3,800 research outputs found
Global gene expression changes induced in the human placenta during labor
No full textObjectives: To gain insight into the process of labor and the effects of labor on placental gene expression, we performed a microarray analysis to identify the differentially expressed transcripts that may participate in labor onset and progression. Methods: We compared expression profiles in placentas from 16 women who underwent elective nonlabored cesarean section and from seven women who underwent vaginal delivery. Oligonucleotide probes representing 55,000 genes were used to measure gene expression. Differential gene expression was evaluated using the Student's t-test and fold change assessment and reverse transcription PCR was used to validate the differentially expressed genes. Results: A total of 351 genes were found to be differentially expressed between the two groups. Among these differentially expressed genes, 344 genes were up-regulated and seven were down-regulated. These differentially expressed genes involved 15 categories including genes involved in stress response, immune response, cell death, coagulation, and blood vessel development which are considered to be most closely associated with the inflammatory response that characterizes labor. Conclusion: A total of 351 differentially expressed genes of 15 categories were found in the placentas of the vaginal delivery group, indicating a diversity of gene expression alteration and complexity in the labor process. These gene expression changes could be a cause of labor onset and progress or simply an effect of labor. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserve
Study of deposit morphology in a propane diffusion-flame under fuel-rich conditions
No full textThe morphologies of deposits on 15-mum diameter SiC fibres have been investigated with a scanning electron-microscope and compared with UV-excited laser-induced broadband fluorescences in a confined co-flowing, propane/air laminar diffusion-flame under a fuel-rich condition. A double structure of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) fluorescence, having a hollow region between the central and outer fluorescence images, was observed in confined flames under extremely fuel-rich conditions. A comparison of the PAH fluorescence with the morphologies of the deposits indicates that the "dark" hollow zone is caused by a decreased number density of large grown-up droplet-like condensed-phase molecules, and the outer weak fluorescence zone is caused by the diffusion of gas-phase small ones. The evolution of soot precursors is stopped at the earlier stage of transition, to soot from condensed-phase large molecules in the non-sooting diffusion flame, under a fuel-rich condition. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Measurement of the Acoustic Source Characteristics of the Intake Port in the Refrigerator Compressor
No full textSurvey on disease insight and prevalence of urinary incontinence in women
No full textPurpose: With a rapidly aging population in Korea, the number of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms is increasing. Therefore, it is important to determine the current extent of incontinence among Korean women to establish future plans. We attempted to create reference materials for organizing public relations and educational activities by investigating the effect of age on incontinence and quality of life in women. Materials and Methods: The participants comprised women aged 30 years and older who visited a tertiary center for health screening from September 1 to October 31, 2016. The survey included a questionnaire consisting of 12 questions that took approximately 10 minutes to complete. We analyzed the responses and assessed the prevalence of the disease and its rate of recognition. Results: A total of 509 women completed the survey. Irrespective of age, 76.8% of all respondents were aware of urinary incontinence (UI) and 57.4% of the women exhibited lower urinary tract symptoms. The most prevalent symptom was UI (45.8%), and the incidence rates of stress and urge UI were identified as 33.6% and 12.2%, respectively. Only 8.0% of the women had visited a hospital; 38.3% had awaited spontaneous symptom improvement. Many participants (61.2%) answered that a urology clinic is suitable for treating UI, while 58.9% chose a gynecology clinic. Conclusions: Our study showed that more than 75% of women are aware of UI, but their perception of the disease mechanism and treatment options was low. We suggest that continuous education and publicity are necessary
The presence of prostate-specific antigen checked more than 1 year before diagnostic biopsy is an independent prognostic factor in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy
No full textPurpose: In large scale prospective studies, prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-screening not only decreased prostate cancer mortality, but also reduced biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP). We investigated the independent effect of the presence of PSA checked more than 1 year before diagnostic biopsy on the prognosis of patients undergoing RP in a real world setting without PSA-screening. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the database of patients undergoing RP at Ajou University Hospital from March 1999 to May 2018. Clinicopathological features assessed were age, presence of lower urinary tract symptoms at presentation, presence of PSA checked over 1 year before biopsy, presence of PSA checked within 4 to 1 years of biopsy, last pre-biopsy PSA (pPSA), biopsy grade group (bGG), cT, cN, percentage of positive biopsy cores (PPBC), pathological GG (pGG), pT, pN, surgical margin, and index tumor diameter. The primary endpoint was BCR-free survival (BCRFS). Results: Of 598 patients enrolled, 211 experienced BCR at the mean follow-up of 64±37 months. The 5-year and 10-year BCRFS were 62.8% and 53.9%, respectively. In multivariate analyses including clinical variables only, pPSA, bGG, cT, PPBC, and PSA within 4 to 1 years of biopsy independently affected BCRFS. In multivariate analyses including pathological variables only, pPSA, pGG, pT, pN, PSA checked over 1 year before biopsy and PSA checked within 4 to 1 years of biopsy independently affected BCRFS. Conclusions: Patients who has checked PSA at least once beyond 1 year before diagnosis of prostate cancer show better BCRFS regardless of other factors
Structural and electrical properties of MOCVD-cobalt silicide on p-Si0.83Ge0.17/Si(001)
No full textStructural, chemical and electrical properties of cobalt silicide/p-Si0.83Ge0.17/Si(001) were investigated by various analytical methods. Analyses of the as-deposited cobalt silicide layers on p-Si0.83Ge0.17/n-Si(001) at the growth temperature T-s = 650 degreesC by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using cyclopentadienyl dicarbonyl cobalt (Co(eta(5)-C5H5)(CO)(2)), revealed epitaxial CoSi2 phases, as well as C-containing high resistive phases. Rapid thermal annealing at elevated temperature of 800 degreesC increased the fraction of epitaxial CoSi2 phase by the reaction of the remaining SiGe layers with Co supplied from the top surface layer, resulting in the reduction in the sheet resistance from congruent to 230 (as-deposited) to congruent to 30 Omega/square (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.This work was supported in part by the Ministry of Information and Communication of Korea (Support Project of University Foundation Research, supervised
by IITA) and by the Korea Research Foundation
through ERC program. D.O.S., Y.S.A. and S.H.B. acknowledge the partial financial support through the BK21 program from the Ministry of Education
Size-controlled electrochemical synthesis of palladium nanoparticles using morpholinium ionic liquid
No full textWe have successfully synthesized morpholinium ionic liquid-stabilized palladium (Pd) nanoparticles by electrochemical reduction. For characterization of Pd nanoparticles, FT-IR, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed. The FT-IR spectrum of Pd nanoparticles indicated the surface binding of the IL to the nanoparticles. The UV-visible spectrum showed that nano-sized I'd particles were produced. The particle size was controlled by the adjustment of the current density, temperature, and electrolysis duration. The TEM images showed an average size of 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, 2.9, 3.5, 3.9, and 4.5 nm. Nearly a 0.5 run-sized control of the nanoparticle was achieved. The particle size increased with a decrease in the current density and an increase in temperature and electrolysis duration. The electron diffraction patterns of resulting nanoparticles indicated that the particles had a crystalline structure.This work was supported by Grant No. R01-2003-000-10300-0
from the Basic Research Program of the Korea Science & Engineering
Foundation and also partially funded by the Brain Korea
21 Project. We are grateful to KBSI (Korea Basic Science Institute)
for assistance with NMR, FAB mass, and ion chromatograph
In-situ alloying of stainless steel 316L by co-inoculation of Ti and Mn using LPBF additive manufacturing: Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties
No full textThe grain refining impact of Ti in additively manufactured steels as well as the outstanding formability of high-Mn steels owing to their low stacking fault energy (SFE) has been confirmed in the literature. In the current work, Ti and Mn were inoculated simultaneously to the stainless steel 316 L by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) in-situ alloying. The local accumulation of the additions developed complexes of Ti-rich brittle phases that improved strength. Microstructural observations revealed the formation of intermetallic chunks of FeTi (bcc), sigma (tetragonal), and C14 Laves phase (hcp) surrounded by emerged ferrite grains within the austenite. The rapid solidification of the molten tracks induced significant thermal stresses, which were responded by the generation of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) at the austenite/ferrite interfaces, and activation of synchroshear mechanism within the Laves phase along with thermally activated slip systems in FeTi phase. Mn addition contributed to higher interface cohesion by facilitating dissociation of dislocations
Postoperative membranous urethral length is the single most important surgical factor predicting recovery of postoperative urinary continence
No full textPURPOSE: To analyze the potential surgical factors affecting postoperative urinary continence, including postoperative membranous urethral length (MUL), in an era where open radical prostatectomy (ORP) and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) coexist. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing either ORP or RARP between April 2009 and June 2017 were included in this study. Pericatheter urethrography (PCU) was performed the day of catheter removal to confirm healing of the vesicourethral anastomosis and to measure PCU-MUL. Daily usage of incontinence pad was self-reported by the patient at each post-operative visit through a questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors that influenced recovery of continence. RESULTS: Of the 196 patients included, 121 and 75 patients received ORP and RARP, respectively. The cumulative full continence rates (0 pad/day) at 1 year in the ORP and RARP groups were 87% and 95%, respectively. In the univariate analysis, older age, high preoperative International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) irritative symptom domain, ORP, poorer NVB preservation, and shorter PCU-MUL were associated with delayed recovery of full continence. In the multivariate analysis, only older age, high preoperative IPSS irritative symptom domain, and shorter PCU-MUL remained as independent factors significantly associated with delayed recovery of full continence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the importance of saving the MUL as long as possible in terms of continence recovery. This holds true for ORP even in the era of RARP and surgeons should not simply give up the prospect of early urinary continence in exchange for the patient's choice of ORP instead of RARP
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