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This study evaluated the effects of combination treatment with alendronate (ALEN) and hormone therapy (HT) on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. This multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial enrolled 344 postmenopausal women with low BMD. The women received HT (0.625 mg/day of conjugated equine estrogen and 2.5 mg/day of medroxyprogesterone acetate) alone or in combination with ALEN (10 mg/day) for 1 year. Changes in BMD and biochemical markers of bone turnover were evaluated. Data from 203 women (HT alone, 99; combination treatment, 104) who completed this study were analyzed. BMD at the lumbar spine and total hip increased significantly in both treatment groups after 1 year. There were no significant differences between HT alone vs. the combination of ALEN and HT in mean BMD increase at the lumbar spine (6.9% vs. 7.9%) and total hip (3.7% vs. 3.8%). Combined therapy suppressed serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline to a greater extent than HT alone. In conclusion, compared to HT alone, combination treatment with ALEN and HT for 1 year did not offer a benefit in BMD in postmenopausal Korean women with low BMD., Graphical Abstract

This study assesses the efficacy and safety of a 24-day regimen of drospirenone-containing combined oral contraceptive, and demonstrates that it is an effective and safe option for contraception, releasing symptom of premenstrual dysphoric disorder and acne in Korean women.

Objective To evaluate practice patterns of gynecologists in the management of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in South Korea. Methods Between February 24 and March 12, 2014, a cross-sectional survey was performed through face-to-face interviews with 100 gynecologists selected through quota sampling reflecting regions and hospital types. Through the use of a questionnaire, the level of awareness and practice patterns regarding diagnosis and management of AUB were evaluated. Results Among 100 respondents, 60 reported that they had not previously heard of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification system. The standardization of AUB terminology was reported to be necessary or very necessary by 70 respondents. Pelvic ultrasonography would be used for diagnosis by 99 physicians. The most common first-line AUB treatment was combined oral contraceptives: 55 respondents would use them for heavy menstrual bleeding, 56 for intermenstrual bleeding, and 56 for polycystic ovary syndrome. Combined oral contraceptives were the preferred follow-up medication: 30 would use them for heavy menstrual bleeding, 24 for intermenstrual bleeding, and 52 for polycystic ovary syndrome. Conclusion Despite implementation of the FIGO AUB classification system and guidelines, awareness and use among gynecologists in South Korea remains low.

There is a clinical need for an alternative labeling agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in islet transplantation. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of islet MRI using ferumoxytol, which is the only clinically-available ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide. We compared islet function and viability of control islets and islets labeled with ferumoxytol and/or a heparin-protamine complex (HPF). Efficacy of ferumoxytol labeling was assessed in both ex vivo and in vivo models. Labeling for 48 h with HPF, but not up to 800 μg/mL ferumoxytol, deranged ex vivo islet viability and function. The T2∗ relaxation time was optimal when islets were labeled with 800 μg/mL of ferumoxytol for 48 h. Prussian blue stain, iron content assay, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) supported internalization of ferumoxytol particles. However, the labeling intensity in the ex vivo MRI of islets labeled with ferumoxytol was much weaker than that of islets labeled with ferucarbotran. In syngeneic intraportal islet transplantation, there was a correlation between the total area of visualized islets and the transplanted islet mass. In conclusion, islet MRI using ferumoxytol was feasible in terms of in vitro and in vivo efficacy and safety. However, the weak labeling efficacy is still a hurdle for the clinical application.

Concerns for negative effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on bone mineral density (BMD) in long-term users have been raised, since OCs suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. However, there have been still limited data regarding the effects of long-term OC use on BMD in young women in the twenties. We investigated the effects of long-term OC use for the prevention of endometrioma recurrence on BMD in young women. Ninety-two women aged 20-30 years who underwent conservative surgery for endometrioma and used postoperative OC for at least 12 months to prevent the recurrence were included for this cross-sectional study, and BMDs after OC use were analyzed. The mean age at starting OC and duration of OC use was 25.6 ± 2.9 years and 40.7 ± 28.5 months, respectively. No correlation was found between BMDs and age at starting OC at all sites. In addition, BMDs were also not correlated with the duration of OC use, and were comparable according to the dose of OC (20 versus 30 μg). In conclusion, long-term use of OCs has no adverse effect on BMD in post-adolescent young women.

Precisely positioning and assembling nanoparticles (NPs) into hierarchical nanostructures is opening opportunities in a wide variety of applications. Many techniques employed to produce hierarchical micrometer and nanoscale structures are limited by complex fabrication of templates and difficulties with scalability. Here we describe the fabrication and characterization of conductive nanoparticle ribbons prepared from surfactant-free organosoluble gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). We used a flow-coating technique in a controlled, stick-slip assembly to regulate the deposition of Au NPs into densely packed, multilayered structures. This affords centimeter-scale long, high-resolution Au NP ribbons with precise periodic spacing in a rapid manner, up to 2 orders-of-magnitude finer and faster than previously reported methods. These Au NP ribbons exhibit linear ohmic response, with conductivity that varies by changing the binding headgroup of the ligands. Controlling NP percolation during sintering (e.g., by adding polymer to retard rapid NP coalescence) enables the formation of highly conductive ribbons, similar to thermally sintered conductive adhesives. Hierarchical, conductive Au NP ribbons represent a promising platform to enable opportunities in sensing, optoelectronics, and electromechanical devices.

In this paper, an audio restoration method is proposed to reconstruct missing spectral components of noisy audio signals by a noise reduction method. In particular, the proposed method is based on multi-band spectral subtraction (MBSS) for noise reduction and missing data imputation (MDI) for audio restoration. In other words, noisy audio signals are first denoised by MBSS with weighted scale-factor bands. Then, distorted or missing audio spectral components are restored by MDI using a probabilistic latent component analysis. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by using a log-spectral distortion (LSD) and compared with that of an audio denoising method based on block thresholding. It is shown from the comparison that the proposed method achieves lower LSD by 0.72 dB than the block thresholding method.

In this paper, a novel full-bridge (FB) zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) pulsewidth modulation (PWM) DC/DC converter topology is proposed. The proposed FB-ZVT PWM DC/DC converter has zero-voltage switching (ZVS) of main switches for the entire line and load range and an advantage of achieving ZVS and zero-current switching of the auxiliary switches using the auxiliary network. The auxiliary network is simply composed of a saturable inductor, auxiliary capacitors, and auxiliary diodes. With the help of the proposed auxiliary network, the improved FB-ZVT PWM DC/DC converter has such characteristics as higher overall system efficiency and better utilization of the auxiliary switches compared with the conventional FB-ZVT PWM DC/DC converter. The operation principles are explained in detail and the several interesting simulation and experimental results verify the validity of the proposed circuit with an 83 kHz 1 kW prototype converter using insulated gate bipolar transistors.

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) biosensors are some of the most promising sensors being developed, because they are highly selective and respond quickly to a specific substrate. Hemoglobin (Hb) has been used as an ideal biomolecule for the construction of hydrogen peroxide biosensors because of its high sensitivity to H 2 O 2 . Direct electron transfer from Hb has been widely investigated for application in the detection of H 2 O 2 because of the reaction’s simplicity, high selectivity and intrinsic sensitivity. A method for the electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide based on the immobilization of hemoglobin on a DNA/Fe(pyterpy) 2+ -modified gold electrode was investigated. The pyterpy monolayers were primary electron depositions on the gold electrode surface of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). This layer offers a template to which negatively charged DNA attaches. The process of fabricating the electrode was verified by a quartz crystal analyzer (QCA). The experimental parameters, such as pH, applied potential and amperometric response, were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, this sensor shows a linear response between 3.0 × 10 −6 and 9.0 × 10 −4 M concentrations of H 2 O 2 . The detection limit was determined to be 7 × 10 −7 M (based on S / N = 3).

An analog synchronous mirror delay (ASMD) is proposed, which provides fast locking characteristics in recovery from power-down mode in a DRAM application. As an open-loop fast locking system, ASMD measures and compensates the skew between external and internal clocks in analog operation mode within two cycles of an input clock using a charge-pumping scheme. This ASMD has no static phase error problem, which is related to the path selection operation of previously implemented SMD schemes. To enhance the linearity of delay characteristics and to increase the maximum operating frequency, dual pumping and multiple folding schemes are also proposed. An experimental chip with basic ASMD configuration is fabricated using 0.6-/spl mu/m double-metal CMOS technology to verify the feasibility of the proposed scheme. With functional blocks of the charge pump, comparator, and control pulse generator, it occupies an area of 1.1/spl times/0.7 mm/sup 2/. An experimental ASMD has a working range of 100-300 MHz at 3.3 V with peak-to-peak jitter of 140 ps/spl plusmn/200 mV of sinusoidal supply noise of 1 MHz added, and power dissipation of 30 mW at 250-MHz clock input.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, commonly known as Korean or Asian ginseng, is a perennial herb native to Korea and China. Its roots are highly prized for several medicinal properties. The present study describes development and characterization of twenty- two polymorphic microsatellite markers for this spe- cies. A total of 99 alleles were detected with an average of 4.5 alleles per locus across 20 accessions. Values for observed (HO) and expected (HE) heterozygosities ranged from 0.05 to 1.00 and from 0.18 to 0.73, respectively. Eleven loci deviated from Hardy-Wein- berg equilibrium (P < 0.001). Significant (P < 0.05) heterozygote deficiency was observed at 13 loci. Exact test for linkage disequilibrium showed significant val- ues (P < 0.05) between 12 pairs of loci. These micro- satellite markers provide powerful tools for understanding population and conservation genetics of this species and also for genetic differentiation and authentication of different Panax species being used in commercial ginseng products.

Oral administration of ceftriaxone associated with a bile acid-based new oral carrier, cholylethylenediamine, in 50% propylene glycol to rats at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg of body weight resulted in a significant increase in intestinal absorption, as evidenced by 55% improvement in the bioavailability, whereas ceftriaxone alone showed a bioavailability of less than 1%.

In this paper, a pop-click noise detection method is proposed to improve the quality of audio signals recorded using portable microphones. In order to reduce false alarm and missing detection errors, the proposed method utilizes the second-order difference of an uncorrelated residual signal, followed by adaptive median thresholding. It is shown from performance evaluation that the proposed method achieves higher detection accuracy, under various signal-tonoise ratio conditions, than with a conventional method using the first-order difference of the residual signal.

This study proposed that microencapsulation of exendin-4 gene transduced islets using alginate, poly-L-lysine, and polyethylene glycol could lead to increased viability and functionality of islets in a rat to mouse xenograft model. The stability of the microcapsules was determined using an osmotic pressure test and a rotational stress test. Exendin-4 gene was transduced into pancreatic islets using lenti-viral vectors and the transduced islets were encapsulated using multi-component microcapsules mentioned above. Both viability and functionality of microencapsulated islets were evaluated in both in vitro and in vivo xenograft model. The viabilities of the unmodified islets (control) and the exendin-4 transduced islets (test) on 14th day were 18.6 ± 11.1 and 49.2 ± 13.4%, respectively (p0.05). The stimulation index of the control and the test groups was 2.3 ± 1.7 and 3.0 ± 1.6, respectively. The mean survival times (MST) of the control and the test groups were 20.2 ± 8.0 and 35.2 ± 10.0 days, respectively (p0.05). Significant differences in MST suggested that transduction of exendin-4 gene had a great potential to increase the function of encapsulated islets. In conclusion, exendin-4 gene transduced islets encapsulated by poly(ethylene glycol) conjugated alginate/PLL microcapsules significantly improved both viability and functionality of encapsulated islets.

Photoluminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have fascinating optical and electronic properties with numerous promising applications in biomedical engineering. In this work, we first studied the in vivo biodistribution and the potential toxicity of carboxylated photoluminescent GQDs. KB, MDA-MB231, A549 cancer cells, and MDCK normal cell line were chosen as in vitro cell culture models to examine the possible adverse effects of the carboxylated photoluminescent GQDs. The carboxylated GQDs are desirable for increased aqueous solubility. All cancer cells efficiently took up the carboxylated GQDs. No acute toxicity or morphological changes were noted in either system at the tested exposure levels. A long-term in vivo study revealed that the GQDs mainly accumulated in liver, spleen, lung, kidney, and tumor sites after intravenous injection. To reveal any potential toxic effect of the GQDs on treated mice, serum biochemical analysis and histological evaluation were performed. The toxicity results from serum biochemistry and complete blood count study revealed that the GQDs do not cause appreciable toxicity to the treated animals. Finally, we observed no obvious organ damage or lesions for the GQDs treated mice after 21 days of administration at 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg dosages. With adequate studies of toxicity, both in vitro and in vivo, photoluminescent GQDs may be considered for biological application.

Geometric asymmetry and surface forces are used directly the shape transformation of two-dimensional nanoparticle (NP)-based ribbons into three-dimensional helices. The balance between elasticity and surface tension dictates the helical radius dimension. NP helical ribbons have exceptional mechanical properties, displaying high stretchability, helical shape recovery after extension, and low-strain stiffness values similar to biological helices.

While subcutaneous tissue has been proposed as a potential site for pancreatic islet transplantation, concern remains that the microvasculature of subcutaneous tissue is too poor to support transplanted islets. In an effort to overcome this limitation, we evaluated whether fibrin gel with human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) and rat pancreatic islets could cure diabetes mellitus when transplanted into the subcutaneous space of diabetic mice. Subcutaneously co-transplanted islets and hADSCs showed normalization of the diabetic recipient's blood glucose levels. The result was enhanced by co-treatment of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) in the fibrin gel. The hADSCs enhanced islet viability after transplantation by secreting various growth factors that can protect islets from hypoxic damage. Afterward, hADSCs could maintain islet viability by recruiting new microvasculature nearby the transplanted islets via overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The hADSCs did not directly differentiate into endothelial cells (no detection of biomarkers of human endothelial cells), but showed evidence of differentiation toward insulin-secreting cells (detection of human insulin). Mice receiving islet transplantation alone did not become normoglycemic. Collectively, co-transplantation of fibrin gel with islets and hADSCs will expand the indications for islet transplant therapy and the potential clinical application of cell-based therapy.

A simple reaction process is developed to synthesize blue, green, yellow and red colour graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) from carbon fibers. Here, we have focused on synthesis of near infra-red GNPs and their biological application for optical imaging of deep tissues and organs.

Subcutaneous site is ideal for clinical islet transplantation because it has the advantage of simple operation procedure under local anesthesia and can be biopsied when needed. However, the transplantation outcomes at subcutaneous site have been disappointing due to hypoxia-induced oxidative stress by poor vascularization. We hypothesized that subcutaneously transplanted islets would have hypoxia resistance by using internalization of metallothionein (MT), an antioxidant scavenging enzyme, which was mediated by fusion between MT and cell penetrating Tat peptide. The Tat-MT was dose-dependently transduced into islets without any damage. Tat-MT-treated islets could be protected from oxidative stress induced by intracellular nitric oxide donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP). When Tat-MT-treated islets were subcutaneously transplanted into diabetic nude mice, they normally controlled the blood glucose levels without severe fluctuation (median survival time (MST): > 30 days), whereas most untreated islets were rejected (MST 17 days). From the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test 5 days after posttransplantation, glucose responsiveness of Tat-MT-treated islets was similar to that of normal healthy mice, while untreated islets had delayed glucose responsiveness. From the results of immunohistochemical stain, Tat-MT-treated islets had strong anti-insulin positive cells and lower anti-HIF-1α positive cells. However, untreated islets had rare anti-insulin positive cells and strong anti-HIF-1α-positive cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that Tat-MT delivery into islet could offer a new strategy for successful islet transplantation under subcutaneous space.

To investigate the inhibition effects of pancreatic islet transplantation on the progression of obese type 2 diabetes, we analyzed the effects of surface camouflaged islet transplantation on delaying the disease progression in a db / db diabetic mouse model. Surface camouflaged islets using 6-arm-PEG–catechol were transplanted in db / db diabetic mice. The fat accumulation and toxicity in the liver, the expansion of islets in the pancreas, and the size change of abdominal adipocyte were analyzed. In addition, the blood glucose control, insulin levels and immunohistochemical staining of recovered tissues were analyzed after transplantation. Then co-administration of anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody and Tacrolimus (IT group) deterred the pathophysiological progression of obese type 2 diabetes. At day 3 of transplantation, the serum insulin concentration of IT group was increased compared to the db / db diabetic mice group. The immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that the mass of 6-arm-PEG–catechol grafted islet was preserved in the transplantation site for 14 days. Surface modification using 6-arm-PEG–catechol effectively inhibited the immune cell infiltration and activation of host immune cells when immunosuppressive drug was given to the db / db type 2 diabetes mice. Therefore, 6-arm-PEG–catechol grafted islets effectively restored the insulin secretion in islet recipients and prevented the disease progression in type 2 diabetes.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding the bisphosphonate alendronate (ALEN) to ongoing hormone therapy (HT) on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women.This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial at a university hospital included a total of 139 postmenopausal women who had low BMD after HT lasting at least 1 year. Women received either ALEN (10 mg/d) or placebo in combination with HT for 1 year. Changes in BMD and biochemical markers of bone turnover were evaluated.Lumbar spine and total hip BMDs increased significantly in both treatment groups after 1 year. The addition of ALEN, when compared with HT alone, did not produce a significant change in BMD at the lumbar spine (3.7% vs 4.3%) and total hip (2.2% vs 3.2%) after adjusting for controllable variables. Serum osteocalcin showed a similar change, but urinary deoxypyridinoline response differed between treatment groups.Compared with HT alone, the addition of ALEN to ongoing HT for 1 year does not make a difference in BMD among postmenopausal Korean women with low BMD.

Hypoxia is a hallmark of various ischemic diseases such as ischemic heart disease, ischemic limb, ischemic stroke, and solid tumors. Gene therapies for these diseases have been developed with various therapeutic genes including growth factors, anti-apoptotic genes, and toxins. However, non-specific expression of these therapeutic genes may induce dangerous side effects in the normal tissues. To avoid the side effects, gene expression should be tightly regulated in an oxygen concentration dependent manner. The hypoxia inducible promoters and enhancers have been evaluated as a transcriptional regulation tool for hypoxia inducible gene therapy. The hypoxia inducible UTRs were also used in gene therapy for spinal cord injury as a translational regulation strategy. In addition to transcriptional and translational regulations, post-translational regulation strategies have been developed using the HIF-1α ODD domain. Hypoxia inducible transcriptional, translational, and post-translational regulations are useful for tissue specific gene therapy of ischemic diseases. In this review, hypoxia inducible gene expression systems are discussed and their applications are introduced.

Since Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry made their great discovery of electromagnetic induction, there have been continuous developments in electrical power generation. Most people today get electricity from thermal, hydroelectric, or nuclear power generation systems, which use this electromagnetic induction phenomenon. Here we propose a new method for electrical power generation, without using electromagnetic induction, by mechanically modulating the electrical double layers at the interfacial areas of a water bridge between two conducting plates. We find that when the height of the water bridge is mechanically modulated, the electrical double layer capacitors formed on the two interfacial areas are continuously charged and discharged at different phases from each other, thus generating an AC electric current across the plates. We use a resistor-capacitor circuit model to explain the results of this experiment. This observation could be useful for constructing a micro-fluidic power generation system in the near future.

Current suicidal ideation and attempts are more commonly found in female patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) than in males. However, little is known about the relationship between activity of female reproductive hormones and suicide. The study population consisted of 490 female MDD patients of age ≥18. They were assessed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. At the same visit, we measured blood Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), cortisol, thyroid hormones, and prolactin. Blood FSH showed a significant difference among female MDD patients with suicide attempt, those with ideation, and those without within the previous month. Post-hoc analysis also showed that FSH was significantly lower in MDD patients with suicide attempt and ideation than those without, whereas other hormones showed no differences between those with and without attempt. FSH was negatively associated with current suicidality scores after adjustment for age and education years in all age groups. FSH was significantly lower in those with current suicide ideation or attempt than those without in age 45 years or under, but not in other age groups. In conclusion, blood FSH is significantly lower in female MDD patients with current suicide attempt or ideation than those without, especially in age 45 years or under.

Here, a spheroidal 3D co-culture model of primary (rat) pancreatic islets and hepatocytes with uniform size and shape was developed using hemispheric concave microwell arrays. We conducted morphological and functional analyses of hybrid spheroids versus mono-cultures of islets or hepatocytes (controls). For the establishment of a 3D hybrid model, a broad range of cell ratios – 1:1, 1:3, 1:5, 1:7, 3:1, 5:1 and 7:1 mixture – of hepatocytes and pancreatic islets were used. As control, each hepatocyte and pancreatic islet were mono-cultured forming 3D spheroids. The transient morphology of spheroid formation in 9 culture models was observed using optical microscopy. Cell viability under these culture environments was assessed, and the morphologies of the outer and inner porous cell-spheroid structures were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and imaging of stained spheroid sections. The pancreatic islet-specific function of hybrid spheroids was evaluated by measuring insulin secretion and in vivo test by xenotransplantation of encapsulated spheroids in microfibers with a consistent maintenance of normal blood glucose levels over 4 weeks, while liver-specific functions were measured in terms of albumin secretion, urea secretion and cytochrome P450 activity. These diverse observations and evaluations validated the positive and bidirectional effects of co-cultured 3D spheroids. The proposed 3D co-culture model demonstrated that both cells appeared to support each other's functions strongly in spheroids, even though smaller proportions of each cell type was evaluated compared to mono-culture models, suggesting that the proposed model could help overcome the problem of cell shortages in clinical applications.

[(18)F]FDG (fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose) positron emission tomography (PET) is used worldwide for oncologic and neurologic applications. To date, the potential harm caused by [(18)F]FDG has focused on its radiation exposure effects rather than on its pharmacological effects. While an allergic response in the form of a skin manifestation has been reported after exposure to [(18)F]FDG, this report describes the first case of hypotension following exposure to this tracer. Here, the development of anaphylaxis after [(18)F]FDG injection is described.

Tumor cells require large amounts of oxygen and nutrients for rapid proliferation. Blood vessel growth is not fast enough to meet these requirements, however, resulting in low oxygen and glucose concentrations in tumor tissues. Tumor hypoxia is closely related to increased levels of glycolysis and in turn accumulation of lactate in the tissue. Therefore, tumor tissue pH decreases in the hypoxic tumors. Gene expression profiles in tumor tissues change in hypoxic environments in order to adapt to the acidic conditions. These genes are involved in angiogenesis, cell growth, apoptosis, and glycolysis. Gene induction is primarily controlled at the level of transcription by hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). HIF-1α is stabilized under hypoxic conditions and forms a heterodimer with HIF-1β. HIF-1 then binds to a hypoxia response element (HRE) within a hypoxia-specific promoter for gene expression. Tumor-specific drug and gene delivery systems have been developed using hypoxia-inducible regulation systems. In this chapter, strategies for pH-specific drug delivery and gene therapy in hypoxic tumors are described.

Homosexual adolescents may face significant health disparities. We examined health-risk behaviors and health cognition related to homosexual behavior in a representative sample of adolescents.Data were obtained from 129,900 adolescents between 2008 and 2012 over 5 cycles of the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a national survey of students in grades 7 to 12. Various health-risk behaviors and aspects of health cognition were compared between homosexual and heterosexual adolescents and analyzed with multiple logistic regression models.Compared with heterosexual adolescents (n = 127,594), homosexual adolescents (n = 2306) were more likely to engage in various health-risk behaviors and to have poor health cognition. In multiple logistic regression analysis, not living with parents, alcohol experience (adjusted odds ratio, 1.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-1.78 for males and 1.66; 1.33-2.07 for females), smoking experience (1.80; 1.54-2.10 for males and 3.15; 2.61-3.79 for females), and drug experience (3.65; 2.81-4.80 for males and 3.23; 2.35-4.46 for females) were associated with homosexual behavior. Homosexual adolescents were more likely to use adult internet content (2.82; 2.27-3.50 for males and 7.42; 4.19-13.15 for females), and to be depressed (1.21; 1.03-1.43 for males and 1.32; 1.06-1.64 for females). In addition, suicide ideation (1.51; 1.26-1.81 for males and 1.47; 1.16-1.86 for females) and attempts (1.67; 1.37-2.05 for males and 1.65; 1.34-2.03 for females) were significantly more prevalent among homosexual adolescents.Homosexual adolescents report disparities in various aspects of health-risk behavior and health cognition, including use of multiple substances, adult internet content and inappropriate weight loss methods, suicide ideation and attempts, and depressive mood. These factors should be addressed relevantly to develop specific interventions regarding sexual minorities.

A typical Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (G-APD) contains a guard ring that protects the structure from having an edge breakdown due to the lowering of electric fields at junction curvatures. In this contribution, G-APDs with a virtual guard ring (vGR) merged with n-type diffused guard ring (nGR) in various sizes were studied to find the optimal design for G-APDs fabricated at National NanoFab Center (NNFC) . The sensors were fabricated via a customized CMOS process with a micro-cell size of 65× 65 μm2 on a 200 mm p-type epitaxial layer wafer. I-V characteristic curves for proposed structures were measured on a wafer-level with an auto probing system and plotted together to compare their performance. A vGR width of 1.5 μm and a nGR width of 1.5 μm with an overlapping between vGR and nGR of 1.5 μm showed the lowest leakage current before the breakdown voltage while suppressing the edge breakdown. Furthermore, the current level of the lowest-leakage-current structure was as low as that of only vGR with a width of 2.0 μm, indicating that the structure is also area efficient. Based on these results, the design with vGR, nGR, and OL with width of 1.5 μm is determined to be the optimal structure for G-APDs fabricated at NNFC.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to evaluate the recent trends in contraceptive use among Korean adolescents. METHODS: Data reviewed were from the 2013-2015 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey which is a stratified multistage-sampling designed online-based research project performed annually by the Korean government to ensure a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescence. Eight questions related to the topic of contraception were reviewed for the outcome variables. RESULTS: A total of 212538 adolescents attending middle school and high school participated in the survey and 8755 students among them who were sexually active were included in the study. The percentage of contraceptive use showed a steady increase from 39% in 2013 to 48.7% in 2015; however the proportion of adolescents who have never used any kind of contraception still remains high. Highly effective methods such as oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices were used by only 10% to 15% of sexually active adolescents. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the status of contraceptive use among Korean adolescents. Our data have the potential to help healthcare providers to formulate policies and develop interventions for encouraging effective contraceptive use among sexually active Korean adolescents.

This study proposed a double-layer shielding method of using 8-arm-PEG-catechol (PEG(8)) and N-hydroxysuccinimidyl-linked unfractionated heparin (UFH-NHS) for the prevention of instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR) and immune reactions against transplanted pancreatic islets. The surface of islet was evenly covered by PEG(8) and UFH-NHS. Both viability and functionality of islets were evaluated in vitro, and the anti-coagulation effect of conjugated heparin on the islet surface was also evaluated. The inhibition effects of PEG(8)/UFH double-layer shielding system on immune reactions and IBMIR induced by transplanted islets were evaluated in an allograft model. When pancreatic islets of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were transplanted in the liver of F344 rats, the mean survival time (MST) of PEG(8)/UFH double-layer shielded islets (6.8 ± 1.6 days) was statistically increased, compared to that of unmodified islets (3.6 ± 1.1 days). Furthermore, when 0.5 mg/kg of FK506 was daily administered, the MST of double-layer shielded islet (15.0 ± 2.1 days) was increased by two-fold, compared to that of unmodified islets treated with the same dose of FK506 (8.0 ± 2.4 days). Therefore, a newly developed strategy of combining the PEG(8)/UFH double-layer shielding system with FK506 would certainly be effective for preventing immune activation and IBMIR against allotransplanted islets.

Islet cell transplantation is a promising option for the restoration of normal glucose homeostasis in patients with type 1 diabetes. Because graft volume is a crucial issue in islet transplantations for patients with diabetes, we evaluated a new method for increasing functional tissue yield in xenogeneic grafts of encapsulated islets. Islets were labeled with three different superparamagnetic iron oxide nano particles (SPIONs; dextran-coated SPION, siloxane-coated SPION, and heparin-coated SPION). Magnetic separation was performed to separate encapsulated islets from the empty capsules, and cell viability and function were tested. Islets labeled with 1000 μg Fe/ml dextran-coated SPIONs experienced a 69.9% reduction in graft volume, with a 33.2% loss of islet-containing capsules. Islets labeled with 100 μg Fe/ml heparin-coated SPIONs showed a 46.4% reduction in graft volume, with a 4.5% loss of capsules containing islets. No purification could be achieved using siloxane-coated SPIONs due to its toxicity to the primary islets. SPION labeling of islets is useful for transplant purification during islet separation as well as in vivo imaging after transplantation. Furthermore, purification of encapsulated islets can also reduce the volume of the encapsulated islets without impairing their function by removing empty capsules.

A 74-year-old man who had experienced priapism for 2 months after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer visited our hospital, and underwent metastatic work-up. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) showed diffuse hypermetabolic activity along the penis shaft, which was confirmed as a penile metastasis (Figs. 1 and ​and22).

To investigate the factors associated with sexual debut among Korean adolescents.Based on a 2008 cross-sectional nationwide online survey conducted in 75,238 Korean middle and high school students aged 12-18 years (39,278 boys and 35,960 girls), demographic profiles of the reproductive health and factors associated with sexual debut were analysed.The proportion of adolescents who had heterosexual intercourse was 5.1%. The cumulative proportion of sexual debut at age 18 was 20%, and the median age was 17 years. Overall, 0.2% of girls reported past pregnancies, while 8.8% of sexually active girls had ever been pregnant. A proportion of girls who underwent an induced abortion was 89.5%. Up to half (46.0% for boys and 48.3% for girls) never resorted to contraception during coitus. After adjusting for covariates, attendance at general and technical high school, low school record, drinking alcohol, smoking, drug use, high economic status and not living with both parents were associated with the increased proportion of sexual debut in both genders. By contrast, internet use was associated with a reduced risk of adolescent sexual debut.This study demonstrates the factors associated with sexual debut among Korean adolescents. This information may be helpful for the prevention of unprotected sexual debut and subsequent teenage pregnancy in adolescents who are susceptible to initiating sexual intercourse.

To evaluate the clinical characteristics of endometrioma in adolescent women compared to women of other age groups.Cross-sectional study.A university hospital.Three-hundred seventy-six women.Women of reproductive age who underwent surgery for the treatment of endometrioma were classified into 4 groups according to age (group 1, ≤20 years; group 2, 21-30 years; group 3, 31-40 years; group 4, 41-45 years), and compared.Clinical characteristics including demographic factors, menstrual patterns, and characteristics of endometriosis.Group 1 (adolescent females) experienced menarche at earlier age compared to other groups (P .005 for all comparisons). In group 1, main symptom was pain (77%) and the proportion of incidental detection (23%) was low, similar to findings for group 2. However, the proportions of incidental detection (45%) and infertility (10%) were increased in group 3, and the proportion of incidental detection (60%) was even higher than that of pain (40%) in group 4 showing that the distributions of presenting symptoms differed from those of group 1. There were no differences in menstrual pattern among groups. In addition, except for the absence of coexisting gynecologic problems such as myoma or adenomyosis in group 1, other characteristics of endometrioma did not differ among groups.Adolescents with endometrioma experience more frequent pain, but other clinical characteristics are similar to adults.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Reduced cerebral blood flow causes acute damage to the brain due to excitotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ischemia. Currently, the main treatment for stroke is to revive the blood flow by using thrombolytic agents. Reviving blood flow also causes ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) damage. I/R damage results from inflammation and apoptosis and can persist for days to weeks, increasing the infarct size. Drugs can be applied to stroke to intervene in the sub-acute and chronic phases. Chemical, peptide, and genetic therapies have been evaluated to reduce delayed damage to the brain. These drugs have different characteristics, requiring that delivery carriers be developed based on these characteristics. The delivery route is another important factor affecting the efficiency of drug delivery. Various delivery routes have been developed, such as intravenous injection, intranasal administration, and local direct injection to overcome the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). In this review, the delivery carriers and delivery routes for peptide and gene therapies are discussed and examples are provided. Combined with new drugs, drug delivery systems will eventually provide useful treatments for ischemic stroke.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a tremendous modality for noninvasive cell tracking. To this end, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO), one of the MRI contrast agents, should be labeled to the cells before transplantation. Currently, cellular labelling with SPIOs such as Feridex and Resovist is generally carried out through their engulfment into cytosol via endocytosis. However, the labelling efficacy via endocytosis is relatively low due to their non-specific random engulfment and degradation in the cytosol. To overcome these limitations, transfection agents such as poly-L-lysine and lipofectamine are complexed with SPIOs and treated to the cells. However, these strategies should be optimized due to the cytotoxicity of transfection agents themselves. Recently, there were developments of chemical conjugation of SPIOs onto cellular membrane. To this end, the surface of SPIOs was coated with heparin polysaccharide and chemically conjugated with collagen matrix layer of cell surface by using linker polymer, which was stably maintained in vivo. This new remedy can overcome the limitations of cell labelling via endocytosis. Collectively, these strategies could be applied for noninvasive imaging of MRI after cell transplantation in vivo.

Congenital H-type tracheoesophageal fistula is a rare anomaly in infants and the early diagnosis of this disorder is still a challenge to pediatricians due to scarcity, non-specific symptoms and lack of a single diagnostic examination. We report the case of a 3-month-old baby with choking and recurrent aspiration which finally turned out to be a tracheoesophageal fistula without esophageal atresia (H-type) by radionuclide salivagram (Fig. ​(Fig.11). Fig. 1 A 3-month-old baby girl with choking and recurrent aspiration was referred to our hospital for the surgical correction of an alleged laryngeal diverticulum. She was a full-term baby born by Cesarean section without any perinatal complication. One month ...

Objective This study estimated an association between cognitive impairment and bone mineral density (BMD), a surrogate marker for cumulative estrogen exposure. Methods This cross-sectional study included 120 postmenopausal women. Based on neuropsychological tests, the women were classified into three groups: those with subjective memory impairment (SMI, n = 40), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (n = 50), and early Alzheimer disease (AD, n = 30). A complete medical history was obtained, as were the results of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and spine x-ray examination. BMD and the prevalence of major osteoporotic fractures were compared among the groups after adjustment for all potential confounding factors. In addition, correlations of cognitive status and BMD were tested. Results The SMI group was younger than either the AD or the amnestic mild cognitive impairment group. There were no significant differences among the groups with respect to other clinical characteristics. Overall, cognitive impairment was associated with lower BMD. The BMDs at both the lumbar spine and total hip were significantly lower in the AD group than in the SMI group. Regression analysis revealed that the Mini-Mental State Examination score was positively correlated and that the sum of boxes of Clinical Dementia Rating was negatively correlated with BMDs at both sites. Major osteoporotic fractures were less prevalent in the SMI group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions Cognitive impairment is significantly associated with lower BMD in postmenopausal women. This finding suggests that cognitive aging is clearly multifactorial, but estrogen deficiency may be one of the contributing factors.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) offer significant therapeutic potential in the field of regenerative medicine and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful modality to visualize in vivo kinetics of transplanted stem cells. For successful MR imaging, there is a great need for effective contrast agents for stem cell labeling with high uptake yield and low toxicity. Here, we present superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles coated with unfractionated heparin (UFH-SPIO) as a new negative contrast agent for in vivo MR imaging of hMSCs. The uptake of UFH-SPIO by hMSCs was effective without the aid of transfection agents, which was dependent on the concentration and exposure time. The uptake efficiency of UFH-SPIO was greater than that of DEX-SPIO (SPIO coated with dextran) by approximately 3 folds when treated for 1 h. TEM and Prussian blue staining confirmed that UFH-SPIO nanoparticles were internalized into the cytosol of hMSCs which existed during in vitro subculture for 28 days. Low temperature endocytosis inhibition assay demonstrated that the incorporation of UFH-SPIO into hMSCs was likely to be mediated by endocytosis. When the phantom of UFH-SPIO-labeled hMSCs was visualized with 3-T T 2 -weighted MRI, the hypointensity signals of UFH-SPIO-labeled hMSCs were linearly correlated with the concentration of the nanoparticles. The cellular labeling using UFH-SPIO did not reduce the viability, proliferation or differentiation potential to osteogenic and adipogenic lineages of hMSCs. When the UFH-SPIO-labeled hMSCs were transplanted into the left renal subcapsular membranes of nude mice, they were successfully visualized and detected by T 2 and T 2 ∗ -weighted MRI for a month. Collectively, these results suggest that UFH-SPIO nanoparticles are promising as a new MRI contrast agent for in vivo long-term tracking of hMSCs.

An fuzzy-control IC for the function of auto-focusing of a video camera is developed. This fuzzy processor determines the location and the motion of the object by evaluating the focus value and luminance value, which are stored in two dimensional field array. Experiments of scene-dependent fuzzy inference were made intensively on auto-focusing for various objects in various situations with this IC. It revealed that fuzzy control performs an intelligent control in auto-focusing under the difficult situations. >

Background 17α-hydroxlyase/17, 20-lyase deficiency (17OHD) is a rare phenotype of congenital adrenal hyperplasia that can cause primary amenorrhea. Case Three phenotypically female siblings visited the adolescent gynecologic clinic complaining of primary amenorrhea and absence of secondary sexual developments. All had constant high blood pressure and showed a hypergonadotropic hypogonadal state with high progesterone and low testosterone levels. Two were genotypically females and one was genotypically a male; all were confirmed to have 17OHD, and estrogen replacement, glucocorticoids, and antihypertensive drugs were Prescribed to the patients. Summary and Conclusion Identifying a 17OHD patient complaining of primary amenorrhea in a gynecologic clinic is important for proper management.