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We synthesized a series of tri-component biodegradable copolymers with elastic characteristics by ring-opening copolymerization of cyclic lactones, that is, glycolide, L-lactide, and ϵ-caprolactone, in the presence of stannous octoate as... more
We synthesized a series of tri-component biodegradable copolymers with elastic characteristics by ring-opening copolymerization of cyclic lactones, that is, glycolide, L-lactide, and ϵ-caprolactone, in the presence of stannous octoate as a catalyst. We evaluated the physical and chemical characteristics of poly(glycolide-co-L-lactide-co-ϵ-caprolactone) (PGLCL) copolymers. The synthesized PGLCL had a high molecular weight of about 100 kD and an amorphous structure. It was
Research Interests: Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Medicine, Elasticity, and 15 moreBiodegradation, Cell line, Animals, Biodegradable Polymer, Chemical Properties, Lactide, Biocompatible Materials, Lactic Acid, Cell Survival, Lactones, Copolymer, Caprolactone, fibroblasts, Mechanical Property, and High Molecular Weight
Callosal disconnection signs are closely related to asymmetric hemispheric specialization of cognitive functions. Although extinction is more commonly associated with the right parietotemporal lesion, it may occur following lesions of the... more
Callosal disconnection signs are closely related to asymmetric hemispheric specialization of cognitive functions. Although extinction is more commonly associated with the right parietotemporal lesion, it may occur following lesions of the corpus callosum. After an infarction involving the left splenium, a 58-year-old right-handed man had no disconnection symptoms that had been reported earlier, but showed visual extinction with left or right visual hemifield dominant stimuli. Our results suggest that dominance specific visual extinction might be another disconnection sign associated with splenial lesion.
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medicine, Brain Mapping, and 15 moreHumans, Corpus Callosum, Male, Clinical Sciences, Middle Aged, Hemispheric Specialization, Cognitive Function, Lesion, Visual Fields, Disconnection, Right Handed, Case Control Studies, Neuropsychological Tests, photic stimulation, and Visual Pathways
Research Interests: Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Immunohistochemistry, Polymers, and 15 moreMedicine, Polymer, Porosity, Cartilage, Animals, Temperature, Chondrocytes, Macromolecular, Cartilage Tissue Engineering, Molecular weight, Rabbits, Tensile Strength, Biocompatible Materials, Lactic Acid, and Sodium Chloride
Research Interests: Materials Science, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and 11 moreMedicine, Polymerization, Temperature, Monomer, Microsphere, Molecular weight, Supercritical Fluid Chromatography, Microspheres, Polyesters, Supercritical Fluid, and Ring Opening Polymerization
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Objective: Our goal was to determine whether percutaneous laryngeal collagen augmentation improves hypophonia in parkinsonian patients. Study Design and Setting: A retrospective review of 18 patients was performed. Patients and/or... more
Objective: Our goal was to determine whether percutaneous laryngeal collagen augmentation improves hypophonia in parkinsonian patients. Study Design and Setting: A retrospective review of 18 patients was performed. Patients and/or caretakers were called on the telephone and asked about their response to the procedure, if any. Videostroboscopic examinations for all patients were reviewed. Results: Of 18 patients, 11 (61%) reported
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Water-tight closure of the dura in extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass is impossible because the superficial temporal artery (STA) must run through the dural defect. Consequently, subdural hygroma and subcutaneous cerebrospinal fluid... more
Water-tight closure of the dura in extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass is impossible because the superficial temporal artery (STA) must run through the dural defect. Consequently, subdural hygroma and subcutaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection frequently occur postoperatively. To reduce these complications, we prospectively performed suturing of the arachnoid membrane after STA-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) and evaluated the clinical usefulness. Between Mar. 2005 and Oct. 2010, extracranial-intracranial arterial bypass (EIAB) with/without encephalo-myo-synangiosis was performed in 88 cases (male : female = 53 : 35). As a control group, 51 patients (57 sides) underwent conventional bypass surgery without closure of the arachnoid membrane. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan was performed twice in three days and seven days later, respectively, for evaluation of the presence of subdural fluid collection and other mass lesions. The surgical result was excellent, w...
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Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress is known to play an important role in the development of several diabetic complications, including atherosclerosis. Although a number of antioxidants are available, none have been found to be... more
Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress is known to play an important role in the development of several diabetic complications, including atherosclerosis. Although a number of antioxidants are available, none have been found to be suitable for regulating the oxidative stress response and enhancing antioxidative defense mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated the effects of magnesium lithospermate B (LAB) against oxidative stress. We
Research Interests: Pharmacology, Atherosclerosis, Oxidative Stress, Medicine, Molecular Mechanics, and 15 moreAntioxidants, Magnesium, Diabetes mellitus, Animals, Male, NRF, Clinical Sciences, Rats, Carotid Artery, Diabetic Rat, Diabetic complication, aldose reductase, Protein Kinase C, Diabetic atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
Articular cartilage is subjected to complex loading, which plays a major role in its growth, development and maintenance. Previously, we found that mechanical stimuli enhanced the development and function of engineered cartilage tissues... more
Articular cartilage is subjected to complex loading, which plays a major role in its growth, development and maintenance. Previously, we found that mechanical stimuli enhanced the development and function of engineered cartilage tissues in elastic mechano-active poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffolds. In addition, it is well known that the three-dimensional spatial organization of cells and extracellular matrices in hydrogels is crucial to
Research Interests: Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, Extracellular Matrix, Cell Differentiation, and 15 moreFibrin, Cartilage, Biomedical Materials, Medical Biotechnology, Compressive Strength, Animals, Pore Size, Mesenchymal Stem Cell, Chondrogenesis, Dynamic Environment, Articular Cartilage, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, Nude mice, Bone marrow stromal cells, and Cell culture techniques
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Research Interests: Engineering, Materials Science, Plasma Physics, Technology, Microstructure, and 15 moreProcess Control, Surface Roughness, Thin Film, Quality Factor, Physical sciences, Crystallinity, Magnetron Sputtering, Magnetron, Electrical Properties, Resonator, Microstructures, Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator, Langmuir Probe, Sputter Deposition, and Resonant Frequency
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Research Interests: Psychology, Psychiatry, Medicine, Emotions, Humans, and 15 moreGaze, Close relationships, Orientation, Female, Male, Interpersonal Relations, Eye Gaze, Head Movements, Interpersonal distance, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Personal space, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Neuropsychological Tests, and Medical and Health Sciences
Videooculography (VOG) is an eye movement measurement method used in the objective evaluation of vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VOR). An important requirement of VOG is to accurately estimate pupil center and ocular torsion, irrespective of... more
Videooculography (VOG) is an eye movement measurement method used in the objective evaluation of vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VOR). An important requirement of VOG is to accurately estimate pupil center and ocular torsion, irrespective of drooping eyelids, eyelashes, corneal reflection, and blinking. Finding the accurate center of the pupil is particularly important in three-dimensional VOG, since otherwise, significant errors can occur in measuring torsional eye movement. A fast algorithm was proposed to accurately ascertain the pupil center, in spite of the complicating factors mentioned above. In this study, real-time three-dimensional VOG, which can measure horizontal, vertical, and torsional eye movements and calculate the pupil radius, was implemented using the proposed method. When the pupil radius was determined, the vertical position was measured within an error margin of less than 3%, even though only 10% of the pupil was visible. The time required to measure both three-dimensional eye movements and the pupil radius was less than 16 ms. Thus, eye movements can be measured in real-time. The resolutions of horizontal, vertical, and torsional eye movement were 0.2 degrees, 0.2 degrees, and 0.1 degrees, respectively, with maximum ranges of +/- 35 degrees, +/- 25 degrees, and +/- 18 degrees.
Research Interests: Engineering, Computer Science, Algorithms, Research Design, Medicine, and 14 moreHumans, Animals, Physical sciences, Three Dimensional Imaging, Eye Movements, Real Time, Time Factors, Eye Movement, Reproducibility of Results, Pupil, Electrooculography, Video Recording, Fast Algorithm, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Research Interests: Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Immunohistochemistry, Polymers, and 15 moreMedicine, Polymer, Porosity, Cartilage, Animals, Temperature, Chondrocytes, Macromolecular, Cartilage Tissue Engineering, Molecular weight, Rabbits, Tensile Strength, Biocompatible Materials, Lactic Acid, and Sodium Chloride
Several biodegradable polymers, including poly(L-lactide) (PL), are now widely used for biomedical applications, such as surgical sutures,1 drug delivery systems,2 and internal bone fixation.3 For these applications, it is sometimes... more
Several biodegradable polymers, including poly(L-lactide) (PL), are now widely used for biomedical applications, such as surgical sutures,1 drug delivery systems,2 and internal bone fixation.3 For these applications, it is sometimes necessary to modify the physical properties of the ...
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Research Interests: Nursing, Higher Education, Data Analysis, Health Care, Medicine, and 15 moreHumans, Health Services, Female, Community health nursing, Health Care Services, Male, Case Management, Logistic Regression Analysis, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Age Factors, Logistic Models, and National Health Insurance
Research Interests: Clinical Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medicine, Humans, Female, and 14 moreDifferential Diagnosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Clinical Sciences, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, Adult, Internal medicine Doppler ultrasonography, Neurosciences, Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), Middle Cerebral Artery, Internal Carotid Artery, Magnetic resonance angiography, Cerebral Angiography, Hemiparesis, and moyamoya disease
Biofilm production has been implicated as a potential virulence factor of some Candida species responsible for catheter-related fungemia in patients receiving parenteral nutrition. We therefore compared clinical bloodstream isolates... more
Biofilm production has been implicated as a potential virulence factor of some Candida species responsible for catheter-related fungemia in patients receiving parenteral nutrition. We therefore compared clinical bloodstream isolates representing seven different Candida species to each other and to those from other anatomical sites for the capacity to form biofilms in glucose-containing medium. Potential associations between the capacity to form biofilms and the clinical characteristics of fungemia were also analyzed. Isolates included the following from nonneutropenic patients: 101 bloodstream isolates (35 C. parapsilosis , 30 C. albicans , 18 C. tropicalis , 8 C. glabrata , and 10 other Candida species isolates) and 259 clinical isolates from other body sites (116 C. albicans , 53 C. glabrata , 43 C. tropicalis , 17 C. parapsilosis , and 30 other Candida species isolates). Organisms were grown in Sabouraud dextrose broth (SDB) containing a final concentration of 8% glucose to induc...
Research Interests: Biofilms, Biology, Medicine, Clinical Microbiology, Biological Sciences, and 15 moreHumans, Biofilm, Glucose, Clinical, Blood, Candida, Candidiasis, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida Glabrata, Central Venous Catheter, Culture Media, Candida Tropicalis, fungemia, and Medical and Health Sciences
The tissue engineering of tendon was studied using highly elastic poly(L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffolds and focusing on the effect of dynamic tensile stimulation. Tenocytes from rabbit Achilles tendon were seeded (1.0 x... more
The tissue engineering of tendon was studied using highly elastic poly(L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffolds and focusing on the effect of dynamic tensile stimulation. Tenocytes from rabbit Achilles tendon were seeded (1.0 x 10(6) cells/scaffold) onto porous PLCL scaffolds and cultured for periods of 2 weeks and 4 weeks. This was performed in a static system and also in a bioreactor equipped with tensile modulation which mimicked the environmental surroundings of tendons with respect to tensile extension. The degradation of the polymeric scaffolds during the culture was relatively slow. However, there was an indication that cells accelerated the degradation of PLCL scaffolds. The scaffold/cell adducts from the static culture exhibited inferior strength (at 2 weeks 350 kPa, 4 weeks 300 kPa) compared to the control without cells (at 2 weeks 460 kPa, 4 weeks 340 kPa), indicating that the cells contributed to the enhanced degradation. On the contrary, the corresponding values of the adducts from the dynamic culture (at 2 weeks 430 kPa, 4 weeks 370 kPa) were similar to, or higher than, those from the control. This could be explained by the increased quantity of cells and neo-tissues in the case of dynamic culture compensating for the loss in tensile strength. Compared with static and dynamic culture conditions, mechanical stimulation played a crucial role in the regeneration of tendon tissue. In the case of the dynamic culture system, cell proliferation was enhanced and secretion of collagen type I was increased, as evidenced by DNA assay and histological and immunofluorescence analysis. Thus, tendon regeneration, indicated by improved mechanical and biological properties, was demonstrated, confirming the effect of mechanical stimulation. It could be concluded that the dynamic tensile stimulation appeared to be an essential factor in tendon/ligament tissue engineering, and that elastic PLCL co-polymers could be very beneficial in this process.
Research Interests: Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Biomimetics, and 15 moreMedicine, Extracellular Matrix, Porosity, Animals, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Achilles tendon, Cell Proliferation, Rabbits, Polyesters, Ligaments, Mechanical Processes, Biomechanical Phenomena, Mechanical Property, Collagen type I, and Cell culture techniques
In cartilage tissue regeneration, it is important that an implant inserted into a defect site can maintain its mechanical integrity and endure stress loads from the body, in addition to being biocompatible and able to induce tissue... more
In cartilage tissue regeneration, it is important that an implant inserted into a defect site can maintain its mechanical integrity and endure stress loads from the body, in addition to being biocompatible and able to induce tissue growth. These factors are crucial in the design of scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering. We developed an elastic biodegradable scaffold from poly(L-lactideco-epsilon-caprolactone) (PLCL) for application in cartilage treatment. Biodegradable PLCL co-polymer was synthesized from L-lactide and epsilon-caprolactone in the presence of stannous octoate as a catalyst. A highly elastic PLCL scaffold was fabricated by a gel-pressing method with 80% porosity and 300-500 microm pore size. The tensile mechanical and recovery tests were performed in order to examine mechanical and elastic properties of the PLCL scaffold. They could be easily twisted and bent and exhibited almost complete (over 94%) recoverable extension up to breaking point. For examining cartilaginous tissue formation, rabbit chondrocytes were seeded on scaffolds. They were then cultured in vitro for 5 weeks or implanted in nude mice subcutaneously. From in vitro and in vivo tests, the accumulation of extracellular matrix on the constructs showed that chondrogenic differentiation was sustained onto PLCL scaffolds. Histological analysis showed that cells onto PLCL scaffolds formed mature and well-developed cartilaginous tissue, as evidenced by chondrocytes within lacunae. From these results, we are confident that elastic PLCL scaffolds exhibit biocompatibility and as such would provide an environment where cartilage tissue growth is enhanced and facilitated.
Research Interests: Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, and 15 moreExtracellular Matrix, Elasticity, Cartilage, Mice, Animals, Pore Size, Chondrocytes, Cartilage Tissue Engineering, Chondrogenesis, Rabbits, Elastic Properties, Polyesters, Biocompatible Materials, Nude mice, and Caprolactone
For repairing cartilage defects by cartilage tissue engineering, it is important that engineered cartilage that is fabricated with scaffolds and cells can maintain the biological and physiological functions of cartilage, and also can... more
For repairing cartilage defects by cartilage tissue engineering, it is important that engineered cartilage that is fabricated with scaffolds and cells can maintain the biological and physiological functions of cartilage, and also can induce three-dimensional spatial organization of chondrocytes. In this sense, hydrogels such as fibrin gels (FG) and hyaluronan (HA) are widely used for application in cartilage treatment. However, the use of hydrogels alone as a scaffold has a physical weakness; the mechanical properties of hydrogels are too weak to endure complex loading in the body. In this study, for mimicking a native cartilage microenvironment, we made cell-hybrid scaffold constructs with poly(L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffolds and hydrogels to guide three-dimensional spatial organization of cells and extracellular matrix. A highly elastic scaffold was fabricated from PLCL with 85% porosity and 300-500 microm pore size using a gel-pressing method. The mixture of rabbit chondrocytes and hydrogels was seeded on PLCL scaffolds, and was subcutaneously implanted into nude mice for up to eight weeks. The cell seeding efficiency of the hybrid scaffolds with FG or HA was higher than that of the PLCL scaffolds. From in vivo studies, the accumulation of cartilaginous extracellular matrices of constructs, which was increased by hybridization of hydrogels and PLCL scaffolds, showed that the cell-hybrid scaffold constructs formed mature and well-developed cartilaginous tissue. In conclusion, the hybridization of hydrogels and PLCL scaffold for three-dimensional spatial organization of cells would provide a biomimetic environment where cartilage tissue growth is enhanced and facilitated. It can enhance the production of cartilaginous extracellular matrices and, consequently, improve the quality of the cartilaginous tissue formed.
Research Interests: Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, and 15 moreBiomaterials, Hydrogels, Medicine, Extracellular Matrix, Fibrin, Cartilage, Animals, Gels, Hyaluronic Acid, Chondrocytes, Cartilage Tissue Engineering, Lactones, Nude mice, Caprolactone, and Mechanical Property
Research Interests: Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, and 15 moreGene expression, Extracellular Matrix, Cell Differentiation, Cartilage, Collagen, Mice, Compressive Strength, Animals, Cell Transplantation, Glycosaminoglycans, Bioreactors, Chondrocytes, Cell Proliferation, Articular Cartilage, and Biomechanical Phenomena
Tissue-engineered vascular grafts have been investigated as a substitute for prosthetic vascular grafts. The current scaffolds have several limitations due to weak mechanical properties in withstanding the pressure of blood vessel. A... more
Tissue-engineered vascular grafts have been investigated as a substitute for prosthetic vascular grafts. The current scaffolds have several limitations due to weak mechanical properties in withstanding the pressure of blood vessel. A gel-spinning molding device including three-separate drivers that make a cylindrical shaft turn on its axis, orbit, and concurrently move up and down was developed for preparing seamless fibrous tubular scaffolds for vascular grafts. A seamless double-layered tubular scaffold, which was composed of an outer fibrous network and inner porous layer, was fabricated by using the device for the spinning of poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL, 50:50) solution as a gel state on a rotating cylindrical shaft that had been dip-coated with the mixture of PLCL solution and NaCl particles. A scaffold that had an inner layer fabricated with 30% salts, below 20 mum in salt size, and more than 100 microm in thickness, was found to be optimal from a blood leakage test. The burst pressures of the scaffolds were more than 900 mmHg. The scaffolds exhibited 550-670% elongation-at-break. The measured circumferential and longitudinal tensile strengths of the scaffolds were 3.62 +/- 0.68 and 2.64 +/- 0.41 MPa, respectively. The suture retention strength of the scaffold was measured to be 7.68 +/- 0.75 N. These mechanically strong and elastic properties of the newly developed scaffolds provide an important basis for blood vessel tissue engineering.
Research Interests: Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Tissue Engineering, Rheology, and 14 moreMedicine, Elasticity, Porosity, Scaffold, Double Layer, Gels, Elastic Properties, Materials Testing, Polyesters, Tensile Strength, Equipment Design, Blood Vessel, Mechanical Property, and Tissue Scaffolds
Biodegradable macroporous scaffolds have been developed for tissue-engineering applications. We fabricated and characterized a new tubular, macroporous, fibrous scaffold using a very elastic biodegradable co-polymer,... more
Biodegradable macroporous scaffolds have been developed for tissue-engineering applications. We fabricated and characterized a new tubular, macroporous, fibrous scaffold using a very elastic biodegradable co-polymer, poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL, 5:5) in a gel-spinning process. A viscous PLCL solution was spun as a gel-phase under swirl-flow conditions and was subsequently fabricated to produce a tubular fibrous scaffold on a rotating cylindrical shaft in a methanol solution. The porosity and median pore size of the fibrous PLCL scaffolds were 55-75% and 120-150 microm, respectively, using a 5-10% PLCL solution. The use of a 7.5% (w/v) solution resulted in scaffolds with tensile strength and elastic modulus of 3.39 MPa and 1.22 MPa, respectively. The scaffolds exhibited 500-600% elongation-at-break. The tensile strength and modulus of fibrous PLCL scaffolds were proven to decrease on lowering the concentration of the PLCL spinning solution; however, the tensile strength and modulus of fibrous PLCL scaffolds, produced from 5% solutions, are approximately 4- and 5-times higher than those of extruded PLCL scaffolds. These properties indicated that the fibrous PLCL scaffolds were very elastic and mechanically strong. The scaffolds appeared to be well inter-connected between the pores as determined by SEM imaging analysis. In addition, the cell-seeding efficiency was 2-fold higher using gel-spun scaffolds than using extruded scaffolds. These results suggest that the gel-spun fibrous PLCL scaffold is an excellent matrix for vascular tissue-engineering applications.
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Interleukin (IL)-32 is a recently described cytokine that appears to play a critical role in a variety of inflammatory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, thus far, the regulation of IL-32 production... more
Interleukin (IL)-32 is a recently described cytokine that appears to play a critical role in a variety of inflammatory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, thus far, the regulation of IL-32 production has not been fully established. Here, we report on signaling pathways that regulate the production of IL-32α, the most abundant isoform, in the human alveolar epithelial cell line, A549. IL-32α was expressed and secreted by IL-1β. The IL-32 expression was attenuated by PP2 (a Src-family kinase [SFK] inhibitor), rottlerin (a protein kinase [PK] Cδ inhibitor), and LY294002 (a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase [PI3K] inhibitor). Furthermore, the overexpression of Fgr rather than other SFKs upregulated IL-32α expression, while Fgr small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection downregulated it. The suppression of Fgr with PP2 and Fgr siRNA inhibited activating phosphorylation of PKCδ and PI3K/Akt, but not IL-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)1, a well-known MyD88-dependent signaling molecule, and Erk1/2, p38, and JNK. Rottlerin and PKCδ siRNA also inhibited expression of IL-32α and activation of PI3K/Akt, but not of IRAK1 and mitogen activation protein (MAP) kinases. MyD88 siRNA suppressed the expression of IL-32α and the phosphorylation of IRAK1, PI3K, and MAP kinases, but not of PKCδ. Of interest, both Fgr/PKCδ and MyD88-dependent signals regulated PI3K/Akt, suggesting that it is a crosstalk molecule. Among MyD88-dependent MAP kinases, only p38 regulated IL-32α expression and PI3K/Akt activation. With these results, we demonstrated that the expression and secretion of IL-32α are regulated by MyD88-dependent IRAK1/p38/PI3K and independent Fgr/PKCδ/PI3K pathways, and that Fgr and PKCδ are critical for the MyD88-independent IL-32α production.
Research Interests: Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Medicine, Biological Sciences, and 15 moreCell line, Humans, Immunobiology, Inflammatory disease, Kinase, Protein kinase B, Interleukins, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Protein Kinase, Chromones, MAP Kinase, Ly, Gene Expression Regulation, Signaling pathway, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Objective: The purpose of this study is to propose an objective and simple method for assessing surgical outcomes of cleft nasal deformity using two-dimensional digital images. Design: Five plastic surgeons evaluated slides of 20 normal... more
Objective: The purpose of this study is to propose an objective and simple method for assessing surgical outcomes of cleft nasal deformity using two-dimensional digital images. Design: Five plastic surgeons evaluated slides of 20 normal and 65 repaired cleft nasal deformities using the full range of values from 0 to 100 with 10-point intervals. Five laypersons rated 12 parameters per image from the same data set using the developed assessment tool. Correlation coefficients between the parameter values and the surgeons’ grades were obtained to find the best matches, and a regression equation was formulated using those. The reproducibility of the proposed method used by the laypersons was compared with that of the subjective grades made by the surgeons. Results: The mean correlation coefficient among the evaluated grades by the five laypersons using the proposed method was higher (.90) than that for the subjectively determined grades from the five plastic surgeons (.80). The grade rep...
Research Interests: Dentistry, Orthodontics, Photography, Forecasting, Medicine, and 15 moreEsthetics, Humans, Regression Analysis, LIP, Reproducibility, Reproducibility of Results, Correlation coefficient, Linear Regression, Nose, Quantitative Evaluation, Deformity, Nose Surgery, Regression equation, attitude to health, and Reconstructive Surgical Procedures
Research Interests: Sexual Dysfunction, Cancer, Quality of life, Medicine, Anxiety, and 15 moreHumans, Survivors, Female, Sexual Behavior, Cervical Cancer, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, ANXIETY, Sexual Function, Antineoplastic Agents, General Population, Disease Free Survival, and Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
The maltose-binding protein (MBP), which possesses a large number of exposed hydrophobic zones, can be used as a link for the immobilization of growth factors. The amount of immobilized MBP-vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) for... more
The maltose-binding protein (MBP), which possesses a large number of exposed hydrophobic zones, can be used as a link for the immobilization of growth factors. The amount of immobilized MBP-vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) for polystyrene surface was increased with respect to increasing protein, showing 1019 ng/cm(2) at 100 microg protein/ml. The phosphorylation of VEGF receptors in the MBP-VEGF stimulated HEK293/KDR cells as depicted from western blot analysis. Cell adhesion to a MBP-VEGF immobilized surface was mediated by the VEGF-VEGFR interaction. These results suggest that MBP-VEGFs are active and a MBP immobilization system can then anchor various bioactive proteins to hydrophobic surfaces.
Research Interests: Engineering, Chemistry, Technology, Biology, Cell Adhesion, and 15 moreCrystallization, Medicine, Extracellular Matrix, Protein Engineering, Adsorption, Biological Sciences, Cell line, Humans, Quartz, Solubility, Surface Properties, Reproducibility of Results, Growth Factor, Polystyrenes, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
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Research Interests: Materials Science, Chemistry, Biomaterials, Cell Adhesion, Medicine, and 15 moreMultidisciplinary, Adhesion, Biocompatibility, Humans, Medical Device, Contact angle, Ethylene, Ozone, Oxygen, Poly Ethylene Glycol, Biocompatible Materials, Polyethylene Glycols, PEG Ratio, Ethylene Glycol, and Blood platelets
Research Interests: Materials Science, Biomaterials, Cell Adhesion, Cell Biology, Medicine, and 15 moreMultidisciplinary, Adhesion, Extracellular Matrix, Adipose tissue, Cell Differentiation, Humans, Female, Adipogenesis, Phenotype, Middle Aged, Fibronectin, Monoclonal Antibody, Integrin, Extracellular Matrix Proteins, and Laminin
Research Interests: Materials Science, Chemistry, Biomaterials, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, and 15 moreCell Division, Dogs, Cell Differentiation, Smooth muscle, Mice, Animals, Myosin, Bone marrow, Mesenchymal Stem Cell, Biodegradable Polymer, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Control Group, Bone Marrow Cells, Bone marrow stromal cells, and Cell culture techniques
Research Interests: Pathology, Materials Science, Biomaterials, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, and 15 moreExtracellular Matrix, Dogs, Cell Differentiation, Endothelial Cells, Animals, Bone marrow, Decellularization, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Inferior Vena Cava, Endothelial cell, CARDİOVASCULAR SURGERY, Cell free System, Bone Marrow Cells, Electron Microscope, and Intimal hyperplasia
Functional oligomers based on glutathione (GSH) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were synthesized via Michael addition. Well-defined, spherical nanoparticle self-assembly was confirmed via dynamic light scattering and... more
Functional oligomers based on glutathione (GSH) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were synthesized via Michael addition. Well-defined, spherical nanoparticle self-assembly was confirmed via dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, a series of Michael addition oligomers containing GSH were prepared with various molecular weights of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Thermal analysis indicated that the oligomers were thermally stable to approximately 160 degrees C, and the Tg increased as the PEG molecular weight increased. In addition, thiol-terminated PEG was synthesized and reacted with GSH to form disulfide-linked oligomers to probe potential antioxidant therapies. SH-SY5Y cells were utilized in cell culture experiments, and hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress on the cells. Disulfide-linked GSH oligomers were 100% effective at protecting SH-SY5Y cells from oxidative stress, whereas the Michael addition GSH oligomers did not offer protection.
Research Interests: Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Nanoparticles, Oxidative Stress, and 15 moreBiological Sciences, Antioxidants, Humans, Glutathione, Temperature, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Hydrogen Peroxide, Particle Size, Molecular Conformation, Molecular weight, Cell Survival, Biomacromolecules, Polyethylene Glycols, PEG Ratio, and Ethylene Glycol
Research Interests: Pharmacology, Atherosclerosis, Oxidative Stress, Medicine, Molecular Mechanics, and 15 moreAntioxidants, Magnesium, Diabetes mellitus, Animals, Male, NRF, Clinical Sciences, Rats, Carotid Artery, Diabetic Rat, Diabetic complication, aldose reductase, Protein Kinase C, Diabetic atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is a recently discovered cytokine that appears to play a critical role in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is highly expressed in synovium and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from RA patients, but not in... more
Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is a recently discovered cytokine that appears to play a critical role in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is highly expressed in synovium and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from RA patients, but not in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). This study was undertaken to assess IL-32 levels in RA synovial fluid (SF) and to investigate the secretion and regulation of IL-32 in RA FLS. FLS and SF were obtained from the joints of RA patients. The secretion and expression of IL-32 and activation of signaling molecules were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection. IL-32 levels were high in RA SF compared with OA SF. Furthermore, RA FLS expressed and secreted IL-32 when stimulated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). TNFalpha-induced expression of IL-32 was significantly suppressed, in a dose-dependent manner, by inhibitors of Syk, protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta), and JNK and by knockdown of these kinases and c-Jun with siRNA. We also observed that PKCdelta mediated the activation of JNK and c-Jun, and experiments using specific inhibitors and siRNA demonstrated that Syk was the upstream kinase for the activation of PKCdelta. The present findings suggest that IL-32 may be a newly identified prognostic biomarker in RA, thereby adding valuable knowledge to the understanding of this disease. The results also demonstrate that the production of IL-32 in RA FLS is regulated by Syk/PKCdelta-mediated signaling events.
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Research Interests: Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Medicine, Prospective studies, Humans, and 15 moreFemale, Male, Esophageal Cancer, Cisplatin, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Randomized Controlled Trial, Annals, Chemoradiotherapy, Combined Modality Therapy, neoadjuvant therapy, esophagectomy, Neoplasm staging, and fluorouracil
Diaphragmatic dysfunction is a major factor in the etiology of postoperative pulmonary complications after upper abdominal surgery. M-mode ultrasonography is now an accepted qualitative method of assessing diaphragmatic motion in normal... more
Diaphragmatic dysfunction is a major factor in the etiology of postoperative pulmonary complications after upper abdominal surgery. M-mode ultrasonography is now an accepted qualitative method of assessing diaphragmatic motion in normal and pathological conditions. In this study, we evaluated whether diaphragmatic inspiratory amplitude (DIA) as measured by M-mode sonography can be a predictor of pulmonary dysfunction. A prospective, single-center, single-unit, observational study was performed in 35 ASA physical status I and II nonsmoking patients undergoing open liver lobectomy. Diaphragmatic movements were assessed by M-mode sonography after a pulmonary function test preoperatively and on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, and 7. We measured the DIA (cm) during quiet, deep, and sniff breathing. After liver lobectomy, DIA during deep breathing and vital capacity (VC) showed significant reductions of 60% from their preoperative values on PODs 1 and 2 (P < 0.001). By POD 7, the variables recovered significantly, by 30% from the values on PODs 1 and 2 (P < 0.001). During deep breathing, DIA showed a significant correlation with VC (r = 0.839, P < 0.0001). The best cutoff values of DIA for detecting 30% and 50% decreases of VC from preoperative values, calculated by receiver operating characteristic analysis, were 3.61 and 2.41 cm, with sensitivity of 94% and 81% and specificity of 76% and 91%, respectively (P = 0.0001). Two patients showed postoperative diaphragmatic paralysis but did not complain of respiratory distress symptoms or need supplemental oxygen after being transferred to the general ward. DIA using M-mode sonography showed a linear correlation with VC measured by spirometry throughout the postoperative period. We conclude that using the M-mode sonographic technique at the bedside can be a practical way to investigate postoperative diaphragmatic dysfunction, and may also be an effective bedside screening method for diaphragmatic paralysis.