A Novel Implantable Cerebrospinal Fluid Reservoir : A Pilot Study.

Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the safety and function of the newly developed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) reservoir called the V-Port.

Methods: The newly developed V-Port consists of a non-collapsible reservoir outlined with a titanium cage and a connector for the ventricular catheter to be assembled. It is designed to be better palpated and more durable to multiple punctures than the Ommaya reservoir.

HA1077 displays synergistic activity with daclatasvir against hepatitis C virus and suppresses the emergence of NS5A resistance-associated substitutions in mice.

The kinase C-related kinase 2 (PRK2), which phosphorylates hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA polymerase, is a proviral factor enhancing HCV replication. Here, we report on the in vivo anti-HCV efficacy of HA1077, which inhibits viral genome replication by targeting PRK2 and displays viral entry inhibitory activity by targeting Rho-associated kinase. HA1077 showed synergistic antiviral activity selectively with nonstructural protein 5 A (NS5A) inhibitors including daclatasvir (DCV).

Effects of lowest-dose vs. highest-dose pitavastatin on coronary neointimal hyperplasia at 12-month follow-up in type 2 diabetic patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome: an optical coherence tomography analysis.

Current ACC/AHA guidelines recommend high-dose statin therapy after coronary stenting, especially in diabetic patients; however, pitavastatin 4 mg or pitavastatin 1 mg are frequently used after coronary stenting in Asia, even in patients with acute coronary syndrome. We compared the effects of highest-dose and lowest-dose pitavastatin therapy on coronary neointimal hyperplasia at 12-month follow-up in diabetic patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) using optical coherence tomography. A total of 72 diabetic patients with NSTE-ACS were randomized to lowest-dose pitavastatin [1 mg (n = 36)] or highest-dose pitavastatin [4 mg (n = 36)] after everolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Attenuation of Rheumatoid Inflammation by Sodium Butyrate Through Reciprocal Targeting of HDAC2 in Osteoclasts and HDAC8 in T Cells.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Recently, investigators have focused on the gut microbiota, which is thought to be an environmental factor that affects the development of RA. Metabolites secreted by the gut microbiota maintain homeostasis in the gut through various mechanisms [e.

Lactobacillus acidophilus ameliorates pain and cartilage degradation in experimental osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and degenerative disease that causes pain, cartilage deformation, and joint inflammation. Lactobacillus species have been used as dietary supplements to induce the production of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory factors. The goal of this study was to determine whether Lactobacillus acidophilus ameliorates monosodium iodoacetate-induced OA.

Revisiting Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy for Degenerative Tears in Knees With Mild or No Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) for symptomatic degenerative meniscal tear (DMT) in knees with mild or no osteoarthritis.

Study Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched.

Radiographic and histologic characterization of tongue base tissues obtained by transoral robotic surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective: Our aim was to radiographically and histologically characterize the tongue base tissues removed after robotic surgery and to analyze their relationship with polysomnographic measurements in obstructive sleep apnea.

Methods: Medical records, radiographs and histologic specimen of the patients who underwent transoral robotic tongue base reduction surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Findings in computed tomography (CT) images, histopathological features of the removed tongue base tissues, and respiratory parameters in polysomnography were compared and analyzed.

Prophylactic efficacy of orally administered Bacillus poly-γ-glutamic acid, a non-LPS TLR4 ligand, against norovirus infection in mice.

Poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA), an extracellular biopolymer produced by Bacillus sp., is a non-canonical toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist. Here we show its antiviral efficacy against noroviruses.

Intensive blood pressure control may not be safe in subacute ischemic stroke by intracranial atherosclerosis: a result of randomized trial.

Objective: Current guideline recommends intensive blood pressure (BP) control in hypertensive patients, but the appropriate target BP level after ischemic stroke due to intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis remains uncertain.

Methods: In this randomized, single-blinded trial, patients with symptomatic internal carotid or middle cerebral artery steno-occlusion (>50%) within 7-42 days after index stroke received intensive (target SBP < 120 mmHg) or modest (target SBP < 140 mmHg) BP control from April 2010 to December 2012. The primary outcome was the change in ischemic lesion volume in white matter lesions at the whole forebrain between baseline and 24 weeks as measured from fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) images, which was tested in noninferiority test (noninferiority margin of 3 cm).

Retro-tubercular gap widening can be caused by inappropriate anterior osteotomy and large opening gap in the medial biplanar open-wedge HTO.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes of retro-tubercular gap widening and to confirm whether this widened gap causes instability of the osteotomy configuration during open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO).

Methods: Operative records and radiologic findings of patients who underwent biplanar medial OWHTO between 2014 and 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. To identify the osteotomy configuration including lateral hinge fracture, postoperative simple radiographs and CT images were analyzed.

Decreased expression of CCL17 in the disrupted nasal polyp epithelium and its regulation by IL-4 and IL-5.

Background: In airway epithelium, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (CCL17) and macrophage-derived chemokine (CCL22) are induced by defective epithelial barriers such as E-cadherin and attract the effector cells of Th2 immunity. However, the association between the epithelial barrier and CCL17 expression has not been studied in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP). Thus, we aimed to evaluate the expression of CCL17 and its regulation by Th cytokines in nasal polyp (NP) epithelial cells.

Graft sources do not affect to the outcome of transtibial posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review.

Introduction: Despite numerous published reports on posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction in the past 30 years, the ideal graft source remains unclear, and few objective scientific data have been published that thoroughly evaluate the long-term outcomes according to the graft source. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review of available high-quality comparative studies that evaluated clinical and objective stability testing to compare the different graft sources for PCL reconstruction.

Materials And Methods: Eight articles were included in the final analysis.

An optical-frequency synthesizer using integrated photonics.

Optical-frequency synthesizers, which generate frequency-stable light from a single microwave-frequency reference, are revolutionizing ultrafast science and metrology, but their size, power requirement and cost need to be reduced if they are to be more widely used. Integrated-photonics microchips can be used in high-coherence applications, such as data transmission , highly optimized physical sensors and harnessing quantum states , to lower cost and increase efficiency and portability. Here we describe a method for synthesizing the absolute frequency of a lightwave signal, using integrated photonics to create a phase-coherent microwave-to-optical link.

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid during in vitro culture improves development of dog-pig interspecies cloned embryos but not dog cloned embryos.

This study was conducted to investigate whether the treatment of dog to pig interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) embryos with a histone deacetylase inhibitor, to improve nuclear reprogramming, can be applied to dog SCNT embryos. The dog to pig iSCNT embryos were cultured in fresh porcine zygote medium-5 (PZM-5) with 0, 1, or 10 µM suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) for 6 h, then transferred to PZM-5 without SAHA. Although there were no significant differences in cleavage rates, the rates of 5-8-cell stage embryo development were significantly higher in the 10 µM group (19.

Vibrio vulnificus quorum-sensing molecule cyclo(Phe-Pro) inhibits RIG-I-mediated antiviral innate immunity.

The recognition of pathogen-derived ligands by pattern recognition receptors activates the innate immune response, but the potential interaction of quorum-sensing (QS) signaling molecules with host anti-viral defenses remains largely unknown. Here we show that the Vibrio vulnificus QS molecule cyclo(Phe-Pro) (cFP) inhibits interferon (IFN)-β production by interfering with retinoic-acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) activation. Binding of cFP to the RIG-I 2CARD domain induces a conformational change in RIG-I, preventing the TRIM25-mediated ubiquitination to abrogate IFN production.

High-Contrast Imaging of Cholesterol Crystals in Rabbit Arteries Ex Vivo Using LED-Based Polarization Microscopy.

Detection of cholesterol crystals (Chcs) in atherosclerosis disease is important for understanding the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Polarization microscopy (PM) has been in use traditionally for detecting Chcs, but they have difficulty in distinguishing Chcs with other crystalline materials in tissue, such as collagens. Thus, most studies using PM have been limited to studying cell-level samples.

A20 ameliorates inflammatory bowel disease in mice via inhibiting NF-κB and STAT3 activation.

A20 is a zinc finger protein that effectively inhibits the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB to downregulate the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-17. A20 also plays a crucial role as a feedback inhibitor of the inflammatory response. Due to its inhibitory role, A20 may be useful in regulating diseases resulting from chronic inflammation and excessive pro-inflammatory cytokine production, such as colitis.

Serial Monitoring of Immune Markers Being Represented Regulatory T Cell/T Helper 17 Cell Ratio: Indicating Tolerance for Tapering Immunosuppression after Liver Transplantation.

Recipients of liver transplantation (LT) require long-term immunosuppressive drug treatment, but lifelong immunosuppressive treatment has severe side effects. It is known that some LT recipients develop immune tolerance, and although the development of such operational tolerance should allow a decrease in the burden of immunosuppressive drug treatment, the factors that indicate operational tolerance are not clear. This study aimed to monitor immunological markers over time in LT recipients to identify those markers indicating the development of operational tolerance.

Capsaicin upregulates HDAC2 via TRPV1 and impairs neuronal maturation in mice.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) affects mood and neuroplasticity in the brain, where its role is poorly understood. In the present study we investigated whether capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-trans-6-nonenamide), an agonist of TRPV1, induced chromatin remodeling and thereby altered gene expression related to synaptic plasticity. We found that capsaicin treatment resulted in upregulation of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) in the mouse hippocampus and HDAC2 was enriched at Psd95, synaptophysin, GLUR1, GLUR2 promoters.

Immunological pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory state of the gastrointestinal tract and can be classified into 2 main clinical phenomena: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The pathogenesis of IBD, including CD and UC, involves the presence of pathogenic factors such as abnormal gut microbiota, immune response dysregulation, environmental changes, and gene variants. Although many investigations have tried to identify novel pathogenic factors associated with IBD that are related to environmental, genetic, microbial, and immune response factors, a full understanding of IBD pathogenesis is unclear.

Gamma-glutamyl transferase predicts future stroke: A Korean nationwide study.

Objective: Although gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) is generally regarded as an alternative biomarker for alcohol consumption, its independent role in vascular diseases emerged recently. However, its role in stroke remains unknown. The aim of this study is to clarify the impact of GGT on stroke in a large-sized, national, standardized population cohort in Korea.

Metformin ameliorates experimental-obesity-associated autoimmune arthritis by inducing FGF21 expression and brown adipocyte differentiation.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease involving excessive inflammation. Recently, RA associated with a metabolic disorder was revealed to be non-responsive to RA medications. Metformin has been reported to have a therapeutic effect on RA and obesity.