceral adiposity and prevalence of CRC, data of 497 women diagnosed with CRC and 318 apparently healthy women were analysed and data of well-balanced 191 pairs of women with CRC and healthy women matched based on propensity scores were additionally analysed. Diagnosis of CRC was confirmed by colonoscopy and histology. Metabolic parameters were assessed, along with body composition, using computed tomography. RESULTS: The median visceral fat area was significantly higher in the CRC group compared with the control group before and after matching. The prevalence of CRC increased significantly with increasing visceral fat tertiles after matching (p for trend <0.01). A multivariate analysis showed that mean visceral fat area of individuals in the 67th percentile or greater group was associated with an increased prevalence of CRC (adjusted odds ratio: 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.12-2.91 before matching and adjusted odds ratio: 2.96; 95% confidence interval: 1.38-6.33) compared with that of individuals in the 33th percentile or lower group. CONCLUSION: Thus, we conclude that visceral fat area is positively associated with the prevalence of CRC. Although we could not determine the causality, visceral adiposity may be associated with the risk of CRC. Further prospective studies are required to determine the benefits of controlling visceral obesity for reducing CRC risk.

White organic light-emitting diodes with Zn-complexes.

This paper reviews OLEDs fabricated using Zn-complexes. Zn(HPB)2, Zn(HPB)q, and Zn(phen)q were synthesized as new electroluminescence materials. The electron affinity (EA) and ionization potential (IP) of Zn complexes were also determined and devices were characterized. Zn complexes such as Zn(HPB)2, Zn(HPB)q, and Zn(phen)q were found to exhibit blue and yellow emissions with wavelengths of 455, 532, and 535 nm, respectively. On the other hand, Zn(HPB)2 and Zn(HPB)q were applied as hole-blocking materials. As a result, the OLED efficiency by using Zn(HPB)2 as a hole-blocking material was improved. In particular, the OLED property of Zn(HPB)2 was found to be better than that of Zn(HPB)q. Moreover, Zn(phen)q was used as an electron-transporting material and compared with Alq3. The performance of the device with Zn(phen)q as an electron-transporting material was improved compared with Alq3-based devices. The Zn complexes can possibly be used as hole-blocking and electron-transporting materials in OLED devices. A white emission was ultimately realized from the OLED devices using Zn-complexes as inter-layer components.