Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a blood derivative with high concentrations of platelets, has been found to have high levels of autologous growth factors (GFs), such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblastic growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). These GFs and other biological active proteins of PRP can promote tissue healing through the regulation of fibrosis and angiogenesis. Moreover, PRP is considered to be safe due to its autologous nature and long-term usage without any reported major complications. Therefore, PRP therapy could be an option in treating overused tendon damage such as chronic tendinopathy. Here, we present a systematic review highlighting the clinical effectiveness of PRP injection therapy in patellar tendinopathy, which is a major cause of athletes to retire from their respective careers.

Aims: Among 365 Escherichia coli isolated in 2003, 31 cefotaxime-resistant isolates were obtained from clinical specimens taken from adults hospitalized in Busan, Korea. Six extended-spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates were investigated further to determine the mechanism of resistance. Methods and Results: These isolates were analysed by antibiotic susceptibility testing, pI determination, plasmid profiles, transconjugation test, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), enterobacterial repetitive consensus (ERIC)-PCR and DNA sequencing. All six of these isolates were found to contain the CTX-M-type ESBL genes. Five clinical isolates and their transconjugants produced CTX-M-3. One clinical isolate (K17391) and its transconjugant (trcK17391) produced CTX-M-15. Five clinical isolates also produced another TEM-1. One clinical isolate (K12776) also contained another TEM-52. CTX-M-3 ESBL gene was responsible for the resistance to piperacillin, cephalothin, cefotaxime, cefepime and aztreonam. CTX-M-15 or TEM-52 was especially responsible for the resistance to ceftazidime. Conclusions: These results appear to represent the in vivo evolution of CTX-M-type b-lactamase genes (bla CTX-M-3 fi bla CTX-M-15 ) under the selective pressure of antimicrobial therapy (especially ceftazidime). PCR-RFLP is a reliable method to discriminate CTX-M-15 gene from CTX-M-3 gene. ERIC-PCR analysis revealed that dissemination of CTX-M-3 was not due to a clonal outbreak of a resistant strain but to the intra-species spread of resistance to piperacillin, cephalothin, cefotaxime, cefepime and aztreonam in Korea. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report of the occurrence of CTX-M-1 cluster ESBLs in Korea. A more comprehensive survey of these ESBL types from Korea is urgently needed because of the in vivo evolution of CTX-M-15 from CTX-M-3. The emergence of these CTX-M-type ESBLs suggests that diagnostic laboratories should screen for ESBLs with ceftazidime as well as cefotaxime; they should still perform clavulanate synergy tests on resistant isolates.

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This paper describes a novel tweezing system using cavitational microstreaming flows generated by acoustically oscillating twin bubbles for non-contact micromanipulation. A tweezing system with a single acoustically oscillating bubble attached on the tip of a rod integrated with a three-dimensional traverse system is firstly tested to manipulate a fish egg (1 mm diameter) in an aqueous medium. Although the flow generated from the single oscillating bubble is strong enough to push and move the fish egg, the moving direction of the fish egg is not controllable. To improve the control of the manipulation, identical twin bubbles, which have the same size and resonant frequency, are applied. To obtain the identical bubbles, an electrolysis chip consisting of sharp tip-shaped electrodes is microfabricated, and each bubble is generated from the chip by controlling the applied voltage and time and then transported to the tips of a U-shaped rod. Manipulation of a fish egg (1 mm diameter) and glass beads (100 μm diameter) is experimentally demonstrated using acoustically oscillating twin bubbles. Using a high speed camera, the force generated by the acoustically oscillating bubbles and its direction are analyzed in various acoustic excitation conditions. The results show that the generated force is proportional to the bubble oscillation amplitude, and the direction of the force depends on the distance between a bubble and object. A steel ball (500 μm diameter) is used for the investigation of the force direction. When a bubble (600 μm diameter) is acoustically excited, the steel ball is pulled into the oscillating bubble in the short distance (<3 mm); however, the steel ball is pushed from the oscillating bubble in the long distance.