Search

IntroductionAlcohol use disorder is a chronic disorder with significant limitations in pharmacological treatments, necessitating the exploration of non-pharmacological interventions.MethodsWe used a model of alcohol self-administration (10% v/v) to analyze behavioral, neurochemical, and signaling mechanisms.ResultsOur findings demonstrate that stimulation of the HT7 acupuncture point significantly decreased the frequency of active lever presses in rats self-administering alcohol (p

Since the enactment of the 「Han-River Watershed Act」, comprehensive analysis about direct and indirect contributions and effects of various environmental policies and water quality improvement projects for the preservation of water quality in the Han-River watershed is insufficient. Especially, effect of pollutant source location regulation should be inferred and estimated through model prediction cause it does not exist unregulated conditions. In this study, average pollutant density of Gangwon-do, Gyeonggi-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do, where the regulation areas located and average pollutant density of water source management areas were compared and analyzed. After that changes in pollutant sources in regulation areas were estimated by assuming load of pollutant sources in unregulated areas that load of pollutant sources in regulation areas. Since many reservoirs are located in Han-river watershed, it is difficult to simulate the water quality of Paldang reservoir using only watershed model, BASINS/WinHSPF and EFDC-WASP were linked. Water quality improvement of Paldang reservoir was evaluated by applying the discharge load when the pollution source location regulation was not implemented to the calibrated model. As a result of the pollution source location regulation, discharge load in the location regulation area was analyzed to reduced by 53.90% and T-P by 48.58%, and the BOD and T-P improvement effect of Paldang Dam was analyzed 6.77% and T-P 6.62%. Since the water quality improvement effect of Paldang Lake is accumulated to the entire upstream, it is evaluated relatively less than pollutant load reducing effect. It was analyzed that pollutiont source location regulation has water quality improvement effect, despite the small area which only located in near Paldang reservoir compared to the total area of the Han-River watershed.

IntroductionSince the analgesic effect of acupuncture stimulation is derived from different mechanisms depending on the type of pain, it is important to know which acupuncture points to stimulate. In this study, to confirm the effect of acupuncture stimulation on acute pain from a neurological point of view, somatosensory evoked potential and sensory threshold changes were evaluated to identify the nerve range that is affected by acupuncture stimulation on LI4 (Hapgok acupuncture point, of the radial nerve) during acute pain.MethodsThe subjects were 40 healthy men and women aged 19–35 years. The study was designed as a randomly controlled, crossover trial with acupuncture stimulation at LI4 as the intervention. The washout period for acupuncture stimulation was 2 weeks, and the subjects were divided into two groups, i.e., an acupuncture stimulation group and a nonstimulation group, with 10 men and 10 women in each group. Somatosensory evoked potential measurement was carried out for 5 min by alternately applying 2 HZ-pulse electrical stimulation to the thumb and the little finger of the hand acupunctured with a 64-channel electroencephalogram. The verbal rating scale was used before and after each acupuncture stimulation session.Result and discussionThe results of the study confirmed that the somatosensory evoked potential amplitude value of the thumb was significantly decreased and that the intensity of sensory stimulation corresponding to a verbal rating scale score of 6 was significantly increased only in the thumb after acupuncture stimulation. Therefore, the results show that acupuncture treatment for acute pain is more effective when direct acupuncture stimulation is applied to the painful area.

IntroductionWe and others have shown that electrical stimulation of the PC-6 acupoint over the wrist relieves hypertension by stimulating afferent sensory nerve fibers and activating the central endogenous opioid system. Warm needle acupuncture has long been utilized to treat various diseases in clinics.MethodsHere, we developed a temperature-controllable warm needle acupuncture instrument (WAI) and investigated the peripheral mechanism underlying the effect of warm needle acupuncture at PC-6 on hypertension in a rat model of immobilization stress-induced hypertension.ResultsStimulation with our newly developed WAI and traditional warm needle acupuncture attenuated hypertension development. Such effects were reproduced by capsaicin (a TRPV1 agonist) injection into PC-6 or WAI stimulation at 48°C. In contrast, PC-6 pretreatment with the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine blocked the antihypertensive effect of WAI stimulation at PC-6. WAI stimulation at PC-6 increased the number of dorsal root ganglia double-stained with TRPV1 and CGRP. QX-314 and capsaicin perineural injection into the median nerve for chemical ablation of small afferent nerve fibers (C-fibers) prevented the antihypertensive effect of WAI stimulation at PC-6. Additionally, PC-6 pretreatment with RTX ablated the antihypertensive effect of WAI stimulation.ConclusionThese findings suggest that warm needle acupuncture at PC-6 activates C-fiber of median nerve and the peripheral TRPV1 receptors to attenuate the development of immobilization stress-induced hypertension in rats.

Tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs) exhibit high rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity. The expression profiles of microRNA (miRNA), which are small RNA molecules that play pivotal roles in biological processes, in TSCC in relation to the HPV status and cancer-related genetic mutations are not well investigated. Herein, we expanded our previous research, which was focused on established clinicopathological and genetic mutational data, to profile miRNA expression in TSCC, aiming to identify clinically relevant targets for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. The miRNA profiles were analyzed using the nCounter Nanostring miRNA Expression assay in 22 surgically resected TSCC tissues and their contralateral normal tonsil tissues. The TERT promoter (TERTp) gene was the only relevant candidate gene associated with differentially expressed miRNAs in TSCC. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed high expression levels of hsa-miR-1285-5p, hsa-miR-1203, hsa-miR-663a, hsa-miR-1303, hsa-miR-33a-5p, and hsa-miR-3615 coupled with low expression levels of hsa-miR-3182, hsa-miR-219a-2-3p, and hsa-miR-767-3p, which were associated with HPV-positive TSCC (p = 0.009). Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these dysregulated miRNAs tended to be involved in protein binding (molecular function) and cellular components (biological processes). Therefore, hsa-miR-1285-5p and hsa-miR-663a may be associated with HPV-positive TERTp-mutated tumors and may serve as potential treatment targets and biomarkers for early detection.

Background: The energy flow at acupuncture point is important for understanding the mechanism of acupuncture treatment. However, there are few studies on energy at acupuncture point, and related studies have limitation in explaining the energy flow in all meridians. Thus, we aimed to understand the properties of electrical energy at acupuncture point in twelve meridians by measuring the biopotential at acupuncture and non-acupuncture points. Methods: For each meridian, twenty subjects were participated, and biopotential was measured at five transport points and their adjacent non-acupuncture points. In each subject, both ‘non-stimulation’ and ‘stimulation’ experiments were conducted in random order. The data were analyzed in two parts: biopotential variability and biopotential difference between acupuncture and non-acupuncture points. Results: The biopotential variability at acupuncture point was increased by acupuncture stimulation, and it was related to the activation of Qi flow by acupuncture stimulation. The biopotential difference between acupuncture and non-acupuncture points was formed in the direction related to the Qi flow theory, and this biopotential difference tended to decrease by acupuncture stimulation. Conclusion: The study on biopotential can provide a foundation for research on energy flow mechanism of acupuncture stimulation, and it is expected to overcome limitation of qualitative explanation in traditional medicine.

Abstract Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) still remains intractable disease with few therapeutic options. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which is essential for immune evasion, is involved in the pathogenesis of ESCC and thus is a potential therapeutic target. PIK3CA, KRAS, and BRAF mutations, microsatellite instability (MSI) caused by deficient mismatch repair (dMMR), and human papillomavirus (HPV) can potentially upregulate PD-L1 expression, which might contribute to the clinical outcome of patients with ESCC. Methods We investigated the significance of the present druggable markers [PD-L1, PIK3CA, KRAS, and BRAF mutations, MSI caused by deficient dMMR, and HPV] in 64 curatively resected ESCCs, using immunohistochemistry (PD-L1 and MMR protein expression), direct sequencing (KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations), real-time PCR (HPV infection), and MSI using quasi-monomorphic markers. Results PD-L1 expression, PIK3CA mutation, and MSI/dMMR were detected in 35.9, 12.5, and 17.2% of ESCCs, respectively. HPV was rarely detected (1.6%) (high-risk HPV68), whereas KRAS and BRAF mutations were not detected in ESCCs. PD-L1-positive tumors were not correlated with PIK3CA mutation or MSI/dMMR (all P > 0.05). PD-L1, PIK3CA mutation, and MSI/dMMR characterized the patients associated with light smoking, female and younger age, and younger age and well-differentiated tumors, respectively (all P

Data regarding driver mutation profiles in tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs) remain scarce, limiting the understanding of its pathogenesis and unexpected behavior in the updated staging system. We investigated the incidence of clinically relevant mutations and their contribution in the prognosis of the condition, and their association with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and adjuvant therapy. We subjected 43 surgically resected TSCC samples to targeted next-generation sequencing, determined their HPV status using polymerase chain reaction, and performed The Cancer Genomic Atlas and Gene Set Enrichment analyses. Thirty-five TSCC samples (81.4%) showed at least one oncogenic/likely oncogenic mutation among twenty-nine cancer-related genes. The top five mutated genes were TP53 (46.5%), PIK3CA (25.6%), PTEN (18.6%), EGFR (16.3%), and SMAD4 (14.0%). The EGFR pathway was the most frequently affected (51.2%), followed by the p53 (48.8%), PI3K (39.5%), and RTK (34.9%) pathways. The gene set enrichment analysis confirmed that the genes involved in signal transduction, such as growth factor receptors and second messengers, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and PI3K signaling pathways, were mostly related with TSCCs. TP53 mutation was an independent prognostic factor predicting worse overall survival in the adjuvant therapy group. RTK mutations were related to survival in all patients and in the HPV-positive group, but multivariate analyses showed no significance. In conclusion, oncogenic/likely oncogenic mutations were relatively high in TSCCs, and TP53 and RTK mutations may be candidate predictors for poor prognosis in the adjuvant therapy and HPV-positive groups, respectively, under the updated staging system.

Background: Public health concerns regarding the potential link between osteoporosis and the increased occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been raised, but the results remain inconsistent and require further validation. Here, we investigated the long-term relationship of osteoporosis with the occurrence of AD/PD using data from a large-scale nationwide cohort.Methods: This longitudinal follow-up study included 78,994 patients with osteoporosis and 78,994 controls from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort database (2002–2015) who were matched using propensity score matching at a 1:1 ratio based on age, sex, income, and residential area. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the association between osteoporosis and the occurrence of AD/PD after adjusting for multiple covariates.Results: During the follow-up period, AD occurred in 5,856 patients with osteoporosis and 3,761 controls (incidence rates: 10.4 and 6.8 per 1,000 person-years, respectively), and PD occurred in 1,397 patients and 790 controls (incidence rates: 2.4 and 1.4 per 1,000 person-years, respectively). The incidences of AD and PD were significantly higher in the osteoporosis group than in the matched control group. After adjustment, the osteoporosis group exhibited 1.27-fold and 1.49-fold higher occurrences of AD (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22–1.32) and PD (95% CI = 1.36–1.63) than the controls, respectively. The results of subgroup analyses supported the increased occurrence of AD and PD in patients with osteoporosis, independent of income, residential area, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or blood glucose level.Conclusion: Our results indicate that the presence of osteoporosis may increase the likelihood of developing two common neurodegenerative diseases in adults aged ≥40 years.

Abstract Background Electroacupuncture (EA) is often used in clinical settings due to its analgesic effect, but its safety has not been verified due to the lack of clear criteria. This study examined the critical range of the corrosion of stainless steel types STS304 and STS316, which have been used clinically, and the relationship between needle corrosion and cell necrosis. Method The critical point of corrosion for STS304 and STS316 was identified by varying the time, frequency, and stimulation intensity. In a tissue necrosis experiment, EA stimulation was applied to rats using STS316 needles with different thicknesses at maximum intensity for 60 min, and the presence of corrosion and tissue necrosis was determined. A cytotoxicity experiment was also conducted and assessed the needles and tissue necrosis. Results The results showed that STS316 was more stable than STS304 and that only coated needles corroded. Furthermore, tissue necrosis was observed regardless of corrosion, and slight cell necrosis was associated with needles with corrosion. Conclusions This study demonstrated that non-coated STS316 was the most stable for EA stimulation and that corrosion byproducts and cell necrosis were not directly related.

Background: Most ETOH addiction preclinical studies have focused on the rewards of chronic ETOH self-administration or the ETOH reinstatement model. Acute ETOH administration studies are scarce despite the potential of ETOH to cause sedation, intoxication and reduced acute functional tolerance. Here, we established a rat model of acute ETOH administration induced by an intraperitoneal injection of 1 g/kg ethanol and assessed the similarities in physiological and behavioral effects between acupuncture and Sigma1 R antagonists. Methods: Male Wistar rats (300−330 g) received pretreatment with (1) saline injection, (2) saline + mechanical stimulation using a mechanical acupuncture instrument (MAI) for acupuncture at the Shenmen (HT7), (3) ETOH (1 g/kg) injection, (4) ETOH + HT7, or (5) the selective σ1 R antagonist BD 1047 (3, 10, or 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (IP) injection). ETOH (1 g/kg) or saline was IP injected after 10 min. Then, ETOH-induced immobility was evaluated in an open field arena, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) indicating ethanol-induced emotional changes were recorded in a recording chamber, and the rats were sacrificed for the analysis of protein levels of σ1 R in several regions of the brain. Results: Acute ethanol exposure increased the immobile time, 22-kHz USVs, and protein levels of σ1 R in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, pretreatment with acupuncture at HT7 induced recovery of immobile time, reduced 22-kHz USVs, and regulated the protein levels of σ1 R in the VTA. These effects have similarities with IP injection of BD 1047 (10 mg/kg). Conclusion: This study showed that acupuncture at HT7 regulates immobility and 22-kHz USVs via Sigma1 R in the VTA upon acute ETOH exposure.

Abstract Background The P300 is a major index used to evaluate improvements in brain function. Although a few studies have reported evaluating the effectiveness of manual acupuncture or electro-acupuncture by monitoring the P300, research in this field is not yet very active. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of periodic low-frequency electrical stimulation applied to BL62 and KI6 on brain activity by analyzing the P300. Method The study was conducted as a randomized double-blind test of 55 subjects in their 50s, including 26 males and 29 females. Each subject received 12 sessions of stimulation over a one-month period. In each session, low-frequency electrical stimulation at an average of 24 μA and 2 Hz was applied to the acupuncture points BL62 and KI6, and event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured before the first session and after the last session of the electrical stimulation. Results The results of a chi-square test indicated that the double-blind test was conducted correctly. Compared to the Sham group, all the subjects in the Real stimulation group showed a tendency toward a decreasing P300 latency and increasing P300 amplitude after all 12 sessions of stimulation. In the women, the amplitude significantly increased at Fz, Fcz, Cz, Cpz, and Pz. Conclusions With this experiment, the low-frequency electrical stimulation of two acupuncture points (BL62 and K16) was confirmed to have a positive influence on the prevention of natural cerebral aging. Trial registration This study was registered at the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) of the National Research Institute of Health ( https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/search_result_st01_en.jsp? , Registration Number: KCT0001940). The date of registration was June 9, 2016.

Background: The novel threadlike structure is called the primo structure, and studies are conducted through many different approaches. Although various ways of differentiation are currently used, a standard for differentiation is deemed necessary in order to identify the primo structure based on the overall form of the structure. This study aims to explore the differentiation standard through the histological common point of the threadlike structure of rat and swine by using the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining method commonly used for histological research in various structures. Methods: An 8-week old Sprague-Dawley rat and a Yorkshire pig weighing 30–40 kg were used. A total of 65 pieces of rat threadlike structure and 100 pieces of swine threadlike structure were collected after the abdomen was cut and opened. The following three different characteristics were confirmed using the H&E staining method for the collected structures: (1) bright cell availability; (2) cavity availability; and (3) nuclei density. Results: For the rat threadlike structure, the bright cell (70.5%) and nuclei density (92.6%) were mainly observed; in the swine threadlike structure, however, the bright cell (60.6%) and cavity (67.2%) were mainly observed. The bright cell was confirmed to have been observed in the threadlike structures of both rat and swine. Conclusion: The bright cell is determined to be the common point in the primo structure. However, further research is deemed necessary in the future as to the functions performed by the characteristic shown by the Primo structure.

This study proposes a linear electromagnetic generator that can harvest vibration energy from a transformer and supply electricity to a monitoring system. The sensor system delivers voltage and electricity information from a transformer and it usually requires a battery that must be replaced periodically. These result in high costs, working hours, and manpower, and workers may sometimes face very dangerous situations, especially when a transformer is located in a mountainous area or an elevated position that cannot be accessed easily. The transformer vibrates at a frequency of approximately 50 Hz or higher. In this study, a linear electromagnetic generator was designed to analyze and harvest this vibration energy. A prototype was produced and its performance was tested, which showed that more than 100 mW of electricity could be produced, which is the minimum amount required for the electricity analysis system.

Background: The primo vascular system has been suggested as the third circulatory system. Although primo tissues have been observed in various tissues isolated from a number of animal species, including mice, rats, and rabbits, very few reports on the histological characteristics of primo tissues from different body parts are available. This study was designed to compare the histological characteristics of primo tissues isolated from different body parts of rats. Methods: Rats were anesthetized and operated on, to locate primo tissues. The primo tissues were searched at the all organs’ surface and in lymphatic vessels using suitable finding methods. The tissues found were then separated and observed by histological test methods. Results: This histological study revealed that there was no difference between the histological characteristics of the organ-surface primo tissues, the primo tissues inside lymphatic vessels, and the primo tissues on the falciform ligament. Moreover, primo tissues could be differentiated from those with a similar structure, such as lymphatic vessels and blood vessels, by immunostaining against a-LYVE-1 and a-CD31, and can be observed by specific immunostaining against the Von Willebrand factor (vWF). Conclusion: The results of this study support the fact that primo tissues could possibly constitute a third circulatory system in the whole-body network.

A 59-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a 3.5× 3-cm protruding mass on her forehead. A skull X-ray revealed a radiolucent osteolytic lesion on the left side of the frontal bone. Additionally, computed tomography showed a 3.1× 1.7× 3.6-cm mass exhibiting a “sunburst” pattern situated between the outer and inner tables of the skull, just superior and lateral to the left frontal sinus. This pattern suggested the presence of an intraosseous vascular malformation (IVM). The lesion was approached via a bicoronal incision. En-bloc resection was performed, removing the mass along with approximately 0.5 cm of the surrounding normal bone without injury to the exposed frontal sinus mucosa. The exposed mucosa was reinforced with a galeal flap, and cranioplasty with bone cement was performed to repair the resulting bony defect. Pathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of intraosseous cavernous-type malformation with mixed cavernous and capillary histological features. We report this case of IVM and review the existing literature, highlighting the satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many studies have consistently demonstrated the association between depression and problematic smartphone use (PSU), the temporal precedence and causality of this relationship remain controversial. Aims & Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and PSU in a sample of the general adult population by analyzing the association between present PSU and both past and current MDD. Method: The study utilized data from the Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, a nationwide epidemiologic survey that employed a multistage cluster sampling method. Participants were assessed using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to diagnose MDD and the Smartphone Overuse Screening Questionnaire to identify PSU. Results: Of the 916 subjects, 139 (15.2%) belonged to the PSU group. The prevalence of PSU in older adults was substantial, with 9.3% for the 36-50 age group and 5.4% for the over 50 age group. We found a significant association between MDD and PSU. Both current (OR 6.366, 95% CI 1.253-32.353) and previous (OR 2.826, 95% CI 1.528-5.227) MDD episodes were associated with increased risk of PSU. Discussion & Conclusion: This study confirmed the association between PSU and MDD among the general adult population. Specifically, previously resolved depression was found to affect the current PSU. This study also contributes to the literature by utilizing standardized tools for diagnosing MDD, providing more robust evidence on the association between depression and PSU. Additionally, the study also highlighted that PSU is not limited to young populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]