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Background The aims of this study were to investigate the parameters of thromboelastography (TEG) for evaluating coagulopathy and to reveal an association with disease severity and/or transfusion requirement in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) in a clinical laboratory setting. Methods We enrolled two groups of adult patients with cirrhotic (N=123) and non-cirrhotic liver disease (N=52), as well as 84 healthy controls. Reaction time (R), kinetic time (K), α-angle (α), maximal amplitude (MA), and coagulation index (CI) were measured with kaolin-activated citrated blood with the TEG 5000 system (Haemonetics Corporation, USA). Platelet count, prothrombin time international normalized ratio (PT INR), albumin, bilirubin, and creatinine were simultaneously measured. The CLD severity was calculated by using the Child-Pugh (C-P) and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. Transfusion history was also reviewed. Results All TEG parameters, PT INR, and platelet count in the cirrhotic group showed significant differences from those in other groups. At least one or more abnormal TEG parameters were identified in 17.3% and 44.7% of patients in the non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic group, respectively. Patients with cirrhotic disease had hypocoagulability. A weak correlation between R and PT INR (r=0.173) was noted. The TEG parameters could not predict CLD severity using the C-P and MELD scores. Patients with normal TEG parameters did not receive transfusion. Conclusions Clinical application of TEG measurements in CLD can be informative for investigating coagulopathy or predicting the risk of bleeding. Further studies are warranted.

Alginate is a typical biomaterial that forms hydrogels in the presence of calcium ions and has often been utilized in tissue engineering approaches. However, it lacks biofunctionality in the form of interactions with cells and proteins. Hyaluronate, a main component of glycosaminoglycans, provides CD44-specific interactions with chondrocytes but typically requires chemical cross-linking agents to fabricate hydrogels, which may cause unexpected side effects in the body. In this study, we propose the design and fabrication of a hybrid structure of alginate and hyaluronate useful for cartilage regeneration. Alginate was used as a backbone, and hyaluronate with a low molecular weight was introduced to the backbone to fabricate alginate-hyaluronate hybrid coupled by ethylenediamine. We hypothesized that alginate-hyaluronate hybrid (AH) could maintain its ability to form gels in the presence of calcium ions and could be useful for cartilage regeneration as an injectable system. Characteristics of AH hydrogels containing various composition ratios of hyaluronate to alginate were investigated, and the chondrogenic potential of ATDC5 cells encapsulated within AH hydrogels was evaluated in vitro. Consequently, AH hydrogels having a defined polymer composition and mechanical stiffness were useful to successfully regulate chondrogenic differentiation and to maintain the chondrocytic cell phenotype, which may lead to many useful applications in cartilage regeneration.

Three kinds of roe protein concentrates (RPCs: boil-dried concentrate, BDC; steam-dried concentrate, SDC; freeze-dried concentrate, FDC) were prepared from yellowfin tuna to produce value added products for food applications. The buffer capacities of the RPCs were higher under alkaline than under acidic conditions. The water holding capacities of the RPCs were in range 4.5-4.7 g/g protein at pH 6.0. The protein solubility of the FDC (14.2%) was higher than those of the BDC (5.4%) and SDC (5.5%) at pH 6.0. The foaming capacity of the FDC (156.8%) was higher than those of the BDC (109.7%) and SDC (109.4%); the FDC foam was stable for 60 min. The oil-in-water emulsifying activity index of the FDC (12.2m2/g protein) exceeded those of the BDC and SDC (2.2m2/g protein). Protein concentrates from yellowfin tuna roe may be useful as a potential protein source and as a high-value food ingredient.

Serum pancreatic enzymes (serum amylase and lipase) are sensitive markers for monitoring acute rejection in pancreatic transplant recipients. However, those enzymes are not specific, as their levels are elevated in other conditions. We evaluated the eosinophil-to-monocyte ratio (EMR) in peripheral blood as a biomarker of acute rejection in the clinical setting in recipients of pancreatic transplant alone. We performed 32 cases of pancreatic transplantation alone since 2015. Nine patients were diagnosed with rejection. Serum amylase and lipase levels and eosinophil and monocytes counts were analyzed and compared retrospectively between the non-rejection and rejection groups. The serum eosinophil count, eosinophil fraction of the complete blood count, and serum amylase and lipase levels were significant predictors of rejection according to the receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve. However, the EMR was the best indicator of rejection based on the ROC curve (area under the curve 0.918, sensitivity 100%, specificity 76.2% at the cutoff value 0.80, P

BACKGROUND Existing treatments of acne vulgaris may be complicated or elicit undesirable side effects. Therefore, new and safe therapeutic modalities are needed. OBJECTIVES We investigated the effects of a cleanser with 5-aminolevulinic acid and peptides on mild to moderate acne vulgaris. METHODS Sixty volunteers with mild to moderate acne vulgaris (IGA grade II-III) were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups of thirty respectively. Participants cleansed their faces twice a day for 8 weeks with either a cleanser with 5-aminolevulinic acid and peptides (treatment) or with basic cleanser (control). The number of acne lesions (comedones, papules, pustules, and nodules), Michaelson's acne severity, and IGA were measured every 2 weeks and patient satisfaction and adverse events at week 8. RESULTS Mean number of inflammatory acne lesions in treatment group decreased from 5.9 at baseline to 4.5 at week 4 and 4.1 at week 8 (in particular, P

Objectives To compare quantified human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral load quantified using the cobas HIV-1 test with that obtained using the CAP/CTM HIV-1 and Abbott RealTime HIV-1 tests and evaluate the performance of cobas HIV-1 using the cobas 4800 system. Methods Clinical samples (n = 123) were quantitatively analyzed using the CAP/CTM HIV-1, Abbott RealTime HIV-1, and cobas HIV-1 tests, and the precision, linearity, and limit of detection of the cobas HIV-1 test were evaluated. Results Comparable results were obtained by both methods: ([log CAP/CTM HIV-1 value] = 0.979 * [log cobas HIV-1 test value] + 0.034) and ([log Abbott RealTime HIV-1 value] = 0.985 * [log cobas HIV-1 test value] + 0.027). cobas HIV-1 test results for 89.4% and 93.5% were within 0.5 log10 IU/mL of the CAP/CTM HIV-1 and Abbott RealTime HIV-1 results, respectively. Conclusions The cobas HIV-1 test showed good performance, and its results correlated well with those of other two tests.

The antibreast cancer activities of the ethyl acetate fraction from Orostachys japonicus (OJEF) were investigated in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells through WST assay, DAPI staining, flow cytometry analysis, and western blotting. OJEF effectively inhibited MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing apoptosis via intrinsic, extrinsic, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response pathways, cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase, and antimetastasis including inhibition of tight junction, adherens junction, invasion, and migration. The MAPK family-mediated upstream signal transduction through p-p38 and p-ERK was considered to affect the downstream signal transduction including induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and antimetastasis. In conclusion, we executed an integrated study on the anticancer activities of OJEF, which extensively induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and antimetastasis in estrogen-independent MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells known to be liable to metastasize.

We developed an eye phantom that mimic retinal layers and blood vessels to evaluation of retinal OCT-angiography and fundus angiography. The phantom was made of polydimethylsiloxane and titanium dioxide using spin coater and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology.

HLA-A*24:460 differs from HLA-A*24:02 by one nucleotide in codon 285.

The application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating bone-related diseases shows promising outcomes in preclinical studies. However, cells that are isolated and defined as MSCs comprise a heterogeneous population of progenitors. This heterogeneity can produce variations in the performance of MSCs, especially in applications that require differentiation potential in vivo, such as the treatment of osteoporosis. Here, we aimed to identify genetic markers in tonsil-derived MSCs (T-MSCs) that can predict osteogenic potential. Using a single-cell cloning method, we isolated and established several lines of nondifferentiating (ND) or osteoblast-prone (OP) clones. Next, we performed transcriptome sequencing of three ND and three OP clones that maintained the characteristics of MSCs and determined the top six genes that were upregulated in OP clones. Upregulation of WNT16 and DCLK1 expression was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR, but only WNT16 expression was correlated with the osteogenic differentiation of T-MSCs from 10 different donors. Collectively, our findings suggest that WNT16 is a putative genetic marker that predicts the osteogenic potential of T-MSCs. Thus, examination of WNT16 expression as a selection criterion prior to the clinical application of MSCs may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell therapy for bone-related complications, including osteoporosis.

Tissue engineering typically requires a use of scaffolds when delivering tissue-specific cells to be engineered. Hydrogels are frequently used as scaffolds, because their composition, structure, and function resemble the natural tissue extracellular matrix. In this study, hyaluronate-alginate hybrid (HAH) was synthesized by conjugating alginate (ALG) with the hyaluronate (HA) backbone using various types of linkers. HAH hydrogel was prepared by physically cross-linking the HAH polymer in the presence of calcium ions without chemical cross-linkers. The mechanical stiffness of HAH hydrogel was significantly affected by changing the type of a linker between HA and ALG. The mechanical stiffness increased with increasing linker length, likely due to enhanced intermolecular reactions between HA and ALG. This enables controlling the mechanical properties of HAH hydrogels. The types of linkers used to synthesize HAHs also influenced the chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells cultured in HAH hydrogel in vitro. This hybrid system that can change the mechanical stiffness by varying the linker type while maintaining the cross-linking density may be useful to design and fabricate scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, including cartilage regeneration.

Background: Previous studies on of the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (d-PTSD) have relied on specialized statistical methods (i.e. profile or class analyses) for diagnosis than clinical rating available to clinicians. Objective: This study investigated the prevalence and covariates of d-PTSD diagnosed by a semi-structured interview in a cohort of outpatients with DSM-IV PTSD in a specialized trauma clinic in South Korea. Method: Data from 249 patients with civilian PTSD were examined, including demographics, clinical variables, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale, and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-IV). We defined d-PTSD as the presence of either depersonalization or derealization according to additional dissociative items of the CAPS. About one third (n = 82, 32.9%) of patients were designated as having d-PTSD. Results: Compared to the other patients with PTSD, those with d-PTSD were younger, had more severe PTSD symptoms, frequent interpersonal trauma, and a higher number of comorbid disorders. When these variables and their interactions were entered into a logistic regression model, younger age, severe PTSD symptoms and two or more comorbid conditions remained for the final model. We did not find a significant difference in improvement over the course of treatment between two groups. Conclusions: This study highlights the high prevalence of d-PTSD in a clinical population. Associated features of d-PTSD were similar to those reported in the Euro-American literature. Further studies are needed to better understand mechanisms and treatment options for d-PTSD. • About one-third of PTSD patients in a clinical cohort were diagnosed as d-PTSD. • d-PTSD group was younger and had severe PTSD symptoms and more psychiatric comorbidities. • Rates of d-PTSD may be higher when the diagnoses were made with clinical interviews.

Onychomycosis (OM) is a common nail disease. Although controversial, vascular diseases are considered independent predictors of OM and vice versa. Sequential pattern mining (SPM) has not been previously used for statistical analysis in dermatology, but it is an efficient method for identifying frequent association rules in multiple sequential data sets. The aim of our study was to identify the relationship between OM and vascular diseases in the real world through a population-based study using SPM. We obtained population-based data recorded from 2002 to 2013 by the Health Insurance Research and Assessment Agency. Cases of vascular-related disease and OM were identified using the diagnostic codes of the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision, version 2010. SPM measures were based on comorbidity and duration values. We estimated 3-year risk for progression from OM to vascular disease and vice versa using logistic regression. Patients with varicose veins and peripheral vascular disease had higher OM comorbidity (comorbidity: 1.26% and 0.69%, respectively) than did those with other vascular diseases. Patients diagnosed with varicose veins and peripheral vascular disease were diagnosed with OM after 25.50 and 55.10 days, respectively, which was a shorter duration than that observed for other diseases. Patients with OM were at higher risk for peripheral vascular disease (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.199 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.151–1.249]) and varicose veins (aOR 1.150 [95% CI 1.063–1.245]). Patients with peripheral vascular disease (aOR 1.128 [95% CI 1.081–1.177]) were at higher risk for OM, while patients with varicose veins had no significant risk for OM. Careful consideration of varicose veins or peripheral vascular disease is required for proper management of comorbidities in patients with OM.

Background: Early detection of rejection after organ transplantation is important as it can prevent deterioration of the transplant ed organ. With the development of molecular genetic technology, a digital PCR method that can detect with a small amount of DNA has been developed. In this study, donor derived cell-free DNA (ddcfDNA) was measured in pancreatic transplant patients to investigate the correlation with prognosis after organ transplantation. Methods: We tested DNA of patients from December 2016 to August 2018, comprising seven donors and seven recipients of pancreas transplantation. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were selected to differentiate donor DNA from recip ient DNA. Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is extracted from whole blood and subjected to the parallel quantification of recipient and ddcfDNA, by the use of digital PCR for SNPs different between those two genomes. The donor DNA percentage was calcu lated as the corrected donor DNA counts divided by the total positive DNA counts, multiplied by 100. Repeated ddcfDNA determi nations were scheduled to be performed in the study on postoperative day (POD) 1, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days after transplantation. Results: All seven patients were insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, two males and five females. The age of the recipient was median 34 years (range, 26-58 years). The preoperative body mass index was median 23.15 kg/㎡ (range, 15.94-25.61 kg/m2). The preoperative HbA1c was median 8.2 (range, 5.5-12.10). The ddcfDNA (%) measured serially is median 0.54 (range, 0.24- 66.53) for POD 1, median 3.8 (range, 1.72-50) for POD 4, median 1.69 (range, 0-52.94) for POD 7, median 1.22 (range, 0.16-53.84) for POD 10, and median 2.75 (range, 0.38-71.42) for POD 14. During the same period, the values of amylase are median 55 (range, 22-71) for POD1, median 52 (range, 27-77) for POD 4, median 85 (range, 61-139) for POD 7, median 82 (range, 60-147) for POD 10, and median 80 (range, 66-145) for POD 14. Conclusions: In this study, ddcfDNA was measured for 2 weeks after transplantation in pancreatic transplant recipients.

Roe is the term used to describe fish eggs (oocytes) gathered in skeins and is one of the most valuable food products from fishery sources. Thus, means of processing are required to convert the underutilized yellowfin tuna roes (YTR) into more marketable and acceptable forms as protein concentrate. Roe protein concentrates (RPCs) were prepared by cooking condition (boil-dried concentrate, BDC and steam-dried concentrate, SDC, respectively) and un-cooking condition (freeze-dried concentrate, FDC) from yellowfin tuna roe. The yield of RPCs was in the range from 22.2 to 25.3 g/100 g of roe. RPCs contained protein (72.3–77.3 %), moisture (4.3–5.6 %), lipid (10.6–11.3 %) and ash (4.3–5.7 %) as the major constituents. The prominent amino acids of RPCs were aspartic acid, 8.7–9.2, glutamic acid, 13.1–13.2, and leucine, 8.5–8.6 g/100 g of protein. Major differences were not observed in each of the amino acid. K, S, Na, and P as minerals were the major elements in RPCs. No difference noted in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis protein band (15–100 K) possibly representing partial hydrolysis of myosin. Therefore, RPCs from YTR could be use potential protein ingredient for human food and animal feeds.

Novel poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers were prepared through the heterogeneous saponification of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) nanofibers for the first time. To prepare the saponified PVA nanofibers, the effects of the alkali solution concentration and temperature were studied. It was found that the degree of saponification depended on the temperature and alkali solution concentration. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was utilized to characterize the morphology and properties of mats of the saponified PVA nanofibers, and unusual wrinkled and wound fibers were found. The conversion of PVAc nanofibers to PVA nanofibers was measured using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, X-ray diffraction measurements, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Background: Tinea capitis is a cutaneous infection of dermatophytes and predominant in children. Although tinea capitis in Korea is controlled by oral antifungal medications and concerted public health initiatives, it’s still a health issue. Objective: To investigate changes in the epidemiological and mycological characteristics of adult patients with tinea capitis in southeastern Korea. Methods: Using medical records from Kyungpook National University Hospital and Catholic Skin Clinic from 1989 to 2018, we retrospectively investigated the epidemiological and mycological characteristics of 266 adult patients (aged over 20) with tinea capitis. Results: Among total 266 patients, 239 were KOH-positive. The annual incidence of tinea capitis ranged from 3 to 18 between 1989 and 2018. Of the total, 54 (20.30%) were male and 212 (79.70%) were female. Eighty patients (30.08%) were in their seventies, the most commonly affected age group. Of the remaining, 58 (21.80%) were in their sixties, and 41 (15.41%) in eighties. Among all, 77 (28.95%) visited the hospital in summer, 72 (27.07%) in spring, 64 (24.06%) in winter, and 53 (19.92%) in fall. Dermatophytes were cultured from 171 patients. Microsporum canis was the most common dermatophyte (42.48%), while Trichophyton rubrum was the second (15.79%). Of the 266 patients, 186 (69.92%) lived in urban areas and 80 (30.08%) in rural areas. Conclusion: The epidemiological and mycological characteristics of adult patients with tinea capitis were different from those of children in terms of annual incidence, sex distribution, and isolated dermatophytes. These results provide useful information for the treatment and prevention of tinea capitis. (Ann Dermatol 32(2) 109∼114, 2020)

In this article, we report the complete genome sequence of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strain O/VN1/2014 isolated in Vietnam (Lao Cai) in 2014. The virus belongs to serotype O, topotype South East Asia (SEA), and genotype Mya-98 (O/SEA/Mya-98)., In this article, we report the complete genome sequence of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strain O/VN1/2014 isolated in Vietnam (Lao Cai) in 2014. The virus belongs to serotype O, topotype South East Asia (SEA), and genotype Mya-98 (O/SEA/Mya-98). It is the latest complete genome information for the genotype O/SEA/Mya-98 in Vietnam since 2009.

In recent years, BLDC motors have been used in various fields, because they are more reliable and efficient than conventional DC motors. In this paper, the hollow shaft BLDC motor is proposed for increasing the flow efficiency of the fluid for a fan blower. As the result of fluid analysis with the BLDC motor for fan blower, the energy efficiency of fluid transfer with the hollow shaft BLDC motor was increased compared with the conventional shaft BLDC motor.

BACKGROUND Hyperbilirubinemia, which is a sign of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), can irreversibly damage the central nervous system. OBJECTIVES To determine the etiology of HDN in affected patients and characterize the changing pattern of bilirubin using direct antiglobulin testing (DAT). METHODS We collected clinical data from newborns who underwent perinatal DAT and from their mothers, between August 2008 and July 2017. RESULTS Among 303 neonates, 37 (12.2%) showed positive DAT results. The positive predictive values (PPVs) and negative predictive values (NPVs) based on DAT results were 75.7% and 28.9%, respectively, for starting phototherapy. Bilirubin levels increased more rapidly in the DAT-positive group, compared with the DAT-negative group. The initial bilirubin level differed significantly according to the etiology of hyperbilirubinemia. Further, neonates with anti-D showed higher delta bilirubin per day than neonates with other antibodies. CONCLUSION Our results may help to determine the measurement period for bilirubin according to DAT results and etiology.

Hyaluronate-based hydrogels have been widely exploited as synthetic extracellular matrices in many tissue engineering applications, including cartilage tissue engineering. Hyaluronate-based hydrogels are typically prepared by chemical cross-linking reactions, in which chemical reagents may induce side effects, unless they are completely removed after the cross-linking reaction. We thus suggest the utilization of hybrid materials composed of hyaluronate as a main chain and alginate for physical cross-linking to simply form hydrogels in the presence of calcium ions under physiological conditions. In this study, we hypothesized that the introduction of biomimetic peptides to hyaluronate-alginate hybrid (HAH) hydrogels could be useful to regulate the chondrocyte phenotype, including chondrogenic differentiation. HAH was modified with the arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) peptide as a cell-matrix interaction motif and/or histidine-alanine-valine (HAV) as a cell-cell interaction motif. The HAV peptide is known to bind to cadherin, which is a key factor involved in homophilic cell-cell interactions as well as chondrogenesis. The viability and growth of mouse chondrocytes (ATDC5 cells) increased significantly when cultured on RGD-modified HAH hydrogels. Cell aggregates formed on HAV-modified HAH hydrogels, resulting in enhanced chondrogenic differentiation via enhanced cell-cell interactions by HAV modification. Interestingly, a synergistic effect of HAV and RGD peptides within HAH hydrogels on chondrogenesis was found in 3-D experiments in vitro. This approach to utilizing physically cross-linkable hyaluronate-based hydrogels presenting biomimetic peptides has potential applications in tissue engineering, including cartilage regeneration.

Adenine base editors (ABEs) composed of an engineered adenine deaminase and the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 nickase enable adenine-to-guanine (A-to-G) single-nucleotide substitutions in a guide RNA (gRNA)-dependent manner. Here we demonstrate application of this technology in mouse embryos and adult mice. We also show that long gRNAs enable adenine editing at positions one or two bases upstream of the window that is accessible with standard single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). We introduced the Himalayan point mutation in the Tyr gene by microinjecting ABE mRNA and an extended gRNA into mouse embryos, obtaining Tyr mutant mice with an albino phenotype. Furthermore, we delivered the split ABE gene, using trans-splicing adeno-associated viral vectors, to muscle cells in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy to correct a nonsense mutation in the Dmd gene, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of base editing in adult animals.

This study investigates clothing consumption behavior of fast fashion purchasers according to environmental consciousness. Questionnaire examined 245 males and females in Busan who experienced fast fashion product purchases. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, t-test. ANOVA, Duncan Test and χ 2 -test. The results are as follows. First, the result showed significant differences in environmental consciousness education according to demographic characteristics. Second, the results showed significant differences in the hedonic pursuit of purchase motivation for fast fashion products according to environmental consciousness. The low environmental awareness group pursued hedonic purchases towards the purchase motivation of fast fashion products. The results showed significant differences in fast fashion disposal behavior according to environmental consciousness; however, not for the disposal motivation of fast fashion. In the disposal behavior of fast fashion, the high environmental awareness group indicated social friendly disposal and the middle environmental awareness group indicated economical disposal. The result showed significant gender differences towards clothing consumption behavior of fast fashion according to demographic characteristics. Males and females showed significant differences in all purchase motivation factor for fast fashion products. They also showed significant differences in economical disposal towards fast fashion disposal behavior.

Purpose: This study is to derive the behavioral characteristics of the users appear in the outpatient department of psychiatry. Methods: By referencing John Zeisel`s Tools for environment-behavior research, observation of user behavior and expert interviews as a method of the study has been carried out. Results: The results of this study are as follows. First, adjacent placement among children, youth and regular the outpatient department of psychiatry is necessary and easy access to internal medicine department and family medicine department is required in order to allow cooperated treatments. Secondly, depending on the characteristics of the outpatient department of psychiatry treatment, adjustment of space requirement or the change of kinds of necessary space is required. Third, considering the psychological and behavioral characteristics of mental illness and guardians, various search for the environment that can support this. Implications: This study is a basic research for space improvement and evaluation of the outpatient department of psychiatry, and need to be followed by further study using various perspectives and methods.

Shell waste from the butter clam Saxidomus purpuratus and littleneck clam Ruditapes philippinarum is a large byproduct of shellfish aquaculture, and it is desirable to convert it into value-added products for industrial applications. In this study, calcium carbonate (CaC) polymorphs from butter clam (BCSP) and littleneck clam (LCSP) shell powders and commercial CaC were characterized using Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the optimal calcination conditions to eliminate organic substances and improve solubility for both BCSP and LCSP were 800°C for 8 h in an electrical furnace. Calcination improved the white index of the butter clam (BCCP) and littleneck clam (LCCP) calcined powder compared with shell powders. The calcium content in BCCP (51.1%) was higher than that of LCCP (44.9%) or commercial calcium oxide (CaO, 44.7%). The XRD patterns of BCCP and LCCP were similar to that of CaO. Cubic-like crystals of CaC and irregular crystals of BCCP and LCCP were observed by SEM. The FT-IR and XRD analyses revealed the presence of calcite and aragonite in the BCSP and aragonite in the LCSP, whereas the CaC contained calcite. These results indicate that butter and littleneck clam shells are potential biomass resources for calcium carbonate and calcium oxide.

Protease inhibitors (PI) of trypsin and papain as target proteases from the roe of bastard halibut Paralichthys olivaceus were fractionated out using ammonium sulfate precipitation (A), DEAE 650M anion exchange chromatography (D), and Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration (S). The recovery percentages of the fractions with the strongest inhibitory activity for each fractionation method were 13% for the A4 fraction, 21.2% for the D3 fraction, and 21.3% for the S2 fraction, with specific inhibitory activities of the fractions toward trypsin and casein of 168, 139, and 218 U/mg, respectively, while no inhibition of papain was observed. The for the trypsin-specific substrate -benzoyl--arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) was 0.65, 1.55, 2.26, and 2.85 mg/mL for the A4, S2, A3, and D3 fractions, respectively. These results suggest that chromatographic fractionation methods (D and S) based on the molecular mass and charge of the protein were more effective at fractionating PI than was ammonium sulfate precipitation based on protein solubility, and that the bastard halibut roe extract acts as a serine protease inhibitor. Therefore, the PI fraction from fish roe might be useful for inhibiting proteases in foodstuffs, and could constitute an alternative food-grade inhibitor for the surimi industry.

Modulation of both mechanical properties and biocompatibilities of hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels is very importance for their applications in biomaterials. Pure HA solution was converted into a hydrogel by using butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) as a crosslinking agent. Mechanical properties of the HA hydrogels have been evaluated by adding up different amount of BDDEs. While the mechanical properties of the obtained HA hydrogels were evaluated by measuring their crosslinking degrees, elastic modulus and viscosity, their in vitro biocompatibilities were done by measuring the degrees of anti-inflammatory reactions, cell viabilities and cytotoxicity. The degrees of anti-inflammatory reactions were determined by measuring the amount of nitric oxides (NOs) released from lipopolysaccharide(LPS)(+)-induced macrophages; cell viability was evaluated by observing differences in the behaviors of fibroblasts covered with the HA hydrogels, compared with those covered with the films of Teflon and Latex. Cytotoxicity of the HA hydrogels was also evaluated by measuring the degrees of viability of the cells exposed on the extracts of the HA hydrogels over those of Teflon, Latex and pure HA solutions by the assays of thiazoly blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT), neutral reds, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). The results showed that employment of BDDEs beyond critical amounts showed lower biocompatibility of the crosslinked HA hydrogels but higher crosslinking degrees and mechanical properties, indicating the importance of controlling the HA concentrations, BDDE amounts and their reaction times for the synthesis of the crosslinked HA hydrogels for their clinical applications as biomaterials.