Artificial Intelligence-Based Optimal Grasping Control.

A new tactile sensing module was proposed to sense the contact force and location of an object on a robot hand, which was attached on the robot finger. Three air pressure sensors are installed at the tip of the finger to detect the contacting force at the points. To obtain a nominal contact force at the finger from data from the three air pressure sensors, a force estimation was developed based upon the learning of a deep neural network.

Survival in patients on hemodialysis: Effect of gender according to body mass index and creatinine.

Background: The association of a higher body mass index (BMI) with better survival is a well-known "obesity paradox" in patients on hemodialysis (HD). However, men and women have different body compositions, which could impact the effect of BMI on mortality. We investigated the effect of gender on the obesity-mortality relationship in Korean patients on HD.

Underweight: another risk factor for cardiovascular disease?: A cross-sectional 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study of 491,773 individuals in the USA.

Obesity is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the underweight population of body mass index (BMI) below 18.5 kg/m has not been an object of concern. The objective of this study is to investigate whether underweight could be an independent risk factor for CVD in a population-based cross-sectional study.

Traffic accident severity analysis with rain-related factors using structural equation modeling - A case study of Seoul City.

Weather conditions are strongly correlated with traffic accident severity. In particular, rain-related factors are an important cause of traffic accidents due to the poor visibility and reduced friction resulting from slippery road conditions. This paper presents a systematic approach to analyze the extent to which the rainfall intensity and level of water depth are responsible for traffic accidents using Seoul City, Korea, as a case study.

Rapid deterioration of preexisting renal insufficiency after autologous mesenchymal stem cell therapy.

Administration of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to improve renal function and histological findings in acute kidney injury (AKI) models. However, its effects in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unclear, particularly in the clinical setting. Here, we report our experience with a CKD patient who was treated by intravenous infusion of autologous MSCs derived from adipose tissue in an unknown clinic outside of Korea.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of bacterial infections after kidney transplantation.

Background/aims: There may be an association between vitamin D levels and allograft outcomes in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). However, few studies have been conducted to determine the association between vitamin D levels and post-transplant infections. This study investigated the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the risk of infection after kidney transplantation.

Duration of anuria predicts recovery of renal function after acute kidney injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy.

Background/aims: Little is known regarding the incidence rate of and factors associated with developing chronic kidney disease after continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients. We investigated renal outcomes and the factors associated with incomplete renal recovery in AKI patients who received CRRT.

Methods: Between January 2011 and November 2013, 408 patients received CRRT in our intensive care unit.

Impact of dialysis modality on technique survival in end-stage renal disease patients.

Background/aims: This study analyzed the risk factors for technique survival in dialysis patients and compared technique survival rates between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) in a prospective cohort of Korean patients.

Methods: A total of 1,042 patients undergoing dialysis from September 2008 to June 2011 were analyzed. The dialysis modality was defined as that used 90 days after commencing dialysis.

Expression of angiogenic factors in cryopreserved mouse ovaries after heterotopic autotransplantation.

Objective: Revascularization is critical for successful ovarian tissue transplantation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin-2 (angpt-2) are the principal mediators of neovascularization. This study was designed to assess VEGF and angpt-2 levels in cryopreserved ovarian tissue after heterotopic autotransplantation.

Successful treatment of recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis with a low dose rituximab in a kidney transplant recipient.

Recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a major therapeutic challenge in kidney transplantation (KT). Although intensive plasmapheresis and high-dose rituximab have been introduced to treat recurrent FSGS, the most effective dosage and regimen of rituximab have not been determined. Herein we reported the first case of successful treatment of recurrent FSGS with a low-dose rituximab.

Influence of the vitrification solution on the angiogenic factors in vitrificated mouse ovarian tissue.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and EFS-40 during vitrification on the expression of angiogenic factors in vitrified mouse ovarian tissue.

Methods: The ovarian tissues were obtained from 5 or 6 weeks aged ICR mouse. Ovarian tissues were divided into four groups: ovarian tissue without cryopreservation (control, group I), ovarian tissue vitrified with 15% DMSO (group II), ovarian tissue vitrified with EFS-40 (group III), and ovarian tissue slowly frozen with 10% DMSO (group IV).

Ultrasonic sludge disintegration for enhanced methane production in anaerobic digestion: effects of sludge hydrolysis efficiency and hydraulic retention time.

Hydrolysis of waste activated sludge (WAS) has been regarded as the rate limiting step of anaerobic sludge digestion. Therefore, in this study, the effect of ultrasound and hydraulic residence time during sludge hydrolysis was investigated with the goal of enhancing methane production from anaerobic digestion (AD). WAS was ultrasonically disintegrated for hydrolysis, and it was semi-continuously fed to an anaerobic digesters at various hydraulic retention times (HRTs).

Three-dimensional CuO nanobundles consisted of nanorods: hydrothermal synthesis, characterization, and formation mechanism.

Novel monoclinic CuO nanobundles, 0.8-1 microm in size, were synthesized at 130 degrees C in the presence of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) by a simple hydrothermal method. Each nanobundle was comprised of many nanorods with one ends growing together to form a center and another ends radiating laterally from this center.

Metallic copper nanostructures synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method.

A facile hydrothermal route has been developed for the synthesis of nearly spherical copper nanoparticles, copper nanocubes and ribbon-like network nanostructures. The as-prepared copper nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), and UV-vis spectrum analysis. These copper products were fabricated in the presence of surfactant sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) acting not only as stabilizer but also as size and shape controller via hydrothermal reduction process.

Increased interaction between heat shock protein 27 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase) in pre-eclamptic placentas.

Aims: Heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) is a well-known stress response protein that is characterized by its phosphorylative capacity. Hsp27 becomes phosphorylated in response to various stimuli through interaction with several different kinases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interaction between Hsp27 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK], and c-Jun N-terminal kinase) in the human placenta derived from patients with pre-eclampsia.

Effect of COD/SO(4)2- ratio and Fe(II) under the variable hydraulic retention time (HRT) on fermentative hydrogen production.

The effect of chemical oxygen demand/sulfate (COD/SO(4)(2-)) ratio on fermentative hydrogen production using enriched mixed microflora has been studied. The chemostat system maintained with a substrate (glucose) concentration of 15 g COD L(-1) exhibited stable H(2) production at inlet sulfate concentrations of 0-20 g L(-1) during 282 days. The tested COD/SO(4)(2-) ratios ranged from 150 to 0.

Effect of vitrification method on survivability, follicular growth and ovulation of preantral follicles in mice.

Aim: This study was designed to compare the survival rates, follicular growth rates, and ovulation rates of vitrified preantral follicles (PF) from ovaries with those isolated from a vitrified ovarian cortical strip.

Methods: Mouse ovaries were divided into three groups: those not treated by vitrification of the PF (control), those treated by vitrification of the PF isolated from the ovaries (group I), and those treated by vitrification of ovarian tissue followed by PF isolation (group II). The group I samples were exposed to equilibration solution (EG-20) for 5.