Reversible Wrinkling Surfaces for Enhanced Grip on Wet/Dry Conditions.

Friction is important in material design for robotic systems that need to perform tasks regardless of environmental changes. Generally, robotic systems lose their friction in wet environments and fail to accomplish their tasks. Despite the significance of maintaining friction in dry and wet environments, it is still challenging.

Analysis of Factors Related to Growth and Growth Patterns of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms.

Objective: The goal of the present study was to identify factors related to the growth and growth patterns of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs).

Methods: Between January 2011 and December 2018, a total of 275 patients were diagnosed with UIAs in our institution. Of them, 91 patients were evaluated using computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, or digital subtraction angiography.

Finite element analysis of long-term changes of the breast after augmentation mammoplasty: Implications for implant design.

The development of breast implant technology continues to evolve over time, but changes in breast shape after implantation have not been fully elucidated. Thus, we performed computerized finite element analysis in order to better understand the trajectory of changes and stress variation after breast implantation. The finite element analysis of changes in breast shape involved two components: a static analysis of the position where the implant is inserted, and a dynamic analysis of the downward pressure applied in the direction of gravity during physical activity.

Influence of Polymorphism on the Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Characteristics of Carvedilol in Healthy Korean Volunteers.

Background: Carvedilol is commonly used to treat hypertension as a β- and α-adrenoreceptor blocker, but it is metabolized by and allele is dominant in Asian population. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) characteristics of carvedilol in healthy Korean volunteers.

Methods: A PK/PD study for a single and multiple dosing of carvedilol were conducted.

The influences of SLCO1B1 and ABCB1 genotypes on the pharmacokinetics of simvastatin, in relation to CYP3A4 inhibition.

Aim: To investigate the combined effects of SLCO1B1 and ABCB1 genotypes on the pharmacokinetics of simvastatin and its active metabolite simvastatin acid, in relation to CYP3A4 inhibition.

Methods: We conducted a single-dose pharmacokinetic study of simvastatin in 26 healthy volunteers screened for their SLCO1B1 c.521T>C and ABCB1 c.

Radon exposure and lung cancer: risk in nonsmokers among cohort studies.

Eleven cohorts of miners occupationally exposed to relatively high concentrations of radon showed a statistically significantly high risk of lung cancer, while three cohorts from the general population showed a relatively low concentration, but the results were not statistically significant. However, the risk of lung cancer tended to increase with increased radon exposure. The risk is likely to have been underestimated due to low statistical power.

Sequential Folding using Light-activated Polystyrene Sheet.

A pre-strained polystyrene (PS) polymer sheet is deformed when it approaches the glass transition state as a result of light absorption. By controlling the light absorption of the polymer sheet, non-contact sequential folding can be accomplished. Line patterns of different transparencies and shapes are used to control the light absorption.

Flytrap-inspired robot using structurally integrated actuation based on bistability and a developable surface.

The Venus flytrap uses bistability, the structural characteristic of its leaf, to actuate the leaf's rapid closing motion for catching its prey. This paper presents a flytrap-inspired robot and novel actuation mechanism that exploits the structural characteristics of this structure and a developable surface. We focus on the concept of exploiting structural characteristics for actuation.

Growth inhibition and G1 cell cycle arrest mediated by 25-methoxyhispidol A, a novel triterpenoid, isolated from the fruit of Poncirus trifoliata in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Poncirus trifoliata (Rutaceae) extracts have been known to possess anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. However, other biological activities, especially, the anticancer potential of extracts of P. trifoliata or its constituents, have not been fully investigated yet.