Comparison of tibial fracture plate length, placement, and fibular integrity effects on plate integrity through finite element analysis.

Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis is the most commonly used minimally invasive surgery technique for tibial fractures, possibly involving single or dual plate methods. Herein, we performed a finite element analysis to investigate plate strength according to the plate type, length, and presence of a fibula by constructing a three-dimensional tibia model. A thickness of 20 mm was cut 50 mm distal from the lateral plateau, and the ligaments were created.

Basic amino acid-mediated cationic amphiphilic surfaces for antimicrobial pH monitoring sensor with wound healing effects.

Background: The wound healing process is a complex cascade of physiological events, which are vulnerable to both our body status and external factors and whose impairment could lead to chronic wounds or wound healing impediments. Conventional wound healing materials are widely used in clinical management, however, they do not usually prevent wounds from being infected by bacteria or viruses. Therefore, simultaneous wound status monitoring and prevention of microbial infection are required to promote healing in clinical wound management.

Amino acid-mediated negatively charged surface improve antifouling and tribological characteristics for medical applications.

To prevent infections associated with biomedical catheters, various antimicrobial coatings have been investigated. However, those materials do not provide consistent antibacterial effects or biocompatibility, generally, due to degradation of the coating materials, in vivo. Additionally, biomedical catheters must have low surface friction to reduce tribological damage.

The Efficiency of Cyclosporine A-Eluting Contact Lenses for the Treatment of Dry Eye.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a new cyclosporine A (CsA) delivery system using contact lenses (CLs) for the treatment of experimental dry eye (EDE).

Methods: CsA-laden porous carriers and CsA-eluting CLs were fabricated using the supercritical fluid technique. The release of CsA from carriers and CLs was investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Roles of 5-HT on phase transition of neurite outgrowth in the identified serotoninergic neuron C1, Helisoma trivolvis.

Neurite outgrowth is a morphological marker of neuronal differentiation and neuroregeneration, and the process includes four essential phases, namely initiation, elongation, guidance and cessation. Intrinsic and extrinsic signaling molecules seem to involve morphological changes of neurite outgrowth via various cellular signaling cascades phase transition. Although mechanisms associated with neurite outgrowth have been studied extensively, little is known about how phase transition is regulated during neurite outgrowth.

Pharmacotherapy Prescription Trends for Cognitive-Behavioral Disorder in Patients With Brain Injury in Korea.

Objective: To investigate the current status of pharmacotherapy prescribed by physiatrists in Korea for cognitive-behavioral disorder.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by mailing questionnaires to 289 physiatrists working at teaching hospitals. Items on the questionnaire evaluated prescribing patterns of 16 drugs related to cognitive-behavioral therapy, the status of combination pharmacotherapy, and tools for assessing target symptoms.

Association Between Spasticity and Functional Impairments During the First Year After Stroke in Korea: The KOSCO Study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between spasticity severity and functional outcomes during the first year after stroke.

Design: The Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation is a large, multicenter, prospective cohort study of all patients with acute first-ever stroke admitted to participating hospitals in nine Korean areas. To investigate the correlation between spasticity severity and functional status measured by using the Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC), modified Rankin scale (mRS), and American Speech-Language Hearing Association National Outcome Measurement System Swallowing Scale (ASHA-NOMS), data were analyzed at 3, 6, and 12 mos after the occurrence of stroke.

Scoring model to predict massive post-partum bleeding in pregnancies with placenta previa: A retrospective cohort study.

Aim: We aimed to identify factors associated with massive post-partum bleeding in pregnancies with placenta previa and to establish a scoring model to predict post-partum severe bleeding.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed in 506 healthy singleton pregnancies with placenta previa from 2006 to 2016. Cases with intraoperative blood loss (≥2000 mL), packed red blood cells transfusion (≥4), uterine artery embolization, or hysterectomy were defined as massive bleeding.

Application of Rapid Prototyping Technique and Intraoperative Navigation System for the Repair and Reconstruction of Orbital Wall Fractures.

Background: Restoring the orbital cavity in large blow out fractures is a challenge for surgeons due to the anatomical complexity. This study evaluated the clinical outcomes and orbital volume after orbital wall fracture repair using a rapid prototyping (RP) technique and intraoperative navigation system.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted on the medical records and radiology records of 12 patients who had undergone a unilateral blow out fracture reconstruction using a RP technique and an intraoperative navigation system from November 2014 to March 2015.

Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to Propylene Glycol on Nanosized Cu-Zn-Al Catalysts Prepared Using Microwave Process.

Cu-Zn-Al catalysts were prepared using microwave-assisted process and co-precipitation methods. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, XPS and TPD of ammonia and their catalytic activity for the hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propylene glycol was also examined. The XRD patterns of Cu/Zn/Al mixed catalysts show CuO and ZnO crystalline phase regardless of preparation method.

The Effect of Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae Inoculations on the Formation of Non-conductive Sapwood of Quercus mongolica.

In Korea, mass mortality of Quercus mongolica trees has become obvious since 2004. Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae is believed to be a causal fungus contributing the mortality. To evaluate the pathogenicity of the fungus to the trees, the fungus was multiple- and single-inoculated to the seedlings and twigs of the mature trees, respectively.

Antiobesity activity of a sphingosine 1-phosphate analogue FTY720 observed in adipocytes and obese mouse model.

Higher levels of body fat are associated with an increased risk for development numerous adverse health conditions. FTY720 is an immune modulator and a synthetic analogue of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), activated S1P receptors and is effective in experimental models of transplantation and autoimmunity. Whereas immune modulation by FTY720 has been extensively studied, other actions of FTY720 are not well understood.

Roles of putative sodium-hydrogen antiporter (SHA) genes in S. coelicolor A3(2) culture with pH variation.

Culture pH change has some important roles in signal transduction and secondary metabolism. We have already reported that acidic pH shock enhanced actinorhodin production in Streptomyces coelicolor. Among many potential governing factors on pH variation, the putative Na(+)/H(+) antiporter (sha) genes in S.

Bisphosphonate enhances TRAIL sensitivity to human osteosarcoma cells via death receptor 5 upregulation.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF superfamily of cytokines, is one of the most promising candidates for cancer therapeutics. However, many osteosarcomas are resistant to TRAIL. Bisphosphonates are very effective in the treatment of bone problems associated with malignancies; the antitumor effects are due to the inhibition of protein prenylation that is essential for cell function and survival.

Quantitative analysis of valiolamine through pre-column derivatization with phenylisocyanate using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection: selection of reagent, identification of derivative and optimization of derivatization conditions.

This report describes the improved quantitative determination of valiolamine in a medium for microbial culture using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Valiolamine aqueous solution was dried, dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and derivatization performances of phenylisocyanate (PHI), 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenznene and 1-naphthylisothiocyanate were compared in the presence of triethylamine. The PHI was chosen as the most suitable derivatization reagent and the valiolamine-PHI derivative was identified by thin-layer chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Acidic pH shock induces the expressions of a wide range of stress-response genes.

Background: Environmental signals usually enhance secondary metabolite production in Streptomycetes by initiating complex signal transduction system. It is known that different sigma factors respond to different types of stresses, respectively in Streptomyces strains, which have a number of unique signal transduction mechanisms depending on the types of environmental shock. In this study, we wanted to know how a pH shock would affect the expression of various sigma factors and shock-related proteins in S.

pH shock induces overexpression of regulatory and biosynthetic genes for actinorhodin productionin Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

Actinorhodin production is markedly enhanced when an acidic pH shock is applied to a surface-grown culture of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). For an in-depth study of this phenomenon, transcriptional analyses using DNA microarrays and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and proteomic analysis were performed. Investigated were expression levels of the regulators and enzymes responsible for signal transduction and actinorhodin biosynthesis and enzymes involved in some major metabolic pathways.

Predominance of hepatitis B virus YMDD mutants is prognostic of viral DNA breakthrough.

Background & Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) tyrosine, methionine, aspartate, aspartate (YMDD) mutants with or without additional compensatory mutations occur in chronically infected patients during lamivudine therapy and may be associated with accompanying viral breakthrough. The aim of this study was to determine whether a predominance of YMDD mutants could be a prognostic marker for occurrence of viral DNA breakthrough.

Methods: YMDD genotypes in 740 consecutive samples collected from 116 patients throughout lamivudine treatment were retrospectively analyzed using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based genotyping assay, termed restriction fragment mass polymorphism (RFMP).

Thioredoxin overexpression in HT-1080 cells induced cellular senescence and sensitization to gamma radiation.

An increment of thioredoxin-1 (TRX) is observed in many human primary cancers and appears to contribute to an increase of cell growth and a resistance to chemotherapy. On the contrary, when TRX was overexpressed in the HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells, the cell growth was retarded and chromosomal polyploidy and cellular senescence were induced. TRX-overexpression made HT-1080 cells resistant to an oxidative stress caused by H2O2 or paraquat.

GAD 67KD antisense in colon cancer cells inhibits cell growth and sensitizes to butyrate and pH reduction and H2O2 and gamma-radiation.

In eukaryotes, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) expression was found in brain, kidney, and several kinds of tumor tissues. But its function has been emphasized only as a neurotransmitter-synthesizer, the role in controlling intracellular physiology is poorly understood. According to our studies, when GAD 67KD expression in colon cancer HT-29 cell was repressed by antisense DNA, the cell proliferation was significantly inhibited.

Human cytomegalovirus induces apoptosis in promonocyte THP-1 cells but not in promyeloid HL-60 cells.

The effect of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection on the viability of the cells in the monocyte/myeloid lineage was investigated. Two cell lines at different stages in the differentiation pathway, the less differentiated promyeloid HL-60 and the more differentiated promonocyte THP-1 cells, were used in this study. While the viability of THP-1 cells was significantly impaired by HCMV infection, the viability of HL-60 cells was not affected.

Human cytomegalovirus binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface and/or entry stimulates the expression of human leukocyte antigen class I.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is known to down-regulate the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, the process of which involves a subset of virus genes. Infection of human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells with UV-inactivated HCMV (UV-HCMV), however, resulted in an increase in HLA class I presentation on the cell surface in the absence of HCMV gene expression. Heparin, which inhibits the interaction of virus particles with cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), blocked the effect of UV-HCMV on HLA class I expression.