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Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine whether phonological processing skill-based phonics intervention is effective in improving phonological awareness, decoding, and spelling in adults with dyslexia. In addition, this study aimed to ascertain in detail the characteristics of decoding, spelling, and phonological awareness in adults with dyslexia. Methods: The participant of this study was a 46-year-old adult female with dyslexia, and a single subject experiment research method was used. An intervention program for phonological awareness, decoding, and spelling was conducted 28 times in total (3 baseline sessions, 22 intervention sessions, and 3 maintenance sessions) and her performance was assessed with assessments modified by the researcher. Results: It was confirmed that phonological processing skill-based phonics intervention is effective in improving decoding, spelling, and phonological awareness abilities. A detailed analysis of spelling errors in the adult with dyslexia revealed that errors for single vowels, basic consonants, and basic final consonant were the most common. A detailed analysis of errors by phonological awareness unit and task showed struggles with - in order of difficulty - deletion, blending, substitution, and discrimination. Among the discrimination tasks, final consonant discrimination was the most difficult. Conclusion: The results of this study are meaningful as basic data for improving the perception of adults with dyslexia and intervention program for them.

Introduction Nocturnal stridor, a life-threatening condition linked to respiratory failure and sudden death during sleep, is a serious issue in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). However, little is known about polysomnographic findings and clinical features of MSA patients with nocturnal stridor. Hence, we investigated video-polysomnography (VPSG) findings and clinical features associated with nocturnal stridor in patients with MSA. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with MSA (n = 49) who underwent overnight VPSG for the evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing. The presence of nocturnal stridor was confirmed based on overnight VPSG findings. Clinical data, including VPSG findings and clinical features, were compared between MSA patients with and without nocturnal stridor. Results Nocturnal stridor was present in 31 (63.3%) patients with MSA. Patients with stridor showed significantly higher apnea-hypopnea, respiratory disturbance, and oxygen desaturation indices than those without stridor (P = 0.024, P = 0.049, and P = 0.006, respectively). Patients with stridor had more severe axial motor features, more impaired activities of daily living, and longer disease duration than those without stridor (P = 0.012, P = 0.036, and P = 0.003, respectively). However, there were no significant between-group differences in sex, age at disease onset, MSA subtype, parkinsonian features, cerebellar ataxia, residual urine volume, or systolic and diastolic blood pressure change. Conclusions MSA with nocturnal stridor is related to higher apnea indices in conjunction with higher O2 desaturation index, more severe axial motor features, more impaired activities of daily living, and longer disease duration.

In this study, two blue fluorescent using phenylanthracene-substituted furan derivatives were synthesized for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and subsequently characterized. To study the electroluminescent properties of the materials, OLED devices were fabricated using these two materials as an emissive layer (EML). The device using 7,7-diphenyl-9-(10-phenylanthracen-9-yl)-7H-fluoreno[4,3-b]benzofuran in the emitting layer showed the highest external quantum efficiency (EQE) value, 3.10%. It also showed the maximum luminance efficiency of 2.41 cd/A and maximum power efficiency of 1.90 lm/W with CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.08).

Introduction The pathogenic porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes significant economic losses in pig production. Emergence of the PCV2d genotype has been linked with PCV2-associated disease (PCVAD) outbreaks. However, no study has been conducted efficacy of an experimental PCV2d-based subunit vaccine in pigs. Therefore, PCV2b- and PCV2d-based capsid (CP) proteins were generated using a baculovirus (Bac) expression system, and we evaluated the protective immune responses in a commercial pig farm where predominant PCV2d is circulating. Methods Eighteen 3-week-old pigs with maternal antibodies were randomly divided into four groups, and were immunized with purified Bac-2dCP, mixed 1:1 ratio with purified Bac-2bCP and Bac-2dCP (Bac-mCP), a commercial PCV2a-based subunit vaccine (VAC) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as controls. Results The Bac-2dCP and Bac-mCP groups had significantly higher PCV2b- or PCV2d- specific IgG and neutralizing antibody without interference by maternal antibody compared to control group in pigs naturally infected with PCV2d. Interestingly, not only serum IL-4 level was significantly increased in the Bac-2dCP group, but also PCV2d viremia level was significantly reduced than the control group. Conclusions The recombinant Bac-2dCP subunit vaccine is a good candidate for the effective reduction against PCV2d infection.

Background Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) immunostaining in the enteric nervous system (ENS) has been investigated to determine the role of diagnostic biomarker of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, determining factors for alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) deposition in the ENS of humans are still unclear. We aimed to investigate a possible association between SNCA variants and the presence of α-Syn immunostaining in the ENS in patients with PD and healthy individuals. Methods The study subjects consisted of 38 patients with PD and 46 healthy individuals. α-Syn immunohistochemistry was performed for gastric and colonic mucosal tissues of patients with PD and controls. Mucosal biopsy tissues of the ENS were obtained using standard biopsy forceps by endoscopic gastroduodenoscopy or colonoscopy. Two variants within the SNCA gene (the single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] rs11931074 and the microsatellite REP1) were genotyped. Results In patients with PD, the rs11931074 (G allele) was significantly associated with the presence of α-Syn immunostaining in the ENS (OR = 5.96, 95% CI = 1.70–20.97, P = 0.01). In an interaction analysis, SNP rs11931074–PD status interaction was significantly associated with positive α-Syn immunostaining in the ENS (OR = 7.33, 95% CI = 1.58–33.88, P = 0.01). Longer SNCA REP1 alleles were not associated with positive α-Syn immunostaining in the ENS. Conclusion This exploratory study demonstrated that α-Syn deposition in the ENS may be associated with SNCA variants in patients with PD.

In this study, two blue fluorescence materials using phenylanthracene-substituted fluorene derivatives were synthesized and characterized for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). To study their electroluminescent properties, OLED devices were fabricated using these two materials as emissive layer (EML). A device using 7,7-diphenyl-9-(10-phenylanthracen-9-yl)-7H-benzo[b]fluoreno[3,4-d]thiophene in emitting layer showed the highest value of EQE value which is 3.51%. It also showed the luminance efficiency of 3.22 cd/A and power efficiency of 2.89 lm/W with the CIE coordinates (0.15, 0.09).

Introduction Long-term efficacy and safety of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) in patients with young-onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD) and late-onset PD (LOPD) (i.e. motor symptom initial appearance at ages ≤40 and > 40 years, respectively) was compared to identify relationships between PD onset age and the efficacy of DBS. Methods Statistical analyses compared specific motor and non-motor features among 13 patients with YOPD and 11 with LOPD. Medication reduction patterns and dyskinesia severity scores at baseline and after 1, 3, 5, and 10 years of follow-up were also analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA tests. Lastly, a correlation analysis identified relationships between the impact of DBS settings (volume of activated tissue) and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LED), dyskinesia severity scores, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III, and UPDRS part II (disability) scores. Results Ten years after DBS surgery, the reduction of LED from baseline (85.9 ± 592.6 mg versus 623.2 ± 464.9 mg; p = .023) and levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) scores (Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale [UDysRS] parts III items 16–22; 1.6 ± 2.8 versus 5.5 ± 4.1; p = .013) were significantly lower in YOPD patients than LOPD patients. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding UPDRS part III score improvement in response to levodopa, psychosis occurrence, or adverse effects. Conclusion Ten years after STN DBS surgery, LOPD patients showed greater LED reduction, and YOPD patients showed greater LID improvement, although the general long-term outcomes were similar between YOPD and LOPD patients.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) targets the intestinal mucosa in pigs. To protect against PEDV invasion, a mucosal vaccine is utilized effectively. In this study, we generated a recombinant adenovirus vaccine encoding the heat-labile enterotoxin B (LTB) and the core neutralizing epitope (COE) of PEDV (rAd-LTB-COE). The fusion protein LTB-COE was successfully expressed by the recombinant adenovirus in HEK293 cells, and the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate was assessed in BALB/c mice and piglets. Three intramuscular or oral vaccinations with rAd-LTB-COE at two-week intervals induced robust humoral and mucosal immune responses. Moreover, a cell-mediated immune response was promoted in immunized mice, and the neutralizing antibody inhibited both the vaccine strain and the emerging PEDV isolate. Immunization experiments in piglets revealed that rAd-LTB-COE was immunogenic and induced good immune responses in piglets. Further studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of rAd-LTB-COE against a highly virulent PEDV challenge.

Introduction While metals have been implicated in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD), the clinical evidence is scarce. Further, the contribution of metals for the risk or clinical presentation of PD remains to be explored. Methods To investigate the associations between the level of metals in blood serum and PD risk or clinical presentation, including sex-related differences, we studied 325 PD patients and age- and sex-matched 304 controls. We collected clinical data of the PD patients, including age at onset, PD duration, levodopa-equivalent dose (LED), Hoehn and Yahr stage (H-Y stage), presence of motor fluctuation, levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), freezing of gait, hallucination, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Iron, copper, and zinc levels in serum were assayed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the sex-related differences in metal levels. Results Among the three metal elements tested, serum copper levels showed significant correlations with PD risk or clinical presentation. Higher copper levels were associated with a decreased PD risk. Higher copper or lower iron levels were associated with the risk of LID in women. Serum copper levels were negatively correlated with MMSE scores in PD patients. Conclusions This clinical study suggests significant associations between serum metal levels and PD risk or essential clinical features, demonstrating the possible roles of metals in PD pathogenesis or symptom development.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes porcine circovirus-associated disease, which is characterized by systemic wasting syndrome, including respiratory problems worldwide. Most commercial PCV2 vaccines are derived from recombinant capsid protein or inactivated whole-virus. We compared average daily weight gain, interferon-γ, and neutralizing antibody levels of a recombinant protein vaccine and an inactivated whole-virus vaccine in a pilot study. Both PCV2 vaccines showed similar effect on immunity against PCV2 and a better average daily weight gain was found in both vaccinated groups compared to non-vaccinated animals.

Background The severity of parkinsonism and response to levodopa vary in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) because of the heterogeneity of nigrostriatal neuropathology. Objective To investigate the difference in clinical features between MSA patients with predominantly pre-synaptic nigrostriatal dysfunction and those with trans-synaptic nigrostriatal dysfunction. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 61 patients with MSA who underwent both [18F]FP-CIT-PET and [18F]FDG-PET within 3 months of clinical evaluation, and who had ≤3 years of disease duration. Tracer uptake of the striatum on [18F]FP-CIT-PET and glucose metabolism of the striatum on [18F]FDG-PET were analyzed using eight striatal subregional volumes-of-interest templates. The patients were classified into two subgroups according to the predominant pre-synaptic tracer uptake loss of the posterior putamen on [18F]FP-CIT-PET (MSA-SNpc, n = 21) and trans-synaptic dopaminergic dysfunction reflected by both [18F]FP-CIT-PET and [18F]FDG-PET (MSA-STR, n = 40). Results Parkinsonian features were significantly more severe in the MSA-STR group than in the MSA-SNpc group (P = .005) and cerebellar ataxia was significantly more severe in the MSA-SNpc group (P = .036). The cerebellar type of MSA was significantly more common in the MSA-SNpc group (P = .001). There was no difference in age at onset, disease duration at the time of study, or Mini-Mental Status Examination scores between the groups. Conclusions Patients with MSA showed distinct clinical features depending on whether the pattern of nigrostriatal dysfunction was predominantly pre-synaptic or trans-synaptic.

In order to investigate the weathering characteristics of rocks in response to freeze-thaw conditions in northern latitudes, we analysed meteorological data from the Ny-&Aring, lesund region in Norway, and observed changes in the physical and mechanical properties of rocks of dolomite and quartzite. To assess the effects of freeze-thaw weathering on these rock properties, 900 cycles of long-term freeze-thaw tests were conducted for the sampled rocks in two locations. P-wave velocity, absorption, shore hardness, and the uniaxial compressive strength of the sampled rocks were measured at every 150 cycles in order to analyse physical and mechanical mediator variables of freeze-thaw weathering. It was found that an increasing number of freeze-thaw cycle on the sampled rocks decreases uniaxial compressive strength, shore hardness, and P-wave velocity and increases absorption.

Background Gastric and colonic alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity has been reported in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, enteric alpha-synuclein also has been reported in healthy individuals. Objectives We aimed to investigate the utility of alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity from gastric and colonic mucosal tissues obtained by routine endoscopy to detect PD, and to correlate the pathological burden of alpha-synuclein with motor and nonmotor features of PD. Methods We recruited 104 study subjects, consisting of 38 patients with PD, 13 patients with probable multiple system atrophy (MSA), and 53 healthy controls. Gastric and colonic mucosal tissues obtained by endoscopic gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy were assessed using alpha-synuclein immunohistochemistry. Detailed motor and nonmotor features of PD were correlated with enteric alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity. Results No difference was seen in the enteric α-SYN immunoreactivity among patients with PD (31.6% for stomach and 10.4% for colon), patients with MSA (40.0% for stomach and 8.0% for colon), and healthy controls (33.3% for stomach and 18.5% for colon). The frequency of positive alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity was higher in gastric biopsy tissues than in colonic biopsy tissues in all of the study groups (P

Recently, the site investigation has been developed with new technologies such as wave propagation analysis techniques and electrical resistivity measurements. Physical properties obtained from those techniques can be correlated to the mechanical properties directly applied to the design of structures. The use of correlation of the physical properties to the mechanical ones can be advantageous particularly on the permafrost ground where it is hard to perform mechanical experiments on the frozen ground. Considering the ground temperature in the permafrost ranges not lower than -20°C and the limitation of the temperature controlled chamber, the physical and mechanical properties of frozen soils in the temperature ranging from -20 to 12°C are investigated in this study. The wave propagation tests are performed for physical properties and the electrical resistivity is measured to evaluate the effect of ice in the frozen soils. Furthermore, the mechanical properties, dynamic elastic and shear moduli with regard to the temperatures are evaluated based on the measured wave propagation data.

Brucella abortus attenuated strain RB51 vaccine (RB51) is widely used in prevention of bovine brucellosis. Although vaccination with this strain has been shown to be effective in conferring protection against bovine brucellosis, RB51 has several drawbacks, including residual virulence for animals and humans. Therefore, a safe and efficacious vaccine is needed to overcome these disadvantages. In this study, we constructed several gene deletion mutants (ΔcydC, ΔcydD and ΔpurD single mutants, and ΔcydCΔcydD and ΔcydCΔpurD double mutants) of RB51 with the aim of increasing the safety of the possible use of these mutants as vaccine candidates. The RB51ΔcydC, RB51ΔcydD, RB51ΔpurD, RB51ΔcydCΔcydD and RB51ΔcydCΔpurD mutants exhibited significant attenuation of virulence when assayed in murine macrophages in vitro or in BALB/c mice. A single intraperitoneal immunization with RB51ΔcydC, RB51ΔcydD, RB51ΔcydCΔcydD or RB51ΔcydCΔpurD mutants was rapidly cleared from mice within 3 weeks, whereas the RB51ΔpurD mutant and RB51 were detectable in spleens until 4 and 7 weeks, respectively. Vaccination with a single dose of RB51 mutants induced lower protective immunity in mice than did parental RB51. However, a booster dose of these mutants provided significant levels of protection in mice against challenge with either the virulent homologous B. abortus strain 2308 or the heterologous Brucella canis strain 26. In addition, these mutants were found to induce a mixed but T-helper-1-biased humoral and cellular immune response in immunized mice. These data suggest that immunization with a booster dose of attenuated RB51 mutants provides an attractive strategy to protect against either bovine or canine brucellosis.

Ginseng has been widely used in Korea as a natural medicine due to its saponin contents. Although the total amount of ginseng stem and leaf saponins (GSLS) is 4~5 times higher than that of saponin in the root, the root is mainly used. This is due to two reasons: nervous system-stimulant activity of GSLS and pesticide residues in GSLS. In this study, residual agricultural pesticides were removed from GSLS using two types of bacterial treatments. Two GSLS treatment groups of chickens (GSLS-1 and GSLS-2) were established. The chickens were fed 0.4% GSLS- 1 or GSLS-2 mixed with crop. We then evaluated the effects of GSLS on bodyweight and several immune parameters. At the end of the experiments, chickens fed GSLS-1 and red ginseng saponin had significantly higher growth rates (16.6% and 8.0%, respectively) compared to the vaccine control group treated with Noblis Salenvac-T. The group fed GSLS-1 also had the highest IgG titer that was significantly different at the end of experiments compared to the other groups. These findings imply that GSLS-1 is a good candidate feed additive for the chicken industry.

Objective To compare the therapeutic and adverse effects of globus pallidus interna (GPi) and subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with PD who underwent GPi (n = 14) or STN (n = 28) DBS surgery between April 2002 and May 2014. The subjects were matched for age at surgery and disease duration. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores and levodopa equivalent dose (LED) at baseline and 12 months after surgery were used to assess the therapeutic effects of DBS. Adverse effects were also compared between the two groups. Results At 12 months, the mean changes in the UPDRS total and part I-IV scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the subscores for gait disturbance/postural instability and dyskinesia were significantly more improved after GPi DBS than those after STN DBS (p = 0.024 and 0.016, respectively). The LED was significantly more reduced in patients after STN DBS than that after GPi DBS (p = 0.004). Serious adverse effects did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.697). Conclusion The patients with PD showed greater improvement in gait disturbance/postural instability and dyskinesia after GPi DBS compared with those after STN DBS, although the patients had a greater reduction in LED after STN DBS. These results may provide useful information for optimal target selection for DBS in PD.

(Received: July 4, 2014; Revised: October 15, 2014; Accepted: October 21, 2014)Abstract : Uterine sterilization is important for improving fertility in cattle. This study compared bacterial flora in theuterus between healthy and repeat breeder cows (RBCs). The uterine flushing of six heifers, 13 healthy HanWoo cowsand eight RBCs (HanWoo) were sampled, and 15 frozen semen samples were selected. Overall, 35 bacteria wereidentified from in HanWoo uterine flushing and semen. The bacterial genera identified from HanWoo uterine flushingwere Alloiococcus, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erysipelothrix, Gardnerella, Granulicatella, Kocuria, Pantoea,Pasteurella , Rothia, Serratia, Sphingomonas, Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas and Streptococcus. The bacterial generaidentified from HanWoo semen were Bacillus, Escherichia, Kocuria, Oligella, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Sphingomonas,Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas and Streptococcus. The prevalence and presence of the identified bacteria betweenhealthy cows and RBCs differed significantly. Further studies are needed to determine the role of these bacteria inthe uterus of HanWoo cattle with reproductive disorder.Keywords : bacterial flora, HanWoo, repeat breeder, semen, uterus

Salmonellosis is one of the most common food-borne diseases in both humans and animals. The recovery of Salmonella from fecal and environmental samples by bacteriological assays takes several days. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become an important technique for the rapid detection of Salmonella in a variety of samples, including feces. For rapid identification of Salmonella by PCR, 1 mL of enrichment culture was harvested after overnight incubation and DNA was extracted by heat lysis. To investigate the optimal conditions for rapid PCR detection of Salmonella, three different primer sets and three different enrichment media were used on a panel of Salmonella strains and a panel of non-Salmonella strains. The results showed that selenite cysteine enrichment broth and a primer set designed for the invA gene provided the most specific and rapid detection of Salmonella by PCR after the enrichment step.

(Received: July 11, 2014; Revised: September 1, 2014; Accepted: September 11, 2014)Abstract : Bacterial infection of the uterus in Hanwoo can kill embryos. Therefore, many antibiotics have been usedto treat this infection in the uterus of repeat breeders. Incorrect use of antibiotics has led to resistance in bacteria.Natural compounds have used as substitutes for antibiotics because they are safe and have very mild side effects.This study was conducted to examine the antimicrobial effects of five extracts from medicinal plants including Humulusjaponicas (Hj), Phelledendron amurense (Pa), Viola mandshurica (Vm), Carthamus tinctorius (Ct), and Chelidoni herba(Ch) on bacteria isolated from the uterus of Hanwoo using the paper disc diffusion method. Hj and Pa extracts hadpotent antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcus lentus, Streptococcus infantarius subsp. coli, and Bacillus pumilus.Pa had the greatest antimicrobial effect among the five medicinal plants and was effective against 19 types of bacteriafrom bovine uterus. Compared to Pa, Hj showed weaker antimicrobial effects on all the bacteria tested exceptPseudomonas aeruginosa. Vm, Ct, and Ch also showed weak antimicrobial effects on the tested bacteria. The resultsobtained suggest that Hj and Pa are natural compounds suitable for treating bacterial infection in repeat breeders andimproving conception rates of Hanwoo.Keywords : antibacterial effects, bacterial flora, Hanwoo, natural product, uterus

Freeze-thaw tests were performed on gneiss samples collected from Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica in order to examine the engineerin g properties of rocks with slightly weathered (SW) and moderately weathered (MW). The tests were conducted under temperature ranging from –20 ± 2 ℃ to 20 ± 2 ℃. A cycle of test consisted of 5 hours of freezing followed by another 5 hours of thawing under full saturation. In this paper, total 200 cycles of freeze-thaw test were performed with measurements of porosity, absorption, ultrasonic velocity, and shore hardness per each 20 cycle and that of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) per each 50 cycle. The UCS of th e SW rocks approximately decreased 0.07 MPa per a single cycle, while that of MW rocks decreased around 0.2 MPa per a single cycle. During the 200 cycles of SW rocks, the absorption increased from 0.23% to 0.39%, the P-wave velocity decreased from 4,054 m/s t o 3,227 m/s and S-wave velocity decreased from 2,519 m/s to 2,079 m/s. Similarly, those of MW rocks changed from 0.65% to 1.6%, 3,207 m/s to 2,133 m/s and 2,028 m/s to 1,357 m/s. In conclusion, it was inferred that the properties of SW rocks experienced approximately 200-300 cycles of freeze-thaw process become close to those of MW rocks.

The study was carried out to evaluate and compare the immune responses in mice experimentally infectedwith either wild-type or isogenic mutants of Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis (SE), Salmonella Typhimurium(ST) and Gallinarum (SG). The mutant strains were constructed by allelic replacement of some virulence-associatedgenes in the wild-type strains. Seven-week-old female BALB/c mice were orally or intraperitoneally inoculated byinjecting bacterial suspension. To evaluate the immune responses, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) andenzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay were conducted with serum and fecal samples. As a result, the micegroup infected orally with the SE mutant strain showed the highest level of specific IgA-secreting splenocytes, comparedto the other groups. The peritoneally injected groups showed the greater levels of IgG1 than the orally injected groups,which was in a good agreement with the previous studies. In addition, the mutant infected groups had the similarsecretion levels of antibodies with the wild-type infected groups. These results demonstrated that the SE mutant strainelicited humoral immune response as much as wild-type, implying that it can be useful as a delivery vehicle as wellas a candidate of a live attenuated vaccine.Keywords : humoral immunity, mucosal immunity, Salmonella

Objective Despite the widespread use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to analyze the mortality of advanced PD patients who received DBS surgery. Methods We assessed the survival rate of 158 consecutive advanced PD patients who underwent DBS surgery between April 2002 and May 2014. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed using death as the endpoint. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the association of clinical risk factors with survival. Results Twenty-seven (17.1%) PD patients (13 men and 14 women) died during the mean follow-up period of 5.3 ± 3.1 years. The survival rate was 97% at 3 years and 85% at 5 years after DBS surgery. Pneumonia (n = 7) was the most common specific cause of death. Orthostatic hypotension was more frequent in deceased patients than in survivors (P = 0.026). In a step-wise Cox regression analysis, male sex (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.00; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.35–6.65; P = 0.007), visual hallucination (HR = 3.95; 95% CI = 1.60–9.78; P = 0.003), and nursing home admission (HR = 2.81; 95% CI = 1.30–6.09; P = 0.009) predicted poor survival. Conclusion The poor survival of advanced PD patients who underwent DBS surgery was associated with male sex, orthostatic hypotension, visual hallucination, and nursing home admission.

The Antarctic continent exposed to strong wind, very low temperature, and extremely dry condition. The freezing-thawing cycles under this extreme environment change the mechanical characteristics of rocks near the ground surface. To investigate the effect of freezing-thawing cycles under the extreme environment understand on geotechnical properties of rocks, rocks from the Antarctica were collected from two places: (1) West Antarctic Cape Burks and (2) East Antarctic Terra Nova Bay areas. The rock characteristics of these two areas were described and compared. For Terra Nova Bay area, rock characteristics of rocks near the surface and depths exceeding 2.9 m were examined. The `near-the-surface rocks` averages of absorption rate, P-wave velocity, and unconfined compressive strength were 0.56%, 3,717 m/s, and 109MPa, respectively; while, those values of `deep-sited rocks` were 0.24%, 4,670 m/s, and 88MPa. From the measurements, it was found that the effects of weathering were not significant on mechanical characteristics (strength) but were pronounced on physical characteristics(absorption and P-wave velocity).