Antigenicity evaluation of lac color and exploratory study for identifying potential biomarkers of anaphylaxis.

Background: Lac color, a natural red dye derived from the larvae of laccifer lacca kerr, is one of the most commonly used substances in food. To date, no studies have reported on the antigenicity of lac color and the other biomarkers that can determine anaphylactic reactions. To address this, we evaluated the antigenicity of lac color through active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) in addition to identifying potential biomarkers performing exploratory studies.

Local Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: 2024 Expert Consensus-Based Practical Recommendations of the Korean Liver Cancer Association.

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma, a non-surgical option that directly targets and destroys tumor cells, has advanced significantly since the 1990s. Therapies with different energy sources, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, employ different mechanisms to induce tumor necrosis. The precision, safety, and effectiveness of these therapies have increased with advances in guiding technologies and device improvements.

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: 2024 expert consensus-based practical recommendation of the Korean Liver Cancer Association.

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a non-surgical option that directly targets and destroys tumor cells, has advanced significantly since the 1990s. Therapies with different energy sources, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, employ different mechanisms to induce tumor necrosis. The precision, safety, and effectiveness of these therapies have increased with advances in guiding technologies and device improvements.

Local Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: 2024 Expert Consensus-Based Practical Recommendations of the Korean Liver Cancer Association.

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a non-surgical option that directly targets and destroys tumor cells, has advanced significantly since the 1990s. Therapies with different energy sources, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, employ different mechanisms to induce tumor necrosis. The precision, safety, and effectiveness of these therapies have increased with advances in guiding technologies and device improvements.

Can "no-touch" radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma improve local tumor control? Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but local tumor progression (LTP) has been a main limitation of RFA. This study aims to evaluate the LTP of percutaneous no-touch RFA (NtRFA) for HCC ≤ 5 cm and compare with conventional RFA (intratumoral puncture) through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies on percutaneous NtRFA for HCC ≤ 5 cm.

Distribution Pattern of Atherosclerosis in the Abdomen and Lower Extremities and Its Association with Clinical and Hematological Factors.

Purpose: Abdominal arteries differ from the arteries located at the extremities in histological composition and clinical features. This study investigated the distributional pattern of atherosclerosis in arteries of the abdomen and lower extremities and its association with clinical and hematologic factors.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study included 227 patients with atherosclerosis who underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the abdomen and lower extremities.

Non-strangulated adhesive small bowel obstruction: CT findings predicting outcome of conservative treatment.

Objectives: To clarify CT findings that predict outcome of conservative treatment in patients with non-strangulated adhesive small bowel obstruction (SBO).

Methods: Unenhanced and contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT studies in 189 patients with adhesive SBO who had initial conservative treatment were reviewed. The CT findings included transition zone, beak signs, maximum bowel diameter, bowel diameter ratio, decreased bowel wall enhancement, increased unenhanced bowel wall attenuation, anterior parietal adhesion, bowel wall thickening, closed-loop obstruction, small bowel feces sign, whirl sign, mesenteric haziness, mesenteric, peritoneal fluid, and submucosal edema.

Intraobserver and interobserver reliability in sonographic size measurements of gallbladder polyps.

Objectives: To evaluate the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of gallbladder polyp measurements using transabdominal US and the factors that affect reliability.

Methods: From November 2017 to February 2018, two radiologists measured the maximum diameter of 91 gallbladder polyps using transabdominal US. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement were determined using 95% Bland-Altman limits of agreement and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Canine pyoderma gangrenosum with recurring skin lesions of unknown origin and splenic involvement.

Background: Reports of canine pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) are uncommon in the veterinary literature. Rarer still are cases describing dogs with both skin lesions and internal organ involvement.

Objective: To describe a case of canine PG with skin and internal organ involvement.

Preclinical study of safety of Dendropanax morbifera Leveille leaf extract: General and genetic toxicology.

Ethnopharmacology Relevance: Dendropanax morbifera Leveille (DM) has been used in traditional medicines for infectious and skin diseases, and dysmenorrhea. It exhibits a diverse therapeutic potential including anti-cancer, anti-thrombotic, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Aim Of The Study: Despite promising health benefits of DM, knowledge of its potential adverse effects is very limited.

In vitro and in vivo safety studies of cinnamon extract (Cinnamomum cassia) on general and genetic toxicology.

Cinnamomum cassia has been widely used as a natural product to treat diseases in Asia due to its diverse pharmacological functions including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and anti-tumor effects. Despite its ethnomedicinal benefits, little information regarding its toxicity is currently available. The aim of this study was to evaluate its potential long-term toxicity and genotoxicity in compliance with test guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Enzymatic extract from Ecklonia cava: Acute and subchronic oral toxicity and genotoxicity studies.

Ecklonia cava (EC) is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties. Despite its wide use and beneficial properties, comprehensive toxicological information regarding EC extract is currently limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate acute toxicity, subchronic toxicity, and genotoxicity of enzymatic EC extract according to test guidelines published by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Absence of subchronic oral toxicity and genotoxicity of rice koji with Aspergillus terreus.

Koji products have been considered as an effective fermented food consumed in East Asia with many health benefits. Particularly, rice koji with Aspergillus terreus (RAT) has been reported to be able to prevent hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis through regulating cholesterol synthesis. Despite its biological activities, there is a lack of comprehensive information to give an assurance of its safety.

A comprehensive study on in vitro and in vivo toxicological evaluation of Artemisia capillaris.

Artemisia capillaris (AC) has been used as an alternative therapy in obesity, atopic dermatitis, and liver diseases through several biological activity including anti-steatotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Despite its ethnomedicinal benefits, no sufficient background information is available about the long-term safety and genotoxicity of the AC extract. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate the 13-week subchronic toxicity and genotoxicity of the AC extract according to the test guidelines published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Comparison of T2-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging for evaluating perianal fistulas.

Purpose: To compare the lesion conspicuity and diagnostic performance of three imaging data sets (T2WI, combined T2WI and DWI [combined DWI], contrast-enhanced (CE)-T1WI) in assessing perianal fistulas.

Methods: Two radiologists with 7 and 15years of experience assessed 28 fistulas from 24 patients in each image set.

Results: The lesion conspicuity was improved for only one reader after reading the combined DWI (P=0.

Who are happy survivors? Physical, psychosocial, and spiritual factors associated with happiness of breast cancer survivors during the transition from cancer patient to survivor.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate physical, psychosocial, and spiritual factors associated with happiness in breast cancer survivors during the reentry period.

Methods: It is a cross-sectional study with 283 nonmetastatic breast cancer survivors who completed treatment within 1 year. We included survivors who completed questionnaires on happiness and health-related quality of life (QoL) 2 years after cancer diagnosis.

Comparison of Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction, Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction, and Filtered Back Projection for Detecting Hepatic Metastases on Submillisievert Low-Dose Computed Tomography.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic performance of model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR), and filtered back projection (FBP) on submillisievert low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for detecting hepatic metastases.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients having hepatic metastases underwent abdomen CT. Computed tomography protocol consisted of routine standard-dose portal venous phase scan (120 kVp) and 90-second delayed low-dose scan (80 kVp).

Exploration and comparison of in vitro eye irritation tests with the ISO standard in vivo rabbit test for the evaluation of the ocular irritancy of contact lenses.

In an effort to explore the use of alternative methods to animal testing for the evaluation of the ocular irritancy of medical devices, we evaluated representative contact lenses with the bovine corneal opacity and permeability test (BCOP) and an in vitro eye irritation test using the three-dimensionally-reconstructed human corneal epithelium (RhCE) models, EpiOcular™ and MCTT HCE™. In addition, we compared the obtained results with the ISO standard in vivo rabbit eye irritation test (ISO10993-10). Along with the positive controls (benzalkonium chloride, BAK, 0.

(NHC)Cu-Catalyzed Mild C-H Amidation of (Hetero)arenes with Deprotectable Carbamates: Scope and Mechanistic Studies.

Primary arylamines are an important unit broadly found in synthetic, biological, and materials science. Herein we describe the development of a (NHC)Cu system that mediates a direct C-H amidation of (hetero)arenes by using N-chlorocarbamates or their sodio derivatives as the practical amino sources. A facile stoichiometric reaction of reactive copper-aryl intermediates with the amidating reagent led us to isolate key copper arylcarbamate species with the formation of a C-N bond.

Role of Real-Time Elastography in the Evaluation of Cervical Lymph Nodes in Patients with Kikuchi Disease.

The purpose of this study was to compare the use of conventional ultrasound (US) and real-time elastography (RTE) in Kikuchi disease (KD, n = 48) and malignant cervical lymphadenopathy (n = 100) and to evaluate the role of RTE in patients suspected of having KD. In univariate analysis, conventional US revealed each benign feature more frequently in KD than in malignant lymphadenopathy (p < 0.05).

Clinical implications of ultrasound artifacts in the cervicofacial area following injection of permanent facial fillers.

Purpose: To evaluate ultrasound (US) findings in the cervicofacial area following injection of permanent facial fillers during a long-term follow-up period.

Methods: Fifty-seven consecutive patients with a history of previous facial filler injection were enrolled at a single institution between 2010 and 2014. All patients were female, and the mean age of the patients was 60.

Added value of morphologic characteristics on diffusion-weighted images for characterizing lymph nodes in primary rectal cancer.

To evaluate the added value of the morphologic features of lymph nodes (LNs) on diffusion-weighted images (DWI), an interval reading was performed for the T2-weighted images (T2WI) and the combined image set (T2WI and DWI) using extracted imaging characteristics from 54 metastatic and 172 benign LNs in 44 patients with primary rectal cancer. The specificity and accuracy increased after adding DWI to T2WI for both readers (specificity: from 59% to 73% and from 41% to 68% for readers 1 and 2, respectively; accuracy: from 58% to 68% and from 44% to 64% for readers 1 and 2, respectively, P<.0001).

Gray-scale and color Doppler sonographic features of complex fibroadenomas of the breast.

Purpose: To investigate gray-scale and color Doppler sonographic (US) features of complex fibroadenoma (FA), according to the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon.

Methods: From 2010 through 2013, 586 women with FAs were seen; 101 (17%) of those lesions were diagnosed as complex FAs on percutaneous needle biopsy or surgery. Among the patients with complex FAs, 67 who had US examination results available were included in this study.

Pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo safety evaluation of Cimicifuga heracleifolia.

The rhizomes of Cimicifuga species, including Cimicifuga heracleifolia (CH), have been widely used as antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory agents in oriental countries. However, information regarding its toxicity, especially long-term toxicity and genotoxicity, is limited. Therefore, we performed the subchronic toxicity and genotoxicity assays of the CH extract in accordance with the test guidelines published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Diffusion-weighted imaging for evaluating lymph node eradication after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Background: As lymph node (LN) eradication is the prerequisite for clinical surveillance or local excision for patients who have achieved a complete response after preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT), the radiological evaluation of LN eradication is important.

Purpose: To evaluate the added value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the evaluation of LN eradication after CRT in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Material And Methods: Ninety-five consecutive patients (64 men, 31 women; mean age, 59 years; range, 32-82 years) who underwent pre- and post-CRT 1.