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Background and purpose: Few studies have assessed the role of vitamin D in the association between cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive function. Here, the aim was to investigate the association between cardiovascular health (CVH) and cognitive function according to vitamin D level in a middle‐aged Korean population. Methods: This cross‐sectional study included 840 men and 1811 women (mean age 57.2 years) from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center study baseline enrolment (2013–2018). Life's Simple 7 tools from the American Heart Association were used to assess CVH. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini‐Mental State Estimation for Dementia Screening (MMSE‐DS), and the serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level was measured. Results: In the adjusted generalized linear regression models, no significant association between a high Life's Simple 7 score (4–7 metric at optimal level) and MMSE‐DS score (β = 0.01, P = 0.93) was found. Amongst men with a high vitamin D level, the high Life's Simple 7 score group showed a significantly higher MMSE‐DS score (β = 0.48, P = 0.03). However, amongst men in the low vitamin D group, the association was opposite with no statistical significance (β = −0.23, P = 0.08). In women, the results were similar, but both strata according to vitamin D level showed no statistical significance. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that vitamin D is an effect modifier in the association between CVH and cognition, especially in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An internal-type linear inductive antenna, that is, a double-comb-type antenna, was developed for a large-area plasma source having the size of 1020 mm×830 mm, and high density plasmas on the order of 2.3×1011 cm-3 were obtained with 15 mTorr Ar at 5000 W of inductive power with good plasma stability. This is higher than that for the conventional serpentine-type antenna, possibly due to the low impedance, resulting in high efficiency of power transfer for the double-comb antenna type. In addition, due to the remarkable reduction of the antenna length, a plasma uniformity of less than 8% was obtained within the substrate area of 880 mm×660 mm at 5000 W without having a standing-wave effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Non-invasive body sculpting procedures are becoming increasingly popular. High-intensity focused ultrasound ( HIFU) treatment is a non-surgical fat reduction procedure that permanently destroys unwanted abdominal fat. Despite its increasing popularity, evaluation methods for the procedure have not yet been fully developed. Aims The objective of this study was to develop evaluation methods for HIFU for non-surgical, permanent fat reduction in the anterior abdomen using a porcine model. Methods The abdomens of female pigs ( Sus scrofa, n = 7) were treated with a HIFU device ( SCIZER™, Classys Inc, Seoul, Korea). We examined treatment effects using photography, ultrasound, gross and microscopic pathology, and serum lipid and liver function level analysis, carbon tracer test, and histological examination in order to determine the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of the procedure. Results HIFU treatment effectively reduced abdominal fat in a porcine model; it accurately treated the target subcutaneous fat layer and the subcutaneous fat was reduced effectively via ultrasonic measurement after HIFU treatment. On histological staining (H&E, toluidine blue, oil red O and immunohistochemistry), we found that subcutaneous fat reduction occurred effectively via accurate treatment of the targeted subcutaneous fat layer. On hematological assay, there were changes within normal range, and values remained stable after 48 h. Via carbon tracer test, the migration of activated macrophages was identified within the axillary lymph node ( LN). PPAR-delta, a protein defined by immunohistochemistry staining, was overexpressed in the early stage on days 1 and 7, but a gradual decreasing pattern was confirmed. Conclusion We successfully used a HIFU device for body contouring and fat reduction in a pre-clinical study. These results provide that the essential clues toward the effective evaluation, guiding selection of the appropriate diagnostic investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odontoblasts form dentin at the outermost surface of tooth pulp. An increasing level of evidence in recent years, along with their locational advantage, implicates odontoblasts as a secondary role as sensory or immune cells. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a well-characterized signaling molecule in the neuronal and immune systems, and its potential involvement in interodontoblast communications was recently demonstrated. In an effort to elaborate the ATP-mediated signaling pathway in odontoblasts, the current study performed single-cell reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescent detection to investigate the expression of ATP receptors related to calcium signal in odontoblasts from incisal teeth of 8- to 10-wk-old rats, and demonstrated an in vitro response to ATP application via calcium imaging experiments. While whole tissue RT-PCR analysis detected P2Y2, P2Y4, and all 7 subtypes (P2X1 to P2X7) in tooth pulp, single-cell RT-PCR analysis of acutely isolated rat odontoblasts revealed P2Y2, P2Y4, P2X2, P2X4, P2X6, and P2X7 expression in only a subset (23% to 47%) of cells tested, with no evidence for P2X1, P2X3, and P2X5 expression. An increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in response to 100μM ATP, which was repeated after pretreatment of thapsigargin or under the Ca2+-free condition, suggested function of both ionotropic and metabotropic ATP receptors in odontoblasts. The enhancement of ATP-induced calcium response by ivermectin and inhibition by 5-(3-bromophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzofuro[3,2-e]-1,4-diazepin-2-one (5-BDBD) confirmed a functional P2X4 subtype in odontoblasts. Positive calcium response to 2',3'-O-(benzoyl-4-benzoyl)-ATP (BzATP) and negative response to α,β-methylene ATP suggested P2X2, P2X4, and P2X7 as functional subunits in rat odontoblasts. Single-cell RT-PCR analysis of the cells with confirmed calcium response and immunofluorescent detection further corroborated the expression of P2X4 and P2X7 in odontoblasts. Overall, this study demonstrated heterogeneous expression of calcium-related ATP receptor subtypes in subsets of individual odontoblasts, suggesting extracellular ATP as a potential signal mediator for odontoblastic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of amoxicillin sodium for controlling field and experimental Streptococcus iniae and S. parauberis infections in olive flounder ( Paralichthys olivaceus) was evaluated after a single intramuscular administration. Furthermore, the minimal inhibitory concentrations ( MIC) against 21 Streptococcus strains were determined. In addition, the pharmacokinetics and residue depletion in olive flounder were investigated. Single intramuscular doses of amoxicillin sodium at 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg b.w. fish significantly reduced cumulative mortality rates to 18.8-31.3% ( P < 0.05) for S. iniae and to 5.0-15.0% ( P < 0.01) for S. parauberis, whereas the S. iniae- and S. parauberis-infected positive control groups showed cumulative mortality rates of 68.8% and 60.0%, respectively. In a S. parauberis outbreak, amoxicillin sodium reduced the cumulative mortality rate to 7.5% and 4.8% at 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w. fish, respectively, whereas that of the untreated control group was 35.2%. Peak plasma concentrations ( Cmax) following a single intramuscular dose of 40 and 80 mg/kg b.w. fish were 62.64 ( Tmax, 1.59 h) and 87.61 ( Tmax, 3.02 h) μg/ mL, respectively, with large AUC0−t/ MIC and Cmax/ MIC ratios, and sufficient T > MIC (time for maintaining plasma drug concentration greater than MICs) for S. iniae and S. parauberis. The estimated withdrawal period of amoxicillin sodium from muscle of olive flounder was about 8 days at 40 mg/kg b.w. fish (at 22 ± 1 °C). These results demonstrated a single intramuscular administration of amoxicillin sodium to be effective against streptococcosis in olive flounder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]