A simulation-based continuing professional development course for the first 5 minutes of cardiac arrest in the resource-limited local clinics.

Purpose: Using simulation in continuing professional development (CPD) courses for local practitioners is uncommon in Korea. The aim of our study was to evaluate the responses of the local practitioners for a simulation-based short CPD course.

Methods: Following the targeted needs assessment of local practitioners, we developed and implemented a 3-hour simulation-based CPD course for the first 5 minutes of cardiac arrest in the resource-limited local clinics.

Biomarker barcodes: multiplexed microfluidic immunohistochemistry enables high-throughput analysis of tissue microarray.

We present a multiplexed microfluidic immunohistochemistry (IHC) technology that enables high-throughput analysis of tissue microarrays (TMAs) using the patterns of biomarker barcodes, which consist of a series of expressed linear patterns of specific biomarkers. A multichannel poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic device was reversibly assembled by the pressure of simple equipment for multiplexed IHC on each core of TMA or cell microarray (CMA) section slides. By injecting primary antibodies from different biomarkers independently into each channel, multiplexed immunostaining can be performed on each core of TMA.

Characteristics of Plasma Flow for Microwave Plasma Assisted Aerosol Deposition.

To validate the possibility of the developed microwave plasma source with a novel structure for plasma aerosol deposition, the characteristics of the plasma flow velocity generated from the microwave plasma source were investigated by a Mach probe with pressure variation. Simulation with the turbulent model was introduced to deduce calibration factor of the Mach probe and to compare experimental measurements for analyses of collisional plasma conditions. The results show calibration factor does not seem to be a constant parameter and highly dependent on the collision parameter.

Rate of chronic otitis media operations and cholesteatoma surgeries in South Korea: a nationwide population-based study (2006-2018).

The aim of this study was to estimate the total number and rate of chronic otitis media (COM) operations and cholesteatoma surgeries in South Korea, using a nationwide survey which analysed a 13-year trend (2006-2018). This study also analysed the trend of COM operations and cholesteatoma surgeries according to year, sex, and age using a nationwide population-based database, and the 13-year trend was analysed according to age groups. This study used nationwide data from the National Health Information Database (NHID), which is a government-affiliated agency under the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare that supervises all medical activities in Korea.

Predictive Values of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, and Other Prognostic Factors in Pediatric Patients With Bell's Palsy.

Background And Objectives: Bell's palsy (BP) is the most frequent cause of unilateral facial paralysis, and inflammation is believed to play an important role in pathogenesis. Due to its rarity, however, no consensus has been reached regarding optimum treatment or factors affecting prognosis. In the present study, treatment outcomes and prognostic factors of BP were investigated in pediatric patients who underwent steroid therapy.

High-throughput culture and embedment of spheroid array using droplet contact-based spheroid transfer.

Spheroids are one of the most representative models of 3D cell culture, which can be easily formed using conventional hanging drop method. However, medium change and spheroid transferring process are the bottlenecks that reduce the throughput of the entire process in the hanging drop culture. In addition, the embedment of spheroid into hydrogel still depends on the individual pipetting process.

Predictive values of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and other prognostic factors in pediatric idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Background And Objectives: No consensus has been reached regarding the optimum treatment or factors affecting prognosis in pediatric idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) due to its rarity. In the present study, treatment outcomes and prognostic factors of ISSNHL were investigated in pediatric patients who underwent steroid therapy.

Subjects: and Methods: Forty-two patients diagnosed with ISSNHL were enrolled in this retrospective study and compared with 39 normal healthy controls with respect to demography and complete blood cell count test results.

Microfluidic on-chip immunohistochemistry directly from a paraffin-embedded section.

We present here a novel microfluidic platform that can perform microfluidic on-chip immunohistochemistry (IHC) processes on a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded section slide. Unlike previous microfluidic IHC studies, our microfluidic chip made of organic solvent-resistant polyurethane acrylate (PUA) is capable of conducting on-chip IHC processes consecutively. A narrow channel wall structure of the PUA chip shows effective sealing by pressure-based reversible assembly with a section slide.

Frequency-Limiting Effects on Speech and Environmental Sound Identification for Cochlear Implant and Normal Hearing Listeners.

Background And Objectives: It is important to understand the frequency region of cues used, and not used, by cochlear implant (CI) recipients. Speech and environmental sound recognition by individuals with CI and normal-hearing (NH) was measured. Gradients were also computed to evaluate the pattern of change in identification performance with respect to the low-pass filtering or high-pass filtering cutoff frequencies.

A Microfluidic Immunostaining System Enables Quality Assured and Standardized Immunohistochemical Biomarker Analysis.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) plays an important role in biomarker-driven cancer therapy. Although there has been a high demand for standardized and quality assured IHC, it has rarely been achieved due to the complexity of IHC testing and the subjective validation-based process flow of IHC quality control. We present here a microfluidic immunostaining system for the standardization of IHC by creating a microfluidic linearly graded antibody (Ab)-staining device and a reference cell microarray.

Pipetting-driven microfluidic immunohistochemistry to facilitate enhanced immunoreaction and effective use of antibodies.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC), which has been used to detect antigens in cells of a tissue section using an immunoreaction between an antibody and an antigen, is a practical tool for identifying the type and stage of diseases in cancer diagnosis and scientific research. However, conventional IHC requires long, laborious process times and high costs. Although microfluidic IHC platforms have been developed to overcome these limitations, the application of microfluidic IHC in real-world environments is still limited due to the additional equipment needed to operate the microfluidic systems.

Efficacy of Posterior Canal Wall Reconstruction Using Autologous Auricular Cartilage and Bone Pâté in Chronic Otitis Media with Cholesteatoma.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the long-term results using the technique of canal wall up mastoidectomy and reconstruction of the posterior canal wall using bone pâté and auricular cartilage in the treatment of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 42 patients who underwent canal wall up mastoidectomy and posterior canal wall reconstruction at a single institution between November 2005 and November 2012.

Results: Of the 42 patients, postoperative tympanic membranes were normal in 38 (90.

Automated measurement of multiple cancer biomarkers using quantum-dot-based microfluidic immunohistochemistry.

We report an automated multiple biomarker measurement method for tissue from cancer patients using quantum dot (QD)-based protein detection combined with reference-based protein quantification and autofluorescence (AF) removal. For multiplexed detection of biomarkers in tissue samples, visualization of QDs on cytokeratin was performed to create a multichannel microfluidic device on sites with dense populations of tumor cells. Three major breast cancer biomarkers (i.

Expression of autoantibodies in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the expression rate of autoimmunity in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and to determine whether a positive marker is associated with a higher rate of hearing recovery after steroid treatment.

Methods: A prospective study was performed on 137 patients who experienced sudden sensorineural hearing loss and underwent immunoserologic investigations. Autoantibodies evaluated on the day of admission included anti-double-stranded DNA, rheumatoid factor, antiphospholipid immunoglobulins G and M, antinuclear antibody, and complements C3 and C4.

Associations between matrilin-1 gene polymorphisms and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis curve patterns in a Korean population.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex disorder with an unclear etiology and pathogenesis. In previous studies, genome-wide linkage and genetic association analyses have been carried out to find genetic factors linked with AIS. In this study, we examined whether the susceptibility to AIS is associated with MATN1 gene polymorphisms in a Korean population, which included 166 individuals with AIS and 126 controls.

Activity of all JNK isoforms contributes to neurite growth in spiral ganglion neurons.

Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a multifunctional protein kinase crucial for neuronal apoptosis as well as neurite growth. We have previously shown that JNK activity is correlated with spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) apoptosis following hair cell loss in rats (Alam et al., 2007) implying that JNK inhibition may have therapeutic potential to protect SGNs in deaf individuals.

Reliability of Triggered EMG for Prediction of Safety during Pedicle Screw Placement in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery.

Study Design: We performed a prospective study to evaluate the reliability of using triggered electromyography (EMG) for predicting pedicle wall breakthrough during the placement of pedicle screw in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery.

Purpose: We wanted to correlate pedicle wall breakthrough with the triggered EMG threshold of stimulation and the postoperative computed tomography (CT) findings.

Overview Of Literature: Pedicle wall breakthrough has been reported to be difficult to evaluate by radiographs.

Better functional outcome of salvage THA than bipolar hemiarthroplasty for failed intertrochanteric femur fracture fixation.

Failure of intertrochanteric fracture fixation often occurs in patients who have poor bone quality, severe osteoporosis, or unstable fracture patterns. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of total hip arthroplasty (THA) with bipolar hemiarthroplasty as the salvage procedures for failed fixation of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur. Eighteen consecutive patients who were treated for failed intertrochanteric fracture fixation were reviewed retrospectively.

Bilateral simultaneous facial nerve palsy: clinical analysis in seven cases.

Objective: To analyze clinical manifestations and prognosis of bilateral simultaneous facial nerve palsy (BS-FNP).

Study Design: : Retrospective case review with current follow-up wherever possible.

Setting: : Tertiary referral centers.

Clinical use of subjective visual horizontal and vertical in patients of unilateral vestibular neuritis.

Objectives: Subjective visual horizontal (SVH) and subjective visual vertical (SVV) used to assess otolith dysfunction and ipsilesional deviation of SVV and SVH in unilateral vestibular dysfunction is well known. The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical use of SVH/SVV and a dizziness scale in the clinical setting of acute unilateral vestibular neuritis.

Methods: Thirty-five patients with unilateral vestibular neuritis were investigated.

Action of citicoline on rat retinal expression of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2).

Citicoline is an essential endogenous intermediate in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, which acts as a therapeutic agent in models of central nervous system injury and neurodegenerative diseases. The present study investigated the effects of citicoline on extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) expression in the rat retina after kainic acid (KA) treatment. KA (6 nmol) was injected into the vitreous of the rat eyes.

Protective effects of betaxolol in eyes with kainic acid-induced neuronal death.

In the present study, we investigated whether betaxolol, a selective beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist, has neuroprotective effect on kainic acid (KA)-induced retinal damage. Neurotoxicities were induced in adult male rats by intravitreal injection of KA (total amount, 6 nmol). To examine the neuroprotective effects of betaxolol, rats were pretreated with betaxolol topically 60 min before KA injection to the rat eyes and twice daily for 1, 3, and 7 days after KA injection.