Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection and genotype distribution among high-risk Korean women for prospecting the strategy of vaccine development

We investigated the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the distribution of high-risk HPV genotypes among 2,308 high-risk Korean women to predict how much the current prophylactic HPV vaccines might affect the prevention of cervical cancer in Korea. HPV DNA was detected in 939 women (40.7%) but only one-third of women were positive for HPV-16 and/or HPV-18, the genotypes used for developing the HPV vaccines. Thus, the development of area-specific HPV vaccines based on dominant HPV genotypes in our country is needed for preventing HPV infection and the development of premalignant lesions in the cervix of Korean women

Pulmonary Metastases of Alveolar Soft-Part Sarcoma: CT Findings in Three Patients

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma of young adults with unknown histogenesis, and the organ most frequently involved in metastasis is the lung. We report the CT findings of three patients of pulmonary metastases of alveolar soft-part sarcoma, which manifested as clearly enhanced pulmonary nodules or masses. On enhanced scans, some of the masses were seen to contain dilated and tortuous intratumoral vessels

Efficacy and Tolerability of Peginterferon Alpha Plus Ribavirin in the Routine Daily Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients in Korea: A Multi-Center, Retrospective Observational Study

Background/Aims: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients under real life setting in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 758 CHC patients treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin between 2000 and 2008 from 14 university hospitals in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area in Korea. Results: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 was detected in 61.2% of patients, while genotype 2 was detected in 35.5%. Baseline HCV RNA level was >= 6x10(5) IU/mL in 51.6% of patients. The sustained virological response (SVR) rate was 59.6% regardless of genotype; 53.6% in genotype 1 and 71.4% in genotype 2/3. On multivariate analysis, male gender (p=0.011), early virological response (p<0.001), genotype 2/3 (p<0.001), HCV RNA <6x10(5) IU/mL (p=0.005) and adherence to the drug >80% of the planned dose (p<0.001) were associated with SVR. The rate of premature discontinuation was 35.7%. The main reason for withdrawal was intolerance to the drug due to common adverse events or cytopenia (48.2%). Conclusions: Our data suggest that the efficacy of peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in Koreans is better in Koreans than in Caucasians for the treatment of CHC, corroborating previous studies that have shown the superior therapeutic efficacy of this regimen in Asians.This study was supported by the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver in 2009

Classification of Standing and Walking States Using Ground Reaction Forces

The operation of wearable robots, such as gait rehabilitation robots, requires real-time classification of the standing or walking state of the wearer. This report explains a technique that measures the ground reaction force (GRF) using an insole device equipped with force sensing resistors, and detects whether the insole wearer is standing or walking based on the measured results. The technique developed in the present study uses the waveform length that represents the sum of the changes in the center of pressure within an arbitrary time window as the determining factor, and applies this factor to a conventional threshold method and an artificial neural network (ANN) model for classification of the standing and walking states. The results showed that applying the newly developed technique could significantly reduce classification errors due to shuffling movements of the patient, typically noticed in the conventional threshold method using GRF, i.e., real-time classification of the standing and walking states is possible in the ANN model. The insole device used in the present study can be applied not only to gait analysis systems used in wearable robot operations, but also as a device for remotely monitoring the activities of daily living of the wearer

The transcriptome analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana in response to the Vibrio vulnificus by RNA-sequencing.

Because of the recent increase in the demand for fresh produce, contamination of raw food products has become an issue. Foodborne diseases are frequently caused by the infection of leguminous plants by human bacterial pathogens. Moreover, contamination by Vibrio cholerae, closely related with Vibrio vulnificus, has been reported in plants and vegetables. Here, we investigated the possibility of Vibrio vulnificus 96-11-17M, an opportunistic human pathogen, to infect and colonize Arabidopsis thaliana plants, resulting in typical disease symptoms at 5 and 7 days post-inoculation in vitro and in planta under artificial and favorable conditions, respectively. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 5,360, 4,204, 4,916 and 3,741 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post-inoculation, respectively, compared with the 0 h time point. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that these DEGs act in pathways responsive to chemical and hormone stimuli and plant defense. The expression of genes involved in salicylic acid (SA)-, jasmonic acid (JA)- and ethylene (ET)-dependent pathways was altered following V. vulnificus inoculation. Genetic analyses of Arabidopsis mutant lines verified that common pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) receptors perceive the V. vulnificus infection, thus activating JA and ET signaling pathways. Our data indicate that the human bacterial pathogen V. vulnificus 96-11-17M modulates defense-related genes and host defense machinery in Arabidopsis thaliana under favorable conditions

Comparison of PET tracing and biodistribution between 64Cu-labeled micro-and nano-polystyrene in a murine inhalation model

Abstract Introduction Recent studies showed the presence of microplastic in human lungs. There remains an unmet need to identify the biodistribution of microplastic after inhalation. In this study, we traced the biodistribution of inhaled micro-sized polystyrene (mPS) and/or nano-sized PS (nPS) using 64Cu with PET in mice. Methods We used 0.2–0.3-µm sized mPS and 20-nm sized nPS throughout. 64Cu-DOTA-mPS, 64Cu-DOTA-nPS and/or 64CuCl2 were used to trace the distribution in the murine inhalation model. PET images were acquired using an INVEON PET scanner at 1, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after intratracheal instillation, and the SUVmax for interesting organs were determined, biodistribution was then determined in terms of percentage injected dose/gram of tissue (%ID/g). Ex vivo tissue-radio thin-layer chromatography (Ex vivo-radioTLC) was used to demonstrate the existence of 64Cu-DOTA-PS in tissue. Results PET image demonstrated that the amount of 64Cu-DOTA-mPS retained within the lung was significantly higher than 64Cu-DOTA-nPS until 72 h; SUVmax values of 64Cu-DOTA-mPS in lungs was 11.7 ± 5.0, 48.3 ± 6.2, 65.5 ± 2.3, 42.2 ± 13.1, and 13.2 ± 2.3 at 1, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h respectively whereas it was 31.2 ± 3.1, 17.3 ± 5.9, 10.0 ± 3.4, 8.1 ± 2.4 and 8.9 ± 3.6 for 64Cu-DOTA-nPS at the corresponding timepoints. The biodistribution data supported the PET data with a similar pattern of clearance of the radioactivity from the lung. nPS cleared rapidly post instillation in comparison to mPS within the lungs. Higher accumulation of %ID/g for nPS (roughly 2 times) were observed compared to mPS in spleen, liver, intestine, thymus, kidney, brain, salivary gland, ovary, and urinary bladder. Ex vivo-radioTLC was used to demonstrate that the detected gamma rays originated from 64Cu-DOTA-mPS or nPS. Conclusion PET image demonstrated the differences in accumulations of mPS and/or nPS between lungs and other interesting organs. The information provided may be used as the basis for future studies on the toxicity of mPS and/or nPS. Graphical abstrac

Estimating Calorific Value of Coal Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy through Statistical Algorithms: Correlation Analysis, Partial Least Squares, and Signal-to-Noise Ratio

The objective of this study was to compare different statistical algorithms for estimating the calorific value of coal based on a quantitative analysis of the elements in coal. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied for the elemental analysis. Three different algorithms, including the correlation analysis (CA) method, the partial least squares (PLS) analysis method, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), were adopted to accurately determine the concentrations of the elements in coal by using Dulong’s equation. Special emphasis was placed on the selection of the delay time to improve the measurement accuracy. The coefficient of determination, R2, was considered for optimizing the delay time. The intensity–concentration calibration curves were obtained for the elements in coal and the elemental concentration correlations were estimated on the basis of the calibration curves of each element. The CA showed a higher accuracy compared to PLS and the SNR. This confirmed that LIBS shows potential for the rapid determination of the calorific value of coal