130 research outputs found
Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior Disappearing after Left Capsular Genu Infarction
This case report describes a 74-year-old woman with obsessive-compulsive behaviors that disappeared following a left capsular genu infarction. The patient's capsular genu infarction likely resulted in thalamocortical disconnection in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical loop, which may have caused the disappearance of her obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The fact that anterior capsulotomy has been demonstrated to be effective for treating refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder further supports this hypothesis
A Large Bandgap Shift in InGaAs(P)/InP Multi-Quantum Well Structure Obtained by Impurity-Free Vacancy Diffusion Using SiO2 Capping and its Application to Photodetectors
In this paper, we have investigated the bandgap tuning in the InGaAs (P)/ InP multiquantum well (MQW) structure
obtained by impurity-free vacancy diffusion (IFVD) using low temperature photoluminescence (PL). The MQW
intermixing was performed in a rapid thermal annealer (RTA) using the dielectric capping materials, Si02 and SiNX. The
Si02 capping was successfully used with InGaAs cap layer to cause a large bandgap tuning effect in the InGaAs/InP MQW
material. The blue shift of bandgap energy after RTA treatment was as much as 185 and 230 meV at 750 t and 850 t,
respectively, with its value controllable using annealing time and temperature. Samples with Si02-InP or SiN-InGaAs cap
layer combinations, on the other hand, did not show any significant energy shifts. The absorption spectra taken from the
same samples confimed the energy shifts obtained using PL. The process developed can be readily applied to fabrication of
photodetectors that are sensitive to wavelength and/or polarization.This work was fmancially supported in part by OERC(Opto-Electronic Research Center) through the grant # 97K3-0809-
02-06-1 and by the SPRC (Semiconductor Physics Research Center) of Korea. The authors thank U. H. Lee and Prof. D.
Lee of Chung Nam National Univ. for their help with the absorption measurement
Efficacy of fermented grain using Bacillus coagulans in reducing visceral fat among people with obesity: a randomized controlled trial
BackgroundObesity is a socioeconomic problem, and visceral obesity, in particular, is related to cardiovascular diseases or metabolic syndrome. Fermented grains and various microorganisms are known to help with anti-obesity effects and weight management. Studies on the relationship between Bacillus coagulans and anti-obesity effects are not well known, and studies on the application of fermented grains and microorganisms to the human body are also insufficient.ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Curezyme–LAC, an ingredient mixed with six-grain types fermented by B. coagulans, in reducing fat mass in adults with obesity.MethodsIn this randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled study, 100 participants [aged 40–65 years; body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 to ≤ 33 kg/m2) were randomly allocated to two groups: 4 g/day Curezyme–LAC administered as a granulated powder or placebo (steamed grain powder mixture).ResultsAfter 12 weeks, visceral adipose tissue decreased significantly in the Curezyme–LAC group compared with that in the placebo group (mean ± standard error, SE of −9.3 cm2 ± 5.1) vs. (6.8 cm2 ± 3.4; p = 0.008). Compared to the placebo group, the Curezyme–LAC group also showed significant reductions in total fat mass (−0.43 ± 0.24 kg vs. 0.31 ± 0.19 kg, p = 0.011), body weight (−0.4 ± 0.3 kg vs. 0.3 ± 0.2 kg, p = 0.021), BMI (−0.14 ± 0.12 vs. 0.10 ± 0.07, p = 0.028), and waist circumference (−0.6 ± 0.2 cm vs. −0.1 ± 0.2 cm, p = 0.018) without a change in dietary intake and physical activity.ConclusionCurezyme–LAC supplementation for 12 weeks may benefit individuals with obesity by reducing visceral fat mass
Analysis of significant protein abundance from multiple reaction-monitoring data
Background
Discovering reliable protein biomarkers is one of the most important issues in biomedical research. The ELISA is a traditional technique for accurate quantitation of well-known proteins. Recently, the multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry has been proposed for quantifying newly discovered protein and has become a popular alternative to ELISA. For the MRM data analysis, linear mixed modeling (LMM) has been used to analyze MRM data. MSstats is one of the most widely used tools for MRM data analysis that is based on the LMMs. However, LMMs often provide various significance results, depending on model specification. Sometimes it would be difficult to specify a correct LMM method for the analysis of MRM data. Here, we propose a new logistic regression-based method for Significance Analysis of Multiple Reaction Monitoring (LR-SAM).
Results
Through simulation studies, we demonstrate that LMM methods may not preserve type I error, thus yielding high false- positive errors, depending on how random effects are specified. Our simulation study also shows that the LR-SAM approach performs similarly well as LMM approaches, in most cases. However, LR-SAM performs better than the LMMs, particularly when the effects sizes of peptides from the same protein are heterogeneous. Our proposed method was applied to MRM data for identification of proteins associated with clinical responses of treatment of 115 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib. Of 124 candidate proteins, LMM approaches provided 6 results varying in significance, while LR-SAM, by contrast, yielded 18 significant results that were quite reproducibly consistent.
Conclusion
As exemplified by an application to HCC data set, LR-SAM more effectively identified proteins associated with clinical responses of treatment than LMM did.This research was supported by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HI16C2037, HI15C2165). Publication of this article was sponsored by HI16C2037 grant
Are in-Hospital Delays Important Obstacles in Thrombolytic Therapy Following Acute Ischemic Stroke?
Korean Guidelines for the Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism
This guideline focuses on the primary prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Korea. The guidelines should be individualized and aim at patients scheduled for major surgery, as well as patients with a history of trauma, high-risk pregnancy, cancer, or other severe medical illnesses. Currently, no nation-wide data on the incidence of VTE exist, and randomized controlled trials aiming at the prevention of VTE in Korea have yielded few results. Therefore, these guidelines were based on the second edition of the Japanese Guidelines for the Prevention of VTE and the eighth edition of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Evidenced-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines. These guidelines establish low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups, and recommend appropriate thromboprophylaxis for each group
Establishment of particulate matter-induced lung injury model in mouse
Background
Particulate matter (PM) is one of the principal causes of human respiratory disabilities resulting from air pollution. Animal models have been applied to discover preventive and therapeutic drugs for lung diseases caused by PM. However, the induced severity of lung injury in animal models using PM varies from study to study due to disparities in the preparation of PM, and the route and number of PM administrations. In this study, we established an in vivo model to evaluate PM-induced lung injury in mice.
Results
PM dispersion was prepared using SRM2975. Reactive oxygen species were increased in MLE 12 cells exposed to this PM dispersion. In vivo studies were conducted in the PM single challenge model, PM multiple challenge model, and PM challenge with ovalbumin-induced asthma using the PM dispersion. No histopathological changes were observed in lung tissues after a single injection of PM, whereas mild to moderate lung inflammation was obtained in the lungs of mice exposed to PM three times. However, fibrotic changes were barely seen, even though transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed the presence of PM particles in the alveolar macrophages and alveolar capillaries. In the OVA-PM model, peribronchial inflammation and mucous hypersecretion were more severe in the OVA+PM group than the OVA group. Serum IgE levels tended to increase in OVA+PM group than in OVA group.
Conclusions
In this study, we established a PM-induced lung injury model to examine the lung damage induced by PM. Based on our results, repeated exposures of PM are necessary to induce lung inflammation by PM alone. PM challenge, in the presence of underlying diseases such as asthma, can also be an appropriate model for studying the health effect of PM.This research was supported by Univera Co., Ltd., as one of the CAP projects and Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2020R1A6A1A03043708)
The Clinical Characteristics of the Newly Diagnosed Early Onset (< 40 Years Old) Diabetes in Outpatients' Clinic
Search for sterile neutrino oscillation using RENO and NEOS data
We present a reactor model independent search for sterile neutrino
oscillation using 2\,509\,days of RENO near detector data and 180 days of NEOS
data. The reactor related systematic uncertainties are significantly suppressed
as both detectors are located at the same reactor complex of Hanbit Nuclear
Power Plant. The search is performed by electron
antineutrino\,() disappearance between six reactors and two
detectors with baselines of 294\,m\,(RENO) and 24\,m\,(NEOS). A spectral
comparison of the NEOS prompt-energy spectrum with a no-oscillation prediction
from the RENO measurement can explore reactor oscillations
to sterile neutrino. Based on the comparison, we obtain a 95\% C.L. excluded
region of \,eV. We also obtain a 68\% C.L. allowed
region with the best fit of \,eV and
=0.080.03 with a p-value of 8.2\%. Comparisons of
obtained reactor antineutrino spectra at reactor sources are made among RENO,
NEOS, and Daya Bay to find a possible spectral variation.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures: This manuscript has been significantly revised by
the joint reanalysis by RENO and NEOS Collaborations. (In the previous
edition, the RENO collaboration used publicly available NEOS data to evaluate
the expected neutrino spectrum at NEOS.
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