Enhanced electrochemical properties of fluoride-coated LiCoO2 thin films

The electrochemical properties of fluoride-coated lithium cobalt oxide [LiCoO2] thin films were characterized. Aluminum fluoride [AlF3] and lanthanum fluoride [LaF3] coating layers were fabricated on a pristine LiCoO2 thin film by using a spin-coating process. The AlF3- and LaF3-coated films exhibited a higher rate capability, cyclic performance, and stability at high temperature than the pristine film. This indicates that the AlF3 and LaF3 layers effectively protected the surface of the pristine LiCoO2 film from the reactive electrolyte

Comparison of the regeneration of cartilage and the clinical outcomes after the open wedge high tibial osteotomy with or without microfracture: a retrospective case control study

Background It is unclear whether postoperative outcomes are associated with the cartilage regeneration after open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) combined with microfracture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the regeneration of the articular cartilage, radiologic, and clinical outcomes after OWHTO with and without microfracture. Methods Eighty-seven patients who underwent OWHTO from 2014 to 2015 were retrospectively included in this study. Fifty-seven OWHTOs with microfracture on medial femoral condyle (MFC) (group 1) and 30 OWHTOs without microfracture (group 2) were compared at a mean 2-year follow-up. The regeneration of the articular cartilage was evaluated using International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grade on the second-look arthroscopy and the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The weight-bearing line (WBL) ratio, hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle, joint line convergence angle (JLCA) and Ahlbäck grade were evaluated. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) scores and the Knee Society (KS). Results The articular cartilage in the MFC were regenerated in 67.8% of group 1 (43/57) and 58.6% of group 2 (16/30), respectively (p = 0.014). However, change of the ICRS grades of the medial tibial plateau, lateral and patellofemoral compartments showed no statistical difference between the groups. Total MOCART score in group 1 was superior to that in the group 2 at postoperative 2 years (41.8 ± 18.6 vs. 31.8 ± 19.8, p = 0.023). Regarding MOCART score, microfracture was only effective in the defect filling and integration to the border zone of the MFC (p < 0.001 and p = 0.035, respectively). Other radiologic and clinical outcomes showed no statistical differences between the groups. Conclusion Microfracture of the MFC during OWHTO only helped the filling of the degenerative cartilage defect and the integration of the cartilage with adjacent cartilage. However, the clinical and radiologic outcome could not be improved by mircrofracture in the OWHTO.This work was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (NRF-2017R1D1A1A09000509

The Influence of Tibial Positioning on the Diagnostic Accuracy of Combined Posterior Cruciate Ligament and Posterolateral Rotatory Instability of the Knee

Background: To determine if tibial positioning affects the external rotation of the tibia in a dial test for posterolateral rotatory instability combined with posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries. Methods: Between April 2007 and October 2007, 16 patients with a PCL tear and posterolateral rotatory instability were diagnosed using a dial test. The thigh-foot angle was measured at both 30 ° and 90 ° of knee fl exion with an external rotation stress applied to the tibia in 2 different positions (reduction and posterior subluxation). The measurements were performed twice by 2 orthopedic surgeons. Results: In posterior subluxation, the mean side-to-side difference in the thigh-foot angle was 11.56 ± 3.01 ° at 30 ° of knee fl exion and 11.88 ± 4.03 ° at 90 ° of knee flexion. In the sequential dial test performed with the tibia reduced, the mean side-to-side difference was 15.94 ± 4.17 ° (p &lt; 0.05) at 30 ° of knee fl exion and 16.88 ± 4.42 ° (p = 0.001) at 90 ° of knee fl exion. The mean tibial external rotation was 5.31 ± 2.86 ° and 6.87 ± 3.59 ° higher in the reduced position than in the posterior subluxation at both 30° and 90 ° of knee fl exion. Conclusions: In the dial test, reducing the tibia with an anterior force increases the ability of an examiner to detect posterolateral rotary instability of the knee combined with PCL injuries

Development of an Evaluation Methodology for Loss of Large Area induced from Extreme Events with malicious origin

Event of loss of large area (LOLA) induced from extreme external event at multi-units nuclear installation has been emerged a new challenges in the realm of nuclear safety and regulation after Fukushima Dai-Ichi accident. The relevant information and experience on evaluation methodology and regulatory requirements are rarely available and negative to share due to the security sensitivity. Most of countries has been prepared their own regulatory requirements and methodologies to evaluate impact of LOLA at nuclear power plant. In Korea, newly amended the Nuclear Safety Acts requires to assess LOLA in terms of EDMG (Extended Damage Mitigation Guideline). Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) has performed a pilot research project to develop the methodology and regulatory review guidance on LOLA at multi-units nuclear power plant since 2014. Through this research, we proposed a methodology to identify the strategies for preventive and mitigation of the consequences of LOLA utilizing PSA techniques or its results. The proposed methodology is comprised of 8 steps including policy consideration, threat evaluation, identification of damage path sets, SSCs capacity evaluation and identification of mitigation measures and strategies. The consequence of LOLA due to malevolent aircraft crash may significantly susceptible with analysis assumptions including type of aircraft, amount of residual fuel, and hittable angle and so on, which cannot be shared overtly. This paper introduces a evaluation methodology for LOLA using PSA technique and its results. Also we provide a case study to evaluate hittable access angle using flight simulator for two types of aircrafts and to identify potential path sets leading to core damage by affected SSCs within damaged area

The mechanism and cause of anterior cruciate ligament tear in the Korean military environment

Purpose Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is very common but few studies have analyzed the injury mechanism and cause of ACL tear in a specific environment such as a military institution. The purpose of this study was to analyze the injury mechanism and cause of ACL injury in the military environment. Additionally, this study could provide outcomes that may aid future studies on prevention of ACL injury in military personnel. Materials and methods This study retrospectively analyzed 168 patients who sustained ACL tear while in military service and underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in a military hospital. Analysis of the injury mechanism and the cause was evaluated by analyzing the medical records. Knee magnetic resonance imaging analysis was also conducted for further evaluation of associated injury. Results The majority of ACL injuries in the military environment occurred through non-contact injury. Changing direction (46.4%) was the most common lower-leg position, followed by landing with the knee in a valgus position (26.8%). The activity undertaken at the time of injury was exercise in 76.2% of cases and military training/daily activities in 23.8% of cases. The incidence of ACL injury was higher in the soldier compared to the officer group during exercise (P = 0.017). Soccer was the most common activity at the time of injury (54.1%), followed by military training/daily activities, futsal, and basketball. The most common injury time was between 30 and 60 min after the start of exercise. Commonly associated injury sites were the medial meniscus and the medial collateral ligament. Conclusions The main mechanism of ACL injury occurring in the military environment was non-contact injury, especially on changing the direction of the lower leg. Soccer was the most frequent activity at the time of the injury. These findings suggested that preventive strategies against ACL injury in the military environment could effectively reduce the incidence of ACL injury

Natural progress of D-dimer following total joint arthroplasty: a baseline for the diagnosis of the early postoperative infection

Background Early detection followed by prompt intervention is essential for the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). D-dimer, a fibrin degradation product, characteristically changes rapidly during early postoperative period and has a short half-life. The aim of this prospective study was to measure postoperative change of D-dimer level after joint arthroplasty in conjunction with ESR and CRP. Methods ESR, CRP, and D-dimer levels were measured on the day before surgery, postoperative days 1, 2, 3, and 5 and weeks 2 and 6 in 65 patients who underwent elective primary total hip arthroplasty (38 hips in 38 patients) or total knee arthroplasty (27 knees in 27 patients). We compared perioperative changes of the three biomarkers. Results ESR level was elevated from postoperative day 1 and reached a peak level of 45 mm/h at postoperative day 5. The elevation persisted until postoperative week 6. CRP level was elevated from postoperative day 1 and reached a peak level of 10 mg/dl between postoperative day 2 and day 3. The CRP level was decreased to the normal level around postoperative week 2. D-dimer level was sharply elevated and peaked to 4.5 μg/dl at postoperative day 1. At postoperative day 2, it decreased to baseline level. After then, it slowly elevated again and reached a second peak at postoperative week 2. Conclusion D-dimer showed a more rapid rise and fall than ESR and CRP in very early postoperative period. The D-dimer test might be effective in early detection of PJI, if combined with levels of ESR and CRP. The postoperative change of D-dimer in our study can serve as a baseline for early diagnosis of PJI.This study was supported by Corentec (Cheonan, South Korea)

THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INURY PREVENTION PROGRAM: A META-ANALYSIS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a neuromuscular protocol on the prevention of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury by performing meta-analysis. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify relevant studies, and eventually, only seven randomized controlled trials or prospective cohort studies were included in the analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed that an age under 18, soccer rather than handball, pre- and in-season training rather than either pre or in-season training, and the plyometrics and strengthening components rather than balancing were significant. Metaanalysis showed that pre- and in-season neuromuscular training with an emphasis on plyometrics and strengthening exercises was effective at preventing ACL injury in female athletes, especially in those under 18 years of age

Subchronic oral toxicity of silver nanoparticles

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles has resulted in their extensive application in health, electronic, consumer, medicinal, pesticide, and home products; however, silver nanoparticles remain a controversial area of research with respect to their toxicity in biological and ecological systems.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This study tested the oral toxicity of silver nanoparticles (56 nm) over a period of 13 weeks (90 days) in F344 rats following Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) test guideline 408 and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). Five-week-old rats, weighing about 99 g for the males and 92 g for the females, were divided into four 4 groups (10 rats in each group): vehicle control, low-dose (30 mg/kg), middle-dose (125 mg/kg), and high-dose (500 mg/kg). After 90 days of exposure, clinical chemistry, hematology, histopathology, and silver distribution were studied. There was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the body weight of male rats after 4 weeks of exposure, although there were no significant changes in food or water consumption during the study period. Significant dose-dependent changes were found in alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol for the male and female rats, indicating that exposure to more than 125 mg/kg of silver nanoparticles may result in slight liver damage. Histopathologic examination revealed a higher incidence of bile-duct hyperplasia, with or without necrosis, fibrosis, and/or pigmentation, in treated animals. There was also a dose-dependent accumulation of silver in all tissues examined. A gender-related difference in the accumulation of silver was noted in the kidneys, with a twofold increase in female kidneys compared to male kidneys.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The target organ for the silver nanoparticles was found to be the liver in both the male and female rats. A NOAEL (no observable adverse effect level) of 30 mg/kg and LOAEL (lowest observable adverse effect level) of 125 mg/kg are suggested from the present study.</p

Protective efficacy of commercial inactivated Newcastle disease virus vaccines in chickens against a recent Korean epizootic strain

Despite the intensive vaccination policy that has been put in place to control Newcastle disease virus (NDV), the recent emergence of NDV genotype VII strains in Korea has led to significant economic losses in the poultry industry. We assessed the ability of inactivated, oil-emulsion vaccines derived from La Sota or Ulster 2C NDV strains to protect chickens from challenge with Kr-005/00, which is a recently isolated Korean epizootic genotype VII strain. Six-week-old SPF chickens were vaccinated once and challenged three weeks later via the eye drop/intranasal route. All vaccinated birds were fully protected from disease, regardless of the vaccine strains used. All vaccinated and challenged groups showed significant sero-conversion 14 days after challenge. However, some vaccinated birds, despite being protected from disease, shed the challenge virus from their oro-pharynx and cloaca, albeit at significantly lower titers than the unvaccinated challenged control birds. The virological, serological, and epidemiological significance of our observations with regard to NDV disease eradication is discussed

Subchronic inhalation toxicity of gold nanoparticles

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gold nanoparticles are widely used in consumer products, including cosmetics, food packaging, beverages, toothpaste, automobiles, and lubricants. With this increase in consumer products containing gold nanoparticles, the potential for worker exposure to gold nanoparticles will also increase. Only a few studies have produced data on the <it>in vivo </it>toxicology of gold nanoparticles, meaning that the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of gold nanoparticles remain unclear.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The toxicity of gold nanoparticles was studied in Sprague Dawley rats by inhalation. Seven-week-old rats, weighing approximately 200 g (males) and 145 g (females), were divided into 4 groups (10 rats in each group): fresh-air control, low-dose (2.36 × 10⁴particle/cm³, 0.04 μg/m³), middle-dose (2.36 × 10⁵particle/cm³, 0.38 μg/m³), and high-dose (1.85 × 10⁶particle/cm³, 20.02 μg/m³). The animals were exposed to gold nanoparticles (average diameter 4-5 nm) for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 90-days in a whole-body inhalation chamber. In addition to mortality and clinical observations, body weight, food consumption, and lung function were recorded weekly. At the end of the study, the rats were subjected to a full necropsy, blood samples were collected for hematology and clinical chemistry tests, and organ weights were measured. Cellular differential counts and cytotoxicity measurements, such as albumin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and total protein were also monitored in a cellular bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Among lung function test measurements, tidal volume and minute volume showed a tendency to decrease comparing control and dose groups during the 90-days of exposure. Although no statistically significant differences were found in cellular differential counts, histopathologic examination showed minimal alveoli, an inflammatory infiltrate with a mixed cell type, and increased macrophages in the high-dose rats. Tissue distribution of gold nanoparticles showed a dose-dependent accumulation of gold in only lungs and kidneys with a gender-related difference in gold nanoparticles content in kidneys.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lungs were the only organ in which there were dose-related changes in both male and female rats. Changes observed in lung histopathology and function in high-dose animals indicate that the highest concentration (20 μg/m³) is a LOAEL and the middle concentration (0.38 μg/m³) is a NOAEL for this study.</p