Outcomes of living liver donors are worse than those of matched healthy controls.

Background & Aims: Donor death is the most serious complication of living liver donation but is reported rarely. We investigated the actual mortality of living liver donors (LLDs) compared with matched control groups based on analysis of the Korean National Health Insurance Services (NHIS) database.

Methods: This cohort study included 12,372 LLDs who donated a liver graft between 2002 and 2018, and were registered in the Korean Network for Organ Sharing.

Long-term mortality of living kidney donors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: To date, several studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the mortality risk faced by living kidney donors and controls. Our study assessed the methodological quality of previous studies and performed an updated meta-analysis of the mortality risk.

Methods: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted involving the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases through September 2020.

Desupersaturation of RO concentrate and gypsum removal via seeded precipitation in a fluidized bed crystallizer.

The feasibility of a continuous chemically-enhanced seeded precipitation (CCESP) process was evaluated for desupersaturation of primary reverse osmosis (PRO) concentrate generated from RO desalting of inland agricultural drainage (AD) water with high gypsum scaling potential. The CCESP approach, comprised of partial lime treatment (PLT) followed by gypsum seeded precipitation (GSP), was assessed via laboratory and field tests, along with model simulations. PLT effectiveness was confirmed for residual antiscalant removal from the PRO concentrate, which otherwise would suppress gypsum crystallization.

What surgeons should know about emergency operation for COVID-19 confirmed patients: A case report.

Introduction: This case is shared to reiterate and confirm the principles of ensuring the safety of the surgical team caring for COVID-19-confirmed patients, thus, preventing the spread of infection within the hospital.

Case Presentation: A 54-year-old male, COVID-19-confirmed patient complaining of abdominal pain since two days prior was transferred to our hospital. Perforated appendicitis with a periappendiceal abscess was diagnosed by computed tomography.

On the feasibility of small communities wellhead RO treatment for nitrate removal and salinity reduction.

The feasibility of wellhead water treatment in small communities for nitrate removal and salinity reduction via a flexible high recovery RO system was evaluated through analysis of treatment options, laboratory and onsite field tests. In small remote communities that rely on septic systems for residential wastewater treatment, discharge of the RO residual stream (containing nitrate) to the community septic tank is shown to be a feasible option. It is demonstrated that RO treatment with a system that employs partial concentrate recycle, integrated with a pressure intensifier, enabled the use of a relatively low-pressure feed pump while allowing high recovery operation.

Impact of technical innovation on surgical outcome of laparoscopic major liver resection: 10 years' experience at a large-volume center.

Purpose: Laparoscopic major liver resection (major LLR) remains a challenging procedure because of the technical difficulty. Several significant technical innovations have been applied in our center since 2012. They include routine application of bipolar electrocautery, initiation of temporary increase of intra-abdominal pressure during bleeding events from veins to balance the central venous pressure, and use of temporary inflow control of the Glissonean pedicle.

Observational Study of Clinical and Functional Progression Based on Initial Brain MRI Characteristics in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful tool to predict the diagnosis and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially for primary physicians. However, the correlation between baseline MRI findings and AD progression has not been fully established.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between hippocampal atrophy (HA) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on initial brain MRI images and the degree of cognitive decline and functional changes over 1 year.

Recurrent Guillain-Barré Syndrome Following Urinary Tract Infection by Escherichia coli.

Recurrent Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare, immune-mediated disease of the peripheral nervous system. It has been reported to occur at intervals ranging from four months to 10 years; published case studies suggest that 1%-6% of patients who have had GBS will experience recurrent attacks. The most commonly identified infections coinciding with GBS are Campylobacter jejuni, Haemophilus influenzae, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and cytomegalovirus, while an antecedent infection with Escherichia coli is very uncommon.

The correlation between preoperative volumetry and real graft weight: comparison of two volumetry programs.

Purpose: Liver volumetry is a vital component in living donor liver transplantation to determine an adequate graft volume that meets the metabolic demands of the recipient and at the same time ensures donor safety. Most institutions use preoperative contrast-enhanced CT image-based software programs to estimate graft volume. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 2 liver volumetry programs (Rapidia .

Surgical Techniques for Totally Laparoscopic Caudate Lobectomy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic caudate lobectomy.

Background: Caudate lobectomy has been considered as technically difficult because of the deep location of the caudate lobe and its proximity to great vessels. Due to the technical difficulty, laparoscopic caudate lobectomy was not feasible in patients with malignancy in the caudate lobe.

Outcome of partial reconstruction of multiple hepatic arteries in pediatric living donor liver transplantation using left liver grafts.

Partial liver grafts used in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) may have multiple hepatic artery (HA) stumps. This study was designed to validate the safety of partial reconstruction of multiple HAs in pediatric LDLT cases. From January 2000 to June 2014, 136 pediatric LDLT recipients were categorized into three groups: single HA group (Group 1, n = 74), multiple HAs with total reconstruction group (Group 2, n = 23), and multiple HAs with partial reconstruction group (Group 3, n = 39).

Effect of CaCO Nucleation Modes on Algae Removal from Alkaline Water.

The role of calcite heterogeneous nucleation was studied in a particle-coagulation treatment process for removing microalgae from water. Batch experiments were conducted with sp. and sp.

The prognosis in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy: young patients versus older patients.

Backgrounds/aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is uncommon in young adults and the prognosis of these patients is still unclear. In this retrospective study, we compared the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of young patients with HCC with those of older patients with HCC.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological characteristics of a total of 1,124 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy at our institution between 2006 and 2010.

A case of acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy following hepatitis a infection.

Acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) are recently described subtypes of Guillain-Barre syndrome characterized by acute onset of distal weakness, loss of deep tendon reflexes, and sensory symptoms. A 21-yr-old male was transferred to our hospital due to respiration difficulties and progressive weakness. In laboratory findings, immunoglobulin M antibodies against hepatitis A were detected in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Korean Red Ginseng Induced Cardioprotection against Myocardial Ischemia in Guinea Pig.

This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG) against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in isolated guinea pig heart. KRG has been shown to possess various ginsenosides, which are the major components of Panax ginseng. These components are known naturally occurring compounds with beneficial effects and free radical scavenging activity.

Historical record of metal accumulation and lead source in the southeastern coastal region of Korea.

Concentrations of heavy metals and Pb isotopes were measured in the 1-M HCl leaching fraction of core sediments spanning the last 400 years. This sedimentary record of pollution history in metal concentrations shows a good correlation with the increases in industrialization, urbanization, and energy consumption since 1901s. Notably, the Pb concentration and the (207)Pb/(206)Pb and (208)Pb/(206)Pb ratios were constant before the 1910s (16.

The effects of care management on depression treatment in a psychiatric clinic: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aims to examine whether care management has an effect on adherence to depression treatment in a psychiatric clinic in Korea.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients with depression aged 60 years or over participated in the study. They were all low-income patients screened in the community and treated in a psychiatric clinic.

Simvastatin and losartan differentially and synergistically inhibit atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein e(-/-) mice.

Background And Objectives: Since statins and angiotensin receptor blockers are a frequently prescribed combination in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, we tested the interactive effects of simvastatin and losartan on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E (apoE)(-/-) mice.

Materials And Methods: Apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet for 12 weeks, with and without simvastatin (40 mg/kg) and/or losartan (20 mg/kg). The mice were divided into 5 groups and were fed as follows: regular chow (control diet, n=5), HFHC diet (n=6), HFHC diet with losartan (n=6), HFHC diet with simvastatin (n=6), and HFHC diet with both losartan and simvastatin (n=6).

Promising therapeutics with natural bioactive compounds for improving learning and memory--a review of randomized trials.

Cognitive disorders can be associated with brain trauma, neurodegenerative disease or as a part of physiological aging. Aging in humans is generally associated with deterioration of cognitive performance and, in particular, learning and memory. Different therapeutic approaches are available to treat cognitive impairment during physiological aging and neurodegenerative or psychiatric disorders.

A case of cerebellar infarction presenting as thunderclap headache.

Thunderclap headache (TCH) refers to a sudden-onset, severe headache that features in subarachnoid hemorrhage, unruptured intracranial aneurysm, cerebral venous thrombosis, pituitary apoplexy, cervical artery dissection, and hypertensive reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy. TCH is a rare manifestation in cerebral or cerebellar infarctions. Herein, we report on a 60-year-old woman with a thunderclap headache as the first symptom of cerebellar infarction, in the absence of abnormal findings in the brain computed tomography (CT), CT angiography, and lumbar puncture.

Treatment of patients with clinically lymph node-negative squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Objective: To evaluate treatment outcome and to determine optimal treatment strategy for patients with clinically lymph node-negative (N0) oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods: Two hundred and twenty-seven patients with oral cavity SCC received radiotherapy with curative intent. We retrospectively analyzed 69 patients with clinically N0 disease.

HMCO5, herbal extract, inhibits NF-kappaB expression in lipopolysaccharide treated macrophages and reduces atherosclerotic lesions in cholesterol fed mice.

HMCO5 is a herbal extract which comprises of eight different herbs. We studied whether this extract has anti-atherosclerotic effects. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW264.