Ablation manual for liver cancer.

Because of recent advances in energy device technology, ablation has become popular worldwide. It is less invasive and provides faster postoperative recovery compared to surgery, and therefore, it has come to be applied to a wide range of organs, such as liver, lung, kidney, thyroid, and bone/soft tissue tumors. In order to properly guide the needle to the target area, imaging support is necessary, and ultrasound, which has the advantages of high resolution and real-time capability, is the most frequently used modality.

Short-term intervention effect analysis of neuromuscular joint facilitation in patients who experienced stroke with shoulder subluxation: a clinical randomized controlled trial.

[Purpose] Shoulder subluxation is a common complication of acute stroke that affects clinical rehabilitation training and hinders the recovery of upper limb motor function. This study explored the short-term interventional effects of neuromuscular joint facilitation in patients who experienced stroke with shoulder subluxation. [Participants and Methods] We recruited 36 patients who experienced stroke with shoulder subluxation.

Effect of expiratory muscle training on respiratory muscle fatigue in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial.

[Purpose] This study examined the effects of expiratory muscle training on fatigue in individual respiratory muscles. [Participants and Methods] Healthy adult males (n=31) were randomly assigned to two groups: expiratory muscle training (n=15) and normal controls (n=16). In the expiratory muscle training group, training was performed once for 15 min at 50% load of the maximum expiratory mouth pressure twice daily for 4 weeks.

Modified multi-Rayleigh model-based statistical analysis of ultrasound envelope for quantification of liver steatosis and fibrosis.

Purpose: Quantitative diagnosis of the degree of fibrosis progression is currently a focus of attention for fatty liver in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, previous studies have focused on either lipid droplets or fibrotic tissue, and few have reported the evaluation of both in patients whose livers contain adipose and fibrous features. Our aim was to evaluate fibrosis tissue and lipid droplets in the liver.

Use of albumin infusion for cirrhosis-related complications: An international position statement.

Background & Aims: Numerous studies have evaluated the role of human albumin (HA) in managing various liver cirrhosis-related complications. However, their conclusions remain partially controversial, probably because HA was evaluated in different settings, including indications, patient characteristics, and dosage and duration of therapy.

Methods: Thirty-three investigators from 19 countries with expertise in the management of liver cirrhosis-related complications were invited to organise an International Special Interest Group.

Effects of Diamond Steps Exercises on Balance Improvement in Healthy Young and Older Adults: A Protocol Proposal.

Diamond step (DS) exercises are associated with multiple components of postural control and, thus, have the potential to efficiently improve balance ability. This study aimed to verify whether DS exercises contribute to improving balance ability. This study included 35 healthy young people and 29 older adults.

The Impact of Partial Splenic Embolization on Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy in Cirrhotic Patients with Portal Hypertension.

This study investigated the impact of partial splenic embolization (PSE) on portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG). We retrospectively analyzed endoscopic findings and the portal venous system of 31 cirrhotic patients with PHG. The improved group was defined as the amelioration of PHG findings using the McCormack classification.

Successful Identification of a Novel Therapeutic Compound for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Screening of ADAM9 Inhibitors.

Background/aim: MHC-class I-related chain A (MICA) functions as a ligand for natural killer group D, an activating receptor on natural killer (NK) cells, and its expression correlates with the carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although membranous MICA (mMICA) activates NK cells, soluble forms of MICA (sMICA), shed by cleaving enzymes, such as A disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) 9, suppress NK cells. Therefore, the prevention of MICA shedding through the inhibition of ADAM9 has the potential to activate cancer immunity.

Body mass index combined with (waist + hip)/height accurately screened for normal-weight obesity in Chinese young adults.

Objectives: Only a few studies have explored the prevalence of normal-weight obesity in young adults or the development of a simple evaluation index for body fat percentage. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of normal-weight obesity in young Chinese adults and use anthropometric measurements to develop an evaluation index.

Methods: In total, 1322 college students participated in the study and were divided into the normal-weight lean, normal-weight obese, and overweight and obese groups based on their body mass index and body fat percentage.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for the management of portal hypertension in cirrhosis.

Portal hypertension is a major pathophysiological condition in patients with cirrhosis. This accounts for the occurrence and severity of the various manifestations. The degree is determined by the portal pressure or hepatic venous pressure gradients, both of which are obtained by invasive interventional radiological procedures.

Miglustat, a glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor, mitigates liver fibrosis through TGF-β/Smad pathway suppression in hepatic stellate cells.

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins such as collagen in response to chronic inflammation. It has been reported that ceramide regulates collagen production through TGF-β/Smad pathway activation. In this study, we examined whether miglustat, an inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthase, can suppress liver fibrosis by reducing TGF-β/Smad pathway activity.

Ablation for Benign Liver Tumors: Current Concepts and Limitations.

Percutaneous ablation under imaging guidance is a curative treatment that can induce complete tumor necrosis with advantages of minimal invasiveness and a low risk of complications. Thermal ablation, which includes radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation, is a representative technique that has sufficient antitumor effects in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma with ≤3 lesions measuring ≤3 cm and preserved liver function. The short- and long-term outcomes of patients are comparable with those achieved with surgical resection.

The RNA-Binding Protein ELAVL1 Regulates Hepatitis B Virus Replication and Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Previous RNA immunoprecipitation followed by proteomic approaches successfully demonstrated that Embryonic Lethal, Abnormal Vision, Drosophila-Like 1 (ELAVL1) interacts with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-derived RNAs. Although ELAVL family proteins stabilize AU-rich element (ARE)-containing mRNAs, their role in HBV transcription remains unclear. This study conducted loss-of-function assays of ELAVL1 for inducible HBV-replicating HepAD38 cells and -overexpressed HepG2 cells.

Diagnostic accuracy of transient elastography in diagnosing clinically significant portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography (TE-LSM) is a promising noninvasive alternative to hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) for diagnosing clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). However, previous studies have yielded conflicting results. We evaluated the correlation between TE-LSM and HVPG and the performance of TE-LSM in diagnosing CSPH (HVPG ≥ 10 mmHg).

Effect of Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Harboring Mutation in Early Clinical Experience.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (ATZ/BV) treatment is a combined immunotherapy consisting of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, which has brought a major paradigm shift in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gain-of-function mutation of contributes to resistance of ICI monotherapy through the framework of non-T-cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment. However, whether mutation renders resistance to ATZ/BV similar to ICI monotherapy remains to be elucidated.

The Efficacy of Expiratory Muscle Training during Inspiratory Load in Healthy Adult Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of expiratory muscle training (EMT) on respiratory muscle strength and respiratory distress during inspiratory load. Thirty-one healthy adult males were randomly divided into an EMT group who underwent EMT (n = 15) and a control group who did not undergo EMT (n = 16). The EMT group underwent EMT with a 50% load of maximum expiratory mouth pressure (PEmax) for 15 min, twice a day, every day, for 4 weeks.

Body Fat Percentage and Normal-Weight Obesity in the Chinese Population: Development of a Simple Evaluation Indicator Using Anthropometric Measurements.

Few studies explore the associations between body fat percentage (BFP) prediction and evaluation indicators for Chinese with normal-weight obesity. We aimed to explore convenient and cost-free BFP evaluation indicators to routinely monitor BFP status in Chinese patients with normal-weight obesity. Participants (N = 164) were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) and BFP: normal-weight lean, normal-weight obese, and overweight and obese.

Immediate effects of neuromuscular joint-facilitation bridging exercises on walking ability and balance function in stroke patients.

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the immediate effects of a pelvic neuromuscular joint-facilitation intervention on the walking and balance ability of patients with hemiplegia caused by cerebrovascular accidents. [Participants and Methods] A total of 15 patients with hemiplegia caused by cerebrovascular accidents underwent a neuromuscular joint-facilitation lumbar-pattern intervention (intervention group), a bridge exercise (bridge intervention group), or a neuromuscular joint-facilitation bridge intervention (neuromuscular joint-facilitation bridge group). Each intervention was randomly administered at 7-day intervals.

Evolution of Survival Impact of Molecular Target Agents in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background And Aims: The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is expected to improve as multiple molecular target agents (MTAs) are now available. However, the impact of the availability of sequential MTAs has not been fully verified yet.

Approach And Results: We retrospectively collected the data on the whole clinical course of 877 patients who received any MTAs as first-line systemic therapy for advanced HCC between June 2009 and March 2019.

Evaluation of supraspinatus muscle changes in the shoulder joint of stroke patients with hemiplegic and shoulder subluxation using ultrasonography: comparison between affected and unaffected sides.

[Purpose] The shoulder joint has a very unstable structure yet a significantly wide range of motion. Weakness of the muscles around the shoulder joint may cause shoulder joint subluxation. This study aimed to determine changes in supraspinatus muscle thickness between different shoulder abduction angles using ultrasonography and to compare differences in supraspinatus muscle thickness changes between the affected and unaffected sides depending on shoulder joint subluxation.

The reliability and effectiveness of shoulder joint evaluation by ultrasonography in stroke patients: deltoid muscle thickness, acromion-humeral distance, acromion-lesser tuberosity distance.

[Purpose] This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in measuring deltoid muscle thickness (DMT) at different angles, acromion-humeral distance (AHD), and acromion nodule tuberosity (ALT) distance in a resting position in stroke patients using ultrasonography. [Participants and Methods] We included 40 stroke patients. During the measurement of parameters by ultrasonography, we measured the deltoid muscle thickness on both sides at three test angles (0°, 30°, and 60° abduction) and AHD and ALT on both sides at 0° angle.