Anatomical evaluation of CT-MRI combined femoral model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Both CT and MRI are complementary to each other in that CT can produce a distinct contour of bones, and MRI can show the shape of both ligaments and bones. It will be ideal to build a CT-MRI combined model to take advantage of complementary information of each modality. This study evaluated the accuracy of the combined femoral model in terms of anatomical inspection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Six normal porcine femora (180 ± 10 days, 3 lefts and 3 rights) with ball markers were scanned by CT and MRI. The 3D/3D registration was performed by two methods, i.e. the landmark-based 3 points-to-3 points and the surface matching using the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm. The matching accuracy of the combined model was evaluated with statistical global deviation and locally measure anatomical contour-based deviation. Statistical analysis to assess any significant difference between accuracies of those two methods was performed using univariate repeated measures ANOVA with the Turkey post hoc test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This study revealed that the local 2D contour-based measurement of matching deviation was 0.5 ± 0.3 mm in the femoral condyle, and in the middle femoral shaft. The global 3D contour matching deviation of the landmark-based matching was 1.1 ± 0.3 mm, but local 2D contour deviation through anatomical inspection was much larger as much as 3.0 ± 1.8 mm.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Even with human-factor derived errors accumulated from segmentation of MRI images, and limited image quality, the matching accuracy of CT-&-MRI combined 3D models was 0.5 ± 0.3 mm in terms of local anatomical inspection.</p

Human microglial cells synthesize albumin in brain

Albumin has been implicated in Alzheimer&#x27;s disease since it can bind to and transport amyloid beta, the causative agent; albumin is also a potent inhibitor of amyloid beta polymerization. In a pilot phase study of Human Brain Proteome Project, we found evidence that albumin may be synthesized in immortalized human microglial cells, human primary microglial cells, and human fetal and adult brain tissues. We also found the synthesis and secretion is enhanced upon microglial activation by Amyloid [beta]~1-42~, lipopolysaccharide treatment or human Alzheimer&#x27;s brain

Tracing the historical origin of Joseon mummies considering the structural similarities between the burial systems of Korean and Chinese dynasties

Joseon mummies have proved to be excellent subjects for scientific research on the health and disease statuses of pre-modern Korean peoples. Despite its academic significance, the origins of the Hoegwakmyo tomb in which the Joseon mummy was discovered have not yet been entirely revealed. Meanwhile, over the past several decades, there have been some reports on mummies and cultural artifacts preserved very well in the tombs of several Chinese dynasties (especially Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing). Although the Chinese tombs were very diverse in structure, we note that some graves among them were structurally very similar to Joseon Hoegwakmyo tombs. Before the Hoegwakmyo tomb in Korea, there were already similar tombs in China, inside which dead persons were mummified like the Joseon mummies. Considering that the Hoegwakmyo tomb of the Joseon Dynasty was established by the influence of the Confucian ideology, the Korean and Chinese mummies might share common cultural origins in history

A HISTORICAL APPROACH TO SYPHILIS INFECTION IN KOREA

From the end of the 15th century, syphilis spread worldwide, posing a serious threat to public health. Venereal syphilis has been a major research topic, not only in clinical medicine but also in paleopathology, especially because it is a disease of questionable origin and of high prevalence until the discovery of antibiotics. Syphilis in history has been studied extensively in Europe and the Americas, though less so in Asia. In this review, based on extant historical documents and available paleopathological data, we pinpoint the introduction and trace the spread of venereal syphilis in Korea to the end of the 19th century. This review provides fundamental information that will be of great help to future research on pre-20th century syphilis in Korea

SoEasy: A Software Framework for Easy Hardware Control Programming for Diverse IoT Platforms

Many Internet of Things (IoT) applications are emerging and evolving rapidly thanks to widespread open-source hardware platforms. Most of the high-end open-source IoT platforms include built-in peripherals, such as the universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter (UART), pulse width modulation (PWM), general purpose input output (GPIO) ports and timers, and have enough computation power to run embedded operating systems such as Linux. However, each IoT platform has its own way of configuring peripherals, and it is difficult for programmers or users to configure the same peripheral on a different platform. Although diverse open-source IoT platforms are widespread, the difficulty in programming those platforms hinders the growth of IoT applications. Therefore, we propose an easy and convenient way to program and configure the operation of each peripheral using a user-friendly Web-based software framework. Through the implementation of the software framework and the real mobile robot application development along with it, we show the feasibility of the proposed software framework, named SoEasy

The Antioxidant Activity and Their Major Antioxidant Compounds from Acanthopanax senticosus and A. koreanum

The antioxidant activity and chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid contents were investigated from different parts of Acanthopanax senticosus and A. koreanum. Antioxidant activity was assessed by various in vitro assays such as DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, reducing power assays and ORAC, and the chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were validated by HPLC chromatography. Among the various extracts, the fruit extracts of A. senticosus and A. koreanum exhibited strongest antioxidant activities including ABTS, FRAP, reducing power and ORAC, however, strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed from the leaf extract of A. senticosus. In addition, the antioxidant activities of various extracts were correlated with total phenolic and proanthocyanidin contents. The major phenolic contents from various parts of these plants observed that leaf extract of A. senticosus expressed higher levels of chlorogenic acid (14.86 mg/dry weigh g) and caffeic acid (3.09 mg/dry weigh g) than other parts. Therefore, these results suggest that the leaf of A. senticosus may be an excellent natural source for functional foods and pharmaceutical agents, and the validated method was useful for the quality control of A. senticosus

A Dual (Brachial and Contralateral Femoral) Approach for Subintimal Angioplasty of Long Ilio-Femoral Occlusive Disease Including the Iliac Ostium

As techniques and device technology have improved, the success rates and long patency of ilio-femoral occlusive disease have also improved. In the case of extensive iliac occlusive disease, however, wire passage and handling remain a challenge due to the relatively weak guiding catheter backup support with the contralateral femoral approach. There has been no report on methods to overcome this problem. We performed a successful percutaneous translunimal angioplasty for long ilio-femoral occlusive disease including the iliac ostium by a dual approach including simultaneous brachial and contralateral femoral arteries for subintimal angioplasty

Association between maternal coronavirus disease 2019 and transient tachypnea of the newborn: a single-center study

Background Limited clinical reports have investigated the effects of maternal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on fetuses and neonates. Purpose This retrospective study aimed to assess the impact of maternal COVID-19 on neonates during the perinatal period, including neonatal clinical outcomes, versus the outcomes of neonates of mothers without COVID-19. Methods Neonates born to COVID-19-infected mothers at the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital between February 2021 and March 2022 were included. Those with gestational age (GA) ≥35+0 weeks who were born within 2 weeks of the maternal infection were matched 1:2 with a control group based on GA. The main outcomes were respiratory diseases, including transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), respiratory distress syndrome, meconium aspiration syndrome, the need for respiratory support, and length of hospital stay. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed and adjusted for relevant covariates, including maternal age, obstetric complications (hypertension and gestational diabetes), delivery mode, birth weight, sex, and small-for-gestational-age status. Results The case group comprised 103 neonates (mean GA, 38.5±1.3 weeks; mean birth weight, 3,121±397 g), while the control group included 206 neonates (mean GA, 38.4±1.2 weeks; mean birth weight, 3088±428 g). In the case and control groups, the proportion of cesarean sections was 91% and 40%, respectively, while the proportion of male infants was 56% and 47%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, the case group had a higher risk of TTN (adjusted odd ratio [AOR], 3.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69–8.07), noninvasive respiratory ventilator use (AOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.05–4.97), and oxygen support (AOR, 4.83; 95% CI, 1.46–15.95). Conclusion Newborns born to COVID-19-infected mothers are at increased risk of TTN and may require respiratory support. Close monitoring of respiratory symptoms is crucial in neonates

Efficacy and Tolerability of GCSB-5 for Hand Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of GCSB-5, a mixture of 6 purified herbal extracts, in treating hand osteoarthritis (OA).MethodsA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 220 patients with hand OA who had baseline a visual analog scale joint pain score of >30 of 100 mm at 3 hospitals between September 2013 and November 2014. After randomization, patients were allocated to receive oral GCSB-5 600 mg or placebo, bid for 12 weeks. The primary end point was the change in the Australian/Canadian OA Hand Index (AUSCAN)-defined pain score at 4 weeks relative to baseline. Secondary end points included the frequency Outcome Measures in Rheumatology–OA Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI)-defined response at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after randomization.FindingsThe allocated treatment was received by 109 and 106 patients in the GCSB-5 and placebo groups, respectively. At 4 weeks, the median (interquartile range) change in AUSCAN pain score relative to baseline was significantly greater in the GCSB-5 group than in the placebo group (–9.0 [–23.8 to –0.4] vs –2.2 [–16.7 to 6.0]; P = 0.014), with sustained improvement at 8, 12, and 16 weeks (P = 0.039). The GCSB-5 group also had a significantly greater OMERACT-OARSI–defined response rate than did the placebo group at 4 weeks (44.0% vs 30.2%), 8 weeks (51.4% vs 35.9%), 12 weeks (56.9% vs 40.6%), and 16 weeks (50.5% vs 37.7%) (P = 0.0074). The 2 treatments exhibited comparable safety profiles.ImplicationsGCSB-5 was associated with improved symptoms of hand OA, with good tolerability, in these patients. GCSB-5 may be a well-tolerated alternative of, or addition to, the treatment of hand OA. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01910116