Search

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vaccine-preventable mosquito-borne disease caused by infection with the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). JEV has five genotypes, including genotype V (GV), which is considered ancestral to the other genotypes. The first GV strain, GV Muar, was isolated from a Malayan patient in 1952 and GV did not reappear for 57 years until GV XZ0934 was isolated from a mosquito sample in China. Since 2010, 21 GV strains have been identified in Republic of Korea (ROK). Both GV Muar and GV XZ0934 are more pathogenic than other GI/GIII strains and are serologically distinct. However, because the ROK's GV strains have not been experimentally tested, their characteristics are not known. Characterization of the ROK's isolates is needed to enable development of effective GV strain-based vaccines to protect against GV infections.

Periodontitis and diabetes mellitus (DM) have a bidirectional relationship. Periodontitis is initiated by dysbiosis of oral microorganisms, and in particular, the characteristics of the microorganisms that have penetrated the tissue are directly related to the disease; therefore, we investigated the effect of DM on intragingival microbial profiling of patients with periodontitis. A total of 39 subjects were recruited and divided into three groups in this case control study as follows: healthy (NA, 10), periodontitis only (PD, 18), and periodontitis with DM (PD_DM, 11). Gingival tissue was collected, DNA was extracted, and whole-genome sequencing was performed. PD and PD_DM showed different characteristics from NA in diversity and composition of the microbial community; however, no difference was found between the PD nad PD_DM. PD_DM showed discriminatory characteristics for PD in the network analysis. PD showed a network structure in which six species were connected, including three red complex species, and PD_DM’s network was more closely connected and expanded, with six additional species added to the PD network. Although DM did not significantly affect α- and β-diversity or abundance of phyla and genera of microbiota that invaded the gingival tissue of patients with periodontitis, DM will affect the progression of periodontitis by strengthening the bacterial network in the gingival tissue.

Purpose Virus-like particles (VLPs) are being developed as a promising vaccine platform and therapeutic delivery. Various strategies for effectively constructing VLPs have been studied, but relatively few studies have been done on various factors affecting storage. In this study, we investigated the antigenic changes of VLPs in an acidic or basic pH environment using influenza VLPs as an experimental model. Materials and methods Influenza VLPs containing hemagglutination and M1 proteins were generated and their antigenicity and protective immunity in vitro and in vivo were evaluated after exposure to acidic (pH 4 and 5) or basic (pH 9 and 10) pH buffers. Results VLP exposed to basic pH showed similar levels of antigenicity to those stored in neutral pH, while antigenicity of VLP exposed to acidic pH was found to be significantly reduced compared to those expose neutral or basic pH. All groups of mice responded effectively to low concentrations of virus infections; however, VLP vaccine groups exposed to acid pH were found not to induce sufficient protective immune responses when a high concentration of influenza virus infection. Conclusion In order for VLP to be used as a more powerful vaccine platform, it should be developed in a strategic way to respond well to external changes such as acidic pH conditions.

Untreated adult or elderly cleft lip and palate patients are rarely seen, but studies on delayed primary palatal closure have been performed in the less developed Asian and African countries, where access to medical care is difficult. A 64-year-old woman visited our clinic with untreated cleft palate with a 40×20-mm-wide defect in the medial palate. Two-flap palatoplasty under general anesthesia was performed to close the cleft palate. After 1 month, the result was favorable without any complications including oronasal fistula. Cleft palate primary repair in an elderly patient is rare and has some surgical problems that are associated with a wide range of defects, but good results can be obtained if surgery is performed well with appropriate considerations.

Background The purpose of this study was to review the clinical features of oromaxillofacial infections in patients presenting to a hospital emergency ward, to identify the key factors affecting the requirement for hospitalization, and the potential risk factors predisposing to a prolonged length of hospital stay. Methods A retrospective medical record review of the 598 patients treated for oromaxillofacial infection from 2013 to 2017 at the oral and maxillofacial surgery department, Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, was conducted. The following information was collected from each patient: sex, age, past medical history, site of infection, etiology, admission or outpatient care, level of C-reactive protein (mg/dL), fascial spaces involved, treatment method, and duration of hospitalization. Chi-squared tests were used to identify risk factors, which were further analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results A total of 606 patients were eligible for inclusion in the study, of which eight were excluded due to having incomplete charts; thus, 598 patients were included: 55% were male, mean patient age was 47.1 ± 19.9 years, and 12.9% of patients were diabetic. Furthermore, 71.2% of patients had infection originating in the mandible; the most common tooth of origin was lower posterior, and 29.8% of patients were hospitalized. Risk factors for hospital admission were elderly patients with concurrent disease, elevated C-reactive protein level, and multiple-space infection in the oromaxillofacial area. The duration of hospitalization was correlated with both diabetes and age. Conclusions The requirement for hospital admission is determined by the severity of the infection; even severe infections, once treated with appropriate surgery, have no relation to the length of hospital stay. The important risk factors for increased duration of hospitalization are diabetes mellitus and older age. The understanding of risk factors associated with a prolonged hospital stay during the treatment of oromaxillofacial infection will aid in treatment planning as well as highlight the importance of adequate diabetes control in patients at risk of such infection.

Background The purpose of this study was to measure the time of the conventional surgical planning (CSP) and virtual surgical planning (VSP) in orthognathic surgery and to compare them in terms of cost. Material and method This is a retrospective study of the patients who underwent orthognathic surgery at the Pusan National University Dental Hospital from December 2017 to August 2018. All the patients were analyzed through both CSP and VSP, and all the surgical stents were fabricated through manual and three-dimensional (3D) printing. The predictor variables were the planning method (CSP vs. VSP) and the surgery type (group I: Le Fort I osteotomy + bilateral sagittal split osteotomy [LFI+BSSO] or group II: only bilateral sagittal split osteotomy [BSSO]), and the outcomes were the time and cost. The results were analyzed using the paired t test. Results Thirty patients (12 females, 18 males) met the inclusion criteria, and 17 patients were excluded from the study due to missing or incomplete data. There were 20 group I patients (LFI+BSSO regardless of genioplasty) and 10 group II patients (BSSO regardless of genioplasty). The average time of CSP for group I was 385 ± 7.8 min, and that for group II was 195 ± 8.33 min. The time reduction rate of VSP compared with CSP was 62.8% in group I and 41.5% in group II. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant cost reduction. Conclusions The time investment in VSP in this study was significantly smaller than that in CSP, and the difference was greater in group I than in group II.

Background Stability of the grafted bone volume is one of the important factors to the success of alveolar bone grafts. For this, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or fibrin sealant is mixed with the bone graft material. Bio-Oss® is a protein-free bovine mineral commonly used in bone graft procedures. The grafting particles are commonly combined with a standard fibrin sealant (Tisseel®) to fabricate a plastic implantable product. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the efficacy of fibrin sealant (Tisseel®) in bone regeneration performance in a rabbit maxillary sinus model. Methods A total of five 3.5 kg weight New Zealand white rabbits were used for the study. After elevating the sinus membrane in both maxillary sinus cavities, Bio-Oss® mixed with normal saline (group 1) was filled into the right side, and Tisseel® mixed Bio-Oss® (group 2) was inserted into the other side. The bone mineral density and bone volume were analyzed with microscopic computed tomography (micro-CT) and histomorphometric 12 weeks after application. Results Histologically, new bone formation rate was 14.8%, and grafted bone rate was 70.5% in group 1. In group 2, they were 18.5% and 60.4%, respectively. According to micro-CT analysis, bone mineral density (mg/cm3, BMD) was 2.5% larger in group 1. Conclusions The findings from this study suggest that, although the difference in the bone formation between group 1 and group 2 appears to be insignificant, group 2 had an advantage in using smaller amount of bone substances to achieve the reliable bone formation.

Electrodiagnostic studies (EDXs) are the confirmative diagnostic tool for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Previous studies have evaluated the relationship between EDXs and ultrasonography (US) but not with X-rays. Recently, many studies on the diagnostic value of X-rays in various diseases have been reported, but data on CTS are lacking. We evaluated the relationship between electrodiagnostic parameters and roentgenographic and ultrasonographic features in CTS and investigated the usefulness of X-rays and US for CTS. This retrospective study included 97 wrists of 62 patients. All patients with suspected CTS underwent EDXs, wrist US, and wrist X-rays. The CTS patients were classified into mild, moderate, and severe groups. The roentgenographic features included the ulnar variance (UV) and the anteroposterior diameter of the wrist (APDW), and the ultrasonographic features included the flattening ratio (FR) and the thickest anteroposterior diameter of the median nerve (TAPDM). Most EDX parameters showed significant correlations with roentgenographic and US features. The electrodiagnostic severity was also correlated with all imaging features. Therefore, both wrist X-rays and wrist US can be useful for the diagnosis of CTS as supplements to EDXs.

Background Racial and ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in health research, contributing to persistent health disparities in the United States. Identifying effective recruitment and retention strategies among minority groups and their subpopulations is an important research agenda. Web-based intervention approaches are becoming increasingly popular with the ubiquitous use of the internet. However, it is not completely clear which recruitment and retention strategies have been successful in web-based intervention trials targeting racial and ethnic minorities. Objective This study aims to describe lessons learned in recruiting and retaining one of the understudied ethnic minority women—Korean Americans—enrolled in a web-based intervention trial and to compare our findings with the strategies reported in relevant published web-based intervention trials. Methods Multiple sources of data were used to address the objectives of this study, including the study team’s meeting minutes, participant tracking and contact logs, survey reports, and postintervention interviews. In addition, an electronic search involving 2 databases (PubMed and CINAHL) was performed to identify published studies using web-based interventions. Qualitative analysis was then performed to identify common themes addressing recruitment and retention strategies across the trials using web-based intervention modalities. Results A total of 9 categories of recruitment and retention strategies emerged: authentic care; accommodation of time, place, and transportation; financial incentives; diversity among the study team; multiple, yet standardized modes of communication; mobilizing existing community relationships with efforts to build trust; prioritizing features of web-based intervention; combined use of web-based and direct recruitment; and self-directed web-based intervention with human support. Although all the studies included in the analysis combined multiple strategies, prioritizing features of web-based intervention or use of human support were particularly relevant for promoting recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic minorities in web-based intervention trials. Conclusions The growing prevalence of internet use among racial and ethnic minority populations represents an excellent opportunity to design and deliver intervention programs via the internet. Future research should explore and compare successful recruitment and retention methods among race and ethnic groups for web-based interventions. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03726619; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03726619.

BACKGROUND Racial and ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in health research, contributing to persistent health disparities in the United States. Identifying effective recruitment and retention strategies among minority groups and their subpopulations is an important research agenda. Web-based intervention approaches are becoming increasingly popular with the ubiquitous use of the internet. However, it is not completely clear which recruitment and retention strategies have been successful in web-based intervention trials targeting racial and ethnic minorities. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe lessons learned in recruiting and retaining one of the understudied ethnic minority women—Korean Americans—enrolled in a web-based intervention trial and to compare our findings with the strategies reported in relevant published web-based intervention trials. METHODS Multiple sources of data were used to address the objectives of this study, including the study team’s meeting minutes, participant tracking and contact logs, survey reports, and postintervention interviews. In addition, an electronic search involving 2 databases (PubMed and CINAHL) was performed to identify published studies using web-based interventions. Qualitative analysis was then performed to identify common themes addressing recruitment and retention strategies across the trials using web-based intervention modalities. RESULTS A total of 9 categories of recruitment and retention strategies emerged: authentic care; accommodation of time, place, and transportation; financial incentives; diversity among the study team; multiple, yet standardized modes of communication; mobilizing existing community relationships with efforts to build trust; prioritizing features of web-based intervention; combined use of web-based and direct recruitment; and self-directed web-based intervention with human support. Although all the studies included in the analysis combined multiple strategies, prioritizing features of web-based intervention or use of human support were particularly relevant for promoting recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic minorities in web-based intervention trials. CONCLUSIONS The growing prevalence of internet use among racial and ethnic minority populations represents an excellent opportunity to design and deliver intervention programs via the internet. Future research should explore and compare successful recruitment and retention methods among race and ethnic groups for web-based interventions. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03726619; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03726619.

Purpose In this study, we investigated whether the antigenic changes of the virus-like particles (VLPs) are affected by the temperature during storage. Materials and methods After exposing the recombinant influenza VLPs to various temperatures for a period, antigenic changes were examined through in vitro hemagglutination receptor binding assay and in vivo mouse experiments. Results Influenza VLPs were exposed at three different temperatures of low, middle, and high on a thermo-hygrostat. High temperature exposed influenza VLPs were showed significantly reduced HA activity and immunogenicity after mouse single immunization over time compared low and middle. When the VLPs exposed to the high temperature were inoculated once in the mice, it was found that the immunogenicity was significantly reduced compared to the VLPs exposed to the low temperature. However, these differences were almost neglected when mice were inoculated twice even with VLPs exposed to high temperatures. Conclusion This study suggests that similar protective effects can be expected by controlling the number of vaccination and storage conditions, although the antigenic change in the VLP vaccines occurred when exposed to high temperature.

The practicability of deep learning techniques has been demonstrated by their successful implementation in varied fields, including diagnostic imaging for clinicians. In accordance with the increasing demands in the healthcare industry, techniques for automatic prediction and detection are being widely researched. Particularly in dentistry, for various reasons, automated mandibular canal detection has become highly desirable. The positioning of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN), which is one of the major structures in the mandible, is crucial to prevent nerve injury during surgical procedures. However, automatic segmentation using Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) poses certain difficulties, such as the complex appearance of the human skull, limited number of datasets, unclear edges, and noisy images. Using work-in-progress automation software, experiments were conducted with models based on 2D SegNet, 2D and 3D U-Nets as preliminary research for a dental segmentation automation tool. The 2D U-Net with adjacent images demonstrates higher global accuracy of 0.82 than naïve U-Net variants. The 2D SegNet showed the second highest global accuracy of 0.96, and the 3D U-Net showed the best global accuracy of 0.99. The automated canal detection system through deep learning will contribute significantly to efficient treatment planning and to reducing patients’ discomfort by a dentist. This study will be a preliminary report and an opportunity to explore the application of deep learning to other dental fields.

Background Free fibular flap is one of the most useful methods in the hard tissue reconstruction of the maxilla-mandible. Free fibular flap presents some advantages in which the reconstruction of both soft and hard tissues can be done at the same time. It also provides a safe and successful bone graft for the reconstruction, along with a low rate of complications. Despite these advantages and the rarity of a postoperative complication, particularly in oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures, a prolonged operation might exhibit some complications related with rhabdomyolysis. We experienced the rare event of rhabdomyolysis after oral cancer surgery. Case presentation In this article, we report the case of a patient who developed rhabdomyolysis after undergoing free fibular flap surgery. Conclusions Despite the advantages of the free fibular flap operation, clinicians must be aware of the risk of complications because there are multiple factors that could result in rhabdomyolysis, such as duration of operation, position of the subject, and pre-existing conditions of diabetes and hypertension. Once the diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis is confirmed, a prompt treatment plan should be made and applied as soon as possible. This will increase the chance of a full recovery for the patient who is exhibiting symptoms of rhabdomyolysis.

Bi-Te based materials have been used for near-room-temperature thermoelectric applications. However, their properties dramatically decrease at high temperatures (over 100 °C), limiting their use in power generation. In this study, we investigated the enhanced thermoelectric properties of Bi-Te based materials by Cu doping and employing the melt-spinning (MS) process that can be utilized especially at elevated temperatures. By changing the doping amount, we could modulate the temperature dependence of thermoelectric properties, where the maximum ZT temperature could be shifted from room temperature to 450 K. The highest ZT value, 1.34, was achieved at 400 K for 2% Cu-doped Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3, which is due to the enhancement in power factor and reduction in lattice thermal conductivity. The average ZT value between room temperature and 530 K was 1.17 for 2% Cu-doped Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3, which is 46% higher than that of pristine Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3. Consequently, the synergetic effect of MS process and Cu incorporation can be a promising method to widen the application of Bi-Te based thermoelectric materials for mid-temperature power generation.

The aims of this study were to characterize the histology of the sideburn and cheek area and to measure the force required to pull the superficial fascia (SF) of Asians in facelift procedures.The hemiface of a formalin-fixed Korean male adult cadaver (77 years old) was used to study the histology of the sideburn and cheek area. In 42 patients during facelift procedures, the force needed to pull the overlying skin at the midpoint between the sideburn and nasolabial fold 2 mm was measured using a tensiometer.In the cheek, the superficial fatty layer of the superficial fascia (SFS) was found to maintain its thickness throughout the region between the dermis and the membranous layer of the superficial fascia (MSF). The MSF was continuous with the superficial temporal fascia (STF). In the sideburn, the MSF and parotid fascia closely adhered to each other. The force required to move the overlying skin 2 mm when pulling the MSF (10.27 ± 3.64 N) was more than twice as great (217%) as the force required when pulling the SFS (4.73 ± 2.15 N;When lifting the SF at the cheek or sideburn area, lifting the SFS requires less tension than MSF to move the overlying skin. In the cheek area, less tension is needed to move the overlying skin than in the sideburn area.La présente étude visait à caractériser l’histologie de la zone des favoris et des joues et à mesurer la force nécessaire pour tirer le fascia superficiel (FS) lors du redrapage du visage et du cou de visages asiatiques.Les chercheurs ont utilisé l’hémiface d’un cadavre adulte coréen de sexe masculin de 77 ans fixé dans le formol pour étudier l’histologie des régions des favoris et des joues. Chez 42 patients pendant un redrapage du visage et du cou, les chercheurs ont mesuré la force nécessaire pour tirer la peau sus-jacente de 2 mm au point médian entre les favoris et le pli nasolabial à l’aide d’un tensiomètre.Dans les joues, les chercheurs ont découvert que la couche de graisse superficielle du fascia superficiel (GFS) conservait son épaisseur dans toute la région entre le derme et la couche membraneuse du fascia superficiel (MFS). La MFS était continue avec la GFS. Dans les favoris, la MFS adhérait étroitement au fascia de la parotide. Les forces nécessaires pour déplacer la peau sus-jacente de 2 mm en tirant sur la MFS (10,27 ± 3,64 N) étaient plus de deux fois plus élevées (217 %) que celles nécessaires pour tirer la GFS (4,73 ± 2,15 N;Lorsque le FS est soulevé dans la région des favoris ou des joues, il faut moins de tension pour soulever la GFS que la MFS pour tendre la peau sus-jacente. Dans la région des joues, il faut moins de tension pour déplacer la couche de peau supérieure que dans la région des favoris.

We investigate the thermoelectric properties of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) incorporated Bi0.36Sb1.64Te3 composites. A melt spinning process enables RGO to be uniformly distributed with Bi0.36Sb1.64Te3 matrix and the incorporated RGO increases the carrier mobility of Bi0.36Sb1.64Te3 matrix with the enhancement of the power factor by 20%. The grain sizes of the Bi0.36Sb1.64Te3 materials decrease with the RGO amount, leading to the reduction in lattice thermal conductivity by enhancing grain boundary scattering. Owing to the above effects, the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) can be enhanced in the measured temperature range, where the optimum ZT value is reached to 1.16 at 393 K, ∼15% higher ZT value than pristine Bi0.36Sb1.64Te3. Consequently, this RGO incorporation method could be widely used to improve thermoelectric performances in other conventional thermoelectric materials.

// Bok Hee Woo 1 , Da Jeong Kim 1 , Jeom Il Choi 2 , Sung Jo Kim 2 , Bong Soo Park 3 , Jae Min Song 4 , Ji Hye Lee 1, 5 and Hae Ryoun Park 1, 5 1 Department of Oral Pathology & BK21 PLUS Project, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Mulgeum-up, Yangsan 50612, South Korea 2 Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Mulgeum-up, Yangsan 50612, South Korea 3 Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Mulgeum-up, Yangsan 50612, South Korea 4 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Mulgeum-up, Yangsan 50612, South Korea 5 Institute of Translational Dental Sciences, Pusan National University, Mulgeum-up, Yangsan 50612, South Korea Correspondence to: Hae Ryoun Park, email: parkhr@pusan.ac.kr Keywords: Porphyromonas gingivalis , oral cancer, Taxol, Notch1, metastasis Abbreviations: oral squamous cell carcinoma, OSCC; cancer stem cell, CSC; Notch intracellular domain, NICD Received: January 25, 2017 Accepted: March 03, 2017 Published: March 24, 2017 ABSTRACT Major obstacles to improving the prognosis of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are the acquisition of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and development of metastases. Recently, inflammatory signals are suggested to be one of the most important factors in modulating chemoresistance and establishing metastatic lesions. In addition, epidemiological studies have demonstrated that periodontitis, the most common chronic inflammatory condition of the oral cavity, is closely associated with oral cancer. However, a correlation between chronic periodontitis and chemoresistance/metastasis has not been well established. Herein, we will present our study on whether sustained infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis , a major pathogen of chronic periodontitis, could modify the response of OSCC cells to chemotherapeutic agents and their metastatic capability in vivo . Tumor xenografts composed of P. gingivalis –infected OSCC cells demonstrated a higher resistance to Taxol through Notch1 activation, as compared with uninfected cells. Furthermore, P. gingivalis –infected OSCC cells formed more metastatic foci in the lung than uninfected cells.

As the western North Pacific Ocean is located downwind of the source regions for spring Asian dust, it is an ideal location for determining the response of open waters to these events. Spatial analysis of spring Asian dust events from source regions to the western North Pacific, using long-term daily aerosol index data, revealed three different transport pathways supported by the westerly wind system: one passing across the northern East/Japan Sea (40°N–50°N), a second moving over the entire East/Japan Sea (35°N–55°N), and a third flowing predominantly over the Siberian continent (>50°N). Our results indicate that strong spring Asian dust events can increase ocean primary productivity by more than 70% (>2-fold increase in chlorophyll-a concentrations) compared to weak/nondust conditions. Therefore, attention should be paid to the recent downturn in the number of spring Asian dust events and to the response of primary production in the western North Pacific to this change.

In this paper, the electrooptical threshold behavior of electroconvection caused by the electrohydrodynamic instability in twisted nematic liquid crystal cells is presented. We observed the electroconvection optically and analyzed the change in the electrical threshold behavior according to the twisted angles in twisted liquid crystal cells in the conduction region that shows the Williams domain, which is one of the most basic patterns for electroconvection in an anisotropic fluid like liquid crystals (LCs). As a result, we confirmed that in the low frequency conduction regio where the Williams domain appears, the threshold voltage decreased as the twist angle increased even though the twist structure enhanced the effective viscosity in liquid flow. The increase in the twist angle may shorten the charge relaxation time because a twisted LC is a structure that more easily accumulates electrical charges on local curvatures.

Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a genetic and epigenetic disease. There is growing evidence to suggest that environmental factors due to epigenetic changes can be involved in the OSCC pathogenesis. Although tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are commonly inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in human cancers, the epigenetic changes and the mechanism of TSGs in human OSCC remain unclear. We therefore assessed the methylation status of the TSGs, which are associated with epigenetic silencing in human cancers, OSCC cell lines, primary tumors, and normal oral mucosa. Results We used 14 TSGs that were originally identified in colon cancer to investigate the aberrant hypermethylation of these genes associated with transcriptional silencing in 10 OSCC cell lines. We found three TSGs, TFPI2, SOX17, and GATA4, that are robustly hypermethylated and are associated with transcriptional silencing in OSCC cell lines. The re-expression of the three genes was induced by 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) in cells in which these genes were not expressed or had a lack of expression. In 33 cases of primary OSCC tumors, promoter hypermethylation was detected for the TFPI2, SOX17, and GATA4 genes at (32/33) 97%, (22/33) 67%, and (11/33) 33%, respectively. Eleven normal oral mucosa samples showed no promoter hypermethylation for all three genes, which suggests that this promoter hypermethylation is cancer-specific. Bisulfite sequencing analysis confirmed the cancer-specific methylation of the TFPI2, SOX17, and GATA4 promoters in the OSCC cell lines and tumors but not in the normal oral mucosa samples. More importantly, the methylation status of TFPI2, GATA4, and SOX17 was significantly associated with OSCC patients’ overall survival through TCGA DNA methylation database. Conclusions We identified that TFPI2, SOX17, and GATA4 are frequently hypermethylated in human OSCC cells in a cancer-specific manner and that the transcriptional expression of these genes is regulated by promoter hypermethylation in OSCC. Our results highlight the great potential used as a synergistic biomarker set to improve the prognosis and therapeutic treatment for patients with OSCC. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13148-019-0715-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

It has been suggested that Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis, is associated with a variety of cancers, including oral cancer. Recently, studies have shown the effects of persistent exposure to P. gingivalis on the promotion of tumorigenic properties of oral epithelial cells, suggesting that chronic P. gingivalis infection is a potential risk factor for oral cancer. On the other hand, Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), one of the major periodontal pathogens, has emerged as an important factor in the colon cancer progression. Here, we investigated the diagnostic potential of serum immunoglobulin G antibody against periodontal pathogens, P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum, and serum IL-6 for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine and compare the serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), F. nucleatum IgG, and P. gingivalis IgG in 62 OSCC patients with 46 healthy controls. The serum levels of P. gingivalis IgG and IL-6 were higher in OSCC patients than in non-OSCC controls, and the difference was statistically significant. In addition, a high serum level of IL-6 was associated with a worse prognosis in OSCC patients. Thus, P. gingivalis IgG and IL-6 could be utilized as potential serum biomarkers for the diagnosis of OSCC, and the serum level of IL-6 contributes to improved prognostic performance.

Background Despite the growing demand for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for clinical use as an alternative approach against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the manufacture of AMPs relies on expensive, small-scale chemical methods. The small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) tag is industrially practical for increasing the yield of recombinant proteins by increasing solubility and preventing degradation in expression systems. Results A new vector system, pKSEC1, was designed to produce AMPs, which can work in prokaryotic systems such as Escherichia coli and plant chloroplasts. 6xHis was tagged to SUMO for purification of SUMO-fused AMPs. Abaecin, a 34-aa-long antimicrobial peptide from honeybees, was expressed in a fusion form to 6xHis-SUMO in a new vector system to evaluate the prokaryotic expression platform of the antimicrobial peptides. The fusion sequences were codon-optimized in three different combinations and expressed in E. coli. The combination of the native SUMO sequence with codon-optimized abaecin showed the highest expression level among the three combinations, and most of the expressed fusion proteins were detected in soluble fractions. Cleavage of the SUMO tag by sumoase produced a 29-aa-long abaecin derivative with a C-terminal deletion. However, this abaecin derivative still retained the binding sequence for its target protein, DnaK. Antibacterial activity of the 29-aa long abaecin was tested against Bacillus subtilis alone or in combination with cecropin B. The combined treatment of the abaecin derivative and cecropin B showed bacteriolytic activity 2 to 3 times greater than that of abaecin alone. Conclusions Using a SUMO-tag with an appropriate codon-optimization strategy could be an approach for the production of antimicrobial peptides in E.coli without affecting the viability of the host cell. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12896-019-0506-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is recognized as an effective medical tool for the treatment of various conditions requiring tissue repair, pain relief, inflammation treatment, and restoration of tissue dysfunction, and its development and research are growing rapidly. However, studies that analyze molecular biology by applying LLLT to osteoclasts are still insufficient to understand the mechanism. In order for LLLT to be suggested as an appropriate treatment method for the treatment of various bone diseases, it is necessary to elucidate the effect and mechanism of LLLT on osteoclast differentiation. In this study, we investigated the effect of LLLT on osteoclast differentiation using murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) cells by means of a Ga-As-Al laser (λ = 810, 80 mW). Our results indicate that LLLT did not induce cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells. When LLLT was applied for 15 s to osteoclasts exposed to RANKL, the expression of NF-κB, ERK, p38, and c-Fos, which are associated with expression of NFATc1, was increased. The RT-PCR results also demonstrated significantly increased expression of osteoclast-specific genes, including NFATc1, TRAP, the calcitonin receptor, and cathepsin K, compared with the control. Taken together, we concluded that low-level laser irradiation induces osteoclastogenesis by enhancing the expression of NF-κB, MAPKs (ERK, p38), c-Fos, and NFATc1 in RAW 264.7 cells. These findings indicate that low-level laser irradiation could be considered a potential treatment option in various metabolic bone diseases that require osteoclastic activity and bone formation.

Since the widespread introduction of oral and live attenuated rotavirus vaccines around the world in 2009, the impacts of disease burden and the effects of disease reduction in developing countries have been proven. However, in low and middle-income countries, the vaccine efficacy is somewhat lower than in developed countries due to differences in nutritional conditions, microbial environments of individuals, and other factors. In addition, as oral, live vaccines have been found to be associated with rare but serious side effects, the development of a next-generation vaccine with safety, improved effectiveness, and ease of storage is currently underway. New vaccine strain developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States are undergoing preclinical testing of efficacy, antigen dose, and administration route in the form of a heat-treated inactive vaccine, and a recombinant protein-based trivalent subunit vaccine developed by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health is undergoing clinical trial in phase III. Several research groups are also developing non-replicating protein-based rotavirus vaccines using virus-like particles and nanoparticles. This review provides a brief overview of the development status and technology of parenteral, non-live rotavirus vaccines worldwide.

A dual-process coating structure was developed on a graphite substrate to improve the performance of the coating structure under anticipated operating condition of fusion devices. A thin multilayer W/Mo coating (6 μm) was deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) method with a variation of Mo interlayer thickness on plasma spray (PS) W coating (160 μm) of a graphite substrate panel. The dual-process PVD/PS W coatings then were exposed to 3.08 × 1024 D m−2 of 100 eV D ions with a flux of 1.71 × 1021 D m−2 s−1 in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) chamber. After irradiation, surface morphology and D depth profiles of the dual-process coating were analyzed and compared to those of the simple PS W coating. Both changes in surface morphology and D retention were strongly dependent on the microstructure of surface coating. Meanwhile, the existence of Mo interlayer seemed to have no significant effect on the retention of deuterium.

The blisters formation and destruction induced by the deuterium ions on a polycrystalline tungsten were investigated with varying irradiation deuterium ion fluence from 3.04 × 1023 to 1.84 × 1025 D m−2 s−1 and an fixed irradiated ion energy of 100 eV in an electron cyclotron resonance plasma source, which was similar to the far-scrape off layer region in the nuclear fusion reactors. Target temperature was monitored during the irradiation. Most of blisters formed easily on the grain with (1 1 1) plane orientation which had about 250 nm in diameter. In addition, the areal number density of blisters increased with increasing the ion fluence under the surface temperature reaching to about 900 K. When the fluence exceeded 4.6 × 1024 D m−2, the areal number density of the blister decreased. It could be explained that the destruction of the blister was initiated by erosion at the boundary region where the thickness of blister lid was thin and the sputtering yield was high by oblique incident ions, resulting in remaining the lid open, e.g., un-eroded center dome. It is possible to work as a tungsten dust formation from the plasma facing divertor material at far-SOL region of fusion reactor.

The type of induced material damage in the tungsten irradiated by using deuterium ions was investigated for various value of the fluence at low energy. Experiments were carried out in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source that provided an ion flux of 2.8 × 1021D2+/m2s and a sheath energy of 100 eV/D2+ on the tungsten target. The energy of irradiated ions was much smaller than the threshold energy for generating cascade collisional damage (∼ 250 eV) in tungsten and was similar of the plasma at the first wall of KSTAR. The target temperature was kept as 700 − 800 K by using an active cooling system. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) was employed to observe the depth profiles of deuterium. The peak of the trapped deuterium concentration in the irradiated tungsten was located near 16 − 17 nm for 2.0 − 4.0 × 1025D2/m2, which is far deeper than the 1.6 nm for ion implantation at 100 eV/D2+ ions. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) data were analyzed to determine the binding energy (Eb = 1.45 eV) of trapped deuterium, which corresponded to an oversaturation-induced vacancy. This observation is very important for understanding the refueling property of the retained deuterium during steady-state fusion plasma operation.

Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is associated with severe skin eruptions, fever, hematological abnormalities, and multi-organ involvement. Although aromatic anticonvulsant drugs have been frequently associated with the manifestation of DRESS syndrome, its induction following treatment with nonaromatic anticonvulsants, such as valproate, has rarely been reported. Moreover, there are limited data regarding the development of neosensitization related to chemically unrelated drugs following an episode of DRESS syndrome. Here, a case of neosensitization to multiple drugs is described. The present case report describes a female patient who experienced neosensitization to amoxicillin, olanzapine, and quetiapine following the manifestation of DRESS syndrome induced by valproate.

Bimaxillary orthognathic surgery is widely used to treat skeletal class III malocclusion. Changes in jaw position affect the shape of surrounding soft tissues. We used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to observe changes in airways observed in a patient who underwent bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. For CFD simulation, we performed cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) preoperatively (T0), 3 days postoperatively (T1), and 7 months postoperatively (T2). The values of velocity, pressure drop (ΔP), and wall shear stress all increased 7 months after surgery (Vmax 7.038 m/s to 12.054 m/s, ΔP −7.723 Pa to −53.739 Pa, WSSmax 4.214 Pa to 14.323 Pa). Locations where the velocity and pressure gradients are large included the velopharynx, oropharynx, and epiglottis, with narrow cross-sectional areas. Wall shear stress was also observed at these locations. The velopharynx, oropharynx, and epiglottis are structures most vulnerable to morphological changes, that is, they can easily become obstructed.

The complement pathway is involved in eliminating antigen immune complexes. However, the role of the C3 complement system remains largely unknown in influenza virus M2 extracellular (M2e) domain or hemagglutinin (HA) vaccine-mediated protection after vaccination. Using a C3 knockout (C3 KO) mouse model, we found that complement protein C3 was required for effective induction of immune responses to vaccination with M2e-based or HA-based vaccines, which include isotype class-switched antibodies and effector CD4 and CD8 T cell responses. C3 KO mice after active immunization with cross-protective nonneutralizing M2e-based vaccine were not protected against influenza virus, although low levels of M2e-specific antibodies were protective after passive coadministration with virus in wild-type mice. In contrast, C3 KO mice that were immunized with strain-specific neutralizing HA-based vaccine were protected against homologous virus challenge despite lower levels of HA antibody responses. C3 KO mice showed impaired maintenance of innate immune cells and a defect in innate immune responses upon exposure to antigens. The findings in this study suggest that C3 is required for effective induction of humoral and cellular adaptive immune responses as well as protective immunity after nonneutralizing influenza M2e vaccination. IMPORTANCE Complement is the well-known innate immune defense system involved in the opsonization and lysis of pathogens but is less studied in establishing adaptive immunity after vaccination. Influenza virus HA-based vaccination confers protection via strain-specific neutralizing antibodies, whereas M2e-based vaccination induces a broad spectrum of protection by immunity against the conserved M2e epitopes. This study revealed the critical roles of C3 complement in inducing humoral and cellular immune responses after immunization with M2e or HA vaccines. C3 was found to be required for protection by M2e-based but not by HA-based active vaccination as well as for maintaining innate antigen-presenting cells. Findings in this study have insight into better understanding the roles of C3 complement in inducing effective innate and adaptive immunity as well as in conferring protection by cross-protective conserved M2e vaccination.

Herpes zoster virus (HZV) infections are caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus. Reactivation symptoms commonly affect the thoracolumbar trunk, and rarely affect the mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve. When the mandibular branches are involved, lesions appear proximal to the innervation area. This condition may be associated with exfoliation of the teeth and osteonecrosis of the jawbone. We report a case of mandibular osteomyelitis after herpes zoster infection and we present a review of the literature on mandibular-branch involvement of HZV-related osteonecrosis.

Purpose : Local medicinal herb festivals present the history of the Korean medicine and cultural resources in the regions to play an important role in attracting tourists, vitalizing local economy, and improving the local image. Therefore, it is important to understand the origin of the festival and grasp historical and cultural meaning of local medicinal herb festivals. Methods : I compared the books and articles presented in the reference list. Results & Conclusions : Local medicinal herb festivals originates from traditional yangnyeongsi. Since the century, yangnyeongsi has grown up as a special market. Implementation of the Daedong Act promoted commodity and monetary economy that helped commerce and industry develop and market grow up. It also made changes in the social status system and yangnyeongsi has been such a historical phenomenon appeared in this social background. The growth of yangnyeongsi contributed to the progress in the private medicine that triggered the gradual transfer of power in the medicine to the private sector which has long been held by the government. In yangnyeongsi, there were many cultural events to attract visitors. It's the same case in China that preserves stages that were used for cultural events in the medicine market to pass down the historic sites while those in Korea are disappearing as yangnyeongsis are being pulled out of the city areas to the suburban areas due to the redevelopment projects. For this reason, restoration of the place for traditional yangnyeongsi should be taken into account through local medicinal herb festivals.

This study provides basic data that are helpful to prepare a sizing system for dress shirts that improves the wearer's size fitness. The 16 different parts of the dress shirts were measured for 24 pieces of dress shirts with three kinds of size (95, 100 and 105) among the eight different brands on the market. The measurement sizes of the dress shirts analyzed the accuracy of the size information, size classification by size designation, and differences of size by brand. The results of the study were: 1. The size information of dress shirts differed from customer demand. 2. The size increments between size designations differed from each other even though measurement sizes of the dress shirts increased as the size designation increase. 3. Measurement sizes of the dress shirts were different between brands even for dress shirts of the same size designation. It is necessary that manufacturers secure an accurate and standardized sizing system and provide accurate information for the measurement sizes of dress shirts on an online shopping mall.

Polyphenols including catechins from green tea (Camellia sinensis) have been reported to have anti-infective activities against a broad spectrum of viruses and other pathogens. During the last two decades, antiviral activities of catechins with different modes of action have been demonstrated on diverse families of viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus, Herpes simplex virus, influenza virus, hepatitis B and C virus. In this study, we focused on the antiviral properties of catechins and their derivatives against viral hepatitis which have become a key public health issue due to their serious impact on human health with liver diseases.

Traditionally, chemical agents such as formalin (FA) and β-propiolactone (BPL) have long been used for the preparation of inactivated vaccines or toxoids. It has been shown that FA extensively modifies vaccine antigens and thus affects immunogenicity profiles, sometimes compromising the protective efficacy of the vaccines or even exacerbating the disease upon infection. In this study, we show that natural catechins from green tea extracts (GT) can be used as an inactivating agent to prepare inactivated viral vaccines. GT treatment resulted in complete and irreversible inactivation of influenza virus as well as dengue virus. In contrast to FA that reacted extensively with multiple amino acids including lysine, a major anchor residue for epitope binding to MHC molecules, GT catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) crosslinked primarily with cysteine residues and thus preserved the major epitopes of the influenza hemagglutinin. In a mouse model, vaccination with GT-inactivated influenza virus (GTi virus) elicited higher levels of viral neutralizing antibodies than FA-inactivated virus (FAi virus). The vaccination completely protected the mice from a lethal challenge and restricted the challenge viral replication in the lungs. Of note, the quality of antibody responses of GTi virus was superior to that with FAi virus, in terms of the magnitude of antibody titer, cross-reactivity to hetero-subtypes of influenza viruses, and the avidity to viral antigens. As the first report of using non-toxic natural compounds for the preparation of inactivated viral vaccines, the present results could be translated into a clinically relevant vaccine platform with improved efficacy, safety, productivity, and public acceptance.

Influenza virus M2 extracellular domain (M2e) has been a target for developing cross-protective vaccines. However, the efficacy and immune correlates of M2e vaccination are poorly understood in the different host genetic backgrounds in comparison with influenza vaccines. We previously reported the cross-protective efficacy of virus-like particle (M2e5x VLP) vaccines containing heterologous tandem M2e repeats (M2e5x) derived from human, swine, and avian influenza viruses. In this study to gain better understanding of cross-protective influenza vaccines, we compared immunogenicity and efficacy of M2e5x VLP, H5 hemagglutinin VLP (HA VLP), and inactivated H3N2 virus (H3N2i) in wild-type strains of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, and CD4 and CD8 knockout (KO) mice. M2e5x VLP was superior to HA VLP in conferring cross-protection whereas H3N2i inactivated virus vaccine provided high efficacy of homologous protection. After M2e5x VLP vaccination and challenge, BALB/c mice induced higher IgG responses, lower lung viral loads, and less body weight loss when compared with those in C57BL/6 mice. M2e5x VLP but not H3N2i immune mice after primary challenges developed strong immunity against a secondary heterosubtypic virus as a model of future pandemics. M2e5x VLP and HA VLP vaccines were able to raise IgG isotypes in CD4 KO mice. T cells were found to contribute to cross-protection by playing a role in reducing lung viral loads. In conclusion, M2e5x VLP vaccination induced better cross-protection than HA VLP, and its efficacy varied depending on the genetic backgrounds of mice, supporting the important roles of T cells.