Computed tomography findings for predicting severe acute hepatitis with prolonged cholestasis.

Aim: To evaluate the significance of computed tomography (CT) findings in relation to liver chemistry and the clinical course of acute hepatitis.

Methods: Four hundred and twelve patients with acute hepatitis who underwent enhanced CT scanning were enrolled retrospectively. Imaging findings were analyzed for the following variables: gallbladder wall thickness (GWT), arterial heterogeneity, periportal tracking, number and maximum size of lymph nodes, presence of ascites, and size of spleen.

Short-chain fatty acids activate GPR41 and GPR43 on intestinal epithelial cells to promote inflammatory responses in mice.

Background & Aims: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the most abundant microbial metabolites in the intestine, activate cells via G-protein-coupled receptors (GPRs), such as GPR41 and GPR43. We studied regulation of the immune response by SCFAs and their receptors in the intestines of mice.

Methods: Inflammatory responses were induced in GPR41(-/-), GPR43(-/-), and C57BL6 (control) mice by administration of ethanol; 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic-acid (TNBS); or infection with Citrobacter rodentium.

Occurrence and characterization of oseltamivir-resistant influenza virus in children between 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons.

Purpose: There was a global increase in the prevalence of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses during the 2007-2008 influenza season. This study was conducted to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 influenza seasons among patients who were treated with oseltamivir (group A) and those that did not receive oseltamivir (group B).

Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 321 pediatric patients who were hospitalized because of influenza during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 influenza seasons.

Diverticular Choledochal Cyst with a Large Impacted Stone Masquerading as Mirizzi's Syndrome.

Choledochal cysts are congenital anomalies of the biliary tract manifested by cystic dilatation of the extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts. Choledochal cyst is not rare in far-East Asian countries. Type II choledochal cysts account for 2% of all such cysts.

Templating and charge injection from copper electrodes into solution-processed organic field-effect transistors.

Solution-processed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) using chemically modified copper electrodes are reported. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the use of inexpensive copper electrodes in bottom-contact OFETs, which is consistent with the major goal of organic electronics: the realization of low-cost electronics. 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene was used for solution-processed hole-transporting molecular films and pentafluorobenzenethiol was used to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the contact metals.

Modified distal urethral polypropylene sling (canal transobturator tape) procedure: efficacy for persistent stress urinary incontinence after a conventional midurethral sling procedure.

Purpose: Despite reports of persistent stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in patients after the midurethral sling (MUS) procedure, there is no widely accepted definition or cause of the condition. In many cases, the mesh implanted in the previous MUS procedure has been found to have migrated proximally. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the modified distal urethral polypropylene sling, or canal transobturator tape (TOT), procedure for persistent SUI after a conventional MUS procedure on the assumption that persistent SUI after MUS is due to the location of the sling.

Diagnostic accuracy of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in the prediction of stage 1 compensated liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Objective: Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) of 6-10 mmHg has been accepted as a hemodynamic parameter of stage 1 compensated liver cirrhosis (LC). The diagnostic accuracy of HVPG in the prediction of stage 1 compensated LC has been investigated in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: A total of 219 patients with CHB who underwent HVPG and liver biopsy were enrolled.

Germanium sulfide(II and IV) nanoparticles for enhanced performance of lithium ion batteries.

Germanium sulfide (GeS and GeS2) nanoparticles were synthesized by novel gas-phase laser photolysis and subsequent thermal annealing. They showed excellent cycling performance for lithium ion batteries, with a maximum capacity of 1010 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles. Metastable tetragonal phase Ge nanoparticles were suggested as active materials for a reversible lithium insertion-extraction process.

Early recurrence in patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal cancer: is it a predictor for poor overall survival?

Purpose: This study evaluated the prognostic value of early recurrence in patients who have undergone curative resection for colorectal cancer.

Methods: A total of 1,159 consecutive patients who underwent curative resection for non-metastatic colorectal cancer from December 1998 to December 2007 were reviewed. The predictive factors for early recurrence postoperatively and the prognostic factors were analyzed.

Association between genetic variants in pre-microRNAs and survival of early-stage NSCLC.

Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small non-protein-coding RNAs that function as negative gene regulators. Recent evidence indicates that altered miRNA expression plays an important role in the initiation and progression of lung cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in pre-miRNAs could alter miRNAs processing, or expression, and hence, could influence the prognosis of lung cancer.

BATF is required for normal expression of gut-homing receptors by T helper cells in response to retinoic acid.

CCR9 and α4β7 are the major trafficking receptors for lymphocyte migration to the gut, and their expression is induced during lymphocyte activation under the influence of retinoic acid (RA). We report here that BATF (basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-like), an AP-1 protein family factor, is required for optimal expression of CCR9 and α4β7 by T helper cells. BATF-deficient (knockout [KO]) mice had reduced numbers of effector T and regulatory T cells in the intestine.

Inherited variation in miR-290 expression suppresses breast cancer progression by targeting the metastasis susceptibility gene Arid4b.

The metastatic cascade is a complex and extremely inefficient process with many potential barriers. Understanding this process is of critical importance because the majority of cancer mortality is associated with metastatic disease. Recently, it has become increasingly clear that microRNAs (miRNA) play important roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis, yet few studies have examined how germline variations may dysregulate miRNAs, in turn affecting metastatic potential.

Oncologic safety of stent as bridge to surgery compared to emergency radical surgery for left-sided colorectal cancer obstruction.

Background: There are still concerns about the oncologic safety of stent insertion for colorectal cancer obstruction. This study investigated whether the use of stents as a bridge to surgery negatively affect the long-term outcome compared to curative surgery for left-sided colorectal cancer obstruction.

Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2009, patients with left-sided colorectal cancer obstruction without distant metastasis were retrospectively reviewed.

Obesity, insulin resistance, and the risk of an elevated alanine aminotransferase activity in the Korean adolescent population.

Background: It is unclear to what extent insulin resistance (IR) modulates the association linking obesity to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity elevation.

Methods: We measured the homeostatic model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR) in 1591 participants aged 12-18 years from the 2008 to 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Results: Overweight adolescents had an odds ratio of 7.

Anti-oxidant and natural killer cell activity of Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) and urushiol (Rhus vernicifera Stokes) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease of rat.

Anti-oxidative and immunologic effects of the Korea red ginseng (KRG; Panax ginseng) and urushiol (Rhus vernicifera Stokes) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated. Forty-five rats (five Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka and 40 Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty [OLETF] rats) received chew diets for 10months; after this period. The OLETF rats were divided into the following four groups according to diet for 2months: NAFLD (chew), KRG (chew+KRG [200mg/kg/day]), urushiol (chew+urushiol [0.

An adult case of Fisher syndrome subsequent to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Reported herein is an adult case of Fisher syndrome (FS) that occurred as a complication during the course of community-acquired pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. A 38-yr-old man who had been treated with antibiotics for serologically proven M. pneumoniae pneumonia presented with a sudden onset of diplopia, ataxic gait, and areflexia.

Clinical significance of the double-peak sensory response in nerve conduction study of normal and diabetic patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the meaning of the double-peak responses in digital nerve conduction study in normal and diabetic patients.

Design: This was a cross-sectional and correlative study. Sixty healthy subjects (10 people per decade from 20 to 79 yrs of age; 26 men; mean age, 48 yrs) and 60 diabetic patients (10 people per decade from 22 to 79 yrs of age; 36 men, mean age, 53 yrs) were included.

Polymorphism of GeSbTe superlattice nanowires.

Scaling-down of phase change materials to a nanowire (NW) geometry is critical to a fast switching speed of nonvolatile memory devices. Herein, we report novel composition-phase-tuned GeSbTe NWs, synthesized by a chemical vapor transport method, which guarantees promising applications in the field of nanoscale electric devices. As the Sb content increased, they showed a distinctive rhombohedral-cubic-rhombohedral phase evolution.

Treatment strategies using adefovir dipivoxil for individuals with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To investigate retrospectively the long-term efficacy of various treatment strategies using adefovir dipivoxil (adefovir) in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: We included 154 consecutive patients in two treatment groups: the "add-on" group (n = 79), in which adefovir was added to ongoing lamivudine treatment due to lamivudine resistance, and the "switch/combination" group (n = 75), in which lamivudine was first switched to adefovir and then re-added later as needed. The "switch/combination" group was then divided into two subgroups depending on whether participants followed (group A, n = 30) or violated (group B, n = 45) a proposed treatment strategy that determined whether to add lamivudine based on the serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels (< 60 IU/mL or not) after 6 mo of treatment (roadmap concept).

Retinoic acid promotes the development of Arg1-expressing dendritic cells for the regulation of T-cell differentiation.

Arginase I (Arg1), an enzyme expressed by many cell types including myeloid cells, can regulate immune responses. Expression of Arg1 in myeloid cells is regulated by a number of cytokines and tissue factors that influence cell development and activation. Retinoic acid, produced from vitamin A, regulates the homing and differentiation of lymphocytes and plays important roles in the regulation of immunity and immune tolerance.

Cdk1 protein-mediated phosphorylation of receptor-associated protein 80 (RAP80) serine 677 modulates DNA damage-induced G2/M checkpoint and cell survival.

Post-translational phosphorylation plays critical roles in the assembly of signaling and repair proteins in the DNA damage response pathway. RAP80, a component of the BRCA1-A complex, is crucial in cell cycle checkpoint activation and DNA damage repair. However, its molecular mechanism is unclear.

A functional polymorphism in the CHRNA3 gene and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a Korean population.

A genome-wide association study has identified the 15q25 region as being associated with the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Caucasians. This study intended as a confirmatory assessment of this association in a Korean population. The rs6495309C > T polymorphism in the promoter of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit 3 (CHRNA3) gene was investigated in a case-control study that consisted of 406 patients with COPD and 394 healthy control subjects.

Long-term outcomes of chemoradiation for anal cancer patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term oncologic outcomes after concurrent chemoradiation treatment for anal cancer.

Materials And Methods: Between January 1979 and December 2008, the records of 50 consecutive patients with anal cancer and who were treated by chemoradiation or radiation only with a curative intent were retrospectively reviewed. The oncologic outcomes and the risk factors for recurrence were analyzed.

Risk factors for permanent stoma after low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

Purpose: This study evaluated the risk factors influencing permanent stoma after curative resection of rectal cancer and compared the long-term survival of patients according to the stoma state.

Methods: From January 2004 to December 2010, 895 consecutive rectal cancer patients with histological-confirmed adenocarcinoma who received low anterior resection with curative intent at the Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, were evaluated retrospectively. Patient demographics, times of stoma reversal, and number/reason of permanent stoma were evaluated.

Rapid spontaneous reduction of a huge intracerebral hematoma.

Rapid reduction of a large acute subdural hematoma has been frequently reported. In my knowledge, however, it was rarely reported that rapid spontaneous reduction occurred in large volume of spontaneous intracerebral hematoma (sICH). We describe a patient with a rapid spontaneous decrease in the volume of a large hematoma.