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Robotic surgical systems enable surgeons to perform precise movement in the surgical field using high-resolution 3D vision and flexible robotic instruments. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of performing axillary lymph node dissection using a robotic surgical system in patients with node-positive breast cancer.Thirty-two women with breast cancer who underwent robot-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomy (RNSM) and level I/II axillary lymph node dissection were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: RNSM with conventional axillary lymph node dissection (CALND) vs. RNSM with robotic axillary lymph node dissection (RALND). Clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes were analyzed.The median age of the patients was 44 (range 20-59) years. Eleven patients underwent RALND. None of the clinicopathologic features differed between the two groups. There were no statistically significant differences in surgical outcomes, except for the final incision size, between the two groups. The proportion of cases with an incision ≤ 40 mm was 63.6% in the RALND group and 36.4% in the CALND group (p = 0.020).RALND can be safely performed in RNSM. RNSM with RALND is comparable to RNSM with CALND in terms of early surgical outcomes. The incision size can be reduced when using RALND.

We sought to investigate the utility of ebastine (EBA), a second-generation antihistamine with potent anti-metastatic properties, in the context of breast cancer stem cell (BCSC)-suppression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). EBA binds to the tyrosine kinase domain of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), blocking phosphorylation at the Y397 and Y576/577 residues. FAK-mediated JAK2/STAT3 and MEK/ERK signaling was attenuated after EBA challenge in vitro and in vivo. EBA treatment induced apoptosis and a sharp decline in the expression of the BCSC markers ALDH1, CD44 and CD49f, suggesting that EBA targets BCSC-like cell populations while reducing tumor bulk. EBA administration significantly impeded BCSC-enriched tumor burden, angiogenesis and distant metastasis while reducing MMP-2/-9 levels in circulating blood in vivo. Our findings suggest that EBA may represent an effective therapeutic for the simultaneous targeting of JAK2/STAT3 and MEK/ERK for the treatment of molecularly heterogeneous TNBC with divergent profiles. Further investigation of EBA as an anti-metastatic agent for the treatment of TNBC is warranted.

To evaluate the prevalence of insomnia in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and to analyze the relationship between the severity of insomnia and LPR-related symptoms.We analyzed 69 patients with LPR and 61 healthy controls. The LPR was confirmed via the 24-h hypopharyngeal-esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance pH monitoring. Reflux symptoms and sleep disturbances were assessed using the Reflux Symptom Index and Insomnia Severity Index. We compared the prevalence of insomnia between the two groups. We analyzed the relationship between reflux symptoms and severity of insomnia.The prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher in patients with LPR than in healthy controls (46.3% vs. 29.5%; p = 0.049). The severity of reflux-related symptoms was correlated with insomnia severity (rho = 0.44; p 0.001). Patients with LPR with nighttime reflux were more likely to have sleep disturbances than patients with LPR without nighttime reflux.Patients with LPR are more likely to experience insomnia than healthy controls, and the severity of reflux symptoms was related to the severity of insomnia.

Purpose This study aimed to identify the association between Ki-67 level and the prognosis of patients with breast cancer, regardless of the timing of Ki-67 testing (using preoperative biopsy vs. postoperative specimen). Methods A total of 4177 patients underwent surgery between January 2008 and December 2016. Immunohistochemical Ki-67 levels, using either preoperative (1673) or postoperative (2831) specimens, were divided into four groups using cutoff points of 10%, 15%, and 20%. Results Groups with higher-Ki-67 levels, in both the pre- and postoperative periods, showed significantly larger tumor size, higher grade, more frequent hormone receptor-negativity and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression, and active adjuvant treatments than groups with lower-Ki-67 levels. High-Ki-67 levels were also significantly associated with poor survival, irrespective of the timing of specimen examination. Conclusion Despite the problems associated with Ki-67, Ki-67 level is an important independent prognostic factor, regardless of the timing of Ki-67 testing, i.e., preoperative or postoperative testing.

BACKGROUND: Hair follicles are among a handful of organs that exhibit immune privilege. Dysfunction of the hair follicle immune system underlies the development of inflammatory diseases, such as alopecia areata. METHODS: Quantitative reverse transcription PCR and immunostaining was used to confirm the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I in human dermal papilla cells. Through transcriptomic analyses of human keratinocyte stem cells, major histocompatibility complex class I was identified as differentially expressed genes. Organ culture and patch assay were performed to assess the ability of WNT3a conditioned media to rescue immune privilege. Lastly, CD8+ T cells were detected near the hair bulb in alopecia areata patients through immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma were verified to induce the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I proteins in dermal papilla cells. Additionally, loss of immune privilege of hair follicles was rescued following treatment with conditioned media from outer root sheath cells. Transcriptomic analyses found 58 up-regulated genes and 183 down-regulated genes related in MHC class I+ cells. Using newborn hair patch assay, we demonstrated that WNT3a conditioned media with epidermal growth factor can restore hair growth. In alopecia areata patients, CD8+ T cells were increased during the transition from mid-anagen to late catagen. CONCLUSION: Identification of mechanisms governing epithelial and mesenchymal interactions of the hair follicle facilitates an improved understanding of the regulation of hair follicle immune privilege. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13770-021-00392-7.

Cellular dynamics and fate decision in early human embryogenesis remain largely unknown owing to the challenges of performing studies in human embryos1. Here, we explored whole-genomes of 334 single-cell colonies and targeted deep sequences of 379 bulk tissues obtained from various anatomical locations of seven recently deceased adult human donors. Using somatic mutations as an intrinsic barcode, we reconstructed early cellular phylogenies that demonstrate (1) an endogenous mutational rate that is higher in the first cell division but decreases to approximately one per cell per cell division later in life; (2) universal unequal contribution of early cells to embryo proper, resulting from early cellular bottlenecks that stochastically set aside epiblast cells within the embryo; (3) examples of varying degrees of early clonal imbalances between tissues on the left and right sides of the body, different germ layers and specific anatomical parts and organs; (4) emergence of a few ancestral cells that will substantially contribute to adult cell pools in blood and liver; and (5) presence of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy in the fertilized egg. Our approach also provides insights into the age-related mutational processes and loss of sex chromosomes in normal somatic cells. In sum, this study provides a foundation for future studies to complete cellular phylogenies in human embryogenesis. Adult human tissues from diverse sites around the body are used to reconstruct cellular phylogenies from early development, using somatic mutations as an internal barcode.

This study aimed to analyze pharyngeal reflux episodes in patients with suspected LPR versus healthy subjects using 24-h MII-pH monitoring. One hundred twenty-one patients who visited our clinic with a chief complaint of LPR-related symptoms and underwent 24-h MII-pH monitoring were enrolled prospectively. Also, 27 healthy subjects were enrolled and underwent 24-h MII-pH monitoring during the same period. We analyzed sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy comprehensively to determine appropriate cut-off values of pharyngeal reflux episodes in 24-h MII-pH monitoring to diagnose patients with LPR. Twenty-nine of 121 patients with suspected LPR showed no pharyngeal reflux episodes, while 92 showed more than one pharyngeal reflux event. In contrast, the 22 healthy subjects showed no pharyngeal reflux episodes, three showed one reflux event, and two showed two reflux events. A cut-off value of ≥ 1 showed best accuracy reflected by combined sensitivity and specificity values, while ≥ 2 demonstrated better specificity with slight loss of sensitivity and slightly lower overall accuracy, suggesting cut-off value of ≥ 1 pharyngeal reflux episodes is a good clinical indicator. A cut-off value of ≥ 1 in pharyngeal reflux episodes on 24-h MII-pH monitoring in patients with suspected LPR might be an acceptable diagnostic tool for LPR.

Chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT) are biocidal preservatives and the active ingredients in Kathon CG, which contains ca. 1.5% mixture of CMIT and MIT at a ratio of 3:1 (CMIT/MIT). CMIT/MIT was misused as humidifier disinfectant products, which caused serious health problems in Korea. Here, the vascular effects of CMIT/MIT were investigated to evaluate claims of putative cardiovascular toxicity observed in humidifier disinfectant users. CMIT/MIT did not affect the basal tension of the rat thoracic aorta up to 2.5 μg/mL in myograph experiments. Instead, pretreatment with CMIT/MIT impaired phenylephrine- or 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced vasoconstriction in a range of 0.5–2.5 μg/mL, which was largely irreversible and not recovered by washing out the CMIT/MIT. Similarly, the application of CMIT/MIT to pre-contracted aorta caused a gradual loss of tension. In primary cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), CMIT/MIT caused thiol depletion, which in turn led to cytosolic Zn2+ elevation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. CMIT/MIT-induced shrinkage, detachment, and lysis of VSMCs depending on the concentration and the treatment time. All events induced by CMIT/MIT were prevented by a thiol donor N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Cytolysis could be inhibited by a Zn2+ chelator TPEN and a superoxide scavenger TEMPOL, whereas they did not affect shrinkage and detachment. In accordance with these results, CMIT/MIT-exposed aortas exhibited dissociation and collapse of tissue in histology analysis. Taken together, CMIT/MIT causes functional impairment and tissue damage to blood vessels by depleting thiol and thereby elevating cytosolic Zn2+ and generating ROS. Therefore, exposure to CMIT/MIT in consumer products may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders.

During the last two decades, development of 3D object selection techniques has been widely studied because it is critical for providing an interactive virtual environment to users. Previous techniques encounter difficulties with selecting small or distant objects, as well as naturalness and physical fatigue. Although eye-hand based interaction techniques have been promoted as the ideal solution to these problems, research on eye-hand based spatial interaction techniques in 3D virtual spaces has progressed very slowly. We propose a natural and efficient spatial interaction technique for object selection, which is motivated by understanding the human grasp. The proposed technique, gaze–grasp pose interaction (GG Interaction), has many advantages, such as quick and easy selection of small or distant objects, less physical fatigue, and elimination of eye-hand visibility mismatch. Additionally, even if an object is partially overlapped by other objects, GG Interaction enables a user to select the target object easily. We compare GG Interaction with a standard ray-casting technique through a formal user study (participants $$=$$ 20) across two scenarios. The results of the study confirm that GG Interaction provides natural, quick and easy selection for users.

This longitudinal study examines to what extent the risk of mortality—all-cause, natural death, suicide, and unintentional injury mortality—differs by types and severity of disabilities as well as disability status. Data were the National Sample Cohort of 1,025,340 individuals in South Korea followed from 2002 to 2013. Cox regression with time-variant variables was used to estimate the hazard ratio of mortality by disability. Individuals with disabilities had a higher risk of mortality compared to those without (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.80–1.88 for natural death; HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.64–2.03 for suicide; HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.38–1.71 for unintentional injury). All types of disability were associated with an increased risk of natural death. Individuals with mental disability were the highest risk group for suicide (HR 7.14, 95% CI 5.31–9.60). People defined as having severe disability had an elevated risk for all categories of mortality. Disabilities are important markers of high risk of mortality. Findings call for actions to reduce mortality risk of people with disabilities, including preventing suicidal behaviors of those with mental disability.

This longitudinal study explores heterogeneity of middle school students by identifying subgroups of youth characterized by distinct truancy trajectories and by determining disability profiles that distinguish these subgroups. Participants comprised an entire 7th through 9th grade student population, with approximately 58,000 students, in a large urban school district. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify subgroups of truant youth. This analysis yielded five distinct truant subgroups: Very-Low (37 %), Low (43.4 %), Declining (3.3 %), Rising (12.8 %), and Chronic (3.6 %). Further, differential disability profiles were found in each subgroup with the control of demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, free/reduced lunch, Limited English Proficiency, grade, and prior school absences), students with serious emotional disturbance and learning disabilities demonstrated amplified risks of being classified in the Chronic or Rising subgroups, which show chronic or incremental upward truant trajectories over time. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research.

A Gram-stain-positive, polar flagella-containing, rod-shaped, obligate aerobic, endospore-forming bacterium, strain TK1655(T), was isolated from the traditional Korean food gochujang. The 16S rRNA sequence of strain TK1655(T) was a member of the genus Oceanobacillus similar to that of the type strain of Oceanobacillus oncorhynchi subsp. incaldanensis DSM 16557(T) (97.2%), O. oncorhynchi subsp. oncorhynchi JCM 12661(T) (97.1%), O. locisalsi KCTC 13253(T) (97.0%), and O. sojae JCM 15792(T) (96.9%). Strain TK1655(T) was oxidase and catalase positive. Colonies were circular, smooth, low convex, cream in colour, and measured about 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter. The range for growth was 20-40°C (optimal, 30°C), pH 6.0-10.0 (optimal, 7.0), and 2-16% (w/v) NaCl (optimal, 2%). Additionally, the cells contained meso-DAP, and the predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The complex polar lipids were consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC). The major cellular fatty acid components were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0, and anteiso-C17:0, and the DNA G+C content was 40.5%. DNA-DNA relatedness of our novel strain and reference strain O. locisalsi KCTC 13253(T), O. oncorhynchi subsp. incaldanensis DSM 16557(T), O. oncorhynchi subsp. oncorhynchi JCM 12661(T) was 45.7, 43.8, and 41.9%. From the results of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic analyses of strain TK1655(T), we propose the novel species Oceanobacillus gochujangensis sp. nov. The type strain is TK1655(T) (=KCCM 101304(T) =KCTC 33014(T) =CIP 110582(T) =NBRC 109637(T)).

With Leuconostoc species being increasingly isolated from many fermented kimchi, a systematic identification of this genus is required, for which an amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) has been developed. This method applies both polymerase chain reaction and restriction pattern analysis using a restriction enzyme. First, using specific primers that were designed from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) sequences, 217 bp specific to LAB was produced. Then, restriction analysis using the MspI was applied to identify these bacteria at the species level. This study demonstrates novel ARDRA technique for the identification of Leuconostoc species was successful in identifying according to the genomic species.

Consumer awareness of food additives was investigated, and the educational effects of improving consumer awareness of food additives were analyzed. A total of 2,782 out of the 4,090 consumers approached participated in the study. Consumer awareness of food additives was assessed through a questionnaire before educational intervention. The same questionnaire was used post-educational intervention to investigate how this education had influenced consumer understanding of food additives. Before intervention, many consumers lacked accurate knowledge of food additives and, accordingly, felt apprehensive them. However, awareness of food additive safety was improved from 33.1% before education to 78.6% after education. Survey results indicated that awareness of food additives was influenced by consumer experience, education, and knowledge. With proper education, consumers can obtain a positive awareness of food additives, and various types of consumer education programs should be provided.

To investigate the effect of starter isolated from kimchi, we selected the most effective strain among the 121 strains examined and identified the strain as Leuconostoc mesenteroides LK93 through 16S rDNA sequencing. This strain exhibited resistance to acid and bile salts with good survival capacity and showed antimicrobial and antifungal activity. We investigated the effects of starter on kimchi fermentation. The kimchi was fermented at 25°C for 25 d. Furthermore, the LK93 strain was examined for its ability to inhibit the growth of film-forming yeast. It was determined that the LK93 strain could be a potential starter in kimchi.

To investigate the microorganisms in culture-proven endophthalmitis and their susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents commonly used in South Korea.Medical records of consecutive patients with culture-proven endophthalmitis at eight institutions between 1 January 2004 and 31 July 31 2010 were reviewed. Four categories of endophthalmitis were studied: postoperative, posttraumatic, endogenous, and unspecified. Outcome measures were culture-proven infectious organisms, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and final visual acuity in the patients.A total of 93 microorganisms were identified from 103 patients during the study period. The positive culture rate was 59.2 % (103/174). The most common organisms identified were Enterococcus faecalis (in 20.8 % of patients, 20/96), Staphylococcus epidermidis (18.8 %, 18/96), other coagulase-negative staphylococci (10.4 %, 10/96), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.3 %, 6/96), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.3 %, 6/96). Two cases of Enterococcus faecium (2.1 %) were recognized. Overall, 70 of 96 (73.0 %) isolates were Gram-positive bacteria, 22 (23.0 %) were Gram-negative bacteria, and 4 (4.2 %) were fungi. The most common organisms resulting in reduced light perception were E. faecalis and K. pneumoniae.The emergence of E. faecalis in endophthalmitis is mainly caused by the high incidence of E. faecalis in postoperative endophthalmitis. This increase also impacts the final visual acuity of the patients.

This study was conducted to estimate the shelf-life of yogurt beverage and stirred-type yogurt. Samples of yogurt beverage and stirred-type yogurt were stored at 10, 15, and 25°C during 25-day storage, and quality changes were monitored. The quality limit for the sensory evaluation was set to 5 points on a 9-point hedonic scale. The legal limits for other quality criteria were established based on the ‘Process Criteria and Ingredient Standards of Livestock Products’ issued by the Animal, Plant and Fisheries Quarantine and Inspection Agency (QIA). Regression equations were used to calculate the non-legal quality limits between sensory evaluation (x) and non-legal quality criteria (y). Non-legal quality criteria were excluded from quality criteria used to establish shelf-life which the correlation coefficient (R2) of the regression equation was less than 0.9. The estimated shelf-life was defined as the date when the earliest date among all date of quality limit. This study indicated that the shelf-life of each sample at 10, 15, and 25°C were as follows: 19, 14, and 12 days for yogurt beverage, and 17, 16, and 12 days for stirred-type yogurt, respectively.

The sea squirt has a tunic composed of cellulose fibers that are originated from animal cells and form a cellulose membrane that functions as a protective barrier and a skeleton of body. We purified the squirt cellulose membrane (SCM), about 100 μm thickness, from the cystic tunic of Styela clava. The SCM was turned out to be composed of pure native cellulose I in the analyses of X-ray diffraction, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. The inner surface of SCM showed numerous micropores in the meshworks of thin cellulose microfibrils, while the outer surface of SCM showed a few micropores. In order to know the osteoconductive effect of the SCM, it was applied to the perforated rat frontal bone, 8 mm diameter, for 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 weeks. The mesenchymal cells were tightly adhered to the inner surface of SCM and produced new bone there. The perforations to which the SCM was applied, were completely healed in 10 weeks, while the positive control group applied with the guided tissue regeneration (GTR) material, Bio-Gide® showed incomplete healing until 16 weeks. Immunohistochemistry performed on the experimental group showed that BMP-2 and osteonectin were strongly positive in the early stage of bone healing at 4 weeks, while receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) became positive at 16 weeks. Particularly, the inner surface of SCM itself was consistently positive for the osteogenic proteins, indicating that the implanted SCM can absorb the osteogenic proteins from the stromal matrix of the host tissue. On the other hands, the positive control group implanted with Bio-Gide® showed relatively weak reaction of the osteogenic proteins in the perforated bone area during the healing period, and the negative control group implanted none showed poor bony regeneration in the perforated wounds. Taken together, the SCM showed an excellent osteoconductive effect in the perforated rat frontal bone, which was quite comparable to the results of Bio-Gide® implantation. Therefore, it is suggested that the SCM be a novel GTR material of a natural source with a strong osteoconductive effect on the injured bone.

To identify and characterize the microbial communities in gochujang, a traditional Korean fermented food, the viable cell numbers of total bacteria, halophilic bacteria, fungi, yeasts, halophilic yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria from 7 homemade gochujang samples produced in the Sunchang area and 5 commercial gochujang samples were counted. The variety of microflora in the gochujang samples was evaluated by identifying the isolates via DNA sequence analysis. The viable cell numbers of total bacteria were determined to be in the range of 6–7 log CFU/g, which were higher than those of yeasts. Neither lactic acid bacteria nor fungi were detected in either type of gochujang after aging. A total of 7 genera and 31 species of microorganisms were identified in the gochujang: 29% was identified as Bacillus velezensis, as a major microorganism in gochujang. Under halophilic conditions, Oceanobacillus spp. was detected for the first time.

This paper aimed to identify the lactic acid bacteria species involved in kimchi fermentation at different fermentation periods by using culture-independent 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, and develop polymerase chain reaction for the detection of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). We investigated 6 commercially produced kimchi samples, including kimchi at an initial stage of fermentation and kimchi that was fermented to an over-ripened stage. The results of our study show that the analysis with cultureindependent 16S rRNA gene clone libraries could successfully identify 134 clones, 11 species, including Weissella, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Leuconostoc from the 6 commercial kimchi samples. Weisella koreensis and Lactobacillus brevis were the predominant LAB in the initial stage of kimchi fermentation at 4°C (pH 4.96–5.27 and acidity 0.81–0.88), and Leuconostoc gelidum and Lactobacillus sakei subsp. sakei may play an important role in kimchi fermentation at the over-ripened stage (pH 3.61–3.91 and acidity 1.70–1.79).

In this study, paclitaxel-loaded lipid nanosuspension (PxLN) was prepared and the in vivo profiles after intravenous administration in rats were investigated. We compared the manufacturing processes depending on the temperature: PxLN-H for a hot homogenization process and PxLN-C for solidification of lipid-drug mixtures by liquid nitrogen. Both formulations showed submicron size distribution and the similar drug loading efficiency of about 70%. In vitro release of PxLNs and Taxol performed by a dialysis diffusion method showed similar pattern for PxLN-H and Taxol, but the reduced release profile for PxLN-C. PxLN or Taxol was intravenously administered to the rats at a dose of 5 mg/kg as paclitaxel. The drug in blood samples were assayed by the HPLC/MS/MS method. The AUC of PxLN-H was 3.4-fold greater than that of Taxol. PxLN-H gave higher biodistribution in all tissues than did Taxol. In addition, it maintained the higher drug concentration for 12 h. This lipid nanosuspension might be a promising candidate for an alternative formulation for the parenteral delivery of poorly water-soluble paclitaxel.

This paper is an investigation of the knowledge sources of Korean innovation studies using citation analysis, based on a Korean database during 1993–2004. About two thirds of knowledge has come from foreign sources and 94% of them are from English materials. Research Policy is the most frequently cited journal followed by Harvard Business Review, R&D Management and American Economic Review. An analysis of who cites the most highly cited journal is also included. Neo-Schumpeterians in Korea cite more papers from Research Policy than general researchers, and there is no difference between groups in the year of citation.

Oriental people usually have a wide midface and a prominent malar curve. The zygomatic bone forms the prominence of the cheek, and it is the most important part in determining the ideal oval shape of the face on the frontal view and the character of the oblique profile. Therefore, zygoma contouring is commonly performed. Women with a prominent zygoma have an inferiority complex associated with unattractive facial features resembling aged, melancholic, and strong characters in oriental culture. Zygoma is the highlighted area of the midface and a major determinant of midfacial shape, but harmony with the adjacent area is very important. Therefore, to obtain the optimal outcome of reduction malarplasty, various ancillary procedures must be performed simultaneously. The authors performed 30 reduction malarplasties during the past 2 years. The amount of bone to be removed was determined by the preoperative interview, physical examination, and x-rays. Intraoral incisions provided access to the zygomatic body and lateral orbital rim. After the L-shaped osteotomy, two parallel vertical and transverse osteotomies in the medial part of the zygomatic body, the midsegment was removed. The posterior portion of the zygomatic arch was approached through a stab incision in the preauricular area. A 3-mm osteotome was used. After completion of the osteotomy, the movable zygomatic complex was reduced medially and superiorly, then fixed with miniplates and screws on the zygmaticomaxillary buttress. The combined operations with reduction malarplasty were as follows: reduction of the mandibular angle in 15 cases, rhinoplasty in 14 cases, and double-fold operation in 11 cases. The follow-up period was 2 months to 2 years, and all the patients were satisfied with the results. In conclusion, this method is a very simple, easy, and safe method that reduces the operating time to 1 h and minimizes postoperative edema and swelling. Consequently, recovery time is relatively short, and no conspicuous scars in the preauricular area are left. The authors also performed many ancillary procedures, thereby obtaining optimal satisfaction with their results, including decreased facial width and superior mobilization of the prominent area. They were able to prevent postoperative cheek drooping, and to give the patients a more youthful, charming look.

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common aesthetic surgical procedures in Korea today. However, simple augmentation rhinoplasty results often failed to satisfy the high expectations of patients. As a result, many procedures have been developed to improve the appearance of the nasal tip and nasal projection. However, the characteristics of Korean nasal tips including the bulbous appearance (attributable to the thickness of the skin), flared nostrils, and restriction of the nasal tip attributable to an underdeveloped medical crus of the alar cartilage and a short columella have made such procedures difficult. Currently, most plastic surgeons perform rhinoplasty simultaneously with various nasal tip plasty techniques to improve the surgical results. An important part of an aesthetically pleasing result is to ensure an adequate nasal tip positioned slightly higher than the proper dorsum, with the two tip defining points in close proximity to each other, giving the nose a triangular shape from the caudal view. From June 2002 to November 2003, the authors performed rhinoplasty with simultaneous nasal tip plasty using various techniques according to the tip status of 55 patients (25 deviated noses, 9 broad noses, 15 low noses, and 6 secondary cleft lip and nose deformities). The surgery included realignment of alar cartilage by resection and suture, fibroareolar and subcutaneous tissue resection, tip graft, and columellar strut. The postoperative results over an average period of 10 months were entirely satisfactory. There were no patient complaints, nor complications resulting from the procedures. Good nasal tip projection, natural columellar appearance, and improvement of the nasolabial angle were achieved for most patients. In conclusion, rhinoplasty with simultaneous nasal tip plasty, achieved by a variety of techniques according to patients' tip status, is an effective method for improving the appearance of the nose and satisfying the desires of the patients.

BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films have been deposited on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 (001) substrate by using ion beam sputtering process. At low oxygen partial pressure of 11 m Pa, rhombohedral and large c/a mixed phase thin film have been obtained in spite of rhombohedral BFO single phase formation at high oxygen partial pressure of 73 mPa. From wide area 2θ-Ψ mappings, diffraction peaks from large c/a phase BFO thin film were obtained with the same extinction rule as those of rhombohedral BFO. Reciprocal space mappings around BFO (003) and BFO (103) spots indicate that lattice parameters of large c/a phase BFO were a = 0.381 nm and c = 0.461 nm (c/a =1.22), respectively. Moreover ferroelectric domain switching could be observed in both of rhombohedral BFO and mixed phase BFO thin films.

Background Protein Ser/Thr phosphatase 5 (PP5) and its Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog protein phosphatase T1 (Ppt1p) each contain an N-terminal domain consisting of several tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) and a C-terminal catalytic domain that is related to the catalytic subunits of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, and calcineurin. Analysis of yeast Ppt1p could provide important clues to the function of PP5 and its homologs, however it has not yet been characterized at the biochemical or cellular level.