The kinetic and kinematic effects of wearing of lateral wedged insoles were significant in Kellgren-Lawrence grades I and II knee OA. The results support the recommendation of use of lateral wedged insoles for patients with early and mild knee OA.

The inflammatory response that occurs around hernia tissue in the epidural space is believed to play an important role in herniated disc resorption, although it may also have a harmful effect on the adjacent nerve root. Therefore, control of the inflammatory reaction is an important challenge when treating patients with disc herniation.

Gait characteristics of patients with BHO, independent of walking speed, were as follows: (1) increased cadence and ankle generation power; (2) reduced step width, hip extension, and abduction angle as well as a lower hip abduction moment; (3) maintained forward tilting of the pelvis during gait cycle; and (4) appearance of a dropped pelvis during the stance phase.

No effective therapy has yet developed for liver fibrosis by directory inhibiting the accumulation of extracellular matrix. The effect of a newly synthesized prolyl4-hydroxylase (PH) inhibitor, HOE 077 (pyridine-2, 4-di-carboxylic-di(2-methoxyethyl)amide), was examined using the model of choline-deficient L-amino acid (CDAA) defined diet-induced liver fibrosis in 16-week-old male Wistar rats. HOE 077 at doses up to 200 ppm prevented fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner, as indicated by reduced hydroxyproline content in liver as well as inhibition of increased serum fibrotic markers (PIIIP, 7S, hyaluronic acid). HOE 077 at 200 ppm reduced expression of type III procollagen alpha 1, messenger RNA (mRNA) in the liver, with a good correlation with serum PIIIP and hydroxyproline content of the liver. Histologically, HOE 077 at 200 ppm also reduced proliferation of myofibroblastlike cells (activated Ito cells). These results indicate that a PH inhibitor can prevent fibrosis by inhibiting not only the hydroxylation of proline but also the activation of Ito cells, which are considered the main collagen-producing cells, resulting in reduced expression of procollagen mRNA.

Plasma-induced damage of gate oxides is evaluated from the difference between the intrinsic charge-to-breakdown (Q BD) and the residual Q BD. This difference, ΔQ BD, corresponds to the plasma-induced damage to the oxide and to the accumulation of conduction current from the plasma into the oxide. It is shown experimentally that the plasma-induced damage ΔQ BD increases in proportion to the antenna ratio (exposed antenna area/gate area). The ΔQ BD of the antenna capacitor depends not on the device structures such as the gate oxide thickness, but on the plasma process conditions.