Diagnostic value of clinical T staging assessed by endoscopy and stomach protocol computed tomography in gastric cancer: the experience of a low-volume institute.

Purpose: Clinical staging of gastric cancer appears to be important more and more for tailored therapy. This study aimed to verify the accuracy of clinical T staging in a low-volume institute.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data of gastric cancer patients who underwent resection.

Giant extra-articular synovial osteochondromatosis of the sinus tarsi: a case report.

A 32-year-old male presented with painful swelling of the sinus tarsi that occurred during daily activities. Diagnostic imaging suggested the presence of a large synovial osteochondromatosis that blocked subtalar motion with deformity of the adjacent bone. The large bony mass was excised, and normal subtalar motion was achieved.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG improves insulin sensitivity and reduces adiposity in high-fat diet-fed mice through enhancement of adiponectin production.

Recently, a probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) has shown several beneficial effects, including improved insulin sensitivity. To clarify the mechanism underlying the insulin-sensitizing effect of LGG, mice were orally administrated with LGG for 13 weeks, and their body weight, insulin sensitivity, and expression of genes related to glucose and lipid metabolism were examined. LGG-treated mice showed attenuated weight gain and enhanced insulin sensitivity in high fat diet group, while no change was observed in normal diet-fed group.

Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oil from Hallabong flower.

A number of essential oils derived from plants are claimed to have several medicinal functions, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammation effects. However, the chemical composition and biological activities of flower-derived components have not been sufficiently characterized. Therefore, we investigated the composition of essential oils from Hallabong flower [(Citrus unshiu Marcov × Citrus sinensis Osbeck) × Citrus reticulata Blanco] and their anti-inflammatory effects.

Directly observing the motion of DNA molecules near solid-state nanopores.

We investigate the diffusion and the drift motion of λ DNA molecules near solid-state nanopores prior to their translocation through the nanopores using fluorescence microscopy. The radial dependence of the electric field near a nanopore generated by an applied voltage in ionic solution can be estimated quantitatively in 3D by analyzing the motion of negatively charged DNA molecules. We find that the electric field is approximately spherically symmetric around the nanopore under the conditions investigated.

Intelligent emergency stop algorithm for a manipulator using a new regression method.

In working environments with large manipulators, accidental collisions can cause severe personal injuries and can seriously damage manipulators, necessitating the development of an emergency stop algorithm to prevent such occurrences. In this paper, we propose an emergency stop system for the efficient and safe operation of a manipulator by applying an intelligent emergency stop algorithm. Our proposed intelligent algorithm considers the direction of motion of the manipulator.

Acanthoic acid induces cell apoptosis through activation of the p38 MAPK pathway in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukaemia.

The present study was designed to evaluate the molecular mechanisms of the action of acanthoic acid (ACAN) from Acanthopanax koreanum (Araliaceae) against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukaemia cells. ACAN reduced the proliferation of HL-60 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner accompanied by the induction of apoptosis. Possible mechanisms of ACAN-induced apoptosis were also examined.

Effects of the REMEEX System in Female Patients with Intrinsic Sphincteric Deficiency and Recurrent Urinary Incontinence: 3-Year Outcomes.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of the REMEEX system (EXternal MEchanical REgulation, Neomedic International, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain) for the treatment of recurrent urinary incontinence (UI) and intrinsic sphincteric deficiency (ISD).

Methods: From August 2006 to September 2007, a total of 30 patients underwent REMEEX system. Patients were categorized into failed UI (Group A, 11 patients) and ISD (Group B, 19 patients).

Solitary rectal metastasis from primary small cell lung carcinoma.

Lung cancer may rarely appear with a solitary rectal metastasis and no other metastases. We report the first case of primary small cell lung cancer presenting with a solitary rectal metastasis in a 62-year-old man. Chest computed tomography revealed a soft tissue lesion in the subcarinal area.

(1S,2S,3E,7E,11E)-3,7,11,15-Cembratetraen-17,2-olide, a cembrenolide diterpene from soft coral Lobophytum sp., inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in human colon cancer cells through reactive oxygen species generation.

We observed that (1S,2S,3E,7E,11E)-3,7,11,15-Cembratetraen-17,2-olide (LS-1), marine cembrenolide diterpene, inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells via a reactive oxygen species (ROS) dependent mechanism. Treatment of HT-29 cells with LS-1 resulted in ROS generation, which was accompanied by disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytosolic release of cytochrome c, sub-G1 peak accumulation, activation of Bid, caspase-3, -8, and -9, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) along with the suppressive expression of B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). All these effects were significantly blocked on pretreatment with the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC), indicating the involvement of increased ROS in the proapoptotic activity of LS-1.

Hypoplasia of left vertebral artery with intimal fibromuscular dysplasia in a Korean woman.

We found a case of hypoplasia of vertebral artery with fibromuscular dysplasia in an 82-yr-old Korean female cadaver during a routine dissection course. In the present case, intracranial hypoplasia in left vertebral artery and bilateral origin of posterior inferior cerebellar artery at the vertebrobasilar junction were recognized. Histopathologically, left vertebral artery showed intimal type of fibromuscular dysplasia both in its extracranial and intracranial courses.

Draft genome sequence of Pedobacter agri PB92T, which belongs to the family Sphingobacteriaceae.

Strain PB92(T) of Pedobacter agri, which belongs to the family Sphingobacteriaceae, was isolated from soil in the Republic of Korea. The draft genome of strain PB92(T) contains 5,141,552 bp, with a G+C content of 38.0%.

Inhibitory effects of Carpinus tschonoskii leaves extract on CpG-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells.

This report describes the anti-inflammatory effects of MeOH extract from leaves of Carpinus tschonoskii (CE) on primary bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDMs) and dendritic cells (BMDCs). Primary BMDMs and BMDCs were used for pro-inflammatory cytokine production and Western blot analysis. Human embryonic kidney cell line 293 T (HEK293 T) was used to access NF-κB activity.

Tyrosinase inhibitory activities of the compounds isolated from Neolitsea aciculata (Blume) Koidz.

This study was designed to investigate the mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity for the constituents isolated from Neolitsea aciculata. The stems of N. aciculata was extracted with aqueous ethanol and subjected to chromatographic separation, which led to the isolation of 11 compounds: methyl linoleate (1), catechin (2), epicatechin (3), afzelin-7-O-glucopyranoside (4), 2',3'-di-(p-coumaroyl)afzelin (5), 2'-p-coumaroylafzelin (6), feruloyl tyramine (7), β-sitosterol (8), daucosterol (9), oleic acid (10), and trilaurin (11).

Probing Access Resistance of Solid-state Nanopores with a Scanning Probe Microscope Tip.

An apparatus that integrates solid-state nanopore ionic current measurement with a Scanning Probe Microscope has been developed. When a micrometer-scale scanning probe tip is near a voltage biased nanometer-scale pore (10-100 nm), the tip partially blocks the flow of ions to the pore and increases the pore access resistance. The apparatus records the current blockage caused by the probe tip and the location of the tip simultaneously.

Midazolam protects B35 neuroblastoma cells through Akt-phosphorylation in reactive oxygen species derived cellular injury.

Background: Soman, a potent irreversible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, induces delayed neuronal injury by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Midazolam is used in patients with pathologic effects of oxidative stresses such as infection, hemodynamic instability and hypoxia. We investigated whether midazolam protects the Central Nervous System (CNS) from soman intoxication.

A rare case of a signet ring cell carcinoma of the colon mimicking a juvenile polyp.

Primary signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) of colon at early stage is quite rare. Only 26 cases were reported until now. We report an early stage of primary SRC which was misdiagnosed as a juvenile polyp and treated with polypectomy followed by surgical resection.

Intramolecular base stacking of dinucleoside monophosphate anions in aqueous solution.

Time-dependent motions of 32 deoxyribodinucleoside and ribodinucleoside monophosphate anions in aqueous solution at 310 K were monitored during 40 ns using classical molecular dynamics (MD). In all studied molecules, spontaneous stacking/unstacking transitions occurred on a time-scale of 10 ns. To facilitate the structural analysis of the sampled configurations we defined a reaction coordinate for the nucleobase stacking that considers both the angle between the planes of the two nucleobases and the distance between their mass-centers.

Involvement of heme oxygenase-1 in Korean colon cancer.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) catabolizes heme into carbon monoxide, biliverdin, and free iron which mediate its protective effect against oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to determine the expression level and activity of HO-1 in Korean colon cancer tissues and cell lines. HO-1 protein expression was higher (>1.

Probing access resistance of solid-state nanopores with a scanning-probe microscope tip.

An apparatus that integrates solid-state nanopore ionic current measurement with a scanning-probe microscope is developed. When a micrometer-scale scanning-probe tip is near a voltage-biased nanometer-scale pore (10–100 nm), the tip partially blocks the flow of ions to the pore and increases the pore access resistance. The apparatus records the current blockage caused by the probe tip and the location of the tip simultaneously.

A case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to thyroid gland.

Metastasis to the thyroid gland from distant cancer is rare, and, in some cases, is a diagnostic challenge. Here, we report a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma of the thyroid gland. A 77-year-old man presented with a neck mass detected about 1 month previously.

Inhibition of stearoyl-CoA desaturase1 activates AMPK and exhibits beneficial lipid metabolic effects in vitro.

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase1 (SCD1) whole body deficiency protects mice from diet-induced obesity. However the specific mechanism of how SCD1 deficiency protects mice from obesity is not clear yet. To understand the tissue-specific role of SCD1 in energy homeostasis, we investigated the responses of adipocytes, hepatocytes and myotubes to SCD1 inhibition.

Neolitsea aciculata essential oil inhibits drug-resistant skin pathogen growth and Propionibacterium acnes-induced inflammatory effects of human monocyte leukemia.

This study examined the chemical composition of Neolitsea aciculata essential oil (NAE) and its biological activities. NAE was obtained by hydro-distillation of N. aciculata leaves collected in Jeju Island and analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrometer detector.