Enhanced Recovery in Mild Acute Pancreatitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a leading cause of hospitalization for a gastrointestinal illness in the United States. We hypothesized that enhanced recovery approaches may lead to earlier time to refeeding in patients with AP.

Methods: We performed a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of patients admitted with mild AP from July 2016 to April 2017 at a tertiary medical center.

Comparison of automated and retrospectively calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate in electronic health record data.

Background: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is the clinical standard for assessing kidney function and staging chronic kidney disease. Automated reporting of eGFR using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equation was first implemented within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2007 with staggered adoption across laboratories. When automated eGFR are not used or unavailable, values are retrospectively calculated using clinical and demographic data that are currently available in the electronic health record (EHR).

Impact of Breast Cancer Subtypes on Prognosis of Women with Operable Invasive Breast Cancer: A Population-based Study Using SEER Database.

Purpose: To determine the prognostic roles of breast cancer subtypes in females with operable invasive breast cancer. Data of 321,958 patients from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were analyzed. Breast cancer subtypes were classified into four categories according to the status of hormone receptor (HRc) and HER2: HRc(+)/HER2(-), HRc(+)/HER2(+), HRc(-)/HER2(+), and HRc(-)/HER2(-).

Radiation Therapy for Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Aim: To analyze the treatment outcomes, patterns of failures and prognostic factors for patients with anal cancer treated with radiotherapy (RT).

Materials And Methods: Between January 2000 and December 2015, 83 patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with definitive RT. The median RT dose applied to the primary carcinoma site was 55 (range=45-64) Gy.

Extent of Risk-Aligned Surveillance for Cancer Recurrence Among Patients With Early-Stage Bladder Cancer.

Importance: Cancer care guidelines recommend aligning surveillance frequency with underlying cancer risk, ie, more frequent surveillance for patients at high vs low risk of cancer recurrence.

Objective: To assess the extent to which such risk-aligned surveillance is practiced within US Department of Veterans Affairs facilities by classifying surveillance patterns for low- vs high-risk patients with early-stage bladder cancer.

Design Setting And Participants: US national retrospective cohort study of a population-based sample of patients diagnosed with low-risk or high-risk early-stage bladder between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, with follow-up through December 31, 2014.

Effective approach to organic acid production from agricultural kimchi cabbage waste and its potential application.

The biotransformation of agricultural waste into valuable chemicals represents a promising approach in the field of biorefining. Herein, a general but highly efficient and robust process is reported for the production of organic acid from kimchi cabbage waste using lactic acid bacteria. The organic acid produced was tested for efficacy as a biological control agent.

Selective De-Cross-Linking of Transformable, Double-Network Hydrogels: Preparation, Structural Conversion, and Controlled Release.

This study has demonstrated the design of stimuli-responsive double-network hydrogels that are formed by sequential polymerization and show chemical transformation by selective de-cross-linking without structural failure owing to chemical orthogonality. Each self-immolative and thermoresponsive network established together the double-network structure through a thiol-ene click reaction and radical polymerization. The hydrogel exhibited enhanced mechanical strength but chemically transformed through the selective de-cross-linking of specific network triggered by a molecular stimulus, which significantly alters physical properties of the material such as tunable toughness and lower critical solution temperature behavior.

Prognostic Influence of Preoperative Mammographic Breast Density in Operable Invasive Female Breast Cancer.

We aimed to investigate the potential of preoperative mammographic breast density (MBD) as a prognostic factor in breast cancer. Data of 969 patients with primary breast cancer were analyzed. We defined low MBD as fatty or fibroglandular breast, and high MBD as heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breast, respectively.

ZZ-dependent regulation of p62/SQSTM1 in autophagy.

Autophagic receptor p62 is a critical mediator of cell detoxification, stress response, and metabolic programs and is commonly deregulated in human diseases. The diverse functions of p62 arise from its ability to interact with a large set of ligands, such as arginylated (Nt-R) substrates. Here, we describe the structural mechanism for selective recognition of Nt-R by the ZZ domain of p62 (p62).

Response to hepatitis B vaccination in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective observational study in Korea.

Background/aims: Testing for hepatitis B virus (HBV) serologic markers and appropriate vaccination are required in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. We evaluated immunogenicity for HBV in IBD patients and the response to the HBV vaccination.

Methods: From May 2014 to August 2016, patients diagnosed with IBD were prospectively included and evaluated for anti-HBs antibody, anti-HBc antibody, and HBs antigen.

Significance of F-FDG PET Parameters According to Histologic Subtype in the Treatment Outcome of Stage III Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Definitive Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: We analyzed positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) to examine the prognostic value of PET-CT parameters according to histologic subtypes (squamous cell carcinoma [SqCC] and adenocarcinoma [ADC]).

Methods: A total of 130 patients with stage III NSCLC who underwent definitive CRT were identified. We obtained PET-CT parameters such as maximum (SUV) and mean (SUV) standardized uptake value, total lesion glycolysis (TLG), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and coefficient of variation (CV).

Impact on genitourinary function and quality of life following focal irreversible electroporation of different prostate segments.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the genitourinary function and quality of life (QoL) following the ablation of different prostate segments with irreversible electroporation (IRE) for localized prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods: Sixty patients who received primary focal IRE for organ-confined PCa were recruited for this study. Patients were evaluated for genitourinary function and QoL per prostate segment treated (anterior vs.

Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Microporous Organic Polymer Particles for the Fabrication of a Hierarchically Porous Monolith.

A hierarchically porous monolith comprising the melamine-based microporous organic polymer (MOP) particles was prepared by the Pickering emulsion templating method. The MOP particles were synthesized by polycondensation of melamine and terephthaldicarboxaldehyde. Because of the balanced presence of hydrophilic nitrogen containing groups and hydrophobic benzene rings, the MOP particles showed good amphiphilicity.

Mesoporous Silica for Triphase Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions.

Mesoporous silica SBA-15 is shown to be a very efficient alternative to phase transfer catalyst salts for two-phase nucleophilic substitutions. The two-phase reaction can efficiently take place in the absence of PTCs. The high catalytic activity and reaction rates can be attributed to the amphiphilic and negatively charged surface of SBA-15 as well as the rapid ingress of the reactants and egress of the products.

NT-PGC-1α deficiency decreases mitochondrial FA oxidation in brown adipose tissue and alters substrate utilization in vivo.

Transcriptional coactivator PPAR γ coactivator (PGC)-1α and its splice variant N-terminal (NT)-PGC-1α mediate transcriptional regulation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis in response to changes in ambient temperature. PGC-1α is dispensable for cold-induced BAT thermogenesis as long as NT-PGC-1α is present. However, the functional significance of NT-PGC-1α in BAT has not been determined.

Synthesis of a palladium acetylide-based tubular microporous polymer monolith a self-template approach: a potential precursor of supported palladium nanoparticles for heterogeneous catalysis.

A monolithic, palladium acetylide-based conjugated microporous polymer, Pd-CMP, was synthesized from a palladium dichloride and a trialkyne. The polymerization proceeded in two different ways, the dehydrohalogenation reaction between the alkyne and the palladium halide and the homocoupling reaction of the alkyne. Pd-CMP had a rigid hollow tubular structure.

Does Medical Acceleration Improve Outcomes in Ulcerative Colitis Patients Who Are in Clinical Remission but Have Endoscopic Inflammation?

Background: Discrepancies between clinical symptoms and mucosal inflammation have been reported in up to 50% of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, there are no guidelines and only limited information for appropriate treatment manipulation.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate long-term outcomes according to treatment strategies and determine predictive factors for disease relapse in UC patients who are in clinical remission (CR) but still have endoscopic inflammation.

A map of the PGC-1α- and NT-PGC-1α-regulated transcriptional network in brown adipose tissue.

Transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and its splice variant NT-PGC-1α play crucial roles in regulating cold-induced thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α are highly induced by cold in BAT and subsequently bind to and coactivate many transcription factors to regulate expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, respiration and thermogenesis. To identify the complete repertoire of PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α target genes in BAT, we analyzed genome-wide DNA-binding and gene expression profiles.

Intracellular glycolysis in brown adipose tissue is essential for optogenetically induced nonshivering thermogenesis in mice.

Release of fatty acids from lipid droplets upon activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is a key step in nonshivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, intracellular lipolysis appears not to be critical for cold-induced thermogenesis. As activation of the SNS increases glucose uptake, we studied whether intracellular glycolysis plays a role in BAT thermogenesis.

Predictive factors for missed adenoma on repeat colonoscopy in patients with suboptimal bowel preparation on initial colonoscopy: A KASID multicenter study.

Suboptimal bowel preparation can result in missed colorectal adenoma that can evolve into interval colorectal cancer. This study aims to identify the predictive factors associated with missed adenoma on repeat colonoscopy in patients with suboptimal bowel preparation at initial colonoscopy. A total of 441 patients with suboptimal bowel preparation on initial colonoscopy and who had repeat colonoscopy within two years were included from 2007 to 2014 in six tertiary hospitals.

Pair-matched patient-reported quality of life and early oncological control following focal irreversible electroporation versus robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Purpose: The design, conduct and completion of randomized trials for curative prostate cancer (PCa) treatments are challenging. To evaluate the effect of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) versus focal irreversible electroporation (IRE) on patient-reported quality of life (QoL) and early oncological control using propensity-scored matching.

Methods: Patients with T1c-cT2b significant PCa (high-volume ISUP 1 or any 2/3) who received unifocal IRE were pair-matched to patients who received nerve-sparing RARP.

Cachexia, and not obesity, prior to pancreatic cancer diagnosis worsens survival and is negated by chemotherapy.

Background: Although advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by progressive weight loss and nutritional deterioration, the effect of cancer cachexia and body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis on survival remains unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated a prospectively collected internal cancer registry of PDAC cases from 2006-2014 at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. Cancer cachexia was defined as weight loss greater than 5% over the 6 months prior to diagnosis.