EFFECTS OF LANDING HEIGHT ON LOWER EXTREMITY JOINT BIOMECHANICS DURING UNILATERAL AND BILATERAL LANDINGS

The aim of this study was to examine the lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during landing phase, in response to the effects of landing height during unilateral and bilateral landing. Ten young healthy male subjects (age: 26.1±1.8yr, height: 183.2±4.4cm, weight: 76.1±6.9kg) participated in this study. Each subject performed the unilateral and bilateral landing from a 30cm and 45cm wooden platform. The results showed the peak vertical ground reaction force (PVGRF) was increased during unilateral landing and at greater landing height (

Safety and tissue yield for percutaneous native kidney biopsy according to practitioner and ultrasound technique

BACKGROUND: Although percutaneous renal biopsy remains an essential tool in the diagnosis and treatment of renal diseases, in recent times the traditional procedure of nephrologists has been performed by non-nephrologists rather than nephrologists at many institutions. The present study assessed the safety and adequacy of tissue yield during percutaneous renal biopsy according to practitioners and techniques based on ultrasound. METHODS: This study included 658 native renal biopsies performed from 2005 to 2010 at a single centre. The biopsies were performed by nephrologists or expert ultrasound radiologists using the ultrasound-marked blind or real-time ultrasound-guided techniques. RESULTS: A total of 271 ultrasound-marked blind biopsies were performed by nephrologists, 170 real-time ultrasound-guided biopsies were performed by nephrologists, and 217 real-time ultrasound-guided biopsies were performed by radiologists during the study period. No differences in post-biopsy complications such as haematoma, need for transfusion and intervention, gross haematuria, pain, or infection were observed among groups. Glomerular numbers of renal specimens from biopsies performed by nephrologists without reference to any technique were higher than those obtained from real-time ultrasound-guided biopsies performed by expert ultrasound radiologists. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous renal biopsy performed by nephrologists was not inferior to that performed by expert ultrasound radiologists as related to specimen yield and post-biopsy complications

Arthroscopic Treatment of Septic Arthritis of Acromioclavicular Joint

Septic arthritis requires an early diagnosis and proper treatment to prevent the destruction of articular cartilage and joint contracture. This paper presents a rare case of septic arthritis of the acromioclavicular joint that was treated with arthroscopic debridement and resection of the distal clavicle

A practical approach for small bowel bleeding

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is one of the most common conditions among patients visiting emergency departments in Korea. GI bleeding is divided into upper and lower GI bleeding, according to the bleeding site. GI bleeding is also divided into overt and occult GI bleeding based on bleeding characteristics. In addition, obscure GI bleeding refers to recurrent or persistent GI bleeding from a source that cannot be identified after esophagogastroduodenoscopy or colonoscopy. The small intestine is the largest part of the alimentary tract. It extends from the pylorus to the cecum. The small intestine is difficult to access owing to its long length. Moreover, it is not fixed to the abdominal cavity. When hemorrhage occurs in the small intestine, the source cannot be found in many cases because of the characteristics of the small intestine. In practice, small-intestinal bleeding accounts for most of the obscure GI bleeding. Therefore, in this review, we introduce and describe systemic approaches and examination methods, including video capsule endoscopy and balloon enteroscopy, that can be performed in patients with suspected small bowel bleeding in clinical practice

Paenibacillus yonginensis sp. nov., a potential plant growth promoting bacterium isolated from humus soil of Yongin forest

Strain DCY84T, a Gram-stain positive, rod-shaped, aerobic, spore-forming bacterium, motile by means of peritrichous flagella, was isolated from humus soil from Yongin forest in Gyeonggi province, South Korea. Strain DCY84T shared the highest sequence similarity with Paenibacillus barengoltzii KACC 15270T (96.86 %), followed by Paenibacillus timonensis KACC 11491T (96.49 %) and Paenibacillus phoenicis NBRC 106274T (95.77 %). Strain DCY84T was found to able to grow best in TSA at temperature 30 °C, at pH 8 and at 0.5 % NaCl. MK-7 menaquinone was identified as the isoprenoid quinone. The major polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified aminolipids and an unidentified polar lipid. The peptidoglycan was found to contain the amino acids meso-diaminopimelic acid, alanine and d-glutamic acid. The major fatty acids of strain DCY84T were identified as branched chain anteiso-C15:0, saturated C16:0 and branched chain anteiso-C17:0. The cell wall sugars of strain DCY84T were found to comprise of ribose, galactose and xylose. The major polyamine was identified as spermidine. The DNA G+C content was determined to be 62.6 mol%. After 6 days of incubation, strain DCY84T produced 52.96 ± 1.85 and 72.83 ± 2.86 µg/ml l-indole-3-acetic acid, using media without l-tryptophan and supplemented with l-tryptophan, respectively. Strain DCY84T was also found to be able to solubilize phosphate and produce siderophores. On the basis of the phenotypic characteristics, genotypic analysis and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain DCY84T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus yonginensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DCY84T (=KCTC 33428T = JCM 19885T)

The effects of rice seed dressing with Paenibacillus yonginensis and silicon on crop development on South Korea’s reclaimed tidal land

A field trial to investigate the effects of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) Paenibacillus yonginensis (DCY84T) and/or SiO2 seed coating on rice growth (Oryza sativa L.) was carried out on reclaimed tidal land in Taean County in South Korea. The field test was performed twice between May–October 2014 and May–October 2015, in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replications. Treatments consisted of: Mock, DCY84T-treated seeds, SiO2-coated seeds and DCY84T-SiO2-treated seeds and each treatment area covered approximately 300 m2. During the early developmental period of rice seedlings, the SiO2 coating without DCY84T led to the most favorable 30 DAS rice seedling parameters. Moreover, the combination of DCY84T and SiO2 treatments resulted in 2-fold greater fresh and dry weights of 60 DAS rice seedlings compared to Mock seedlings. DCY84T and SiO2, both individually and together, produced a greater grain yield and a greater total yield; specifically, DCY84T and SiO2 treatments yielded a 73% and 70% increase in mass compared to Mock plants, respectively. Rice treated with both DCY84T and SiO2 treatment contained the highest amount of Al, Fe, Ca and Mg, which were 54%, 169%, 42% and 67% higher than the Mock rice, respectively. Remarkably, DCY84T treatment had the most phosphate [P], potassium [K] and total nitrogen [T–N]. DCY84T and/or SiO2 treatment highly increased the whole kernel percentage. Thus, lower its broken kernel percentage to 9.60–24.58%. The protein content of the grain with both treatments was 7.2%, which was greater than that of the Mock grain (6.0%). The content of chlorophyll a, b and carotinoid in the rice leaves which were treated with silica and DCY84 has increased more than the mock without treatment. After harvest, the GABA content of brown rice was increased to 1.9-fold (2014), 1.5 fold (2015) compared to mock grain, respectively. Overall, DCY84T treatment and SiO2 coating can be useful methods for promoting growth of rice under conditions of saline stress. Results from other laboratory trials and greenhouse experiments are also provided

Paenibacillus yonginensis DCY84T induces changes in Arabidopsis thaliana gene expression against aluminum, drought, and salt stress

Current agricultural production methods, for example the improper use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, create many health and environmental problems. Use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) for agricultural benefits is increasing worldwide and also appears to be a trend for the future. There is possibility to develop microbial inoculants for use in agricultural biotechnology, based on these beneficial plant–microbe interactions. For this study, ten bacterial strains were isolated from Yongin forest soil for which in vitro plant-growth promoting trait screenings, such as indole acetic acid (IAA) production, a phosphate solubilization test, and a siderophore production test were used to select two PGPB candidates. Arabidopsis thaliana plants were inoculated with Paenibacillus yonginensis DCY84T and Micrococcus yunnanensis PGPB7. Salt stress, drought stress and heavy metal (aluminum) stress challenges indicated that P. yonginensis DCY84T-inoculated plants were more resistant than control plants. AtRSA1, AtVQ9 and AtWRKY8 were used as the salinity responsive genes. The AtERD15, AtRAB18, and AtLT178 were selected to check A. thaliana responses to drought stress. Aluminum stress response was checked using AtAIP, AtALS3 and AtALMT1. The qRT-PCR results indicated that P. yonginensis DCY84T can promote plant tolerance against salt, drought, and aluminum stress. P. yonginensis DCY84T also showed positive results during in vitro compatibility testing and virulence assay against X. oryzae pv. oryzae Philippine race 6 (PXO99). Better germination rates and growth parameters were also recorded for the P. yonginensis DCY84T Chuchung cultivar rice seed which was grown on coastal soil collected from Suncheon. Based on these results, P. yonginensis DCY84T can be used as a promising PGPB isolate for crop improvement

Clinical Features Reflect Exon Sites of EGFR Mutations in Patients with Resected Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The aim of the current study was to determine the clinical significance according to the subtypes of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and presence of KRAS mutations in operable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We sequenced exons 18-21 of the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain and examined mutations in codons 12 and 13 of KRAS in tissues of patients with NSCLC who had undergone surgical resection. EGFR mutations were more frequent in never-smokers than smokers (33% vs. 14%, respectively; p=0.009) and in females than in males (31% vs. 16%, respectively; p=0.036). Mutations in exon 18-19 and 20-21 were found in 10 and 22 patients, respectively. Never-smokers and broncho-alveolar cell carcinoma features were positively associated with a mutation in exon 18-19 (p=0.027 and 0.016, respectively). The five-year survival rate in patients with a mutation in exons 18-19 (100%) was higher than that in patients without such mutation (47%; p=0.021). KRAS mutations were found in 16 patients (12%) and were not related to the overall survival (p=0.742). Patients with an EGFR mutation in exons 18-19 had better survival than patients without such mutation. Subtypes of EGFR mutations may be prognostic factors in patients undergoing curative resection

The genome sequence of Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae KACC10331, the bacterial blight pathogen of rice

The nucleotide sequence was determined for the genome of Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae (Xoo) KACC10331, a bacterium that causes bacterial blight in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The genome is comprised of a single, 4 941 439 bp, circular chromosome that is G + C rich (63.7%). The genome includes 4637 open reading frames (ORFs) of which 3340 (72.0%) could be assigned putative function. Orthologs for 80% of the predicted Xoo genes were found in the previously reported X.axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) and X.campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) genomes, but 245 genes apparently specific to Xoo were identified. Xoo genes likely to be associated with pathogenesis include eight with similarity to Xanthomonas avirulence (avr) genes, a set of hypersensitive reaction and pathogenicity (hrp) genes, genes for exopolysaccharide production, and genes encoding extracellular plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. The presence of these genes provides insights into the interactions of this pathogen with its gramineous host

Transarterial chemoembolization versus resection for intermediate-stage (BCLC B) hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims: Several studies have suggested that surgical resection (SR) can provide a survival benefit over transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at the intermediate stage according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system. However, the criteria for SR remain to be determined. This study compared the long-term outcome of intermediate-stage HCC patients treated by either TACE or SR as a primary treatment modality, with the aim of identifying the patient subgroup that gained a survival benefit by either modality. Methods: In total, 277 BCLC intermediate-stage HCC patients treated by either TACE (N=225) or SR (N=52) were analyzed. Results: The overall median survival time was significantly better for SR than TACE (61 vs. 30 months, P=0.002). Decision-tree analysis divided patients into seven nodes based on tumor size and number, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, and Child-Pugh score, and these were then simplified into four subgroups (B1–B4) based on similarities in the overall hazard rate. SR provided a significant survival benefit in subgroup B2, characterized by ‘oligo’ (2–4) nodules of intermediate size (5–10 cm) when the AFP levels was <400 ng/ml, or ‘oligo’ (2–4) nodules of small to intermediate size (<10 cm) plus a Child-Pugh score of 5 when the AFP level was ≥400 ng/mL (median survival 73 vs. 28 months for SR vs. TACE respectively; P=0.014). The survival rate did not differ significantly between SR and TACE in the other subgroups (B1 and B3). Conclusion: SR provided a survival benefit over TACE in intermediate-stage HCC, especially for patients meeting certain criteria. Re-establishing the criteria for optimal treatment modalities in this stage of HCC is needed to improve survival rates