Factors Impacting Survival After Transarterial Radioembolization in Patients with Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Combined Analysis of the Prospective CIRT Studies.

Purpose: Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with Yttrium-90 resin microspheres is a treatment option for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, optimising the timing of TARE in relation to systemic therapies and patient selection remains challenging. We report here on the effectiveness, safety, and prognostic factors associated with TARE for ICC in a combined analysis of the prospective observational CIRT studies (NCT02305459 and NCT03256994).

A Novel Function for KLF4 in Modulating the De-differentiation of EpCAM/CD133 nonStem Cells into EpCAM/CD133 Liver Cancer Stem Cells in HCC Cell Line HuH7.

The complex and heterogeneous nature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) hampers the identification of effective therapeutic strategies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a fraction of cells within tumors with the ability to self-renew and differentiate, and thus significantly contribute to the formation and maintenance of heterogeneous tumor mass. Increasing evidence indicates high plasticity in tumor cells, suggesting that non-CSCs could acquire stem cell properties through de-differentiation or reprogramming processes.

C-Reactive Protein and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio as Potential Tumor Markers in Low-Alpha-Fetoprotein Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor marker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is only elevated in about half of the HCC patients, limiting its usefulness in following the effects of therapy or screening. New markers are needed. It has been previously noted that the inflammation markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are prognostically important and may reflect HCC aggressiveness.

C-reactive protein and hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis of its relationships to tumor factors.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood marker for inflammation and is an independent prognostic factor for many human cancers. Combined with albumin levels, it forms the basis of the Glasgow Index for cancer prognosis. We reviewed the literature on CRP and HCC and also evaluated blood CRP levels and combination CRP plus albumin levels in a large HCC cohort.

HCC with low- and normal-serum alpha-fetoprotein levels.

A large database of 1773 HCC patients in Turkey was examined. 41.9% had alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels <20 IU/ml and an additional 16.

Active colloids as mobile microelectrodes for unified label-free selective cargo transport.

Utilization of active colloids to transport both biological and inorganic cargo has been widely examined in the context of applications ranging from targeted drug delivery to sample analysis. In general, carriers are customized to load one specific target via a mechanism distinct from that driving the transport. Here we unify these tasks and extend loading capabilities to include on-demand selection of multiple nano/micro-sized targets without the need for pre-labelling or surface functionalization.

Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Aggressiveness Factors in Turkish Patients.

A large cohort of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients from several collaborating Turkish institutions were examined for the tumor parameters of maximum diameter (MTD), portal vein thrombosis (PVT), and α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. A relationship was found between MTD and blood platelet levels. Patients with large ≥5 cm tumors who had normal platelet levels had significantly larger tumors, higher percent of PVT, and significantly lower blood total bilirubin and liver cirrhosis than similar ≥5 cm tumor patients having thrombocytopenia.

Radiological Imaging Findings of Patients with Congenital Totally Hearing Loss.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine and classify inner ear abnormalities in patients who had cochlear implants because of congenital sensorineural hearing loss using preoperative temporal bone computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Materials And Methods: Patients in the otolaryngology department who had cochlear implants because of congenital sensorineural hearing loss between January 2011 and December 2013 were included in the study. There were 167 male and 133 female patients, a total of 300.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy: Correlation between nerve cross-sectional area on ultrasound and clinical features.

Background And Objective: To evaluate the correlations of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of peripheral nerves in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) patients based on ultrasound (US) with clinical and demographic characteristics.

Methods: A DPN patient group (n= 53) and a matched healthy control group (n= 53) underwent US imaging of the sciatic, tibial and median nerves. The CSAs of these nerves were recorded, and their associations with pain intensity according to the visual analog scale (VAS) score and the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) pain scale score, diabetes mellitus (DM) duration, body mass index (BMI), HbA1c level and blood glucose levels were evaluated.

Hybrid, Y-configured, dual stent-assisted coil embolization in the treatment of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms.

In Y-stenting, stabilization of the first stent may be problematic as in some cases it migrates during second stent insertion. This report evaluates the safety and effectiveness of the technique and presents the long-term results of hybrid, Y-configured, dual stent-assisted coil embolization in the treatment of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms. We retrospectively evaluated the patients treated endovascularly due to cerebral aneurysms.

Sacroiliac joint involvement in systemic sclerosis.

Aim: One of the major problems for systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients is suggested to be articular involvement. Mostly involved joints in SSc were reported as wrist, carpometacarpal-interphalangeal, foot, knee, hip and shoulder; however, there has been little knowledge on the sacroiliac joint. Our aim was to evaluate sacroiliac joint involvement in SSc.

Pseudoarthrosis of the hand in neurofibromatosis type 1: a case report.

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a disorder with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Here, we describe a 16-year-old boy with NF1 who had pseudoarthrosis of the 4th and 5th fingers of the left hand. He had specific cutaneous lesions and Lisch nodules in the iris.

Y-stent-assisted coil embolization of wide-neck intracranial aneurysms. A single center experience.

This report evaluated the short and midterm results of the safety and effectiveness of the treatment technique with hybrid and non-hybrid Y-configured, dual stent-assisted coil embolization of wide-neck intracranial aneurysms, and reviewed the literature concerning this technique. Nine patients, eight with unruptured and one with ruptured aneurysms were included in the study. Of aneurysms embolized with a hybrid (with two different stents) and non-hybrid (with two identical stents) technique, three were located in the anterior communicating artery, three at the tip and one at the distal site of basilar artery, and two in the middle cerebral artery.

Classification of biological signals using linear and nonlinear features.

This paper investigates the characterization ability of linear and nonlinear features and proposes combining such features in order to improve the classification of biological signals, in particular single-trial electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) data. For this purpose, three data sets composed of ECG, epileptic EEG and finger-movement EEG were utilized. The characterization ability of seven nonlinear features namely the approximate entropy, largest Lyapunov exponents, correlation dimension, nonlinear prediction error, Hurst exponent, higher order autocovariance and asymmetry due to time reversal are compared with two linear features namely the autoregressive (AR) reflection coefficients and AR model coefficients.

Transbronchial cryobiopsy: a new tool for lung biopsies.

Background: Specimens from transbronchial lung biopsies lack sufficient quality due to crush artifact and are generally too small for diagnosis of diffuse lung diseases. Flexible cryoprobes have been shown to be useful in therapeutic bronchoscopy. We introduce a novel technique for obtaining lung biopsies bronchoscopically, using a flexible cryoprobe.