Electrochemical and Hydrodynamic Interferences on the Performance of an Oxygen Microsensor with Built-in Electrochemical Microactuator

An in situ self-diagnostic technique for a dissolved oxygen microsensor is proposed in an effort to devise an intelligent microsensor system with an integrated electro-chemical actuation electrode. With a built-in platinum microelectrode that surrounds the microsensor, two kinds of microenvironments (oxygen-saturated or oxygen-depleted phases) can be created by water electrolysis depending on the polarity. The functionality of the microsensor can be checked during these microenvironment phases. The polarographic oxygen microsensor is fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate (Kapton/sup ©/) and the influences of electrochemical and hydrodynamic conditions on the sensor responses have been investigated

Miniaturized ISFET Glucose Sensor Including a New Structure Actuation System

A new principle of an amperometric actuation technique was incorporated in the ISFET glucose sensor. The ISFET is fabricated by the CMOS process and the platinum working electrode is deposited by the lift-off process. A sensor with a specially designed ladder type working electrode exhibits improved operation in response time, response magnitude and detection range. An expectation concerning the reduction of sensor size is also discussed

Manipulation of Microenvironment with a Built-in Electrochemical Actuator in Proximity of a Dissolved Oxygen Microsensor

Biochemical sensors for continuous monitoring require dependable periodic self diagnosis with acceptable simplicity to check its functionality during operation. An in-situ self-diagnostic technique for a dissolved oxygen microsensor is proposed in an effort to devise an intelligent microsensor system with an integrated electrochemical actuation electrode. With a built-in platinum microelectrode that surrounds the microsensor, two kinds of microenvironments, called the oxygen-saturated or oxygen-depleted phases, can be created by water electrolysis, depending on the polarity. The functionality of the microsensor can be checked during these microenvironment phases. The polarographic oxygen microsensor is fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate (Kapton) and the feasibility of the proposed concept is demonstrated in a physiological solution. The sensor responds properly during the oxygen-generating and oxygen-depleting phases. The use of these microenvironments for in-situ self-calibration is discussed to achieve functional integration, as well as structural integration, of the microsensor system

Mutations of CAPN3 in Korean Patients with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy

The limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A (LGMD2A) is a recessively inherited disease caused by a mutation of the calpain 3 gene (CAPN3), and is considered one of the most prevalent subtypes of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). In this study, we aimed to identify CAPN3 mutations and to characterize the phenotype of Korean patients with LGMD2A. Among 35 patients with LGMD, four patients, who showed calpain 3 deficiency on western blot analysis, were analyzed in this study. Total RNA extracted from frozen muscle tissue was amplified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using six primer pairs covering all coding sequences of CAPN3, and direct sequencing was performed. Clinical and pathological features of the patients were also reviewed. We found four different mutations in five alleles from three patients. Of the pathogenic mutations identified, two were novel (c.2125T>C and c.2355-2357delTTC), and the others had been reported elsewhere (c.440G>C, c.1076C>T). All patients showed a high CK level with predominant proximal leg weakness, and the onset was in their childhood except for one patient. Among two novel CAPN3 mutations, one was a missense mutation (c.2125T>C [p.709Ser>Pro]), and the other was a small in-frame deletion causing omission of a single amino acid (c.2355-2357delTTC [p.786delPhe]). The clinical features of our patients were generally compatible with the characteristics of LGMD2A patients described in the previous studies

Value of accurate diagnosis for metastatic supraclavicular lymph nodes in breast cancer: assessment with neck US, CT, and 18F-FDG PET/CT

PURPOSENeck ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) are all known to be useful imaging modalities for detecting supraclavicular lymph node (SCN) metastasis in breast cancer. The authors compared the diagnostic values of neck US, CT, and PET/CT in the detection of SCN metastasis in breast cancer.METHODSSCN metastases identified in neck US, CT, or PET/CT during follow-up visits of patients with breast cancer were pathologically confirmed with the use of US-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. The clinicopathological factors of the patients were analyzed, and the statistical parameters including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, false-positive and false-negative rates, and accuracy of neck US, CT, and PET/CT were compared.RESULTSAmong 32 cases of suspicious SCNs, 24 were pathologically confirmed as metastasis of breast cancer. The sensitivity of US + CT was 91.7%, which was the same as that of PET/CT, while the sensitivity rates of US alone and CT alone were 87.5% and 83.3%, respectively. Accuracy was 99.8% in PET/CT alone and 98.1% in US + CT. The false-negative rate was 0.1% in US + PET/CT, while it was 0.2% in PET/CT and US + CT, 0.3% in US alone and 0.4% in CT alone.CONCLUSIONPET/CT can be the first choice for detecting SCN metastases in breast cancer. However, if PET/CT is unavailable for any reason, US + CT could be a good second option to avoid false-negative results

The effectiveness of fermented turmeric powder in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase levels: a randomised controlled study

BACKGROUND: Previous animal studies have shown that Curcuma longa (turmeric) improves liver function. Turmeric may thus be a promising ingredient in functional foods aimed at improving liver function. The purpose of the study is to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of fermented turmeric powder (FTP) on liver function in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels. METHODS: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted between November 2010 and April 2012 at the clinical trial center for functional foods of the Chonbuk National University Hospital. The trial included 60 subjects, 20 years old and above, who were diagnosed mild to moderate elevated ALT levels between 40 IU/L and 200 IU/L. Sixty subjects were randomised to receive FTP 3.0 g per day or placebo 3.0 g per day for 12 weeks. The treatment group received two capsules of FTP three times a day after meals, for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in the ALT levels in the two groups. The secondary efficacy endpoints included its effect on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TB), and lipid profiles. Safety was assessed throughout the study using ongoing laboratory tests. Adverse events (AEs) were also recorded. RESULTS: Sixty subjects were randomised in the study (30 into the FTP group, 30 into the placebo group), and among them, twelve subjects were excluded from the analysis for protocol violation, adverse events or consent withdrawal. The two groups did not differ in baseline characteristics. After 12 weeks of treatment, 48 subjects were evaluated. Of the 48 subjects, 26 randomly received FTP capsules and 22 received placebo. The FTP group showed a significant reduction in ALT levels after 12 weeks of treatment compared with the placebo group (p = 0.019). There was also observed that the serum AST levels were significantly reduce in the FTP group than placebo group (p = 0.02). The GGT levels showed a tendency to decrease, while the serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), TB, and lipids levels were not modified. There were no reported severe AEs during this study, or abnormalities observed on blood glucose, total protein, albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine levels. CONCLUSION: The data of this trial indicate that FTP is effective and safe, generally well-tolerated without severe AEs, in the treatment of subjects with elevated ALT levels over a 12 weeks period. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: http://NCT0163425

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

A pepper MSRB2 gene confer drought tolerance in rice through the protection of chloroplast-targeted genes

Background: The perturbation of the steady state of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to biotic and abiotic stresses in a plant could lead to protein denaturation through the modification of amino acid residues, including the oxidation of methionine residues. Methionine sulfoxide reductases (MSRs) catalyze the reduction of methionine sulfoxide back to the methionine residue. To assess the role of this enzyme, we generated transgenic rice using a pepper CaMSRB2 gene under the control of the rice Rab21 (responsive to ABA protein 21) promoter with/without a selection marker, the bar gene. Results: A drought resistance test on transgenic plants showed that CaMSRB2 confers drought tolerance to rice, as evidenced by less oxidative stress symptoms and a strengthened PSII quantum yield under stress conditions, and increased survival rate and chlorophyll index after the re-watering. The results from immunoblotting using a methionine sulfoxide antibody and nano-LC-MS/MS spectrometry suggest that porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), which is involved in chlorophyll synthesis, is a putative target of CaMSRB2. The oxidized methionine content of PBGD expressed in E. coli increased in the presence of H2O2, and the Met-95 and Met-227 residues of PBGD were reduced by CaMSRB2 in the presence of dithiothreitol (DTT). An expression profiling analysis of the overexpression lines also suggested that photosystems are less severely affected by drought stress. Conclusions: Our results indicate that CaMSRB2 might play an important functional role in chloroplasts for conferring drought stress tolerance in rice.OAIID:oai:osos.snu.ac.kr:snu2014-01/102/0000005113/8SEQ:8PERF_CD:SNU2014-01EVAL_ITEM_CD:102USER_ID:0000005113ADJUST_YN:NEMP_ID:A077085DEPT_CD:517CITE_RATE:3.73FILENAME:msrb-김연기.pdfDEPT_NM:식물생산과학부EMAIL:[email protected]_YN:YCONFIRM: