The fabrication of well-interconnected polycaprolactone/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds, enhancing the exposure of hydroxyapatite using the wire-network molding technique.

In this study, the fabrication method was proposed for the well-interconnected polycaprolactone/hydroxyapatite composite scaffold with exposed hydroxyapatite using modified WNM technique. To characterize well-interconnected scaffolds in terms of hydroxyapatite exposure, several assessments were performed as follows: morphology, mechanical property, wettability, calcium ion release, and cell response assessments. The results of these assessments were compared with those of control scaffolds which were fabricated by precision extruding deposition (PED) apparatus. The control PED scaffolds have interconnected pores with nonexposed hydroxyapatite. Consequently, cell attachment of proposed WNM scaffold was improved by increased hydrophilicity and surface roughness of scaffold surface resulting from the exposure of hydroxyapatite particles and fabrication process using powders. Moreover, cell proliferation and differentiation of WNM scaffold were increased, because the exposure of hydroxyapatite particles may enhance cell adhesion and calcium ion release. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2315-2325, 2017.

A Paleoparasitological Study on the Capital Area of the Ancient Korean Kingdom.

A paleoparasitological study was performed on soil samples obtained at archaeological sites dating to the Baekje period in ancient Korean history. The samples were obtained from Buyeo, the capital area of the Baekje Kingdom, and from others corresponding to provincial counties of the same period. We found Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura eggs in the Buyeo samples but not any in the samples from the provincial counties. Our results suggest that the parasite-egg contamination patterns were closely correlated with population densities, in that the provincial counties of the Kingdom, compared with the capital Buyeo, were very sparsely populated. This is the first comprehensive paleoparasitological report on soil contamination patterns in the capital of the Baekje Kingdom, one of the most highly populated areas in ancient Korean history.

Detection of parasite eggs from archaeological excavations in the Republic of Korea.

Excavations at two sites dating from 2000 BC-1900 AD in southeastern areas of the Republic of Korea, revealed the remains of several structures. Examination of the contents suspected privies revealed the presence of eggs from 5 kinds of parasite: Ascaris, Trichuris, Clonorchis, and two species of unknown trematodes. Clonorchis sinensis eggs were found in a soil dating from around AD 668-935. This is the first record of C. sinensis eggs in archaeological materials in the Republic of Korea.

Detection of parasite eggs from archaeological excavations in the Republic of Korea

Excavations at two sites dating from 2000 BC-1900 AD in southeastern areas of the Republic of Korea, revealed the remains of several structures. Examination of the contents suspected privies revealed the presence of eggs from 5 kinds of parasite: Ascaris, Trichuris, Clonorchis, and two species of unknown trematodes. Clonorchis sinensis eggs were found in a soil dating from around AD 668-935. This is the first record of C. sinensis eggs in archaeological materials in the Republic of Korea