UCHL1 is a potential molecular indicator and therapeutic target for neuroendocrine carcinomas.

Neuroendocrine carcinomas, such as neuroendocrine prostate cancer and small-cell lung cancer, commonly have a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. We report that ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1), a deubiquitinating enzyme, is elevated in tissues and plasma from patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas. Loss of UCHL1 decreases tumor growth and inhibits metastasis of these malignancies.

Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis: a rare case of neurologic complication in Ulcerative Colitis.

Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis is a rare autoimmune disorder that presents with ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, disturbance of consciousness and quadriplegia. A 45-year-old man with a history of ulcerative colitis (UC) taking mesalazine (5-aminosalicylic acid) visited the emergency room presenting with ataxia, ophthalmoplegia and a progressively worsening cognitive impairment. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed mild elevation in protein and white blood cell count and increased intracranial pressure.

Application of single cell multiomics points to changes in chromatin accessibility near calcitonin receptor like receptor and a possible role for adrenomedullin in the post-shock lung.

Introduction: Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a commonly occurring sequelae of traumatic injury resulting from indirect insults like hypovolemic shock and/or extrapulmonary sepsis. The high lethality rate associated with these pathologies outlines the importance of clarifying the "priming" effects seen in the post-shock lung microenvironment, which are understood to bring about a dysregulated or overt immune response when triggered by a secondary systemic infectious/septic challenge culminating in ALI. In this pilot project, we test the hypothesis that application of a single cell multiomics approach can elucidate novel phenotype specific pathways potentially contributing to shock-induced ALI/ARDS.

Improvement of Heat Resistance of Fluorosilicone Rubber Employing Vinyl-Functionalized POSS as a Chemical Crosslinking Agent.

Fluorosilicone rubber (F-LSR) is a promising material that can be applied in various cutting-edge industries. However, the slightly lower thermal resistance of F-LSR compared with that of conventional PDMS is difficult to overcome by applying nonreactive conventional fillers that readily agglomerate owing to their incompatible structure. Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with vinyl groups (POSS-V) is a suitable material that may satisfy this requirement.

Optimization and Characterization of the F-LSR Manufacturing Process Using Quaternary Ammonium Silanolate as an Initiator for Synthesizing Fluorosilicone.

Due to the growing demand for versatile hybrid materials that can withstand harsh conditions (below -40 °C), fluorosilicone copolymers are becoming promising materials that can overcome the limited operating temperature of conventional rubber. In order to synthesize a fluorosilicone copolymer, a potent initiator capable of simultaneously initiating various siloxane monomers in anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) is required. In this study, tetramethyl ammonium silanolate (TMAS), a quaternary ammonium (QA) anion, was employed as an initiator for AROP, thereby fluoro-methyl-vinyl-silicone (FVMQ) and fluoro-hydrido-methyl-silicone (FHMQ) were successfully synthesized under optimized conditions.

Effect of Liver Cirrhosis on the Outcomes of Peritoneal Dialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has become an increasingly important treatment modality for end-stage renal disease. However, application of PD in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and subsequent outcomes have not been thoroughly evaluated.A total of 1,366 patients (≥ 18 years old) who started PD at 4 tertiary referral centers between January 2000 and December 2015 were initially reviewed.

PROgnostic Model for Advanced Cancer (PRO-MAC).

Objective: To develop and validate a simple prognostic tool for early prediction of survival of patients with advanced cancer in a tertiary care setting.

Design: Prospective cohort study with 2 years' follow-up.

Setting: Single tertiary teaching hospital in Singapore.

Liver volume index predicts the risk of esophageal variceal hemorrhage in cirrhotic patients on propranolol prophylaxis.

Background/aims: Non-selective β-blockers (NSBBs) are used for primary prevention of esophageal variceal hemorrhage (VH) in patients with portal hypertension, but a significant number of patients develop VH while on NSBB therapy. In this study, we sought to determine whether liver volume can predict the risk of primary prophylaxis failure in cirrhotic patients on NSBB therapy.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 309 patients on prophylactic propranolol was analyzed.

Surveillance Rate and its Impact on Survival of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients in South Korea: A Cohort Study.

Purpose: Though regular surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for high-risk patients is widely recommended, its rate and effectiveness are not clear. The aim of this study is to investigate the actual rate of HCC surveillance and its related factors and to clarify its impact on survival in a Korean HCC cohort.

Materials And Methods: From 2012 to 2015, 319 newly diagnosed HCC patients were prospectively enrolled at a tertiary hospital.

One-year mortality among hospital survivors of cholinesterase inhibitor poisoning based on Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2003 to 2012.

Background: Acute cholinesterase inhibitor (CI) poisoning, including organophosphate and carbamate poisoning, is a crucial problem in developing countries. Acute intoxication results in a cholinergic crisis, neurological symptoms, or respiratory failure. However, the short-term and long-term outcomes of CI poisoning are seldom reported.

Liver volume-based prediction model stratifies risks for hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients on surveillance.

Background And Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether dynamic computed tomography (CT)-measured liver volume predicts the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) when the CT scans do not reveal evidence of HCC in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients on surveillance.

Methods: This retrospective multicentre cohort study included 1,246 patients who received entecavir and regular HCC surveillance in three tertiary referral centres in South Korea. Liver volumes were measured on portal venous phase CT images.

Protocatechuic acid inhibits Toll-like receptor-4-dependent activation of NF-κB by suppressing activation of the Akt, mTOR, JNK and p38-MAPK.

Protocatechuic acid has demonstrated to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We assessed whether protocatechuic acid may reduce the inflammatory mediator production, which is regulated by the Toll-like receptor-4-dependent Akt, mTOR and NF-κB pathway, and JNK and p38-MAPK in HaCaT cells and primary keratinocytes. Protocatechuic acid, Akt inhibitor, Bay 11-7085 and N-acetylcysteine reduced the lipopolysaccharide-caused production of cytokines and chemokines, expression of cyclooxygenase, increase in the levels and activities of Toll-like receptor-4, p-Akt and mTOR, activation of NF-κB, phosphorylation of the JNK and p38-MAPK, and production of reactive oxygen species in keratinocytes.

Apigenin reduces the Toll-like receptor-4-dependent activation of NF-κB by suppressing the Akt, mTOR, JNK, and p38-MAPK.

Flavone apigenin has an anti-inflammatory effect. We assessed whether apigenin may reduce the inflammatory mediator production, which is regulated by the Toll-like receptor-4-dependent activation of the Akt, mTOR, and NF-κB pathways, and activation of JNK and p38-MAPK in HEK001 keratinocytes and primary keratinocytes. Apigenin, the Akt inhibitor, Bay 11-7085, and N-acetylcysteine inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 and chemokines CCL17 and CCL27; the expression of cyclooxygenase-2; the increase in the levels of Toll-like receptor-4, phosphorylated Akt, and mTOR; the activation of NF-κB; the activation of the JNK and p38-MAPK; and the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species in keratinocytes.

Taxifolin reduces the cholesterol oxidation product-induced neuronal apoptosis by suppressing the Akt and NF-κB activation-mediated cell death.

The taxifolin effect on the cholesterol oxidation product-induced neuronal apoptosis was investigated using differentiated PC12 cells and human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. 7-ketocholesterol induced phosphorylation of Akt, and increase in the levels of cytosolic and nuclear NF-κB p65, cytosolic NF-κB p50 and cytosolic phosphorylated-IκB-α in PC12 cells. The cholesterol oxidation products also induced a decrease in the levels of Bid and Bcl-2, increase in the levels of p53 and Bax, loss of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of cytochrome c, activation of caspases (-8, -9 and -3), production of reactive oxygen species, depletion of GSH and cell death in both cell lines.

Rotundarpene inhibits TNF-α-induced activation of the Akt, mTOR, and NF-κB pathways, and the JNK and p38 associated with production of reactive oxygen species.

Ilex Rotunda Thunb has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In human keratinocytes, we investigated the effect of rotundarpene (4-caffeoyl-3-methyl-but-2-ene-1,4-diol) on the TNF-α-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators in relation to the Akt, mTOR, and NF-κB pathways, and the JNK and p38-MAPK. Rotundarpene, Akt inhibitor, Bay 11-7085, rapamycin, and N-acetylcysteine inhibited the TNF-α-stimulated production of cytokines and chemokines, increase in the levels of p-Akt and mTOR, activation of NF-κB, and production of reactive oxygen species in keratinocytes.

Optimizing Surveillance Performance of Alpha-Fetoprotein by Selection of Proper Target Population in Chronic Hepatitis B.

Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the most widely used biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance, disease activity may also increase AFP levels in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Since nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) therapy may reduce not only HBV viral loads and transaminase levels but also the falsely elevated AFP levels in CHB, we tried to determine whether exposure to NA therapy influences AFP performance and whether selective application can optimize the performance of AFP testing in CHB during HCC surveillance. A retrospective cohort of 6,453 CHB patients who received HCC surveillance was constructed from the electronic clinical data warehouse.

Apigenin Reduces Proteasome Inhibition-Induced Neuronal Apoptosis by Suppressing the Cell Death Process.

Impairment of proteasomal function has been shown to be implicated in neuronal cell degeneration. The compounds which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities appear to provide a neuroprotective effect. Flavone apigenin is known to exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of insomnia and its subtypes in the Korean elderly.

Background: Insomnia is known to be associated with psychiatric disorders, other sleep disorders and medical conditions, but the prevalence of insomnia diagnosis has never been estimated according to its subtypes. We studied the prevalence and clinical characteristics of insomnia diagnosis and its subtypes in the Korean elderly population.

Methods: Among 1423 sampled elderly individuals aged 60 years or older, 881 subjects participated in this study.

Apocynin inhibits Toll-like receptor-4-mediated activation of NF-κB by suppressing the Akt and mTOR pathways.

Microbial product lipopolysaccharide has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases. Apocynin has demonstrated to have an anti-inflammatory effect. However, the effect of apocynin on the Toll-like receptor-4-dependent activation of Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway, which is involved in productions of inflammatory mediators in keratinocytes, has not been studied.

Covered self-expanding metal stents for the management of common bile duct stones.

Background And Aims: Little medical literature exists for the use of fully covered self-expanding metal stents (CSEMSs) in the management of retained common bile duct (CBD) stones. Our aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of CSEMSs for the indication of retained "difficult" CBD stones.

Methods: This retrospective cases series included 44 patients (30 women; median age, 69 years [range, 24-88]) who underwent CSEMS insertion for the indication of retained "difficult" CBD stones in 2 tertiary referral centers.

Lamotrigine Attenuates Proteasome Inhibition-Induced Apoptosis by Suppressing the Activation of the Mitochondrial Pathway and the Caspase-8- and Bid-Dependent Pathways.

Proteasome impairment has been shown to be involved in neuronal degeneration. Antiepileptic lamotrigine has been demonstrated to have a neuroprotective effect. However, the effect of lamotrigine on the proteasome inhibition-induced neuronal cell death has not been studied.

Flavonoid myricetin inhibits TNF-α-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators by suppressing the Akt, mTOR and NF-κB pathways in human keratinocytes.

Flavonoid myricetin has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Nevertheless, the effect of myricetin on the TNF-α-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators in keratinocytes has not been studied. Using human keratinocytes, we examined the effect of myricetin on the TNF-α-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators in relation to the Akt, mTOR and NF-κB pathways, which regulate the transcription genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses.

Brefeldin A reduces tumor necrosis factor-α-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators by suppressing the Akt, mTOR, and NF-κB pathways in human keratinocytes.

Keratinocytes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases. Brefeldin A has been shown to attenuate the production and secretion of chemical mediators involved in inflammation and immune responses. However, the effect of brefeldin A on the TNF-α-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators in keratinocytes has not been studied.

Near-Road Exposure and Impact of Air Pollution on Allergic Diseases in Elementary School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: The study aims to classify schools based on traffic pollutants and their complex sources, to assess the environment, to determine the state of allergic diseases among students using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in children (ISAAC) questionnaire, and to assess their connection to air pollutants.

Materials And Methods: A total of seven schools were divided into three categories according to the characteristics of their surrounding environments: three schools in traffic-related zones, two schools in complex source zones I (urban), and two schools in complex source zones II (industrial complex). ISAAC questionnaires were administered and the 4404 completed questionnaires were analyzed.