Investigations for Design Estimation of an Anisotropic Polymer Matrix Composite Plate with a Central Circular Hole under Uniaxial Tension.

Composite plates with holes are common in engineering applications, such as the automotive and aerospace industries. Three-dimensional braided carbon/epoxy polymers are an advanced textile composite and are used in various structures due to their high damage resistance and relatively low manufacturing cost. When a braided polymer plate with a hole is used in engineering applications, it is necessary to know its mechanical behavior under loading conditions using analysis theory to design it better.

Roles for Ndel1 in keratin organization and desmosome function.

Keratin intermediate filaments form dynamic polymer networks that organize in specific ways dependent on the cell type, the stage of the cell cycle, and the state of the cell. In differentiated cells of the epidermis, they are organized by desmosomes, cell-cell adhesion complexes that provide essential mechanical integrity to this tissue. Despite this, we know little about how keratin organization is controlled and whether desmosomes locally regulate keratin dynamics in addition to binding preassembled filaments.

Programming of macrophages by UV-irradiated apoptotic cancer cells inhibits cancer progression and lung metastasis.

Apoptotic cell clearance by phagocytes is essential in tissue homeostasis. We demonstrated that conditioned medium (CM) from macrophages exposed to apoptotic cancer cells inhibits the TGFβ1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion of cancer cells. Apoptotic 344SQ (ApoSQ) cell-induced PPARγ activity in macrophages increased the levels of PTEN, which was secreted in exosomes.

Is the Location of the Tumor Another Prognostic Factor for Patients With Colon Cancer?

Purpose: In this study, we investigated both the characteristics of right colon cancer (RTCC) in comparison with those of left colon cancer (LTCC) and the impact of the location of the colon cancer on the prognosis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 974 patients with nonmetastatic colon cancer who had undergone surgery with a curative intent from January 2001 to December 2011. RTCC was defined as a tumor located proximal to the splenic flexure.

Interaction of macrophages with apoptotic cells inhibits transdifferentiation and invasion of lung fibroblasts.

The invasion of activated fibroblasts is a key mechanism of tissue fibrosis pathology. The recognition and uptake of apoptotic cells can induce the anti-fibrogenic programming of macrophages. We demonstrate that after interacting with apoptotic cells, macrophages secrete bioactive molecules that antagonize TGF-β1-induced increases in myofibroblast (fibroproliferative) phenotypic markers and reduce the enhanced invasive capacity of TGF-β1- or EGF-treated mouse lung fibroblasts (MLg).

The interactive association of smoking and drinking levels with presence of periodontitis in South Korean adults.

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic and long-lasting low-grade inflammatory disease. Numerous studies have shown that the severity of periodontitis rose when there was an increase in the amount of smoking or alcohol consumption. However, as periodontitis known as a chronic disease, it is important to consider not only the amount but "duration" with frequency i.

The Role of the Pleckstrin Homology Domain-containing Protein CKIP-1 in Activation of p21-activated Kinase 1 (PAK1).

Upon growth factor stimulation, PAK1 is recruited to the plasma membrane and activated by a mechanism that requires its phosphorylation at Ser-223 by the protein kinase CK2. However, the upstream signaling molecules that regulate this phosphorylation event are not clearly defined. Here, we demonstrate a major role of the CK2α-interacting protein CKIP-1 in activation of PAK1.

Association of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid levels with self-reported depression symptoms in a rural elderly population in Asan, South Korea.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the association between presence of depression symptoms and the exposure level to insecticides among aged population in rural area, determined via measured levels of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), after controlling for socioeconomic confounding factors.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we randomly recruited participants for our study (161 male and 239 female) from rural areas of Asan, Chungnam, Korea. Environmental risk factor exposure was assessed using a questionnaire, and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry was used to analyze urinary 3-PBA levels.

Glucose starvation-induced turnover of the yeast glucose transporter Hxt1.

Background: The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses multiple glucose transporters with different affinities for glucose that enable it to respond to a wide range of glucose concentrations. The steady-state levels of glucose transporters are regulated in response to changes in the availability of glucose. This study investigates the glucose regulation of the low affinity, high capacity glucose transporter Hxt1.

Acute Symptoms in Firefighters who Participated in Collection Work after the Community Hydrogen Fluoride Spill Accident.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between clinical status and work characteristics of firefighters and other public officers who engaged on collection duties in the site of the hydrogen fluoride spill that occurred on September 27, 2012, in Gumi City, South Korea.

Methods: We investigated the clinical status, personal history, and work characteristics of the study subjects and performed physical examination and several clinical examinations, including chest radiography, echocardiography, pulmonary function test, and blood testing in 348 firefighters, police officers, volunteer firefighters, and special warfare reserved force who worked at the hydrogen fluoride spill area.

Results: The subjects who worked near the accident site more frequently experienced eye symptoms (p = 0.

Retinoic acid receptor alpha: One of plasma biomarkers associated with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Exacerbation of COPD is a major risk factor for bad prognosis of COPD. A few plasma proteins have been discovered to associate with hospital admission due to exacerbation up to date. We tried to find new plasma biomarkers to predict the exacerbation of COPD.

Elevation of S100 calcium binding protein A9 in sputum of neutrophilic inflammation in severe uncontrolled asthma.

Background: Neutrophilic airway inflammation is frequently observed in severe uncontrolled asthma (UA) and controlled asthma (CA). However, there is no sputum biomarker to differentiate the 2 conditions.

Objective: To identify biomarkers of severe uncontrolled asthma with neutrophilic airway inflammation.

Protein kinase CK2 phosphorylates and activates p21-activated kinase 1.

Activation of the p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) is achieved through a conformational change that converts an inactive PAK1 dimer to an active monomer. In this paper, we show that this change is necessary but not sufficient to activate PAK1 and that it is, rather, required for CK2-dependent PAK1(S223) phosphorylation that converts a monomeric PAK1 into a catalytically active form. This phosphorylation appears to be essential for autophosphorylation at specific residues and overall activity of PAK1.

Telomerase- and angiogenesis-related gene responses to irradiation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

In this study, we investigated the effects of ionizing radiation (IR) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the context of senescence. HUVECs at passage number (PN)1, PN2 and PN3 were exposed to irradiation (2 Gy). The growth rate of the HUVECS was measured by proliferation assay and senescence-associated β-galactosidase assay was used to measure the number of senescent cells.

The relationship between psychosocial stress and allergic disease among children and adolescents in Gwangyang Bay, Korea.

Objectives: Stress is considered a causal factor in many diseases, allergic disease being one of them. The prevalence of allergic disease is increasing in Korea, but the relationship between allergic symptoms and stress is not empirically well known. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between allergy-related symptoms and stress in children and adolescents.

Synergistic anti-cancer effects of resveratrol and chemotherapeutic agent clofarabine against human malignant mesothelioma MSTO-211H cells.

Dietary phytochemicals as adjuvants have been suggested to play important roles in enhancing chemotherapeutic potential owing to multitargeted chemopreventive properties and lack of substantial toxicity. Here, we investigated the efficacy of the combined treatment of various phytochemicals with the anticancer drug clofarabine in malignant mesothelioma MSTO-211H cells and normal mesothelial MeT-5A cells. The combined treatment of resveratrol and clofarabine produced a synergistic antiproliferative effect in MSTO-211H cells, but not in MeT-5A cells.

Winter season temperature drops and sulfur dioxide levels affect on exacerbation of refractory asthma in South Korea: a time-trend controlled case-crossover study using soonchunhyang asthma cohort data.

Objective: According to the American Thoracic Society, approximately 5% of all asthmatics have refractory asthma (RA); these patients fail to recover lost lung function even after long-term treatment with high doses of medications.

Methods: Using a time-trend controlled case-crossover study design, we calculated odds ratios to evaluate whether exposure to ambient air pollutants and certain meteorological conditions on the day of admission (Lag 0) and up to 3 days before admission (Lag1 through Lag 3) were associated with acute RA exacerbation. Results were obtained after controlling for the effects of seasonality, smoking, and allergen sensitivity; we stratified our data into four seasons with respect to the median temperature of each month and further stratified them according to self-reported smoking status and skin-prick test results.

Reactive oxygen species and PI3K/Akt signaling play key roles in the induction of Nrf2-driven heme oxygenase-1 expression in sulforaphane-treated human mesothelioma MSTO-211H cells.

The nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase (HO)-1 induction plays cytoprotective roles against oxidative injury, apoptosis, and anticancer therapy; however, little is known about its regulation in human mesothelioma MSTO-211H cells. In this study, we investigated Nrf2/HO-1 induction in response to sulforaphane and determined the signaling pathways involved in this process. Sulforaphane treatment decreased cell viability and triggered a rapid and transient increase in the intracellular ROS levels.

Evaluation of an incentive-based obesity management program in a workplace.

This study is to analyze the effectiveness of an incentive-based obesity management program (the Midas Project aimed to improve good health habits) at an electronics company in 2005. A total of 95 company participants with a high body mass index (BMI) were recruited for a health promotion program for 3 months that awarded gold medals as an incentive for body fat loss. BMI decreased from 28.

Nuclear localization of Nm23-H1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is associated with radiation resistance.

Background: Although radiation resistance is a primary issue in radiation therapy, attempts to find predictors of radiation resistance have met with little success. The authors therefore aimed to determine predictors for radiation resistance to improve the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: HNSCC cell lines, SCC15, SCC25, and QLL1, irradiated with an acute dose of 4 grays (Gy) (RR-4), a cumulative dose of 60 Gy (RR-60), and a booster dose of 4 Gy over 60 Gy (RR-60 + 4), were used with nonirradiated cell lines.

An assessment of AKIN criteria for hospital-acquired acute kidney injury: a prospective observational cohort study.

Background And Aims: The Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria assert a new definition for acute kidney injury (AKI). We investigated the incidence of hospital-acquired AKI, along with the clinical characteristics and outcomes in hospitalized patients according to AKIN stage.

Methods: We performed a prospective, observational, single-center study.

Serum prostate-specific antigen is better correlated to body surface area than body mass index in a population of healthy Korean men.

It has been suggested that the larger vascular volume among obese men causes a dilution effect, decreasing the concentration of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). However, plasma volume is proportional to body surface area (BSA) rather than to body mass index (BMI). We determined whether serum PSA level is better correlated to BSA than BMI in a population of ostensibly healthy Korean men.

Magnetic resonance imaging of breast cancer and correlation with prognostic factors.

Background: Prognostic factors of breast cancer have been used for the prediction of clinical outcome or selection of patients for complementary treatment. Some of the imaging features of breast cancer, e.g.

Syndecan-2 overexpression regulates adhesion and migration through cooperation with integrin alpha2.

Syndecan-2, a transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is known to serve as an adhesion receptor, but details of the regulatory mechanism governing syndecan-2 cell adhesion and migration remain unclear. Here, we examined this regulatory mechanism, showing that overexpression of syndecan-2 enhanced collagen adhesion, cell migration and invasion of normal rat intestinal epithelial cells (RIE1), and increased integrin alpha2 expression levels. Interestingly, RIE1 cells transfected with either syndecan-2 or integrin alpha2 showed similar adhesion and migration patterns, and a function-blocking anti-integrin alpha2 antibody abolished syndecan-2-mediated adhesion and migration.

House dust mite allergens in domestic homes in Cheonan, Korea.

House dust mites produce inhalant allergens of importance to allergic patients. We measured the major group 1 allergens, Der p 1 and Der f 1, from the house dust mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farina, respectively in 100 randomly selected domestic homes from Cheonan, Korea. Dust samples were collected by vacuuming from the living room floor and 1 mattress in each home.