Quinine inhibits myogenic differentiation by disrupting AKT signaling pathway.

Sarcopenia is a disease characterized by decreased muscle fibers and mass. Although it mainly affects the older adults, it can also occur in various age groups as a secondary effect of medications used for treating certain diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. With population aging, sarcopenia has drawn significant attention owing to its increasing prevalence.

Effects of puerarin on gait disturbance in a 6-hydroxydopamine mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by dopamine (DA) neuronal dysfunction. Although DA agonists and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists are used to treat PD, chronic use causes severe side effects. Puerarin (PUE) is a natural bioactive compound that affects the DA system; however, its effect on PD-associated motor functions is unknown.

Effect of nanoplastic intake on the dopamine system during the development of male mice.

Exposure to environmental microplastics has been demonstrated to impact health. However, its effect on development remains unclear. This study investigated whether consumption of nanoplastics (NPx) during development affects social and cognitive functions in rodents.

Novel modeling approach integrating population pharmacokinetics and interspecies scaling to predict human pharmacokinetics of the new anti-tuberculosis agent telacebec (Q203).

Telacebec is a new anti-tuberculosis agent with promising therapeutic activity and a favorable safety profile. This study aimed to characterize the pharmacokinetics of telacebec via interspecies scaling and population pharmacokinetic modeling for the prediction of human pharmacokinetics. Preclinical pharmacokinetic data were obtained from mice, rats, and dogs following intravenous and oral doses of telacebec.

Role of 5 wt.% Mg Alloying in Al on Corrosion Characteristics of Al-Mg Coating Deposited by Plasma Arc Thermal Spray Process.

The corrosion of steel structures in coastal areas is a major issue. Therefore, in the present study, the protection against the corrosion of structural steel is carried out by depositing 100 μm thick Al and Al-5 Mg coatings using a plasma arc thermal spray process, immersing them in 3.5 wt.

Simplification of Deep Neural Network-Based Object Detector for Real-Time Edge Computing.

This paper presents a method for simplifying and quantizing a deep neural network (DNN)-based object detector to embed it into a real-time edge device. For network simplification, this paper compares five methods for applying channel pruning to a residual block because special care must be taken regarding the number of channels when summing two feature maps. Based on the comparison in terms of detection performance, parameter number, computational complexity, and processing time, this paper discovers the most satisfying method on the edge device.

Objective structured clinical examination as a competency assessment tool of students' readiness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences in South Korea: a pilot study.

Background: The assessment of pharmacy students' readiness to begin the education of an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in clinical pharmacy settings continues to gain increasing attention. This study aimed to develop an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in the core domains acquired through an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE), for evaluating its appropriateness as a tool of assessing clinical pharmacist competency for APPEs in Korean pharmacy students throughout a pilot study.

Methods: OSCE's core competency domains and case scenarios were developed through a literature review, ideation by researchers, and external experts' consensus by a Delphi method.

Comparison of maximum strength, proprioceptive, dynamic balance, maximum joint angle between two groups classified through the ankle instability instrument.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to figure out the information obtainable from ankle instability instrument (AII) survey among various factors related to the ankle instability. [Participants and Methods] This study targeted on 34 participants, divided the participants into stability group and instability group based on AII survey results, and measured the maximum isometric contraction, proprioception, dynamic balance, and maximum joint angles. The independent t-test was used.

Distinct volumetric features of cerebrospinal fluid distribution in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus and Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: The aims of the study were to measure the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes in the lateral ventricle, high-convexity subarachnoid space, and Sylvian fissure region in patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to evaluate differences in these volumes between INPH and AD groups and healthy controls.

Methods: Forty-nine INPH patients, 59 AD patients, and 26 healthy controls were imaged with automated three-dimensional volumetric MRI.

Results: INPH patients had larger lateral ventricles and CSF spaces of the Sylvian fissure region and smaller high-convexity subarachnoid spaces than other groups, and AD patients had larger lateral ventricles and CSF spaces of the Sylvian fissure region than the control group.

Establishment of Level a In Vitro-In Vivo Correlation (IVIVC) via Extended DoE-IVIVC Model: A Donepezil Case Study.

This study aimed to establish an extended design of experiment (DoE)-in vitro in vivo correlation (IVIVC) model that defines the relationship between formulation composition, in vitro dissolution, and in vivo pharmacokinetics. Fourteen sustained-release (SR) tablets of a model drug, donepezil, were designed by applying a mixture design of DoE and prepared by the wet granulation method. The in vitro dissolution patterns of donepezil SR tablets were described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

Liposome leakage and increased cellular permeability induced by guanidine-based oligomers: effects of liposome composition on liposome leakage and human lung epithelial barrier permeability.

Over the decades, guanidine-based oligomer groups have been one of the most widely used antimicrobial agents. Reportedly, these cationic oligomers cause serious damage to microorganisms but have low toxicity to humans. However, public concerns regarding the guanidine group have rapidly grown after the fatal misuse of these oligomers as humidifier disinfectants, which resulted in thousands of fatalities in South Korea.

Correction to: No prominent toxicity of polyethylene microplastics observed in neonatal mice following intratracheal instillation to dams during gestational and neonatal period.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s43188-020-00086-7.].

Metal arsenic mediated enhancement of type-2 immunity in brains with altered locomotive activities in mice with autism-like behavioral characteristics.

Exposure to metal arsenic (As) has been proposed as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which are neurodevelopmental disorders with worldwide increasing in its incidence. In the present study, BTBR T + /J (BTBR) mice with ASD-like behavioral characteristics and control highly social FVB mice were orally exposed to 0.1 mM arsenic(III)oxide for 4 weeks, and were compared to investigate neuroimmunological or behavioral abnormalities.

The active von Frey filament test: A new technique to evaluate hand tactile sensation in continuous variable units.

The von Frey filament test (vF) is a mainstay of clinical examination. However, its results can be affected by touch speed and other potentially confounding factors. Moreover, the differences between two adjacent filament levels are too large to detect subtle changes.

Comparison of maximum strength, proprioceptive, dynamic balance, maximum joint angle of stability and instability ankle by Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors of ankle instability by using Cumberland ankle instability tool (CAIT), which have been frequently used as ankle instability tools. The participants were divided into the normal ankle group and the instability ankle group. Maximum strength, proprioception, dynamic balance and maximum rage of joint motion were compared in order to find out factors of instability in the questionnaires.

No prominent toxicity of polyethylene microplastics observed in neonatal mice following intratracheal instillation to dams during gestational and neonatal period.

Microplastics (MPs) have been recently recognized as a global environmental threat and its exposure as a risk factor to human health. Health effects through MPs exposure have been recently reported, especially through oral route of exposure. Since MPs could be exposed to humans through routes other than oral, this study was designed to evaluate whether MPs exposed through the inhalation route could be delivered to fetal mice and exhibit systemic toxicity.

Effect of freezing treatment in tea preparation using leaves.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of freezing in the tea preparation using leaves in order to develop new technology for improving tea quality. Effects of single and combined treatments of freezing (F: - 20 °C, 15 days), steaming (S: 100 °C, 3 min), and hot-air drying (HD: 50 °C, 12 h) on the physicochemical characteristics of tea (powder and hot-water leachate) prepared from treated leaves were investigated. The , , and values of the powder were the highest in SHD-treated leaves, followed by HD-, SFHD-, and FHD-treated leaves.

The change of bone mineral density and bone metabolism after gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

Unlabelled: Bone mineral density (BMD) is significantly decreased after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. Calcium malabsorption, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and dominant bone resorption appear to contribute to bone loss in these patients. Patients should undergo early surveillance and nutritional or pharmacologic intensive interventions for bone health.

A study on muscle activity based on the ankle posture for effective exercise with indoor horse riding machine.

[Purpose] Although much researches have been conducted on the hippotherapy, the intervention methods of the previous studies focus on the pelvis posture. Thus, this study analyzed the electromyogram (EMG) of trunk muscle and lower limb muscle to analyze the kinetic factors. Based on the analysis, this study aims to compare the muscle load and suggest effective exercise method.

Influence of muscle activation of posterior oblique sling from changes in activation of gluteus maximus from exercise of prone hip extension of normal adult male and female.

[Purpose] There have been many study ipsilateral erector spinae in regard of prone hip extension (PHE). However, mediating methods have been focusing on the reinforcement of gluteus. Hereupon, this study is intended to identify how an increase of gluteus maximus influences on posterior oblique sling (POS) and suggest a mediating method to effectively reinforce them.

Influence of ocarina practices on lung function of healthy middle-aged females in Korea.

[Purpose] The objective of this study is to identify the influence of ocarina practices on the lung function of a group of healthy female ocarina players aged 40 and above in comparison to an age-matched group of females with no experience with ocarina playing. [Participants and Methods] Spirometry measurement has been conducted on both groups of 35 healthy females aged 40 and above, one with regular participation in ocarina practices (experimental group) and the other without (control group). [Results] FEV and FEV/FVC values of those in the experiment group who practiced ocarina on a regular basis turned out to be significantly higher than the control group, and there was no significant difference on FVC.

The effect of the trunk and gluteus maximus muscle activities according to support surface and hip joint rotation during bridge exercise.

[Purpose] The purposes of this study were to strengthen gluteus maximus and trunk muscles depending upon the hip joint direction by bridging exercise on an unstable and stable surface, and to suggest an intervention method for efficient and selective exercise. [Participants and Methods] The test measured the muscle activities with the external rotation and internal rotation of 25 degrees and hip joint neutral position of 0 degree on a stable and unstable surface each exercise 3 times for 9 seconds. [Results] External oblique abdominis showed a higher muscle activity on the unstable surface and internal rotation.

Intravitreal implantable magnetic micropump for on-demand VEGFR-targeted drug delivery.

In this paper, we propose an intravitreal implantable magnetic micropump integrated with micro check valve capable of on-demand vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-targeted drug delivery for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other eye pathologies characterized by ocular neoangiogenesis. Precise on-demand drug release is realized by the deflection of the magnetic membrane assembly according to the external magnetic field, and the membrane assembly consists of a thin elastic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane and a cylindrical magnetic nanoparticle-PDMS composite block. Additionally, a micro check valve composed of two PDMS layers was integrated into the micropump to realize a diode-like one-directional drug delivery and prevent undesired drug diffusion.