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Background context Although tuberculous and pyogenic spondylodiscitis are common causes of spinal infections, their protean manifestation complicates differential diagnosis. Purpose The clinical, laboratory, and radiologic characteristics of tuberculous and pyogenic spontaneous spondylodiscitis were compared in this study. Study design This multicenter retrospective study was conducted in 11 teaching hospitals in the Republic of Korea from January 2011 to December 2013. Patient sample Study subjects included adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with tuberculous (n=60) or pyogenic (n=117) spontaneous spondylodiscitis. Outcome measures Risk factors for tuberculous spondylodiscitis were determined, and their predictive performance was evaluated. Methods Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors independently associated with tuberculous spondylodiscitis. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis using the presence or absence of risk factors was used to generate a risk index to identify patients with increased probability of tuberculous spondylodiscitis. Results Of 177 patients, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with tuberculous spondylodiscitis (n=60) were more frequently women, with increased nonlumbar spinal involvement and associated non-spinal lesions, delayed diagnosis, higher serum albumin levels, reduced white blood cell counts, and lower C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels. Among 117 patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis, the most frequent causative microorganism was Staphylococcus aureus (64.1%). The mean diagnostic delay was significantly shorter, which may reflect higher clinical expression leading to earlier diagnosis. A combination of clinical data and biomarkers had better predictive value for differential diagnosis compared with biomarkers alone, with an area under the curve of 0.93, and sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 95.0%, 79.5%, 70.4%, and 96.9%, respectively. Conclusions This study provides guidance for clinicians to predict the causative organisms of spondylodiscitis in uncertain situations and before culture or pathologic examinations. Clinical data and single biomarkers combined can be useful for differential diagnoses between tuberculous and pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

The purposes of this work were to find an optimal x-ray voltage for CT imaging and to determine the diagnostic effectiveness of image reconstruction techniques by using the visual grading analysis (VGA). Images of the PH-5 CT abdomen phantom (Kagaku Co, Kyoto) were acquired by the Toshiba Aquillion One 320 slices CT system with various exposures (from 10 to 580 mAs) under different tube peak voltages (80, 100 and 120 kVp). The images were reconstructed by employing the FBP and the AIDR 3D iterative reconstructions with Mild, Standard and Strong FBP blending. Image quality was assessed by measuring noise, contrast to noise ratio and human observer’s VGA scores. The CT dose index CTDIv was obtained from the values displayed on the images. The best fit for the curves of the image quality VGA vs dose CTDIv is a logistic function from the SPSS estimation. A threshold dose Dt is defined as the CTDIv at the just acceptable for diagnostic image quality and a figure of merit (FOM) is defined as the slope of the standardised logistic function. The Dt and FOM were found to be 5.4, 8.1 and 9.1 mGy and 0.47, 0.51 and 0.38 under the tube voltages of 80, 100 and 120 kVp, respectively, from images reconstructed by the FBP technique. The Dt and FOM values were lower from the images reconstructed by the AIDR 3D in comparison with the FBP technique. The optimal xray peak voltage for the imaging of the PH-5 abdomen phantom by the Aquillion One CT system was found to be at 100 kVp. The images reconstructed by the FBP are more diagnostically effective than that by the AIDR 3D but with a higher dose Dt to the patients.

Adipose stem cells (ASCs) are detectable in the parenchyma and large airways of lungs after systemic administration, and ameliorate inflammatory infiltration and cell death in animal models of emphysema. We evaluated whether ASC treatment could attenuate lung fibrosis induced by repetitive intratracheal bleomycin administration. Male 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice (control group, bleomycin-only group, and bleomycin-plus-ASC group) were used. Eight biweekly doses of bleomycin were injected intratracheally via an intubation procedure at a dose of 0.04 units in a total volume of 100 μL of sterile saline. During the latter 2 months of the 4-month bleomycin exposure, human ASCs (3 × 10(5) cells) were administered repeatedly via intraperitoneal injection at the same time as bleomycin. Lung tissues were evaluated for histology, collagen content, TUNEL staining, and TGF-β levels. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed for cell counting. Administrations of ASCs ameliorated the deleterious effects of repetitive intratracheal instillation of bleomycin, namely hyperplasia of Club cells (Clara cells) and cuboidal alveolar epithelial cells, infiltration of the perialveolar ducts by inflammatory cells, septal thickening, enlarged alveoli, and extensive fibrosis. Addition of ASC led to suppression of bleomycin-induced epithelial cell apoptosis and expression of TGF-β. These results suggest a useful therapeutic effect of ASCs on pulmonary fibrosis induced by repetitive bleomycin administration. Further studies will be required to evaluate the efficacy of ASC therapy for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

A recycling reactor system operated under sequential anoxic and oxic conditions for the treatment of swine wastewater has been developed, in which piggery slurry is fermentatively and aerobically treated and then part of the effluent is recycled to the pigsty. This system significantly removes offensive smells (at both the pigsty and the treatment plant), BOD and others, and may be cost effective for small-scale farms. The most dominant heterotrophic were, in order,Alcaligenes faecalis, Brevundimonas diminuta andStreptococcus sp., while lactic acid bacteria were dominantly observed in the anoxic tank. We propose a novel monitoring system for a recycling piggery slurry treatment system through the use of neural networks. In this study, we tried to model the treatment process for each tank in the system (influent, fermentation, aeration, first sedimentation and fourth sedimentation tanks) based upon the population densities of the heterotrophic and lactic acid bacteria. Principal component analysis (PCA) was first applied to identify a relationship between input and output. The input would be microbial densities and the treatment parameters, such as population densities of heterotrophic and lactic acid bacteria, suspended solids (SS), COD, NH4+-N, or-tho-phosphorus (o-P), and total-phosphorus (T-P). Then multi-layer neural networks were employed to model the treatment process for each tank. PCA filtration of the input data as microbial densities was found to facilitate the modeling procedure for the system monitoring even with a relatively lower number of input. Neural networks independently trained for each treatment tank and their subsequent combined data analysis allowed a successful prediction of the treatment system for at least two days.

It now appears that photosynthetic prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes possess higher plant phytochrome-like proteins. In this work, a second phytochrome-like gene was isolated, in addition to the recently identified Cph1 phytochrome, from the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and its gene product was characterized photochemically. The open reading frame sll0821 (designated cph2 in this work) has structural characteristics similar to those of the plant phytochromes and the Synechocystis Cph1 with high amino acid sequence homology in the N-terminal chromophore binding domain. The predicted Cph2 protein consists of 1276 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 145 kDa. Interestingly, the Cph2 protein has two putative chromophore binding domains, one around Cys-129 and the other around Cys-1022. The Cph2 was overexpressed in E. coli as an Intein/CBD (chitin binding domain) fusion and in vitro reconstituted with phycocyanobilin (PCB) or phytochromobilin (PPhiB). Both the Cph2-PCB and Cph2-PPhiB adducts showed the typical photochromic reversibility with the difference spectral maxima at 643/690 and 655/701 nm, respectively. The Cys-129 was confirmed to be the chromophore binding residue by in vitro mutagenesis and Zn(2+) fluorescence. The microenvironment of the chromophore in Cph2 seems to be similar to that in plant phytochromes. The cph2 gene expression was dark-induced and down-regulated to a basal level by light, like the cph1 gene. These observations suggest that Synechocystis species have multiple photosensory proteins, probably with distinct roles, as in higher plants.

One of the key characteristics of next generation mobile networks is accommodating the data traffic which has rapidly increased. In order to increase overall capacity of mobile networks, using a vast amount of spectrum in millimeter-wave band is considered. By using a wide bandwidth, it is easy to enlarge capacity of mobile networks compare to that of 4G mobile networks. Furthermore, there are many researches to improve spectral efficiency such as beamforming technology and relay transmission. In this paper, we propose a multi-flow transmission scheme in massive antenna-based mobile network. With multi-flow transmission, UE can receive data from two beams independently. For the proposed scheme, we introduce a mobile network with a millimeter-wave band. To evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, we have performed system-level simulation. From the results, we can find that system throughput is increased and packet delay is reduced by using multi-flow transmission.

To retrospectively evaluate findings of chemotherapy-induced focal hepatopathy (CIFH) on gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) and diffusion-weighted (DW) images and to determine imaging features that are most helpful in differentiating CIFH from metastasis.This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was waived. MR images, including DW images and gadoxetic acid-enhanced images, from 12 patients (four men, eight women; age range, 25-64 years) with 15 CIFHs were reviewed independently and in consensus by two radiologists and were compared with those obtained in 20 control patients (12 men, eight women; age range, 32-84 years) with 30 hepatic metastasis who were matched for tumor size, primary organ, and chemotherapy regimen. Interobserver agreement was assessed with κ statistics, and univariate analysis was performed for comparisons. For quantitative analyses, apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) and lesion-to-liver contrast ratios (CRs) were measured. Histopathologic examinations were performed for CIFHs.Histopathologic examination revealed that the development of CIFHs was attributable to accentuated manifestations of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. Interobserver agreement was excellent (κ0.85). An ill-defined margin on hepatobiliary phase (HBP) images was the most discriminating independent variable in the differentiation of CIFH from metastasis (odds ratio, 16; P = .009). ADC and CR values in CIFH group were significantly higher than those in metastasis group (P.001 and P = .041).CIFH should be considered a mimicker of metastasis in patients with gastrointestinal malignancy during chemotherapy. CIFH can be differentiated from metastasis on the basis of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR and DW imaging findings; an ill-defined margin on HBP images was especially characteristic.

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of vancomycin to those of teicoplanin for the treatment of adult patients with health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) bacteremia. A multicenter observational study was prospectively conducted in 15 teaching hospitals in Korea between February 2010 and July 2011. Adult patients (≥18 years old) with HA-MRSA bacteremia who were initially treated with vancomycin (VAN) ( n = 134) or teicoplanin (TEC) ( n = 56) were enrolled. Clinical and microbiological responses and drug-related adverse events were compared between the two treatment groups using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The vancomycin and teicoplanin MICs were determined by Etest. The MRSA-related mortality, duration of fever, and duration of MRSA bacteremia in the treatment groups were not significantly different. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of drug-related adverse events. Among the 190 MRSA isolates, the VAN MICs ranged from 0.5 to 2 μg/ml (MIC 50 and MIC 90 , 1.5 μg/ml), and the TEC MIC ranged from 0.5 to 8 μg/ml (MIC 50 , 3 μg/ml; MIC 90 , 6 μg/ml). In multivariate analyses, the antibiotic type (vancomycin or teicoplanin) was not associated with treatment outcomes. This study indicates that teicoplanin is an effective and safe alternative to vancomycin for the treatment of HA-MRSA bacteremia.

Purpose To evaluate patient triage pattern and outcomes according to types of liver transplantation as part of a new liver transplant program developed in an East Asian country with a limited number of deceased donors. Methods Medical records of initial 50 liver transplantations were reviewed retrospectively. Results Twenty-nine patients underwent deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) and 21 patients underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Mean model for end-stage liver disease scores of recipients of DDLT and LDLT were 24.9 ± 11.6 and 13.1 ± 5.4, respectively (P < 0.0001). Twenty-eight patients had HCCs and 17 of them (60.7%) underwent LDLT, which was 80.9% of LDLTs. There were 2 cases of perioperative mortality; each was from DDLT and LDLT, respectively. Median follow-up was 18 months. Overall patient and graft survival rates at 6 months, 1 and 2 years were 95.7%, 93.4%, and 89.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival between DDLT and LDLT. Overall recurrence-free survival rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients at 6 month, 1, and 2 years were 96.3%, 96.3%, and 90.3%, respectively. There was no significant difference in recurrence-free survival between DDLT and LDLT. Conclusion As a new liver transplant program with limited resource and waiting list, patients with critical condition could undergo DDLT whereas relatively stable patients with HCCs were mostly directed to LDLT. We recommend a balanced approach between DDLT and LDLT for initiating liver transplant programs.

Objective Focal nerve enlargement is a characteristic finding in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). We performed this study to assess the distribution of nerve enlargement through ultrasonographic examination of peripheral nerves and to correlate the ultrasonographic findings with clinical features. Methods To compare the ultrasonographic features of 10 subjects with CIDP with those of 18 healthy controls, we bilaterally measured the cross-sectional areas (CSA) of the vagus, brachial plexus, musculocutaneous, median, ulnar, radial, sciatic, tibial, common peroneal, and sural nerves. We also analyzed correlations between CSAs and various clinical and electrophysiological features. Results Mean CSAs were significantly larger in CIDP patients than controls, especially at proximal and non-entrapment sites. CSAs were significantly correlated with muscle strength at initial presentation, but not at the time of ultrasonography. The CSAs of the median and ulnar nerves at the mid-forearm, tibial nerve at 7 cm proximal to the medial malleolus, and sural nerve correlated with the nerve conduction velocity of the corresponding region. Conclusion Ultrasonography revealed widely distributed nerve enlargement, especially in proximal regions and non-entrapment sites, in patients with CIDP compared with healthy controls. Nerve enlargement correlated well with the electrophysiologic function of the nerve, but not current clinical status. Significance Pattern analysis of nerve enlargement using ultrasonography is a supportive tool in the diagnosis of CIDP.

Background To assess the safety of transorally-inserted anvil (TOA) for use during esophagojejunostomy (EJ) reconstruction during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG). Methods Between March 2009 and December 2011, 39 consecutive open total gastrectomies (OTGs) and 36 LTGs using TOA for gastric cancer were comparatively evaluated. We investigated postoperative complications, using the Clavien–Dindo classification. To evaluate the effect of a learning period in using TOA for LTG, we also investigated shifts in the patterns of complications and changes in total operation time over the course of the study. Results The patient characteristics at baseline were not different between both groups, except for the extent of lymphadenectomy ( P P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis revealed that TOA usage elevated the occurrence of infectious complications significantly (OR = 3.32, P = 0.042), but was not associated with EJ-related complications. TOA usage did not need a learning period for the length of time required to complete the operation, or the likelihood of developing an EJ-related or infectious complication. Conclusions TOA use for EJ during LTG is relatively simple and easy enough not to require a learning period for surgeons. This procedure did not elevated the occurrence of EJ-related complications compared to circular stapling in open surgery, but it does require special prevention efforts to avoid infectious complications.

Background and Purpose Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been proposed as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but this remains controversial. We investigated the association between DM and CTS using both ultrasonography (US) and nerve conduction study (NCS) data. Methods We analyzed a prospectively recruited database of neuromuscular US and medical records of subjects who had undergone NCSs and electromyography for symptoms suggestive of CTS. Subjects were assigned to the follow groups: Group I, CTS with DM; Group II, CTS without DM; Group III, no CTS with DM; and Group IV, no CTS without DM. US cross-sectional area (CSA) and NCS measurements at the median nerve (MN) were compared among groups. We used a general linear mixed model to adjust for statistically significant covariates. Results The 230 participants comprised 22, 83, 19, and 106 in Groups I–IV, respectively. In multivariate analyses, the MN action potential amplitude in females was the only variable that was significantly associated with DM (p

This study was designed to investigate changes of anti-oxidant and anti-nitric oxide (NO) production activities of Gardenia jasminoides (Gj) by roast processing, and anti-inflammatory activities of crocetin derivatives isolated from Gj. In order to evaluate anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, DPPH radical scavenging activities and inhibitory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production were determined. Then we isolated crocin (1), gentiobiosyl glucosyl crocetin (3), and mono-gentiobiosyl crocetin (4) from the fruit of Gj, and crocetin (2) from the processed fruit of Gj (PGj) by column chromatography. Their structures were based on spectroscopic methods including IR, MS, and NMR (1D and 2D). Then we assayed contents of crocetin derivatives by HPLC analysis. These crocetin derivatives were evaluated the inhibitory activities on NO production in LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and expressions of protein and m-RNA of iNOS and COX-2 by western blot analysis and RT-PCR experiment. The DPPH radical scavenging activities were increased and NO productions in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were decreased dose-dependently by processing. Crocin contents were decreased and crocetin contents were increased by processing in HPLC analysis. Compounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 reduced NO production in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of 58.9 μM (1), 29.9 μM (2), 31.1 μM (3), and 37.6 μM (4) respectively. Crocetin (2) showed the most potent anti-inflammatory activity (IC₅₀ = 29.9 μM), and compound 3 and 4 were firstly measured for inhibitory activities on NO production. Their correlation between structure and activity was not clear but the activity of aglycone type showed the most potent activity. They also suppressed the protein and m-RNA expressions of iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-activated macrophage. These results suggest that anti-oxidant and anti-NO production activities of Gj were increased by processing, and increased anti-inflammatory activities of Gj by processing were due to the increase of crocetin, the aglycone that has greater activity than crocin.

We studied characteristics of epilepsy patients who use 'Epilia', a healthcare website for epilepsy patients, and the impact of 'Epilia' on patient satisfaction and attitude about epilepsy. A total of 153 epilepsy patients from 'Epilia' (online group) and 367 patients from epilepsy clinics (offline group) were recruited. A survey was done to investigate their socio-demographic, epilepsy-related, and psychological characteristics, as well as attitude alterations after beginning to use 'Epilia'. Factors affecting attitude were also identified in the online group. Online group had more severe and more frequent seizures, more adverse effects, more anxiety and depression, and worse quality of life than offline group. Online group patients who are more satisfied, who take two or more antiepileptic drugs, who visit to 'Epilia' more and longer had a greater positive attitude change than those without these characteristics. A healthcare website can contribute to self-management by providing useful information and education for epilepsy patients.

A robotic virtual reality simulator (dV-Trainer™, Mimic Technologies) has been accepted as an effective training tool for the da Vinci(®) Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Inc.) in previous reports. However, there are no data available so far on how much time is required for an individual using the simulator to become proficient. We investigated how long and how many performances it takes to gain proficiency with the robotic virtual reality simulator through the learning curve.The novice group included 20 medical students who had no previous experience. The "Tube 2" task, a program released for the dV-Trainer that imitates a vesicourethral anastomosis, was repeated more than 80 times to obtain the plateau of the learning curve. The learning curve of "Tube 2" was obtained through the S-curve trend model and cumulative sum control chart graph.In the comparison of the initial and final sessions, every parameter such as mean time, collision, and critical errors was significantly improved. The repeat count for acquiring sufficient proficiency was 74 times, and the total amount of time invested for this was calculated as about 4 hours. The mean time at the plateau of the learning curve was 138 seconds.Our study showed that the robotic virtual reality simulator (dV-Trainer) can yield sufficient improvement in technical performance in the "Tube 2" task within 4 hours. The simulator improves the technical surgical performance, but the development of more applications to reflect actual surgical situations is needed to improve and maximize the usefulness of the simulator.

Obesity is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome, but not all obese individuals display a clustering of metabolic risk factors. Recent studies have shown that in vitro subcutaneous (SC)-preadipocyte differentiation is negatively associated with obesity. These results suggest that impaired adipogenesis is an important factor linking obesity to metabolic disorders. We examined whether in vitro preadipocyte differentiation is associated with metabolic syndrome, independent of obesity.Paired adipose tissue samples were obtained from the 13 nonobese women and the 65 obese women. The CD34(+)/CD31(-) cells were isolated from the stromal-vascular fraction of both SC and omental (OM) fat depots by immune magnetic separation, and the subset was cultured with a differentiation cocktail. Then, we analysed the relationship between the degree of preadipocyte differentiation and metabolic factors.Obese women without metabolic syndrome (n = 37) had significantly higher SC-preadipocyte differentiation than equally obese women with metabolic syndrome (n = 28); however, OM-preadipocyte differentiation was similar in both groups. SC-preadipocyte differentiation was strongly correlated with triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and OM-adipocyte size. However, OM-preadipocyte differentiation was not correlated with any of these parameters.This study identified that SC-preadipocyte differentiation is associated with metabolic syndrome independent of obesity, whereas OM-preadipocyte differentiation is not. These findings suggest that, in the setting of obesity, an enhanced adipogenic capacity of SC depots could be protective for metabolic syndrome. Our data underscores an interaction between adipose tissue homoeostasis and metabolic disorder.

The transcription factor c-Myc has been previously shown to be phosphorylated and stabilized by NEMO through direct interaction in the nucleus. Here, we show that NEMO induces up-regulation of the c-Myc target protein, γ-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), leading to an increase of intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels and simultaneous enhancement of redox-controlling capacity. NEMO enhanced c-Myc recruitment to γ-GCS promoters and c-Myc was essential for NEMO-mediated γ-GCS up-regulation. The phosphorylation and stabilization of c-Myc by NEMO rendered cells more resistant to ionizing radiation (IR). Thus, the interaction between NEMO and c-Myc may be targeted for the development of strategies to overcome the resistance to radiotherapy.

Stem cell therapy for muscular dystrophies requires stem cells that are able to participate in the formation of new muscle fibers. However, the differentiation steps that are the most critical for this process are not clear. We investigated the myogenic phases of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) step by step and the capability of myotube formation according to the differentiation phase by cellular fusion with mouse myoblast C2C12 cells. In hASCs treated with 5-azacytidine and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) for 1 day, the early differentiation step to express MyoD and myogenin was induced by FGF-2 treatment for 6 days. Dystrophin and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression was induced by hASC conditioned medium in the late differentiation step. Myotubes were observed only in hASCs undergoing the late differentiation step by cellular fusion with C2C12 cells. In contrast, hASCs that were normal or in the early stage were not involved in myotube formation. Our results indicate that stem cells expressing dystrophin and MyHC are more suitable for myotube formation by co-culture with myoblasts than normal or early differentiated stem cells expressing MyoD and myogenin.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of thyroid shielding by measuring radiation dose, CT attenuation, and noise of superficial neck structures during CT examination.We divided 84 patients without abnormalities seen on CT into two groups depending on whether shielding with a cotton spacer was applied over the thyroid. On CT images, we measured the CT attenuation and noises in the strap and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles. The superficial radiation dose was measured using a head CT dose phantom containing ionization chambers located at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions.With thyroid shielding, the CT attenuation was significantly increased (shielded strap and SCM muscles, 117.6 ± 19.2 HU and 113.7 ± 31.8 HU, respectively; unshielded strap and SCM muscles, 84.1 ± 12.2 HU and 78.4 ± 10.1 HU, respectively; p0.05), whereas noise was unaffected (shielded strap and SCM muscles, 7.2 ± 4.2 HU and 10.8 ± 4.9 HU, respectively; unshielded strap and SCM muscles, 8.6 ± 4.9 HU and 10.7 ± 6.6 HU, respectively; p0.05). On the phantom study, the shield significantly reduced the superficial unshielded dose at the 12 o'clock position only (27.5% reduction; p0.01).Below the shielded surface, thyroid shielding significantly reduced the superficial radiation dose of the neck without a remarkable noise increase while increasing CT attenuation.

The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate cut-off value for fine needle aspiration-thyroglobulin (FNA-Tg) associated with postoperative recurrences and validate the diagnostic efficacy of FNA-Tg in patients after total thyroidectomy compared with concomitant cytology (C).Retrospective.We retrospectively evaluated the results of ultrasound-guided FNAs performed for suspicious cervical lesions of 40 patients (male:female = 10:30; mean age, 44.0 years) after total thyroidectomy (mean duration, 89.1 months), to acquire the material for Tg and C analysis. After collection of the cytologic sample, we rinsed the same needle with 1 mL of normal saline for Tg radioimmunoassay.Of 40 lesions (mean size, 0.89 cm; range, 0.3-3.5 cm), 21 were confirmed as recurrences and 19 were nonrecurrences. The rates of nondiagnostic sampling and sensitivity and specificity of FNA-C when diagnostic sampling was obtained were 40% (16/40), 100% (14/14), and 90.0% (9/10), respectively. According to receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-off value of FNA-Tg was 4.1 ng/mL (sensitivity, 100% [21/21]; specificity, 100% [19/19], P.05). Furthermore, in 16 inconclusive lesions due to nondiagnostic cytologic results, the FNA-Tg results coincided with a final diagnosis (seven recurrences and nine nonrecurrences). The cases with maximum diameters1 cm showed a significantly increased rate of nondiagnostic cytologic results, and the FNA-Tg results were more helpful than lesionsor =1 cm in diagnosing a recurrence (P.05).Measurement of FNA-Tg is helpful for distinguishing recurrent from nonrecurrent lesions in the majority of patients who were previously treated for well-differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma.

8,14-labdadien-13-ol (1) and dehydroabietic acid (2) were isolated from the fruit body of Phellinus pini. Elucidation of their structures was based on spectroscopic methods including IR, MS, and NMR (1D and 2D). Two compounds were screened for their ability to inhibit NO production in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Compounds 1 and 2 at 30 μM and 50 μM, respectively, inhibited NO production in activated macrophages.

the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a radial tear on degenerative medial meniscus posterior horn tear extrusion and to identify predictors of medial meniscus extrusion.we reviewed the records of 102 knees with medial meniscus posterior horn tears and degeneration that underwent a partial meniscectomy. Tears were classified as root (n = 17) and non-root (n = 85) tears, or as radial (n = 46) and non-radial (n = 56) tears. Groups were compared in terms of absolute and relative meniscal extrusion, and the proportion of knees with major (3 mm) extrusion. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify predictors of extrusion.the radial group had greater mean absolute (4 ± 1 vs. 3 ± 1 mm, P = 0.001) and relative (31 ± 11 vs. 23 ± 12%, P = 0.031) extrusion than the non-radial group. The radial group also had a greater proportion of major extrusions than the non-radial group (74% vs. 26%; P = 0.016). In contrast, the root tear and non-root tear groups were similar in terms of mean absolute (3 ± 1 vs. 3 ± 1 mm, P = n.s.) and relative (30 ± 7 vs. 26 ± 13%; P = n.s.) extrusion and in terms of proportion with major extrusions (59 vs. 55%; P = n.s.). Extrusion was found to be associated with a similar strength with both the presence of a radial component and the preoperative Kellgren-Lawrence grade.meniscal extrusion was greater and more severe in knees with a radial tear component than in knees without a radial component. The incidence and degree of major extrusion was similar in knees with root tears and non-root tears. A radial component and knee osteoarthritis severity were similarly predictive of absolute and relative extrusion. Meniscal extrusion in osteoarthritic knees was associated not only with degenerative meniscal tear but also with osteoarthritis severity. Therefore, arthroscopic meniscal procedures, especially meniscal repair, should be cautiously considered in patients with meniscal extrusion.

The key response-regulator gene of light regulation, rcp1, from Synechocystis sp. has been overexpressed, purified and subsequently crystallized using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant in forms suitable for X-ray crystallographic studies. A native data set was collected to a resolution of 2.5 A at cryogenic temperature. The crystals belong to the hexagonal space group P6(3), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 89.04 (5), c = 60.29 (3) A. The Matthews parameter suggests that Rcp1 crystallizes with two molecules per asymmetric unit.

Two 3,4-seco-lupane triterpenoids (1, 2) were isolated from the leaves of Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus (Araliaceae). Based on the spectroscopic data, the chemical structures of 1 and 2 were characterized as 24-hydroxychiisanogenin and 22alpha-hydroxychiisanogenin, respectively. 1 was a new compound and 2 was isolated for the first time from the natural source, although it had been obtained as an enzymatically hydrolyzed artifact from 22alpha-hydroxychiisanoside.

Purpose: To identify the risk factors of pseudophakic retinal detachment after intraocular lens scleral fixation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent intraocular lens implantation with scleral fixation and had at least 6 months of follow-up between January 2002 and December 2007. The risk factors for pseudophakic retinal detachment were investigated using various surgical variables. To find the significant predictors among the variables, we carried out binary logistic regression analysis with a backward selection method based on likelihood ratios. Results: Data from 395 eyes were analyzed. The pseudophakic retinal detachment rates were 8.46% (11 of the 130 eyes) in patients treated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and 3.02% (8 of the 265 eyes) in patients treated without the PPV. Performing PPV (P = 0.023) was the only significant risk factor for pseudophakic retinal detachment after intraocular lens scleral fixation by logistic regression analysis. The odds ratio for PPV was 2.970 (95% confidence interval: 1.164–7.574). Conclusion: Performing PPV could be a risk factor of the pseudophakic retinal detachment after intraocular lens scleral fixation. If there is a choice, it should be decided carefully whether a PPV is performed at the time of intraocular lens scleral fixation.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which evoke only minimal immune reactivity, may have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs derived from adult human tissues including bone marrow (BM), adipose tissues (AT), umbilical cord blood (CB), and cord Wharton's jelly (WJ). Using a multiple cytokine detection assay, we showed that there were no significant differences in levels of secreted factors from non-stimulated MSCs. We compared the immunosuppressive effect of BM-MSCs, AT-MSCs, CB-MSCs, and WJ-MSCs on phytohemagglutinin-induced T-cell proliferation. AT-MSCs, CB-MSCs, and WJ-MSCs effectively suppressed mitogen-induced T-cell proliferation as effectively as did BM-MSCs. Levels of interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha secreted from activated T-cells increased over time, but these levels were significantly reduced when cocultured with each type of MSCs. In addition, the expression of hepatocyte growth factor, IL-10, transforming growth factor-beta(1), cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, and COX-2 were unchanged in MSCs treated with IFN-gamma and/or TNF-alpha, while indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression increased. IFN-gamma and/or TNF-alpha produced by activated T-cells were correlated with induction of IDO expression by MSCs, which, in turn, suppressed T-cell proliferation. These findings suggest that MSCs derived from AT, CB, or WJ could be substituted for BM-MSCs for treatment of allogeneic conflicts.

In next-generation mobile networks, consisting of multiple heterogeneous wireless networks, the vertical handover procedure is a difficult but important task. In the vertical handover procedure, the methods on which and how handover triggering factors are considered are not standardized. There are many research results considering a single or multiple handover triggering factors, but most of them select the handover network considering multiple factors at the same level. In this paper, we propose a new vertical handover architecture which considers multiple handover triggering factors with multi-dimension. The multiple handover triggering factors are classified and normalized according to their characteristics. The proposed scheme can be easily implemented in real systems because each part of the proposed architecture can be mapped to the corresponding protocol layer. We evaluate the performance of the multi-dimensional architecture using simulations. The simulation results show that our scheme can provide more throughputs with less end-to-end delay compared to other schemes.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells that possesses practical and ethical advantages. We previously reported a novel UCB-derived adult stem cells which we termed umbilical cord blood-derived multipotent progenitor cells' (MPCs). MPCs were capable of differentiating into functional neuronal cells. Under appropriate conditions lasting several days or weeks, we now show that the MPCs differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro; their properties were verified using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot, immunofluorescence, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining of accumulated glycogen and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We also found that hepatic differentiated cells expressed hepatocyte specific markers, such as albumin, hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1alpha, HNF4, cytokeratin (CK)-8, CK-18, tyrosine amino transferase (TAT), and CYP2B6. Moreover, albumin was secreted, which suggests that MPCs from UCB possess multi-differentiation potential and have the capacity to differentiate into functional cells of hepatic lineage in vitro.

Antibacterial activity of essential oils (Tea tree, Chamomile, Eucalyptus) on Staphylococcus aureus growth was evaluated as well as the essential oil-loaded alginate beads. The binding interactions between the cell and the essential oils were measured using an optical biosensor. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils to the cell was evaluated with their binding interaction and affinity. The antibacterial activity appeared in the order of Tea TreeChamomileEucalyptus, in comparison of the inhibition effects of the cell growth to the essential oils. The association rate constant and affinity of the cell binding on Tea Tree essential oil were 5.0 x 10(-13) ml/(CFU-s) and 5.0 x 10(5) ml/CFU, respectively. The affinity of the cell binding on Tea Tree was about twice higher than those on the other essential oils. It might be possible that an effective antibacterial activity of Tea Tree essential oil was derived from its strong adhesive ability to the cell, more so than those of the other essential oils.

Given the critical involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cell death, their hierarchical status in the cell pathway has been analyzed by many investigators. However, it has been shown that ROS can act either upstream or downstream of various death mediators depending on experimental settings. To investigate whether the contrasting relationships may exist in a single model system, human U937 cells were irradiated with lethal doses of gamma-rays. This resulted in a promotion of mitochondrial ROS production, which was found to be induced via sequential actions of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), Bax, and caspase-3. Interestingly, the induced ROS, in turn, re-activated JNK, Bax, and caspase-3 in the same model system. Consistently, the blockade of Bax action by RNA interference or Bcl-2 overexpression abolished the activation of JNK induced after, but not before, the production of ROS. Bcl-2 overexpression also blocked the translocation of Bax from the cytosol to the mitochondria only after the induction of ROS. Functional analyses revealed that the initial ROS-independent activations of JNK, Bax, and caspase-3 are not sufficient for cell death, and thus, should be re-activated by ROS in order to kill the cells. These findings suggest that ROS do not simply mediate the lethal action of gamma-irradiation, but actually amplify it by forming a feedback loop between a downstream effector caspase and the upstream initiation signals leading to the activation of JNK. This role for ROS appears to allow Bcl-2 to block the signaling events, which are initially induced upstream.

This paper introduces the service platform for reconfigurable and intelligent services in next generation mobile communication (SPRING) as a next generation mobile service platform. The SPRING is designed with focusing on implementation of user-centric and service-oriented paradigm of next generation mobile services. In detail, the SPRING is designed for the purpose of supporting various indispensable functions of next generation mobile services such as context awareness, personalization, service mobility, service adaptation, identity management, profile management, platform federation and security. As a result, the context information management which is a key function for providing user-centric and service-oriented mobile service can be realized with the SPRING. The SPRING is also designed to be capable to manage service connections between service providers and users using newly developed functions such as service discovery, registration and delivery, and supports seamless service mobility via session and user management functions.

【Purpose: This cross-sectional study was designed to identify anger-expression types in late school-age children and investigate the relation between the identified anger-expression types and their health status. Method: One thousand twenty seven children in elementary school fifth and sixth grades were recruited from November to December, 2004. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, 2-test, ANOV A, Duncan's multiple comparison test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: Three anger-expression types in late school-age children were found; Anger-out/in, Anger-control, and Low anger-expression types. Children frequently using the anger-out/in type among the three types and with a higher state anger reported higher psychosomatic symptoms and depression. Children from a divorced or separated family reported higher state anger. Conclusion: This study suggests that a specific anger management program needs to be developed for late school-age children with high state anger and frequently using the anger out/in expression type. For understanding the anger level and the anger expression types of Korean school-age children, further research needs to be done with large samples using a randomized sampling method.】

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is well known to be a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells with practical and ethical advantages, but the presence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in UCB has been disputed and it remains to be validated. In this study, we examined the ability of cryopreserved UCB harvests to produce cells with characteristics of MSCs. We were able to obtain homogeneous plastic adherent cells from the mononuclear cell fractions of cryopreserved UCB using our culture conditions. These adherent cell populations exhibited fibroblast-like morphology and typical mesenchymal-like immunophenotypes (CD73+, CD105+, and CD166+, etc.). These cells presented the self-renewal capacity and the mesenchymal cell-lineage potential to form bone, fat, and cartilage. Moreover, they expressed mRNAs of multi-lineage genes including SDF-1, NeuroD, and VEGF-R1, suggesting that the obtained cells had the multi-differentiation capacity as bone marrow-derived MSCs. These results indicate that cryopreserved human UCB fractions can be used as an alternative source of MSCs for experimental and therapeutic applications.