Irisin Attenuates Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis in Bile Duct Ligation Mice Model and Improves Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Backgruound: Liver fibrosis is a common outcome of chronic liver disease and is primarily driven by hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. Irisin, a myokine released during physical exercise, is beneficial for metabolic disorders and mitochondrial dysfunction. This study aimed to explore the effects of irisin on liver fibrosis in HSCs, a bile duct ligation (BDL) mouse model, and the associated mitochondrial dysfunction.

Aerobic and anoxic utilization of organic matter for flexible nitrite supply in nutrient conversion pathways based on anaerobic ammonium oxidation: Microbial interactive mechanism.

This study investigated nutrient conversion pathways and corresponding interactive mechanisms in a mainstream partial-nitritation (PN)/anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox)/partial-denitrification-(PD)-enhanced biological phosphorus-removal (EBPR) (PN/A/PD-EBPR) process. A laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor was operated for 301 days under different operational strategies. Mainstream PN/A/PD-EBPR was successfully operated with aerobic and anoxic utilization of organic matter.

Phloretin Ameliorates Succinate-Induced Liver Fibrosis by Regulating Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Backgruound: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major cells which play a pivotal role in liver fibrosis. During injury, extracellular stimulators can induce HSCs transdifferentiated into active form. Phloretin showed its ability to protect the liver from injury, so in this research we would like to investigate the effect of phloretin on succinate-induced HSCs activation in vitro and liver fibrosis in vivo study.

Elucidating prioritized factor for mainstream partial nitritation between C/N ratio and dissolved oxygen: Response surface methodology and microbial community shifts.

Recently, C/N ratio is suggested as a promising control factor with dissolved oxygen (DO) achieving mainstream partial nitritation (PN); however, their combined effects on mainstream PN are still limited. This study evaluated the mainstream PN with respect to the combined factors, and investigated the prioritized factor affecting the community of aerobic functional microbes competing with NOB. Response surface methodology was performed to assess the combined effects of C/N ratio and DO on the activity of functional microbes.

Odor reduction using hydrogen sulfide-removing bacteria in sludge filtration systems: Ferrous-oxidizing bacteria and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.

The preconditioning of digested sludge in sludge filtration systems produces hydrogen sulfide (HS), a major odor-causing source. This study evaluated the effects of adding HS-removing bacteria to sludge-filtration systems. Ferrous-oxidizing bacteria (FOB) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) were mass-cultivated in a hybrid bioreactor equipped with an internal circulation system.

Outcome of Intermittent Thoracentesis versus Pigtail Catheter Drainage for Hepatic Hydrothorax.

Background/Aims: The management of hepatic hydrothorax (HH) remains a challenging clinical scenario with suboptimal options. We investigated the effect and safety of pigtail catheter drainage compared to intermittent thoracentesis. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included 164 cirrhotic patients with recurrent pleural effusion from March 2012 to June 2017.

Gemigliptin Alleviates Succinate-Induced Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation by Ameliorating Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Backgruound: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4Is) are used clinically as oral antidiabetic agents. Although DPP-4Is are known to ameliorate liver fibrosis, the protective mechanism of DPP-4Is in liver fibrosis remains obscure. In this study, gemigliptin was used to investigate the potential of DPP-4Is to alleviate the progression of liver fibrosis.

Effect of aerobic microbes' competition for oxygen on nitrogen removal in mainstream nitritation-anammox systems.

The effects of C/N ratio in mainstream partial nitritation (PN)-anaerobic ammonia oxidation (ANAMMOX) considering competitive relationship of aerobic microbes competing for oxygen were investigated. Thy system was operated for 501 d with various C/N ratio. Competitive growth of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (AHB) at ≥ 1 of C/N ratio acted effectively on the selective inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) while contributing to stable PN-A.

Evaluation of operating parameters affecting the two-stage nitritatin/anammox process in mainstream flows: From lab-scale to pilot-scale.

Operating parameters for the two-stage nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process in mainstream flows from lab-scale to pilot-scale were investigated. In the batch experiment, the specific activities of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were fitted with a Monod model, and the oxygen affinity of NOB was higher than that of AOB. Nevertheless, dissolved oxygen concentrations higher than 2.

Activation of N-acyl-homoserine lactone-mediated quorum sensing system improves long-term preservation of anammox microorganisms by vacuum lyophilization.

The long-term preservation of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) microorganisms via vacuum lyophilization process would help commercialize the technique. In this study, vacuum lyophilization was evaluated for the cost-effective long-term preservation of such microorganisms. Skim milk was found to be the most effective cryoprotectant for maintaining the physiological properties (heme c, EPS, and the PN/PS ratio) of anammox microorganisms.

Evaluation of long-term preservation and reactivation efficiency of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) microorganisms based on activation energy.

The preservation efficiency of mainstream (M-ANA) and sidestream anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) (S-ANA) were evaluated based on their activation energy (E). The E of M-ANA cultivated under low nitrogen loads was lower than that of S-ANA, which greatly contributed to enhancing the viability of anammox during preservation at 4 °C. After preservation for 140 d, the decay rate (b) of M-ANA ranged from 0.

Achieving stable nitrogen removal performance of mainstream PN-ANAMMOX by combining high-temperature shock for selective recovery of AOB activity.

This paper describes the new concept of the mainstream partial nitritation (PN)-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) combined with a high-temperature shock strategy for the selective recovery of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) activity. In the preliminary test, the temperature shock condition for PN was optimized (60 °C and > 20 min). Based on this, the implementation strategy in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system was studied further, and the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/sodium alginate carrier exposure ratio (ER) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration were considered as primary variables.

Irisin Regulates the Functions of Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Background: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are known to play a fundamental role in the progression of liver fibrosis. Once HSCs are activated, they are involved in proliferation, migration, and contractility which are characteristics of liver fibrogenesis. Recent studies have shown that irisin, a myokine secreted during physical exercise, has a protective effect in various metabolic diseases, especially in renal fibrosis.

Innovative start-up strategies for single-stage deammonification with conventional activated sludge: Results of a pilot-scale demonstration.

This study investigated innovative start-up strategies of a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for single-stage deammonification using activated sludge as the sole inoculum source. In 24 m aerobic oxidizing bacteria cultivation plant, nitrogen loss efficiency was suggested to be an indicator for determining duration of cultivation. In 12 m ANAMMOX (ANaerobic AMMonium OXidation) cultivation plant, combined strategy (sequential fed-batch and continuous modes) was adopted to promote ANAMMOX activity from activated sludge.

Optimization of nitrogen removal performance in a single-stage SBR based on partial nitritation and ANAMMOX.

A partial nitritation (PN)/anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) process in sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was successfully developed to treat high-strength ammonium wastewater. The feed distribution in the SBR cycle and sub-cycles was considered as the main operating strategy, and was optimized using a response surface methodology (RSM)-based optimization technique. In the SBR cycle, the maximum nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of 0.

Chronic Hepatitis B Infection Is Significantly Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease: a Population-based, Matched Case-control Study.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations including chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between HBV and CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association between chronic HBV infection and CKD in a nationwide multicenter study.

Key operating parameters affecting nitrogen removal rate in single-stage deammonification.

The key operating parameters for improving the nitrogen removal rate (NRR) in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for deammonification were investigated. The major operating strategies were the coexistence between deammonification and denitrification with a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 0.5 and the control of the number of sub-cycles based on substrate concentration for anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) and ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB).

Utility of the simplified Wells and revised Geneva scores to exclude pulmonary embolism in femur fracture patients.

Objectives: The diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in trauma patients is challenging. This study evaluated the diagnostic value of simplified Wells and simplified revised Geneva scores to predict PE in femur fracture patients in emergency department (ED).

Methods: All consecutive adult patients with femur fractures and elevated D-dimer levels (>0.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Objective: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) may be considered as a rescue therapy for patients with refractory cardiac arrest. Identifying patients who might benefit from this potential life-saving procedure is crucial for implementation of ECPR. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of patients who fulfilled a hypothetical set of ECPR criteria and to evaluate the outcome of ECPR candidates treated with conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Comparison of Age of Onset and Frequency of Diabetic Complications in the Very Elderly Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in elderly people has increased dramatically in the last few decades. This study was designed to clarify the clinical characteristics of type 2 diabetes in patients aged ≥80 years according to age of onset.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 289 patients aged ≥80 years with type 2 diabetes at the outpatient diabetes clinics of Kangwon National University Hospital from September 2010 to June 2014.

Timing of pulmonary embolisms in femur fracture patients: Incidence and outcomes.

Background: Femur fracture is a well-recognized risk factor for pulmonary embolism (PE). Despite recent reports of early PE after major trauma, the incidence and outcomes of PE in femur fracture patients are unknown. The aims of the study were to determine the incidence of PE after a femur fracture and to evaluate its timing and clinical significance.

Primary aortoenteric fistula to the sigmoid colon in association with intra-abdominal abscess.

Primary aortoenteric fistula (PAEF) is a rare but catastrophic cause of massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Diagnosis of PAEF is difficult to make and is frequently delayed without strong clinical suspicion. Timely surgical intervention is essential for patient's survival.