The safety and efficacy of through-and-through wire technique for ureteral Double-J stent placement.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the through-and-through wire (TTW) technique for antegrade ureteral Double-J stent placement after failure of either antegrade or retrograde ureteral stent placement.

Method: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of consecutive patients who underwent Double-J stent placement with the TTW technique at Asan Medical Center and Gil Medical Center between January 2016 and February 2023. Patient histories, reasons for employing the TTW technique, TTW pathways, and complications were reviewed.

EW-7197, transforming growth factor β inhibitor, combined with irreversible electroporation for improving skin wound in a rat excisional model.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining EW-7197 with irreversible electroporation (IRE) for improving wound healing, 16 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups of four rats each after dorsal excisional wound induction: sham control group; oral administration of EW-7197 for 7 days group; one-time application of IRE group; and one-time application of IRE followed by oral administration of EW-7197 for 7 days group. Measurement of wound closure rate, laser Doppler scanning, histological staining (hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome), and immunohistochemical analyses (Ki-67 and α-SMA) were performed to evaluate the efficacy. Fifteen of 16 rats survived throughout the study.

Novel self-expandable stent-based endobiliary radiofrequency ablation for unresectable malignant biliary obstruction.

Background And Aims: Endobiliary radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an emerging endoscopic palliative adjunctive therapy used for the local treatment of unresectable malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). However, irregular ablation ranges caused by insufficient electrode-to-bile duct contact pose a significant obstacle. We investigated the feasibility of a self-expandable stent (SES)-based electrode with a customized RFA generator in the porcine liver and common bile duct (CBD).

Pleiotropic Role of Rainbow Trout CXCRs in Response to Disease and Environment: Insights from Transcriptional Signatures and Structure Analysis.

Chemokines are cytokines with chemoattractant capacities that exert their physiological functions through the binding of chemokine receptors. Thus, chemokine and receptor complexes exert important roles in regulating development and homeostasis during routine immune surveillance and inflammation. Compared to mammals, the physiology and structure of chemokine receptors in fish have not been systematically studied.

Safety and Clinical Outcomes of Two-Session Catheter-Directed Sclerotherapy Using Ethanol for Endometrioma.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and clinical outcome of two-session catheter-directed sclerotherapy (CDS) with 99% ethanol in patients with endometrioma.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board with written informed consent obtained from all participants and was registered on clinicaltrial.gov.

Preliminary report on embolization with quick-soluble gelatin sponge particles for angiographically negative acute gastrointestinal bleeding.

Prophylactic embolization is usually performed using gelatin sponge particles, which are absorbed within several weeks, for managing angiographically negative gastrointestinal bleeding. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with quick-soluble gelatin sponge particles (QS-GSP) that dissolve in less than 4 h for treating angiographically negative gastrointestinal bleeding. We included ten patients (M:F = 7:3; mean age, 64.

Balloon neck-plasty to create a wide-necked aneurysm in the elastase-induced rabbit model.

Purpose: The elastase-induced aneurysm (EIA) model in rabbits has been proposed for translational research; however, the adjustment of aneurysm neck size remains challenging. In this study, the technical feasibility and safety of balloon neck-plasty to create a wide-necked aneurysm in rabbit EIA model were investigated.

Methods: Male New Zealand White rabbits (N = 15) were randomly assigned to three groups: group A, EIA creation without neck-plasty; group B, neck-plasty immediately after EIA creation; group C, neck-plasty 4 weeks after EIA creation.

Anterior radial head subluxation in primary elbow osteoarthritis.

Purpose: To investigate elbows with primary osteoarthritis (OA) for the presence of anterior radial head subluxation.

Methods: A total of 71 patients with elbow osteoarthritis and 45 with lateral epicondylitis were initially identified. The baseline characteristics and preoperative elbow X-rays of consecutive patients that had been clinically confirmed with elbow OA or lateral epicondylitis between March 2011 and January 2020 were then retrospectively reviewed.

[Rational design of high performance metal organic framework stationary phase for gas chromatography].

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are assembled from metal ions or clusters and organic ligands. The high tunability of these components offers a solid structural foundation for achieving efficient gas chromatography (GC) separation. This review demonstrates that the design of high performance MOFs with suitable stationarity should consider both the thermodynamic interactions provided by these MOFs and the kinetic diffusion of analytes.

Genetic and Epigenetic Evidence for Nonestrogenic Disruption of Otolith Development by Bisphenol A in Zebrafish.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that has estrogenic activities. In addition to disrupting reproductive development and function via estrogenic signaling pathways, BPA can also interfere with nonreproductive functions through nonestrogenic pathways; however, the mechanisms underlying such nonestrogenic activities are not well understood. In this study, we demonstrated that BPA could disrupt otolith formation during the early development of zebrafish with long-lasting ethological effects.

Radiofrequency ablation via an implanted self-expandable metallic stent to treat in-stent restenosis in a rat gastric outlet obstruction model.

In-stent restenosis caused by tissue hyperplasia and tumor growth through the wire meshes of an implanted self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) remains an unresolved obstacle. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of SEMS-mediated radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treating stent-induced tissue hyperplasia in a rat gastric outlet obstruction model. The ablation zone was investigated using extracted porcine liver according to the ablation time.

Efficacy of closed cell self expandable metallic stent for peripheral arterial disease in the porcine iliac artery.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a closed-cell self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) with or without expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE)-covering membrane in a porcine iliac artery model. Twelve Yorkshire domestic pigs were divided into a bare closed-cell SEMS (B-SEMS) group (n = 6) and covered closed-cell SEMS (C-SEMS) group (n = 6). Both closed-cell SEMSs were placed in the right or left iliac artery.

Estrogenic and non-estrogenic effects of bisphenol A and its action mechanism in the zebrafish model: An overview of the past two decades of work.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is the most simple and predominant component of the Bisphenol family. BPA is widely present in the environment and the human body as a result of its extensive usage in the plastic and epoxy resins of consumer goods like water bottles, food containers, and tableware. Since the 1930s, when BPA's estrogenic activity was first observed, and it was labeled as a "mimic hormone of E2", studies on the endocrine-disrupting effects of BPA then have been widely conducted.

Preliminary results of absorbable magnesium stent for treating eustachian tube dysfunction in a porcine model.

Absorbable magnesium (Mg) stents have an attractive biocompatibility and rapid degradation rate, but their degradable behavior and efficacy in the Eustachian tube (ET) have not yet been investigated. In this study, the degradable behavior of the Mg stent in artificial nasal mucus was evaluated. The Mg stents in the porcine ET model were also investigated to evaluate their safety and efficacy.

How Biology Guides the Combination of Locoregional Interventional Therapies and Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Cytokines and Their Roles.

As most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are diagnosed at the intermediate or advanced stage and are no longer eligible for curative treatment, the overall survival rate of HCC remains unsatisfactory. Locoregional interventional therapies (LITs), and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based immunotherapy, focus on treating HCC, but the efficacy of their individual application is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to discuss the biological roles of cytokines and their therapeutic potential in the combination therapy of LITs and ICI-based immunotherapy.

Early Postoperative MRI Evaluation of a Fascia Lata Autograft With and Without Polypropylene Mesh Augmentation After Superior Capsular Reconstruction.

Background: Recently, a polypropylene mesh has been introduced and reported to improve clinical outcomes after superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) using a fascia lata autograft (FLA). However, mesh-related events such as a foreign body response may trigger inflammation, which might affect graft healing and remodeling.

Purpose/hypothesis: The aim was to investigate whether the healing and remodeling of an FLA were affected by the use of a mesh by comparing the signal intensity of an FLA-alone group vs an FLA + Mesh group on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Different routes of administering EW-7197 versus EW-7197⋅HBr for preventing peritoneal adhesion in a rat model.

Background: The relatively low aqueous solubility of EW-7197 that was administered orally may have affected the desired concentration in the systemic circulation for treating peritoneal adhesion. This experimental study aimed to compare the efficacy of different routes of administering EW-7197 (2-fluoro-N-[(5-[6-methylpyridin-2-yl]-4-[(1,2,4)triazolo(1,5-a)pyridin-6-yl]-1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl]aniline) and EW-7197·hydrobromide (HBr), with improved aqueous solubility, for inhibiting peritoneal adhesion in a rat model.

Methods: After peritoneal adhesion induction, 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 rats in each: group A, sham control; group B, orally administered 25 mg/kg of EW-7197·HBr for 7 days; group C, locally administered 25 mg/kg of EW-7197·HBr; group D, orally administered 20 mg/kg of EW-7197 for 7 days; and group E, locally administered 20 mg/kg of EW-7197.

Effects of different applied voltages of irreversible electroporation on prostate cancer in a mouse model.

As a non-thermal ablation method, irreversible electroporation (IRE) has been widely investigated in the treatment of prostate cancer. However, no consensus has been achieved on the optimal parameters of IRE for prostate cancer. Since high voltage is known to carry risks of muscle contraction and patient discomfort, it is crucial to identify the minimum but effective and safer applied voltage to inhibit tumor growth.

Absorbable suture knots on the supraspinatus tendon prevent adverse effects of nonabsorbable suture knots in a rat model.

Purpose: To compare the absorbable and nonabsorbable suture knots on the tendon on bone-to-tendon healing during the early phase in a rat rotator cuff tear (RCT) model.

Methods: Fifty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats (10 weeks old; mean weight, 380 g) were used in this study, and 51 of them were randomly assigned into three groups: absorbable suture group (ASG, n = 22), nonabsorbable suture group (NSG, n = 22), and sham surgery group (SSG, n = 7), and the remaining rat was used to take surgical pictures. Bilateral supraspinatus tendon tears were created and repaired immediately in ASG and NSG.

Image-guided stent-directed irreversible electroporation for circumferential ablation in the rat esophagus.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) has been investigated in the alimentary tract; however, the lack of dedicated electrodes and insufficient tissue responses made its application limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of image-guided stent-directed IRE in the rat esophagus. The bipolar self-expandable electrode (SE) was developed using the braiding technique.

Tapered self-expandable metallic stent optimized for Eustachian tube morphology in a porcine ET model.

Several investigations on the feasibility of stent placement into the Eustachian tube (ET) are being conducted. However, stents optimized for the anatomical structure of the ET have not yet been developed. In this study, the efficacy and safety of a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) optimized for porcine ET morphology was investigated.

Stent-based electrode for radiofrequency ablation in the rat esophagus: a preliminary study.

Endoluminal radiofrequency (RF) ablation has been widely used as a safe and effective treatment for Barrett's esophagus. However, inadequate RF ablation may occur due to insufficient contact between the electrode and target tissues. Herein, a stent-based monopolar RF electrode (SE) was developed to evenly deliver RF energy to the inner wall of the rat esophagus.