Exposure of lung fibroblasts to PM and lead (Pb) induces fibrosis and apoptosis in alveolar epithelial cells via a paracrine effect.

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) and heavy metals (HMs) in the air is closely associated with the incidence and exacerbation of pulmonary fibrosis. Although the specific responses of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and lung fibroblasts to PM or HM exposure have been well defined, the cellular responses of lung fibroblasts to PM or HM exposure and the subsequent interactions with AECs remain poorly investigated. In this study, we demonstrated that human lung fibroblasts exposed to PM or lead (Pb) induced fibrotic changes and apoptosis in AECs.

CXCL11 reprograms M2-biased macrophage polarization to alleviate pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Background: In understanding the pathophysiology of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), macrophage plasticity has been implicated with a crucial role in the fibrogenic process. Growing evidence indicates that accumulation of M2 macrophages correlates with the progression of PF, suggesting that targeted modulation of molecules that influence M2 macrophage polarization could be a promising therapeutic approach for PF. Here, we demonstrated a decisive role of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 11 (CXCL11) in driving M1 macrophage polarization to alleviate PF in the bleomycin-induced murine model.

Impaired Osteogenesis of Disease-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from a CFC Syndrome Patient.

Cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. However, little is known about how aberrant ERK signaling is associated with the defective bone development manifested in most CFC syndrome patients. In this study, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from dermal fibroblasts of a CFC syndrome patient having rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase B (BRAF) gain-of-function mutation.

Long-term consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage during the growth period promotes social aggression in adult mice with proinflammatory responses in the brain.

Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is known to be a key contributor to the obesity epidemic; however, its effects on behavioral changes are yet to be fully studied. In the present study, we examined the long-term effects of SSB on social aggression in mice. Three-week-old weaned mice started to drink either a 30 w/v% sucrose solution (S30), plain water (CT), or an aspartame solution with sweetness equivalent to the sucrose solution (A30) and continued to drink until they were 11-week-old adults.

A self-aligning knee joint for walking assistance devices.

This paper presents a novel self-aligning knee mechanism for walking assistance devices for the elderly to provide physical gait assistance. Self-aligning knee joints can assist in flexion/extension motions of the knee joint and compensate the knee's transitional movements in the sagittal plane. In order to compensate the center of rotation, which moves with the flexion/extension motion of the human knee joint, a self-aligning knee joint is proposed that adds redundant degrees of freedom (i.

NPCARE: database of natural products and fractional extracts for cancer regulation.

Background: Natural products have increasingly attracted much attention as a valuable resource for the development of anticancer medicines due to the structural novelty and good bioavailability. This necessitates a comprehensive database for the natural products and the fractional extracts whose anticancer activities have been verified.

Description: NPCARE (http://silver.

Comparative Study of Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty for Femur Neck Fractures Treated with Cemented versus Cementless Stem.

Purpose: To compare and analyze clinical and radiologic outcomes of cemented versus cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty for treatment of femur neck fractures.

Materials And Methods: A total of 180 patients aged 65 years and over older who underwent bipolar hemiarthroplasty for treatment of displaced femur neck fractures (Garden stage III, IV) from March 2009 to February 2014 were included in this study. Among the 180 patients, 115 were treated with cemented stems and 65 patients with cementless stems.

Development of Analytical Method and Monitoring of Veterinary Drug Residues in Korean Animal Products.

This study was conducted to determine the residual amount of veterinary drugs such as meloxicam, flunixin, and tulathromycin in animal products (beef, pork, horsemeat, and milk). Veterinary drugs have been widely used in the rearing of livestock to prevent and treat diseases. A total of 152 samples were purchased from markets located in major Korean cities (Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan and Jeju), including Jeju.

Development of the SAIT single-port surgical access robot--slave arm based on RCM mechanism.

An innovative single-port surgical robot has recently been developed by the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT). The robot can reach various surgical sites inside the abdominal cavity from a single incision on the body. It has two 7-DOF surgical tools, a 3-DOF endoscope, a flexible hyper-redundant 6-DOF guide tube, and a 6-DOF manipulator.

Evaluation of effect of galvanic corrosion between nickel-chromium metal and titanium on ion release and cell toxicity.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate cell toxicity due to ion release caused by galvanic corrosion as a result of contact between base metal and titanium.

Materials And Methods: It was hypothesized that Nickel (Ni)-Chromium (Cr) alloys with different compositions possess different corrosion resistances when contacted with titanium abutment, and therefore in this study, specimens (10×10×1.5 mm) were fabricated using commercial pure titanium and 3 different types of Ni-Cr alloys (T3, Tilite, Bella bond plus) commonly used for metal ceramic restorations.

Enhanced SMAD1 Signaling Contributes to Impairments of Early Development in CFC-iPSCs.

Cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome is a developmental disorder caused by constitutively active ERK signaling manifesting mainly from BRAF mutations. Little is known about the role of elevated ERK signaling in CFC syndrome during early development. Here, we show that both SMAD1 and ERK signaling pathways may contribute to the developmental defects in CFC syndrome.

Chronic total occlusion by stent fracture in Kawasaki disease: is recanalisation possible?

Despite various medications for Kawasaki disease, a small number of children have been undergoing interventions for severe coronary artery complications. Transcatheter intervention is a feasible alternative to coronary artery bypass grafting in a patient with chronic totally occluded lesion after Kawasaki disease, even by stent fracture.

Clinical spectrum and prognostic factors of pediatric ventricular tachycardia.

Background: There have been no studies on the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of pediatric ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Methods And Results: Eighty-one patients with pediatric VT were studied retrospectively at a single center. The median follow-up period was 6.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester is a potent inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylase: structural analysis and pharmacological implication.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis from honeybee. We investigated a potential molecular mechanism underlying a CAPE-mediated protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and analyzed the structure contributing to the CAPE effect. CAPE induced hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) alpha protein, concomitantly transactivating the HIF-1 target genes vascular endothelial growth factor and heme oxygenase-1, which play a protective role in I/R injury.

Manganese (II) induces chemical hypoxia by inhibiting HIF-prolyl hydroxylase: implication in manganese-induced pulmonary inflammation.

Manganese (II), a transition metal, causes pulmonary inflammation upon environmental or occupational inhalation in excess. We investigated a potential molecular mechanism underlying manganese-induced pulmonary inflammation. Manganese (II) delayed HIF-1alpha protein disappearance, which occurred by inhibiting HIF-prolyl hydroxylase (HPH), the key enzyme for HIF-1alpha hydroxylation and subsequent von Hippel-Lindau(VHL)-dependent HIF-1alpha degradation.

Cardiovascular anomalies in patients with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion: a Korean multicenter study.

Background And Objectives: The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is reported with increasing frequency worldwide, and its clinical manifestations, including cardiovascular anomalies, appear to be more diverse than previously reported. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and the pattern of cardiovascular anomalies in Korean patients with 22q11 deletion.

Evaluation of viral clearance in the production of HPV-16 L1 virus-like particles purified from insect cell cultures.

Biopharmaceutical products produced from cell cultures have a potential for viral contamination from cell sources or from adventitious introduction during production. The objective of this study was to assess viral clearance in the production of insect cell-derived recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 type L1 virus-like particles (VLPs). We selected Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and minute virus of mice (MVM) as relevant viruses to achieve the aim of this study.

Pediatric radiofrequency catheter ablation: results of initial 100 consecutive cases including congenital heart anomalies.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has recently become a management option for pediatric tachycardia. We reviewed the records of a total of 100 patients (aged 10 months to 19 yr) who had undergone RFCA, from March 2000 to June 2004. Types of arrhythmia (age, acute success rate) were as follows: atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT, 9.

Late occurrence of adenosine-sensitive focal junctional tachycardia in complex congenital heart disease.

Background: Although supraventricular tachycardia in complex congenital heart disease (CHD) has been reported after surgical repair, its exact electrophysiologic identification has been limited to intraatrial reentrant tachycardia (IART). Moreover, junctional tachycardia (JT) has not previously been described as a cause of late postoperative arrhythmia.

Methods And Results: Since 1993, a total of 12 patients with congenital heart disease presented with paroxysmal focal JT.

A case of congenital junctional ectopic tachycardia: diagnosis and successful radiofrequency catheter ablation in infancy.

It is difficult to make a definitive diagnosis of congenital junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) in utero. We report a case in which congenial JET was suspected by fetal M-mode echocardiography. Fetal M-mode tracing of the atria and ventricle clearly showed a gradual acceleration of ventricular activity at the beginning of tachycardia, the warming-up sign of ectopic tachycardia, which was followed by simultaneous contractions of atrium and ventricle.

Twin AV node and induced supraventricular tachycardia in Fontan palliation patients.

Introduction: The coexistence of two distinct atrioventricular (AV) nodes has been described in congenital heart disease requiring Fontan type palliation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of twin AV node according to anatomical subgroups, and to determine its relation to tachycardia.

Methods: From 2001 to 2003, we performed an electrophysiologic (EP) study upon 52 consecutive patients who had undergone cardiac catheterization after Fontan completion.

Development of real-time RT-PCR for evaluation of JEV clearance during purification of HPV type 16 L1 virus-like particles.

Insect cell culture has greatly increased in part due to the widespread use of insect virus-based vectors for efficient expression of foreign proteins. Insect cells such as Sf9 cells are susceptible to arboviruses which may pose a safety concern by adventitious introduction during the production process. The objective of this study was to establish techniques for viral clearance validation of insect cell-derived biotechnological products using Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) as a model, since JEV is a member of arthropod-borne flaviviruses that are known to be infectious in insect cells.