Temporal variations in health risk indices and combustion-derived components of PM: Focus on terephthalate and levoglucosan.

This study evaluated the health risks and chemical composition of PM and PM in Incheon, South Korea, emphasizing the critical role of particle size in public health impacts. The average concentrations were 10.89 μg/m³ for PM and 8.

A Comparison of Health Risks from PM and Heavy Metal Exposure in Industrial Complexes in Dangjin and Yeosu·Gwangyang.

Particulate matter (PM) can cause illness, including respiratory diseases, and PM compositions are likely to vary according to the emission profiles of industrial complexes. This study analyzed and compared the concentrations and distributions of PM and heavy metals in two regions of Republic of Korea: Yeosu·Gwangyang, which houses a massive national industrial complex, and Dangjin, which houses power plants. Further, we conducted a health risk assessment on the residents of the areas near these industrial complexes.

Magnetically Driven Powerless Lighting Device with Kirigami Structured Magneto-Mechanoluminescence Composite.

The energy crisis and global shift toward sustainability drive the need for sustainable technologies that utilize often-wasted forms of energy. A multipurpose lighting device with a simplistic design that does not need electricity sources or conversions can be one such futuristic device. This study investigates the novel concept of a powerless lighting device driven by stray magnetic fields induced by power infrastructure for obstruction warning light systems.

Refining cell-based assay to detect MOG-IgG in patients with central nervous system inflammatory diseases.

Background: Given that the spectrum of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G (MOG-IgG) associated disease is yet to be fully defined, development of sensitive and highly specific assays to identify MOG-IgG is crucial to precisely define the clinical phenotypes, disease courses and prognosis to describe the full spectrum of MOG-IgG associated diseases. Here, we aim to validate a new in-house live cell-based assay (CBA) for screening MOG-IgG in patients with central nervous system inflammatory diseases.

Methods: We generated a full length MOG transfected HEK293 stable cell line using pIRES2-eGFP vector.

Erratum to: High Seroprevalence and Index of Anti-John-Cunningham Virus Antibodies in Korean Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

This corrects the article on p. 454 in vol. 15, PMID: 31591832.

Hemistepsin A alleviates liver fibrosis by inducing apoptosis of activated hepatic stellate cells via inhibition of nuclear factor-κB and Akt.

Hemistepsin A (HsA), isolated from Hemistepta lyrata (Bunge) Bunge, has the ability to ameliorate hepatitis in mice. However, the effects of H. lyrata and HsA on other types of liver disease have not been explored.

High Seroprevalence and Index of Anti-John-Cunningham Virus Antibodies in Korean Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Purpose: The anti-John-Cunningham virus (JCV)-antibody serostatus and index are used in the risk stratification of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with natalizumab. However, little information on these parameters is available for Asian countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of seropositivity, index, and longitudinal index evolution in Korean patients with MS.

Extranasopharyngeal Angiofibroma of the Frontal Sinus.

Angiofibroma is a rare tumor that accounts for about 0.05% of all head and neck tumors; it mainly occurs in the region of the nasopharynx. To date, no study originating in the frontal sinus has been reported.

Analysis of lawsuit cases in the Department of Surgery in Korea.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to prepare medical staff in order to prevent medical malpractice litigation through analysis of litigation cases related to the department of surgery in Korea.

Methods: A total of 94 litigation cases related to the department of surgery, where a certain amount of payment was ordered to the defendant between 2005 through 2010, were analyzed. We examined time of occurrence, amount claimed and awarded in damages, plaintiff claims, and court opinion.

Amelioration of inflammatory responses by Socheongryong-Tang, a traditional herbal medicine, in RAW 264.7 cells and rats.

Socheongryong-Tang (SCRT) is a natural medicine prescription that has been mainly used in East Asia for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, including asthma and allergic rhinitis. The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of SCRT on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and in a rat model of carrageenan (CA)-induced paw edema.

Epimedium koreanum Ameliorates Oxidative Stress-Mediated Liver Injury by Activating Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2.

Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species is the main cause of various liver diseases. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of Epimedium koreanum Nakai water extract (EKE) against arachidonic acid (AA)[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]iron-mediated cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells and carbon tetrachloride (CCl-)-mediated acute liver injury in mice. Pretreatment with EKE (30 and 100[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL) significantly inhibited AA[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]iron-mediated cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells by preventing changes in the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.

Combination of Pelargonium sidoides and Coptis chinensis root inhibits nuclear factor kappa B-mediated inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Pelargonium sidoides (PS) and Coptis chinensis root (CR) have traditionally been used to treat various diseases, including respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, dysmenorrhea, and hepatic disorders. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of a combination of PS and CR in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: The in vitro effects of PS + CR on the induction of inflammation-related proteins were evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.

Hemistepsin A ameliorates acute inflammation in macrophages via inhibition of nuclear factor-κB and activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2.

Hemistepsin A (HsA) is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Hemistepta lyrata (Bunge) Bunge. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of HsA and sought to determine its mechanisms of action in macrophages. HsA pretreatment inhibited nitric oxide production, and reduced the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in Toll-like receptor ligand-stimulated RAW 264.

Tryptanthrin prevents oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis through AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.

Tryptanthrin (6,12-dihydro-6,12-dioxoindolo-(2,1-b)-quinazoline) has been reported to have a variety of pharmacological activities. Present study investigated the cytoprotective effects of tryptanthrin on arachidonic acid (AA) + iron-mediated oxidative stress and the molecular mechanisms responsible. In HepG2 cells, pretreatment with tryptanthrin inhibited the cytotoxic effect of AA + iron in a concentration-dependent manner.

Longitudinal melanonychia in childhood: a clinical and histopathological review of Korean patients.

Longitudinal melanonychia is not frequently observed in children, and few studies exist on longitudinal melanonychia in paediatric patients, especially in Asian populations. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and histological findings of longitudinal melanonychia in Korean paediatric patients. A retrospective review of paediatric patients (≤18 years old) with longitudinal melanonychia who underwent nail biopsy between January 2010 and October 2015 was performed.

Activation of AMPK by Maxim. Flower Extract Contributes to Protecting Hepatocytes from Oxidative Stress.

The Maxim. flower is used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine to treat inflammation, vascular diseases, headache, and stroke, as well as enhance liver function. This research investigated the effects of Maxim.

The influence of age on positions of the conus medullaris, Tuffier's line, dural sac, and sacrococcygeal membrane in infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the distances between the conus medullaris and the Tuffier's line, and between the dural sac and the sacrococcygeal membrane (SCM) in the same pediatric population.

Methods: Spinal magnetic resonance images and simple X-ray images of 350 patients aged from 1 month to 20 years were reviewed. Positions of the conus medullaris, Tuffier's line, the dural sac, and the SCM were identified.

The effectiveness of 1,064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of severe onychomycosis.

Introduction: Severe onychomycosis in the elderly is a common condition and generally difficult to treat. Long-pulsed Nd:YAG (LPNY) laser has been found to be useful in the treatment of onychomycosis. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of 1,064-nm LPNY laser in the treatment of severe onychomycosis.

Perigastric Abscess as a Complication of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer: First Case Report.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) is a widely accepted and well established procedure because of its curative potential and low invasiveness compared with surgery. Perforation is a potential major complication during ESD, and non-surgical treatments such as endoscopic closure with clips are sufficient in most cases. Here, we report a case of perigastric abscess that occurred as a complication of ESD for EGC.

Non-Exposed Endoscopic Wall-Inversion Surgery for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Stomach: First Case Report in Korea.

Laparoscopic wedge resection of the stomach is a widely accepted treatment for primary resectable gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). However, it is difficult to determine the appropriate incision line from outside of the stomach, and many attempts have been made to avoid unnecessary resection of unaffected gastric tissues. Recently a technique called non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery (NEWS) was introduced to avoid exposure of GIST to the peritoneum.

Hederagenin, a major component of Clematis mandshurica Ruprecht root, attenuates inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 cells and in mice.

Clematis mandshurica Ruprecht root has been used in Asia as a traditional anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antitumor agent. Its main active component is hederagenin, a naturally occurring triterpene, and in this study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of hederagenin in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and RT-PCR.

Immunostimulatory polysaccharide isolated from the leaves of Diospyros kaki Thumb modulate macrophage via TLR2.

The objective of this study was to investigate the immunostimulatory effects of a polysaccharide fraction from the leaves of Diospyros kaki Thumb (PLE0) and the molecular mechanism responsible for its action in RAW 264.7 macrophages as well as in vivo effects on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice. PLE0 concentration-dependently activated the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) at the protein and mRNA levels and its promoter activity, and that these activations caused attendant increases the nitric oxide (NO) production.