High-resolution analysis of condition-specific regulatory modules in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A novel approach for identifying condition-specific regulatory modules in yeast reveals functionally distinct coregulated submodules

Lordoplasty: An Alternative Technique for the Treatment of Osteoporotic Compression Fracture

We report here on a new technique using polymethylmethacrylate to manage vertebral osteoporotic compression fractures in three patients. These patients presented with acute back pain that manifested itself after minor trauma. Osteoporotic compression fractures were diagnosed via plain X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging studies. The patients were treated with absolute bed rest and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite of the conservative treatment, the patients experienced severe, recalcitrant and progressive pain. The vertebrae were collapsed over 50% or kyphotic deformity was seen on the radiologic materials. We performed a new technique called lordoplasty, which is derived from percutaneous vertebroplasty. The patients experienced a reduction in pain after the procedure. The wedge and kyphotic angles of the fractured vertebrae were significantly restored

Characteristics of Patients Who Visit the Emergency Department with Self-Inflicted Injury

During visits to emergency medical facilities, the primary care of and risk identification for individuals who have attempted suicide is considered an important element in suicide prevention. With the ultimate goal of helping to prevent suicide, the aim of the present study was to determine the characteristics of patients with self-inflicted injuries who presented in the emergency department. Patients with self-inflicted injuries who visited 1 of 3 sentinel emergency medical centers from 2007 through 2009 were included in the study. The characteristics, methods, and reasons for suicide attempts were evaluated. Moreover, predictors of severe outcomes were evaluated. A total of 2,996 patients with self-inflicted injuries visited the three centers during a period of 3 yr. The male-to-female suicide ratio was 1:1.38 (P < 0.001). The mean age was 41 yr. Poisoning was the most common method of self-inflicted injury (68.7%) among all age groups. Medication was the primary means of injury in the < 50 age group, and the use of agricultural chemicals was the primary means in the ≥ 50 age group. The reasons for attempting suicide varied among the age groups. The predictors of severe outcome are male gender, older age, and not having consumed alcohol

Indoor formaldehyde removal over CMK-3

The removal of formaldehyde at low concentrations is important in indoor air pollution research. In this study, mesoporous carbon with a large specific surface area was used for the adsorption of low-concentration indoor formaldehyde. A mesoporous carbon material, CMK-3, was synthesized using the nano-replication method. SBA-15 was used as a mesoporous template. The surface of CMK-3 was activated using a 2N H2SO4 solution and NH3 gas to prepare CMK-3-H2SO4 and CMK-3-NH3, respectively. The activated samples were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formaldehyde adsorption performance of the mesoporous carbons was in the order of CMK-3-NH3 > CMK-3-H2SO4 > CMK-3. The difference in the adsorption performance was explained by oxygen and nitrogen functional groups formed during the activation process and by the specific surface area and pore structure of mesoporous carbon

The Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY): an overview and summary of the kidney-transplant cohort

Background As the need for a nationwide organ-transplant registry emerged, a prospective registry, the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY), was initiated in 2014. Here, we present baseline characteristics and outcomes of the kidney-transplant cohort for 2014 through 2019. Methods The KOTRY consists of five organ-transplant cohorts (kidney, liver, lung, heart, and pancreas). Data and samples were prospectively collected from transplant recipients and donors at baseline and follow-up visits; and epidemiological trends, allograft outcomes, and patient outcomes, such as posttransplant complications, comorbidities, and mortality, were analyzed. Results From 2014 to 2019, there were a total of 6,129 registered kidney transplants (64.8% with living donors and 35.2% with deceased donors) with a mean recipient age of 49.4 ± 11.5 years, and 59.7% were male. ABO-incompatible transplants totaled 17.4% of all transplants, and 15.0% of transplants were preemptive. The overall 1- and 5-year patient survival rates were 98.4% and 95.8%, respectively, and the 1- and 5-year graft survival rates were 97.1% and 90.5%, respectively. During a mean follow-up of 3.8 years, biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes occurred in 17.0% of cases. The mean age of donors was 47.3 ± 12.9 years, and 52.6% were male. Among living donors, the largest category of donors was spouses, while, among deceased donors, 31.2% were expanded-criteria donors. The mean serum creatinine concentrations of living donors were 0.78 ± 0.62 mg/dL and 1.09 ± 0.24 mg/dL at baseline and 1 year after kidney transplantation, respectively. Conclusion The KOTRY, a systematic Korean transplant cohort, can serve as a valuable epidemiological database of Korean kidney transplants

Diagnosis in a Preclinical Model of Bladder Pain Syndrome Using a Au/ZnO Nanorod-based SERS Substrate

To evaluate the feasibility of ZnO nanorod-based surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) diagnostics for disease models, particularly for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), ZnO-based SERS sensing chips were developed and applied to an animal disease model. ZnO nanorods were grown to form nano-sized porous structures and coated with gold to facilitate size-selective biomarker detection. Raman spectra were acquired on a surface enhanced Raman substrate from the urine in a rat model of IC/BPS and analyzed using a statistical analysis method called principal component analysis (PCA). The nanorods grown after the ZnO seed deposition were 30 to 50 nm in diameter and 500 to 600 nm in length. A volume of gold corresponding to a thin film thickness of 100 nm was deposited on the grown nanorod structure. Raman spectroscopic signals were measured in the scattered region for nanometer biomarker detection to indicate IC/BPS. The Raman peaks for the control group and IC/BPS group are observed at 641, 683, 723, 873, 1002, 1030, and 1355 cm(-1),which corresponded to various bonding types and compounds. The PCA results are plotted in 2D and 3D. The Raman signals and statistical analyses obtained from the nano-sized biomarkers of intractable inflammatory diseases demonstrate the possibility of an early diagnosis