Exosome is an excellent vesicle for in vivo delivery of therapeutics, including RNAi and chemical drugs. The extremely high efficiency in cancer regression can partly be attributed to its fusion mechanism in delivering therapeutics to cytosol without endosome trapping. However, being composed of a lipid-bilayer membrane without specific recognition capacity for aimed-cells, the entry into nonspecific cells can lead to potential side-effects and toxicity. Applying engineering approaches for targeting-capacity to deliver therapeutics to specific cells is desirable. Techniques with chemical modification in vitro and genetic engineering in cells have been reported to decorate exosomes with targeting ligands. RNA nanoparticles have been used to harbor tumor-specific ligands displayed on exosome surface. The negative charge reduces nonspecific binding to vital cells with negatively charged lipid-membrane due to the electrostatic repulsion, thus lowering the side-effect and toxicity. In this review, we focus on the uniqueness of RNA nanoparticles for exosome surface display of chemical ligands, small peptides or RNA aptamers, for specific cancer targeting to deliver anticancer therapeutics, highlighting recent advances in targeted delivery of siRNA and miRNA that overcomes the previous RNAi delivery roadblocks. Proper understanding of exosome engineering with RNA nanotechnology promises efficient therapies for a wide range of cancer subtypes.

Background: Klebsiella spp. is an important conditional pathogen in humans and animals.However, due to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, the incidence of antimicrobial resistance has increased. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate antimicrobial resistance in strains of Klebsiella strains and the phylogenetic relatedness of extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistance among Klebsiella strains isolated from clinically ill companion animals. Methods: A total of 336 clinical specimens were collected from animal hospitals.Identification of Klebsiella species, determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations, detection of ESC resistance genes, polymerase chain reaction-based replicon typing of plasmids by conjugation, and multilocus sequence typing were performed. Results: Forty-three Klebsiella strains were isolated and, subsequently, 28 were identified as K. pneumoniae, 11 as K. oxytoca, and 4 as K. aerogenes. Eleven strains were isolated from feces, followed by 10 from ear, 7 from the nasal cavity, 6 from urine, 5 from genitals, and 4 from skin. Klebsiella isolates showed more than 40% resistance to penicillin, cephalosporin, fluoroquinolone, and aminoglycoside. ESCresistance genes, CTX-M groups (CTX-M-3, CTX-M-15, and CTX-M-65), and AmpC (CMY-2 and DHA-1) were most common in the K.pneumoniae strains. Some K. pneumoniae carrying CTX-M or AmpC were transferred via IncFII plasmids. Two sequence types, ST709 and ST307, from K. pneumoniae were most common. Conclusions In conclusion, this is the first report on the prevalence, ESCresistance genotypes, and sequence types of Klebsiella strains isolated from clinically ill companion animals. The combination of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance by Klebsiella in companion animals suggest that, in clinical veterinary, antibiotic selection should be made carefully and in conjunction with the disease diagnosis.

Background: Klebsiella spp. is an important conditional pathogen in humans and animals.However, due to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, the incidence of antimicrobial resistance has increased. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate antimicrobial resistance in strains of Klebsiella strains and the phylogenetic relatedness of extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistance among Klebsiella strains isolated from clinically ill companion animals. Methods: A total of 336 clinical specimens were collected from animal hospitals.Identification of Klebsiella species, determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations, detection of ESC resistance genes, polymerase chain reaction-based replicon typing of plasmids by conjugation, and multilocus sequence typing were performed. Results: Forty-three Klebsiella strains were isolated and, subsequently, 28 were identified as K. pneumoniae, 11 as K. oxytoca, and 4 as K. aerogenes. Eleven strains were isolated from feces, followed by 10 from ear, 7 from the nasal cavity, 6 from urine, 5 from genitals, and 4 from skin. Klebsiella isolates showed more than 40% resistance to penicillin, cephalosporin, fluoroquinolone, and aminoglycoside. ESCresistance genes, CTX-M groups (CTX-M-3, CTX-M-15, and CTX-M-65), and AmpC (CMY-2 and DHA-1) were most common in the K.pneumoniae strains. Some K. pneumoniae carrying CTX-M or AmpC were transferred via IncFII plasmids. Two sequence types, ST709 and ST307, from K. pneumoniae were most common. Conclusions In conclusion, this is the first report on the prevalence, ESCresistance genotypes, and sequence types of Klebsiella strains isolated from clinically ill companion animals. The combination of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance by Klebsiella in companion animals suggest that, in clinical veterinary, antibiotic selection should be made carefully and in conjunction with the disease diagnosis.

Orofacial pain or tenderness is a primary symptom associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (TMDs). To understand the pathological mechanisms underlying TMDs, several mouse models have been developed, including mechanical stimulus-induced TMD and genetic mouse models. However, a lack of feasible approaches for assessing TMD-related nociceptive behaviours in the orofacial region of mice has hindered the in-depth study of TMD-associated mechanisms. This study aimed to explore modifications of three existing methods to analyse nociceptive behaviours using two TMD mouse models: (1) mechanical allodynia was tested using von Frey filaments in the mouse TMJ region by placing mice in specially designed chambers; (2) bite force was measured using the Economical Load and Force (ELF) system; and (3) spontaneous feeding behaviour tests, including eating duration and frequency, were analysed using the Laboratory Animal Behaviour Observation Registration and Analysis System (LABORAS). We successfully assessed changes in nociceptive behaviours in two TMD mouse models, a unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC)-induced TMD mouse model and a β-catenin conditional activation mouse model. We found that the UAC model and β-catenin conditional activation mouse model were significantly associated with signs of increased mechanical allodynia, lower bite force, and decreased spontaneous feeding behaviour, indicating manifestations of TMD. These behavioural changes were consistent with the cartilage degradation phenotype observed in these mouse models. Our studies have shown reliable methods to analyse nociceptive behaviours in mice and may indicate that these methods are valid to assess signs of TMD in mice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Electroencephalography (EEG) is often used as a screening tool for selecting pilots despite controversy regarding its contribution to aviation safety. We investigated EEG abnormalities in Korean commercial pilot applicants in order to identify the usefulness of EEG screening in this population. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the EEG results of 740 unselected pilot applicants who underwent waking EEG at Inha University Hospital from January 2013 to May 2017. EEG recording was performed for 30 minutes, which included 3 minutes of hyperventilation and intermittent photic stimulation. RESULTS: The pilot applicants were predominantly male (95.3%) and had a mean age of 27.8 years (range: 16–40 years). Nine of them (1.2%) exhibited EEG abnormalities; the most common abnormality (six applicants) was a small amount of generalized irregular slow activities, while the other three applicants (0.4%) exhibited epileptiform discharges, with two showing generalized spike-and-wave complexes and one showing a few spike-and-wave complexes in the left frontotemporal area. The two applicants with generalized spike-and-wave complexes were found to have experienced clinical seizures by a neurologist during detailed history-taking. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that 2 of 740 pilot applicants (0.3%) were diagnosed with epilepsy by routine EEG screening in an unselected population. Considering the low predictive value of EEG without the relevant clinical history in an unselected healthy young population, our findings raise questions regarding the cost-effectiveness of the current EEG screening protocol applied to pilot applicants. We suggest that a more-targeted and standardized EEG screening approach be applied to pilot applicants with epilepsy risk factors or a seizure history as determined by thorough medical history-taking.
Aviation ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Korea* ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Photic Stimulation ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Glycoproteins* ; Oligodendroglia* ; Rubella virus* ; Rubella*

No abstract available.
Nystagmus, Congenital ; Turner Syndrome

No abstract available.
Stroke ; Subclavian Artery

No abstract available.
Corpus Callosum* ; Diffusion* ; Hypoxia, Brain*

Hemichorea after cortical infarction has rarely been reported. We report a female patient in which hemichorea of the right extremities developed following a left temporo-parietal infarction. An acute infarction in the territory of the inferior division of the left middle cerebral artery was evident in diffusion-weighted imaging, but the basal ganglia, thalamus, and brainstem appeared normal. Her choreic movement gradually improved after administering haloperidol, and the hemichorea disappeared after 4 days.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain Stem ; Chorea ; Extremities ; Female ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Thalamus