Application of Virtual and Augmented Reality to the Field of Adult Education

This research reviews the extant literature and web resources on Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to provide new insights and future direction of adult learning. Based on the review, we discuss implications for research and practice on the use of VR and AR in the field of Adult Education

Mesenchymal stem cells and platelet-rich plasma-impregnated polycaprolactone-β tricalcium phosphate bio-scaffold enhanced bone regeneration around dental implants

Background Finding a material that supports bone regeneration is the concern for many investigators. We supposed that a composite scaffold of poly(ε) caprolactone and β-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) would entail desirable characteristics of biocompatibility, bioresorbability, rigidity, and osteoconductivity for a proper guided bone regeneration. Furthermore, the incorporation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) would boost the bone regeneration. We conducted this study to evaluate the bone regeneration capacity of PCL-TCP scaffold that is loaded with MSCs and PRP. Materials and methods Five miniature pigs received 6 implants in 6 created-mandibular bony defects in the right and left lower premolar areas. The bony defects were managed according to the following three groups: the PCL-TCP scaffold loaded with MSCs and PRP (MSCs+PRP+PCL-TCP) group (n = 10), PCL-TCP scaffold loaded with PRP (PRP+PCL-TCP) group (n = 10), and PCL-TCP scaffold group (n = 10). After 12 weeks, the bone regeneration was assessed using fluorochrome bone labeling, μCT bone morphogenic analysis, and histomorphometric analysis. Results All of the three groups supported the bone regeneration around the dental implants. However, the PCL-TCP scaffold loaded with MSCs and PRP (MSCs+PRP+PCL-TCP) group showed non-significant higher bone surface, bone specific surface, and bone surface density than the other two groups as revealed by the μCT bone morphogenic analysis. Histologically, the same group revealed higher bone-implant contact ratio (BIC) (p = 0.017) and new bone height formation (NBH, mm) (p = 0.0097) with statistically significant difference compared to the PCL-TCP scaffold group. Conclusions PCL-TCP scaffold is compatible for bone regeneration in bone defects surrounding dental implants. Moreover, the incorporation of MSCs and PRP optimized the bone regeneration process with respect to the rate of scaffold replacement, the height of the regenerated bone, and implant stability.This research was supported by a grant from the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number HI20C2114)

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Besnoitia besnoiti infection in Korean cattle – short communication

Besnoitia besnoiti is an obligate intracellular parasite that is transmitted by direct contact or via mechanical transmission by flies as vectors. Besnoitiosis causes economic losses in the cattle industry and is regarded as a re-emerging disease in Europe. This study evaluated the seroprevalence of B. besnoiti in Korean cattle using a commercial ELISA kit. Among 558 serum samples, 19 (3.4%) tested seropositive for B. besnoiti. The statistically significant risk factors included age (≥ 2 years), sex (castrated males), and region (lower latitudes) (P < 0.05). The overall seroprevalence suggested a wide distribution of B. besnoiti infection in cattle reared in Korea. Thus, the practice of intensive cattle husbandry and the regionally different seroprevalence of B. besnoiti infection in cattle in Korea warrant routine monitoring and vector control to reduce economical losses due to bovine besnoitiosis in the country

Okanin, a chalcone found in the genus Bidens, and 3-penten-2-one inhibit inducible nitric oxide synthase expression via heme oxygenase-1 induction in RAW264.7 macrophages activated with lipopolysaccharide

Excess production of nitric oxide by activated macrophages via inducible nitric oxide synthase leads to the development of various inflammatory diseases. Heme oxygenase-1 expression via activation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 inhibits nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in activated macrophages. Okanin is one of the most abundant chalcones found in the genus Bidens (Asteraceae) that is used as various folk medications in Korea and China for treating inflammation. Here, we found that okanin (possessing the α-β unsaturated carbonyl group) induced heme oxygenase-1 expression via nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 activation in RAW264.7 macrophages. 3-Penten-2-one, of which structure, as in okanin, possesses the α-β unsaturated carbonyl group, also induced nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2-dependent heme oxygenase-1 expression, while both 2-pentanone (lacking a double bond) and 2-pentene (lacking a carbonyl group) were virtually inactive. In lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW264.7 macrophages, both okanin and 3-penten-2-one inhibited nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression via heme oxygenase-1 expression. Collectively, our findings suggest that by virtue of its α-β unsaturated carbonyl functional group, okanin can inhibit nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression via nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2-dependent heme oxygenase-1 expression in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages

Vascular mitochondrial respiratory function: the impact of advancing age

Little is known about vascular mitochondrial respiratory function and the impact of age. Therefore, skeletal muscle feed arteries were harvested from young (33 ± 7 yr, n = 10), middle-aged (54 ± 5 yr, n = 10), and old (70 ± 7 yr, n = 10) subjects, and mitochondrial respiration as well as citrate synthase (CS) activity were assessed. Complex I (CI) and complex I + II (CI+II) state 3 respiration were greater in young (CI: 10.4 ± 0.8 pmol·s−1·mg−1 and CI+II: 12.4 ± 0.8 pmol·s−1·mg−1, P \u3c 0.05) than middle-aged (CI: 7 ± 0.6 pmol·s−1·mg−1 and CI+II: 8.3 ± 0.5 pmol·s−1·mg−1) and old (CI: 7.2 ± 0.4 pmol·s−1·mg−1 and CI+II: 7.6 ± 0.5 pmol·s−1·mg−1) subjects and, as in the case of complex II (CII) state 3 respiration, were inversely correlated with age [r = −0.56 (CI), r = −0.7 (CI+II), and r = 0.4 (CII), P \u3c 0.05]. In contrast, state 4 respiration and mitochondria-specific superoxide levels were not different across groups. The respiratory control ratio was greater in young (2.2 ± 0.2, P \u3c 0.05) than middle-aged and old (1.4 ± 0.1 and 1.1 ± 0.1, respectively) subjects and inversely correlated with age (r = −0.71, P \u3c 0.05). As CS activity was inversely correlated with age (r = −0.54, P \u3c 0.05), when normalized for mitochondrial content, the age-related differences and relationships with state 3 respiration were ablated. In contrast, mitochondrion-specific state 4 respiration was now lower in young (15 ± 1.4 pmol·s−1·mg−1·U CS−1, P \u3c 0.05) than middle-aged and old (23.4 ± 3.6 and 27.9 ± 3.4 pmol·s−1·mg−1·U CS−1, respectively) subjects and correlated with age (r = 0.46, P \u3c 0.05). Similarly, superoxide/CS levels were lower in young (0.07 ± 0.01) than old (0.19 ± 0.41) subjects and correlated with age (r = 0.44, P \u3c 0.05). Therefore, with aging, vascular mitochondrial respiratory function declines, predominantly as a consequence of falling mitochondrial content. However, per mitochondrion, aging likely results in greater mitochondrion-derived oxidative stress, which may contribute to age-related vascular dysfunction

Replenishment of microRNA-188-5p restores the synaptic and cognitive deficits in 5XFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

MicroRNAs have emerged as key factors in development, neurogenesis and synaptic functions in the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated a pathophysiological significance of microRNA-188-5p (miR-188-5p) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We found that oligomeric Aβ(1-42) treatment diminished miR-188-5p expression in primary hippocampal neuron cultures and that miR-188-5p rescued the Aβ(1-42)-mediated synapse elimination and synaptic dysfunctions. Moreover, the impairments in cognitive function and synaptic transmission observed in 7-month-old five familial AD (5XFAD) transgenic mice, were ameliorated via viral-mediated expression of miR-188-5p. miR-188-5p expression was down-regulated in the brain tissues from AD patients and 5XFAD mice. The addition of miR-188-5p rescued the reduction in dendritic spine density in the primary hippocampal neurons treated with oligomeric Aβ(1-42) and cultured from 5XFAD mice. The reduction in the frequency of mEPSCs was also restored by addition of miR-188-5p. The impairments in basal fEPSPs and cognition observed in 7-month-old 5XFAD mice were ameliorated via the viral-mediated expression of miR-188-5p in the hippocampus. Furthermore, we found that miR-188 expression is CREB-dependent. Taken together, our results suggest that dysregulation of miR-188-5p expression contributes to the pathogenesis of AD by inducing synaptic dysfunction and cognitive deficits associated with Aβ-mediated pathophysiology in the disease

Photodynamic Therapy for Subretinal New Vessels

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the induction of endothelial cell death or occlusion of blood vessels. On the basis of this mechanism of action, PDT is used in the treatment of predominant classic choroidal neovascularization (CNV), if the classic component is over 50%, and in myopic CNV. This study describes 2 cases of distinctive, abnormal, large, subretinal new vessels that are thought to have originated from the choroids. Diminishment of the new vessels was observed following treatment with PDT