Given the dynamic characteristic of an individual’s drinking behaviours, comprehensive consideration of alcohol consumption variation using repeated measures may improve insight into the nature of its association with blood pressure (BP) change. We examined the association between longitudinal alcohol consumption (trajectory and quantity) and changes in BP and pulse pressure (PP) among Korean aged ≥ 40 years living in rural areas. Totally, 1682 hypertension-free participants who completed all three health examinations (median, 5·3 years) were included. All three visits were used to determine the cumulative trajectory of and quantity of alcohol consumption and the latest two visits and the last visit were used for the recent trajectory and the most recent quantity of alcohol consumption, respectively. Changes in BP and PP from the baseline to the third visit were used as outcome. In men, ≥30 ml/d cumulative average alcohol consumption was associated with the greatest increase in systolic BP (SBP) in both baseline outcome-unadjusted (2·9 mmHg, P = 0·032) and -adjusted models (3·6 mmHg, P = 0·001), and the given association for the most recent alcohol consumption was observed in the baseline outcome-adjusted model (3·9 mmHg, P = 0·003). For PP, similar associations were observed only in the baseline outcome-adjusted model. No meaningful associations in diastolic BP in men and any BP or PP in women existed. The quantity of alcohol consumption rather than the trajectory may be significantly related to raised SBP, and a possible short-term influence of the most recent alcohol consumption may exist when baseline SBP is adjusted in men.

It has not been well established whether dietary folate intake reduces the risk of diabetes development. We aimed to clarify the prospective association between dietary folate intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk among 7333 Korean adults aged 40 years or older who were included in the Multi-Rural Communities Cohort. Dietary folate intake was estimated from all 106 food items listed on a FFQ, not including folate intake from supplements. Two different measurements of dietary folate intake were used: the baseline consumption and the average consumption from baseline until just before the end of follow-up. The association between folate intake and T2D risk was determined through a modified Poisson regression model with a robust error estimator controlling for potential confounders. For 29 745 person years, 319 cases of diabetes were ascertained. In multivariable analyses, dietary folate intake was inversely associated with risk of T2D for women, not for men. For women, the incidence rate ratio of diabetes in the third tertile compared with the first tertile was 0·57 (95 % CI 0·38–0·87, Pfor trend=0·0085) in the baseline consumption model and 0·64 (95 % CI 0·43–0·95, Pfor trend=0·0244) in the average consumption model. These inverse associations was found in both normal fasting blood glucose group and impaired fasting glucose group among women. Among non-users of multinutrients and vitamin supplements, the significant inverse association remained. Thus, higher dietary intake of folate is prospectively associated with lower risk of diabetes for women.

Feasibility of multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy was studied as a potentialin-line monitoring technique for grain size distribution in channel poly-Si usedin three dimensional stacked NAND (3D NAND) Flash memory devices. Variouschannel poly-Si materials in 3D-NAND Flash memory devices, converted fromchemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown a-Si, were characterized usingnon-contact, multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy and high resolutioncross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (HRXTEM). The Ramancharacterization results were compared with HRXTEM images. The correlationbetween the grain size distribution characterized by multiwavelength Ramanspectroscopy and “on current” (ION) of 3D NANDFlash memory devices was investigated. Good correlation between these techniqueswas seen. Multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy is very promising as anon-destructive in-line monitoring technique for grain size distribution inchannel poly-Si used in 3D NAND Flash memory devices.

The size dependence of the lattice parameter of nanosolids has extensively been studied because lattice strain engineering is important in controlling the physical properties of nanowires (NWs), such as band gap, carrier transport, mechanical strength, etc. We have investigated the size-dependent lattice behavior of microstructure-controlled Sn NWs with radii of 7–35 nm. The NW microstructures were controlled as single-crystal, granular, and bamboo structures in the longitudinal direction. Results showed that the a-axis lattice parameter in the [100]-longitudinal direction of NWs can be controlled within 1% by varying the wire microstructure for the same wire radius because it is strongly dependent on the microstructure and the wire radius. Moreover, as the randomness of the grain orientation in the microstructure-controlled NWs increases, by which the anisotropy of surface stress is effectively reduced, the lattice strain of the NW can be compressive or tensile as a function of the wire radius. The longitudinal lattice parameters of microstructure-controlled Sn NWs can be tailored by reducing the effective anisotropy of surface stresses under a dimension confinement in the nanometer scale.

The diatoms are an ecologically important group of algae that have been extensively studied by ecologists and taxonomists. However, the large-scale patterns of diatom distribution and the factors underlying this distribution are largely unknown. The aims of this study were to identify the large-scale spatial patterns of benthic diatom assemblages in Korean streams and rivers, and to assess the importance of numerous environmental factors on diatom distribution. We classified 720 study sites based on diatom flora. Benthic diatoms, water chemistry, altitude, and riparian land cover and use were characterized by multivariate analyses, Monte Carlo permutation tests, and indicator species analysis. In total, we identified 531 diatom taxa. Diatom assemblages were mostly dominated by species of the genera Achnanthes, Navicula, Nitzschia, Cocconeis, Fragilaria (Synedra included), Cymbella, Gomphonema, and Melosira. Cluster analysis partitioned all 720 sites into eight groups based on diatom species composition. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that altitude, land cover and use, current velocity, electrical conductivity, and nutrient levels explained a significant amount of the variation in the composition of assemblages of benthic diatoms. At the national scale, a downstream ecological gradient was apparent, from fast-flowing, mostly oligotrophic highland streams to slow-flowing, mostly eutrophic lowland rivers. Our data suggest that spatial factors explain some of the variation in diatom distribution. The present investigation of the spatial patterns of benthic diatoms, the ecological determinants of diatom occurrence, and the identification of diatom indicator species contributes to development of a program for assessing the biological integrity of lotic ecosystems in Korea.

Planarization characteristics of ultra low diluted Ceria (CeO2) based slurry, especially a multi-layered Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process, have been studied. The multi-layer represents the polished film consists of more than two different materials, so that, more than two different materials are exposed to the polished surface. In this work, ultra low diluted ceria based slurry was introduced to minimize micro-dishing effect of the process such as a storage node contact and a bit line contact in 80nm feature sized DRAM device, which has multi-layer film surfaces. As a result, we can minimize micro dishing of silicon dioxide and polycrystalline silicon at memory cell area, and silicon dioxide dishing at peripheral area.

The Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC1) is responsible for ion transport across the secretory and absorptive epithelia, the regulation of cell volume, and possibly the modulation of cell growth and development. It has been reported that a variety of cells, including osteoblasts, contain this cotransporter. In this study, the physiological role of NKCC1 in osteoclastogenesis was exploited in a co-culture system. Bumetanide, a specific inhibitor of NKCC1, reduced the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cells. In order to investigate the mechanism by which bumetanide inhibits osteoclastogenesis, the mRNA expressions of the receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were analysed by RT-PCR. Exposure of osteoblastic cells to a medium containing 1 µM bumetanide reduced RANKL mRNA expression induced by 10 nM 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)2D3, in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, RANKL expression was also analysed with enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) using anti-RANKL antibody. The expression of RANKL was decreased with the increase of bumetanide concentration. In contrast, the expression of OPG mRNA, a novel tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family member was increased in the presence of bumetanide. These results imply that bumetanide inhibits osteoclast differentiation by reducing the RANKL/OPG ratio in osteoblastic cells. However, no significant difference in M-CSF mRNA expression was observed when bumetanide was added. Also, we found that the phosphorylation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), which regulates the activity of various transcriptional factors, was reduced by bumetanide treatment. Conclusively, these findings suggest that NKCC1 in osteoblasts has a pivotal role in 1α,25(OH)2D3-induced osteoclastogenesis partly via the phosphorylation of JNK. Experimental Physiology (2003) 88.5, 569-574.