The Effects of Nicotine on Re-endothelialization, Inflammation, and Neoatherosclerosis After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in a Porcine Model.

Background And Objectives: Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Nicotine, a crucial constituent of tobacco, contributes to atherosclerosis development and progression. However, evidence of the association between nicotine and neointima formation is limited.

Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Tacrolimus-Eluting Stent in a Porcine Coronary Artery Model.

Background: A drug-eluting stent (DES) is a highly beneficial medical device used to widen or unblock narrowed blood vessels. However, the drugs released by the implantation of DES may hinder the re-endothelialization process, increasing the risk of late thrombosis. We have developed a tacrolimus-eluting stent (TES) that as acts as a potent antiproliferative and immunosuppressive agent, enhancing endothelial regeneration.

Preliminary Investigation on Efficacy and Safety of Substance P-Coated Stent for Promoting Re-Endothelialization: A Porcine Coronary Artery Restenosis Model.

Background: Current polymer-based drug-eluting stents (DESs) have fundamental issues about inflammation and delayed re-endothelializaton of the vessel wall. Substance-P (SP), which plays an important role in inflammation and endothelial cells, has not yet been applied to coronary stents. Therefore, this study compares poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-based everolimus-eluting stents (PLGA-EESs) versus 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-based SP-eluting stents (MPC-SPs) in in-vitro and in-vivo models.

Feasibility of Speech Testing Using Wireless Connection in Single-Sided Cochlear Implant Users.

Background And Objectives: The speech tests used to evaluate language performance in patients with bilateral deafness (BiD) and cochlear implant (CI) are problematic if applied to patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) because normal ear hearing should be excluded. Thus, we investigated the feasibility of using wireless connection to evaluate speech intelligibility of the CI ear in patients with SSD. Subjects and.

The glacier melting process is an invisible barrier to the development of Antarctic subtidal macroalgal assemblages.

Ecological macroalgal succession in glacier-free areas has remained at the pioneer seral stage despite six decades of glacial retreat at Marian Cove, King George Island, Antarctica. With the rapid melting of glaciers in the West Antarctic Peninsula owing to global warming, a massive amount of meltwater is flowing into the coast, creating marine environmental gradients such as turbidity, water temperature, and salinity. This study examined the spatial and vertical distributions (up to a depth of 25 m) of macroalgal assemblages from nine sites in Maxwell Bay and Marian Cove.

Preclinical Evaluation of an Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Via a Long-Term Rabbit Iliac Artery Model.

Background: Biodegradable poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA), a bio safe polymer with a large elastic modulus, is widely used in biodegradable medical devices. However, because of its poor mechanical properties, a PLLA strut must be made twice as thick as a metal strut for adequate blood vessel support. Therefore, the mechanical properties of a drug-eluting metal-based stents (MBS) and a bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) were evaluated and their safety and efficacy were examined via a long-term rabbit iliac artery model.

Global kelp forest restoration: past lessons, present status, and future directions.

Kelp forest ecosystems and their associated ecosystem services are declining around the world. In response, marine managers are working to restore and counteract these declines. Kelp restoration first started in the 1700s in Japan and since then has spread across the globe.

30 years revisit survey for long-term changes in the Antarctic subtidal algal assemblage.

A long-term change of a subtidal macroalgal assemblage has been investigated in Maxwell Bay, King George Island (KGI) of the Antarctic coast by a revisit survey after 30 years. Field surveys were done by SCUBA diving at six sites in 2016-2018 to directly compare with the previous survey conducted in 1988-1993 at the same sites. The total number of macroalgal species was similar between the previous and the present survey, 25 and 27 species respectively.

Effect of metals of treated electroplating industrial effluents on antioxidant defense system in the microalga Chlorella vulgaris.

The microalga Chlorella vulgaris is one of the prominent and most widely distributed green microalgae found in aquatic environments, often used in toxicity tests due to its sensitivity to various pollutants. To examine the toxicity of metals found in the effluent discharges from an electroplating industry, physicochemical parameters in the microalga C. vulgaris were measured.

Effects of ocean acidification on life parameters and antioxidant system in the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus.

Ocean acidification (OA) is caused by alteration of global ocean carbon chemistry due to the increased pCO in the atmosphere and caused deleterious impacts on the marine ecosystem. Although various detrimental effects of OA were reported in marine organisms, the potential impact of OA on aquatic invertebrates still remains largely unknown. Here, we examined changes in life parameters and antioxidant system in response to low pH (7.

Efficacy of loop electrosurgical excision procedure with cold coagulation for treating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A two center cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) combined with cold coagulation for treating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

Methods: We reviewed clinic-pathologic data of 498 patients treated with LEEP alone (n=354), and LEEP combined with cold coagulation (n=144) between January 2000 and December 2011. After LEEP, we followed up all patients by using Papanicolaou smear and human papillomavirus (HPV) test, and evaluated abnormal cervical cytology-free interval and high-risk HPV infection-free interval.

Complete plastid genome of an ecologically important brown alga Sargassum thunbergii (Fucales, Phaeophyceae).

The brown algal species Sargassum thunbergii (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) is widely distributed in coastal area of East Asia. This alga is ecologically and economically important seaweeds; however, no genome data was reported thus far. To get a better understanding of organellar genome of S.

Simple mathematical formulae for estimation of median values of fetal biometry at each gestational age.

Objective: The aim of this study was to propose simple mathematical formulae to estimate median values of fetal biometry including biparietal diameter (BPD), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL) at each gestational age (GA) easily without looking up the previously established reference values.

Methods: Simple mathematical formulae to estimate median values of fetal biometric values at each gestational week were inferred. To validate these formulae, three different linear equations were derived from previously reported reference values of median BPD, AC and FL using regression analysis at each gestational week.

Complete mitochondrial genome of a rhodolith, Sporolithon durum (Sporolithales, Rhodophyta).

We present the first mitochondrial genome of the nongeniculate coralline red alga, Sporolithon durum (Sporolithales). The genome consists of 45 genes, including 24 protein-coding, 2 rRNA and 19 tRNA genes in a circular molecule of 26,202 bp with overall 28.4% GC content.

Inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and protease by phlorotannins from the brown alga Ecklonia cava.

The bioassay-directed isolation of a marine brown alga, Ecklonia cava, afforded four phlorotannin derivatives, eckol (1), 8,8'-bieckol (2), 8,4"'-dieckol (3), and phlorofucofuroeckol A (4). Among these compounds, 2 and 3 exhibited an inhibitory effect on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease. Specifically, they inhibited the RT more potently than the protease.