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The gap-prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex has been widely used as a behavioral method for tinnitus screening in animal studies. The cortical-evoked potential gap-induced inhibition has also been investigated in animals as well as in human subjects. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of age on the cortical N1-P2 complex in the gap-prepulse inhibition paradigm. Fifty-seven subjects, aged 20 to 68 years, without continuous tinnitus, were tested with two effective gap conditions (embedded gap of 50- or 20-ms duration). Retest sessions were performed within one month. A significant gap-induced inhibition of the N1-P2 complex was found in both gap durations. Age differently affected the inhibition, depending on gap duration. With a 50-ms gap, the inhibition decreased significantly with the increase in age. This age-inhibition relationship was not found when using a 20-ms gap. The results were reproducible in the retest session. Our findings suggest that the interaction between age and gap duration should be considered when applying the gap-induced inhibition of the cortical-evoked potential as an objective measure of tinnitus in human subjects. Further studies with tinnitus patients are warranted to identify gap duration that would minimize the effects of age and maximize the difference in the inhibition between those with and without tinnitus.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the power change when increasing angular velocity from 180°/sec to 240°/sec in male athletes during isokinetic knee joint tests. METHODS Isokinetic knee extension/flexion tests were conducted at angular velocities of 60, 180, and 240°/sec in 74 adult male athletes from three sports (judo, field hockey, and canoeing). A basic physical fitness test and an anaerobic Wingate test were also conducted. Peak torque (Nm) and power (watts) were compared for different angular velocities. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between power change. In addition, fitness and Wingate test results were compared between groups divided by increased/decreased power change. RESULTS As angular velocity increased, peak torque decreased and muscle power significantly increased (p

Accurate wind data are crucial for successful search and rescue (SAR) operations on the sea surface in maritime accidents, as survivors or debris tend to drift with the wind. As maritime accidents frequently occur outside the range of wind stations, SAR operations heavily rely on wind forecasts generated by numerical models. However, numerical models encounter delays in generating results due to spin-up issues, and their predictions can sometimes exhibit inherent biases caused by geographical factors. To overcome these limitations, we reviewed the observations for the first 24 h of the 72-hour forecast from the ECMWF and then post-processed the forecast for the remaining 48 h. By effectively reducing the dimensionality of input variables comprising observation and forecast data using principal component analysis, we improved wind predictions with support vector regression. Our model achieved an average RMSE improvement of 16.01% compared to the original forecast from the ECMWF. Furthermore, it achieved an average RMSE improvement of 5.42% for locations without observation data by employing a model trained on data from the nearest wind station and then applying an adaptive weighting scheme to the output of that model.

Oysters are a major commercial and ecological fishery resource. Recently, the oyster industry has experienced mass mortality in summer due to environmental factors. Generally, the survival of oysters in aquatic environments is mainly impacted by environmental stressors such as elevated sea temperatures and reduced salinity; however, the stressors impacting tidal flat oysters that are repeatedly exposed to air remain poorly understood. Hence, we studied the relationship between environmental factors and the survival of tidal flat pacific oysters in Incheon, South Korea, where mass mortality is common. Principal component analysis and Bayesian networks revealed that air temperature (in spring and summer) and sea temperature (in summer) are related to oyster production. In habitats of the tidal flat oysters during the summer, high temperatures of 34.7–35.4°C (maximum 47.6°C) were observed for average durations of 0.8–1.9 hours (maximum 3.6 hours). Furthermore, heat waves occurred for up to 12 consecutive days. Results from the multiple stress test showed that when exposed to 45°C (air temperature) for 4 hours per day, the survival rate of oysters was 42.5% after only 2 days and 0% after 6 days. The findings stemming from the field observations and stress tests suggest that high temperatures during emersion may contribute to mass mortality of oysters in summer, indicating a potential threat to oysters due to climate change. To understand the effects of future thermal stress on oysters more accurately, simultaneous long-term trend analyses and field-based observations are required.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of late applied negative pressure on postoperative drain output after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Patients and methods: 100 patients (100 hips) were treated by closed suction drainage applying negative pressure immediately after THA (group I). The remaining 100 patients (100 hips) were treated by the same drainage system, but the negative pressure was not applied in the first 24 h after THA and then negative pressure was applied (group II). Results: The mean total drain output was different between the two groups (group I: 597 ± 200.1 mL, group II: 403 ± 204.1 mL; p

PURPOSE To develop and validate regression models to estimate maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) from the new 20-m Progressive Shuttle Test (20-m PST) in Korean male youths aged 13-18 years. METHODS The new 20-m PST and VO2max were assessed in a sample of 80 participants. Participants underwent a treadmill test (TT) in the laboratory and the new 20-m PST protocol (starting at 5.0 km/h and increasing by 0.75 km/h every 1 minute) in a gymnasium. Participants in the validation study performed the TT with the stationary metabolic cart and the 20-m PST with a portable metabolic cart once, as well as the 20-m PST without the portable metabolic cart twice for test-retest reliability. All tests were conducted at least three days apart and in a random order. RESULTS Mean measured VO2max (55.4±6.7 mL/kg/min) from the potable metabolic cart was significantly increased from that measured during the GXT from stationary metabolic cart (52.6±7.0 mL/kg/min, p=.001) using the new 20-m PST protocol. But it was a narrow range (2.8 mL/kg/min). The measured VO2max from the potable and stationary metabolic cart correlated at r=.89 (p

In this study, we estimated drifter tracking over seawater using machine learning and evolutionary search techniques. The parameters used for the prediction are the hourly position of the drifter, the wind velocity, and the flow velocity of each drifter position. Our prediction model was constructed through cross-validation. Trajectories were affected by wind velocity and flow velocity from the starting points of drifters. Mean absolute error (MAE) and normalized cumulative Lagrangian separation (NCLS) were used to evaluate various prediction models. Radial basis function network showed the lowest MAE of 0.0556, an improvement of 35.20% over the numerical model MOHID. Long short-term memory showed the highest NCLS of 0.8762, an improvement of 6.24% over MOHID.

ObjectivesThis study evaluated the risk factors for anastomotic leakage (AL) and survival outcomes in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).MethodsPatients with HNSCC who underwent surgery carrying potential AL from 2003 through 2009 were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed and patient survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsOf 232 eligible patients, 25 (10.8%) developed AL. Univariate analyses revealed that primary tumor site, salvage surgery, perineural invasion, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and blood transfusion were significantly associated with the occurrence of AL (P0.1).ConclusionPatients who received salvage surgery and blood transfusion may require careful surveillance for development of AL, which has a tendency toward decreased survival.

The purpose of this study is to establish a simpler way to assess cardiopulmonary function in handball athletes whose continuous aerobic ability is vital in games using field tests, as well as to provide basic data on changes in lactic acid concentration. A total of 8 youth elite male handball athletes participated in this study. Participants visited three times in total. The first was assigned to graded exercise test and body composition measurements. Participants were then randomly assigned to a 20-meter shuttle ride or Yo-Yo Intermediate Recovery. All participants measured the lactic acid concentration after each exercise test. There were no significant differences in the VO2max (ml/kg/min) results in each test. There was no significant difference immediately after exercise of each test, after 5 minutes, after 10 minutes, and after 20 minutes. Compared to the golden standard GXT, there is no difference in maximum oxygen intake and lactic acid concentration after the two field tests, so both tests are expected to be efficiently used to evaluate the aerobic ability and develop training programs in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of guest concentration (CGC) is reported and the complete tuning pattern that occurs in the binary hydrates, including water-soluble hydrate formers (promoters) and water-insoluble guests is established. It is found that the overall tuning pattern might be observed in most of the binary sII hydrate systems and that the CGC value appears to largely depend on the chemical nature of a liquid guest component participating in the binary hydrate formation.

The stability and cage distribution of clathrate hydrates, including H2 clusters are identified through spectroscopic methods and a statistical mechanical model. Pure H2 clathrate hydrates could be stable at extremely high pressures or low temperatures.

Revision rhinoplasty in Asian patients is associated with problems related to the use of grafts or implant materials. Moreover, the septal cartilage of Asian individuals is generally weak and small, which makes it particularly vulnerable to injury or secondary deformity during primary surgery. Hence, there is an increased demand for major reconstruction of the septal cartilage framework during revision surgery in Asian patients. In revision rhinoplasty of the nose in Asian patients, appropriate management of the graft or implant is vital. The common problems resulting in the need for revision surgery include displacement, malposition, extrusion, recurrent inflammation, and infection of dorsally implanted alloplastic material. A short-nose deformity following silicone rhinoplasty is also a common problem that is difficult to manage. Furthermore, residual or recurrent deviation of the deviated nose, undercorrection of the convex nasal dorsum, and tip graft-related complications are frequently encountered problems that require revision. In revision rhinoplasty for Asian patients, autologous tissues, such as conchal cartilage and costal cartilage, play a pivotal role for use as a new dorsal implant or building block formajor septal reconstruction. Therefore, it is imperative for surgeons to familiarize themselves with the appropriate use of autologous tissues, particularly costal cartilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene methylation is an important mechanism regulating gene expression and genome stability. Our previous work showed that methylation of the nitrate reductase (NR) gene NIA2 was dependent on chromomethylase 3 (CMT3). Here, we show that CMT3-mediated NIA2 methylation is regulated by ammonium in Arabidopsis thaliana. CHG sequences (where H can be A, T, or C) were methylated in NIA2 but not in NIA1, and ammonium [(NH4)2SO4] treatment completely blocked CHG methylation in NIA2. By contrast, ammonium had no effect on CMT3 methylation, indicating that ammonium negatively regulates CMT3-mediated NIA2 methylation without affecting CMT3 methylation. Ammonium upregulated NIA2 mRNA expression, which was consistent with the repression of NIA2 methylation by ammonium. Ammonium treatment also reduced the overall genome methylation level of wild-type Arabidopsis. Moreover, CMT3 bound to specific promoter and intragenic regions of NIA2. These combined results indicate that ammonium inhibits CMT3-mediated methylation of NIA2 and that of other target genes, and CMT3 selectively binds to target DNA sequences for methylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gibberellins affect various plant development processes including germination, cell division and elongation, and flowering. A large number of studies have been carried out to address the molecular mechanisms that mediate gibberellin signalling effects on plant growth. However, such studies have been limited to DELLA protein degradation; the regulatory mechanisms controlling how the stability and function of SLEEPY1 (SLY1), a protein that interacts with target DELLA proteins as components of the Skp, Cullin, F-box (SCF)SLY1 complex, are modulated at the posttranslational level have not been addressed. In the present study, we show that the E3 SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) ligase AtSIZ1 regulates gibberellic acid signalling in Arabidopsis species by sumoylating SLY1. SLY1 was less abundant in siz1-2 mutants than inwild-type plants, but theDELLA protein repressor of ga1-3 (RGA) was more abundant in siz1-2 mutants than in wild-type plants. SLY1 also accumulated to a high level in the SUMO protease mutant esd4. Transgenic sly1-13 mutants over-expressing SLY1 were phenotypically similar to wild-type plants; however, sly1-13 plants over-expressing amutatedmSLY1 protein (K122R, a mutation at the sumoylation site) retained the mutant dwarfing phenotype. Over-expression of SLY1 in sly1- 13 mutants resulted in a return of RGA levels to wild-type levels, but RGA accumulated to high levels in mutants overexpressing mSLY1. RGA was clearly detected in Arabidopsis co-expressing AtSIZ1 andmSLY1, but not in plants co-expressing AtSIZ1 and SLY1. In addition, sumoylated SLY1 interacted with RGA and SLY1 sumoylation was significantly increased by GA. Taken together, our results indicate that, in Arabidopsis, AtSIZ1 positively controls GA signalling through SLY1 sumoylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of CH4 in the form of solid hydrates are stored on continental margins and in permafrost regions. If these CH4 hydrates could be converted into CO2 hydrates, they would serve double duty as CH4 sources and CO2 storage sites. We explore here the swapping phenomenon occurring in structure I (sI) and structure II (sII) CH4 hydrate deposits through spectroscopic analyses and its potential application to CO2 sequestration at the preliminary phase. The present 85% CH4 recovery rate in sI CH4 hydrate achieved by the direct use of binary N2 + CO2 guests is surprising when compared with the rate of 64% for a pure CO2 guest attained in the previous approach. The direct use of a mixture of N2 + CO2 eliminates the requirement of a CO2 separation/purification process. In addition, the simultaneously occurring dual mechanism of CO2 sequestration and CH4 recovery is expected to provide the physicochemical background required for developing a promising large-scale approach with economic feasibility. In the case of sII CH4 hydrates, we observe a spontaneous structure transition of sII to sI during the replacement and a cage-specific distribution of guest molecules. A significant change of the lattice dimension caused by structure transformation induces a relative number of small cage sites to reduce, resulting in the considerable increase of CH4 recovery rate. The mutually interactive pattern of targeted guest-cage conjugates possesses important implications for the diverse hydrate-based inclusion phenomena as illustrated in the swapping process between CO2 stream and complex CH4 hydrate structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the measurement of electromagnetic wave propagation in subway tunnels at f = 2.6425 GHz. The main goal of this work is to obtain more accurate knowledge of the propagation characteristics in straight and curved tunnels. Measurements have been conducted in four different types of tunnel courses: a straight tunnel, two curved tunnels (with 245-m and 500-m radius of curvature, respectively), and a tunnel that has both straight and curved sections. From the measured results, we analyze and compare the differences between the straight and curved tunnels, particularly with regard to path loss and the effect of path loss arising from different curvatures, and the characteristics of the combined tunnel (the straight and curved tunnel). The findings presented here should prove helpful in the estimation of link budget for satellite DMB service in tunnels and the determination of accurate propagation characteristics in tunnels. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 383–386, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21357 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Regenerative treatment using stem cells may serve as treatment option for empty nose syndrome (ENS), which is caused by the lack of turbinate tissue and deranged nervous system in the nasal cavity. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the autologous stromal vascular fraction (SVF) in the treatment of ENS. Methods In this prospective observational clinical study, we enrolled 10 ENS patients who volunteered to undergo treatment of ENS through the injection of autologous SVF. Data, including demographic data, pre- and postoperative Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-25 (SNOT-25) scores, overall patient satisfaction, and postoperative complications, were prospectively collected. Nasal secretion was assessed using the polyurethane foam absorption method, and the levels of biological markers were analyzed in both ENS group and control group using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The SVF extracted from abdominal fat was diluted and injected into both inferior turbinates. Results Among the 10 initial patients, one was excluded from the study. Subjective satisfaction was rated as “much improved” in two and “no change” in seven. Among the improved patients, the mean preinjection SNOT-25 score was 55.0 and the score at 6 months after injection was 19.5. However, the average SNOT-25 score of nine participants at 6 months after injection (mean±standard deviation, 62.4±35.8) did not differ significantly from the baseline SNOT25 score (70.1±24.7, P>0.05, respectively). Among the various inflammatory markers assessed, the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, and calcitonin gene-related peptide were significantly higher in ENS patients. Compared with preinjection secretion level, the nasal secretions from SVF-treated patients showed decreased expressions of IL-1β and IL-8 after injection. Conclusion Although SVF treatment appears to decrease the inflammatory cytokine levels in the nasal mucosa, a single SVF injection was not effective in terms of symptom improvement and patient satisfaction. Further trials are needed to identify a more practical and useful regenerative treatment modality for patients with ENS.

Background and Objective To document the effect of adenotonsillectomy on prepubertal growth in children according to preoperative growth status and follow up period. Methods The clinical records of 161 prepubertal children with sleep breathing disorder who underwent adenotonsillectomy between 1998 and 2007 were assessed. The height, weight and body mass index (BMI) was converted to z-score (standard deviation scores) for their ages. Preoperative growth status was divided to three groups (less than 25th percentile, 25–75th percentile, and more than 75th percentile). The changes of weight, height and BMI were evaluated according to follow up periods and preoperative growth status. Results The slopes (Δz-score/year) of general parameters (height, weight, BMI) were not significant statistically. For height-for-age, < 25th percentile group had significant increase of z-score by 0.155 per year (p = 0.009), but the other groups did not. For weight-for-age, z-score of 25–75th percentile group was increased by 0.119 per year (p = 0.010) and z-score of > 75th percentile group was decreased significantly by 0.096 per year (p = 0.039). But for BMI-for age, the slopes of all groups were not significant statistically. Conclusions Adenotonsillectomy could make constant increase of height during prepubertal period for < 25th percentile children. Also adenotonsillectomy make constant increase of weight for 25–75th percentile children, and make decrease of weight for > 75th percentile children during prepubertal period. Adenotonsillectomy might have different effects on growth indices of children with sleep disordered breathing according to initial growth status.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of retroauricular hair line incision (RAHI) in partial superficial parotidectomy by comparison with modified Blair incision or facelift incision.MethodsMedical records of 73 patients with benign parotid tumor who underwent partial superficial parotidectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Size and location of tumors, operative time, occurrence of facial nerve paralysis and Frey's syndrome, and cosmetic outcomes were compared among RAHI, facelift incision (FLI), modified Blair incision (MBI) groups.ResultsRAHI group showed better cosmetic results than FLI group or MBI group compared with other type of incisions (P0.999), occurrence of temporary or permanent facial nerve paralysis (P=0.745) and Frey's syndrome (P=0.940).ConclusionPartial superficial parotidectomy can be done safely by RAHI in most cases of benign parotid tumor. Compared with MBI or FLI, RAHI has better cosmetic outcome with no increase of operative time or postoperative complications.