Antimicrobial adhesive self-healing hydrogels for efficient dental biofilm removal from periodontal tissue.

Objectives: Oral biofilms, including pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, are involved in the initiation and progression of various periodontal diseases. However, the treatment of these diseases is hindered by the limited efficacy of many antimicrobial materials in removing biofilms under the harsh conditions of the oral cavity. Our objective is to develop a gel-type antimicrobial agent with optimal physicochemical properties, strong tissue adhesion, prolonged antimicrobial activity, and biocompatibility to serve as an adjunctive treatment for periodontal diseases.

Effect of Tannic Acid Concentrations on Temperature-Sensitive Sol-Gel Transition and Stability of Tannic Acid/Pluronic F127 Composite Hydrogels.

Recently, interest in polyphenol-containing composite adhesives for various biomedical applications has been growing. Tannic acid (TA) is a polyphenolic compound with advantageous properties, including antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Additionally, TA contains multiple hydroxyl groups that exhibit biological activity by forming hydrogen bonds with proteins and biomacromolecules.

Factors to improve odds of success following medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy: a machine learning analysis.

Background: Although high tibial osteotomy (HTO) is an established treatment option for medial compartment osteoarthritis, predictive factors for HTO treatment success remain unclear. This study aimed to identify informative variables associated with HTO treatment success and to develop and internally validate machine learning algorithms to predict which patients will achieve HTO treatment success for medial compartmental osteoarthritis.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent medial opening-wedge HTO (MOWHTO) at our center between March 2010 and December 2015.

Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Janus Nanofibers Containing Compound K for Cartilage Regeneration.

Introduction: Cartilage regeneration is a challenging issue due to poor regenerative properties of tissues. Electrospun nanofibers hold enormous potentials for treatments of cartilage defects. However, nanofibrous materials used for the treatment of cartilage defects often require physical and/or chemical modifications to promote the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of cells.

Bio-Inspired Self-Healing, Shear-Thinning, and Adhesive Gallic Acid-Conjugated Chitosan/Carbon Black Composite Hydrogels as Suture Support Materials.

The occurrence of leakage from anastomotic sites is a significant issue given its potential undesirable complications. The management of anastomotic leakage after gastrointestinal surgery is particularly crucial because it is directly associated with mortality and morbidity in patients. If adhesive materials could be used to support suturing in surgical procedures, many complications caused by leakage from the anastomosis sites could be prevented.

Double-layer adhesives for preventing anastomotic leakage and reducing post-surgical adhesion.

Preventing anastomotic leakage (AL) and postoperative adhesions after gastrointestinal surgery is crucial for ensuring a favorable surgical prognosis. However, AL prevention using tissue adhesives can unintentionally lead to undesirable adhesion formation, while anti-adhesive agents may interfere with wound healing and contribute to AL. In this study, we have developed a double-layer patch, consisting of an adhesive layer on one side, utilizing gallic acid-conjugated chitosan (CHI-G), and an anti-adhesive layer on the opposite side, employing crosslinked hyaluronic acid (cHA).

Adhesive ginsenoside compound K patches for cartilage tissue regeneration.

Biomaterial-based drug delivery systems have been developed to expedite cartilage regeneration; however, challenges related to drug recovery, validation, and efficient drug delivery remain. For instance, compound K (CK) is a major metabolite of ginsenosides that is known to protect against joint degeneration by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines and the activation of immune cells. However, its effects on cartilage degradation and tissue regeneration remain unclear.

The fate of fungal periprosthetic joint infection after total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: To demonstrate the clinical outcomes of patients with fungal periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) after two-stage exchange arthroplasty combined with antifungal therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 41 patients with fungal PJIs after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in a single centre from January 1999 to October 2017. During the first stage of resection arthroplasty, antifungal-impregnated cement spacers (AICSs) were implanted in all patients.

Carbon black-containing self-healing adhesive hydrogels for endoscopic tattooing.

Endoscopic tattooing with India ink is a popular method for identifying colonic lesions during minimally invasive surgery because it is highly challenging to localize lesions during laparoscopy. However, there is a perceived unmet need for the injection of India ink and carbon particle suspension due to various complications and inconstant durability during the perioperative period. In this study, carbon black-containing self-healing adhesive alginate/polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrogels were synthesized as endoscopic tattooing inks.

Tailoring an Interface Microstructure for High-Performance Reversible Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells via Soft Lithography.

Micropatterning is considered a promising strategy for improving the performance of electrochemical devices. However, micropatterning on ceramic is limited by its mechanically fragile properties. This paper reports a novel imprinting-assisted transfer technique to fabricate an interlayer structure in a protonic ceramic electrochemical cell with a micropatterned electrolyte.

Effects of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin-producing dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum on the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus.

To understand how the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus responds to the toxic marine dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum, we assessed acute toxicity and investigated swimming behavior parameters (e.g., swimming speed, swimming path trajectory, and swimming distance) in response to G.

Efficacy and Safety of High-Dose Atorvastatin in Moderate-to-High Cardiovascular Risk Postmenopausal Korean Women with Dyslipidemia.

Objective: Postmenopausal women show a more atherogenic lipid profile and elevated cardiovascular risk compared to premenopausal women. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of high-dose atorvastatin on the improvement of the blood lipid profile of postmenopausal women in Korea.

Methods: This study is a prospective, open-label, single-arm clinical trial that was conducted in 3 teaching hospitals.

The association between socioeconomic status and visual impairments among primary glaucoma: the results from Nationwide Korean National Health Insurance Cohort from 2004 to 2013.

Background: Glaucoma is one of the most leading causes of permanent visual impairments in Korea, and social expenses spent for the glaucoma are increasing. This study is to identify association between socioeconomic status and the visual impairments caused by primary glaucoma in Korea.

Methods: This study is based on a cohort study using stratified representative samples in the National Health Insurance claim data from 2002 to 2013 with 1,025,340 representative subjects.

Neurogenic muscle hypertrophy: a case report.

Muscular hypertrophy is caused mainly due to myopathic disorder. But, it is also rarely produced by neurogenic disorder. A 74-year-old woman complained of right calf pain with hypertrophy for several years.

Assessment of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain in Korea.

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) has a significant effect on quality of life and imposes a great economical burden on society. In a number of studies, validated questionnaires had been given to CLBP patients to determine their health-associated quality of life, sleep disturbance, and psychological status. However, such outcome studies had not been performed previously in Korea.

Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Fishery Workers.

Objectives: This study aimed to characterize the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from the fecal samples of fishery workers who work in fish farms and often use antibiotics for the feeding fishes.

Methods: Seventy-three E. coli strains isolated from the fecal samples of fishery workers and 180 isolates from a control group of restaurant workers were tested for antibiotic resistance by agar disk diffusion with 16 antimicrobial agents.

Downregulation of RNAIII in vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains regardless of the presence of agr mutation.

Reduced vancomycin susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus can cause serious problems relating to treatment failure and persistent infection. We investigated vancomycin susceptibility, genetic relationships and transcriptional changes of the accessory gene regulator (agr) in vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strains isolated from South Korea compared with vancomycin-susceptible S.

Two variants of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IVA in community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in South Korea.

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains harbouring staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IVA are known to be more prevalent in South Korea than in other countries. Variations in the SCCmec IVA structure have been identified, including in sequence type (ST) 1 and ST72 strains. This study compared and investigated the genetic characteristics of two subtypes common in South Korea.

Optimizing the dose of intrathecal morphine when combined with continuous 3-in-1 nerve block after total knee replacement.

Background: Continuous femoral 3-in-1 block alone is insufficient for the treatment of severe pain after total knee replacement (TKR). Intrathecal (IT) morphine provides effective postoperative analgesia but may result in many side effects. The optimal dose of spinal morphine when combined with continuous 3-in-1 block after TKR is not known.

Emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains as a cause of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections in Korea.

Background: The prevalence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains causing bloodstream infection (BSI) has not been studied in Korea.

Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence of CA-MRSA strains among isolates recovered from patients with MRSA BSIs and to explore epidemiological changes in Korea. We also sought to evaluate clinical characteristics relevant to the development of healthcare-associated BSIs.

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation of nanojet injection with adaptive-spatial decomposition parallel algorithm.

An Adaptive-Spatial Decomposition parallel algorithm was developed to increase computation efficiency for molecular dynamics simulations of nano-fluids. Injection of a liquid argon jet with a scale of 17.6 molecular diameters was investigated.

Enteric bacteria isolated from acute diarrheal patients in the Republic of Korea between the year 2004 and 2006.

In an epidemiological survey of human enterobacterial infections in the Republic of Korea during three years from 2004 to 2006, we isolated 1,784 (6.2%, isolation rate of enteropathogens from stool samples) in 2004, 2,547 (9.5%) in 2005 and 3,506 bacteria (12.

Surveillance of bacterial pathogens associated with acute diarrheal disease in the Republic of Korea during one year, 2003.

An epidemiological survey of human enterobacterial infections was conducted to determine the prevalence of enteropathogens in the Republic of Korea during one year, 2003. We tested for infectious diseases in 26,992 stool samples obtained from people who visited clinics located in six big cities and six rural provinces. From these samples, we isolated 1,291 cases of enteritis bacterial infection (4.

Association of Angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms with preeclampsia.

We tested the hypothesis that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensinogen gene polymorphism influence the incidence, development and outcome of preeclampsia. Subjects were recruited from 90 Korean patients with preeclampsia during pregnancy and 98 age-matched controls. After isolation of DNA, polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were carried out to detect polymorphism of the ACE and angiotensinogen.