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Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and elevated structural deterioration of the bone tissue, resulting in bone weakness with an increased risk of fracture. Considering biological activities of various phytochemicals extracted from apples, we herein demonstrated the potential antiosteoporotic effects of apple-derived nanovesicles (apple NVs) using osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Apple NVs significantly stimulated the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells. The cellular alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was significantly upregulated in the 5

Osteoblasts and osteoclasts play crucial roles in bone formation and bone resorption. We found that plum-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PENVs) suppressed osteoclast activation and modulated osteoblast differentiation. PENVs increased the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and osteoblasts from mouse bone marrow cultures. Notably, PENVs elevated the expression of osteoblastic transcription factors and osteoblast differentiation marker proteins in MC3T3-E1 cells. Higher levels of phosphorylated BMP-2, p38, JNK, and smad1 proteins were detected in PENV-treated MC3T3-E1 cells. Additionally, the number of TRAP-positive cells was significantly decreased in PENV-treated osteoclasts isolated from osteoblasts from mouse bone marrow cultures. Importantly, osteoclastogenesis of marker proteins such as PPAR-gamma, NFATc1, and c-Fos were suppressed by treatment with PENVs (50 μg/mL). Taken together, these results demonstrate that PENVs can be used as therapeutic targets for treating bone-related diseases by improving osteoblast differentiation and inhibiting osteoclast activation for the first time.

Food allergy is a hypersensitive immune reaction to food proteins including cow’s milk protein. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, are newly discovered intercellular conveyors of functional molecular mechanisms and mediated intercellular interactions involving mast cells and are particularly relevant to allergy. In this study, we investigated whether cow’s milk casein-induced allergy (CIA)-derived EVs can modulate mast cell activation. EVs in CIA mice and control mice were isolated using the ultracentrifugation method and the isolated EVs were quantified using BCA analysis. CIA responses were determined through changes in body temperature and systemic symptom score. The number of EVs was higher in CIA-derived EVs compared to normal EVs. EVs marker proteins such as CD63 and CD9 were elevated in CIA-derived EVs. The levels of EV-associated cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were significantly elevated in CIA-derived EVs. In addition, CIA-derived EVs significantly induced degranulation via Lyn kinase activation in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells and human mast cells. Our results demonstrate that CIA-derived EVs can induce a reaction similar to cow’s milk allergic reaction via mast cell activation. These results provide an insight into the pathology of cow’s milk allergy and a potential therapeutic approach through targeting EV release and/or uptake.

Background: To determine the optimal direction of the syndesmotic screw and introduce a consistent landmark for practical application by analyzing three-dimensional (3D) modeling and virtual implantation.Methods: A total of 102 cadaveric lower legs (50 males and 55 females, average height of 160.6 ± 7.1cm) were used to reconstruct a 3D model by using the Mimics® software and the joint morphology was evaluated. Syndesmotic cylinders (Ø3.5 mm/Length 100 mm) were transversely placed in the proximal end of the incisura fibularis for simulating screw fixation. The tibial proximal cylinder, which was tangent to the posterior tibial condyles, was traced and the angle between the two cylinders was measured as the tibial torsion angle (TTA). After rotating the syndesmotic cylinder parallel to the ground, the overlapping degree between the proximal fibula and tibia were assessed as a radiologic indicator. Results: Concerning tibial torsion, the TTA was an average of 36.7° (range, 17.2°–54.4°, SD 8.78) When the syndesmotic cylinder was rotated to be parallel to the ground, the proximal fibula had non- or linear overlap with the lateral border of the tibia, regardless of the joint morphology. In this nonoverlapping view, compared to the mortise view, the three criteria for normal fibular length could be better visualized. Conclusion: The syndesmotic cylinder in the proximal end of the incisura fibularis could be consistently placed parallel to the ground by internally rotating the tibia until there was a non- or linear overlap between the proximal fibula and the tibia, regardless of the joint morphology.

Recently, the increasing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has led to its increased use in various fields in the shipbuilding and marine industries. For example, typical scenarios for AI include production management, analyses of ships on a voyage, and motion prediction. Therefore, this study was conducted to predict a response amplitude operator (RAO) through AI technology. It used a neural network based on one of the types of AI methods. The data used in the neural network consisted of the properties of the vessel and RAO values, based on simulating the in-house code. The learning model consisted of an input layer, hidden layer, and output layer. The input layer comprised eight neurons, the hidden layer comprised the variables, and the output layer comprised 20 neurons. The RAO predicted with the neural network and an RAO created with the in-house code were compared. The accuracy was assessed and reviewed based on the root mean square error (RMSE), standard deviation (SD), random number change, correlation coefficient, and scatter plot. Finally, the optimal model was selected, and the conclusion was drawn. The ultimate goals of this study were to reduce the difficulty in the modeling work required to obtain the RAO, to reduce the difficulty in using commercial tools, and to enable an assessment of the stability of medium/small vessels in waves.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease of the digestive tract and increases the risk of colon cancer.This study evaluates the effects of dietary intervention with freeze-dried plum (FDP), a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory fruit with no toxicity on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute and chronic experimental colitis in a mouse model and studies the molecular mechanisms of protection through the gut-liver axis. The results show that FDP decreases the levels of inflammatory mediators, which is a nitrative stress biomarker in both acute and chronic models. FDP markedly reduces DSS-induced injury to the colonic epithelium in both acute and chronic models. In addition, FDP significantly decreases the levels of pro-oxidant markers such as CYP2E1, iNOS, and nitrated proteins (detected by anti-3-NT antibody) in DSS-induced acute and chronic colonic injury models. Furthermore, FDP markedly reduces markers of liver injury such as serum ALT/AST, antioxidant markers, and inflammatory mediators in DSS-induced acute and chronic colonic injury.These results demonstrate that the FDP exhibits a protective effect on DSS-induced acute and chronic colonic and liver injury through the gut-liver axis via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major liver disease worldwide and can range from simple steatosis or inflammation to fibrosis/cirrhosis, possibly through leaky gut and systemic endotoxemia. Many patients with alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) die within 60 days after clinical diagnosis due to the lack of an approved drug, and thus, synthetic and/or dietary agents to prevent ASH and premature deaths are urgently needed. We recently reported that a pharmacologically high dose of pomegranate extract prevented binge alcohol-induced gut leakiness and hepatic inflammation by suppressing oxidative and nitrative stress. Herein, we investigate whether a dietary antioxidant ellagic acid (EA) contained in many fruits, including pomegranate and vegetables, can protect against binge alcohol-induced leaky gut, endotoxemia, and liver inflammation. Pretreatment with a physiologically-relevant dose of EA for 14 days significantly reduced the binge alcohol-induced gut barrier dysfunction, endotoxemia, and inflammatory liver injury in mice by inhibiting gut dysbiosis and the elevated oxidative stress and apoptosis marker proteins. Pretreatment with EA significantly prevented the decreased amounts of gut tight junction/adherent junction proteins and the elevated gut leakiness in alcohol-exposed mice. Taken together, our results suggest that EA could be used as a dietary supplement for alcoholic hepatitis patients.

Background: This study aimed to compare the subscapularis muscle volume between the intact groups (group I) and supraspinatus tendon tear groups (group T) based on the sex and three different age groups.Methods: Subjects with a group I and subjects with group T without any other lesions were retrospectively evaluated from among patients who received a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan between January 2011 and December 2013. The MRI scans were studied by a consultant radiologist. The subscapularis muscle volume was compared according to the age and sex; the age groups were categorized as patients in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. The volume of subscapularis muscle was measured by three-dimensional reconstructed images acquired through the axial section of 1.5T MRI.Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between subscapularis muscle volume of the group I and group T, except for male patients in their 50s (group I: 100,650 mm3 vs. group T: 106,488 mm3) and 60s (group I: 76,347 mm3 vs. group T: 99,549 mm3) (p

Background. The management of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is becoming increasingly important. The Korean Medicine Senior Health Promotion Program (KSHPP) was developed in 2016, and it has been in use to date. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of KSHPP using herbal medicine and acupuncture for treating MCI and the safety of herbal medicine using liver and renal function tests. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the participants with MCI. We assessed the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), and the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form-Korea version (GDSSF-K) scores before and after KSHPP to determine its effectiveness. To evaluate its safety, the liver and renal function tests were conducted before and after herbal treatment. Results. We enrolled 1002 participants, and 500 participants satisfied the inclusion criteria. Of 500 patients, 364 (72.8%) were depressed and 136 (27.2%) were not. The mean MoCA-K score significantly increased by 2.77 for the entire sample and 3.22 for the depressed sample (all P < 0.0001 ). The mean MMSE-DS score significantly increased by 2.19 for the entire sample and 2.51 for the depressed sample (all P < 0.0001 ); the mean GDSSF-K score significantly decreased by 1.73 for the entire sample and 2.68 for the depressed sample (all P < 0.0001 ). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that Korean medicine interventions can improve cognitive function and depression symptoms in patients with MCI. In addition, the results of the liver and renal function tests were analyzed as surrogate outcomes to assess the safety of herbal medicine. Based on these results, we expect that Korean medicine interventions can promote the cognitive and mental health of seniors. However, as there were several study limitations, particularly study design, practice effect, and short follow-up, these results must be interpreted with caution. We need a further long-term study with a rigorous design to retain confidence in the effectiveness and safety of KSHPP.

Background The aim of this study was to analyze the locations of the femoral attachments of the popliteus tendon (PT) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cadaveric dissection in a Korean population and compare with literature standards to determine whether variability exists. Methods We retrospectively analyzed knee MRIs from 87 cases selected from January 2017 to December 2018. The relationship between the femoral attachment of PT and LCL was analyzed by MRI using PACS and Image J. In addition, the femoral attachments of each structure were identified and marked in 14 unpaired human cadaveric knees. Three-dimensional models were reconstructed, and the surface area, location and distances were analyzed. Results On MRI, the femoral attachment of PT was located at mean distances of 0.89 mm posterior and 9.35 mm inferior to the LCL femoral attachment. We identified three groups of PT locations relative to the LCL on MRI evaluation: parallel (63%), posterior (29%), and anterior (8%). On cadaveric evaluation, the femoral attachment of the PT was located at mean distances of 0.77 mm posterior and 8.90 mm inferior to the LCL femoral attachment. We also identified three groups of PT locations relative to the LCL on cadaveric evaluation: parallel (43%), posterior (36%), and anterior (21%). Conclusions Based on both MRI and cadaveric evaluations in a Korean population, the femoral attachment of the PT is located just distal to and posterior to the LCL. The differences between the centroids of the femoral attachments of the two structures was approximately 9.7 mm, suggesting that racially based anatomical differences of the posterolateral corner may exist.

BACKGROUND: In a previous study undertaken to quantify capsular volume in rotator cuff interval or axillary pouch, significant differences were found between controls and patients with instability. However, the results obtained were derived from two-dimensional cross sectional areas. In our study, we sought correlation between three-dimensional (3D) capsular volumes, as measured by magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA), and multidirectional instability (MDI) of the shoulder.METHODS: The MRAs of 21 patients with MDI of the shoulder and 16 control cases with no instability were retrospectively reviewed. Capsular areas determined by MRA were translated into 3D volumes using 3D software Mimics ver. 16 (Materilise, Leuven, Belgium), and glenoid surface area was measured in axial and coronal MRA views. Then, the ratio between capsular volume and glenoid surface area was calculated, and evaluated with control group.RESULTS: The ratio between 3D capsular volume and glenoid surface area was significantly increased in the MDI group (3.59 ± 0.83 cm³/cm²) compared to the control group (2.53 ± 0.62 cm³/cm²) (p < 0.01).CONCLUSIONS: From these results, we could support that capsular volume enlargement play an important role in MDI of the shoulder using volume measurement.

Recently, it was predicted that the size of offshore markets will grow as gas prices edge up. This paper presents experimental results for using strings as a suppression device on a circular cylinder and discusses the various data. A test model was used to investigate the role of strings by varying the thickness of the strings used to suppress a cylinder’s lateral force taking into account the effect of turbulence promoted. A substantial amount of experimental data were taken from experiments performed on cylinders at Reynolds number up to a maximum value of 105. The suppression of vortex shedding and a lateral force reduction of up to 70% were observed for the cylinder with strings.

Purpose We introduced the intraoperative radiological indicator to assess the reduction adequacy without additional procedure or instrument, and propose the optimal syndesmotic screw trajectory. Methods Thirty adult cadavers (15 males and 15 females) without ankle problems were enrolled and subjected to continuous 0.75 mm-slice computed tomography (CT) scans. CT images were imported into Mimics® software to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) model of ankle. Using free 360° rotations with magnification, the 3D mutual relationships of ankle syndesmosis were assessed, and the fibular congruency of incisura was evaluated to determine the optimal screw trajectory. By reformatting the CT scanning plane along the screw direction, the coronal relation of ankle syndesmosis was evaluated to verify the distance between the adjacent bones. Results The fibula was placed in the concentric position of fibular incisura in the 20 models (concentric group) and 40 models, in an eccentric position (eccentric group). Despite this variant, all fibulas were changed into the concentric position in the proximal part of syndesmotic footprint, which might be the ideal height for syndesmotic screw in our study. The fibular bisecting screw trajectory associated with the ideal height of screw was parallel to the ground if the tibial tubercle was directed to the superior and nearly vertical to the ground floor (TT view). Through the reformatted scanning plane parallel to the screw, the lateral border of talus was always placed more medial than the lateral border of distal tibia in the coronal image. All models had a perfectly equidistant and parallel joint space except the medial aspect. Conclusion The lateral border of talus in the TT view was intraoperatively used as the radiological indicator for ankle syndesmosis widening because it was always placed more medial than the lateral border of distal tibia. The optimal syndesmotic screw trajectory was placed around the proximal syndesmotic footprint and parallel to the ground via the TT view.