Dosimetric benefits of hemigland stereotactic body radiotherapy for prostate cancer: implications for focal therapy.

Objective: Compared with standard, whole-gland (WG) therapies for prostate cancer, focal approaches may provide equivalent oncologic outcomes with fewer adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to compare organ-at-risk (OAR) dosimetry between hemigland (HG) and WG stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) plans.

Methods: Volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy-based SBRT plans were designed to treat the left HG, right HG and WG in eight patients, using five fractions of 8 Gy.

Targeting Mutant BRAF in Relapsed or Refractory Hairy-Cell Leukemia.

Background: BRAF V600E is the genetic lesion underlying hairy-cell leukemia. We assessed the safety and activity of the oral BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib in patients with hairy-cell leukemia that had relapsed after treatment with a purine analogue or who had disease that was refractory to purine analogues.

Methods: We conducted two phase 2, single-group, multicenter studies of vemurafenib (at a dose of 960 mg twice daily)--one in Italy and one in the United States.

Hypervascular solid-appearing serous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: Differential diagnosis with neuroendocrine tumours.

Purpose: To describe imaging findings of arterial hypervascular solid-appearing serous cystic neoplasms (SCNs) of the pancreas on CT and MR and determine imaging features differentiating them from neuroendocrine tumours (NETs).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively identified 15 arterial hypervascular solid-appearing SCNs and randomly chose 30 size-matched pancreatic NETs. On CT, two radiologists in consensus assessed the size, morphology, and CT attenuation.

Early cognitive function tests predict early progression in glioblastoma.

Background: Early progression of glioblastoma prevents patients from completing the standard chemoradiation protocol. Given that cognitive function is associated with prognosis in glioblastoma, we investigated the usefulness of preoperative cognitive function tests for predicting the early progression of glioblastoma.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent glioma surgery were preoperatively evaluated with cognitive function tests including the Mini Mental State Examination, digit span tests, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, the Trail Making Tests (TMT, parts A, B, and C), and the Stroop test.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Cell-Free Fetal RNA from Amniotic Fluid and RNA from Amniocytes in Uncomplicated Pregnancies.

Objectives: We aimed to compare tissue-specific expression profiles and biological pathways of RNA from amniocytes and amniotic fluid supernatant (AFS) from second-trimester pregnancies by using transcriptome analysis. Additionally, we wanted to explore whether cell-free RNA from AFS exhibits a unique gene expression signature that more adequately reflects the fetal developmental process than amniocyte RNA.

Methods: Amniotic fluid samples were prospectively collected in the second trimester of pregnancy from euploid fetuses.

Echocardiographic Findings Predict In-Hospital and 1-Year Mortality in Left-Sided Native Valve Staphylococcus aureus Endocarditis: Analysis From the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Echo Cohort Study.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus left-sided native valve infective endocarditis (LNVIE) has higher complication and mortality rates compared with endocarditis from other pathogens. Whether echocardiographic variables can predict prognosis in S aureus LNVIE is unknown.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients with LNVIE, enrolled between January 2000 and September 2006, in the International Collaboration on Endocarditis were identified.

Mechanical Complication Rates and Optimal Horizontal Distance of the Most Distally Positioned Implant-Supported Single Crowns in the Posterior Region: A Study with a Mean Follow-Up of 3 Years.

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the 3-year mechanical complication rates of the most distally positioned implant-supported single crowns (ISSCs) in the posterior region, and how these complication rates are affected by several clinical factors (i.e., gender, mean age, horizontal distance [HD], position in the jaw, placement location, duration of functional loading, clinical crown-to-implant length ratio [C/I ratio], and crown height space of the implant).

E2F8 as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Lung Cancer.

Background: The E2F members have been divided into transcription activators (E2F1-E2F3) and repressors (E2F4-E2F8). E2F8 with E2F7 has been known to play an important physiologic role in embryonic development and cell cycle regulation by repressing E2F1. However, the function of E2F8 in cancer cells is unknown.

Supination external rotation ankle fractures: A simpler pattern with better outcomes.

Background: Rotational injuries are the most common and usually classified as per the Lauge Hansen classification; with the most common subgroup being the supination external rotation (SER) mechanism. Isolated fractures of the distal fibula (SE2) without associated ligamentous injury are usually treated with a splint or brace and the patient may be allowed to weight bear as tolerated. This study reports the functional outcomes following a stable, low energy, rotational ankle fracture supination external rotation (SER2) when compared to unstable SER4 fractures treated operatively.

Prevalence and risk factors of chronic otitis media: the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2012.

Background: The performance of nationwide studies of chronic otitis media (COM) in adults has been insufficient in Korea. We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of COM in Korea.

Methods: This study was conducted using data from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 23,621).

Green tea catechin inhibits the activity and neutrophil release of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9.

Green tea (; lǜ chá) extracts have been shown to possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in various cell types. Green tea extract (GTX) has been shown to significantly inhibit the activity of collagenase-3 (matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13)) . MMPs, such as MMP-9, are known to be involved in many inflammatory diseases including periodontal disease.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine the correlation of clinicopathological factors and the up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: Immunohistochemical staining of VEGF and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of VEGF mRNA were performed in 20 specimens from 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and another 20 specimens from 20 patients with carcinoma in situ as a controlled group.

Results: The results were as follows: 1) In immunohistochemical study of poorly differentiated and invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma, high-level staining of VEGF was observed.

Cortical superficial siderosis: a marker of vascular amyloid in patients with cognitive impairment.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and associations of cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) utilizing MRI markers of cerebral small vessel disease and amyloid burden assessed through in vivo amyloid imaging in a cognitively impaired population.

Methods: Gradient-recalled echo, T2*-weighted MRIs from 232 patients (Alzheimer disease-related cognitive impairment [ADCI], n = 90; subcortical vascular cognitive impairment [SVCI], n = 142) were reviewed for cSS. All subjects underwent in vivo amyloid imaging using [(11)C] Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET.

Inhibitory effect of piperine on Helicobacter pylori growth and adhesion to gastric adenocarcinoma cells.

Background: Piperine is a compound comprising 5-9% of black pepper (Piper nigrum), which has a variety of biological roles related to anticancer activities. Helicobacter pylori has been classified as a gastric carcinogen, because it causes gastritis and gastric cancer by injecting the virulent toxin CagA and translocating VacA. The present study investigated the inhibitory action of piperine on H.

Disruption of the Posterior Medial Network during the Acute Stage of Transient Global Amnesia: A Preliminary Study.

Acute perturbation of the corticohippocampal circuitry is a primary pathophysiological mechanism underlying transient global amnesia (TGA). With regard to memory, 2 distinct corticohippocampal circuitries potentially exist: the anterior temporal network and the posterior medial network. We used electroencephalography (EEG) spectral analysis to determine which network is disrupted during the acute stage of TGA.

IDEAL 3D spoiled gradient echo of the articular cartilage of the knee on 3.0 T MRI: a comparison with conventional 3.0 T fast spin-echo T2 fat saturation image.

Background: Many two-dimensional (2D) morphologic cartilage imaging sequences have disadvantages such as long acquisition time, inadequate spatial resolution, suboptimal tissue contrast, and image degradation secondary to artifacts. IDEAL imaging can overcome these disadvantages.

Purpose: To compare sound-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and quality of two different methods of imaging that include IDEAL 3D SPGR and 3.

The cell wall-targeted purple acid phosphatase AtPAP25 is critical for acclimation of Arabidopsis thaliana to nutritional phosphorus deprivation.

Plant purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) belong to a relatively large gene family whose individual functions are poorly understood. Three PAP isozymes that are up-regulated in the cell walls of phosphate (Pi)-starved (-Pi) Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells were purified and identified by MS as AtPAP12 (At2g27190), AtPAP25 (At4g36350) and AtPAP26 (At5g34850). AtPAP12 and AtPAP26 were previously isolated from the culture medium of -Pi cell cultures, and shown to be secreted by roots of Arabidopsis seedlings to facilitate Pi scavenging from soil-localized organophosphates.

Glioma: application of whole-tumor texture analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging for the evaluation of tumor heterogeneity.

Background And Purpose: To apply a texture analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps to evaluate glioma heterogeneity, which was correlated with tumor grade.

Materials And Methods: Forty patients with glioma (WHO grade II (n = 8), grade III (n = 10) and grade IV (n = 22)) underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and the corresponding ADC maps were obtained. Regions of interest containing the lesions were drawn on every section of the ADC map containing the tumor, and volume-based data of the entire tumor were constructed.

Evaluation of the microenvironmental heterogeneity in high-grade gliomas with IDH1/2 gene mutation using histogram analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic-susceptibility contrast perfusion imaging.

The purpose of our study was to explore the difference between isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-1/2 gene mutation-positive and -negative high-grade gliomas (HGGs) using histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and normalized cerebral blood volume (nCBV) maps. We enrolled 52 patients with histopathologically confirmed HGGs with IDH1/2 (P) (n = 16) or IDH1/2 (N) (n = 36). Histogram parameters of ADC and nCBV maps were correlated with gene mutations by using the unpaired student's t test and multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis.

Laparoscopic reconstructive surgery is superior to vaginal reconstruction in the pelvic organ prolapse.

Background: Our purpose was to provide the clinical advantages of the laparoscopic approach compare to the vaginal approach in correcting uterine and vaginal vault prolapse.

Methods: Between June 2007 and June 2011, 174 women were admitted to HUMC (Hallym University Medical Center) and underwent pelvic reconstructive surgery for prolapsed vaginal vault and uterus. Upon retrospective review of the medical records, 174 of the patients who had symptoms of pelvic organ prolapsed and Baden-Walker prolapse grade ≥ 2 were selected and divided into two groups as follows: vaginal approach group (n=120) and laparoscopic approach group (n=54).

Process development for recovery of vanadium and nickel from an industrial solid waste by a leaching-solvent extraction technique.

A process for recovering V(V) and Ni(II) from an industrial solid waste using sulfuric acid leaching, solvent extraction, precipitation and crystallization has been developed. The leaching parameters investigated were time, temperature and H2SO4 concentration. To quantify the linear and interaction coefficients a 2(3) full factorial experimental design was used.

Helicobacter pylori eradication with moxifloxacin-containing therapy following failed first-line therapies in South Korea.

Aim: To investigate moxifloxacin-containing triple therapy as second-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection following failed first-line treatment.

Methods: The sample included 312 patients for whom first-line treatment failed between January 2008 and May 2013; 27 patients were excluded, and a total of 285 patients received 7- or 14-d moxifloxacin-containing triple therapy as second-line treatment for H.

Arterial stiffness and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: Arterial stiffness is a common change associated with aging and can be evaluated by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV) between sites in the arterial tree, with the stiffer artery having the higher PWV. Arterial stiffness is associated with the risk of stroke in the general population and of fatal stroke in hypertensive patients. This study is to clarify whether PWV value predicts functional outcome of acute ischemic stroke.

Predicting risk of postoperative lung injury in high-risk surgical patients: a multicenter cohort study.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains a serious postoperative complication. Although ARDS prevention is a priority, the inability to identify patients at risk for ARDS remains a barrier to progress. The authors tested and refined the previously reported surgical lung injury prediction (SLIP) model in a multicenter cohort of at-risk surgical patients.