Highly integrated synthesis of heterogeneous nanostructures on nanowire heater array.

We have proposed a new method for the multiplexed synthesis of heterogeneous nanostructures using a top-down fabricated nanowire heater array. Hydrothermally synthesized nanostructures can be grown only on the heated nanowire through nanoscale temperature control using a Joule heated nanowire. We have demonstrated the selective synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires and copper oxide (CuO) nanostructures, as well as their surface modification with noble metal nanoparticles, using a nanowire heater array.

Effects of Ultrasound-guided intra-articular ketorolac injection with capsular distension.

Background And Objectives: Frozen shoulder is a painful condition with gradual onset and loss of range of motion in the glenohumeral joint. To investigate the efficacy of ultrasound(US)-guided intra-articular (IA) ketorolac injection with capsular distension compared with steroid injection alone in patients with frozen shoulder by assessing pain relief, functional improvements, and range of motion at 1,3 and 6 months after the last injections.

Material And Method: Between January 2009 and December 2012, 121 patient were treated with US-guided IA steroid injection or IA ketorolac injection with capsular distension for frozen shoulder.

Nut consumption has favorable effects on lipid profiles of Korean women with metabolic syndrome.

Nut consumption has been studied for its cardioprotective effects. However, the findings of clinical intervention studies are inconsistent; and no intervention studies have been conducted in the Korean population. We hypothesized that nut supplementation may have favorable influence on metabolic markers.

Free vibration analysis of patch repaired plates with a through crack by p-convergent layerwise element.

The high-order layerwise element models have been used for damaged plates and shells in the presence of singularities such as crack, cutout, and delamination. In this study, the extension of a proposed finite element model has been tested for free vibration analysis of composite laminated systems. For the elements, three-dimensional displacement fields can be captured by layer-by-layer representation.

Occipital artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery bypass for the treatment of aneurysms arising from the vertebral artery and its branches.

Objective: To report experience with 7 cases of intracranial aneurysms of the vertebral artery (VA) and its branches that were treated with occipital artery (OA)-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) bypass.

Methods: Over 4 years, 7 cases of intracranial aneurysms arising from the VA and its branches were treated with OA-PICA bypass. The clinical data, characteristics of aneurysms, and results of treatment were analyzed.

Modeling of the parathyroid hormone response after calcium intake in healthy subjects.

Plasma ionized calcium (Ca(2+)) concentrations are tightly regulated in the body and maintained within a narrow range; thus it is challenging to quantify calcium absorption under normal physiologic conditions. This study aimed to develop a mechanistic model for the parathyroid hormone (PTH) response after calcium intake and indirectly compare the difference in oral calcium absorption from PTH responses. PTH and Ca(2+) concentrations were collected from 24 subjects from a clinical trial performed to evaluate the safety and calcium absorption of Geumjin Thermal Water in comparison with calcium carbonate tablets in healthy subjects.

Characteristics and outcomes of varied treatment modalities for partially thrombosed intracranial aneurysms: a review of 35 cases.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of partially thrombosed intracranial aneurysms (PTIAs) in terms of location, shape, size, and symptoms, and to assess outcome according to the type of treatment.

Methods: We reviewed the radiological and clinical findings of 35 cases of PTIAs followed in our institution between 2006 and 2011. We divided all treatment modalities into two groups.

The efficacy of bypass surgery using a short interposition graft for the treatment of intracranial complex aneurysm.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a short interposition graft using saphenous vein or radial artery to connect the proximal superficial temporal artery and the M2 segments of the middle cerebral artery for the treatment of complex intracranial aneurysm.

Methods: From March 2007 to February 2012, short interposition graft bypass operations were performed in 13 patients with complex intracranial aneurysms. There were 6 ruptured aneurysms, including blood blister-like aneurysms in 3 patients, giant aneurysms in 2 patients, and fusiform dissecting aneurysm in 1 patient.

Management of postoperative bilomas and biliary injuries associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy with intrabiliary ethanol ablation and micro-coil embolization.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the treatment of choice for gallbladder stones. One of the major complications associated with LC is bile duct injury; ligation or cutting of a bile duct can result in significant segmental biliary obstruction with cholangitis or bile leak, which can progress to bile peritonitis or biliary fistula. Most postoperative bilomas and bile leaks can be treated by percutaneous drainage and decompression of the biliary system by endoscopic stent placement or nasobiliary drainage.

Prevalence and determinants of diabetic nephropathy in Korea: Korea national health and nutrition examination survey.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end stage renal disease and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. It manifests as albuminuria or impaired glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy varies with ethnicity. The prevalence of diabetic nephropathy and its determinants in Korean adults have not previously been studied at the national level.

Pheochromocytoma with markedly abnormal liver function tests and severe leukocytosis.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor arising from the medulla of the adrenal glands, which causes an overproduction of catecholamines. The common symptoms are headache, palpitations, and sweating; however, various other clinical manifestations might also be present. Accurate diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is important because surgical treatment is usually successful, and associated clinical problems are reversible if treated early.

Re-exploration of the craniotomy after surgical treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

Background: Unplanned re-exploration of the craniotomy after surgical treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) is sometimes required, but the underlying causes and rates of these procedures are seldom reported. This study retrospectively analyzed the causes of such re-explorations to identify methods for decreasing their necessity.

Method: From January 2000 to December 2011, 1,720 patients with a total of 1,938 UIAs underwent surgical treatment at our institution.

Changes in the clinical manifestations of primary aldosteronism.

Background/aims: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is now widely recognized to have a higher prevalence than was once thought. In view of its increasing prevalence, we compared chronological changes in clinical manifestations of PA according to different times of diagnosis.

Methods: In total, 85 patients diagnosed with PA from January 1986 through March 2012 were reviewed retrospectively, based on their medical records.

Nomogram for prediction of prostate cancer with serum prostate specific antigen less than 10 ng/mL.

Although prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a very useful screening tool, prostate biopsy is still necessary to confirm prostate cancer (PCA). However, it is reported that PSA is associated with a high false-positive rate and prostate biopsy also has various procedure-related complications. Therefore, the authors have devised a nomogram, which can be used to estimate the risk of PCA, using available clinical data for men with a serum PSA less than 10 ng/mL.

HIF-1α expression as a protective strategy of HepG2 cells against fatty acid-induced toxicity.

Free fatty acid-induced lipotoxicity via increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and hepatocyte apoptosis is a key pathological mechanism of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. A role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in this process has been suggested, but direct evidence is lacking. Here, we used HepG2 cells as a model to study whether HIF-1α can reduce palmitic acid-induced lipotoxicity and ER stress.

Treatment Effects of Ultrasound Guide Selective Nerve Root Block for Lower Cervical Radicular Pain: A Retrospective Study of 1-Year Follow-up.

Objective: To compare the long-term effects and advantages of ultrasound (US)-guided selective cervical nerve root block with fluoroscopy (FL)-guided transforaminal block.

Methods: From March 2009 to November 2012, 162 patients received steroid injections for lower cervical radicular pain. A total of 114 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

Intraosseous arteriovenous malformation of the sphenoid bone presenting with orbital symptoms mimicking cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula: a case report.

Intraosseous arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the craniofacial region is rare. When it occurs, it is predominantly located in the mandible and maxilla. We encountered a 43-year-old woman with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome affecting the right lower extremity who presented with a left orbital chemosis and proptosis mimicking the cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula.

Association of obstructive sleep apnea and glucose metabolism in subjects with or without obesity.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the impact of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on glucose metabolism was different according to the presence or absence of obesity.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 1,344 subjects >40 years old from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were included. OSA was detected by home portable sleep monitoring.

Colon cancer after acute diverticulitis treatment.

Diverticulitis is the most common clinical complication of diverticular disease, affecting 10-25% of the patients with diverticula. The prevalences of diverticulitis and colon cancer tend to increase with age and are higher in industrialized countries. Consequently, diverticulitis and colon cancer have been reported to have similar epidemiological characteristics.

Atomic layer lithography of wafer-scale nanogap arrays for extreme confinement of electromagnetic waves.

Squeezing light through nanometre-wide gaps in metals can lead to extreme field enhancements, nonlocal electromagnetic effects and light-induced electron tunnelling. This intriguing regime, however, has not been readily accessible to experimentalists because of the lack of reliable technology to fabricate uniform nanogaps with atomic-scale resolution and high throughput. Here we introduce a new patterning technology based on atomic layer deposition and simple adhesive-tape-based planarization.

Measurement of T2 value by using 3.0T MRI for patient with ankle arthritis.

This study intended to evaluate shape of ankle joint cartilage and damage to the ankle joint cartilage by measuring changes in T2 value of cartilage of healthy people without ankle arthritis and patients with ankle arthritis. The multi-echo technique was used for 20 healthy persons who had no ankle arthritis in the past or in the present clinically and 20 patients who were examined to have ankle arthritis in order to obtain T2 map image of knee joint cartilage. We divided the talotibial joint into medial position, middle position and lateral position to calculate the mean values of T2 in 18 spots that included anterior part, middle part and posterior part of cartilage of neck bone and ankle bone.

Integrated microfluidic system capable of size-specific droplet generation with size-dependent droplet separation.

Droplet-based microfluidics is receiving much attention in biomedical research area due to its advantage in uniform size droplet generation. Our previous results have reported that droplet size plays an important role in drug delivery actuated by flagellated bacteria. Recently, many research groups have been reported the size-dependent separation of emulsion droplets by a microfluidic system.

Comparison of ultrasound-guided intra-articular injections by long axis in plane approach on three different sites of the knee.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the accuracy of ultrasound-guided intra-articular (IA) injections on three different sites of the knee using midmedial, midlateral, and superolateral portals.

Design: Ultrasound-guided IA injection and a radiographic evaluation were performed on 120 knees with osteoarthritis. Five milliliters of a mixed material consisting of 1% lidocaine (1 ml), 20 mg of triamcinolone (1 ml), and nonionic contrast (3 ml) was injected into the IA space of the knee through three different portals.

Ultrasound-guided vs. fluoroscopy-guided caudal epidural steroid injection for the treatment of unilateral lower lumbar radicular pain: a prospective, randomized, single-blind clinical study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the short-term effects and advantages of ultrasound-guided caudal epidural steroid injections with fluoroscopy-guided epidural steroid injections for unilateral radicular pain in the lower lumbar spine.

Design: A total of 120 patients with unilateral radicular pain were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the fluoroscopy or the ultrasound group. Complication frequencies during the procedures, treatment effects, functional improvement, and adverse events were compared after the procedures.