Pyramid Inter-Attention for High Dynamic Range Imaging.

This paper proposes a novel approach to high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging of dynamic scenes to eliminate ghosting artifacts in HDR images when in the presence of severe misalignment (large object or camera motion) in input low-dynamic-range (LDR) images. Recent non-flow-based methods suffer from ghosting artifacts in the presence of large object motion. Flow-based methods face the same issue since their optical flow algorithms yield huge alignment errors.

Meta-analysis and systematic review on laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) and totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) for gastric cancer: Preliminary study for a multicenter prospective KLASS07 trial.

Background: The curative surgical treatment of gastric cancer in the current laparoscopic surgical era relies on the surgeon's preference, technical difficulties, and concerns regarding outcome have led to the availability of totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) and laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG). A consensus on which of the two procedures is preferable is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between LADG and TLDG in terms of surgical outcomes, postoperative recovery, pain, and complications.

Discordance between ambulatory versus clinic blood pressure according to global cardiovascular risk group.

Background/aims: The detection of white coat hypertension (WCH), treated normalized hypertension, and masked hypertension (MH) is important to improve the effectiveness of hypertension management. However, whether global cardiovascular risk (GCR) profile has any effect on the discordance between ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and clinic blood pressure (CBP) is unknown.

Methods: Data from 1,916 subjects, taken from the Korean Multicenter Registry for ABP monitoring, were grouped according to diagnostic and therapeutic thresholds for CBP and ABP (140/90 and 135/85 mmHg, respectively).

Hypogastric Artery Transposition to Restore the Arterial Flow after Resection of the External Iliac Artery.

Tumors in the pelvic cavity frequently involve the iliac vessels. Common and external iliac arteries should be reconstructed to restore the flow to the lower extremity if the tumor directly invades these arteries. We report herein a 58-year-old female patient with a 10×11 cm, recurred uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Neuroendocrine tumor of unknown primary accompanied with stomach adenocarcinoma.

A 67 year old male at a regular checkup underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy. On performing esophagogastroduodenoscopy, a lesion about 1.2 cm depressed was noted at the gastric angle.

Infection status of freshwater crabs and crayfish with metacercariae of Paragonimus westermani in Korea.

The present study investigated the infection status of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae in freshwater crabs (n = 363) and crayfish (n = 31) from October 2007 to October 2008 using the crush method. All of the freshwater crabs, Eriocheir japonicus, were negative for P. westermani metacercariae while 10 (32.

Laparoscopic resection of an adrenal pseudocyst mimicking a retroperitoneal mucinous cystic neoplasm.

Adrenal pseudocysts are rare cystic masses that arise within the adrenal gland and are usually non-functional and asymptomatic. Adrenal pseudocysts consist of a fibrous wall without a cellular lining. We report a patient with a 9 cm, left-sided suprarenal cystic mass who presented with abdominal discomfort of 2 years' duration.

The timing of intra-coronary infusion of G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cells influences cardiac function and in-stent restenosis in patients with myocardial infarction.

We hypothesized that delaying the timing of intra-coronary infusion of G-CSF mobilized stem cell until at least 4 weeks after coronary stenting should avoid the stimulation of vascular smooth muscle cells during the early active cellular proliferative phase, thus decreases in-stent restenosis while preserving the beneficial effect of stem cell therapy on cardiac function in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). 25 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with stenting were enrolled in this pilot study. The ages of MI at the time of cell treatment were from 1 month to 59 months.

Accidental ten times overdose administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-EPO) up to 318,000 units a day in acute myocardial infarction: report of two cases.

The cytokine erythropoietin protects the heart from ischaemic injury, in part by preventing apoptosis. But appropriate dose of erythropoietin for the protection of injured heart has not been studied. While we were researching the cardiac protective effects of erythropoietin in acute myocardial infarction, we experienced two cases of accidental nearly ten times overdose administration of erythropoietin up to 318,000 units instead of 33,000 units on the second day of three scheduled days of treatment.

Swellable coatings for hearing aid applications.

The problem of acoustic feedback in hearing aids could be solved potentially by applying a compliant hydrogel to the outer surface that would conform to the ear canal and block feedback. With this objective, several formulations of hydrogels were developed and their swelling and mechanical properties investigated. Hydrogel formulations were polymerized from hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and N-vinyl-pyrrolidone (NVP), with various photo-initiators, crosslinkers, and swelling agents.

Engineered recombinant enteropeptidase catalytic subunit: effect of N-terminal modification.

Enteropeptidase (enterokinase) is a serine protease highly specific for recognition and cleavage of the target sequence of Asp-Asp-Asp-Asp-Lys (D4K). The three-dimensional structure of the enteropeptidase shows that the N-terminal amino acid is buried inside the protein providing molecular interactions necessary to maintain the conformation of the active site. To determine the influence of the N-terminal amino acid of enteropeptidase light chain (EK(L)) on the enzymatic activity, we constructed various mutants including 17 different single amino acid substitutions and three different extensions at the N-terminal end.