Effects of exercise and diet change on cognition function and synaptic plasticity in high fat diet induced obese rats.

Background: Nutritional imbalance-induced obesity causes a variety of diseases and in particular is an important cause of cognitive function decline. This study was performed on Sprague Dawley (SD) rats with 13-weeks of high fat diet-induced obesity in connection to the effects of regular exercise and dietary control for 8 weeks on the synaptic plasticity and cognitive abilities of brain.

Methods: Four weeks-old SD rats were adopted classified into normal-normal diet-sedentary (NNS, n = 8), obesity-high fat diet-sedentary (OHS, n = 8), obesity-high fat diet-training (OHT, n = 8), obesity-normal diet-sedentary (ONS, n = 8) and obesity- normal diet-training (ONT, n = 8).

Improvement of somatic embryogenesis and plantlet conversion in Oplopanax elatus, an endangered medicinal woody plant.

Oplopanax elatus is a medicinal plant on the verge of extinction because of overexploitation. In the present study, the effects of various factors on enhancing somatic embryogenesis and plantlet conversion were studied. Mature seeds were collected from a total of 13 plants from 4 mountains in South Korea, and the genetic distances were calculated to analyze the effect of genotype on somatic embryogenesis.

Sea-urchin-like iron oxide nanostructures for water treatment.

To obtain adsorbents with high capacities for removing heavy metals and organic pollutants capable of quick magnetic separation, we fabricated unique sea-urchin-like magnetic iron oxide (mixed γ-Fe2O3/Fe3O4 phase) nanostructures (called u-MFN) with large surface areas (94.1m(2) g(-1)) and strong magnetic properties (57.9 emu g(-1)) using a simple growth process and investigated their potential applications in water treatment.

A case of possible neurosarcoidosis presenting as intractable headache and panhypopituitarism.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic multisystemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, which is characterized by noncaseating granulomatous inflammation of the involved organs. It is known that neurosarcoidosis involving the nervous system occurs in about 5% of patients with sarcoidosis. However, neurosarcoidosis without systemic involvement is extremely rare.

Influence of initial treatment modality on long-term control of chronic idiopathic urticaria.

Background: Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is a common cutaneous disorder but the influence of initial treatment modality on long-term control is not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical features, and the influence of initial treatment modality on long-term control.

Methods And Results: 641 CIU patients were enrolled from the allergy clinic in a tertiary referral hospital.

Circadian phase-dependent effect of nitric oxide on L-type voltage-gated calcium channels in avian cone photoreceptors.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in phase-shifting of circadian neuronal activities in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and circadian behavior activity rhythms. In the retina, NO production is increased in a light-dependent manner. While endogenous circadian oscillators in retinal photoreceptors regulate their physiological states, it is not clear whether NO also participates in the circadian regulation of photoreceptors.

Simultaneously detected parosteal osteoma and osteochondroma in the distal femur of a single patient.

Parosteal osteoma arising from long tubular bone is an extremely rare bone tumor and should be distinguished from parosteal osteosarcoma, whereas osteochondroma is a common benign bone tumor showing an outgrowth of medullary and cortical bone with a cartilaginous cap. This report describes simultaneously detected parosteal osteoma and osteochondroma arising from the distal femur in a single patient.

A case of idiopathic anaphylaxis followed by acute liver injury.

Idiopathic anaphylaxis is characterized by recurrent anaphylaxis without a known trigger. The coexistence of acute liver injury with idiopathic anaphylaxis is rare, even in cases of severe anaphylaxis such as shock. An unusual case involving repeated episodes of anaphylactic shock accompanied by acute liver injury is described here.

Early-onset neutropenia during perioperative chemotherapy is predictive of increased survival in patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) has been found to be predictive of better therapeutic outcomes in studies of patients with various tumors. This study investigated whether CIN occurring during perioperative chemotherapy cycles 1 or 2 is a prognostic indicator in patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: The records of patients with completely resected NSCLC receiving at least two cycles of perioperative platinum-based doublet chemotherapy were reviewed retrospectively.

Nasal pH in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis before and after endoscopic sinus surgery.

Purpose: Physiologically acidic nasal pH depends on intact nasal mucosal function. The aim of this study was to determine nasal pH in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and to investigate the changes in pH related to mucosal healing after endoscopic sinus surgery.

Materials And Methods: Normal subjects and the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who showed no recurrence after endoscopic sinus surgery were enrolled.

Licochalcone E present in licorice suppresses lung metastasis in the 4T1 mammary orthotopic cancer model.

We investigated whether licochalcone E (LicE), a phenolic constituent of licorice, inhibits mammary tumor growth and metastasis using animal and cell culture models. 4T1 mammary carcinoma cells were injected into the mammary fat pads of syngeneic BALB/c mice. Starting 7 days after the injection, the mice received LicE (7 or 14 mg/kg body weight/day) via oral gavage for 25 days.

In vivo silicon-based flexible radio frequency integrated circuits monolithically encapsulated with biocompatible liquid crystal polymers.

Biointegrated electronics have been investigated for various healthcare applications which can introduce biomedical systems into the human body. Silicon-based semiconductors perform significant roles of nerve stimulation, signal analysis, and wireless communication in implantable electronics. However, the current large-scale integration (LSI) chips have limitations in in vivo devices due to their rigid and bulky properties.

Simple and rapid detection of L-Dopa decarboxylase activity using gold nanoparticles.

We developed a new detection method for L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) activity using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). When L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-Dopa) is decarboxylated to dopamine (DA) by DDC, DA induces the aggregation of AuNPs, and the color of the AuNPs changes from red to blue.

A case report of lung cancer in a horse trainer caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica: an exposure assessment.

Here, we present a case of lung cancer in a 48-year-old male horse trainer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such case report to include an exposure assessment of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) as a quartz. The trainer had no family history of lung cancer.

The Neuregulin-Rac-MKK7 pathway regulates antagonistic c-jun/Krox20 expression in Schwann cell dedifferentiation.

Schwann cells respond to nerve injury by dedifferentiating into immature states and producing neurotrophic factors, two actions that facilitate successful regeneration of axons. Previous reports have implicated the Raf-ERK cascade and the expression of c-jun in these Schwann cell responses. Here we used cultured primary Schwann cells to demonstrate that active Rac1 GTPase (Rac) functions as a negative regulator of Schwann cell differentiation by upregulating c-jun and downregulating Krox20 through the MKK7-JNK pathway, but not through the Raf-ERK pathway.

Predictive value of circulating interleukin-6 and heart-type fatty acid binding protein for three months clinical outcome in acute cerebral infarction: multiple blood markers profiling study.

Introduction: There is no single blood marker for predicting the prognosis in ischemic stroke. A combination of multiple blood markers may enhance the ability to predict long-term outcome following ischemic stroke.

Methods: Blood concentrations of neuronal markers (neuron-specific enolase, visinin-like protein 1, heart type fatty acid binding protein (hFABP) and neuroglobin), astroglial markers (S100B and glial fibrillary acidic protein), inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, and C-reactive protein), blood-brain barrier marker (matrix metalloproteinase 9), and haemostatic markers (D-dimer and PAI-1) were measured within 24 hours after stroke onset.

Relation of Pulmonary Function Impairment and Coronary Artery Calcification by Multi-detector Computed Tomography in Group Exposed to Inorganic Dusts.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of pulmonary function impairment (PFI) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) by multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), and the effect of pneumoconiosis on CAC or PFI.

Methods: Seventy-six subjects exposed to inorganic dusts underwent coronary artery calcium scoring by MDCT, spirometry, laboratory tests, and a standardized questionnaire. CAC was quantified using a commercial software (Rapidia ver.

Suppression of LPS-induced inflammatory responses by inflexanin B in BV2 microglial cells.

Microglia are a type of resident macrophage that functions as an inflammation modulator in the central nervous system. Over-activation of microglia by a range of stimuli disrupts the physiological homeostasis of the brain, and induces inflammatory response and degenerative processes, such as those implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, we investigated the possible anti-inflammatory mechanisms of inflexanin B in murine microglial BV2 cells.

Hemin, heme oxygenase-1 inducer, attenuates immobilization-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in mice.

Aims: The present study examined the effect of the heme oxygenase (HO)-1 inducer hemin on skeletal muscle atrophy induced by single limb immobilization in mice.

Main Methods: Immobilization was conducted in the left hindlimb of C57BL/6 mice for 1 week and the right hindlimb was used as a control. Hemin (30 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally once a day during the immobilization period.

IGFBP5 mediates high glucose-induced cardiac fibroblast activation.

This study examined whether IGF-binding protein 5 (IGFBP5) is involved in the high glucose-induced deteriorating effects in cardiac cells. Cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes were isolated from the hearts of 1- to 3-day-old Sprague Dawley rats. Treatment of fibroblasts with 25 mM glucose increased the number of cells and the mRNA levels of collagen III, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), and MMP9.

Effect of Onchocerca volvulus chitinase on MUC5B expression in human airway epithelial cells.

Background: Chitin is an essential structural component of the wall of fungal cells and is present in the exoskeleton of arthropods. It has been generally assumed that mammals lack the ability to produce chitinase proteins, the enzymes responsible for chitin degradation. However, recent studies have indicated that mammals produce chitinases and chitinase-like proteins, and chitinase plays a potential role in human asthma and allergic inflammation.

Efficacy of intratympanic steroid therapy for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: comparison with systemic steroid therapy and combined therapy.

Conclusion: Intratympanic steroid therapy (IT-S) was as effective as systemic steroid therapy (SST) or combined therapy (CT) and could be considered a first-line therapeutic modality for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Due to its known safety and efficacy, IT-S will be particularly suitable for patients with SSNHL who have chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or chronic renal failure.

Objectives: Systemic high dose steroid therapy is the main therapeutic modality for SSNHL.

A case of carbon monoxide poisoning with thrombus in right atrium.

Carbon monoxide is a nonirritant, odorless, colorless gas. Its effects are prominent in organs most sensitive to oxygen deprivation, such as the heart, brain, and kidney. Although less frequently, an association between thromboembolic events and carbon monoxide poisoning has been shown in the literatures.