Understanding Standard Procedure in Auditory Brainstem Response: Importance of Normative Data.

The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a noninvasive test that measures neural activity in response to auditory stimuli. Racial differences in head shape have provided strong evidence for specific normative data and accurate device calibration. International standards emphasize the need for standardized procedures and references.

An Emerging Role of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Vascular Diseases.

Vascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide, and they are attributable to multiple pathologies, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Exposure to various environmental contaminants is associated with the development of various diseases, including vascular diseases. Among environmental contaminants, micro- and nanoplastics have gained attention as global environmental risk factors that threaten human health.

Feasibility study of storing CO in the ocean by marine environmental impact assessment.

Since the industrial revolution, which was accompanied with the use of fossil fuels as an energy source, the content of carbon dioxide (CO) in the atmosphere has increased. To mitigate global warming, industries that utilize fossil fuels have continuously explored new approaches to reduce CO emissions and convert it to alternative fuels. The ocean is a vast source of absorbed CO on Earth, and various studies have been conducted on the use of the ocean to reduce global CO.

Organizing Reliable Polymer Electrode Lines in Flexible Neural Networks via Coffee Ring-Free Micromolding in Capillaries.

With an increase in the demand for smart wearable systems, artificial synapse arrays for flexible neural networks have received considerable attention. A synaptic device with a two-terminal configuration is promising for complex neural networks because of its ability to scale to a crossbar array architecture. To realize practical crossbar arrays with a high density, it is essential to achieve reliable electrode lines that act as signal terminals.

Stack LSTM-Based User Identification Using Smart Shoes with Accelerometer Data.

In this study, we propose a long short-term memory (LSTM)-based user identification method using accelerometer data from smart shoes. In general, for the user identification with human walking data, we require a pre-processing stage in order to divide human walking data into individual steps. Next, user identification can be made with divided step data.

Comparative phenotypic analysis of CHO clones and culture media for lactate shift.

We explored the effects of media and clonal variation on the lactate shift which can be considered as one of the desirable features in CHO cell culture. Various culture profiles with the specific growth and antibody production rates under three different media conditions in two CHO producing clones were evaluated by resorting to multivariate statistical analysis. In most cases, glutamine depletion coincided with lactate consumption, suggesting that glutaminolysis rather than glycolysis was the preferred pathway for the pyruvate supply toward lactate production.

Quantification of Valleys of Randomly Textured Substrates as a Function of Opening Angle: Correlation to the Defect Density in Intrinsic nc-Si:H.

Optical and electrical properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) solar cells are strongly influenced by the morphology of underlying substrates. By texturing the substrates, the photogenerated current of nc-Si:H solar cells can increase due to enhanced light scattering. These textured substrates are, however, often incompatible with defect-less nc-Si:H growth resulting in lower Voc and FF.

The Role of Spinal Dopaminergic Transmission in the Analgesic Effect of Nefopam on Rat Inflammatory Pain.

Background: Nefopam has been known as an inhibitor of the reuptake of monoamines, and the noradrenergic and/or serotonergic system has been focused on as a mechanism of its analgesic action. Here we investigated the role of the spinal dopaminergic neurotransmission in the antinociceptive effect of nefopam administered intravenously or intrathecally.

Methods: The effects of intravenously and intrathecally administered nefopam were examined using the rat formalin test.

Preparation and Photocatalytic Activity of Potassium- Incorporated Titanium Oxide Nanostructures Produced by the Wet Corrosion Process Using Various Titanium Alloys.

Nanostructured potassium-incorporated Ti-based oxides have attracted much attention because the incorporated potassium can influence their structural and physico-chemical properties. With the aim of tuning the structural and physical properties, we have demonstrated the wet corrosion process (WCP) as a simple method for nanostructure fabrication using various Ti-based materials, namely Ti-6Al-4V alloy (TAV), Ti-Ni (TN) alloy and pure Ti, which have 90%, 50% and 100% initial Ti content, respectively. We have systematically investigated the relationship between the Ti content in the initial metal and the precise condition of WCP to control the structural and physical properties of the resulting nanostructures.

Effect of substrate morphology slope distributions on light scattering, nc-Si:H film growth, and solar cell performance.

Thin-film silicon solar cells are often deposited on textured ZnO substrates. The solar-cell performance is strongly correlated to the substrate morphology, as this morphology determines light scattering, defective-region formation, and crystalline growth of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H). Our objective is to gain deeper insight in these correlations using the slope distribution, rms roughness (σ(rms)) and correlation length (lc) of textured substrates.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the first extensor compartment of the wrist in de Quervain's disease.

Background: This prospective cohort study was undertaken to explore the hypothesis that the retinaculum is thicker in de Quervain's disease and to identify another landmark for the presence of the intracompartmental septum.

Methods: A case group (60 wrists) comprised of Korean female patients with unilateral de Quervain's disease and a healthy control group (60 wrists) were evaluated by ultrasonography. The case group underwent surgery for extensor retinacular release, and surgical findings were used as the reference standard.

Immunoglobulins M survive low-pH conditions used for virus inactivation and for elution from bioaffinity columns.

Tolerance of low pH is crucial for recombinant proteins to survive conditions that might be experienced during manufacturing such as virus inactivation and elution from bioaffinity columns. In this study, we exposed three different purified immunoglobulins M (IgMs) to pH 3.5 for 60 min at room temperature.

Fed-batch CHO cell t-PA production and feed glutamine replacement to reduce ammonia production.

Industrial therapeutic protein production has been greatly improved through fed-batch development. In this study, improvement to the productivity of a tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) expressing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line was investigated in shake flask culture through the optimization of the fed-batch feed and the reduction of ammonia generation by glutamine replacement. The t-PA titer was increased from 33 mg/L under batch conditions to 250 mg/L with daily feeding starting after three days of culture.

Routine barium enema prior to closure of defunctioning ileostomy is not necessary.

Purpose: The use of barium enemas to confirm the anastomotic integrity prior to ileostomy closure is still controversial. The purpose of the study was to determine the utility of routine contrast enema prior to ileostomy closure and its impact on patient management in patients with a low pelvic anastomosis.

Methods: One hundred forty-five patients had a temporary loop ileostomy constructed to protect a low colorectal or coloanal anastomosis following low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

Combined data preprocessing and multivariate statistical analysis characterizes fed-batch culture of mouse hybridoma cells for rational medium design.

We present an integrated framework for characterizing fed-batch cultures of mouse hybridoma cells producing monoclonal antibody (mAb). This framework systematically combines data preprocessing, elemental balancing and statistical analysis technique. Initially, specific rates of cell growth, glucose/amino acid consumptions and mAb/metabolite productions were calculated via curve fitting using logistic equations, with subsequent elemental balancing of the preprocessed data indicating the presence of experimental measurement errors.

Nardostachys jatamansi protects against cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis.

Objectives: Nardostachys jatamansi belonging to the family Valerianaceae has been used as a remedy for stomach and skin ailments in Korea. The effect of N. jatamansi on acute pancreatitis (AP) has not been defined.

Selective GSK-3beta inhibitors attenuate the cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity of auditory cells.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) plays an important role in the regulation of apoptosis. However, the role of GSK-3 in the auditory system remains unknown. Here we examined whether the GSK-3-specific inhibitors, SB 216763 and LiCl, could protect against cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity of auditory cells.

Effects of supplementation of various medium components on chinese hamster ovary cell cultures producing recombinant antibody.

Thirteen vitamins, twenty amino acids, hormones, inorganic salts, and other chemical agents, which constitute typical serum-free media, were evaluated for the development of fortified medium to enhance cell growth and productivity of recombinant antibody in the cultures of the recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells. Two different rCHO cell lines, rCHO-A producing recombinant antibodies against the human platelet and rCHO-B secreting recombinant antibodies against the S surface antigen of Hepatitis B, respectively, were cultivated in batch suspension mode. Concentration of interested component in the tested medium was doubled to examine the fortification effect.

Gardenia jasminoides protects against cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis.

Aim: To investigate the effect of Gardenia jasminoides (GJ) on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) in mice.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice weighing 18-20 g were divided into three groups. (1) Normal saline-treated group, (2) treatment with GJ at a dose of 0.

Analysis of the thermostability determinants of hyperthermophilic esterase EstE1 based on its predicted three-dimensional structure.

The three-dimensional (3D) structure of the hyperthermophilic esterase EstE1 was constructed by homology modeling using Archaeoglobus fulgidus esterase as a reference, and the thermostability-structure relationship was analyzed. Our results verified the predicted 3D structure of EstE1 and identified the ion pair networks and hydrophobic interactions that are critical determinants for the thermostability of EstE1.

[Usefulness of urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test for diagnosis of acute pancreatitis].

Background/aims: The clinical usefulness of urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test is still in controversy. We evaluated the usefulness of urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Methods: Urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test was prospectively performed in 50 patients with acute pancreatitis, 50 patients with non-pancreatic abdominal pain, and 50 healthy controls.