Preconditioning with Substance P Restores Therapeutic Efficacy of Aged ADSC by Elevating TNFR2 and Paracrine Potential.

Aging leads to a decline in stem cell activity by reducing the repopulation rate and paracrine potential, ultimately diminishing efficacy in vivo. TNF-α can exert inflammatory and cell death actions via Erk by binding to TNFR-1, and survival and tissue repair actions via Akt by binding to TNFR-2. Aged cells are reported to have insufficient expression of TNFR-2, indicating that aged adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs-E) lack the ability for cell survival and immune control compared to young ADSCs (ADSCs-Y).

Stigma towards mental illness in Asian nations and low-and-middle-income countries, and comparison with high-income countries: A literature review and practice implications.

Background: Stigma related to mental illness (and its treatment) is prevalent worldwide. This stigma could be at the structural or organizational level, societal level (interpersonal stigma), and the individual level (internalized stigma). Vulnerable populations, for example, gender minorities, children, adolescents, and geriatric populations, are more prone to stigma.

Personalized Prediction of Kidney Function Decline and Network Analysis of the Risk Factors after Kidney Transplantation Using Nationwide Cohort Data.

We developed a machine-learning-based model that could predict a decrease in one-year graft function after kidney transplantation, and investigated the risk factors of the decreased function. A total of 4317 cases were included from the Korean Organ Transplant Registry (2014−2019). An XGBoost model was trained to predict the recipient’s one-year estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) below 45 mL/min/1.

Strategies for Constructing College Students' Entrepreneurial Value Judgments Based on Educational Psychology.

Against the background of economic globalization, the strategies for constructing college students' entrepreneurial value judgment are explored, providing college graduates with more employment options and thereby keeping up with the trend of the times. The documentary analysis and questionnaire survey methods are adopted to investigate contemporary college students' entrepreneurial value judgments, and the investigation results are organized. According to documentary materials, the discovered problems are analyzed to put forward strategies for constructing college students' entrepreneurial value judgments based on educational psychology.

Intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells for clinical outcomes and cartilage repair in osteoarthritis of the knee: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained popularity for articular cartilage repair. However, efficacy of intra-articular MSCs in osteoarthritis remains unclear. In the setting of a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we aimed to investigate the efficacy of intra-articular MSCs on clinical outcomes and cartilage repair in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Comparison of the outcomes of navigation-assisted revision of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty to total knee arthroplasty versus navigation-assisted primary TKA.

Purpose: Revision of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is technically demanding but can be performed with computer navigation system guidance. The purpose of this study was (1) to compare the outcomes of revision of UKA to TKA to those of primary TKA and (2) to describe a surgical technique for the revision of UKA to TKA using a navigation system.

Methods: From May 2011 to April 2014, a total of 298 knees underwent primary navigation-assisted TKA (group 1), and navigation-assisted UKA revision to TKA was performed in 15 patients (group 2).

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tibial Footprint Size as Measured on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Does It Reliably Predict Actual Size?

Background: Measuring the size of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial footprint on magnetic resonance image (MRI) is common for preoperative planning of ACL reconstruction. However, the accuracy of such measurement has not been well documented.

Purpose: To investigate whether the actual size of the ACL tibial footprint could be predicted by its measurement on MRI and to develop equations to improve the accuracy of predicting the actual size based on MRI measurement.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Sequential Arthroscopic Approach for Ramp Lesions of the Posterior Horn of the Medial Meniscus in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Deficient Knee.

Purpose: To document the diagnostic accuracy and steps for sequential arthroscopic exploration of ramp lesions-peripheral tear within 4 mm of meniscocapsular junction of medial meniscus-associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Methods: This was a prospective consecutive study of 195 primary ACL reconstructions with arthroscopic exploration for ramp lesion in 4 steps: (1) standard exploration through the anterolateral portal, (2) through the intercondylar space using a 30° arthroscope, (3) through the intercondylar space using a 70° arthroscope, and (4) after creation of a posteromedial portal. Acute (<3 months) and chronic case (>3 months) groups were compared, and the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were assessed.

Changing Patterns of Foreigner Transplants in Korea and Overseas Organ Transplants Among Koreans.

Background: This study aimed to estimate the numbers of foreign patients seeking organ transplantation (OT) in Korea and to examine the relationship between the trend of deceased donors in Korea and number of Korean patients seeking OT overseas since 2000.

Methods: Data on foreigners who received a transplant in Korea were obtained from the Korean Network for Organ Sharing. Data on overseas transplants were obtained from 42 transplant centers surveyed through transplant coordinators.

Factors associated with discrepancies between preoperatively planned and postoperative alignments in patients undergoing closed-wedge high tibial osteotomy.

Background: To evaluate the difference between preoperative plan and postoperative alignment after closed-wedge HTO and determine factors associated with difference.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 165 cases with closed-wedge HTO. The following radiographic parameters were measured: mechanical tibiofemoral angle (mTFA), mechanical medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), joint line convergence angle, mediolateral joint width discrepancy, Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade, and discrepancy between the correction angle in tibia and correction angle in mTFA.

No influence of femoral component rotation by the lateral femoral posterior condylar cartilage remnant technique on clinical outcomes in navigation-assisted TKA.

Purpose: To investigate whether cartilage thickness in the lateral femoral posterior condyle affects the femoral rotation angles on navigation and clinical outcomes of navigation-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods: This is a prospective randomized study of navigation-assisted TKA. Fifty cases underwent TKA without removal of the lateral posterior femoral cartilage (Group 1), and 56 cases underwent TKA with removal of the lateral posterior femoral cartilage (Group 2).

Predictors of mortality in Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

We evaluated the clinical characteristics, cytokine/chemokine concentrations, viral shedding and antibody kinetics in 30 patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), including 6 non-survivors admitted to 3 MERS-designated hospitals. Old age, low albumin, altered mentality and high pneumonia severity index score at admission were risk factors for mortality. In addition, severe signs of inflammation at initial presentation (at hospital days 1-4), such as high inducible protein-10 (p=0.

Treadmill exercise produces neuroprotective effects in a murine model of Parkinson's disease by regulating the TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive dopamine depletion and a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Treadmill exercise is a promising non-pharmacological approach for reducing the risk of PD and other neuroinflammatory disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of treadmill exercise on α-synuclein-induced neuroinflammation and neuronal cell death in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of PD.

What is the Ideal Degree of Extension After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Background: Few studies have examined flexion contracture at the time of primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or how flexion contracture changes over time. The purpose of this study was to assess the ideal degree of extension immediately after TKA and to document postoperative changes in extension and clinical outcomes over 5-year follow-up.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 215 cases of primary TKA.

Arthroscopic treatment of symptomatic calcific periarthritis on the medial side of the knee after posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Case report and literature review.

Calcific periarthritis in the distal femur is a rare condition. Forty two year old Asian male visited to the outpatient clinic of orthopedic department with acute excruciating knee pain. The arthroscopic posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction was performed 20 years ago with the bonepatellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft combined with Trevira (polyethylene terephthalate) artificial ligament.

Analysis of Crack Image Recognition Characteristics in Concrete Structures Depending on the Illumination and Image Acquisition Distance through Outdoor Experiments.

The effects of illumination and shooting distance on crack image recognition were investigated by examining cracks in images taken with a camera. In order to examine the effects, images of cracks in a concrete structure taken while varying the illumination and shooting distance in an outdoor environment were analyzed. The images were acquired at a daytime illumination of 52,000 lx and a night illumination of 13 lx.

Effects of exercise and L-arginine intake on inflammation in aorta of high-fat diet induced obese rats.

Purpose: In the present study, we investigated the effect of exercise and arginine on the inflammatory makers and Cu-Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression in the aortas of high-fat-induced obese rats.

Methods: Fifty 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned as follows: HF-Con: high-fat diet, HF-Ex: high-fat diet and exercise, HF-Ex+A: high-fat diet and combined exercise and arginine, HF-A: high-fat diet and arginine. The high-fat diet was fed for 12 weeks following 1 week of environmental adaptation with mixed solid chow.

Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus under Sedation with Propofol and Fentanyl.

Awakening during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery may be stressful to patients. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect on MER signals and their applicability to subthalmic nucleus (STN) DBS surgery for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) under sedation with propofol and fentanyl. Sixteen consecutive patients with PD underwent STN-DBS surgery with propofol and fentanyl.

Airborne iron across major urban centers in South Korea between 1991 and 2012.

In this study, the distribution of airborne iron (Fe), one of the most abundant heavy metals in the Earth's crust was investigated to describe the basic features of i'ts pollution in various urban locations. The spatiotemporal distribution of Fe concentrations in seven major South Korean cities exhibited unique patterns to reflect differences as to Fe sources reflected in the relative enrichment in coastal relative to inland areas. In addition, the analysis of long-term trends of different metal species indicated that Fe levels maintained a fairly constant trend, while there had been a noticeable decline in concentrations of other metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Ni).

GPR119: a promising target for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with metabolic syndrome and has the unique characteristic of excess lipid accumulation in liver. G-protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) is a promising target for type 2 diabetes. However, the role of GPR119 activation in hepatic steatosis and its precise mechanism has not been investigated.

Replication of genome wide association studies on hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility loci of STAT4 and HLA-DQ in a Korean population.

A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) identified two loci (rs7574865 in STAT4 and rs9275319 in HLA-DQ) in a Chinese population. We attempted to replicate the associations between the two SNP loci and the risk of HCC in a Korean population. The rs7574865 in STAT4 and rs9275319 in HLA-DQ were genotyped in a total of 3838 Korean subjects composed of 287 HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients, 671 chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) patients, and 2880 population controls using TaqMan genotyping assay.

Exercise Training suppresses vascular fibrosis in aging obesity induced rats.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise training (ET) on vascular fibrosis in aging model rats with diet-induced obesity.

Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: Aging control (A-C), A-C with high fat diet (AHF), AHF with ET (AHF + ET). Aging was induced by D-galactose (D-gal) and obesity was induced by HFD (60% fat) for 9 weeks.

Anti-inflammation effect of Exercise and Korean red ginseng in aging model rats with diet-induced atherosclerosis.

Background/objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise (EX) and Korean red ginseng (KRG) on inflammation mechanism in aging model rats with diet-induced atherosclerosis.

Materials/methods: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups: Young control (Y-C), Aging control (A-C), A-C with HFD (AHF), AHF with EX (AHF-EX), AHF-EX with KRG (AHF-EX+RG), and AHF with KRG (AHF-RG). Aging was induced by D-gal (100mg/kg) and atherosclerosis was induced by HFD (60% fat) for 9 weeks.

Pin1 induction in the fibrotic liver and its roles in TGF-β1 expression and Smad2/3 phosphorylation.

Background & Aims: Therapeutic management of liver fibrosis remains an unsolved clinical problem. Hepatic accumulation of extracellular matrix, mainly collagen, is mediated by the production of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in stellate cells. Pin1, a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase, plays an important pathophysiological role in several diseases, including neurodegeneration and cancer.