Inhibitory effect of arazyme on the development of atopic dermatitis-like lesions in BALB/c and Nc/Nga mice.

Arazyme is a metalloprotease released by Aranicola proteolyticus that was shown to inhibit cytokine release in HaCaT and endothelial cells. However, the regulatory effects of arazyme in atopic dermatitis remain to be fully understood. In the present study, the anti‑inflammatory effects of arazyme in BALB/c and Nc/Nga mice induced with 2,4‑dinitrochlrobenzene (DNCB) were investigated.

Keratinocytic vascular endothelial growth factor as a novel biomarker for pathological skin condition.

Skin is an emerging target tissue in pharmaceutical and cosmetic science. Safety assessment for dermal toxicity is a critical step for development of topically applicable pharmaceutical agents and ingredients in cosmetics. Urgent needs exist to set up toxicity testing methods for dermal safety, and identification of novel biomarkers for pathological cutaneous alteration is highly required.

Saponins, especially platyconic acid A, from Platycodon grandiflorum reduce airway inflammation in ovalbumin-induced mice and PMA-exposed A549 cells.

We investigated the inhibitory effects of Platycodon grandiflorum root-derived saponins (Changkil saponins: CKS) on ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in mice. CKS suppressed leukocytes number, IgE, Th1/Th2 cytokines, and MCP-1 chemokine secretion in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Also, ovalbumin-increased MUC5AC, MMP-2/9, and TIMP-1/-2 mRNA expression, NF-κB activation, leukocytes recruitment, and mucus secretion were inhibited by CKS treatment.

Mild Rh(III)-catalyzed C7-allylation of indolines with allylic carbonates.

The rhodium(III)-catalyzed direct allylation of indolines with allylic carbonates at room temperature is described. These transformations provide the facile and efficient construction of C7-allylated indolic scaffold.

Procalcitonin in the assessment of bacteraemia in emergency department patients: results of a large retrospective study.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of procalcitonin in the assessment of bacteraemia in patients in the emergency department, both alone and in conjunction with existing inflammatory markers of bacterial infection.

Methods: We enrolled 3305 cases (range 20-90 years) for which we retrospectively compared procalcitonin concentration, blood culture results, body temperature, absolute neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein concentration. The positive predictive value and the negative predictive value of procalcitonin were established at different cut-off concentrations.

Acute simulated soccer-specific training increases PGC-1α mRNA expression in human skeletal muscle.

The aim of the current study was to quantify oxygen uptake, heart rate and molecular responses of human skeletal muscle associated with mitochondrial biogenesis following an acute bout of simulated soccer training. Muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) were obtained from nine active men immediately pre-completion, post-completion and 3 h post-completion of a laboratory-based soccer-specific training simulation on a motorised treadmill. The soccer-specific simulation was a similar intensity (55 ± 6% [Formula: see text]) and duration (60 min) as that observed in professional soccer training (e.

CYP2C19 genotype and early ischemic lesion recurrence in stroke patients treated with clopidogrel.

Background: Early recurrent ischemic lesions detected on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) have been proposed as a surrogate marker for clinical recurrence. We hypothesized that cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) genotype influences the incidence of early recurrence on DWI in acute stroke patients treated with clopidogrel.

Methods: We enrolled 76 Korean patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large artery atherosclerosis who were treated with clopidogrel.

Foreign body reaction after PLC reconstruction caused by a broken PLLA screw.

Foreign body reactions may occur in patients who receive bioabsorbable implants during orthopedic surgery for fractures and ligament repair. The authors describe a 34-year-old man who presented with a palpable tender mass on the lateral aspect of the left knee of 1 month's duration. He underwent posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner reconstruction 3 years earlier.

Pterocarpan-enriched soy leaf extract ameliorates insulin sensitivity and pancreatic β-cell proliferation in type 2 diabetic mice.

In Korea, soy (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) leaves are eaten as a seasonal vegetable or pickled in soy sauce.

Neuritin can normalize neural deficits of Alzheimer's disease.

Reductions in hippocampal neurite complexity and synaptic plasticity are believed to contribute to the progressive impairment in episodic memory and the mild cognitive decline that occur particularly in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite the functional and therapeutic importance for patients with AD, intervention to rescue or normalize dendritic elaboration and synaptic plasticity is scarcely provided. Here we show that overexpression of neuritin, an activity-dependent protein, promoted neurite outgrowth and maturation of synapses in parallel with enhanced basal synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal neurons.

Vertically stacked color tunable light-emitting diodes fabricated using wafer bonding and transfer printing.

We report on the vertically stacked color tunable light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated using wafer bonding with an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer and transfer printing by the laser lift-off process. Employing optically transparent and electrically conductive ITO as an adhesion layer enables to bond the GaN-based blue and AlGaInP-based yellow LEDs. We find out that the interdiffusion of In, O, and Ga at the interface between ITO and GaP allows the strong bonding of the heterogeneous optoelectronic materials and the integration of two different color LEDs on a single substrate.

Evaluation of cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity using urinary metabolomic profiles in sprague-dawley male rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate urinary metabolomic profiles associated with cadmium (Cd)-induced nephrotoxicity and their potential mechanisms. Metabolomic profiles were measured by high-resolution (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in the urine of rats after oral exposure to CdCl2 (1, 5, or 25 mg/kg) for 6 wk. The spectral data were further analyzed by a multivariate analysis to identify specific urinary metabolites.

Nephrotoxic potential and toxicokinetics of melamine combined with cyanuric acid in rats.

To investigate the nephrotoxic potential of melamine (MEL) and cyanuric acid (CA) in male Sprague-Dawley rats, 7-d repeated-dose studies were performed. The experimental groups of MEL100 and CA100 were orally administered with MEL and CA at 100 mg/kg/d for 7 d, respectively. In groups dosed with MEL-CA mixtures, melamine and cyanuric acid (1:1) were simultaneously administered at 4, 20, or 100 mg/kg/d for 7 d (i.

Influencing factor on the prognosis of arthrocentesis.

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to evaluate factors influencing prognosis of arthrocentesis in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

Materials And Methods: The subjects included 145 patients treated with arthrocentesis at the Dental Center of Ajou University Hospital from 2011 to 2013 for the purpose of recovering mouth opening limitation (MOL) and pain relief. Prognosis of arthrocentesis was evaluated 1 month after the operation.

Flavonoids from Machilus japonica stems and their inhibitory effects on LDL oxidation.

Stems of Machilus japonica were extracted with 80% aqueous methanol (MeOH) and the concentrated extract was successively extracted with ethyl acetate (EtOAc), normal butanol (n-BuOH), and water. Six flavonoids were isolated from the EtOAc fraction: (+)-taxifolin, afzelin, (-)-epicatechin, 5,3'-di-O-methyl-(-)-epicatechin, 5,7,3'-tri-O-methyl-(-)-epicatechin, and 5,7-di-O-methyl-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavan-3-ol. The chemical structures were identified using spectroscopic data including NMR, mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy.

Enhanced current transport and injection in thin-film gallium-nitride light-emitting diodes by laser-based doping.

This paper reports improvements in the electrical and optical properties of blue-emission gallium nitride (GaN)-based thin-film light-emitting diodes (TFLEDs) after laser-based Si doping (LBSD) of a nitrogen-face n-GaN (denoted as hereafter n-GaN) layer. Experimental results show that the light-output powers of the flat- and rough-surface TFLEDs after LBSD are 52.1 and 11.

Metformin suppresses CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 expression in breast cancer cells by down-regulating aryl hydrocarbon receptor expression.

Induction of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and CYP1B1 by environmental xenobiotic chemicals or endogenous ligands through the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes related to cancer, such as transformation and tumorigenesis. Here, we investigated the effects of the anti-diabetes drug metformin on expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in breast cancer cells under constitutive and inducible conditions. Our results indicated that metformin down-regulated the expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in breast cancer cells under constitutive and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced conditions.

Evaluation of renal toxicity by combination exposure to melamine and cyanuric Acid in male sprague-dawley rats.

Melamine-induced nephrotoxicity is closely associated with crystal formation in the kidney caused by combined exposure to melamine (Mel) and cyanuric acid (CA). However, there are few dosage-finding studies for toxicological evaluation of chronic co-exposure to Mel and CA. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible mechanism by which a Mel and CA mixture lead to renal toxicity in rats.

Selective induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 2B activity by leelamine in vivo, as a potent novel inducer.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is an important enzyme that can act on xenobiotic substances such as toxic chemicals or drugs. Phenobarbital (PB) has been widely used to induce CYP2B activity to investigate the drug-drug interaction of CYP2B substrate drugs. Leelamine is a diterpene compound, and is the current focus of efforts to develop a treatment for diabetes.

Comparison of live performance and meat quality parameter of cross bred (korean native black pig and landrace) pigs with different coat colors.

Five hundred and forty crossbred (Korean native black pig×Landrace) F2 were selected at a commercial pig farm and then divided into six different coat color groups: (A: Black, B: White, C: Red, D: White spot in black, E: Black spot in white, F: Black spot in red). Birth weight, 21st d weight, 140th d weight and carcass weight varied among the different coat color groups. D group (white spot in black coat) showed a significantly higher body weight at each weigh (birth weight, 140th d weight and carcass weight) than did the other groups, whereas the C group (red coat color) showed a significantly lower body weight at finishing stage (140th d weight and carcass weight) compared to other groups.

Anchor Plate Efficiency in Postoperative Orthodontic Treatment Following Orthognathic Surgery via Minimal Presurgical Orthodontic Treatment.

Purpose: The efficiency of an anchor plate placed during orthognathic surgery via minimal presurgical orthodontic treatment was evaluated by analyzing the mandibular relapse rate and dental changes.

Methods: The subjects included nine patients with Class III malocclusion who had bilateral sagittal split osteotomy at the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Dentistry in Ajou University Hospital, after minimal presurgical orthodontic treatment. During orthognathic surgery, anchor plates were placed at both maxillary buttresses.

The Efficacy of the Graft Materials after Sinus Elevation: Retrospective Comparative Study Using Panoramic Radiography.

Purpose: This study compares and evaluates the efficacy of graft materials after maxillary sinus bone grafts with autogenous tooth bone graft material (AutoBT), demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) and deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM).

Methods: The study involved 30 sinuses in 26 patients who visited the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Dentistry in Ajou University Hospital and received either AutoBT, DFDBA or DBBM with sinus elevation using the lateral window technique. Sinus graft height was measured before, immediately after, and six months after bone graft with panoramic radiography and the height changes of the sinus floor was compared according to the graft materials.

Light-output enhancement of GaN-based vertical light-emitting diodes using periodic and conical nanopillar structures.

We investigated GaN-based vertical light-emitting diodes (VLEDs) with periodic and conical nanopillar arrays (CNAs) to improve the light-output efficiency. We found that a 470 nm diameter and 0.8-0.