Introduction.  Poor glycemic control is associated with erectile dysfunction (ED); however, differences in ED according to the level of glycemic control have been poorly investigated. Aim.  The aim of this paper is to investigate the change in erectile function according to the level of glycemic control and to clarify the pathophysiological mechanism of diabetes-associated ED. Methods.  Streptozotocin was injected into 55 male Sprague-Dawley rats classified into four groups: control (group 1), diabetes with multiple insulin injections (group 2), diabetes with a single injection (group 3), and untreated diabetes (group 4). Daily insulin injections in groups 2 and 3 were administered for 4 weeks after 10 weeks of diabetic induction. Main Outcome Measures.  The main outcome measures are the anova or Kruskal-Wallis tests to evaluate glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), testosterone levels, the ratios of intracavernosal pressure to mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP), area under the ICP curve to MAP (AUC/MAP), and changes in cavernous tissue and protein expression related to Rho kinase and nitric oxide pathways. Results.  HbA1c levels were different between pairs of groups. Group 4 showed the lowest erectile parameters and group 2 showed near normal level. No differences in erectile parameters were found between groups 1 and 2 or between groups 3 and 4, except the ratio of AUC to MAP for group 1 was significantly higher than that of group 2 (20 Hz stimulation). Decrease in erectile function of group 2 was related to decreased expression of nitrergic nitric oxide synthase or decreased testosterone level compared with group 1. Groups 2 and 3 showed significant differences in erectile parameters, which were associated with difference in apoptotic index. Groups 3 and 4 showed no differences in erectile parameters, although these groups had significant differences in apoptotic index, smooth muscle component, and protein expression ratios of phosphorylated to total myosin phosphatase target subunit 1, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and Akt. Conclusions.  Improvement in glycemic control assists recovery from diabetes-associated ED; however, only tight glycemic control can provide recovery from ED to a near normal status. Cho SY, Chai JS, Lee SH, Park K, Paick J-S, and Kim SW. Investigation of the effects of the level of glycemic control on erectile function and pathophysiological mechanisms in diabetic rats. J Sex Med **;**:**-**.

The morbidity of travelers' diarrhea (TD) is still high. This study examined the incidence of common pathogens and characteristics of TD among Korean travelers who visited South-East Asian countries. We performed a prospective study involving 479 Korean travelers with diarrheal disease from February 2009 to April 2009 and stool samples were examined and questionnaire surveys were done after arrival. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was found in 36.0% of TD cases, as were the following: Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) in 27.0%, Vibrio parahaemolyticus in 13.1%, and Norovirus in 11.5%. The detected rate of classic TD was higher in men (P = 0.007), in patients who had a shorter duration trip (P = 0.023) and in patients who drank more than 1 liter of water per day (P = 0.037). Positive stool culture rates were higher in men (P = 0.005), in hospitalized patients (P = 0.013). and in those who consumed impure water or raw foods (P = 0.033). A higher severity of disease corresponded to a significantly higher culture positivity rate (P = 0.029). We should consider the possibility of other pathogens in addition to ETEC in patients with TD who visit South-East Asia. Travelers need to educate about risk factors associated with TD.

The production of e;{+}e;{-} pairs for m_{e;{+}e;{-}}<0.3 GeV/c;{2} and 1<p_{T}<5 GeV/c is measured in p+p and Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV. An enhanced yield above hadronic sources is observed. Treating the excess as photon internal conversions, the invariant yield of direct photons is deduced. In central Au+Au collisions, the excess of the direct photon yield over p+p is exponential in transverse momentum, with an inverse slope T=221+/-19;{stat}+/-19;{syst} MeV. Hydrodynamical models with initial temperatures ranging from T_{init} approximately 300-600 MeV at times of approximately 0.6-0.15 fm/c after the collision are in qualitative agreement with the data. Lattice QCD predicts a phase transition to quark gluon plasma at approximately 170 MeV.

Bose-Einstein correlations of charged kaons are used to probe Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV and are compared to charged pion probes, which have a larger hadronic scattering cross section. Three-dimensional Gaussian source radii are extracted, along with a one-dimensional kaon emission source function. The centrality dependences of the three Gaussian radii are well described by a single linear function of N_{part};{1/3} with a zero intercept. Imaging analysis shows a deviation from a Gaussian tail at r greater, similar10 fm, although the bulk emission at lower radius is well described by a Gaussian. The presence of a non-Gaussian tail in the kaon source reaffirms that the particle emission region in a heavy-ion collision is extended, and that similar measurements with pions are not solely due to the decay of long-lived resonances.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlations between increased spinal cord signal intensity on magnetic resonance images (MRI) and the clinical prognosis of compressive cervical myelopathy. METHODS: Sixty-six patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy underwent surgeries through the anterior approach. In all the patients, the diagnoses were established on the basis of both neurological examination and MRI findings that showed spinal cord compression. The patients were divided into two groups according to preoperative MRI, namely isointense MRI T(1)/T(2) signal group and iso/hyperintense MRI T(1)/T(2) group. The JOA scores of the patients were evaluated before and at 6 and 12 months after the operation. RESULTS: The patients were followed up for 12 to 38 months after the operation (mean 21 months), and no statistically significant difference were found in the pre- and postoperative JOA scores between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The peoperative hyperintense signals on T(2) weighted MRI does not correlate to the prognosis of patients with compressive cervical myelopathy, who may also have favorable clinical outcomes after the operation.

Tissue engineering combines the principles of cell biology, engineering and materials science to develop three-dimensional tissues to replace or restore tissue function. Tissue engineered skin (TE-skin) is one of most advanced tissue constructs. However, much clinical providence demonstrates the TE-skin may not be viewed as the equal of skin grafts, the contributions to accelerate the closure of wound were come mainly from various growth factor. These growth factors respond to its environment to bring about the desired effect. In our hypothesis, this three-dimensional skin substitute could be genetically modified with various growth factor and transplanted in order to deliver therapeutic proteins locally and systemically for the treatment of trauma. The likelihood of transgened TE-skin plays function as a pharmacological agent suggests a wide range of therapeutic applications. In future, the TE-skin could be design as gene delivery to enhance potential capacity for treatment of burns, chronic wounds and even systemic diseases.

For Au+Au collisions at 200 GeV, we measure neutral pion production with good statistics for transverse momentum, p_{T}, up to 20 GeV/c. A fivefold suppression is found, which is essentially constant for 5<p_{T}<20 GeV/c. Experimental uncertainties are small enough to constrain any model-dependent parametrization for the transport coefficient of the medium, e.g., q[over ;] in the parton quenching model. The spectral shape is similar for all collision classes, and the suppression does not saturate in Au+Au collisions.

Measurements in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV of jet correlations for a trigger hadron at intermediate transverse momentum (p_{T,trig}) with associated mesons or baryons at lower p_{T,assoc} indicate strong modification of the away-side jet. The ratio of jet-associated baryons to mesons increases with centrality and p_{T,assoc}. For the most central collisions, the ratio is similar to that for inclusive measurements. This trend is incompatible with in-vacuum fragmentation but could be due to jetlike contributions from correlated soft partons, which recombine upon hadronization.

A three-dimensional correlation function obtained from midrapidity, low p_{T}, pion pairs in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV is studied. The extracted model-independent source function indicates a long range tail in the directions of the pion pair transverse momentum (out) and the beam (long). A proper breakup time tau_{0} approximately 9 fm/c and a mean proper emission duration Deltatau approximately 2 fm/c, leading to sizable emission time differences (|Deltat_{LCM}| approximately 12 fm/c), are required to allow models to be successfully matched to these tails. The model comparisons also suggest an outside-in "burning" of the emission source reminiscent of many hydrodynamical models.

KIRAMS-30 cyclotron has been developed and implemented for radio isotope production. For the purpose of producing negative hydrogen ions and low energy beam injection to the central region of KIRAMS-30, 10 mA H(-) multicusp ion source with beam kinetic energies in the 20-30 keV range and the normalized 4rms emittance less than 1 mm mrad was installed. The optimized ion source operating condition is presented and the correlation between the extracted beam current and ion source parameters is described for the performance enhancement of the ion source.