Graphene barristors with two parallel connected n-type and undoped graphene channels are used to build a ternary logic switch. Three distinctly separated out current levels are successfully ...demonstrated and the experimental device parameters obtained from the graphene barristor based ternary switch are used to model the ternary circuit modules. Well-behaving standard ternary inverter, NMIN, NMAX, and ternary comparator have been obtained, confirming the feasibility of large scale integration of ternary logic devices.
In Korea, to investigate the casual relationship between humidifier disinfectant and lung disease, four rounds of investigation and judgment were conducted. During this investigation, two adults who ...performed lung biopsy were recognized for their relevance between humidifier disinfectants and lung disease. At first, we did not think of the relationship to humidifier disinfectant because chest computed tomography (CT) finding of 2 cases were improved. However, they performed lung biopsy and it showed typical humidifier disinfectant lung injury (HDLI) pathologic findings, they could be recognized as HDLI. We report these cases here.
We selected 2 cases from the fourth-round investigation at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. Patient of case 1 used humidifier disinfectants since September 2010. The patient was admitted 6 months later to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to severe dyspnea. Pathology following a lung biopsy revealed typical HDLI finding which was determined to be due to humidifier disinfectant exposure. Patient of case 2 used humidifier disinfectant from 2001 to 2008 for about 3 months each winter. The patient's cough and sputum production symptoms began in December of 2007. The patient was admitted to the respiratory medicine department due to worsening dyspnea. Pathology following a lung biopsy revealed typical HDLI finding. This was determined to have been caused by humidifier disinfectant exposure.
Because the typical radiologic findings associated with HDLI can improve over time, it is necessary to consider the revision of current diagnostic criteria that the presence of radiologic findings is important.
Although the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) δ has been implicated in the wound healing process, its exact role and mechanism of action have not been fully elucidated. Our previous ...findings showed that PPARδ induces the expression of the transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1, which has been implicated in the deposit of extracellular matrix proteins. Here, we demonstrate that administration of GW501516, a specific PPARδ ligand, significantly promoted wound closure in the experimental mouse and had a profound effect on the expression of collagen types I and III, alpha‐smooth muscle actin, pSmad3 and TGF‐β1, which play a pivotal role in wound healing processes. Activation of PPARδ increased migration of human epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts in in vitro scrape‐wounding assays. Addition of a specific ALK5 receptor inhibitor SB431542 significantly suppressed GW501516‐induced migration of human keratinocytes and fibroblasts. In these cells, activated PPARδ also induced the expression of collagen types I and III and fibronectin in a TGF‐β1‐dependent or ‐independent manner. The effect of PPARδ on the expression of type III collagen was dually regulated by the direct binding of PPARδ and Smad3 to a direct repeat‐1 site and a Smad‐binding element, respectively, of the type III gene promoter. Taken together, these results demonstrated that PPARδ plays an important role in skin wound healing in vivo and that it functions by accelerating extracellular matrix‐mediated cellular interactions in a process mediated by the TGF‐β1/Smad3 signaling‐dependent or ‐ independent pathway.
Background: Recently, the number of nationwide medical researches on psoriasis using the National Health Insurance Service database has been on the rise. However, identification of psoriasis using ...diagnostic codes alone can lead to misclassification. Accuracy of the diagnostic codes and their concordance with medical records should be validated first to identify psoriasis patients correctly. Objective: To validate the diagnostic codes of psoriasis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision L40) and to find the algorithm for the identification of psoriasis. Methods: We collected medical records of patients who received their first diagnostic codes of psoriasis during 5 years from five hospitals. Fifteen percent of psoriasis patients were randomly selected from each hospital. We performed a validation by reviewing medical records and compared 5 algorithms to identify the best algorithm. Results: Total of 538 cases were reviewed and classified as psoriasis (n=368), not psoriasis (n=159), and questionable (n=11). The most accurate algorithm was including patients with ≥1 visits with psoriasis as primary diagnostic codes and prescription of vitamin D derivatives. Its positive predictive value was 96.5% (95% confidence interval CI, 93.9%~98.1%), which was significantly higher than those of the algorithm, including patients with ≥1 visits with psoriasis as primary diagnostic codes or including ≥1 visits with diagnostic codes of psoriasis (primary or additional) (91.0% and 69.8%). Sensitivity was 90.8% (95% CI, 87.2%~ 93.4%) and specificity was 92.5% (95% CI, 86.9%~ 95.9%). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates a validated algorithm to identify psoriasis, which will be useful for the nationwide population-based study of psoriasis in Korea. (Ann Dermatol 32(2) 115∼121, 2020)
We evaluated preventive effects of Suaeda japonica (SJ) and Spergularia marina Griseb (SMG) on the insulin resistance in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. The 10-week old OLETF rats ...were fed diets containing 3% (w/w) SJ and SMG for 18 weeks. Fasting blood glucose levels in SJ and SMG groups, measured using the oral glucose tolerance test, were lower than that of the control rats. The SMG group showed significantly lower levels of insulin, glycated hemoglobin, triglyceride, and total cholesterol than the control group. In addition, these levels were relatively lower in the SJ group than those in the control rats. The SJ and SMG groups had relatively lower protein levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) p65 in adipose tissue and serine phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) in skeletal muscle than the control group. These results suggest that SJ and SMG prevent insulin resistance and SMG in particular reduces blood triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. 본 연구에서는 염생식물인 칠면초와 세발나물의 인슐린 저항성을 개선하는 효과를 조사하였다. 본 실험에 사용한 OLETF쥐는 CCK-1 수용체의 결함으로 인해 인슐린 저항성을 걸쳐 제 2형 당뇨병이 유발되는데, 인슐린 저항성이 진행되는 10주령부터 28주령이 될 때까지 칠면초와 세발나물을 18주 동안 섭취시켰다. 염생식물식이군들의 체중이나 공복혈당 변화는 식이기간 동안 전반적으로 대조군과 유의적인 차이를 보이지 않았다. Oral glucose tolerance test에서 염생식물 섭취가 당 내성을 개선하는 효과를 보였으나 그 혈당 변화를 면적으로 환산하였을 때 각 식이군들 간의 유의적인 차이는 관찰되지 않았다. 혈중 insulin 및 HbA1c 수치는 유의하게 낮은 수치를 보였으며, adiponectin 수치는 높고 leptin과 ghrelin 수치는 낮았으나 현저한 차이는 관찰되지 않았다. 세발나물식이군의 혈중 중성지질과 총 cholesterol 수치는 대조군에 비해 유의적으로 더 낮았다. 혈중 지질산화물 함량은 각 식이군 간 유의차가 관찰되지 않았으나 염생식물식이군에서 더 낮은 경향을 보였으며, NF-${\kappa}B$ p65는 지방조직에서 유의적으로 낮은 발현량을 보였다. 또한 두 염생식물식이군에서 인슐린 신호전달의 negative regulator인 $pIRS1^{Ser307}$의 발현량은 대조군에 비해 더 낮음을 확인하였다. 그러므로 칠면초와 세발나물은 생후 성장하면서 인슐린 저항성이 생기는 OLETF쥐의 인슐린 저항성을 현저하게 줄여주지는 못하였으나 그 개선 효과는 있는 것으로 시사되며, 두 염생식물의 급여 기간을 늘려 제 2형 당뇨병을 예방하는 효과에 대한 섬세한 검토가 보완되어야 할 것으로 사료된다.
Beta-amyloid (Aβ) proteins, major contributors to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are overproduced and accumulate as oligomers and fibrils. These protein accumulations lead to significant changes in ...neuronal structure and function, ultimately resulting in the neuronal cell death observed in AD. Consequently, substances that can inhibit Aβ production and/or accumulation are of great interest for AD prevention and treatment. In the course of an ongoing search for natural products, the roots of Davallia mariesii T. Moore ex Baker were selected as a promising candidate with anti-amyloidogenic effects. The ethanol extract of D. mariesii roots, along with its active constituents, not only markedly reduced Aβ production by decreasing β-secretase expression in APP–CHO cells (Chinese hamster ovary cells which stably express amyloid precursor proteins), but also exhibited the ability to diminish Aβ aggregation while enhancing the disaggregation of Aβ aggregates, as determined through the Thioflavin T (Th T) assay. Furthermore, in an in vivo study, the extract of D. mariesii roots showed potential (a tendency) for mitigating scopolamine-induced memory impairment, as evidenced by results from the Morris water maze test and the passive avoidance test, which correlated with reduced Aβ deposition. Additionally, the levels of acetylcholine were significantly elevated, and acetylcholinesterase levels significantly decreased in the brains of mice (whole brains). The treatment with the extract of D. mariesii roots also led to upregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phospho-cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) in the hippocampal region. These findings suggest that the extract of D. mariesii roots, along with its active constituents, may offer neuroprotective effects against AD. Consequently, there is potential for the development of the extract of D. mariesii roots and its active constituents as effective therapeutic or preventative agents for AD.
The inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) production is considered to be a promising approach to the treatment of various diseases, including inflammation and cancer. In this ...study, we examined the effects of the Agrocybe chaxingu beta-glucan (polysaccharide) on lipopolysaccaride (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in murine macrophage Raw 264.7 cells as well as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema in mice. The polysaccharide significantly inhibited (P 0.01) LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expression levels in the cells. Furthermore, topical application of polysaccharide resulted in markedly inhibited (P 0.01) TPA-induced ear edema in mice. These results suggest that this polysaccharide may be used for NO- and COX-2-related disorders such as inflammation and cancer.
•oxLDL induces the generation of ROS and apoptotic cell death in VSMCs.•oxLDL-provoked ROS generation and apoptosis are suppressed by PPARδ.•TGF-β/FAK signal axis contributes to PPARδ-mediated ...anti-apoptotic actions in VSMCs.•PPARδ plays a key role in the disease associated with apoptosis of VSMCs.
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) has been implicated in the modulation of vascular homeostasis. However, its roles in the apoptotic cell death of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that PPARδ modulates oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced apoptosis of VSMCs through the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathways. Activation of PPARδ by GW501516, which is a specific ligand, significantly inhibited oxLDL-induced cell death and generation of reactive oxygen species in VSMCs. These inhibitory effects were significantly reversed in the presence of small interfering (si)RNA against PPARδ, or by blockade of the TGF-β or FAK signaling pathways. Furthermore, PPARδ-mediated recovery of FAK phosphorylation suppressed by oxLDL was reversed by SB431542, a specific ALK5 receptor inhibitor, indicating that a TGF-β/FAK signaling axis is involved in the action of PPARδ. Among the protein kinases activated by oxLDL, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase was suppressed by ligand-activated PPARδ. In addition, oxLDL-induced expression and translocation of pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic factors were markedly affected in the presence of GW501516. Those effects were reversed by PPARδ siRNA, or inhibitors of TGF-β or FAK, which also suggests that PPARδ exerts its anti-apoptotic effect via a TGF-β/FAK signaling axis. Taken together, these findings indicate that PPARδ plays an important role in the pathophysiology of disease associated with apoptosis of VSMC, such as atherosclerosis and restanosis.
The inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) production is considered to be a promising approach to the treatment of various diseases, including inflammation and cancer. In this ...study, we examined the effects of the Agrocybe chaxingu $\beta$-glucan (polysaccharide) on lipopolysaccaride (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in murine macrophage Raw 264.7 cells as well as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema in mice. The polysaccharide significantly inhibited (P < 0.01) LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expression levels in the cells. Furthermore, topical application of polysaccharide resulted in markedly inhibited (P < 0.01) TPA-induced ear edema in mice. These results suggest that this polysaccharide may be used for NO- and COX-2-related disorders such as inflammation and cancer.
BACKGROUND: Inorganic component is made up largely of salt, because the criteria are difficult to split into domestic and imported ingredients, organic examined the fatty acid composition is to see a ...possible use as a marker using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The 14 domestic samples and 8 imported samples were collected from China, India and other countries were investigated on item of 37 fatty acids. METHODS AND RESULTS: The major components were six species, myristic acid (C14: 0), palmitic acid (C16: 0), palmitoleic acid (C16: 1), stearic acid (C18: 0), oleic acid (C18: 2, n9), linoleic acid (C18: 2, n6) among detected twenty fatty acids including 9 unknowns. The content of palmitic acid were highest as 25.2 to 50.8% of total fatty acids contents. Domestic has seen the most amount of salt in the Taepyeong salts 250.8㎍/100g, imports 135.2㎍/100g salt in Chinese Weifang salts showed the lowest content. CONCLUSION(s): The total fatty acid content has seen the most amount of salt in 352.3 ug/100g Christmas island salts showed the lowest content of 164.0㎍/100g, as a result it is difficult to distinguish the domestic salts and imported by the composition of fatty acid.
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