Facilitation of corticospinal excitability by virtual reality exercise following anodal transcranial direct current stimulation in healthy volunteers and subacute stroke subjects

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that the combination of non-invasive brain stimulation and motor skill training is an effective new treatment option in neurorehabilitation. We investigated the beneficial effects of the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with virtual reality (VR) motor training. METHODS: In total, 15 healthy, right-handed volunteers and 15 patients with stroke in the subacute stage participated. Four different conditions (A: active wrist exercise, B: VR wrist exercise, C: VR wrist exercise following anodal tDCS (1 mV, 20 min) on the left (healthy volunteer) or affected (stroke patient) primary motor cortex, and D: anodal tDCS without exercise) were provided in random order on separate days. We compared during and post-exercise corticospinal excitability under different conditions in healthy volunteers (A, B, C, D) and stroke patients (B, C, D) by measuring the changes in amplitudes of motor evoked potentials in the extensor carpi radialis muscle, elicited with single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. For statistical analyses, a linear mixed model for a repeated-measures covariance pattern model with unstructured covariance within groups (healthy or stroke groups) was used. RESULTS: The VR wrist exercise (B) facilitated post-exercise corticospinal excitability more than the active wrist exercise (A) or anodal tDCS without exercise (D) in healthy volunteers. Moreover, the post-exercise corticospinal facilitation after tDCS and VR exercise (C) was greater and was sustained for 20 min after exercise versus the other conditions in healthy volunteers (A, B, D) and in subacute stroke patients (B, D). CONCLUSIONS: The combined effect of VR motor training following tDCS was synergistic and short-term corticospinal facilitation was superior to the application of VR training, active motor training, or tDCS without exercise condition. These results support the concept of combining brain stimulation with VR motor training to promote recovery after a stroke. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1743-0003-11-124) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

The worldwide patent landscape of dental implant technology

In an aging society, quality of life improvement is emerging as an important issue, and as implants are accepted as the core of oral rehabilitation treatment, competition for leadership in developing related technologies is intensifying. In this trend, unlike what is evident in the literature, the patent landscape shows the status of industrial-based technology development. A database analysis of a total of 32,237 dental implant patents shows improvements in technology, diverse geographical characteristics, and new advances toward technological convergence in this field. Technologically, dental implant technology has shown a tendency to develop from conventional implant materials and surface treatment technologies to new material technologies making use of substances such as pure zirconium and tantalum or software technologies related to diagnosis and prognosis. Regionally, dental implant technology, which was developed mainly in Europe and the Unites States in the past, is growing explosively in East Asian countries accompanied by the recent growth of the Asian market. In summary, dental implant technology seems to be developing while trying to converge with various technological areas based on the local market environment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new dental implant material technology that is highly applicable to the development of hybrid information/communication technology and is suitable for a new manufacturing method. Our study may provide important information to help basic and translational researchers and their financial supporters set their research directions in advancing the development of dental implants.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (grant nos. NRF2017R1A4A1014584, NRF-2019R1C1C1003669, NRF-2020R1A4A1019423, NRF-2020R1A2B5B02002658, NRF-2020R1C1C1005830 and NRF-2021R1C1C2095130)

Erratum: Nation-Wide Korean Breast Cancer Data from 2008 Using the Breast Cancer Registration Program

nation-wide breast cancer data and analyzed the data using their online registration program biannually. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of Korean breast cancer from 2008 and examine chronological based patterns. Methods: Data were collected from 38 medical schools (67 hospitals), 20 general hospitals, and 10 private clinics. The data on the total number, gender, and age distribution were collected through a questionnaire as well as other detailed data analyzed via the online registration program. Results: In 2008, there were 13,908 patients who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The crude incidence rate of female breast cancer was 57.3 among 100,000 and the median age was 49 years. The age distribution had not changed since the initial survey; however the proportion of postmenopausal patients had increased and median age was older than the past. In staging distribution, the proportion of early breast cancer (stage 0, I) was 47.2 % with, breast-conserving surgery performed in 58 % and mastectomy in 39.5%. Conclusion: Compared to past data, the incidence of breast cancer in Korea continues to rise. Furthermore, the proportion of those detected by screening and breast conservation surgery has increased remarkably. To understand the patterns of Korean breast cancer, the nation-wide data should continuously investigated

Local Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Segmental Transarterial Chemoembolization: Risk Estimates Based on Multiple Prognostic Factors

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic factors for local recurrence of nodular hepatocellular carcinoma after segmental transarterial chemoembolization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-four nodular hepatocellular carcinoma tumors < or = 5 cm were retrospectively analyzed for local recurrence after segmental transarterial chemoembolization using follow-up CT images (median follow-up of 17 months, 4-77 months in range). The tumors were divided into four groups (IA, IB, IIA, and IIB) according to whether the one-month follow-up CT imaging, after segmental transarterial chemoembolization, showed homogeneous (Group I) or inhomogeneous (Group II) iodized oil accumulation, or whether the tumors were located within the liver segment (Group A) or in a segmental border zone (Group B). Comparison of tumor characteristics between Group IA and the other three groups was performed using the chi-square test. Local recurrence rates were compared among the groups using the Kaplan-Meier estimation and log rank test. RESULTS: Local tumor recurrence occurred in 19 hepatocellular carcinoma tumors (25.7%). There were: 28, 18, 17, and 11 tumors in Group IA, IB, IIA, and IIB, respectively. One of 28 (3.6%) tumors in Group IA, and 18 of 46 (39.1%) tumors in the other three groups showed local recurrence. Comparisons between Group IA and the other three groups showed that the tumor characteristics were similar. One-, two-, and three-year estimated local recurrence rates in Group IA were 0%, 11.1%, and 11.1%, respectively. The difference between Group IA and the other three groups was statistically significant (p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: An acceptably low rate of local recurrence was observed for small or intermediate nodular tumors located within the liver segment with homogeneous iodized oil accumulation

Current advances of epigenetics in periodontology from ENCODE project: a review and future perspectives

Background The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project has advanced our knowledge of the functional elements in the genome and epigenome. The aim of this article was to provide the comprehension about current research trends from ENCODE project and establish the link between epigenetics and periodontal diseases based on epigenome studies and seek the future direction. Main body Global epigenome research projects have emphasized the importance of epigenetic research for understanding human health and disease, and current international consortia show an improved interest in the importance of oral health with systemic health. The epigenetic studies in dental field have been mainly conducted in periodontology and have focused on DNA methylation analysis. Advances in sequencing technology have broadened the target for epigenetic studies from specific genes to genome-wide analyses. Conclusions In line with global research trends, further extended and advanced epigenetic studies would provide crucial information for the realization of comprehensive dental medicine and expand the scope of ongoing large-scale research projects.This research was supported by Grants from MSIP/IITP (2017-0-00398) and Basic Science Research Program (2016R1A1A3A04004838/2020R1 C1C1005830) through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning

Analysis of research papers published in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Nursing-focused on research trends, intervention studies, and level of evidence in the research

The number of quantitative studies was greater than that of qualitative studies. There was a slight increase in the number of qualitative studies and studies including elderly populations, which reflects the recent population trend in Korea. More randomized controlled trials with a low risk of bias were needed to support more evidence-based nursing practice. Concerning the low rate of ethical consideration, stricter application of research ethics needs to be encouraged. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest the recent trends in nursing research and the direction of nursing research and review in the Journal

A Case of Wilson's Disease in Patient with Mildly Elevated Liver Enzymes

Wilson's disease is an autosomal recessive disorder affecting copper transport; it results in the accumulation of copper in the liver, brain, and other organs. Wilson's disease is the most common inherited liver disease with more than 500 cases reported in Korea. An impairment in biliary excretion process leads to copper accumulation in the liver, which progressively damages the liver, leading to cirrhosis. Since effective treatment is available for this disease, early and correct diagnosis is very important. Here, we report a case of Wilson's disease with mildly elevated liver enzyme levels in a 29-year-old breast-feeding woman with weight loss