Cataract Surgery Practice in the Republic of Korea: A Survey of the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2020.

Purpose: To describe current cataract surgery practice patterns and trends among Korean ophthalmologists.

Methods: A survey was conducted among members of the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery in October 2020. Of the 998 questionnaires, 262 (26.

Precision pulse capsulotomy in challenging cataract surgery cases.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of the precision pulse capsulotomy (PPC) device for challenging cataract surgery cases.

Patients And Methods: This single-center retrospective case series study comprised of 43 eyes (from 35 patients) that were challenging cataract surgery cases with poorly dilated pupils, anterior subcapsular opacity, white cataract, brunescent cataract, and corneal opacity. This was  conducted at the Busan Sungmo Eye Hospital (Busan, Republic of Korea) to assess the performance of the PPC device through a 2.

Clinical efficacy of combined topical 0.05% cyclosporine A and 0.1% sodium hyaluronate in the dry eyes with meibomian gland dysfunction.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of combined topical 0.05% cyclosporine A (CsA; Restasis, Allergan pharmaceuticals, USA) and 0.1% sodium hyaluronate treatment in dry eyes with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).

Comparison of postoperative optical quality according to the degree of decentering of V4c implantable collamer lens.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of V4c implantable collamer lens (Hole ICL) implantation with regard to the optical quality assessed according to different degrees of decentering.

Methods: This included 49 eyes that received conventional ICL and 94 eyes that received Hole ICL. The eyes that received Hole ICL were divided into three groups according to the degree of decentering: group 1, central hole within 1 hole diameter (HD) from the pupil center; group 2, central hole within 1 HD to 2 HD; and group 3, central hole within 2 HD to 3 HD.

Stand-Alone Cages for Anterior Cervical Fusion: Are There No Problems?

Objective: There are complications in stand-alone cage assisted anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), such as cage subsidence and kyphosis. Here we report our clinical result on ACDF, comparing with stand-alone cages and with cervical plate system for degenerative cervical spine diseases.

Methods: Patients with degenerative cervical disease who were diagnosed and treated in Konyang University Hospital between January 2004 and December 2014 were included in this study.

Wogonin suppresses TARC expression induced by mite antigen via heme oxygenase 1 in human keratinocytes. Suppressive effect of wogonin on mite antigen-induced TARC expression.

Background: Mite antigen, extract from Dermatophagoides farinae in house dust, is a well-known causative agent of atopy or allergic diseases, which involves many inflammatory cytokines/chemokines expression. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) has recently emerged as an important cytoprotective enzyme against oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in many cell types.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanism by which wogonin, a natural product isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis, inhibited the mite antigen-induced chemokine expression in human keratinocytes, HaCaT cells.

Comparative effects of curcuminoids on endothelial heme oxygenase-1 expression: ortho-methoxy groups are essential to enhance heme oxygenase activity and protection.

Recently, it has been reported that curcumin, which is known as a potent antioxidant, acts as a non- stressful and non-cytotoxic inducer of the cytoprotective heme oxygenase (HO)-1. In this study, naturally occurring curcuminoids, such as pure curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bis-demethoxycurcumin (BDMC), were compared for their potential ability to modulate HO-1 expression and cytoprotective activity in human endothelial cells. All three curcuminoids could induce HO-1 expression and HO activity with differential levels.

Identification of the functional elements in the promoter region of human DNA topoisomerase IIIbeta gene.

In this study, we have isolated and characterized the promoter region of the human DNA topoisomerase IIIbeta (hTOP3beta) gene. The 5' RACE assay showed a short exon 1 encoding only the 35-bp untranslated region and suggested the presence of multiple transcription initiation sites. The hTOP3beta gene promoter lacks a canonical TATA box or initiation element and is moderately high in GC content.