Efficacy of Rhino-Protect ointment after endoscopic sinus surgery: a prospective, randomized, multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: Blocking airflow into the sinonasal cavity after surgery may help to keep the cavity moist and thus decrease postoperative crusting. Here we investigated the efficacy of Rhino-Protect ointment following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 93 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who underwent identical ESS were enrolled. After surgery, all patients were instructed to perform nasal saline irrigation and deliver a nasal spray to each nostril, then to apply Rhino-Protect ointment to one nostril only; the other nostril served as a control. Subjective symptoms, postoperative Lund-Kennedy (LK) endoscopic scores, and adverse reactions 14 and 28 days after treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: The Rhino-Protect ointment significantly reduced pain (p = 0.015 at 28 days), dryness (p = 0.009 at 14 days and p = 0.045 at 28 days), and crusting (p = 0.047 at 14 days), and was associated with significantly lower LK scores 14 and 28 days after treatment (p = 0.037 and p = 0.007, respectively). Statistically significant differences were noted in the LK edema subscore at 14 days (p = 0.043) and in LK crusting subscores at 14 and 28 days (p = 0.005 and p = 0.006, respectively). No patient reported any serious adverse event associated with Rhino-Protect use. CONCLUSION: Applying Rhino-Protect after ESS significantly reduced the formation of edema and crusts, leading to improving the patients' discomfort for pain, dryness, and crust.

Relationship between Sleep Duration, Sun Exposure, and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Status: A Cross-sectional Study.

Normal-range sleep duration is an important factor for general health and metabolism, and insufficient or excessive sleep is associated with chronic metabolic disease. Among the many factors that affect sleep duration, sun exposure plays an important role in maintaining regular circadian rhythm and is also involved in the production and activation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], which regulates various functions in the body. However, 25(OH)D is available through food and various nutritional supplements without sun exposure, so it is important to find out the complex relationship among sun exposure, vitamin D status, and sleep duration. The relationship between sun exposure, vitamin D status, and sleep duration was analyzed in the nationwide survey and examination of 25,534 study populations, after adjusting for demographic characteristics, physical characteristics, lifestyle status, and socio-demographic variables. Vitamin D status alone did not show the relationship with sleep duration, although there were statistical relationships in the various factors including sun exposure with sleep duration. There was a statistical difference in 25(OH)D according to sleep duration, only in low sun exposure group. Subjects with low sun exposure and excessive sleep duration comparatively lower 25(OH)D than those with normal-range sleep, even after adjustment for potentially confounding factors. Individuals with limited exposure to sunlight should maintain adequate vitamin D status to have an appropriate sleep duration for health.

Geographic and demographic variations of inhalant allergen sensitization in Koreans and non-Koreans.

BACKGROUND: To diagnose and treat respiratory allergic diseases, it is important to identify the specific allergens involved. Many differences exist between common inhalant allergens depending on the residential environment and demographic factors. This study aimed to compare common inhalant allergens between Koreans and non-Koreans according to their residential region, age, and sex. METHODS: This study evaluated 15,334 individuals who underwent serum tests for multiple allergen-specific immunoglobulin E at a tertiary academic medical center between January 2010 and December 2016. The individuals included 14,786 Koreans and 548 non-Koreans. The AdvanSure™ Allostation assay (LG Life Science, Korea) was used to test for 33 inhalant allergens. RESULTS: The house dust mite (HDM) was the most common allergen in both Koreans and non-Koreans, although the proportion of individuals with HDM sensitization was greater among Koreans. High sensitization rates for various pollen types were detected among Koreans in Gangwon region, whereas Japanese cedar pollen was unique among Koreans in Jeju region. Grass pollen and animal dander were relatively common among individuals from the Americas, whereas weed and grass pollen accounted for the 10 most common allergens for individuals from Central Asia. The total sensitization rate, sensitization to HDM, and sensitization to animal dander peaked among adolescents and young adults, then subsequently decreased with age. CONCLUSIONS: This large-scale study demonstrates that various regional and age-related differences exist in the allergen sensitization rates of Koreans and non-Koreans. These data could be useful for development of avoidance measures, immunotherapy for causative allergens, and policymaking regarding allergic diseases.

Structures of the Largest Amphidinol Homologues from the Dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae and Structure-Activity Relationships.

Amphidinols are polyketide metabolites produced by marine dinoflagellates and are chiefly composed of a long linear chain with polyol groups and polyolefins. Two new homologues, amphidinols 20 (AM20, 1) and 21 (AM21, 2), were isolated from Amphidinium carterae collected in Korea. Their structures were elucidated by detailed NMR analyses as amphidinol 6-type compounds with remarkably long polyol chains. Amphidinol 21 (2) has the longest linear structure among the amphidinol homologues reported so far. The congeners, particularly amphidinol 21 (2), showed weaker activity in hemolysis and antifungal assays compared to known amphidinols.

Improved outcomes after low-concentration hypochlorous acid nasal irrigation in pediatric chronic sinusitis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of low-concentration hypochlorous acid (HOCl) nasal irrigation compared to isotonic normal saline for pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis. STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized, prospective, active-controlled study. METHODS: This study investigated the effectiveness of 4 weeks of low-concentration hypochlorous irrigation by analyzing five categorized subjective symptoms and x-ray findings in pediatric patients with rhinosinusitis. Thirty-seven patients were enrolled, and 26 patients successfully completed the study. RESULTS: Total symptom scores significantly improved with both HOCl and normal saline nasal irrigation, but there was no difference between the two groups. X-ray scores also improved in both groups; improvement was much greater in the HOCl group than the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal irrigation with HOCl is an effective adjuvant treatment compared to isotonic normal saline for pediatric sinusitis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1b.

Anti-oxidant and natural killer cell activity of Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) and urushiol (Rhus vernicifera Stokes) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease of rat.

Anti-oxidative and immunologic effects of the Korea red ginseng (KRG; Panax ginseng) and urushiol (Rhus vernicifera Stokes) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated. Forty-five rats (five Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka and 40 Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty [OLETF] rats) received chew diets for 10months; after this period. The OLETF rats were divided into the following four groups according to diet for 2months: NAFLD (chew), KRG (chew+KRG [200mg/kg/day]), urushiol (chew+urushiol [0.5mg/kg/day]), and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) (chew+UDCA [15mg/kg/day]) groups. Liver function, lipid profiles and anti-oxidant activity of liver and serum, natural killer (NK) cell activity, and pathology were compared. In KRG and urushiol groups, the level of serum triglyceride ([302.0±70.4 and 275.2±63.8] vs. 527.7±153.3mg/dL) were lower compared with that of NAFLD group (p<0.05). The levels of HDL-cholesterol (liver tissue: [4.8±0.2 and 4.8±0.5] vs. 4.2±0.2mg/g) and NK cell activity ([3485±910 and 3559±910] vs. 2486±619 counts) were significantly higher than those of the NAFLD group (p<0.001). Inflammation with neutrophil infiltration was observed in only two rats in the NAFLD group. These results suggest that 2months of oral KRG or urushiol administration improves lipid profiles and stimulates NK cell activity, while inhibiting steatohepatitis in OLEFT rats.

A prospective nationwide study of drug-induced liver injury in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: To address a growing concern about drug-induced liver injury (DILI), a nationwide study was performed to investigate the significance of DILI in Korea. METHODS: From May 2005 to May 2007, cases of DILI (alanine transferase > 3 × upper normal limit or total bilirubin > 2 × upper normal limit) from 17 referral university hospitals were prospectively enrolled. Adjudication by the seven review boards was considered for the confirmation of causality and the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) scale was used. RESULTS: A total of 371 cases were diagnosed with DILI. The extrapolated incidence of hospitalization at university hospital in Korea was 12/100,000 persons/year. The causes included "herbal medications" (102, 27.5%), "prescription or non-prescription medications" (101, 27.3%), "health foods or dietary supplements" (51, 13.7%), "medicinal herbs or plants" (35, 9.4%), "folk remedies" (32, 8.6%), "combined" (30, 8.2%), "herbal preparations" (12, 3.2%), and others (8, 2.2%). Nine cases were linked to acetaminophen. The frequencies of hepatocellular, mixed, and cholestatic types were 76.3, 14.8, and 8.9%, respectively. A total of 234 cases met the criteria for Hy's law. Five patients died or underwent transplantation. Twenty-five cases (21 herbs and 4 medications) did not meet the time-to-onset criteria of the RUCAM. CONCLUSIONS: DILI appears to be a highly relevant health problem in Korea. "Herbal medications" are the principal cause of DILI. A more objective and reproducible causality assessment tool is strongly desired as the RUCAM scale frequently undercounts the cases caused by herbs owing to a lack of previous information and incompatible time criteria.

Porphyrin-silicon hybrid field-effect transistor with individually addressable top-gate structure.

A conductance-controllable hybrid device that utilizes the photoinduced charge transfer behavior of a porphyrin in a field-effect transistor (FET) with a nanogap is proposed and analyzed. A conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure is modified to form a nanogap in which the porphyrin can be embedded. The conductance of an inversion channel is controlled by the negatively charged, optically activated porphyrin molecules. The proposed nanogap-formed MOSFET structure solves the conventional dilemma that a top-gate cannot be used for an organic-inorganic hybrid device because the top-gate blocks an entire area of a channel where organic material should be immobilized. The top-gate structure has much practicality compared with the back-gate structure because each device can be controlled individually. Furthermore, the device is highly compatible with the chip-based integrated system because the fabrication process follows the standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The charge transfer mechanisms between silicon and porphyrin are analyzed using devices with different doping polarities and geometrical parameters. The results show that the influence of the negative charge of the porphyrin in the device is reversed when opposite doping polarities are used. The device characteristics can be comprehensively evaluated using the energy band diagram analysis and simulation. The possible application of the proposed device for nonvolatile memory is demonstrated using the optical charging and electrical discharging behavior of the porphyrins.

Label-free DNA detection with a nanogap embedded complementary metal oxide semiconductor.

A nanogap embedded complementary metal oxide semiconductor (NeCMOS) is demonstrated as a proof-of-concept for label-free detection of DNA sequence. When a partially carved nanogap between a gate and a silicon channel is filled with charged biomolecules, the gate dielectric constant and charges are changed. When the gate oxide thickness reduces, the threshold voltage is significantly affected by a change of the charges, whereas it is scarcely influenced by a change of the dielectric constant. In the case of DNA, those two factors act on the threshold voltage oppositely in an n-channel NeCMOS but collaboratively in a p-channel NeCMOS because of the negative charges of DNA. Hence, a p-channel NeCMOS with a thin gate oxide is more attractive for DNA detection because it enhances the shift of threshold voltage; that is, it improves the sensitivity of DNA detection. In addition, the shift of threshold voltage according to the nanogap length is also investigated and the longer nanogap shows more shift of the threshold voltage.

[Acute health effects of the Hebei oil spill on the residents of Taean, Korea].

OBJECTIVES: On December 7, 2007, the Hebei Spirit oil tanker spilled out 12,547 kl of crude oil on the Yellow Sea 10 km away from the cost of Taean Province, Korea. As the coastline has been contaminated, local residents have been exposed to crude oil. Because the residents were showing many symptoms, we investigated the acute health effects of this oil spill on them. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study consisting of the heavy and moderately oil soaked area in Taean and the lightly oil soaked area in Seocheon. Ten seashore villages were selected from each area, and 10 male and female adults were selected from each village. We interviewed the subjects using a structured questionnaire on the characteristics of residents, the cleanup activities, the perception of oil hazard, depression and anxiety, and the physical symptoms. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The logistic regression model was adjusted for age, gender, education, smoking, the perception of oil hazard and anxiousness. RESULTS: The more highly contaminated the area, the more likely it was for residents to be engaged in cleanup activities and have a greater chance of exposure to oil. The indexes of anxiety and depression were higher in the heavy and moderately oil soaked areas. The increased risks of headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, tingling of limb, hot flushing, sore throat, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, itchy skin, rash, and sore eyes were significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that exposure to crude oil is associated with various acute physical symptoms. Long-term investigation is required to monitor the residents' health.

Gold nanoparticle embedded silicon nanowire biosensor for applications of label-free DNA detection.

Gold nanoparticle (GN) embedded silicon nanowire (SiNW) configuration was proposed as a new biosensor for label-free DNA detection to enhance the sensitivity. The electric current flow between two terminals, a source and a drain electrode, were measured to sense the immobilization of probe oligonucleotides and their hybridization with target oligonucleotides. The complementary target oligonucleotide, breast cancer DNA with 1 pM, was sensed. In addition, its sensing mechanism and limit of detection (LOD) enhancement was investigated through simulation. The results support that the LOD can be improved by reducing the SiNW doping concentration. This emerging architecture combined nanostructure of spherical GN and SiNW has high potential as a label-free biosensor due to its facile fabrication process, high thermal stability, immobilization efficiency with a thiol-group in a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), and improved sensitivity.

Anti-histone acetyltransferase activity from allspice extracts inhibits androgen receptor-dependent prostate cancer cell growth.

Histone acetylation depends on the activity of two enzyme families, histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and deacetylase (HDAC). In this study, we screened various plant extracts to find potent HAT inhibitors. Hot water extracts of allspice inhibited HAT activity, especially p300 and CBP (40% at 100 microg/ml). The mRNA levels of two androgen receptor (AR) regulated genes, PSA and TSC22, decreased with allspice treatment (100 microg/ml). Importantly, in IP western analysis, AR acetylation was dramatically decreased by allspice treatment.Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation indicated that the acetylation of histone H3 in the PSA and B2M promoter regions was also repressed. Finally, allspice treatment reduced the growth of human prostate cancer cells, LNCaP (50% growth inhibition at 200 microg/ml). Taken together, our data indicate that the potent HAT inhibitory activity of allspice reduced AR and histone acetylation and led to decreased transcription of AR target genes, resulting in inhibition of prostate cancer cell growth.