ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Histamine in food is known to cause food poisoning and allergic reactions. We usually ingest histamine in cooked food, but there are few studies about the influence of cooking method on the histamine level. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of cooking methods on the concentration of histamine in foods. METHODS: The foods chosen were those kinds consumed frequently and cooked by grilling, boiling, and frying. The histamine level of the food was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Grilled seafood had higher histamine levels than raw or boiled seafood. For meat, grilling increased the histamine level, whereas boiling decreased it. For eggs, there was not much difference in histamine level according to cooking method. Fried vegetables had higher histamine levels than raw vegetables. And fermented foods didn't show much difference in histamine level after being boiled. CONCLUSION: The histamine level in food has changed according to the cooking method used to prepare it. Frying and grilling increased histamine level in foods, whereas boiling had little influence or even decreased it. The boiling method might be helpful to control the effect of histamine in histamine-sensitive or susceptible patients, compared with frying and grilling.
ABSTRACT
Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a chronic form of cutaneous lupus that can cause permanent scarring. Treatment of DLE includes protection from sunlight and artificial sources of ultraviolet light, as well as systemic and topical medications. The first-line standard therapies are antimalarials and topical steroids. Other systemic therapies include systemic steroid, azathioprine, dapsone, and immunosuppressive agents. Topical tacrolimus and pimecrolimus have also been evaluated. Recent studies reported that several treatments, including pulsed dye laser, CO2 laser, intense pulsed light (IPL), and 1,064-nm long-pulse neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum (Nd:YAG) have been used for the cosmetic treatment of DLE. Here, we report a case of a DLE scar that was successfully treated with a combination therapy of IPL and Q-switched 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by itching and eczema-like skin lesions, and its symptoms alleviate with age. Recently, the prevalence of AD has increased among adolescents and adults. The increasing prevalence of AD seems to be related to westernized lifestyles and dietary patterns. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary patterns and nutrient intake of patients with AD. METHODS: The study population consisted of 50 children with AD who visited the Department of Dermatology at Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea from May 2008 to May 2009. Physical condition and calorie intake were evaluated using the Eczema Area and Severity Index score and Food Record Questionnaire completed by the subjects, and the data were analyzed using the Nutritional Assessment Program Can-pro 3.0 (The Korean Nutrition Society, 2005) program to determine the gap between the actual ingestion and average requirements of 3 major nutrients (i.e. carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids), vitamins (i.e. A, B, C, and E), niacin, folic acid, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc in all subjects. RESULTS: The intake rate of proteins was 18.02% (recommended dietary allowance [RDA], 7%~20%), of carbohydrates was 67.7% (RDA, 55%~70%), and of lipids was 14.24% (RDA, 15%~30%). Thirty-one subjects (62%) showed deficiency of folic acid, and 21 subjects (42%), of iron supplements. CONCLUSION: Essential nutrient intake tends to be lower in AD patients than in healthy subjects, and this low intake is closely related to the severity of AD.
ABSTRACT
Semiconducting copolymers composed of 10-(2'-hexylphenothiazine) (PTZ), 9,9-dioctyl-dithienylfluorene (DTF8), {(2E,2'E)-3,3'-[2,5-bis(octyloxy)-1,4-phenylene]-bis[2-(thiophen-2-yl)acrylonitrile]} (OPTAN), and benzo-[1,2,5]-thiadiazole (BT) units, i.e., poly(PTZ-co-OPTAN-co-BT) and poly(DTF8-co-OPTAN-co-BT), were synthesized through Pd(0)-catalyzed Suzuki coupling with appropriate control of the monomer ratio. The optical band gap energies of the polymers were in the range of 1.95-1.77 eV. The energy levels of the highest occupied molecular orbitals and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of the copolymers were determined via cyclic voltammetry and the optical band gap energies. Photovoltaic devices were fabricated using the polymers as p-type donors and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) or [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) as electron acceptors.
ABSTRACT
2,7-Bis(5-bromo-4-hexylthiophen-2-yl)-9H-fluoren-9-one (DTFO) was synthesized as a new electron-accepting material in semiconducting polymers for use in photovoltaic devices. The synthesized DTFO was polymerized with two different electron-donating counter monomers: 2,7-dibromo-9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene (DOF) and 2,6-bis(trimethyltin)-4,8-di(2-ethylhexyloxyl)benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT). Two alternating copolymers, poly(DTFO-alt-DOF) and poly(DTFO-alt-BDT), were synthesized through the Suzuki and Stille coupling polymerizations, respectively. The synthesized polymers exhibited good solubility in common solvents and show good thermal stability up to 350 °C. The optical band gap energies of poly(DTFO-alt-DOF) and poly(DTFO-alt-BDT) were determined to be 2.44 and 2.23 eV, respectively. The positions of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the polymers were determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV). One of these devices showed a power conversion efficiency of 0.50%, with an open-circuit voltage of 0.67 V, a short-circuit current of 2.34 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 0.30 under air mass (AM) 1.5 global (1.5 G) illumination conditions (100 mW/cm2).
