Optimized pleat geometry at specific pleat height in pleated filters for air purification.

The performance of an air purifier is determined by its clean air delivery rate (CADR), expressed as the product of the air flowrate and filter collection efficiency. A high CADR in a commercial air purifier is achieved using a pleated air filter with high filtration performance at a given air flowrate. However, obtaining this high filtration performance depends on the knowledge of the manufacturer, including the optimal pleating design, which remains uncertain to date. In this study, test pleated filters were prepared by folding a flat electrostatically-charged E12 filter medium to obtain different pleating geometries. The proper pleat geometry of the pleated filter, which has a minimum pressure drop at a fixed air flowrate, was dependent on the pleat length (PL ) and pleating ratio (α = pleat height/pleat width), wherein as the PL increases, the α range required to achieve a minimum pressure drop similarly increases. Based on the filter quality factor (qF ), the optimal pleat geometry of a pleated filter was between α values of 6-8, irrespective of the PL . Although both PL and α have certain influences on the qF , α has a greater influence on the pleated filter with no dead zone.

Safety and efficacy of intratympanic histamine injection as an adjuvant to dexamethasone in a noise-induced murine model.

The safety and efficacy of intratympanic (IT) histamine (HIS) injection as an adjuvant to increase the inner ear penetration of dexamethasone (DEX) was investigated in this study. IT injections of DEX-only, 1% HIS+DEX and 4% HIS+DEX were performed in mice with noise-induced hearing loss. An inflammatory reaction in the middle ear was observed only in the 4% HIS+DEX group although no serious cytotoxic effects on the organ of Corti (OC) were observed at that concentration. Compared with the DEX-only group, the perilymphatic concentration of DEX was approximately two times higher in the 1% HIS+DEX group and approximately five times higher in the 4% HIS+DEX group. The expression of the DEX receptor in the cochlea was significantly increased in the 4%-HIS+DEX group. HIS appeared to induce transient damage the microstructure of the RWM with recovery observed within 3 weeks. The 1 and 4% HIS + DEX groups showed a significant recovery of the OC compared with the control group and they also achieved significantly better hearing restoration at 8 kHz in the DPOAE hearing test (P < .05) when compared to the DEX-only group. IT HIS temporarily disrupts the structure of the RWM and middle ear mucosa and significantly enhances the inner ear penetration of DEX. Therefore, IT HIS injection could be a simple and effective adjuvant therapy to increase perilymph concentration of DEX and achieve OC recovery after cochlear damage.

Comprehensive Comparison of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Panax ginseng Sprouts by Different Cultivation Systems in a Plant Factory.

In this study, the primary (such as amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals) and secondary (including ginsenosides, phenolic acids, and flavonols) metabolites and antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng sprouts (PGSs) by different cultivation systems, such as soil-substrate cultivation (SSC) and deep-water cultivation (DWC), in a plant factory has been observed. There was no significant difference in the total fatty acid (FA) contents. Particularly, the major FAs of PGSs were palmitic acid (207.4 mg/100 g) of saturated FAs and linoleic acid (397.6 mg/100 g) and α-linolenic acid (222.6 mg/100 g) of unsaturated FAs in the SSC system. The values of total amino acids were all higher in SSC than in DWC. In the case of ginsenosides, the total protopanaxtriol product was 30.88 mg/g in SSC, while the total protopanaxdiol product was 34.83 mg/g in DWC. In particular, the values of total phenolic acids and total flavonols were 133.36 and 388.19 ug/g, respectively, and SSC had a higher content than DWC. In conclusion, the SSC system was shown to be higher in nutritional constituents and antioxidant activities in soil cultivation, suggesting that PGS with SSC has a positive effect on the quality of PGS in a plant factory.

Safety and Efficacy of Intratympanic Alpha-Lipoic Acid Injection in a Mouse Model of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant with oto-protective effects. In the present study, the safety and effectiveness of ALA therapy after noise-induced hearing loss was confirmed based on the administration method. The safety of intratympanic ALA (IT-ALA) was evaluated with oto-endoscopy and middle ear mucosa morphologic study. Perilymph ALA concentrations according to the administration routes were compared, and the efficacy of ALA was investigated through hearing tests and cochlear histological studies. The middle ear mucosa was swollen 1 week after IT-ALA but completely recovered within 3 weeks. ALA concentration in the perilymph was significantly higher in the IT-ALA group. Recovery of organ of Corti morphology and hearing levels were predominant in the IT-ALA group compared with the intraperitoneal injection group (IP-ALA) and showed similar rescue effects in the IT-dexamethasone group (IT-DEX). Interleukin-1 beta and nuclear factor-kappa B expression was significantly downregulated in the IT-ALA group. IT-ALA showed better cochlear recovery from acoustic trauma with higher inner ear penetration rate than IP-ALA. The rescue effect of IT-ALA after noise-induced hearing loss was similar to IT-DEX; however, the ALA and DEX mechanisms are different. IT-ALA appears to be another safe and effective treatment modality after acoustic trauma and comparable to IT-DEX.

A carbon-black-embedded poly(dimethylsiloxane)-paper hybrid device for energy-efficient nucleic-acid amplification in point-of-care testing.

A paper-based device patterned with a carbon-black-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) mixture is developed as a heating platform for nucleic-acid amplification tests. The photothermal effect of carbon black under 808 nm laser irradiation is used to conduct loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to detect Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, a foodborne pathogen. We characterize the heat generation of carbon black by changing its concentration and the hardness of PDMS. Then, we optimize the minimum laser power required to perform LAMP. The proposed paper-based device requires less than 15 min to perform LAMP, and the result can be confirmed based on the color change observed by the naked eye. The rfbE gene of E. coli O157:H7 is specifically amplified, with a detection limit of 102 CFU mL-1. Amplification is also performed by using a laboratory-made laser-diode device, which consumes only 2 W h during its operation. The low cost, disposability, and easy fabrication of the paper-based device make it a powerful tool for point-of-care testing.