CD14+ monocytes and soluble CD14 of synovial fluid are associated with osteoarthritis progression.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the role of cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) expressed monocytes and soluble CD14-mediated pathway in the synovial inflammation of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Patients And Methods: Between May 2012 and July 2013, a total of 35 patients with knee OA (9 males, 26 females; mean age: 66.3±8.

Approaches for estimating the clinical starting dose of new dosage forms: An example of a long-acting injectable formulation of finasteride.

In our previous study, a long-acting injectable (LAI) formulation of finasteride was prepared as a new dosage form of PROPECIA®, and in vivo pharmacokinetics (PKs)-pharmacodynamics (PDs) was evaluated in beagle dogs. The resulting PK-PD profiles of the formulation showed pharmacological effects and achievability for monthly delivery. In this study, a first-in-human (FIH) dose of the LAI formulation loaded with finasteride was predicted.

The importance of compression time in stapled hemorrhoidopexy: is patience a virtue?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether longer compression time before firing the stapler reduced the postoperative complications related to staple line formation in stapled hemorrhoidopexy.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted at a colorectal-anal specialty hospital. Consecutive patients with grades III and IV hemorrhoids who underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy between January 2016 and November 2019 were included.

Sensory neuronopathy in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1: A case report.

Rationale: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) can manifest with various neurological symptoms. However, sensory ataxia has not been reported.

Patient Concerns: A 44-year-old man with NF-1 presented with several weeks of unsteady gait.

Korea's Response to COVID-19 According to Set Time Frames, With a Focus on the Network Between the Government and Responding Agencies: Social Network Analysis.

Background: In December 2019, COVID-19 was first confirmed in Wuhan, China, and as the respiratory disease spread around the globe, there was a spike in interest worldwide in combating such contagious diseases. When such disasters occur, the central government of South Korea and its affiliated local governments-together with nongovernmental organizations-play a crucial role in crisis management systems.

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to corroborate the characteristics government ministries and domestic and foreign institutions exhibit through their interconnection when the parties are undergoing a disease-related catastrophe such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Enhancement of the optical properties of CsPbBr perovskite nanocrystals using three different solvents.

Green-emitting perovskite nanocrystals were synthesized by the modified hot-injection method using three different solvents. The produced nanocrystals showed a narrow green emission band centered at 515-520 nm with full width at half-maximum (FWHM) values of approximately 18-20 nm. The highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) was obtained for the nanocrystal sample synthesized using a paraffin liquid solvent, with a value of 70.

Standardized Method of the Thiersch Operation for the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence.

Background: Conventionally, the Thiersch operation has typically involved blind positioning of the sling, and sling tension is subjectively based on a rule-of-thumb estimate. The aim of this study was to describe standardized methods for performing the Thiersch operation.

Methods: Seventeen patients with fecal incontinence underwent the calibrated method of the Thiersch procedure.

High ligation of the anal fistula tract by lateral approach: A prospective cohort study on a modification of the ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) technique.

Background: Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) is a sphincter-preserving operation for anal fistulas. Although it has advantages in preserving continence after surgery, it is difficult to perform owing to the narrow field of view. We performed a modified surgical procedure based on the LIFT to overcome these drawbacks.

Biocompatible astaxanthin as novel contrast agent for biomedical imaging.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is a hybrid imaging modality with high resolution and sensitivity that can be beneficial for cancer staging. Due to insufficient endogenous photoacoustic (PA) contrast, the development of exogenous agents is critical in targeting cancerous tumors. The current study demonstrates the feasibility of marine-oriented material, astaxanthin, as a biocompatible PA contrast agent.

Feasibility of photoacoustic evaluations on dual-thermal treatment of ex vivo bladder tumors.

A variety of thermal therapeutic methods have been investigated to treat bladder tumors but often cause bowel injury and bladder wall perforation due to high treatment dosage and limited clinical margins. The objective of the current study is to develop a dual-thermal modality to deeply coagulate the bladder tumors at low thermal dosage and to evaluate therapeutic outcomes with high contrast photoacoustic imaging (PAI). High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is combined with 532 nm laser light to enhance therapeutic depth during thermal treatments on artificial tumor-injected bladder tissue ex vivo.

Cell viability, adhesion and function of RAW 264.7 macrophages on fluorinated xerogel-derived nitric oxide permeable membrane for the application of cellular sensing.

Organically modified xerogels have an advantage over gas sensing applications due to their open, rigid structure and hydrophobicity. Here we evaluated the biocompatibility of xerogel-derived nitric oxide (NO) permeable membranes modified with fluorinated functional groups for application in cellular sensing by growing RAW 264.7 macrophages on them.

Comparison of skin incisions used for open lateral internal sphincterotomies--radial versus circumferential incisions: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) is a safe and effective surgical treatment, commonly used in patients with chronic anal fissures (CAFs). Although LIS is a simple surgical technique, it may cause several complications. Open LIS is usually performed through an incision made in the intersphincteric groove; radial or circumferential incisions, used according to the surgeon's preference.

18F-FDG PET/CT in anti-LGI1 encephalitis: initial and follow-up findings.

Anti-LGI1 encephalitis is a subgroup of autoimmune encephalitis, characterized by memory impairments, seizures, and behavioral problems. The diagnosis can be made by clinical manifestation with a help of serum autoantibody test. There was lack of imaging studies to evaluate and monitor the disease activity by anatomical and functional information.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided implantation of drug-eluting stents to improve outcome: a meta-analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to systematically review and perform a meta-analysis of randomized trials and observational studies of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided versus angiography-guided implantation of drug-eluting stents (DES).

Background: Although studies in the bare-metal stents era suggested that there were clinical benefits to IVUS guidance, it is still controversial whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with DES guided by IVUS leads to better clinical outcomes.

Methods: Relevant studies published through March 31, 2013, were searched for and identified in the electronic databases.

The use of a staged drainage seton for the treatment of anal fistulae or fistulous abscesses.

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the rate of recurrence and incontinence after the treatment of fistulae or fistulous abscesses by using the staged drainage seton method.

Methods: According to the condition, a drainage seton alone or a drainage seton combined with internal opening (IO) closure and relocation of the seton was used. After a period of time, the seton was changed with 3-0 nylon; then, after another period of time, the authors terminated the treatment by removing the 3-0 nylon.

Surgical removal of endovascular stent after migration to the right ventricle following right subclavian vein deployment for treatment of central venous stenosis.

Central venous stenosis or occlusion occurs in 11-50% of hemodialysis patients with prior subclavian vein cannulation and ipsilateral fistula or shunt. Most patients are asymptomatic but some require treatment to reduce the risk of thrombosis and improve inadequate hemodialysis pressure. In these cases, endovascular intervention, including ballooning and stenting, is a feasible strategy for selected patents.

Is There Any Relationship between the Chronicity of Chronic Anal Fissure and Endothelin-1?

Purpose: Many kinds of substances are produced on vascular endothelial activation. The aim of this study is to confirm an increase in Endothelin-1 (ET-1), the most potent vasoconstrictor, which is produced by endothelial activation, in patients with chronic anal fissure and to infer the relationship between ET-1 and anal fissure chronicity.

Methods: The study groups are divided into three different groups with 30 subjects each.

Robot-assisted gastrectomy with lymph node dissection for gastric cancer: lessons learned from an initial 100 consecutive procedures.

Objective: To evaluate the technical feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of robot-assisted gastrectomy (RAG) with lymphadenectomy, using the da Vinci system through analyses of our initial series of 100 consecutive patients.

Summary Background Data: The application of robotic surgery was proven to be one of the best cutting-edge technologies for successful minimally invasive surgery by providing solutions to the many drawbacks of laparoscopic surgery, yet few reports have studied robotic surgery in gastric cancer.

Methods: A review of a prospectively designed database at our institute from July 2005 to October 2007 revealed a series of 100 consecutive RAG patients with a preoperative diagnosis of early gastric cancer.

Role of robotic gastrectomy using da Vinci system compared with laparoscopic gastrectomy: initial experience of 20 consecutive cases.

Background: Robotic surgery was invented to overcome the demerits of laparoscopic surgery. However, the role of robotic surgery in gastrectomy has rarely been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the use of robot-assisted distal subtotal gastrectomy to facilitate surgical training for gastric cancer.