Search

Trp8Arg polymorphism of the LH beta gene has decreased bioactivity in vivo and previous studies showed conflicting data on the effect of LH beta gene polymorphism on the IVF outcome. In this study,...

Objective We aim to present a clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia in adults by reviewing and integrating existing clinical guidelines. The purpose of this guideline is to assist clinicians who perform evidence-based insomnia treatment.Methods We selected literature that may be appropriate for use in guideline development from evidence-based practice guidelines that have been issued by an academic or governmental institution within the last five years. The core question of this guideline was made in sentence form including Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) elements. After searching PubMed, EMBASE, and medical guideline issuing agencies, three guidelines were judged to be the most appropriately reviewed, up-to-date, and from trusted sources.Results The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool was used to evaluate the quality of the three clinical guidelines. The final outcome of the guideline development process is a total of 15 recommendations that report the strength of the recommendation, the quality of evidence, a summary of content, and considerations in applying the recommendation.Conclusion It is vital for clinical guidelines for insomnia to be developed and continually updated in order to provide more accurate evidence-based treatments to patients.

Purpose This study aimed to identify whether functional bladder capacity (FBC) differs among subgroups of nocturnal enuresis (NE) patients and can be used to predict treatment response. Methods A total of 69 children with NE were included in this study between July 2017 and February 2019 according to medical chart review, retrospectively. All patients completed a questionnaire about voiding symptoms and 48-hour frequency/volume (48-h F/V) charts. FBC was obtained from the 48-h F/V charts and uroflowmetry (UFM) with post-void residual volume (PVR). All patients were primarily treated with standard urotherapy and pharmacological therapy. The response rate was analyzed at 3 months after treatment. Results The mean age of the 69 patients (42 male, 27 female) was 83.3 ± 22.4 months (range, 5-13 years) at the first visit. The percentages of children with monosymptomatic NE (MNE) and non-monosymptomatic NE (NMNE) on the questionnaire were 40.6% (28/69) and 59.4% (41/69), respectively. FBC of all patients was lower than the normal range of expected bladder capacity, and there were no significant differences between measurement methods, NE types (MNE vs NMNE), or response rates (p > 0.05). Conclusion Children with NE had diminished FBC in both 48-h F/V charts and UFM with PVR. We found no difference in FBC by NE type or treatment outcome. Therefore, FBC cannot be used to distinguish between NE types or predict treatment responses.

An exosuit is a wearable robot that supports human muscular strength from outside the human body through multiple actuators. These actuators, which have similar functions to human muscles, reduce the weight compared to existing exoskeletons and minimize awareness of the different degrees of freedom. In this study, we developed an exosuit system that assists stair ascent and descent by supporting the power of the knee joint. To develop the hardware, we designed the entire system including functional apparel and a wire-driven actuator module. To provide the exosuit wearer with walking assistance, we established control strategies based on gait analysis and a force controller by applying the admittance control method. Then, to verify the usability of this system, we conducted an experiment comparing the muscle activity of users with and without the exosuit. The results revealed that the overall muscle activity of users decreased when they wore the proposed exosuit system. Specifically, the system reduced the muscle activity of the rectus femoris by up to 47% and 31% during stair ascent and descent, respectively. Therefore, the proposed exosuit system provides effective walking assistance.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the treatment outcomes of nimodipine and steroid combination therapy for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case review. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Seventy-eight patients who were diagnosed with ISSNHL were divided into two group based on the treatment strategies used: steroid+nimodipine (SN, n = 36) and steroid only (SO, n = 42) groups. Based on the level of hearing loss before treatment, subgroup analysis (

Solidarity corresponds to virtuous social behavior, including personal freedom and responsibility, civic friendship, benevolence, reciprocity, and cooperation. These attributes are fundamentally good for individual persons and communities of work. Solidarity is therefore vitally important to the practice of humanistic management. This paper aims to provide management insights into the cultivation of solidarity. The paper begins by developing a theoretical framework to understand solidarity in business context, with attention to philosophical and theological connotations. An empirical research model is presented in the form of a survey instrument to test for indications of solidarity in the workplace, and this measure is used to test several hypotheses regarding the positive associations of solidarity with validated measures of workplace engagement. Research results show that it is possible to identify and analyze workplace behaviors associated with solidarity. Data analysis confirms the validity of the model and demonstrates the positive associations of the hypotheses, based on empirical study of 40 workplaces and 399 employees. Moreover, the condition of whether the workplace was a public or private organization was found to affect the main relationship between solidarity and workplace engagement. The paper concludes with suggestions for practicable, tangible workplace behaviors based on the model, offering guidance in the pursuit of humanistic management.

Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) is an attractive high-speed imaging technique for retinal angiography. However, conventional swept lasers vary the cavity length of the laser mechanically to tune the output wavelength. This causes sweep-timing jitter and hence low phase stability in OCT angiography. Here, we improve an earlier phase-stabilized, akinetic, SS-OCT angiography (OCTA) method by introducing coherent averaging. We develop an active mode-locking (AML) laser as a high phase-stable akinetic swept source for the OCTA system. The phase stability of the improved system was analyzed, and the effects of coherent averaging were validated using a retina phantom. The effectiveness of the coherent averaging method was further confirmed by comparing coherently and conventionally averaged en face images of human retinal vasculature for their contrast-to-noise ratio, signal-to-noise ratio, and vasculature connectivity. The contrast-to-noise ratio was approximately 1.3 times larger when applying the coherent averaging method in the human retinal experiment. Our coherent averaging method with the high phase-stability AML laser source for OCTA provides a valuable tool for studying healthy and diseased retinas.

This study investigated the emergence of a (luxury) branding strategy of wearable devices within the sport industry. More specifically, this study examined how consumers perceive co-branded sports products by examining relationships among self-image congruence, perceived product quality, and perceived brand fit. Using a sample of 194 participants, results of a structural equation modeling indicated that consumers’ perceptions of self-image congruence and perceived brand fit were significant predictors of willingness to purchase of co-branded sport wearable devices. Additionally, no moderation effect of gender was identified in the analyses. Briefly, this study adds marketing insights to an emerging sport wearable device market that can be benefited from co-branding tactics.

Exosuits are wearable robots that enhance a person’s muscular strength from outside the body. Many exosuits use tendon actuators with multiple wires that work similarly to human muscles to minimize user unfamil-iarity caused by the discrepancy between the human body’s degree of freedom and the influence of the mass of the exoskeleton. This paper describes the design of a series elastic tendon actuator (SETA) to be used in exosuits. The SETA performs the agonist and antagonist functions of human muscles using two internal wires as well as elastic elements (springs) to measure the human-robot interaction force and overcome differences in variations occurring between the wires. We defined design objectives and selected the main components based on biomechanical gait analysis to design a small SETA. Moreover, we conducted an experiment to verify the basic performance of our SETA design.

This study aimed to analyze the effects of a new protocol with letrozole on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles in women with endometriosis. This retrospective cohort study was cond...

We present a novel design for a wavelength-switchable nanosecond-pulsed erbium-doped fiber laser that simultaneously achieves a repetition rate of the order of hundreds of kilohertz as well as pulse energies in the hundred-nanojoule range to fulfil the requirements of photoacoustic (PA) imaging applications. Instead of conventional Q-switching of a single-wavelength output, rapid switching among multi-wavelength outputs in the 1600 nm region can be performed by tuning acousto-optic modulation frequencies under low-order active mode-locking conditions. The pulse repetition rate of the laser can be tuned from 200 kHz to 1 MHz, depending on the mode-locking order. In order to verify the potential of our proposed design for use in real-time PA applications, we detected PA signals generated by an absorbing target using a PA signal detection system with our dual-wavelength laser outputs.

Distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS) based on Raman, Brillouin, and Rayleigh scattering have recently attracted considerable attention for various sensing applications, especially large-scale monitoring, owing to their capacity for measuring strain or temperature distributions. However, ultraweak backscatter signals within optical fibers constitute an inevitable problem for DOFS, thereby increasing the burden on the entire system in terms of limited spatial resolution, low measurement speed, high system complexity, or high cost. We propose a novel resonance frequency mapping for a real-time quasi-distributed fiber optic sensor based on identical weak fiber Bragg gratings (FBG), which has stronger reflection signals and high sensitivity to multiple sensing parameters. The resonance configuration, which amplifies optical signals during multiple round-trip propagations, can simply and efficiently address the intrinsic problems in conventional single round-trip measurements for identical weak FBG sensors, such as crosstalk and optical power depletion. Moreover, it is technically feasible to perform individual measurements for a large number of quasi-distributed identical weak FBGs with relatively high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), low crosstalk, and low optical power depletion. By mapping the resonance frequency spectrum, the dynamic response of each identical weak FBG is rapidly acquired in the order of kilohertz, and direct interrogation in real time is possible without time-consuming computation, such as fast Fourier transformation (FFT). This resonance frequency spectrum is obtained on the basis of an all-fiber electro-optic configuration that allows simultaneous measurement of quasi-distributed strain responses with high speed (>5 kHz), high stability (~2.4 με), and high linearity (R2 = 0.9999).

Background and objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of revision cochlear implant (CI) surgery for better speech comprehension targeting patients with low satisfaction after first CI surgery. Subject and methods Eight patients who could not upgrade speech processors because of an too early CI model and who wanted to change the whole system were included. After revision CI surgery, we compared speech comprehension before and after revision CI surgery. Categoies of Auditory Performance (CAP) score, vowel and consonant confusion test, Ling 6 sounds, word and sentence identification test were done. Results The interval between surgeries ranged from eight years to 19 years. Same manufacturer's latest product was used for revision surgery in six cases of eight cases. Full insertion of electrode was possible in most of cases (seven of eight). CAP score (p-value=0.01), vowel confusion test (p-value=0.041), one syllable word identification test (p-value=0.026), two syllable identification test (p-value=0.028), sentence identification test (pvalue=0.028) had significant improvement. Consonant confusion test (p-value=0.063), Ling 6 sound test (p-value=0.066) had improvement but it is not significant. Conclusions Although there are some limitations of our study design, we could identify the effect of revision (upgrade) CI surgery indirectly. So we concluded that if patient complain low functional gain or low satisfaction after first CI surgery, revision (device upgrade) CI surgery is meaningful even if there is no device failure.

A three-dimensional (3D) multiphase Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to investigate the effect of a simultaneous three-angular motion (roll, yaw and pitch) on the performance of an air-water-oil separator. The dynamic mesh method with a 3D rotational matrix was used to simulate the three-phase separator under simultaneous three-angular motion. The pressures at water and oil outlets were adjusted by a user-defined function based on a proportional control algorithm. The CFD model was validated against experimental free oscillations of an immiscible two-fluid system under a pitching motion. The simultaneous three-angular motion with an amplitude 2° and a period of 8 s showed an oil purity of 98% and an oil recovery of 99%, which were comparable to those of the onshore separator. However, the 4° simultaneous three-angular motion deteriorated the oil recovery to 92% and the water purity to 75%. As the separation performance of the pitching motion was similar to that of the simultaneous three-angular motion, the performance of the three-phase separator can be tested simply by the pitching motion.

Improved measurement and calibration of detector behaviors will be crucial for future space missions, particularly those aiming to tackle outstanding questions in cosmology and exoplanet research. Similarly, many small detector effects, such as the nearest-neighbor interactions of the brighter-fatter effect and interpixel capacitance, will need to be considered to ensure measured signals are truly astronomical in origin. Laboratory measurements confirming the existence of an additional brighter-fatter type effect in HAWAII-1RG and HAWAII-2RG HgCdTe infrared arrays with cutoff wavelengths ranging from 5.7 to 16.7 μm are presented. This effect is similar in nature to the blooming observed in charge-coupled devices and is characterized by a pixel spontaneously sharing a current with its neighbors upon reaching saturation, serving to make the brightest sources appear fatter. In addition to exploring the cause and mechanism of current sharing for this effect, measurements for several arrays show the magnitude of the shared current is greater than 60% of the incoming photocurrent hitting the saturated pixel. A proof-of-concept correction method for this effect is also described along with the necessary next steps to improve this correction and investigate the amplitude of other nearest-neighbor interactions.

18 pages, 5 figures, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109175.-- The data supporting the findings of this study are available in the Supplementary Materials (Appendix 3–5, Table A3-A5). Raw datasets (where available) and results summary tables for each analysis of human mobility and empirical datasets are deposited in a github repository: https://github.com/rjcommand/PAN-Environment, The global lockdown to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic health risks has altered human interactions with nature. Here, we report immediate impacts of changes in human activities on wildlife and environmental threats during the early lockdown months of 2020, based on 877 qualitative reports and 332 quantitative assessments from 89 different studies. Hundreds of reports of unusual species observations from around the world suggest that animals quickly responded to the reductions in human presence. However, negative effects of lockdown on conservation also emerged, as confinement resulted in some park officials being unable to perform conservation, restoration and enforcement tasks, resulting in local increases in illegal activities such as hunting. Overall, there is a complex mixture of positive and negative effects of the pandemic lockdown on nature, all of which have the potential to lead to cascading responses which in turn impact wildlife and nature conservation. While the net effect of the lockdown will need to be assessed over years as data becomes available and persistent effects emerge, immediate responses were detected across the world. Thus initial qualitative and quantitative data arising from this serendipitous global quasi-experimental perturbation highlights the dual role that humans play in threatening and protecting species and ecosystems. Pathways to favorably tilt this delicate balance include reducing impacts and increasing conservation effectiveness, The Canada Research Chairs program provided funding for the core writing team. Field research funding was provided by A.G. Leventis Foundation; Agence Nationale de la Recherche, [grant number ANR-18-32–0010CE-01 (JCJC PEPPER)]; Agencia Estatal de Investigaci; Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação (ARDITI), [grant number M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002]; Alan Peterson; ArcticNet; Arkadaşlar; Army Corp of Engineers; Artificial Reef Program; Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), National Collaborative; Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), University of Tasmania; Australian Institute of Marine Science; Australian Research Council, [grant number LP140100222]; Bai Xian Asia Institute; Batubay Özkan; BC Hydro Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Bertarelli Foundation; Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science; Bilge Bahar; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Biology Society of South Australia; Boston University; Burak Över; California State Assembly member Patrick O'Donnell; California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology; California State University Long Beach; Canada Foundation for Innovation (Major Science Initiative Fund and funding to Oceans Network Canada), [grant number MSI 30199 for ONC]; Cape Eleuthera Foundation; Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Charles Darwin Foundation, [grant number 2398]; Colombian Institute for the Development of Science and Technology (COLCIENCIAS), [grant number 811–2018]; Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, [grant number 0041–2020]; Columbia Basin Trust; Commission for Environmental Cooperation; Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Cultural practices and environmental certification of beaches, Universidad de la Costa, Colombia, [grant number INV.1106–01–002-15, 2020–21]; Department of Conservation New Zealand; Direction de l'Environnement de Polynésie Française; Disney Conservation Fund; DSI-NRF Centre of; Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology; Ecology Project International; Emin Özgür; Environment and Climate Change Canada; European Community: RTD programme - Species Support to Policies; European Community's Seventh Framework Programme; European Union; European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, [grant number 798091, 794938]; Faruk Eczacıbaşı; Faruk Yalçın Zoo; Field research funding was provided by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, [grant numbers FWC-12164, FWC-14026, FWC-19050]; Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional; Fonds québécois de la recherche nature et technologies; Foundation Segré; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT Portugal); Galapagos National Park Directorate research, [grant number PC-41-20]; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, [grant number GBMF9881 and GBMF 8072]; Government of Tristan da Cunha; Habitat; Conservation Trust Foundation; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment; Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Sevastopol, Russia; Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt; Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Brazil; Israeli Academy of Science's Adams Fellowship; King Family Trust; Labex, CORAIL, France; Liber Ero Fellowship; LIFE (European Union), [grant number LIFE16 NAT/BG/000874]; María de Maeztu Program for Units of Excellence in R&D; Ministry of Science and Innovation, FEDER, SPASIMM,; Spain, [grant number FIS2016–80067-P (AEI/FEDER, UE)]; MOE-Korea, [grant number 2020002990006]; Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund; Montreal Space for Life; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program; National Geographic Society, [grant numbers NGS-82515R-20]; National Natural Science Fund of China; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Parks Board, Singapore; National Science and Technology Major Project of China; National Science Foundation, [grant number DEB-1832016]; Natural Environment Research Council of the UK; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Alliance COVID-19 grant program, [grant numbers ALLRP 550721–20, RGPIN-2014-06229 (year: 2014), RGPIN-2016-05772 (year: 2016)]; Neiser Foundation; Nekton Foundation; Network of Centre of Excellence of Canada: ArcticNet; North Family Foundation; Ocean Tracking Network; Ömer Külahçıoğlu; Oregon State University; Parks Canada Agency (Lake Louise, Yoho, and Kootenay Field Unit); Pew Charitable Trusts; Porsim Kanaf partnership; President's International Fellowship Initiative for postdoctoral researchers Chinese Academy of Sciences, [grant number 2019 PB0143]; Red Sea Research Center; Regional Government of the Azores, [grant number M3.1a/F/025/2015]; Regione Toscana; Rotary Club of Rhinebeck; Save our Seas Foundation; Science & Technology (CSU COAST); Science City Davos, Naturforschende Gesellschaft Davos; Seha İşmen; Sentinelle Nord program from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund; Servizio Foreste e Fauna (Provincia Autonoma di Trento); Sigrid Rausing Trust; Simon Fraser University; Sitka Foundation; Sivil Toplum Geliştirme Merkezi Derneği; South African National Parks (SANParks); South Australian Department for Environment and Water; Southern California Tuna Club (SCTC); Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; State of California; Sternlicht Family Foundation; Suna Reyent; Sunshine Coast Regional Council; Tarea Vida, CEMZOC, Universidad de Oriente, Cuba, [grant number 10523, 2020]; Teck Coal; The Hamilton Waterfront Trust; The Ian Potter Foundation, Coastwest, Western Australian State NRM; The Red Sea Development Company; The Wanderlust Fund; The Whitley Fund; Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline; Tula Foundation (Hakai Institute); University of Arizona; University of Pisa; US Fish and Wildlife Service; US Geological Survey; Valencian Regional Government; Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Victorian Fisheries Authority; VMRC Fishing License Fund; and Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S

Prevalence of pelvic ectopic kidney with obstruction is not common. Associated anomalies may produce technical difficulties and surgical challenges in treatment. Diagnostic tools such as USG KUB, renal scintigraphic studies (DMSA, DTPA), MRI, and preoperative RGP are very informative examinations to properly decide the timing of the operation and method of it. The patient was under close surveillance from the detection of antenatal hydronephrosis until the development of UPJ obstruction. Herein, we report the case of a patient with this anomaly who successfully underwent laparoscopic reconstruction., Highlights • Pelvic kidney with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is uncommon. • Relying on just USG KUB may not be enough for clinical decision making. • Pelvic kidney with UPJO presents technical difficulties and surgical challenges. • Laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty in pelvic kidney with UPJO is safe and feasible.

Purpose: To determine references for penile circumference according to age in prepubertal children and whether this measurement can be used as a basic penile parameter along with stretched penile length in prepubertal children. Materials and Methods: A total of 750 children (mean age, 4.2±3.4 years) aged under 14 years without penile problems were enrolled in this study. Children with penile or testicular abnormalities were excluded. All data were gathered at the outpatient clinic by a single pediatric urologist from July 2017 to April 2020. Penile parameters (baseline and stretched penile length, penile circumference) and testicular volumes were measured by using an elastic ruler and a Prader orchidometer, respectively. Results: Mean baseline and stretched penile lengths were 3.0±1.0 cm and 4.2±1.0 cm, respectively. The mean penile circumference was 4.2±0.9 cm. The stretched penile length was similar to penile circumference (p=0.425). This similarity was found for each age group except for the 0–1-year-old and 3–4-year-old age groups (p=0.001 and p=0.034, respectively). As children grow into adolescence, stretched penile length increases significantly compared to penile circumference. Conclusions: Penile circumference increased with age like stretched penile length and testicular volume in prepubertal children. Stretched penile length and penile circumference were found to be similar. This study can be used as a basic reference for penile circumference values in prepubertal children.

Objectives. This study was conducted to evaluate the user satisfaction, efficacy, and safety of round window (RW) vibroplasty using the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) in patients with persistent mixed hearing loss after mastoidectomy.Methods. The study included 27 patients (mean age, 58.7 years; age range, 28–76 years; 11 men and 16 women) with mixed hearing loss after mastoidectomy from 15 tertiary referral centers in Korea. The VSB was implanted at the RW. The Korean translation of the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) questionnaire and the Korean version of the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (K-IOI-HA) questionnaire were used to evaluate user satisfaction as the primary outcome. The secondary outcome measures were audiological test results and complication rates.Results. The mean scores for ease of communication (61.3% to 29.7% to 30.2%), reverberation (62.1% to 43.1% to 37.4%), and background noise (63.3% to 37.7% to 34.3%) subscales of the APHAB questionnaire significantly decreased after VSB surgery. The mean K-IOI-HA scores at 3 and 6 months after surgery were significantly higher than the mean preoperative score (18.6 to 27.2 to 28.1). The postoperative VSB-aided thresholds were significantly lower than the preoperative unaided and hearing aid (HA)-aided thresholds. There was no significant difference between preoperative unaided, preoperative HA-aided, and postoperative VSB-aided maximum phonetically balanced word-recognition scores. None of the 27 patients experienced a change in postoperative bone conduction pure tone average. One patient developed temporary facial palsy and two developed surgical wound infections.Conclusion. RW vibroplasty resulted in improved satisfaction and audiological test results in patients with mixed hearing loss after mastoidectomy, and the complication rate was tolerable.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of fistula recurrence after primary urethrocutaneous fistulectomy in children with hypospadias. Material and methods The study included 63 children who underwent fistulectomy for urethrocutaneous fistula (UCFs) that occurred after urethroplasty for hypospadias, between February 2009 and December 2018. The patients were divided into 2 groups: successful group 1 and failed group 2. For data analysis, we included the demographics of the patients, the details of the previous urethroplasty (the type of hypospadias and the location of the meatus after complete chordectomy), the presence of meatal stenosis or urethral stricture after urethroplasty, and the size of the UCFs. The Student t-test and the chi-square test were performed to analyze the data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. Results The overall success rate of primary urethrocutaneous fistulectomy was 81.0% (51/63 children). The most common location of a secondary fistula was the penoscrotal area 5 (41.6%). There were no statistically significant differences in age (p=0.501), weight (p=0.063), body mass index (p=0.924), history of low birth weight (p=0.454), and history of prematurity (p=0.381). The type of hypospadias (p=0.007) and urethral defect length (p=0.021) were identified as independent risk factors for failed urethrocutaneous fistulectomy. There were no statistically significant differences in meatal stenosis (p=0.431), postoperative stricture (p=0.587), fistula location (p=0.173), multiplicity (p=0.588), and fistula size (p=0.530). Conclusion The type of hypospadias and the length of the urethral defect are the significant risk factors for secondary fistula recurrence after primary urethrocutaneous fistulectomy.

Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of metabolic disorders such as hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance, and T2DM. Recent researches indicated a stimulatory effect of glucagon (GCG) on energy expenditure and appetite inhibition, suggesting the utilization of GCG as a pharmacological therapy for obesity and related metabolic disorders. In line with this, we previously observed that chronic treatment of HM15136, a novel long-acting glucagon analog, conferred efficient body weight loss (BWL) in DIO mice. Here, we further investigated the potential benefits of HM15136 in obesity-related metabolic disorders. In DIO mice, time-course change in fat mass, liver triglyceride (TG), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) was determined. Chronic treatment of HM15136 was associated with progressive BWL (-37.5% vs. vehicle (Veh) at day17) and fat mass reduction with little effect on lean mass, confirming its potent anti-obesity effect. Interestingly, despite marginal BWL at initial drug treatment period, significant reduction in blood TG (-56.5% vs. Veh at day2) and subsequent liver TG (-41.5% vs. Veh at day7) was achieved, and maintained thereafter. Moreover, the TG lowering both in blood and liver was followed by sustainable FBG lowering, suggesting that rapid depletion of lipid, the main sources for gluconeogenesis, might contribute to FBG control by HM15136. To evaluate the potential effect on post-prandial glucose control, oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) was performed, and reduced BG level during oGTT was observed as BWL occurred. Time-dependent reduction in HOMA-IR evidenced the insulin sensitivity improvement. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the potential benefits of chronic GCG engagement in the management of BW, blood lipid, and even BG. Based on these results, HM15136 may be a novel option for the management of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Human study is ongoing for the clinical relevance of these findings. Disclosure J. Lee: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. S. Lee: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. J. Choi: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. E. Park: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. J. Lee: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. S. Lee: Employee; Spouse/Partner; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. S. Bae: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. D. Kim: Board Member; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. I. Choi: Board Member; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical.

Several studies have demonstrated that glucagon plays an essential role in the regulation of body weight via both increase of energy expenditure and suppression of appetite, suggesting its potential application for obesity management. Consistent with this, we previously observed that chronic treatment of the novel long-acting glucagon analog, HM15136, led to efficient body weight loss (BWL) in diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. To further investigate the therapeutic benefits of HM15136 in obesity, the present study compared the BWL effect with available GLP-1 agonists and investigated the underlying mechanism for efficient BWL by HM15136. In DIO mice, chronic treatment of HM15136 showed greater BWL (-38.5% vs. vehicle) than GLP-1 agonists such as liraglutide, dulaglutide, and semaglutide (-16.8, -2.5, and -11.0% vs. vehicle). Of note, unlike liraglutide, more BWL was observed even under pair-feeding conditions, indicating the appetite regulation-independent BWL by HM15136. As to the responsible mechanism, HM15136 increased the expression of PGC-1α and UCP-1 in white adipose tissue (WAT), leading to enhanced energy expenditure. Together with the reduced respiratory exchange ratio, these results suggest that HM15136 induce WAT browning through which fat utilization and energy expenditure increases. To explore an additional mechanism for BWL by HM15136, oral lipid tolerance test (oLTT) was performed. Interestingly, blood TG level during oLTT was significantly decreased by HM15136 treatment, which coincided with decreased blood bile acid and ApoB48. These results suggest that the inhibition of lipid absorption is involved, at least in part, in efficient BWL by HM15136. Therefore, HM15136 could be a potential option for the management of obesity via favorable regulation of energy expenditure and lipid absorption in addition to appetite inhibition. Efficacy study in obese patients is ongoing to assess the clinical relevance of these findings. Disclosure J. Lee: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. S. Lee: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. J. Kim: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. J. Lee: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. S. Lee: Employee; Spouse/Partner; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. S. Bae: Employee; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. D. Kim: Board Member; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical. I. Choi: Board Member; Self; Hanmi Pharmaceutical.

Basic Reliability of IO FinFET is studied with various process options and extensive trap density investigation. It is observed that the NBTI margin on High Performance IO pFET is lowered by additional treatment to maintain the taller Fin profile. Trap density investigation with charge pumping identified the source of oxide traps in tall FinFET and the mechanism of NBTI degradation. Finally, after oxide trap reduction, FinFET process was improved for both reliability and performance.

A three-phase transient Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to investigate the effect of three angular motions (rolling, yawing, and pitching) on the separation efficiency of an air–water–oil separator. The horizontal cylindrical separator included a feed inlet, a gravity separation zone with a coalescer for water and oil separation, and a mist elimination zone. The CFD model consisted of the continuity, momentum, and standard k-e turbulence equations. The CFD equations were solved in a moving reference frame to take into account the angular motions. The exit pressures at the water and oil outlets were controlled using a user-defined function since the CFD model without pressure control resulted in backflow from the water outlet, which was not realistic. CFD cases, such as no motion, rolling, yawing, 2° pitching, and 4° pitching with a period of 8 s were simulated with exit pressure control. The angular motions with pressure control showed a stable cyclic behavior with a high oil separation efficiency. However, the 4° pitching motion decreased the oil recovery to 93% with 77% water purity at the water outlet.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging modality that can provide high-resolution, cross-sectional images of tissues. Especially in retinal imaging, OCT has become one of the most valuable imaging tools for diagnosing eye diseases. Considering the scattering and absorption properties of the eye, the 1000-nm OCT system is preferred for retinal imaging. In this study, we describe the use of an akinetic swept-source OCT system based on a pulse-modulated active mode locking (AML) fiber laser at a 1080-nm wavelength for in-vivo human retinal imaging. The akinetic AML wavelength-swept fiber laser was constructed with polarization-maintaining fiber that has an average linewidth of 0.625 nm, a spectral bandwidth of 81.15 nm, and duty ratio of 90% without the buffering method. We successfully obtained in-vivo human retinal images using the proposed OCT system without the additional k-clock and the frequency shifter that provides a wide field of view of 43.1°. The main retina layers, such as the retinal pigment epithelium, can be distinguished from the OCT image with an axial resolution of 6.3 μm with this OCT system.

Purpose: This study aimed to demonstrate a method to easily assess bladder capacity using knowledge of day-time voided volumes, which can be obtained even from patients with nocturnal enuresis where the first morning void cannot accurately predict the bladder capacity due to bladder emptying overnight. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 177 healthy children from 7 Korean medical centres entered the study between January 2008 and January 2009. Voided volumes measured for more than 48 hours were recorded in the frequency volume chart (FVC). Results: Most voided volumes during day-time were showed between 30% and 80% of the maximal voided volume (MVV). The maximal voided volume during day-time (MVVDT) was significantly less than the MVV (179.5±71.1 mL vs. 227.0±79.2 mL, p

Objectives To assess Asian data from Global Prevalence Study on Infections in Urology (GPIU study) which has been performed more than 10 years. Methods Seventeen Asian countries participated in the GPIU study between 2004 and 2013. Data for these countries were collected from the web-based GPIU database. The point prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI) and antimicrobial susceptibility of representative pathogens were analysed for Asian geographic regions. Results A total of 6706 patients (5271 male, 1435 female) were assessed during the study period, and 659 patients were diagnosed with a UTI (9.8%). Of these UTI patients, 436 were male and 223 were female. Mean patient age was 54.9 ± 19.3 years. Pyelonephritis and cystitis were the most common clinical diagnoses, representing 30.7% and 29.9% of patients, respectively. Escherichia coli was the most frequently identified uropathogen (38.7%). For the patients with urinary tract infection, cephalosporins were the most frequently used antibiotics (34.4%), followed by fluoroquinolones (24.1%), aminoglycosides (16.8%). Fluoroquinolone resistance was relatively high (ciprofloxacin 54.9%, levofloxacin 39.0%), and cephalosporin resistance 42% (42.5–49.4%). Of the antibiotics evaluated, uropathogens had maintained the highest level of susceptibility to amikacin and imipenem (24.9% and 11.3% resistance rates, respectively). Conclusion Uropathogens in many Asian countries had high resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Knowledge of regional and local resistance data and prudent use of antibiotics are important for proper management of UTI in Asian countries.

High-school athletes who transition into higher education as non-athlete students encounter several social and emotional difficulties. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of aforementioned participants’ athletic identities on their utilization of coping strategies and resulting perceptions of stress. A structural model was developed and empirically tested using a 48-item questionnaire. The sample population consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in freshman-level courses at three public southwestern universities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated a strong model fit, including a significant correlation between various factors of athletic identity and coping, as well as a significant correlation between coping and stress. Assessing the athletic identities of competitive athletes at all levels could serve to identify those who may be susceptible to difficulties upon transitioning out of competitive sport and prone to a reliance on ineffective coping efforts. Subscribe to JASM

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Taekwondo training on body composition and to evaluate the magnitude of the effect. Methods: Databases were used to select studies related to the effectiveness of Taekwondo training, and the inclusion criteria were as follows. Results: Thirty-seven studies were selected. We found statistically significant differences from the control group in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist–hip ratio (WHR), body fat mass, body fat percentage, lean mass, and muscle mass. Also, the age group was statistically significant in control variables on weight, BMI, and body fat percentage. Conclusions: Taekwondo training had a positive effect on body composition, and these results suggest that Taekwondo training is an effective exercise method to lower obesity.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of repeated extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on the kidneys of prepubertal and adult rats. Thirty rats were used: 15 were prepubertal (3 weeks of age) with an average body weight of 72.3 ± 3.3 g, and 15 were adults with of 265 ± 11.3 g. The prepubertal and adult rats were separately and randomly allocated to three groups, each consisting of five rats. Following anesthetization, the left kidney of each rat in each group received shock waves in one, two, or three sessions separated by 72 h. The rats in each group were killed 72 h after the last ESWL session, and both kidneys were harvested; the right kidney was used as the control. Renal injury was examined with histological analysis, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot to detecting the expression of heat-shock protein-70, tumor necrosis factor-alpha-α, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as markers of renal damage. All of these markers were similarly increased with increased ESWL sessions in both age groups. Histological analysis revealed more serious fibrosis and inflammation in the ESWL-treated kidneys in both groups than in the controls, with the damage increasing with increasing numbers of sessions. ESWL on the kidney increased renal damage according to the number of sessions in both age groups of rats, and the effects of ESWL on renal injury were similar in the two groups. However, there were generally no significant differences in the effects of ESWL on molecular indicators of renal injury between prepubertal and adult rats.

BACKGROUND Studies effectively examining temporal patterns of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) recurrence are currently lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine sites of PTC recurrence, interval from initial treatment to recurrence, and changing patterns of recurrence during long-term follow-up. METHODS Records of 134 patients with PTC recurrence were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS The most common site of initial recurrence was the lateral neck. In 6.7% of patients, distant metastases occurred as initial recurrences. In 74%, recurrences occurred within the first 5 years of surgery, whereas in 5.2%, and 1.5%, recurrences occurred between 10 to 20 years and after 20 years of surgery, respectively. Mean time to recurrence and distant metastasis was 48.2 months and 92.5 months, respectively. Male sex (p = .002), size (p < .001), N classification (p < .001), and recurrence frequency (p = .049) were prognostic factors for distant recurrence. CONCLUSION Men with PTC tumors larger than 2 cm, lateral neck node metastasis, and multiple local recurrences should be scrutinized for distant metastasis even after 10 years. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 767-771, 2017.

CMOS Image Sensor(CIS) products need higher voltage device and better analog characteristics than conventional SOC & Logic products. This work presents newly developed 14nm FinFET process with 2.xV high voltage FinFET device characteristics showing excellent analog and low power digital characteristics comparing to 28nm planar process. Gm is improved by 30% and 67% in FinFET process for NMOS and PMOS, respectively. Rout characteristics increased by 40 times and 6 times over 28nm planar process. Interface state density(Nit) improved by more than 40% and flicker noise characteristics also improved by 64% and 42% for NMOS and PMOS, respectively. Digital logic Transistor ion-ioff performance improved by by 32% and by 211% for NMOS and PMOS, respectively compared to 28nm planar device and the chip power consumption of digital logic functional block reduced by 34% in real Si of 12M pixel product. 14nm FinFET process expected to improve power consumption by 42% in 144M pixel density.