Carbon dioxide laser combined with botulinum toxin A for patients with periorbital syringomas.

Background: Although various destructive methods have been described for treating syringomas, they are often associated with significant scarring and recurrence. In 2007, multiple-drilling method using carbon dioxide (CO2) laser was introduced as an alternative modality to gain good cosmetic results.

Objective: To retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of CO2 laser combined with botulinum toxin A (BTXA) as treatment for syringomas.

Risk factors for delayed post-polypectomy bleeding.

Background/aims: Among the many complications that can occur following therapeutic endoscopy, bleeding is the most serious, which occurs in 1.0-6.1% of all colonoscopic polypectomies.

Does accelerometer feedback on high-quality chest compression improve survival rate? An in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation.

Objective: We investigated whether visual feedback from an accelerometer device facilitated high-quality chest compressions during an in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation using a manikin.

Methods: Thirty health care providers participated in an in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation with 1 minute of continuous chest compressions. Chest compressions were performed on a manikin lying on a bed according to visual feedback from an accelerometer feedback device.

Incretin secretion in obese Korean children and adolescents with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Objective: The role of incretins in type 2 diabetes is controversial. This study investigated the association between incretin levels in obese Korean children and adolescents newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Design: We performed a 2-hr oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in obese children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes and with normal glucose tolerance.

Functional recombinants designed from a fetuin/asialofetuin-specific marine algal lectin, rhodobindin.

Plant lectins have attracted much attention for biomedical applications including targeted drug delivery system and therapy against tumors and microbial infections. The main problem of using lectins as a biomedical tool is a batch-to-batch variation in isoforms content. The production of lectins using recombination tools has the advantage of obtaining high amounts of proteins with more precise properties, but there are only a handful of functional recombinant lectins presently available.

Topical glucocorticoid or pimecrolimus treatment suppresses thymic stromal lymphopoietin-related allergic inflammatory mechanism in an oxazolone-induced atopic dermatitis murine model.

Congenitally or early impaired skin barrier as the first event starting the 'atopic march' in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients can increase allergen penetration that results in sensitization, even in the airways, followed by asthma and allergic rhinitis. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine existing in high levels in AD skin and is considered as a novel therapeutic target for atopic disease. We generated oxazolone (Ox)-induced AD-like (Ox-AD) hairless mice and divided them into four groups according to the therapeutic challenges: topical glucocorticoid, pimecrolimus, emollient, and control (acetone-only treated).

Hair-growth stimulation by conditioned medium from vitamin D3-activated preadipocytes in C57BL/6 mice.

Aims: Recently, immature adipocyte lineage cells have been suggested as a potential hair-growth stimulator. Diverse studies have been attempted to find methods for the preconditioning of immature adipocyte lineage cells. The present study investigates the effect of conditioned medium (CM) from vitamin D3 (Vd3) pre-activated preadipocytes on hair-growth ability.

Interleukin-18 enhances breast cancer cell migration via down-regulation of claudin-12 and induction of the p38 MAPK pathway.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) was recently reported to have a pro-tumor effect in various cancers. Increased IL-18 levels in the serum of cancer patients correlated with malignancy, and IL-18 acts a crucial factor for cell migration in gastric cancer and melanoma. Claudins, which are the most important tight junction proteins, are also linked with cancer progression and metastasis.

Ventilation impairment of residents around a cement plant.

Objectives: To identify adverse health effects due to air pollution derived from a cement plant in Korea. The ventilation impairment in residents around a cement plant was compared to another group through a pulmonary function test (PFT).

Methods: From June to August of 2013, both a pre and post-bronchodilator PFT was conducted on a "more exposed group (MEG)" which consisted of 318 people who lived within a 1 km radius of a cement plant and a "less exposed group (LEG)" which consisted of 129 people who lived more than 5 km away from the same plant.

Serum lipid profiles and glycemic control in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate serum lipid profiles and glycemic control in adolescents and young adults with type 1diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 29 Korean young adults and adolescents with T1DM. The median age was 17 years (range, 10-25 years) and 18 (62.

Effects of fictive reward on rat's choice behavior.

Choices of humans and non-human primates are influenced by both actually experienced and fictive outcomes. To test whether this is also the case in rodents, we examined rat's choice behavior in a binary choice task in which variable magnitudes of actual and fictive rewards were delivered. We found that the animal's choice was significantly influenced by the magnitudes of both actual and fictive rewards in the previous trial.

Social deficits in IRSp53 mutant mice improved by NMDAR and mGluR5 suppression.

Social deficits are observed in diverse psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. We found that mice lacking the excitatory synaptic signaling scaffold IRSp53 (also known as BAIAP2) showed impaired social interaction and communication. Treatment of IRSp53(-/-) mice, which display enhanced NMDA receptor (NMDAR) function in the hippocampus, with memantine, an NMDAR antagonist, or MPEP, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist that indirectly inhibits NMDAR function, normalized social interaction.

Expression of glucagon-like Peptide-1 receptor in papillary thyroid carcinoma and its clinicopathologic significance.

Background: Incretin-based therapies are rapidly becoming one of the main glycemic control strategies in diabetes. Considering the large numbers of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) and possible effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on cell proliferation, the expression of GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in PTC is likely to have clinical significance. We performed this study to evaluate the expression of GLP-1R in PTC and the clinical meaning of GLP-1R expression in PTC.

Arthroscopic repair of a significant (>50%) partial-thickness subscapularis tear concomitant with a full-thickness supraspinatus tear: technical considerations for subscapularis repair (transtendon technique versus tear completion).

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes and structural integrity of arthroscopic repair by either transtendon repair or tear completion for a significant (>50%) partial-thickness articular-side subscapularis tear associated with a full-thickness supraspinatus tear.

Methods: The study population comprised 109 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair for partial-thickness subscapularis tears associated with full-thickness supraspinatus tears with either a transtendon technique (81 patients, group T) or tear completion (28 patients, group C). Pain on a visual analog scale; the Subjective Shoulder Value; the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score; and the University of California, Los Angeles shoulder score were used to compare clinical outcomes between the 2 groups.

Arthroscopic repair of anterosuperior rotator cuff tears: in-continuity technique vs. disruption of subscapularis-supraspinatus tear margin: comparison of clinical outcomes and structural integrity between the two techniques.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and structural integrity after two techniques of arthroscopic anterosuperior rotator cuff repair: in continuity and disruption of the tear margin.

Methods: This study included fifty-nine patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of an anterosuperior rotator cuff tear that was done either by disrupting the margin between the subscapularis and supraspinatus tears (Group A) or by performing the repair in continuity without disrupting the margin (Group B). Clinical outcomes were assessed on the basis of a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, subjective shoulder value (SSV), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score, and active range of motion of the shoulder.

Safety and efficacy of a partially covered self-expandable metal stent in benign pyloric obstruction.

Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of partially covered self-expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) in benign pyloric obstruction.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 10 consecutive patients with peptic ulcer-related pyloric obstructive symptoms (gastric outlet obstruction scoring system (GOOSS) score of 1) between March 2012 and September 2013. The patients were referred to and managed by partially covered SEMS insertion in our tertiary academic center.

Functional relationships between the hippocampus and dorsomedial striatum in learning a visual scene-based memory task in rats.

The hippocampus is important for contextual behavior, and the striatum plays key roles in decision making. When studying the functional relationships with the hippocampus, prior studies have focused mostly on the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), emphasizing the antagonistic relationships between the hippocampus and DLS in spatial versus response learning. By contrast, the functional relationships between the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and hippocampus are relatively unknown.

Role of dopamine D2 receptors in optimizing choice strategy in a dynamic and uncertain environment.

In order to investigate roles of dopamine receptor subtypes in reward-based learning, we examined choice behavior of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-knockout (D1R-KO and D2R-KO, respectively) mice in an instrumental learning task with progressively increasing reversal frequency and a dynamic two-armed bandit task. Performance of D2R-KO mice was progressively impaired in the former as the frequency of reversal increased and profoundly impaired in the latter even with prolonged training, whereas D1R-KO mice showed relatively minor performance deficits. Choice behavior in the dynamic two-armed bandit task was well explained by a hybrid model including win-stay-lose-switch and reinforcement learning terms.

Gallic acid regulates body weight and glucose homeostasis through AMPK activation.

Gallic acid [3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (GA)], a natural phytochemical, is known to have a variety of cellular functions including beneficial effects on metabolic syndromes. However, the molecular mechanism by which GA exerts its beneficial effects is not known. Here we report that GA plays its role through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and by regulating mitochondrial function via the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator1α (PGC1α).

Classification and surgical correction of asymmetric calves in Asians.

Background: In Asia, one of the most important factors in being physically attractive is to have aesthetically pleasing legs, which has made calf contouring surgery an issue nowadays. When one leg is abnormally changed because of various factors (e.g.

Earlier re-evaluation may be possible in pediatric patients with eutopic congenital hypothyroidism requiring lower L-thyroxine doses.

Purpose: The incidence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) has increased in several countries. Lower cut-off in screening programs have led to an increase in the proportion of transient hypothyroidism (TH) cases diagnosed, leading to debate on the associated clinical and economic impact. This study aimed to identify factors that would allow discrimination between TH and permanent CH (PH) in patients with a eutopic thyroid gland.

Pepper, chili (Capsicum annuum).

Pepper is a recalcitrant plant for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. Several obstacles to genetic transformation remain such as extremely low transformation rates; the choice of correct genotype is critical; and there is a high frequency of false positives due to direct shoot formation. Here, we report a useful protocol with a suitable selection method.

Association of Toll-like receptor 10 polymorphisms with autoimmune thyroid disease in Korean children.

Background: The Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are germline-encoded receptors that play an essential role in initiating the immune response against pathogens. In this study, we assess the association of TLR polymorphism with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in Korean children.

Methods: We investigated three polymorphisms in the TLR10 gene (rs4129009, rs11096956, and rs10004195) in 85 Korean AITD patients (Graves' disease, [GD]=50, Hashimoto's disease [HD]=35; thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy [TAO]=23, non-TAO=62; male=16, female=69; mean age=13.