Chronic gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life in the Korean population

AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of chronic gastroin-testinal symptoms and their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the Korean population. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey, using a reliable and valid Rome Ⅱ based questionnaire, was per-formed on randomly selected residents, between 18 and 69 years in age. All respondents were interviewed at their homes or offices by a team of interviewers. The impact of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms on HRQOL was assessed using the Korean version of the 36-item Short-Form general health survey (SF-36). RESULTS: Of the 1807 eligible subjects, 1417 (78.4%: male 762; female 655) were surveyed. Out of the respondents, 18.6% exhibited at least one chronic gastrointestinal symptom. The prevalence of gastro- esophageal reflux disease (GERD), defined as heart- burn and/or acid regurgitation experienced at least weekly, was 3.5% (95% CI, 2.6-4.5). The prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic constipation based on Rome Ⅱ cri- teria were 11.7% (95% CI, 10.1-13.5), 2.2% (95%CI, 1.5-3.1), and 2.6% (95% CI, 1.8-3.5) respectively. Compared with subjects without chronic gastrointesti- nal symptoms (n = 1153), those with GERD (n = 50), uninvestigated dyspepsia (n = 166) and IBS (n = 31) had signifi cantly worse scores on most domains of the SF-36 scales. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of GERD, uninvesti-gated dyspepsia and IBS were 3.5%, 11.7% and 2.2% respectively, in the Korean population. The health- related quality of life was signifi cantly impaired in sub-jects with GERD, uninvestigated dyspepsia and IBS in this community.

Observational Diagnosis of Cloud Phase in the Winter Antarctic Atmosphere for Parameterizations in Climate Models

The cloud phase composition of cold clouds in the Antarctic atmosphere is explored using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization （CALIOP） instruments for the period 2000-2006. We used the averaged fraction of liquid-phase clouds out of the total cloud amount at the cloud tops since the value is comparable in the two measurements. MODIS data for the winter months （June, July, and August） reveal liquid cloud fraction out of the total cloud amount significantly decreases with decreasing cloud-top temperature below 0°C. In addition, the CALIOP vertical profiles show that below the ice clouds, low-lying liquid clouds are distributed over ～20% of the area. With increasing latitude, the liquid cloud fraction decreases as a function of the local temperature. The MODIS-observed relation between the cloud-top liquid fraction and cloud-top temperature is then applied to evaluate the cloud phase parameterization in climate models, in which condensed cloud water is repartitioned between liquid water and ice on the basis of the grid point temperature. It is found that models assuming overly high cut-offs （ -40°C） for the separation of ice clouds from mixed-phase clouds may significantly underestimate the liquid cloud fraction in the winter Antarctic atmosphere. Correction of the bias in the liquid cloud fraction would serve to reduce the large uncertainty in cloud radiative effects.

Transparent Supercapacitors: From Optical Theories to Optoelectronics Applications

The ever-increasing demand for smart optoelectronics spurs the relentless pursuit of transparent wireless devices as a game-changing technology that can provide unseen visual information behind the electronics.To enable successful operation of the transparent wireless devices,their power sources should be highly transparent in addition to acquiring reliable electrochemical performance.Among various transparent power sources,supercapacitors(SCs)have been extensively investigated as a promising candidate due to their exceptional cyclability,power capability,material diversity,and scalable/low-cost processability.Herein,we describe current status and challenges of transparent SCs,with a focus on their core materials,performance advancements,and integration with application devices.A special attention is devoted to transparent conductive electrodes(TCEs)which act as a keyenabling component in the transparent SCs.Based on fundamental understanding of optical theories and operating principles of transparent materials,we comprehensively discuss materials chemistry,structural design,and fabrication techniques of TCEs.In addition,noteworthy progresses of transparent SCs are briefly overviewed in terms of their architectural design,opto-electrochemical performance,flexibility,form factors,and integration compatibility with transparent flexible/wearable devices of interest.Finally,development direction and outlook of transparent SCs are explored along with their viable roles in future application fields.

Selective Growth of ZnO Nanorods on SiO2/Si Substrates Using a Graphene Buffer Layer

为用在一个低温度答案过程的 graphene 缓冲区层的 SiO2/Si 底层上的 ZnO nanorods 的选择生长的有希望的策略被描述。ZnO nanorods 的高密度在一个大区域上被种，大多数 ZnO nanorods 在 graphene 上是垂直地排列得好的。而且， graphene 上的 ZnO nanorods 的选择生长被使用一个简单机械处理认识到，自从在 graphene 上形成的 ZnO nanorods 在原子水平上是机械地稳定的。这些结果被证明 ZnO-graphene 绑定有一个低 destabilization 精力的第一原则计算证实。另外，与 graphene 缓冲区层在 SiO2/Si 上种的 ZnO nanorods 比在赤裸的 SiO2/Si 上种的 ZnO nanorods 有更好光的性质，这被发现。nanostructured ZnO-graphene 材料在未来有有希望的应用灵活电子、光的设备。