Effect of Mechanical Deformation on in Vitro Calcification of Segmented Polyurethane

To investigate why calcification is accelerated by mechanical flexure, in vitro calcification of segmented polyurethane (SPU) under static elongation and dynamic mechanical flexure was performed. After the calcification period, the amount of calcium deposition was increased by elongation, but the amount of calcium deposition per unit area of the elongated surface was relatively smaller as compared to that of the severe flexing area. Although the surface calcium concentration of the elongated SPU was relatively smaller than the flexed area, there was the increase of surface area by the elongation. The total amount of deposited calcium on the elongated SPU was increased as it is reduced to the original surface area. Therefore, the results reveal that certain changes of surface properties by the Mechanical deformation accelerate the calcium deposition onto the surface and the enlargement of surface area by the mechanical deformation results in the heavy calcification of the severe flexing area in the SPU

Deficiency of peroxiredoxin 2 exacerbates angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm: Potential enzyme biomarker identified An enzyme with antioxidant properties may provide a biomarker and therapeutic agent to help treat abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). AAA involves the structural deterioration of the aorta through chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, and can trigger life-threatening artery rupture. An antioxidant enzyme called peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2) is increased in patients with ruptures, but whether its role in AAA is beneficial or detrimental is unclear. Goo Taeg Oh at the Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Jong-Gil Park at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, South Korea, and co-workers examined the effect of PRDX2 on AAA progression. PRDX2 suppressed structural damage in mice, limiting artery dilation and protein degradation. Loss of PRDX2 accelerated AAA development. Measuring levels of PRDX2 may indicate AAA severity in patients, while boosting the enzyme could repair aortic damage

Percutaneous transthoracic localization of pulmonary nodules under C-arm cone-beam CT virtual navigation guidance

PURPOSEWe aimed to describe our initial experience with percutaneous transthoracic localization (PTL) of pulmonary nodules using a C-arm cone-beam CT (CBCT) virtual navigation guidance system.METHODSFrom February 2013 to March 2014, 79 consecutive patients (mean age, 61±10 years) with 81 solid or ground-glass nodules (mean size, 12.36±7.21 mm; range, 4.8–25 mm) underwent PTLs prior to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) excision under CBCT virtual navigation guidance using lipiodol (mean volume, 0.18±0.04 mL). Their procedural details, radiation dose, and complication rates were described.RESULTSAll 81 target nodules were successfully localized within 10 mm (mean distance, 2.54±3.24 mm) from the lipiodol markings. Mean number of CT acquisitions was 3.2±0.7, total procedure time was 14.6±5.14 min, and estimated radiation exposure during the localization was 5.21±2.51 mSv. Postprocedural complications occurred in 14 cases (17.3%); complications were minimal pneumothorax (n=10, 12.3%), parenchymal hemorrhage (n=3, 3.7%), and a small amount of hemoptysis (n=1, 1.2%). All target nodules were completely resected; pathologic diagnosis included invasive adenocarcinoma (n=53), adenocarcinoma-in-situ (n=10), atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (n=4), metastasis (n=7), and benign lesions (n=7).CONCLUSIONPTL procedures can be performed safely and accurately under the guidance of a CBCT virtual navigation system

UDP-Induced Phagocytosis and ATP-Stimulated Chemotactic Migration Are Impaired in STIM1

STIM1 is the only currently known intracellular calcium sensor that functions as the calcium influx regulator controlling immune cell activation. STIM1 function in immune cell calcium signalling has been studied extensively; however, its role in microglia, innate immune cells in brain, has not been fully understood. Here, we report that STIM1−/− murine microglia lost store-operated calcium influx and displayed aberrant immunological functions. Microglial functions regulated by chronic and global Ca2+i changes were reduced significantly, including cytokine releases and opsonin-dependent phagocytosis. More dramatically, cellular functions governed by Ca2+ regulation in local microdomains at the cell periphery, such as UDP-induced phagocytosis and ATP-stimulated chemotactic migration, were severely reduced in STIM1−/− microglia. Interestingly, UDP-induced Orai1 mobilization to the peripheral region was greatly attenuated in STIM1−/− microglia. Their chemotactic migration defect was reproduced in vivo in embryonic brain; the aggregated number of STIM1−/− microglia in LPS- (lipopolysaccharide-) injected lesions was much smaller than that in wild-type microglia. Furthermore, the neuron phagoptosis activities of activated microglia were significantly diminished in the STIM1−/− microglia. These in vitro and in vivo results suggest that STIM1-mediated store-operated calcium entry is important for the regulation of global Ca2+i changes which differentiates into active immune state of microglia, but it is more crucial for the regulation of local [Ca2+] microdomains which mediates the acute motility of murine microglia

Dokaz protutijela protiv velikog metilja Fasciola hepatica u goveda na otoku Ulleung, Koreja.

We performed a cross-sectional study to estimate the seroprevalence of Fasciola hepatica in herds of cattle on Ulleung island, Korea. Blood samples were collected from randomly selected cattle and the sera were separated and analysed with an ELISA to detect antibodies against F. hepatica. The positive samples were classified as mildly, moderately or strongly positive. Out of 405 cattle sera assessed, 38 (9.4%) were seropositive for antibodies against F. hepatica. From these, 2.5% each were moderately or strongly positive and 4.4% were mildly positive. A significantly higher seroprevalence (P<0.05) was observed in young animals (<2 y old, 15.3%) compared to adults (≥2 y old, 5.4%), while no significant difference in seropositivity was found between male and female animals. This is the the first report of F. hepatica seroprevalence in cattle herds in Korea. These findings may be used to establish a base-line of information for future investigations focused on the significance of F. hepatica in Korea.Provedeno je presječno istraživanje radi procjene seroprevalencije invadiranosti velikim metiljem Fasciola hepatica u stadima goveda na otoku Ulleung u Koreji. Uzorci krvi bili su uzeti od nasumce odabranih goveda, a odvojeni uzorci seruma bili su pretraženi imunoenzimnim testom na prisutnost protutijela specifičnih za velikog metilja. Pozitivni uzorci bili su svrstani u skupine: slabo, umjereno i jako pozitivni. Od 405 pretraženih uzoraka seruma, 38 (9,4%) je bilo pozitivnih na protutijela specifična za metilj F. hepatica. Od toga je 2,5% uzoraka bilo umjereno ili jako pozitivno, a 4,4% slabo pozitivno. Značajno veća seroprevalencija (P<0,05) ustanovljena je u mladih životinja (u dobi manjoj od dvije godine, 15,3%) u usporedbi s odraslima (≥2 godine, 5,4%), dok nije ustanovljena značajna razlika u seropozitivnosti između mužjaka i ženki. Ovo je prvo izvješće o seroprevalenciji velikog metilja u stadima goveda u Koreji. Nalazi mogu biti od koristi za buduća istraživanja o značenju velikog metilja F. hepatica u Koreji

Low-pass sequencing for microbial comparative genomics

BACKGROUND: We studied four extremely halophilic archaea by low-pass shotgun sequencing: (1) the metabolically versatile Haloarcula marismortui; (2) the non-pigmented Natrialba asiatica; (3) the psychrophile Halorubrum lacusprofundi and (4) the Dead Sea isolate Halobaculum gomorrense. Approximately one thousand single pass genomic sequences per genome were obtained. The data were analyzed by comparative genomic analyses using the completed Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 genome as a reference. Low-pass shotgun sequencing is a simple, inexpensive, and rapid approach that can readily be performed on any cultured microbe. RESULTS: As expected, the four archaeal halophiles analyzed exhibit both bacterial and eukaryotic characteristics as well as uniquely archaeal traits. All five halophiles exhibit greater than sixty percent GC content and low isoelectric points (pI) for their predicted proteins. Multiple insertion sequence (IS) elements, often involved in genome rearrangements, were identified in H. lacusprofundi and H. marismortui. The core biological functions that govern cellular and genetic mechanisms of H. sp. NRC-1 appear to be conserved in these four other halophiles. Multiple TATA box binding protein (TBP) and transcription factor IIB (TFB) homologs were identified from most of the four shotgunned halophiles. The reconstructed molecular tree of all five halophiles shows a large divergence between these species, but with the closest relationship being between H. sp. NRC-1 and H. lacusprofundi. CONCLUSION: Despite the diverse habitats of these species, all five halophiles share (1) high GC content and (2) low protein isoelectric points, which are characteristics associated with environmental exposure to UV radiation and hypersalinity, respectively. Identification of multiple IS elements in the genome of H. lacusprofundi and H. marismortui suggest that genome structure and dynamic genome reorganization might be similar to that previously observed in the IS-element rich genome of H. sp. NRC-1. Identification of multiple TBP and TFB homologs in these four halophiles are consistent with the hypothesis that different types of complex transcriptional regulation may occur through multiple TBP-TFB combinations in response to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Low-pass shotgun sequence analyses of genomes permit extensive and diverse analyses, and should be generally useful for comparative microbial genomics

Dokaz protutijela protiv velikog metilja Fasciola hepatica u goveda na otoku Ulleung, Koreja.

We performed a cross-sectional study to estimate the seroprevalence of Fasciola hepatica in herds of cattle on Ulleung island, Korea. Blood samples were collected from randomly selected cattle and the sera were separated and analysed with an ELISA to detect antibodies against F. hepatica. The positive samples were classified as mildly, moderately or strongly positive. Out of 405 cattle sera assessed, 38 (9.4%) were seropositive for antibodies against F. hepatica. From these, 2.5% each were moderately or strongly positive and 4.4% were mildly positive. A significantly higher seroprevalence (P<0.05) was observed in young animals (<2 y old, 15.3%) compared to adults (≥2 y old, 5.4%), while no significant difference in seropositivity was found between male and female animals. This is the the first report of F. hepatica seroprevalence in cattle herds in Korea. These findings may be used to establish a base-line of information for future investigations focused on the significance of F. hepatica in Korea.Provedeno je presječno istraživanje radi procjene seroprevalencije invadiranosti velikim metiljem Fasciola hepatica u stadima goveda na otoku Ulleung u Koreji. Uzorci krvi bili su uzeti od nasumce odabranih goveda, a odvojeni uzorci seruma bili su pretraženi imunoenzimnim testom na prisutnost protutijela specifičnih za velikog metilja. Pozitivni uzorci bili su svrstani u skupine: slabo, umjereno i jako pozitivni. Od 405 pretraženih uzoraka seruma, 38 (9,4%) je bilo pozitivnih na protutijela specifična za metilj F. hepatica. Od toga je 2,5% uzoraka bilo umjereno ili jako pozitivno, a 4,4% slabo pozitivno. Značajno veća seroprevalencija (P<0,05) ustanovljena je u mladih životinja (u dobi manjoj od dvije godine, 15,3%) u usporedbi s odraslima (≥2 godine, 5,4%), dok nije ustanovljena značajna razlika u seropozitivnosti između mužjaka i ženki. Ovo je prvo izvješće o seroprevalenciji velikog metilja u stadima goveda u Koreji. Nalazi mogu biti od koristi za buduća istraživanja o značenju velikog metilja F. hepatica u Koreji

Bidirectional Association Between Parkinson’s Disease and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Cohort Study

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Chronic intermittent hypoxia due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes oxidative stress, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of Parkinson\u27s disease (PD). However, the bidirectional relationship between PD and OSA has not been satisfactorily established. The objective of this study was to try to estimate whether there is a bidirectional relationship between PD and OSA through a retrospective cohort study in the South Korean population. METHODS: This study used data from the Korean National Health Information Database of the National Health Insurance Service, which contains data from 3.5 million individuals evenly distributed. In study 1, patients with OSA were matched in a 1:2 ratio with non-OSA controls. In study 2, patients with PD were matched in a 1:2 ratio with non-PD controls. A stratified Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios. RESULTS: In study 1, which included 6,396 patients with OSA and 12,792 non-OSA controls, the incidence of PD per 10,000 person-years was 11.59 in the OSA group and 8.46 in the non-OSA group. The OSA group demonstrated a 1.54-fold higher incidence of PD than the non-OSA group (95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.07; CONCLUSIONS: This study supports a possible bidirectional relationship between PD and OSA. CITATION: Jeon S-H, Hwang YS, Oh S-Y, et al. Bidirectional association between Parkinson\u27s disease and obstructive sleep apnea: a cohort study