Nitrate formation mechanisms causing high concentration of PM in a residential city with low anthropogenic emissions during cold season.

During the cold season in South Korea, NO concentrations are known to significantly increase, often causing PM to exceed air quality standards. This study investigated the formation mechanisms of NO in a suburban area with low anthropogenic emissions. The average PM was 25.

Cervical spine reconstruction after total vertebrectomy using customized three-dimensional-printed implants in dogs.

Background: Sufficient surgical resection is necessary for effective tumor control, but is usually limited for vertebral tumors, especially in the cervical spine in small animal neurosurgery.

Objective: To evaluate the primary stability and safety of customized three-dimensional (3D)-printed implants for cervical spine reconstruction after total vertebrectomy.

Methods: Customized guides and implants were designed based on computed tomography (CT) imaging of five beagle cadavers and were 3D-printed.

Three-dimensional-printed patient-specific guides for tibial deformity correction in small-breed dogs.

Objective: To describe the use of patient-specific 3-D-printed osteotomy, reduction, and compression guides for tibial closing wedge osteotomy in small-breed dogs.

Animals: 6 dogs with unilateral tibial deformities.

Methods: Six small-breed dogs with 1 or a combination of tibial deformities, including excessive tibial plateau angle, valgus, and torsion, were scheduled to undergo tibial closing wedge osteotomy using patient-specific 3-D-printed osteotomy, reduction, and compression guides.

Ecdysone-induced microRNA miR-276a-3p controls developmental growth by targeting the insulin-like receptor in Drosophila.

Animal growth is controlled by a variety of external and internal factors during development. The steroid hormone ecdysone plays a critical role in insect development by regulating the expression of various genes. In this study, we found that fat body-specific expression of miR-276a, an ecdysone-responsive microRNA (miRNA), led to a decrease in the total mass of the larval fat body, resulting in significant growth reduction in Drosophila.

MicroRNA miR-252-5p regulates the Notch signaling pathway by targeting Rab6 in Drosophila wing development.

The Notch signaling pathway plays a central role in the development of various organisms. However, dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are crucial regulators of gene expression, can disrupt signaling pathways at all stages of development. Although Notch signaling is involved in wing development in Drosophila, the mechanism underlying miRNA-based regulation of the Notch signaling pathway is unclear.

Impact of Lacrimal Gland Extraction on the Contralateral Eye in an Animal Model for Dry Eye Disease.

Purpose: Although there is still no consensus on the best animal model for dry eye disease research, a model based on lacrimal gland extraction (LGE) model is widely used. In this study, we aimed to investigate the histopathological changes taking place on the contralateral eye after unilateral LGE to determine whether it is useful as a control.

Methods: Seven-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were divided into naive control, environmental chamber model, and LGE groups.

Clinical and biological implications of CD133-positive and CD133-negative cells in glioblastomas.

A number of recent reports have demonstrated that only CD133-positive cancer cells of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have tumor-initiating potential. These findings raise an attractive hypothesis that GBMs can be cured by eradicating CD133-positive cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are a small portion of GBM cells. However, as GBMs are known to possess various genetic alterations, GBMs might harbor heterogeneous CSCs with different genetic alterations.

Antitumor activity of ZD6474 in a metastatic orthotopic brain tumor model.

The objective of this study was to examine the antitumor effect of ZD6474, an orally available inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), on tumor growth in an orthotopic metastatic brain tumor model. In order to determine the antitumor mechanism of ZD6474 treatment, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed. Human breast carcinoma cells (MDA-MB-435) were injected using direct intracranial (IC) inoculation (5x105 cells/100 µl) and internal carotid artery (ICA) injection (5x104 cells/100 µl) in Balb/c-nu female mice.

Synergistic effect and condition of pegylated interferon alpha with paclitaxel on glioblastoma.

Glioblastomas are highly vascularized tumors and anti-angiogenic strategy is one of the most promising therapeutic approaches to treat brain tumors. Interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) as a single agent or combined with standard chemo-therapy has been shown to inhibit various tumors, but the effect of combination anti-angiogenic therapy on brain tumors has not been well studied. We determined the optimal dose and schedule of pegylated IFN-alpha (PEG-IFN-alpha) against U-87MG human glioblastoma cells growing orthotopically in nude mice, since several clinical trials reported that PEG-IFN-alpha administered at higher or lower doses was less effective.