Comparative Analysis of the Microbiome across the Gut-Skin Axis in Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a refractory and relapsing skin disease with a complex and multifactorial etiology. Various congenital malformations and environmental factors are thought to be involved in the onset of the disease. The etiology of the disease has been investigated, with respect to clinical skin symptoms and systemic immune response factors.

Smartphone-Based VOC Sensor Using Colorimetric Polydiacetylenes.

Owing to a unique colorimetric (typically blue-to-red) feature upon environmental stimulation, polydiacetylenes (PDAs) have been actively employed in chemosensor systems. We developed a highly accurate and simple volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor system that can be operated using a conventional smartphone. The procedure begins with forming an array of four different PDAs on conventional paper using inkjet printing of four corresponding diacetylenes followed by photopolymerization.

Fluorometric Measurement of Individual Stomata Activity and Transpiration via a "Brush-on", Water-Responsive Polymer.

Much of atmospheric water originates from transpiration, the process by which plants release H2O from pores, known as stomata, that simultaneously intake CO2 for photosynthesis. Controlling stomatal aperture can regulate the extent of water transport in response to dynamic environmental factors including osmotic stress, temperature, light, and wind. While larger leaf regions are often examined, the extent of water vapor release from individual stomata remains unexplored.

Hydrochromic Approaches to Mapping Human Sweat Pores.

Hydrochromic materials, which undergo changes in their light absorption and/or emission properties in response to water, have been extensively investigated as humidity sensors. Recent advances in the design of these materials have led to novel applications, including monitoring the water content of organic solvents, water-jet-based rewritable printing on paper, and hydrochromic mapping of human sweat pores. Our interest in this area has focused on the design of hydrochromic materials for human sweat pore mapping.

Polydiacetylene-embedded microbeads for colorimetric and volumetric sensing of hydrocarbons.

Rational design of a hydrocarbon sensor that enables visual differentiation of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons (SAHCs) is very difficult owing to the lack of useful functional groups that can interact with the sensor system. Here, we report a microbead embedded with polydiacetylene that undergoes faster swelling and faster blue-to-red color change in response to the hydrocarbons of shorter alkyl chains. Accordingly, visual differentiation among n-pentane, n-heptane, n-nonane, and n-undecane was readily achieved.

Photochromic spiropyran-embedded PDMS for highly sensitive and tunable optochemical gas sensing.

A highly sensitive, tunable, flexible and microfluidic compatible gas sensor was developed based on a photochromic spiropyran-embedded PDMS composite.

Synthesis and structural-optical properties of Ga-doped ZnO nanowires by hot-walled pulsed laser deposition method.

Well-aligned single-crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) and Ga doped ZnO (GZO) NWs (NWs) were successfully fabricated on Au film catalyzed sapphire substrate using vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method in hot-walled pulsed laser deposition (HW-PLD). The structural and optical properties of Ga doped ZnO NWs have been investigated depending on various concentration of Ga dopants in ZnO NWs. As increasing Ga concentration, stacking faults were observed by using FE-SEM and an exciton bound to a neutral donor (D(0)X) peak was clearly observed by using PL spectra.

Characterizations of Ga-doped ZnO nanowires depending on growth temperature and target-substrate distance in hot-walled pulsed laser deposition.

Using a hot-walled pulsed laser deposition (HW-PLD), nanowires (NWs) comprising 3 weight% Ga-doped ZnO (3GZO) have been successfully grown on a sapphire substrate. The structural and optical properties of 3GZO nanostructures have also been systematically investigated with respect to the target-substrate (T-S) distance and the growth temperature. The morphology transformations of nanostructures such as nano-horns, NWs, and clusters are strongly affected by growth temperatures due to different thermal energy.

Clinicopathologic findings of colorectal traditional and sessile serrated adenomas in Korea: a multicenter study.

Background/aims: Serrated polyps have emerged as important evidence supporting the serrated polyp-neoplasia pathway in colorectal carcinogenesis, an alternate to the classical adenoma-carcinoma sequence. However, there is confusion over the diagnostic criteria for serrated polyps including traditional serrated adenoma (TSA) and sessile serrated adenoma (SSA). In addition, clinical and pathologic characteristics of each are largely unknown and need further exploration.

Risk factors for delayed postendoscopic mucosal resection hemorrhage in patients with gastric tumor.

Objective: Although endoscopic mucosal resection has been recognized as the standard treatment for gastric mucosal neoplasm, postendoscopic mucosal resection hemorrhage remains a major complication of endoscopic mucosal resection, and this problem seems to be increasing owing to the development of invasive techniques. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence and grade of postendoscopic mucosal resection hemorrhage and to identify risk factors for delayed postendoscopic mucosal resection hemorrhage in patients with gastric neoplasm.

Methods: Data of endoscopic mucosal resections performed by three endoscopists were retrospectively collected over 8 years and then analyzed.

[A case of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in a patient with liver cirrhosis accompanied by both esophageal and gastric varices].

Malnutrition in patients with liver disease is common. Consequently, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy may be needed for the correction of malnutrition. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is rarely performed in patients with liver cirrhosis because of the presence of varices and coagulation abnormalities.

Endoscopic sonographic evaluation of the thickened gallbladder wall in patients with acute hepatitis.

Purpose: Thickening of the gallbladder wall is often observed during abdominal sonographic examination in patients with acute hepatitis. However, there is rarely an opportunity for a histopathologic analysis of these structural changes. Endoscopic sonography (EUS) can accurately delineate the structure of the gallbladder wall and therefore may be useful for visualizing changes in the gallbladder wall in patients with acute hepatitis.

Comparison of Doppler ultrasonography and the hepatic venous pressure gradient in assessing portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis.

Background And Aim: This prospective study aimed to determine whether Doppler ultrasonography can represent the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) as an assessment of the severity of portal hypertension and the response to terlipressin, which reduces the portal pressure in liver cirrhosis.

Methods: The HVPG and the Doppler ultrasonographic parameters, such as the portal venous velocity and the splenic venous velocity, the pulsatility and the resistive index of the hepatic, splenic and renal arteries were measured in 138 patients with liver cirrhosis. The changes in the HVPG and the portal venous velocity after administering terlipressin were evaluated in 43 of the 138 patients.

[Comparison of Doppler ultrasonography and hepatic venous pressure gradient in assessing portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis].

Background/aims: This prospective study aimed to determine if Doppler ultrasonography can be representative of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) in assessing the severity of portal hypertension and response to drug reducing portal pressure.

Methods: The HVPG and the parameters of Doppler ultrasonography including portal venous velocity (PVV) and splenic venous velocity, the pulsatility and resistive index of hepatic, splenic and renal arteries were measured in 105 patients with liver cirrhosis. In 31 patients the changes of hepatic venous pressure gradient and portal venous velocity after administration of terlipressin were evaluated.