The Role of Inflammatory Mediators in the Pathogenesis of Otitis Media and Sequelae

Steven K. Juhn,정민교,Mark D. Hoffman,Brian R. Drew,Diego A. Preciado,Nicholas J. Sausen,Timothy T.K. Jung,Bo Hyung Kim,박상유,Jizhen Lin,Frank G. Ondrey,David R. Mains,Tina Huang 대한이비인후과학회 2008 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.1 No.3

This review deals with the characteristics of various inflammatory mediators identified in the middle ear during otitis media and in cholesteatoma. The role of each inflammatory mediator in the pathogenesis of otitis media and cholesteatoma has been discussed. Further, the relation of each inflammatory mediator to the pathophysiology of the middle and inner ear along with its mechanisms of pathological change has been described. The mechanisms of hearing loss including sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) as a sequela of otitis media are also discussed. The passage of inflammatory mediators through the round window membrane into the scala tympani is indicated. In an experimental animal model, an application of cytokines and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial toxin, on the round window membrane induced sensorineural hearing loss as identified through auditory brainstem response threshold shifts. An increase in permeability of the blood-labyrinth barrier (BLB) was observed following application of these inflammatory mediators and LPS. The leakage of the blood components into the lateral wall of the cochlea through an increase in BLB permeability appears to be related to the sensorineural hearing loss by hindering K+ recycling through the lateral wall disrupting the ion homeostasis of the endolymph. Further studies on the roles of various inflammatory mediators and bacterial toxins in inducing the sensorineumral hearing loss in otitis media should be pursued.

Chromatin Kinases Act on Transcription Factors and Histone Tails in Regulation of Inducible Transcription

Josefowicz, Steven Z.,Shimada, M.,Armache, A.,Li, Charles H.,Miller, Rand M.,Lin, S.,Yang, A.,Dill, Brian D.,Molina, H.,Park, H.S.,Garcia, Benjamin A.,Taunton, J.,Roeder, Robert G.,Allis, C. Cell Press 2016 Molecular cell Vol.64 No.2

<P>The inflammatory response requires coordinated activation of both transcription factors and chromatin to induce transcription for defense against pathogens and environmental insults. We sought to elucidate the connections between inflammatory signaling pathways and chromatin through genomic footprinting of kinase activity and unbiased identification of prominent histone phosphorylation events. We identified H3 serine 28 phosphorylation (H3S28ph) as the principal stimulation-dependent histone modification and observed its enrichment at induced genes in mouse macrophages stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Using pharmacological and genetic approaches, we identified mitogen-and stress-activated protein kinases (MSKs) as primary mediators of H3S28ph in macrophages. Cell-free transcription assays demonstrated that H3S28ph directly promotes p300/CBP-dependent transcription. Further, MSKs can activate both signal-responsive transcription factors and the chromatin template with additive effects on transcription. Specific inhibition of MSKs in macrophages selectively reduced transcription of stimulation-induced genes. Our results suggest that MSKs incorporate upstream signaling inputs and control multiple downstream regulators of inducible transcription.</P>

Multiple cutout optimization in composite plates using evolutionary structural optimization

Falzon, Brian G.,Steven, Grant P.,Xie, Mike Y. Techno-Press 1997 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.5 No.5

The optimization of cutouts in composite plates was investigated by implementing a procedure known as Evolutionary Structural Optimization. Perforations were introduced into a finite element mesh of the plate from which one or more cutouts of a predetermined size were evolved. In the examples presented, plates were rejected from around each evolving cutout based on a predefined rejection criterion. The limiting ply within each plate element around the cutout was determined based on the Tsai-Hill failure criterion. Finite element plates with values below the product of the average Tsai-Hill number and a rejection criterion were subsequently removed. This process was iterated until a steady state was reached and the rejection criterion was then incremented by an evolutionary rate and the above steps repeated until the desired cutout area was achieved. Various plates with differing lay-up and loading parameters were investigated to demonstrate the generality and robustness of this optimization procedure.

Options Study for the Neutralization of Elemental Sodium During the Pyroprocessing of Used Nuclear Fuel

Westphal, Brian,Tolman, David,Tolman, Kevin,Frank, Steven,Herrmann, Steve,Warmann, Stephen,Marsden, Kenneth,Patterson, Michael Korean Radioactive Waste Society 2020 방사성폐기물학회지 Vol.18 No.2

An options study was performed for the treatment of residual elemental sodium in driver plenums following the chopping operation during the pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel. Given the pending availability of a multi-function furnace for distillation and consolidation operations in the Fuel Conditioning Facility, the furnace was considered for the processing of driver plenums. Although two options (oxidation and distillation) could be performed in the multi-function furnace, neither option has been developed sufficiently to date to warrant the use of the furnace for treatment operations. Thus, it was decided to defer the treatment of elemental sodium from driver plenums in the multi-function furnace until more developed technologies and/or furnaces become available. In the interim, storage of the plenums and characterization efforts are recommended.

Aptamer-targeted Antigen Delivery

Wengerter, Brian C,Katakowski, Joseph A,Rosenberg, Jacob M,Park, Chae Gyu,Almo, Steven C,Palliser, Deborah,Levy, Matthew Nature Publishing Group 2014 MOLECULAR THERAPY Vol.22 No.7

<P>Effective therapeutic vaccines often require activation of T cell-mediated immunity. Robust T cell activation, including CD8 T cell responses, can be achieved using antibodies or antibody fragments to direct antigens of interest to professional antigen presenting cells. This approach represents an important advance in enhancing vaccine efficacy. Nucleic acid aptamers present a promising alternative to protein-based targeting approaches. We have selected aptamers that specifically bind the murine receptor, DEC205, a C-type lectin expressed predominantly on the surface of CD8α<SUP>+</SUP> dendritic cells (DCs) that has been shown to be efficient at facilitating antigen crosspresentation and subsequent CD8<SUP>+</SUP> T cell activation. Using a minimized aptamer conjugated to the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA), DEC205-targeted antigen crosspresentation was verified <I>in vitro</I> and <I>in vivo</I> by proliferation and cytokine production by primary murine CD8<SUP>+</SUP> T cells expressing a T cell receptor specific for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I-restricted OVA<SUB>257–264</SUB> peptide SIINFEKL. Compared with a nonspecific ribonucleic acid (RNA) of similar length, DEC205 aptamer-OVA-mediated antigen delivery stimulated strong proliferation and production of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2. The immune responses elicited by aptamer-OVA conjugates were sufficient to inhibit the growth of established OVA-expressing B16 tumor cells. Our results demonstrate a new application of aptamer technology for the development of effective T cell-mediated vaccines.</P>

Safety considerations with the current ambulatory trends: more complicated procedures and more complicated patients

Young Steven,Osman Brian,Shapiro Fred E. 대한마취통증의학회 2023 Korean Journal of Anesthesiology Vol.76 No.5

In the last quarter of a century, the backdrop of appropriate ambulatory and office-based surgeries has changed dramatically. Procedures that were traditionally done in hospitals or patients being admitted after surgery are migrating to the outpatient setting and being discharged on the same day, respectively, at a remarkable rate. In the face of this exponential growth, anesthesiologists are constantly being challenged to maintain patient safety by understanding the appropriate patient selection, procedure, and surgical location. Recently published literature supports the trend of higher, more medically complex patients, and more complicated procedures shifting towards the outpatient arena. Several reasons that may account for this include cost incentives, advancement in anesthesia techniques, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, and increased patient satisfaction. Anesthesiologists must understand that there is a lack of standardized state regulations regarding ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and office-based surgery (OBS) centers. Current and recently graduated anesthesiologists should be aware of the safety concerns related to the various non-hospital-based locations, the sustained growth and demand for anesthesia in the office, and the expansion of mobile anesthesia practices in the US in order to keep up and practice safely with the professional trends. Continuing procedural ambulatory shifts will require ongoing outcomes research, likely prospective in nature, on these novel outpatient procedures, in order to develop risk stratification and prediction models for the selection of the proper patient, procedure, and surgery location.

A cost-effective two-step method for enhancing the hydrophilicity of PDMS surfaces

Gymama Slaughter,Brian Stevens 한국바이오칩학회 2014 BioChip Journal Vol.8 No.1

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is commonly used for fabricating micro- and nanofluidic devices due to its low cost and ease of fabrication. The major disadvantage to using PDMS for these applications is its hydrophobic properties. The current methods that enhance the hydrophilicity of elastomers used for micro- and nanofluidic applications are intricate and cost-inefficient. This contribution demonstrates how the hydrophobic PDMS surface can be chemically modified in 5 minutes using a two-step silanization method in an oxygen-saturated environment to provide a highly stable hydrophilic surface for irreversible PDMS to PDMS bonding and PDMS to borosilicate glass bonding. The surface wettabilities of the modified and pristine PDMS were characterized over a wide range of time using static contact angle measurements. The modified PDMS surfaces exhibit enhanced stable hydrophilicity with a contact angle of 87for 5 days. Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra of the modified and pristine PDMS surfaces confirmed the presence of hydroxyl groups of water molecules in the modified PDMS at 3150 cm-1 in addition to the characteristic peaks of pristine PDMS. This reliable silane beaker chemistry-based method allows easy bonding of the PDMS surfaces for liquid containment and irreversible bonding to borosilicate glass. This approach can effectively be adapted for enhancing the hydrophilicity of PDMS, which ensure relevance for current and future microand nanofluidic applications.

NIST 순수 제로 에너지주거용 건물 실험

LISA NG,DUSTIN POPPENDIECK,BRIAN P. DOUGHERTY,STEVEN J. EMMERICH,이호성(번역자) 대한설비공학회 2018 설비저널 Vol.47 No.8

2017년 미국 전체 에너지 사용량 중 39%는 건물에서 소비되었으며 가정용 건물이 20%, 상업용 건물이 19% 정도를 소비하였다. 제로 에너지 건물은 건물에너지 사용량을 실제로 저감하는 최근의 트렌드를 가속화 시킬 수 있는 잠재력을 가지고 있다. 미국의 DOE(Department of Energy)는 제로 에너지 건물을 다음과 같이 정의하였다. “에너지 효율이 좋은 건물로, 실제 소비되는 연간 물에너지가 재생에너지가 생산하는 에너지와 같거나 더 적은 경우를 말한다.

Feasibility of a novel augmented reality overlay for cervical screw placement in phantom spine models

Olexa Joshua,Shear Brian,Han Nathan,Sharma Ashish,Trang Annie,Kim Kevin,Schwartzbauer Gary,Ludwig Steven,Sansur Charles 대한척추외과학회 2024 Asian Spine Journal Vol.18 No.3

Study Design: Feasibility study.Purpose: A phantom model was used to evaluate the accuracy of a novel augmented reality (AR) system for cervical screw placement.Overview of Literature: The use of navigation systems is becoming increasingly common in spine procedures. However, numerous factors limit the feasibility of regular and widespread use of navigation tools during spine surgery. AR is a new technology that has already demonstrated utility as a navigation tool during spine surgery. However, advancements in AR technology are needed to increase its adoption by the medical community.Methods: AR technology that uses a fiducial-less registration system was tested in a preclinical cervical spine phantom model study for accuracy during spinal screw placement. A three-dimensional reconstruction of the spine along with trajectory lines was superimposed onto the phantom model using an AR headset. Participants used the AR system to guide screw placement, and post-instrumentation scans were compared for accuracy assessment.Results: Twelve cervical screws were placed under AR guidance. All screws were placed in an acceptable anatomic position. The average distance error for the insertion point was 2.73±0.55 mm, whereas that for the endpoint was 2.71±0.69 mm. The average trajectory angle error for all insertions was 2.69°±0.59°.Conclusions: This feasibility study describes a novel registration approach that superimposes spinal anatomy and trajectories onto the surgeon’s real-world view of the spine. These results demonstrate reasonable accuracy in the preclinical model. The results of this study demonstrate that this technology can assist with accurate screw placement. Further investigation using cadaveric and clinical models is warranted.

Germination, emergence, and persistence of Sonchus oleraceus, a major crop weed in subtropical Australia

Widderick, Michael J.,Walker, Steven R.,Sindel, Brian M.,Bell, Kerry L. The Korean Society of Weed Science and The Turfgra 2010 Weed Biology and Management Vol.10 No.2

Sonchus oleraceus (common sowthistle) is a dominant weed and has increased in prevalence in conservation cropping systems of the subtropical grain region of Australia. Four experiments were undertaken to define the environmental factors that favor its germination, emergence, and seed persistence. Seeds were germinated at constant temperatures between 5 and $35^{\circ}C$ and water potentials between 0 and -1.4 MPa. The maximum germination rate of 86-100% occurred at 0 and -0.2 MPa, irrespective of the temperature when exposed to light (12 h photoperiod light/dark), but the germination rate was reduced by 72% without light. At water potentials of -0.6 to -0.8 MPa, the germination rate was reduced substantially by higher temperatures; no seed germinated at a water potential >-1.0 MPa. Emergence and seed persistence were measured over 30 months following seed burial at 0 (surface), 1, 2, 5, and 10 cm depths in large pots that were buried in a south-eastern Queensland field. Seedlings emerged readily from the surface and 1 cm depth, with no emergence from below the 2 cm depth. The seedlings emerged during any season following rain but, predominantly, within 6 months of planting. Seed persistence was short-term on the soil surface, with 2% of seeds remaining after 6 months, but it increased with the burial depth, with 12% remaining after 30 months at 10 cm. Thus, a minimal seed burial depth with reduced tillage and increased surface soil water with stubble retention has favored the proliferation of this weed in any season in a subtropical environment. However, diligent management without seed replenishment will greatly reduce this weed problem within a short period.