Search

To define the diagnostic precision of the Humphrey Matrix 24-2 test and to determine a clinically applicable cutoff criterion for the inclusion of preperimetric glaucoma. Eyes with preperimetric glaucoma (99 eyes) were defined as having normal standard automated perimetry (SAP) results and a glaucomatous optic nerve head, along with one or more optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters flagged as

To study possible risk factors in cases in which part of the device becomes exposed outside the conjunctiva after Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation. Eleven eyes in which one part of the AGV was exposed outside the conjunctivae were compared with 44 random eyes that underwent the same operation by the same surgeon during the same time period but without any complications. Preoperative diagnosis, age, sex, implant location, number of previous ocular surgeries, and both associated ocular diseases and systemic diseases were taken into account in both the patient group and the control group to determine all possible causes. Age, implant location, type of glaucoma, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension had no relation to implant exposure. However, the patient group had more ocular surgeries before AGV implantation than the control group (P = 0.006). We found that only the number of previous ocular surgeries was a possible risk factor for implant exposure. More effort should be made to decrease implant exposure outside the conjunctiva, and research should be performed to determine the proper treatment for implant exposure.

Coronary artery diseases are usually revealed using X-ray angiographies. Such images are complex to analyze because they provide a 2D projection of a 3D object. Medical diagnosis suffers from inter- and intraclinician variability. Therefore, reliable software for the 3D modeling of the coronary tree is strongly desired. This paper focuses on the automatic 3D modeling of the vessels from X-ray angiography. Our approach is based on a 3D model of standard vessels. The model is projected because it is difficult to suitably transform standard into individual vessels on 3D space. The modeling process is carried out in two steps. The first step consists of selecting automatically two sets of corresponding control points between standard and individual vessels. In the second step, 3D model of individual vessels is performed by warping with corresponding control points. Accurate descriptions of 3D model would be useful for quantitative diagnosis of atherosclerosis, for surgical or treatment planning, for monitoring disease progress or remission, and for comparing efficacies of treatments.

Responses in the retina post injury provoke glial reactions that are not completely understood. This study investigated the reaction of retinal glial cells and the expression and localization of the Fas and Fas-ligand (FasL) in rats with chronic ocular hypertension. Experimental glaucoma was induced in one eye of 60 Sprague–Dawley rats by cauterizing three episcleral vessels. It caused a moderate intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and significant retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss for at least 6 weeks in all animals. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of GFAP and OX-42 increased in the injured retinae. Fas/FasL immunoreactivity was elevated in the microglia, and we also observed an incremental increase in Fas associated death domain (FADD) immunoreactivity in Muller glial cells and RGCs in the IOP-elevated retinae. The activation of glial cells and upregulation of Fas and FasL suggest that glial cells may contribute to Fas-mediated cell death in the neurodegeneration process of chronic ocular hypertensive retinal insult.

Atmospheric re-entry module is a part of a spacecraft, which is separated from the spacecraft, de-orbits, re-enters into the Earth atmosphere, and descents to the Earth surface. In this paper, 3-DOF flight trajectory of a small re-entry module is simulated to design its separation position and Earth landing point. The estimation of the landing position is important the safety and recover reason. The configuration of the re-entry module is assumed to be compatible with the STSAT series spacecraft. Various models, such as atmosphere, gravitation, and flight dynamics are applied to simulate the re-entry module trajectory under the design-to assumptions of re-entry module propulsion and attitude control performances.

We propose a new approach for automatically generating individual vessels to 3D(three-dimensional) model. The modeling process is carried out in two steps. The first step consists of selecting automatically two sets of corresponding feature points between standard and individual vessels. In the second step, 3D model of individual vessels is performed by warping with corresponding feature points. The 3D model of vessels provides patients with better and cleaner visualization without extensive training to understand vessels geometry. It saves reviewing time for physicians since 3D model may be performed by a trained technician, and may also help visualize dynamics of the vessels.

Radiation-induced inhibition of rapamycin-sensitive pathway and its effect on the cellular response to radiation were studied in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Both radiation and rapamycin shared molecular targets and induced similar physiologic responses. Each of these treatments increased immunostaining of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the nucleus, and radiation led to decreased phosphorylation of its autophosphorylation site Ser2481. In addition to dephosphorylation of established mTOR downstream effectors 4E-binding protein 1 and p70 ribosomal S6 kinase, both treatments decreased the level of eukaryotic initiation factor 4G. Experiments with the potentiometric dye, JC-1, revealed an oligomycin-dependent increase in mitochondrial membrane potential following radiation or rapamycin treatment, suggesting that both lead to reversal of F0F1ATPase activity. Both radiation and rapamycin induced sequestration of cytoplasmic material in autophagic vacuoles. In both cases, appearance of autophagic vacuoles involved the participation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3). Transient cotransfection of green fluorescent protein-LC3 with either wild-type or dominant-negative mTOR further showed that inactivation of mTOR pathway is sufficient to induce autophagy in these cells. Finally, administration of rapamycin in combination with radiation led to enhanced mitochondria hyperpolarization, p53 phosphorylation, and increased cell death. Taken together, these experiments show that radiation-induced inhibition of rapamycin-sensitive pathway in MCF-7 cells causes changes in mitochondria metabolism, development of autophagy, and an overall decrease in cell survival.

In the present study, we have characterized the choline transport system and examined the influence of various amine drugs on the choline transporter using a conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell line (TR-BBB) in vitro. The cell-to-medium (C/M) ratio of [3H]choline in TR-BBB cells increased time-dependently. The initial uptake rate of [3H]choline was concentration-dependent with a Michaelis-Menten value, Km, of 26.2 +/- 2.7 microM. The [3H]choline uptake into TR-BBB was Na+-independent, but was membrane potential-dependent. The [3H]choline uptake was susceptible to inhibition by hemicholinium-3, and tetraethylammonium (TEA), which are organic cation transporter substrates. Also, the uptake of [3H]choline was competitively inhibited with Ki values of 274 microM, 251 microM and 180 microM in the presence of donepezil hydrochloride, tacrine and alpha-phenyl-n-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN), respectively. These characteristics of choline transport are consistent with those of the organic cation transporter (OCT). OCT2 mRNA was expressed in TR-BBB cells, while the expression of OCT3 or choline transporter (CHT) was not detected. Accordingly, these results suggest that OCT2 is a candidate for choline transport at the BBB and may influence the BBB permeability of amine drugs.

Three prepared seafood products for manufacturing a laver (dried seaweed) roll, a traditional and rapidly growing ready-to-eat meal in Korea, were selected and the effects of irradiation treatment for eliminating pathogens of public health significance were investigated. The pathogens tested were Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria ivanovii. The radiation sensitivity (D10-values or the dose required to inactivate 90% of a population) of these organisms ranged from 0.23 to 0.62 kGy in imitation crab leg, 0.31 to 0.44 kGy in surimi gel, and 0.27 to 0.44 kGy in dried seaweed. The growth of all four test organisms inoculated (10(8) CFU/g) into these foods was inhibited by irradiation during 24 h of postirradiation storage regardless of the temperature (10, 20, and 30 degrees C). L. ivanovii was not detected after a 3-kGy treatment, but the other pathogens were not detected following irradiation at 2 kGy. These studies indicated that low-dose irradiation (2 kGy or less) of prepared seafood materials can keep them microbiologically safe before manufacturing a ready-to-eat prepared meal, a laver roll.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the efflux transport system for taurine from brain to blood is present at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by using the brain efflux index (BEI) method and to determine whether the taurine transport system is regulated after central nervous system cell damage by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in vivo. [(3)H]Taurine was microinjected into the parietal cortex area 2 of the rat brain, and was eliminated from the brain with an efflux transport rate of 1.22 x 10(-2) min(-1), and the process is saturable with a K(m) of 39.1 microM. This process was significantly inhibited by taurine transporter (TAUT) inhibitors, such as unlabeled taurine, beta-alanine, betaine, nipecotic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In addition, the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on [(3)H]taurine transport was investigated. [(3)H]Taurine uptake was increased and its efflux was reduced by pretreatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Also, [(3)H]taurine efflux was reduced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, there is the efflux pump for taurine at the blood-brain barrier to reduce taurine concentration in the brain interstitial fluid, and this process was carrier mediated. In addition, the transport system for taurine through the blood-brain barrier was found to be regulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha in vivo.

Programmable logic controller(PLC) is a computer system for instrumentation and control (IC Statecharts for specification and model checking for verification, and we give the results of applying formal methods to RTOS.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the developmental patterns of Cloninger's biogenetic character traits in subjects with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Study subjects met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised; DSM-III-R) criteria for BPD without comorbid axis I or II disorders, as determined by the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines-Revised, Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-R, and Diagnostic Interview for Personality Disorders. The BPD subjects and age- and sex-matched healthy comparison subjects were initially interviewed for Cloninger's biogenetic characters and re-interviewed at an interval of 1 year for the following 3 years. There were significant differences in the developmental patterns of self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence between BPD and healthy comparison subjects (significant group by time interaction: repeated measures manova, F = 17.3, d.f. = 3,240, P

Generally, existing watermarking techniques are fragile in geometric distortion and have difficulty in detecting artificial manipulation of digital data. In this paper, we propose a robust watermarking technique in geometric distortion of digital images. The proposed watermarking technique embeds the watermark by modifying phase information in the complex wavelet domain about an original image. A watermark is extracted with a hierarchical from a watermarked image, and a correlation is compared. The watermarking technique using the Complex Wavelet Transform is compared with the watermarking technique which uses the existing wavelet transformation was used for performance evaluation, and proposed techniques showing a robust on a geometric distortion.

Purpose: To compare the response of dry eye treatment in patients divided by the degree of lower lid laxity. Methods: Thirty patients were classified into three groups normal, moderate and severe, according to the degree of lower lid laxity. Tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer test (ST), ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores and changes in OSDI score in each group were compared before and at 3 months after the treatment. Results: TBUT, ST and OSDI scores were not different among the three groups at baseline. TBUT improved to 6.60 ± 1.43, 6.0 ± 2.54 and 6.0 ± 1.45 sec in normal, moderate and severe lower lid laxity group, respectively at 3 months after the treatment and no difference among the groups was found. ST scores did not increase after the treatment, while OSDI scores improved to 12.20 ± 1.40, 16.10 ± 4.63 and 20.80 ± 4.52 in each group, respectively and they were significantly different (p = 0.029, 0.029

Background S-methylmethionine sulfonium chloride was originally called vitamin U because of its inhibition of ulceration in the digestive system. Vitamin U is ubiquitously expressed in the tissues of flowering plants, and while there have been reports on its hypolipidemic effect, its precise function remains unknown. Objective This study was designed to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of vitamin U in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cell lines. Methods We cultured the pre-adipocyte cell line 3T3L1 to overconfluency and then added fat differentiation-inducing media (dexamethasone, IBMX [isobutylmethylxanthine], insulin, indomethacin) and different concentrations (10, 50, 70, 90, 100 mM) of vitamin U. Then, we evaluated changes in the levels of triglycerides (TGs), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), adipocyte-specific markers (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ [PPAR-γ], CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α [C/EBP-α], adipocyte differentiation and determination factor 1 [ADD-1], adipsin, fatty acid synthase, lipoprotein lipase) and apoptosis-related signals (Bcl-2, Bax). Results There was a gradual decrease in the level of TGs, C/EBP-α, PPAR-γ, adipsin, ADD-1 and GPDH activity with increasing concentrations of vitamin U. In contrast, we observed a significant increase in AMPK activity with increasing levels of vitamin U. The decrease in bcl-2 and increase in Bax observed with increasing concentrations of vitamin U in the media were not statistically significant. Conclusion This study suggests that vitamin U inhibits adipocyte differentiation via down-regulation of adipogenic factors and up-regulation of AMPK activity.

Soon Myung Jung 1 , Jin Taek Yoo 1 , Young Hwan Kim 1 , Yu Na Seo 2 , Na Young Lee 3 , Seong Geun Lee 4 , Seong Hu Park, Young Eun Park, Seung Hoon Baek, Geun Tae Kim, Sung-Il Kim, Joung Wook Lee Departments of Internal Medicine, Radiology and Pediatrics, Busan St. Mary’s Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated systemic hemodynamic factors of normal tension glaucoma. Methods: Forty patients with normal tension glaucoma and thirty healthy people were investigated with regard to hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC count, WBC count, platelet count, fasting glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, and highsensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Also, ET-1 and MCP-1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: The results of the blood examinations showed no statistically significant differences in hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC count, WBC count, platelet count, fasting glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and hsCRP. Only triglycerides showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (P=0.03). The level of serum ET-1 was significantly higher in the normal tension glaucoma group (P=0.007). The results of MCP-1 showed no statistically significant difference. Conclusions: We conclude that normal tension glaucoma Is associated with an increased level of triglycerides and that the level of ET-1 could be a hemodynamic cause of normal tension glaucoma.

Background In the present study, we investigated the changes of uptake and efflux transport of taurine under various stress conditions using rat conditionally immortalized syncytiotrophoblast cell line (TR-TBT cells), as in vitro blood-placental barrier (BPB) model. Methods The transport of taurine in TR-TBT cells were characterized by cellular uptake study using radiolabeled taurine. The efflux of taurine was measured from the amount of radiolabeled taurine remaining in the cells after the uptake of radiolabeled taurine for 60 min. Results Taurine uptake was significantly decreased by phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) activator in TR-TBT cells. Also, calcium ion (Ca2+) was involved in taurine transport in TR-TBT cells. Taurine uptake was inhibited and efflux was enhanced under calcium free conditions in the cells. In addition, oxidative stress induced the change of taurine transport in TR-TBT cells, but the changes were different depending on the types of oxidative stress inducing agents. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and diethyl maleate (DEM) significantly increased taurine uptake, but H2O2 and nitric oxide (NO) donor decreased taurine uptake in the cells. Taurine efflux was down-regulated by TNF-α in TR-TBT cells. Conclusion Taurine transport in TR-TBT cells were regulated diversely at extracellular Ca2+ level, PKC activator and oxidative stress conditions. It suggested that variable stresses affected the taurine supplies from maternal blood to fetus and taurine level of fetus.

Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) is a rare disease affecting mostly children. This disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of hemoptysis, bilateral diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, and iron-deficiency anemia. An acute fulminant alveolar hemorrhage can be fatal due to respiratory failure, while chronic hemorrhage leads to hemosiderin-laden macrophages and pulmonary fibrosis. Genetic, autoimmune, allergic, environmental, and metabolic mechanisms of pathogenesis have been suggested, but the etiology of IPH remains unknown. We report on a 9-year-old girl with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis who showed seasonal recurrences without cause.

Purpose: To compare the ability of Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) 2 and the new version, HRT3, to discriminate between glaucoma and non-glaucoma eyes and to evaluate the most useful parameters for glaucoma detection. Methods: Fifty-two healthy eyes, 62 glaucoma-suspect eyes, and 172 glaucoma eyes (a total of 286 eyes) were studied retrospectively. The discrimination capabilities of healthy and glaucomatous eyes were compared using areas under the receiver operating characteristics (AROCs) curves. Agreement between classifications was defined by κ analysis. Results: The stereometric parameters that best discriminated between glaucoma and non-glaucoma eyes were cup shape measure at HRT2 (areas under the ROCs curves (AUC) 0.784) and global probability score (GPS) at HRT3 (AUC 0.718). The stereometric parameters that best discriminated between normal and non-normal eyes were cup shape measure at HRT2 (AUC 0.785) and GPS at HRT3 (AUC 0.696). The sensitivity was 95% at HRT3 and 91% at HRT2, and specificity was 61% at HRT2 and 59% at HRT3. Conclusions: The glaucoma-discriminating ability of the HRT3 software is similar to that of HRT2; however, HRT3 provided results without the need for subjective operator input. J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 49(8):1303-1308, 2008

Purpose : To investigate the discriminative ability of pediatric index of mortality 2 (PIM2) and pediatric risk of mortality III (PRISM III) in predicting mortality in children admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods : We retrospectively analyzed variables of PIM2 and PRISM III based on medical records with children cared for in a single hospital ICU from January 2003 to December 2007. Exclusions were children who died within 2 h of admission into ICU or hopeless discharge. We used Students t test and ANOVA for general characteristics and for correlation between survivors and non-survivors for variables of PIM2 and PRISM III. In addition, we performed multiple logistic regression analysis for Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) for discrimination, and calculated standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for estimation of prediction. Results : We collected 193 medical records but analyzed 190 events because three children died within 2 h of ICU admission. The variables of PIM2 correlated with survival, except for the presence of post-procedure and low risk. In PRISM III, there was a significant correlation for cardiovascular/neurologic signs, arterial blood gas analysis but not for biochemical and hematologic data. Discriminatory performance by ROC showed an area under the curve 0.858 (95% confidence interval; 0.779-0.938) for PIM2, 0.798 (95% CI; 0.686-0.891) for PRISM III, respectively. Further, SMR was calculated approximately as 1 for the 2 systems, and multiple logistic regression analysis showed χ2 (13)=14.986, P=0.308 for PIM2, χ2 (13)= 12.899, P=0.456 for PRISM III in Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit. However, PIM2 was significant for PRISM III in the likelihood ratio test (χ2 (4)=55.3, P

We report the clinical course of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in a patient with drusenoid pigment epithelium detachment (PED). A patient with drusenoid PED underwent PDT follow-up was carried out at one week, one month, three months, six months and one year after treatment. Fundus exam, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography were performed. After the PDT, drusen and PED were gradually diminished over one year. However, pure serous PED eventually developed at the same location of the drusenoid PED. The results of the PDT, on drusenoid PED, were initially effective, but not completely successful. Therefore, PDT may be considered as an alternative treatment option for drusenoid PED.

In the title compound, [ZnCl2(C10H22N2)], the ZnII ion coordinates to the N atoms of tetra­methyl­cyclo­hexane-1,2-diamine and to two chloride ions in an approximately tetra­hedral arrangement. The N—Zn—N and Cl—Zn—Cl planes are approximately orthogonal, with a dihedral angle of 89.7 (2)° between them. Four C atoms of the cyclohexane ring, together with their attached H atoms, are disordered equally over two sites.