Effects of cervical stabilization with visual feedback on craniovertebral angle and proprioception for the subjects with forward head posture.

Background: This study aimed to identify the effect of cervical stabilization exercise with visual feedback on the craniovertebral angle and proprioception in subjects with forward head posture.

Methods: Thirty healthy adults were recruited in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to the stabilization exercise with visual feedback (SE-VF) group (N = 15) or stabilization exercise group (N = 15).

Comparison for immunophysiological responses of Jeju and Thoroughbred horses after exercise.

Objective: The study was conducted to investigate variations in the immunophysiological responses to exercise-induced stress in Jeju and Thoroughbred horses.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from the jugular veins of adult Jeju (n = 5) and Thoroughbred (n = 5) horses before and after 30 min of exercise. The hematological, biochemical, and immunological profiles of the blood samples were analyzed.

Blood Pressure Reference Values for Normal Weight Korean Children and Adolescents: Data from The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1998-2016: The Korean Working Group of Pediatric Hypertension.

Background And Objectives: Hypertension is becoming one of the most common health conditions in children and adolescents due to increasing childhood obesity. We aimed to provide the auscultatory blood pressure (BP) normative reference values for Korean non-overweight children and adolescents.

Methods: BP measurements in children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 years were performed in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 1998 to 2016.

Blood Pressure Trajectories from Childhood to Adolescence in Pediatric Hypertension.

It has been known for a long time that elevated blood pressure (BP) in the young may persist and progress into adult hypertension (HTN). Multiple studies have revealed the predicted BP trajectory lines starting from childhood and related them to later cardiovascular (CV) risks in adulthood. As a small baby grows into a tall adult, BP will also naturally increase.

Proteomics and Metabolomics in Pregnancy-An Overview.

Importance: Pregnancy is getting more and more complex due to increasing number of complications that may affect fetal outcomes. The introduction of newer "proteomics and metabolomics" technologies in the field of obstetrics and gynecology may allow physicians to identify possible associated etiologies that affect the mother during pregnancy and lead to associated complications affecting the offspring.

Objective: The principal objective of this review article is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the use of proteomics and metabolomics in complicated pregnancies.

NDR-effect vertical-illumination-type Ge-on-Si avalanche photodetector.

We present the enhanced performances of a vertical-illumination-type Ge-on-Si avalanche photodetector based on internal RF-gain effects operating up to 50 Gb/s. A fabricated Ge-on-Si avalanche photodetector (APD) exhibits three operational voltage regions associated with different aspects of the current (DC) gain and bandwidth characteristics. The measured current-voltage (I-V) curve of a Ge-on-Si APD exhibits a negative photoconductance (negative differential resistance [NDR]) in a high bias region beyond the avalanche breakdown voltage ( ), where a device shows good eye openings up to 50 Gb/s (non-return-to-zero [NRZ] signal) with further improved signal-to-noise ratios and signal amplitudes.

Silicon membrane filter designed by fluid dynamics simulation and near-field stress analysis for selective cell enrichment.

Selective cell enrichment technologies can play an important role in both diagnostic and therapeutic areas. However, currently used cell sorting techniques have difficulties in rapidly isolating only the desired target cells from a large volume of body fluids. In this work, we developed a filtering system that can quickly separate and highly concentrate cells from a large volume of solution, depending on their size, using a silicon membrane filter.

Characterization of gene expression and genetic variation of horse ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1 in Thoroughbreds.

Objective: This study aimed to test the expression patterns of ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1 () before and after exercise and the association of non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of horse with racing traits in Thoroughbreds.

Methods: We performed bioinformatics and gene expression analyses for horse . Transcription factor (TF) binding sites in the 5'-regulatory region of this gene were identified through a tool for prediction of TF-binding site (PROMO).

Molecular analysis of alternative transcripts of equine AXL receptor tyrosine kinase gene.

Objective: Since athletic performance is a most importance trait in horses, most research focused on physiological and physical studies of horse athletic abilities. In contrast, the molecular analysis as well as the regulatory pathway studies remain insufficient for evaluation and prediction of horse athletic abilities. In our previous study, we identified receptor tyrosine kinase () gene which was expressed as alternative spliced isoforms in skeletal muscle during exercise.

Analysis of metabolomic patterns in thoroughbreds before and after exercise.

Objective: Evaluation of exercise effects in racehorses is important in horseracing industry and animal health care. In this study, we compared metabolic patterns between before and after exercise to screen metabolic biomarkers for exercise effects in thoroughbreds.

Methods: The concentration of metabolites in muscle, plasma, and urine was measured by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy analysis and the relative metabolite levels in the three samples were compared between before and after exercise.

Prediction of nonresponsiveness to medium-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (1 g/kg) treatment: an effective and safe schedule of acute treatment for Kawasaki disease.

Purpose: Medium-dose (1 g/kg) intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is effective in the majority of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) but some patients who do not respond to medium-dose IVIG are at high risk for the development of coronary artery lesions (CALs). The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical predictors associated with unresponsiveness to medium-dose IVIG and the development of CALs.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 91 children with KD who were treated with medium-dose IVIG at our institution from January 2004 to December 2013.

Usefulness of anterior uveitis as an additional tool for diagnosing incomplete Kawasaki disease.

Purpose: There are no specific tests for diagnosing Kawasaki disease (KD). Additional diagnostic criteria are needed to prevent the delayed diagnosis of incomplete Kawasaki disease (IKD). This study compared the frequency of coronary artery lesions (CALs) in IKD patients with and without anterior uveitis (AU) and elucidated whether the finding of AU supported the diagnosis of IKD.

Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Deficits Reduce Glucose Metabolism and Function of Cholinergic and GABAergic Systems in the Cingulate Cortex.

Purpose: Reduced brain glucose metabolism and basal forebrain cholinergic neuron degeneration are common features of Alzheimer's disease and have been correlated with memory function. Although regions representing glucose hypometabolism in patients with Alzheimer's disease are targets of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons, the interaction between cholinergic denervation and glucose hypometabolism is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate glucose metabolism changes caused by cholinergic deficits.

[Effects of Silver-Care-Robot Program on Cognitive Function, Depression, and Activities of Daily Living for Institutionalized Elderly People].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects on cognitive function, depression, and activities of daily living of Silver-Care-Robot Program for institutionalized elders.

Methods: This study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 42 institutionalized elders (17 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group).

Contribution of Fetal, but Not Adult, Pulmonary Mesothelium to Mesenchymal Lineages in Lung Homeostasis and Fibrosis.

The lung is enveloped by a layer of specialized epithelium, the pulmonary mesothelium. In other organs, mesothelial cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition and contribute to organ stromal cells. The contribution of pulmonary mesothelial cells (PMCs) to the developing lung has been evaluated with differing conclusions.

Single-chip photonic transceiver based on bulk-silicon, as a chip-level photonic I/O platform for optical interconnects.

When silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs), defined for transmitting and receiving optical data, are successfully monolithic-integrated into major silicon electronic chips as chip-level optical I/Os (inputs/outputs), it will bring innovative changes in data computing and communications. Here, we propose new photonic integration scheme, a single-chip optical transceiver based on a monolithic-integrated vertical photonic I/O device set including light source on bulk-silicon. This scheme can solve the major issues which impede practical implementation of silicon-based chip-level optical interconnects.

Silicon photonic receiver and transmitter operating up to 36 Gb/s for λ~1550 nm.

We present the hybrid-integrated silicon photonic receiver and transmitter based on silicon photonic devices and 65 nm bulk CMOS interface circuits operating over 30 Gb/s with a 10(-12) bit error rate (BER) for λ ~1550nm. The silicon photonic receiver, operating up to 36 Gb/s, is based on a vertical-illumination type Ge-on-Si photodetector (Ge PD) hybrid-integrated with a CMOS receiver front-end circuit (CMOS Rx IC), and exhibits high sensitivities of -11 dBm, -8 dBm, and -2 dBm for data rates of 25 Gb/s, 30 Gb/s and 36 Gb/s, respectively, at a BER of 10(-12). The measured energy efficiency of the Si-photonic receiver is 2.

Normal left ventricular torsion mechanics in healthy children: age related changes of torsion parameters are closely related to changes in heart rate.

Background And Objectives: This study was aimed at assessing left ventricular torsion (LVtor) mechanics using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), establishing normal reference values of principal LVtor parameters, and analyzing the age-related changes in normal children.

Subjects And Methods: Eighty children (aged 3 months to 15 years) with normal cardiac function and rhythm were recruited. LVtor parameters including rotations, twist and untwist, torsion, and their rate indices were measured using STE.

Performance of on-site pilot static granular bed reactor (SGBR) for treating dairy processing wastewater and chemical oxygen demand balance modeling under different operational conditions.

The performance and operational stability of a pilot-scale static granular bed reactor (SGBR) for the treatment of dairy processing wastewater were investigated under a wide range of organic and hydraulic loading rates and temperature conditions. The SGBR achieved average chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS)-removal efficiencies higher than 90% even at high loading rates up to 7.3 kg COD/m(3)/day, with an hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 9 h, and at low temperatures of 11 °C.

Compact-sized high-modulation-efficiency silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator based on a vertically dipped depletion junction phase shifter for chip-level integration.

We present small-sized depletion-type silicon Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator with a vertically dipped PN depletion junction (VDJ) phase shifter based on a CMOS compatible process. The fabricated device with a 100 μm long VDJ phase shifter shows a VπLπ of ∼0.6  V·cm with a 3 dB bandwidth of ∼50  GHz at -2  V bias.

A microchip filter device incorporating slit arrays and 3-D flow for detection of circulating tumor cells using CAV1-EpCAM conjugated microbeads.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells and the presence of these cells may indicate a poor prognosis and a high potential for metastasis. Despite highly promising clinical applications, CTCs have not been investigated thoroughly, due to many technical limitations faced in their isolation and identification. Current CTC detection techniques mostly take the epithelial marker epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), however, accumulating evidence suggests that CTCs show heterogeneous EpCAM expression due to the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Baseline heart rate variability in children and adolescents with vasovagal syncope.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the autonomic imbalance in syncope by comparing the baseline heart rate variability (HRV) between healthy children and those with vasovagal syncope.

Methods: To characterize the autonomic profile in children experiencing vasovagal syncope, we evaluated the HRV of 23 patients aged 7-18 years and 20 healthy children. These children were divided into preadolescent (<12 years) and adolescent groups.

Septic wastewater treatment using recycled rubber particles as biofiltration media.

Performance of the laboratory-scale recycled rubber particles (RRP) biofilter was compared to a conventional gravel system and a peat biofilter for treatment of septic tank effluent. During the study, the RRP biofilter provided similar or better performance than other systems in terms of organic removal and hydraulic capacity. After the start-up period, RRP biofilter achieved removal efficiencies for BOD5, total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia nitrogen of 96%, 93%, and 90%, respectively, over the range of hydraulic loading rates of 57-204 L/m2/d.