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Background The lack of adequate and detailed epidemiological data of Parkinson’s disease (PD), especially in Asia, is a barrier to future disease burdens and the prospect of effective public health plans. This study aimed to investigate temporal trends in the incidence and prevalence of PD in South Korea from 2010 to 2015, based on uniform diagnostic criteria. Methods This study examined all PD patients registered in a South Korean national registry database of more than 50 million individuals. We analyzed the incidence and prevalence of PD according to age, gender, and region. Results The annual incidence of PD was between 22.4–27.8 cases per 100,000 individuals. During the 6-year study period, there were 73,726 new PD patients, 42.3% of whom were men. The standardized incidence of PD increased over time in men but remained constant in women until 2013 but began to increase in 2014. The female-to-male ratio in the incidence of PD was 1.4:1 while the female-to-male ratio in the prevalence of PD was 1.6:1. The age- and gender-standardized prevalence of PD increased from 115.9 cases per 100,000 individuals in 2010 to 139.8 cases per 100,000 individuals in 2015. From 2014, the incidence and prevalence of PD peaked in individuals aged between 80 and 89 years in both men and women. Regional analysis also showed an increased prevalence of PD in all regions of Korea. Conclusions The incidence and prevalence of PD in Korea were higher in women and increased gradually from 2010 to 2015. The findings may contribute to epidemiological studies of PD in Asia, and may provide clues on risk factors for PD.

Background Previous studies have reported that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a significantly lower risk of cancer. Studies reporting prevalence of skin cancers in Parkinson's disease mostly involve Caucasians. Objective A nationwide population-based study was conducted to determine the risk of skin cancer in patients diagnosed with PD in Korea. Methods Data obtained from National Health Insurance Claims records were used to retrieve information about 70 780 patients with newly diagnosed PD between January 2010 and December 2015. The control group included 353 900 sex- and age-matched patients without PD. In this nationwide population-based cohort study, we investigated the association between PD and skin cancer. Results The overall hazard ratio (HR) of skin cancers in patients with PD was 1.169 (95% CI, 1.005-1.359) compared with non-PD group. Among patients with PD, males aged above 65 had a 2.8-fold increase in the risk for melanoma development than the non-PD group (HR, 2.825; 95% CI, 1.395-5.721). In addition, female PD patients aged above 65 years showed a 1.3-fold increase in non-melanoma skin cancer risk than the non-PD group (HR, 1.305; 95% 1.073-1.589). Conclusion Compared with the general population, Korean patients diagnosed with PD had a greater risk of skin cancer. Especially, male patients aged 65 years and above, and diagnosed with PD had a significant risk of melanoma development compared with control.

Background: Previous studies on subacromial spacer (SAS) insertion have been limited to case series that did not compare the effectiveness of this technique with other techniques. Hypothesis: Outcomes after SAS insertion for the treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears (IMRCTs) will be similar to those of other techniques. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: This retrospective study was based on data collected from patients who underwent correction of IMRCTs between January 2010 and October 2017. Group 1 patients (n = 17) received SAS insertion with or without partial repair; group 2 patients (n = 36) were treated with other techniques (isolated partial repairs or bridging grafts). Preoperative tear size and global fatty degeneration index values were evaluated. Range of motion, visual analog scale for pain, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant score, Simple Shoulder Test (SST), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, and acromiohumeral distance (AHD) were assessed preoperatively and at final follow-up at least 2 years after the surgery (range, 24-60 months). In both groups, ultrasonographic examination was performed at 3 and 6 months postoperatively, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at 1 year. Results: Tear size and preoperative global fatty degeneration index were not significantly different between the groups (all P > .05). There were no differences in functional scores between the groups at final follow-up (all P > .05). AHD was maintained at final follow-up in group 1 (mean ± SD: 6.2 ± 2.1 mm [postoperatively] vs 6.7 ± 2.3 mm [final follow-up]; P = .678), and there was no difference compared with group 2 (7.2 ± 3.2 mm; P = .244). Patients with retears in group 2 (23 of 36, 63.9%) had lower ASES ( P = .041) and SST ( P = .027) scores at final follow-up when compared with patients in group 1. Six patients (35.3%) in group 1 had partial repairs; these patients had better external rotation at 90° ( P = .047), better SST scores ( P = .036), and higher AHDs at final follow-up ( P = .046) than those in group 1 who had no repair. Three patients (50%) showed retears of partially repaired tendons on MRI. Of 13 patients (76.5%) in group 1 with postoperative MRI, 12 (92.3%) showed fibrotic tissue in the subacromial space not seen preoperatively. Conclusion: There was no difference in outcomes between SAS and the other reconstruction methods for treating IMRCTs. However, given the high retear rate associated with other techniques and poor functional outcomes after retear, SAS insertion could be a viable option for treating IMRCTs.

Purpose Patients with diabetes mellitus have an elevated risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, whether insulin resistance may elevate risk of AF incidence in non-diabetic is inconsistent. The aim of our study was to verify the association between insulin resistance and incidence of AF in non-diabetics. Methods We evaluated population-based cohorts embedded in the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study. Insulin resistance was expressed as Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Baseline data including HOMA-IR and electrocardiography (ECG) were obtained at 2001. Subsequent biennial ECG was performed for identification of AF until 2016. Results Among the 8220 participants (46.8% male; median age 49 years), 25 participants had AF (0.3%) at baseline and 101 participants developed AF (1.2%) during follow up of 12 years. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high HOMA-IR (≥1.4) was significantly associated with incident AF compared with low HOMA-IR ( Subgroup analysis Conclusion Based on prospective cohort study, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was associated with AF independently of obesity in non-diabetics.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prescribing cascade phenomenon of dopaminergic drugs such as levodopa in the management of gastroprokinetic drugs induced parkinsonism. Based on the Korea National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-Senior Cohort Database, we analyzed patients aged &ge, 65 years, between 2009 and 2013, who obtained new prescriptions for levodopa through the NHIS during this period. Those who were prescribed levodopa from 2002 to 2008 were excluded, only patients who were prescribed metoclopramide and levosulpiride within 90 days of receiving the levodopa prescription were included. Those who did not receive levodopa were used as a control group for 1:3 age and sex matching. We assessed 1824 and 1197 levodopa cases for metoclopramide and levosulpiride use, respectively. The matched controls for each levodopa case were 5472 and 3591, respectively. We used conditional logistic regression to determine the odds ratio (OR) for initiation of levodopa therapy in patients using metoclopramide and levosulpiride, relative to nonusers, after adjusting for age, sex, and exposure to antipsychotic medication. Both metoclopramide (OR = 3.04, 95% confidence interval, CI, 2.46&ndash, 3.77) and levosulpiride (OR = 3.32, 95% CI, 2.56&ndash, 4.3) users were three times more likely to begin using medication containing levodopa, compared to nonusers. Metoclopramide and levosulpiride were frequently prescribed within 90 days of receiving a prescription for levodopa. Before prescribing levodopa, it should be considered whether the adverse event is actually a side effect caused by metoclopramide and levosulpiride.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the association between average mean arterial pressure (a-MAP) and mortality in critically ill sepsis patients according to the presence of hypertension and previously measured blood pressure (BP). METHODS: From August 2008 to September 2014, patients with severe sepsis or septic shock presenting to the ED were categorized into four groups according to a-MAP during the initial 24 hours (group 0, a-MAP 85 mmHg. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1,395 patients were included. The 28-day mortality rates were 15.1% in patients overall, 39.7% in group 0, 18.3% in group 1, 10.1% in group 2, and 13.4% in group 3. In the regression analyses, mortality in group 2 was significantly lower compared with group 1 [odds ratio (OR), 0.33] or group 3 (OR, 0.31) in patients with hypertension. In the low previous BP group, there was greater mortality in group 3 compared to group 1 (OR, 2.42) and group 2 (OR, 3.88). In the high previous BP group, mortality was lower in group 2 compared with group 1 (OR, 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill sepsis patients, there were different trends in mortality according to a-MAP depending on the presence of hypertension or previous BP.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to affect various fields of medicine substantially and has the potential to improve many aspects of healthcare. However, AI has been creating much hype, too. In applying AI technology to patients, medical professionals should be able to resolve any anxiety, confusion, and questions that patients and the public may have. Also, they are responsible for ensuring that AI becomes a technology beneficial for patient care. These make the acquisition of sound knowledge and experience about AI a task of high importance for medical students. Preparing for AI does not merely mean learning information technology such as computer programming. One should acquire sufficient knowledge of basic and clinical medicines, data science, biostatistics, and evidence-based medicine. As a medical student, one should not passively accept stories related to AI in medicine in the media and on the Internet. Medical students should try to develop abilities to distinguish correct information from hype and spin and even capabilities to create thoroughly validated, trustworthy information for patients and the public.

OBJECTIVES: A recent study revealed that Ten-eleven translocation methyl-cytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2), an epigenetic regulator, is necessary for initiation of adipogenesis. This study was designed to investigate a molecular mechanism underlying TET2 function upon adipogenic induction. METHODS: In order to identify a direct target of TET2 in early adipogenesis, genome-wide expression profiles were examined at 4 hours after TET2 knockdown, using a 3T3-L1 differentiating model. Expression of a putative target was validated by quantitative RT-PCR. Hydroxymethyl cytosine (5hmC) was measured at the target locus with and without manipulation of TET2. Furthermore, its function in early adipogenesis was proved by siRNA knockdown and overexpression, followed by ORO staining. RESULTS: Differentially expressed genes at the early stage between the control and TET2 knockdown cells were mainly involved in cell cycle, DNA replication, and ribosome biology. It revealed that the Ddx5 gene, encoding a RNA helicase, is an early target of TET2 by showing its significantly decreased expression upon knockdown TET2. DDX5 expression was upregulated upon induction of adipogenesis and this coincided with distribution changes of 5hmC at the enhancer of the Ddx5 locus. Moreover, the 5hmC occupancy was significantly decreased upon TET2 downregulation. Functionally, DDX5 knockdown mimicked the phenotype of TET2 knockdown and DDX5 overexpression rescued it. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support that DDX5 is required for early adipogenesis and its induction is mediated by TET2-exerting 5hmC. FUNDING SOURCES: NRF of Korea grant (2018R1D1A1B07051274); BK21 Plus Project (22A20130012143).

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify predictors of short-term outcomes associated with a lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI). Materials and Methods: The medical records of 218 patients, who were diagnosed with lumbosacral radiculopathy and treated with a TFESI, were reviewed in this retrospective study. A mixture of corticosteroid, lidocaine, and hyaluronidase was injected during TFESI. Patients with &gt, 50% pain relief on the numerical rating scale compared with the initial visit constituted the good responder group. Demographic, clinical, MRI, and electrodiagnostic data were collected to assess the predictive factors for short-term outcomes of the TFESI. Results: A multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a shorter duration of symptoms and a positive sharp wave (PSW)/fibrillation (Fib) observed in electrodiagnostic study (EDx) increased the odds of significant improvement 2&ndash, 4 weeks after the TFESI. Conclusions: Shorter duration of symptoms and PSW/Fib on EDx were predictors of favorable short-term response to TFESI.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an individualized angle of humeral retroversion and subscapularis repair on clinical outcomes after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) using a lateralized prosthesis.A retrospective analysis of 80 patients who underwent RTSA and had a minimum of 2 years' follow-up was performed. Individualization was based on the native retroversion angle, quantified from computed tomography images. Clinical outcomes (forward flexion, external rotation at the side, internal rotation at the back, functional scores, and pain) were compared between patients with individualized retroversion (group I, n = 52) and patients with a fixed retroversion angle of 20° (group II, n = 28). Group I was further subdivided into patients with a retroversion angle of 20° or less (subgroup A, n = 21) and patients with a retroversion angle greater than 20° (subgroup B, n = 31). We also compared outcomes in group I between patients with (n = 40) and without (n = 12) subscapularis repair.Ranges of motion including external rotation and internal rotation, functional scores, and pain relief were significantly better in group I than in group II (P.05 for all). No differences in clinical outcomes were found between subgroups A and B, although outcomes for both of these subgroups were better than those for group II (P.05 for all). Subscapularis repair was not correlated with superior clinical outcomes.Individualized humeral retroversion may provide superior clinical outcomes to those of implantation of the humeral component at a fixed angle of 20° of retroversion. Repair of the subscapularis may not be essential for superior clinical outcomes in patients treated using a lateralized RTSA prosthesis.

Stroke, a devastating brain damage, is the second cause of adult disability and death following the heart disease worldwide. As the blood supply is insufficient to the brain tissue followed by occlusion of the cerebral artery, molecular cues generated by cerebral ischemia activate the components of innate immunity, promote inflammatory signaling and contribute to tissue damage. Microglia known as an immune cell in the central nervous system (CNS) has functions similar to those of macrophages in the periphery. Moreover, blood-brain barrier (BBB) causes the infiltration of blood-derived macrophages. However, the interaction between the microglia and blood-derived macrophage is still unknown. We used CX3CR1::EGFP transgenic mice to visualize the microglia and blood-derived macrophage dynamics on neuroinflammatory responses. Methods: We used CX3CR1::EGFP transcriptional reporter gene mice to visualize the microglia and macrophages to injured brain tissue on neuroinflammatory responses following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) modeling. Also, we performed two-photon microscopy for intra-vital imaging, time-dependently. Results: Our preliminary data showed that it is morphologically possible to distinguish activated microglia and infiltrated macrophages from the resident microglia specifically in FACS and Immunohistochemistry. In addition, blood-derived macrophages and brain microglia showed different polarization patterns by specific markers (Iba1, Tmem119, CD86, CD206, and CD45) in time-dependent manners (n=5 /sham, 6 hours, 1, 3, 5, 7 days) after tMCAO. Furthermore, we performed the cytokine/chemokine array to evaluate the level of specific cytokine/chemokine on ischemic stroke using the brain tissue. In results, the levels of brain tissue of specific cytokine/chemokine showed different levels in all experimental time courses. Conclusion: Taken together, the overall data demonstrated that dynamics of microglia and blood-derived macrophage using specific type of transgenic mice could be a novel strategy for regulating the M2 anti-inflammatory microglia phenotype rather than M1 pro-inflammatory microglia and finding the optimal time point of drug treatment attenuating ischemic stroke.

Introduction: After ischemic stroke, microglia and recruited macrophages play major roles in neuroinflammation. We explored how these cells affect counterpart’s polarization and infiltration and revealed some chemokines and receptors can be important modulators of the interaction. Methods: BV2 (microglia cell line) were treated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or interleukin-4, and the supernatant was collected as M1 or M2 conditioned media of BV2. The supernatant of PMA differentiated THP-1 (monocyte cell line) followed by LPS treatment or interleukin-13 & IL-4co-treatment were collected as M1 or M2 conditioned media of THP-1. After BV2 or THP-1 cultured in conditioned media, the activation and polarization were assessed by ICC and confocal microscopy for CD11b, CD86 and CD206. Transwell inserts of 3 and 8 μm pore membrane were used for THP-1 infiltration and BV2 migration assay. M1/M2 conditioned media of BV2 and THP-1 and the brain tissue of ischemic mouse model were assessed by proteome profiler array (PPA) to find target cytokine and chemokine. THP-1 pretreated with antagonists of CCR2, CCR4, CXCR4 and CCR5 were used for infiltration assay, the expression of chemokine receptor in THP-1 were confirmed by western blotting. Results: Both THP-1 and BV2 expressed CD206 when cultured in M2 conditioned media of BV2 or THP-1. M2 conditioned media of BV2 increased the infiltratory ability of THP-1 while M1 conditioned media of THP-1 enhanced BV2 migration. After ischemic stroke, chemokines were significantly expressed at 3 days than at 7 days in the PPA and several chemokines such as CCL2, CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5 were match to the conditioned media of BV2 while their receptor CCR4, CCR5 shows high expression in THP-1. Antagonists of CCR2, CCR4 and CCR5 significantly reduced the infiltration ability of THP-1 to BV2 M2 conditioned media. Conclusion: CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5 and their receptors CCR4, CCR5 can be strong candidates of target proteins in new therapeutic strategies to acute brain inflammation by modulating the functions of microglia and monocytes. “This research was supported by the Brain Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning(NRF-2016M3C7A1905098)“

In the present study, the protective effects of Hizikia fusiforme and Chlorella sp. extracts on lead acetate-induced hepatotoxicity were investigated. Hepatic damage was induced in rats by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of lead acetate and the protective effects of H. fusiforme (HZK) and Chlorella sp. (CHL) extracts on lead acetate-induced hepatic damage in rat liver were examined. The results revealed significantly increased glutamic oxaloacetate and glutamic pyruvic transaminase levels in the group treated with lead acetate only (Pb group); oral administration of HZK and CHL extracts tended to decrease the enzyme levels similar to those observed in the control group. Regarding antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase activity was increased in the Pb group and decreased in a concentration-dependent manner in the HZK- and CHL-treated groups. Glutathione levels were increased in a concentration-dependent manner in the HZK- and CHL-treated groups. There was no significant difference in catalase activity. Western blot analysis showed inflammation-related protein expression in mitogen-activated protein kinase and Nrf2 pathways was affected in the HZK- and CHL-treated groups. Therefore, HZK and CHL extracts exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects against lead acetate-induced hepatotoxicity. Development of functional health foods containing HZK and CHL extracts, which have hepatoprotective effects against inhaled lead acetate, should be considered.

The relationship between the grain size of as-cast and cold rolled 16%Cr ferritic stainless steel and the surface roughness defect, called ridging during forming was investigated. The ridging height corresponded to the grain size of the as-cast sample. The nitrogen content of 140 ppm yielded the minimum grain size and the minimum ridging height observed, whereas the nitrogen content of 50 ppm yielded the maximum grain size and the maximum ridging height observed. Ridging results from different plastic anisotropies of band structure composed of colonies. Through the EBSD analysis, the texture of mixed colonies composed of ND//{112} and ND//{331} in the 50 ppm nitrogen steel underwent more severe ridging than the randomly texture in the 140 ppm nitrogen steel sample. Therefore, an effective means to reduce the ridging of ferritic stainless steel during the forming process is to form a random texture by enhancing the formation of fine equiaxed grain during the casting process. During equal holding times at 1200 °C, the 80 ppm nitrogen sample was definitely coarsened, whereas the 200 ppm nitrogen sample underwent slower grain growth. Zener pinning force, which is proportional to the number of TiN particles on grain boundaries, was relatively strong in samples of 200 ppm nitrogen content, corresponding to slower grain growth. Although the Zener pinning force great affected with increasing nitrogen content, there may not affect the trend of initial cast grain size to be changed as much during annealing.

Background: The association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and cancer development is controversial, especially in Asia. Therefore we conducted a nationwide age- and sex-matched cohort study to assess the overall cancer risk and risk for specific cancers in patients with PD in Korea. Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Database between 2007 and 2014, we analyzed 52,009 patients with PD and 260,045 individuals without PD who had no previous cancer diagnosis. Age- and sex-matched cohorts were analyzed and followed for incident cancer until 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between PD and cancer. Findings: Patients with PD had a lower overall cancer risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–0.82) after adjustment for multiple covariates during 2,022,852.6 person-years of follow-up. Patients with PD showed significantly lower risk of laryngeal cancer (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.21–0.84), gastric cancer (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.63– 0.82), colorectal cancer (HR, 0.675; 95% CI, 0.60–0.76), liver cancer (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67–0.95), pancreatic cancer (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62–0.91), lung cancer (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.63–0.84), leukemia (HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.24–0.89), uterine cervical cancer (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.40–0.99), and prostate cancer (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66–0.91). Interpretation: This large cohort study revealed that patients with PD were less likely to develop cancer than those without PD in Asia. Funding: This work was supported by a grant from the Korea University Ansan Hospital. The funding body had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Conflict of Interest: "None declared." Ethics Approval Statement: The study was conducted according to the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. All study procedures and ethical aspects were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Korea University Ansan Hospital (IRB no. 2018AS0098).

Though the neuropsychological symptoms and signs of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are mostly subtle and transient, the sequelae can be persistent even after mTBI. Thus, it is important to raise the possibility of the diagnosis of mTBI among the patients complaining vague neurosensory symptoms; however, current research investigating the diagnosis/screening of mTBI has yet to produce accepted diagnostic criteria and no single assessment can identify all mTBI patients. Recently, a multifaceted approach to mTBI, focusing on the use of objective assessment tools to obtain information about clinical symptoms, signs, cognitive dysfunction, and physical problems has been employed. It is not recommended to diagnose mTBI or monitor the recovery solely with cognitive and balance evaluation. However, these measures can be used in conjunction with clinical examinations and a symptom checklist. This section reviews the update of screening tools for the diagnosis of mTBI in the literatures.

Mutations of histone variant H3.3 are highly recurrent in childhood glioblastoma and in young adults with Giant Cell Tumor of the Bone (GCTB). The heterozygotic representation of the mutations in the tumors, and with potential histone H3 and H3.3 redundancy, suggest that the mutations are gain-of-function by nature. To address common H3.3 point mutations, we have generated data from GCTB patient samples with H3.3 G34W substitutions and engineered human GFP-tagged H3.3-mutated isogenic cell lines for high throughput data comparisons. First, a total of thirty-six patient samples and cell lines were used to acquire gene expression transcriptome data using microarray and RNA-sequencing. The expression data were validated with the orthogonal nCounter assay. Second, to uncover the H3.3-GFP interaction proteomes from the isogenic cell lines, immunoprecipitation of unmutated wild type, K27M, G34R, and G34W substitutions were performed. The RNA-sequencing data and the H3.3 interaction proteome enable potentially important functional insight into the tumorigenic process and should spur further detailed analysis.

The use of fossil fuels threatens environmental systems and causes an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, thereby leading to global warming. Such a scenario has spurred research into renewable hydrogen energy production as a strategy to replace fossil fuels. In this regard, thermochemical water splitting using redox reactions with metal oxides, which generates neither CO nor CO2 gas, is a promising approach with advantages over general hydrocarbon steam reforming. However, preventing catalytic deactivation due to nanocatalyst agglomeration or sintering during thermocycling at high temperatures (>800 °C) is a significant challenge. In this work, the design, synthesis, and characterization of a new CeO2-based catalytic model were carried out through a combination of theoretical and experimental approaches. From thermodynamic simulations, an optimal support material was first selected. A CeO2 nanoparticle-dispersed porous support structure was subsequently synthesized. The recyclable CeO2–support structure showed good capability and repeatability for hydrogen generation during consecutive thermocycles with no undesirable side reactions or particle sintering. It is anticipated that the results of this study will facilitate greater efficiency in the development of catalytic materials and allow for more effective materials to be designed so as to accelerate the realization of economical green energy production based on thermochemical cycles.

The present work reports microstructures and mechanical properties of the homogenized and cold-rolled (CoCrFeMnNi)95.2Al3.2Ti1.6 (at. %) high entropy alloy annealed at various temperatures. The material was cold-rolled and annealed in the temperature range from 600 °C to 1000 °C for 1 h. The σ phase was observed in the annealing temperature range from 600 °C to 800 °C while the B2 phase was observed in the annealing temperature range from 700 °C to 900 °C. The fully recrystallized material annealed at 900 °C shows a considerably lower grain size compared to the reported grain size of the CoCrFeMnNi alloy, due to the presence of second phase particles. With increasing annealing temperature, a fraction of fully-recrystallized grains increases, leading to an increase in ductility and a decrease in strength. The material annealed at 900 °C and 1000 °C shows a low strength but large ductility due to fully recrystallized microstructures. Grain size strengthening and precipitation strengthening by B2 particles play a major role in the yield strength of the fully-recrystallized material annealed at 900 °C. The deformation mechanism of the material annealed at 900 °C is mainly dislocation slip with the minor occurrence of deformation twinning. A high density of dislocations near the B2/FCC matrix suggests the strengthening effect of the B2 phase. The material annealed at 800 °C shows ultimate tensile strength exceeding 1 GPa due to the combined effect of partially recrystallized microstructure and precipitation hardening and shows moderate ductility due to the less brittle character of the B2 phase by Ti alloying.

Objectives Although several self-reported questionnaire-based studies have found an association between smoking and moderately increased albuminuria, this result remains controversial. We investigated whether moderately increased albuminuria was associated with smoking status, verified by urinary cotinine (an objective biomarker of tobacco exposure), using population-based, nationally representative data. Methods This study included 2059 participants aged ≥ 50 years from the 2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Individuals with a urinary cotinine level ≥ 50 ng/mL were identified as cotinine-verified smokers. Moderately increased albuminuria was defined as a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio ranging between ≥ 30 mg/g and < 300 mg/g. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between cotinine-verified smoking status and moderately increased albuminuria. Results Among the study participants, 16.9% were cotinine-verified smokers, 84.8% of whom were men. After adjustment for multiple covariates, cotinine-verified smokers showed a significant positive association with moderately increased albuminuria (adjusted odds ratio: 4.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.63–11.71) compared with cotinine-verified non-smokers. The association between urinary cotinine and moderately increased albuminuria did not differ with age, sex, obesity, or comorbidities (P-value for interaction > 0.05 in all cases). Conclusion This large-scale observational study showed that cotinine-verified smoking is associated with moderately increased albuminuria in the Korean middle-aged and older general population, suggesting that smoking must be strictly controlled to reduce the risk of moderately increased albuminuria.

Infants develop many complex visual competences within the first 12 months of life. Premature infants are at high risk for abnormal visual and neurological development. Clinical medical history or neurologic evaluation do not give enough information on visual maturation in infants under 12 months of age.To compare visual maturation between preterm and full-term infants aged under 12 months, using the Preverbal Visual Assessment questionnaire (PreViAs).Retrospective cross-sectional analysis.Infants aged under 12 months, who visited our rehabilitation department for early intervention. Infants were categorized as either preterm or full-term, and assigned to one of three subgroups (0-4 months, 4-8 months, 8-12 months) according to corrected or chronological age.PreViAs scores.There were 200 preterm and 225 full-term infants analyzed. The mean global PreViAs scores among preterm infants were significantly lower than among full-term infants in all age groups (0-4 months: p = 0.033, 4-8 months: p = 0.005, and 8-12 months: p = 0.008). The mean global scores and four subdomain scores of the PreViAs were significantly lower (p 0.001) in very preterm (under 32-weeks gestational age) and very low birth weight (under 1500 g birth weight) than in moderate-to-late preterm infants (between 32- to 37- weeks gestational age) and infants with birth weight above 1500 g. Patent ductus arteriosus, retinopathy of prematurity, and birth weight (percent) showed significant correlation with PreViAs global scores.PreViAs is a useful tool for visual assessment of infants under 12 months, especially in high-risk infants.

To estimate the characteristics of local heat transfer in the channel of a printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE), a semicircular channel (tube) was manufactured to replicate the channel shape of the PCHE. The heat transfer in a horizontal semicircular tube has different behaviors at the top and bottom walls. Buoyancy and flow acceleration have substantial influence on the convective heat transfer of a semicircular tube with supercritical pressure fluids. They are induced by a drastic variation in the thermophysical properties near the critical point, especially density. Thus, in this study, to investigate the effect of buoyancy and flow acceleration on the heat transfer of supercritical CO2, an experiment was conducted in a horizontal semicircular tube. The tube test section had a hydraulic diameter of 4.73 mm, width of 7.75 mm, depth of 3.88 mm, and a heated length of 1.0 m. The experimental variables were mass flux (70–200 kg/(m2·s)) and heat flux (14.6–50.7 kW/m2) with constant inlet temperature (30 °C) and pressure (7.7–7.8 MPa). The temperature of the outer wall was measured at four positions (top center (TC), top side (TS), bottom side (BS), and bottom center (BC)) in the cross section of the tube. The stratification of the temperature along the wall in the cross section of the semicircular tube was verified by the experimental results. The heat transfer deterioration at the top region (TC and TS) was greater than that at the bottom region (BS and BC). This difference in heat transfer deterioration was caused by the upward push of the buoyancy of the low-density fluid along the inner wall in the cross section of the tube.

Additively manufactured (AM) metallic materials contain typically numerous grown-in defects which limit durability and mechanical properties of workpieces. However, the existence and impact of non-equilibrium vacancies and dislocations and especially the state of grain boundaries in AM materials remained completely unexplored. Here we are presenting an ultimate proof of a ‘non-equilibrium state’ of general high-angle grain boundaries in an as-produced AM high-entropy CoCrFeMnNi alloy. A low-temperature annealing treatment relaxes the ‘non-equilibrium’ grain boundary state without invoking grain growth. The ‘non-equilibrium’ state of grain boundaries in AM materials resembles that in severely plastically deformed ones and needs to be taken into account for technological applications. We further report a strong microstructure-induced anisotropy of grain boundary kinetic properties in the AM high-entropy alloy.

In this study, we report the effect of process conditions on the crystallinity and energy band structure of atomic layer deposition (ALD) ZrO2 films deposited, using tris(dimethylamino) cyclopentadienyl zirconium as a precursor and ozone as a reactant. ZrO2 films exhibited systematic changes in phase and energy band gap as a function of the ozone concentration. The crystal phase was transformed from the monoclinic phase to a tetragonal phase in the presence of higher ozone concentrations. In addition, spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements showed that the optical band gap and oxygen vacancy defects decreased with increasing ozone concentration. The valence band maximum also shifted closer to the Fermi energy level with increasing ozone concentration. The change in electronic structure driven by a high concentration of ozone led to reduced leakage current density and a high dielectric constant in the ZrO2-based metal-insulator-metal capacitors. These improvements were not observed for depositions performed using conventional ZrO2 ALD with oxygen and water reactants.

A novel aluminothermic smelting reduction (ASR) process was investigated for cleaning waste copper slag; this process is not only able to recover valuable iron, but also eliminates hazardous elements from the end-of-life slag product. The effect of adding Al on the reduction of iron oxide and subsequent iron recovery from waste copper slag at 1773 K was investigated by considering the thermophysical properties of the slag. The content of FeO and Al2O3 in the molten slag varied dramatically over a 5-min period, followed by nearly constant values. Because the reaction area and volume could not be determined (due to the explosive reaction characteristics of the ASR process), the apparent rate constant was employed for kinetic analysis. Iron recovery exhibited a maximum value at Al/FeO = 0.53. To determine the iron recovery, a novel triangular material balance diagram, which represents the balance among the reduced iron ingot, the reduced iron droplets dispersed in the slag phase, and the residual (unreduced) iron, was proposed. Solid compounds, such as spinel and olivine, were precipitated in the slag during the ASR process; this was confirmed by both XRD analysis and a thermochemical computation method. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism between iron oxide and Al particles was newly proposed; this was based on systematic experimental observations. Finally, the elimination rate of hazardous elements, such as As, Bi, Pb, and Sb, from end-of-life copper slag by the ASR process was determined.

Sulfide capacity of the MnO-SiO2-Al2O3-Ce2O3 system was measured at 1873 K (1600 °C), and the structural analysis was carried out using micro-Raman spectroscopy to understand the role of Ce2O3 in the sulfur dissolution behavior. Sulfide capacity of the basic melts (MnO/SiO2 = 2.2(±0.14)) decreased with increasing content of Ce2O3 to approx. 4 mol pct, beyond which it increased. Sulfide capacity continuously decreased in the less basic system (MnO/SiO2 = 1.0(±0.15)), whereas it was hardly affected by Ce2O3 in the relatively acidic composition (MnO/SiO2 = 0.3(±0.05)). There was a significant increase in the intensity of Raman band at 600 cm−1 by Ce2O3 addition in high MnO/SiO2 (=2.2) system, which originated from the transition from [(Al,Mn0.5)O4]-tetrahedron to [(Al,Ce)O6]-octahedron due to strong attraction between Al2O3 and Ce2O3. Combining thermodynamic and structural information, the effect of Ce2O3 on the sulfide capacity of Mn-aluminosilicate melts can be explained by the following factors: (1) Activity of MnO in the melts decreased by addition of Ce2O3; (2) Free oxygen was consumed in the structure modification from [(Al,Mn0.5)O4] to [(Al,Ce)O6] unit by addition of Ce2O3; and 3) When the Ce3+ content was greater than critical value (approx. 4 mol pct) in high MnO/SiO2 (=2.54) melts, excess Ce3+ and Mn2+ ions competitively reacted with S2− ions, resulting in an increase of sulfide capacity.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) in the middle ear (ME) mucosal response to bacterial infection in a rat model. To confirm the role of ILC3 in bacterially induced otitis media (OM), the serum concentrations of IL-17 and IL-22 were determined by ELISA, and the tissue expression of IL-17 and IL-22 in infected ME mucosa was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Immunohistochemical staining of specific cell surface markers was also assessed to confirm the origin of the cells expressing IL-17 and IL-22. Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the surgically-induced animal model of OM. OM was induced by inoculation of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae into the ME cavity of the rats. The rats were divided into four experimental groups: three infected groups and one control group. Infected groups were subdivided into sets of 5 rats, one for each of the three time points (1, 4 and 7 days post-inoculation). For determination of rat IL-17 and IL-22 levels in infected rats and control rats, infected or control ME mucosa sections were analyzed by immunohistochemistry with specific antibodies directed against IL-17 and IL-22. Immunohistochemical staining for CD3, RORγt, and NKp46 were also conducted on the samples to confirm the origin of cells expressing IL-17 and IL-22. IL-17 and IL-22 serum concentrations were significantly increased in the infected rats compared to control rats. Immunohistochemical staining revealed increased IL-17 and IL-22 expressions in all infected ME mucosae from the first day after inoculation. In addition, the results of tissue staining for the specific surface markers were negative for CD3 and NKp46, but were highly positive for RORγt. IL-17 and IL-22 revealed their association with the bacterially induced proliferative and hyperplastic responses of ME mucosa, which are characteristic features in pathogenesis of OM. Surface marker examination showed that the source cells for IL-17 and IL-22 seemed to be lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells. The results suggest that LTi cells release IL-17 and IL-22, and play a significant role in both the early phase of OM induction and recovery from it.

Many studies have been conducted for a relatively short period of time since the introduction of flipped learning in the country. However, most research focuses on the ways of flipped learning and its efficiency, hence, the perception of the teacher about flipped learning has not been studied yet. In this study, to investigate the teacher's perception of flipped learning, 1,038 teachers conducted the survey which consists of three areas such as their understandings of flipped learning, their using patterns and their expectations of flipped learning in the future. The results showed that teacher's understanding and using state of flipped learning was not that high. Also, they were very cautious of using flipped learning for their class. Based on the results, the activation plans of flipped Learning were also proposed.

The effective halide flux additive for increasing the density of MgCl2 mixture and for decreasing the activity of MgCl2 was investigated in order to improve the reaction efficiency between gaseous ZrCl4 and fresh Mg melt to produce zirconium sponge. Thermochemical computation using FactSageTM software was primarily carried out, followed by the experimental confirmation. The addition of CaCl2, BaCl2, MgF2, and CaF2 to the molten MgCl2 increases the density of the melts, indicating that these halide additives can be a candidate to increase the density of the MgCl2-based molten salts. Among them, BaCl2, MgF2, and CaF2 are the useful additives. The activity of MgCl2 can be reduced by the addition of BaCl2, KCl, NaCl, MgF2, and CaF2, among which the CaF2 is the most effective additive to reduce the activity of MgCl2 with the strongest negative deviation from an ideality. Thus, the addition of CaF2 to the MgCl2, forming the MgCl2-CaF2 binary melt, is the most effective way not only to increase the density of the melt but also to decrease the activity of MgCl2, which was experimentally confirmed. Consequently, the production rate of zirconium sponge by magnesiothermic reduction process can be accelerated by the addition of CaF2.

Although frequently classified as "objective tinnitus," in most cases vascular pulsatile tinnitus (VPT) is not equal to objective tinnitus because it is not easy to objectively document VPT. The present study was conducted to develop a novel transcanal sound recording and spectrotemporal analysis method for the objective and differential diagnosis of VPT.A case series with a control group.Tertiary referral center.Six VPT subjects with radiological abnormalities and six normal controls.The method was tested based on recordings obtained from the ipsilateral external auditory canal (EAC) using an insert microphone with the subject's head in four different positions. The recorded signals were first analyzed in the time domain, and short-time Fourier transform was performed to analyze the data in the time-frequency domain.From the temporal analysis, the ear canal signals recorded from the VPT subjects exhibited large peak amplitudes and periodic structures, whereas the signals recorded from the control subjects had smaller peak amplitudes and weaker periodicity. From the STA represented by two-dimensional spectrograms and three-dimensional waterfall diagrams, all of the VPT subjects demonstrated pulse-synchronous acoustic characteristics that were representative of their respective presumptive vascular pathologies, whereas the control subjects did not display such characteristics.The present diagnostic approach may provide additional information regarding the origins of VPT cases as well as an efficient and objective diagnostic method. Furthermore, this approach may aid in the determination of appropriate imaging modalities, treatment planning, and evaluation of treatment outcomes.

The refractory–slag–metal–inclusion multiphase reaction model was developed by integrating the refractory–slag, slag–metal, and metal–inclusion elementary reactions in order to predict the evolution of inclusions during the secondary refining processes. The mass transfer coefficient in the metal and slag phase, and the mass transfer coefficient of MgO in the slag were employed in the present multiphase reactions modeling. The “Effective Equilibrium Reaction Zone (EERZ) Model” was basically employed. In this model, the reaction zone volume per unit step for metal and slag phase, which is dependent on the ‘effective reaction zone depth’ in each phase, should be defined. Thus, we evaluated the effective reaction zone depth from the mass transfer coefficient in metal and slag phase at 1873 K (1600 °C) for the desulfurization reaction which was measured in the present study. Because the dissolution rate of MgO from the refractory to slag phase is one of the key factors affecting the slag composition, the mass transfer coefficient of MgO in the ladle slag was also experimentally determined. The calculated results for the variation of the composition of slag and molten steel as a function of reaction time were in good agreement with the experimental results. The MgAl2O4 spinel inclusion was observed at the early to middle stage of the reaction, whereas the liquid oxide inclusion was mainly observed at the final stage of the refining reaction. The content of CaO sharply increased, and the SiO2 content increased mildly with the increasing reaction time, while the content of Al2O3 in the inclusion drastically decreased. Even though there is slight difference between the calculated and measured results, the refractory–slag–metal multiphase reaction model constructed in the present study exhibited a good predictability of the inclusion evolution during ladle refining process.

Purpose Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a useful biomarker for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the diagnostic value of NGAL for predicting AKI in sepsis patients is unclear. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify research publications. Results Twelve studies from 9 countries including a total of 1582 patients, of whom 315 (19.9%) developed AKI, were included in the study; plasma NGAL levels were significantly higher in adult sepsis patients with AKI than in those without AKI (mean difference, 274.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 106.16-443.15; I 2 = 94%). Urine NGAL levels were not significantly different. The diagnostic odds ratio of plasma NGAL for predicting AKI in sepsis patients was 6.64 (95% CI, 3.80-11.58). The diagnostic accuracy of plasma NGAL was 0.881 (95% CI, 0.819-0.923) for sensitivity, 0.474 (95% CI, 0.367-0.582) for specificity, 0.216 (95% CI, 0.177-0.261) for positive predictive value and 0.965 (95% CI, 0.945-0.977) for negative predictive value. Conclusion Plasma NGAL has a high sensitivity and a high negative predictive value for detection of AKI in adult sepsis patients. However, its low specificity and low positive predictive value could limit its clinical utility. The usefulness of urine NGAL was not revealed in this study.

We investigated optical nonlinearity induced by electron tunneling through an insulating vertical gap between metals, both at terahertz frequency and at near-infrared frequency. We adopted graphene and alumina layers as gap materials to form gap widths of 3 A and 1.5 nm, respectively. Transmission measurements show that tunneling-induced transmittance changes from strong fields at the gaps can be observed with relatively weak incident fields at terahertz frequency due to high field enhancement, whereas nonlinearity at the near-infrared frequency is restricted by laser-induced metal damages. Even when the same level of tunneling currents occurs at both frequencies, transmittance in the terahertz regime decreases much faster than that in the near-infrared regime. An equivalent circuit model regarding the tunneling as a resistance component reveals that strong terahertz nonlinearity is due to much smaller displacement currents relative to tunneling currents, also explaining small nonlinearity of the near-inf...

Among the many additive manufacturing technologies, the directed energy deposition (DED) process has attracted significant attention because of the application of metal products. Metal deposited by the DED process has different properties than wrought metal because of the rapid solidification rate, the high thermal gradient between the deposited metal and substrate, etc. Additionally, many operating parameters, such as laser power, beam diameter, traverse speed, and powder mass flow rate, must be considered since the characteristics of the deposited metal are affected by the operating parameters. In the present study, the effect of energy input on the characteristics of H13 and D2 steels deposited by a direct metal tooling process based on the DED process was investigated. In particular, we report that the hardness of the deposited H13 and D2 steels decreased with increasing energy input, which we discuss by considering microstructural observations and thermodynamics.

Calcium sulfate (CaSO4) is proposed as an alternative sulfur source to convert the Fe-Ni-Cu-Co alloy to the matte phase. Solid carbon was used as a reducing agent and the influence of oxide fluxes on the sulfurization efficiency at 1673 K (1400 °C) in a CO-CO2-SO2-Ar atmosphere was investigated. When CaSO4 was equilibrated with the Fe-Ni-Cu-Co alloy without any reducing agent, it was reduced by Fe in the liquid alloy, resulting in the formation of FeS. The sulfurization efficiency was about 56 pct, even though an excess amount of CaSO4 (gypsum equivalent, G eq = 1.7) was added. Adding solid carbon as the reducing agent significantly shortened the equilibration time from 36 to 3.5 hours and increased the sulfurization efficiency from 56 to 91 pct, even though the amount of carbon was lower than the theoretical equivalent for carbothermic reduction of CaSO4, viz. C eq = 0.7. Although CaS (not FeS) was formed as a primary reaction product, it continuously reacted with CaSO4, forming CaO-rich slag. Neither the carbothermic reduction time nor the sulfurization efficiency were affected by the addition of Al2O3 (-SiO2) fluxes, but the equilibration time fell to 2.5 hours with the addition of Al2O3-Fe2O3 flux because the former systems produced primarily calcium silicate and calcium aluminate, which have relatively high melting points, whereas the latter system produced calcium ferrite, which has a lower melting point. Consequently, calcium sulfate (waste gypsum) can replace expensive pure sulfur as a raw material in the sulfurization of Fe-Ni-Cu-Co alloy with small amounts of iron oxide (Fe2O3) as a flux material. The present results can be used to improve the recovery of rare metals, such as Ni and Co, from deep sea manganese nodules.

This work was supported by the third Stage of Brain Korea 21 Plus Project and the Industrial Strategy Technology Development (No. 10033389, Development of e-FERA Technology) through a grant provided by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

We investigated the characteristics of 100 nm-thick Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 laminated films grown by ozone (O 3 )-based atomic layer deposition (ALD) at low temperature (100 °C) as thin film encapsulation (TFE). Calcium (Ca) test was performed at a relative humidity (RH) of 50% with a temperature of 50 °C to derive the water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 )-, zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 )-, and Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 -laminated films. Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 -laminated films exhibited better permeation barrier properties than Al 2 O 3 or ZrO 2 single layer films. In Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 laminated films, permeation barrier properties improved as the number of alternating layers increased. Permeation barrier properties were closely related to the number of interfaces because of the ZrAl x O y phase that formed at the interface between the Al 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 sublayers. The ZrAl x O y phase was denser than single layers of Al 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 and had a homogeneous amorphous structure. The formation of a ZrAl x O y phase in Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 laminated film effectively improved the permeation barrier properties of the film.

To improve the practicality of 'Early warning service about agrometeorological weather hazards' and operation efficiency to deliver site-specific about a lot of land unit possibility of weather hazard occurrence with the suitable counterplan to farmer, site-specific early warning service system that was built at the National Academy of Agricultural Science in Korea passed some of the error supplementation and service's stabilization stage during operation period for trial services from October 2014 to March 2015. Field service system covered about 470 volunteered farmer and 950 lots in Seomjin river downstream areas (part of Gwangyang-si, Hadong-gun, Gurye-gun). This system (Two track system) consists of early warning system (a lot of land unit) to inform farmer by individual text message and dispersal prior alert system that can see the jurisdiction's situation of local government. Individual text message about Seomjin river downstream that is our first study area was launched since March 2015, and online site (http://www.agmet.kr) started business since April 2015. Service offers currently information of farm weather, farm weather hazard, nationwide weather risk and special weather alert, also our system will consistently expand the service target area and contents and improve the service quality until 2017 when our study finished. To prevent crops damage that was caused by crisis situation like farm weather and weather damage offer prior alert about agrometeorological weather harzard to volunteered farmer, thereby our study expects to help the reduction of farm's damage caused by weather derivatives.

The dissolution behavior of boron in a molten slag was evaluated at 1823 K to establish the boron refining mechanism. From the thermodynamic consideration, two refining mechanisms are confirmed, and a modified equation is suggested. In addition, the structural characteristics of boron in molten slag in different oxygen partial pressure were evaluated to confirm the boride and borate behaviors. The changes in ionic state of boron caused by the oxygen partial pressure were confirmed via Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the network forming characteristics of borate and the network modifying characteristics of boride were observed. From the above results, to improve the boron refinement and the slag fluidity, thereby preventing the silicon loss, refinement of the boron through a slag having much lower equilibrium oxygen partial pressure is suggested.

The 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) is a stress-inducible protein that has been shown to protect the brain from various nervous system injuries. It allows cells to withstand potentially lethal insults through its chaperone functions. Its chaperone properties can assist in protein folding and prevent protein aggregation following several of these insults. Although its neuroprotective properties have been largely attributed to its chaperone functions, HSP70 may interact directly with proteins involved in cell death and inflammatory pathways following injury. Through the use of mutant animal models, gene transfer, or heat stress, a number of studies have now reported positive outcomes of HSP70 induction. However, these approaches are not practical for clinical translation. Thus, pharmaceutical compounds that can induce HSP70, mostly by inhibiting HSP90, have been investigated as potential therapies to mitigate neurological disease and lead to neuroprotection. This review summarizes the neuroprotective mechanisms of HSP70 and discusses potential ways in which this endogenous therapeutic molecule could be practically induced by pharmacological means to ultimately improve neurological outcomes in acute neurological disease.

The effects of composition on the iron redox equilibria and structural changes in the CaO Al2O3 FetO melts have been investigated at 1823 K. The ferric to ferrous (Fe3+/Fe2+) ratio increases with increasing basicity and total iron oxide content when the activity of CaO (aCaO) is greater than 0.3. However, the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratios decrease with increasing iron oxide content in the case of the existence of octahedrally coordinated Fe3+ ions in aCaO=0.2 composition range. From Raman spectroscopic analysis, it was observed that the addition of iron oxide (up to 10 wt% T.Fe) to calcium aluminate melts modifies the aluminate networks. Furthermore, the non-bridging oxygen per tetrahedron (NBO/T) ratio in the CaO Al2O3 FetO melts increases with increasing content of iron oxide because the [FeO4]-tetrahedron ferrite networks substitutes for the [AlO4]-tetrahedron aluminate networks. The activation energy for the viscous flow of the CaO Al2O3 FetO melts has a good linear relationship with the relative concentration of polymerized [AlO4] unit, i.e., ln Q Al 4 .

Dead box helicase 5 (DDX5) is an RNA helicase that is has cellular function on RNA splicing and transcriptional regulation. It has been reported to be involved in cell differentiation including adipogenesis. However, it is not clear how DDX5 is regulated during adipogenesis. Our previous report demonstrated that the Ten-eleven translocation methyl-cytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) is required for adipogenesis. This study was aimed to investigate DDX5 as a direct target of TET2 upon adipogenic induction of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte. Microarray-based screening of differentially expressed genes upon TET2 knockdown identified genes involved in cell cycle, DNA replication, and ribosome biology as major targets of TET2 in the initial step of adipogenic induction. The Ddx5 gene was identified and validated as the target. TET2-mediated epigenetic regulation of the Ddx5 gene was measured by two independent methods including immunoprecipitation against 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) as well as EpiMark 5hmC and 5mC analysis. Ddx5 expression was downregulated upon TET2 knockdown, coincided with a significant decrease of 5hmC at the Ddx5 locus. DDX5 knockdown significantly suppressed adipogenesis, while DDX5 overexpression promoted it. Importantly, DDX5 overexpression, when co-transfected, rescued the process of adipogenesis, which was hindered by TET2 siRNA treatment. The findings suggest TET2-mediated regulation of the Ddx5 gene is required for an initial step of adipogenesis.

Objectives: According to previous studies, the prevalence of anxiety and depression was approximately 25% in patients with rotator cuff tear, and psychological status may be an important predictor for clinical outcomes after rotator cuff repair. Considering continuous steady rehabilitation is essential for recovery of postoperative pain and range of motion (ROM), the anxiety or depression would affect this process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of anxiety and depression measured by HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) on early pain and ROM after rotator cuff repair. Methods: Consecutive 156 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were prospectively enrolled, and divided into two groups defined by HADS scores; Group I with normal psychological status (n = 105, anxiety ≤ 7 and depression ≤ 7), Group II with psychological distress (n = 51, anxiety ≥ 8 or depression ≥ 8). Same rehabilitation protocols were applied to all patients: 4 ˜ 6 weeks of brace according to tear size, and then ROM exercises. Clinical outcomes were measured with pain VAS and ROM at 3, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. Results: There were no significant differences in age, cuff tear size, preoperative external and internal rotation angle between two groups, but more female patients, higher preoperative pain VAS, and lower range of preoperative forward flexion in Group II (all p < 0.05). At 3 months after surgery, the average of pain VAS was 2.2 ± 1.3 in Group I, which was statistically lower than 3.5 ± 2.0 in Group II. The average forward flexion was 145.4° ± 23.4° in Group I, and 122.5° ± 30.3° in Group II. The average external rotation was 42.3° ± 16.1° in Group I, and 34.7° ± 17.6° in Group II. The mean level of internal rotation at back was T11.6 ± 2.8 in Group I, and L1.9 ± 2.4 in Group II (all p < 0.05). At 6 months after surgery, there was no significant difference in forward flexion (148.9° ± 23.2° in Group I compared with 144.9° ± 25.2° in Group II) and external rotation (59.5° ± 13.4° in Group I compared with 54.5° ± 17.5° in Group II). The mean level of internal rotation at back was T9.4 ± 1.8 in Group I, and T10.0 ± 1.5 in Group II (p < 0.05). The average of pain VAS was 0.8 ± 1.6 in Group I, which was statistically lower than 1.6 ± 2.0 in Group II (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in ROM and pain VAS at 1 year after surgery. Conclusion: The recovery of pain and ROM was faster in patients with normal psychological status after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Therefore, psychologic intervention including medication should be collaborated to improve early clinical outcomes after rotator cuff repair through the encouragement of rehabilitation, as well as mitigation of anxiety and depression moods. [Figure: see text]

The influence of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on the risk of osteoporotic fractures remains to be elucidated, especially in the Asian population. This study evaluated the risk of osteoporotic fractures in elderly female Korean PPI users compared to histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) users, as well as the relationship between fractures and the duration, dose, and pattern of use of PPI. We screened a nationwide cohort of elderly Korean women who underwent bone mineral density measurements during their 66-year-old life-transition medical examination between 2009 and 2014. Study subjects included 8903 cases diagnosed with new osteoporotic fractures and 44,515 matched controls (1:5 ratio based on cohort entry date, follow-up duration, and baseline osteoporosis status) without fractures. They were followed up until 2015. Information on the exposure to PPI or H2RA, occurrence of fracture, and covariates were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service data. Covariate-adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression analysis. PPI use was associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures (aOR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.18) compared with H2RA-only use. Increasing duration of PPI use was positively associated with the risk of osteoporotic fracture [aOR (95% CI) of long-term PPI use (≥1 year): 1.3 (1.09, 1.56)]. Recent PPI use within the last year was associated with an increased risk of fracture (aOR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.38), whereas remote PPI use was not (aOR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.92, 1.04). The risk of fracture did not increase with the increasing cumulative PPI dose. Compared with the use of H2RA alone, PPI use was associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures in elderly Korean women, particularly among those who had used PPI within the last year or for more than one year.