Development of a miniaturized, reconnectable, and implantable multichannel connector.

. Connectors for implantable neural prosthetic systems provide several advantages such as simplification of surgery, safe replacement of implanted devices, and modular design of the implant systems. With the rapid advancement of technologies for neural implants, miniaturized multichannel implantable connectors are also required.

Surface Wettability Prediction Using Image Analysis and an Artificial Neural Network.

In this study, a wettability-predicting method that uses an artificial neural network (ANN) by learning from digital images of the actual surface structures was developed. Polyester film surfaces were treated with oxygen plasma to realize various nanostructured surfaces. Surface structural characteristics from SEM images were quantified in a multifaceted way using a box-counting algorithm, a gray-level co-occurrence matrix algorithm, and binary image analysis.

Molecular and Serological Investigation of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus in Cats.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne zoonosis in China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan. The presence of the SFTS virus (SFTSV) in companion, livestock, and wild animals has been reported. Recently, human SFTS-like clinical symptoms in cats and cheetahs have been reported in Japan.

Objective quantification of surface roughness parameters affecting superhydrophobicity.

This study proposes new optical roughness parameters that can be objectively quantified using image processing techniques, and presents an analysis of how these parameters are correlated with the degree of superhydrophobicity. To this end, photolithography and dry etching processes were used to form regular square pillars with different heights and spacings with a length of tens of micro-meters on silicon wafers. Optical roughness parameters of the specimens were obtained using image processing, and surface wettability was characterized using static contact angle and sliding angle measurements for water droplets of volume = 3.

Clinical Potential of Circulating Tumor Cells in Colorectal Cancer: A Prospective Study.

Objectives: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood have been used as diagnostic markers in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we evaluated a CTC detection system based on cell size to assess CTCs and their potential as early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CRC.

Methods: From 2014 to 2015, 88 patients with newly diagnosed CRC, who were scheduled for surgery, and 31 healthy volunteers were enrolled and followed up in Pusan National University Hospital.

Circulating tumor cells detected by lab-on-a-disc: Role in early diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Background: The use of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as an early diagnostic biomarker and prognostic indicator after surgery or chemotherapy has been suggested for various cancers. This study aimed to evaluate CTCs in patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer and to explore their clinical usefulness in the early diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Methods: A total of 116 patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy and 31 healthy volunteers were prospectively included between 2014 and 2015.

An epigenomic signature of postprandial hyperglycemia in peripheral blood leukocytes.

Postprandial hyperglycemia is known to be one of the earliest signs of abnormal glucose homeostasis associated with type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to assess clinical significance of a 1-h postprandial glucose level for the development of diabetes, and identify epigenetic biomarkers of postprandial hyperglycemia. We analyzed clinical data from the oral glucose tolerance tests for healthy subjects (n=4502).

Two-year clinical outcomes of patients with long segments drug-eluting stents: comparison of sirolimus-eluting stent with paclitaxel-eluting stent.

Limited data are available on the long-term clinical efficacy of drug-eluting stent (DES) in diffuse long lesions. From May 2006 to May 2007, a total of 335 consecutive patients (374 lesions) were underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with implantation of long DES (≥ 30 mm) in real world practice. Eight-month angiographic outcomes and 2-yr clinical outcomes were compared between SES (n = 218) and PES (n = 117).

Relationship between symptom-onset-to-balloon time and long-term mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with drug-eluting stents.

Background: Time from hospital arrival to reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been predictive of in-hospital mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between symptom-onset-to-balloon time and long-term mortality in patients with STEMI in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era.

Methods: A series of 393 patients with STEMI treated with DES from 2005 to 2007 was stratified according to risk profile and preprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade, and clinical, angiographic, and follow-up data were collected.

Clinical and angiographic outcomes of drug-eluting stents in patients with large vessel and single coronary artery lesion.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical and angiographic outcomes of 3 drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with large vessel diameter and single coronary artery lesions.

Hypothesis: The efficacy of 3 DESs may be similar.

Methods: A total of 411 consecutive patients who visited 3 university hospitals from June 2004 to December 2007 and had a single coronary lesion which was treated with the use of a DES that was 3.

Therapeutic strategy for in-stent restenosis based on the restenosis pattern after drug-eluting stent implantation.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of repeated percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) based on the restenosis pattern in drug-eluting stent (DES) failure.

Subjects And Methods: From April 2003 to March 2006, all 67 patients (67 lesions) at our 3 centers who had DES in-stent restenosis (ISR) were enrolled. The patients were divided into 3 groups: group I had focal edge restenosis, group II had focal body restenosis, and group III had non-focal restenosis.

Long-term clinical outcomes after angiographically defined very late stent thrombosis of drug-eluting stent.

Background: The advent of drug-eluting stent (DES) use has raised concerns regarding later occurring stent thrombosis, especially very late stent thrombosis (VLST), and little is known about long-term clinical outcomes after VLST occurrence.

Hypothesis: Long-term clinical outcomes after detection of VLST may be poor.

Method: We evaluated 3572 consecutive patients who received DES implantation from May 2004 to July 2007 at 3 hospitals.

Two-year outcomes of the sirolimus-eluting stent according to unprotected left main lesion.

Background: The data of long-term outcomes of sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) according to lesion location of unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) is scarce.

Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes after implantation of the SES in LMCA.

Methods: A total of 84 patients (51 males) who had undergone SES implantation for the treatment of native LMCA stenosis were enrolled.