Summary
Background
Sarcopenia is significantly associated with the degree of liver fibrosis. This study investigated the influence of sarcopenia on liver fibrosis in individuals with chronic ...hepatitis B.
Methods
Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2008‐2011 were analysed. The sarcopenia index (total appendicular skeletal muscle mass kg/body mass index kg/m2) was calculated using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia was defined as the lowest quintile sarcopenia index value (cut‐offs: 0.89 for men and 0.58 for women). The fibrotic burden was assessed using the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score and fibrosis‐4 index. Significant fibrosis was defined as the highest nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score quartile and a fibrosis‐4 index ≥2.67.
Results
Among the 506 respondents with chronic hepatitis B (258 men and 248 women), the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score and fibrosis‐4 index identified sarcopenia and significant fibrosis in 126 (24.9%) and 217 (42.9%), respectively. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with significant fibrosis, regardless of the fibrosis prediction model used (all P < 0.05). When the study population was stratified according to metabolic factors, sarcopenia was specifically associated with an increased risk of significant fibrosis among subgroups with obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and liver steatosis (odds ratio 2.37‐3.57; all P < 0.05). An independent association between sarcopenia and significant fibrosis was identified after adjusting for other confounders (odds ratio 2.67‐3.62 by the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score and 2.04‐2.62 by the fibrosis‐4 index; all P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Sarcopenia is associated with significant fibrosis in subjects with chronic hepatitis B, specifically those with obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and liver steatosis.
Linked ContentThis article is linked to Mudaliar and Liu paper. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14894.
Abstract Background De novo malignancy is not uncommon after liver transplantation (LT). Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies in both the Korean general population and LT recipients, ...and colorectal cancer prevalence is gradually increasing. Methods Among 3690 adult recipients who underwent LT from January 1999 and December 2013, the screening patterns and prognosis of 26 cases of gastric cancer and 22 cases of colorectal cancer were analyzed. Results For gastric cancer, the mean patient age was 54.6 ± 6.2 years at LT and 59.5 ± 6.7 years at cancer diagnosis, with a post-transplant interval of 60.2 ± 29.8 months. Patients were divided into regular (n = 18) and non-regular (n = 8) screening groups, with early cancer found in 14 and 0 patients; their 2-year survival rates after cancer diagnosis were 93.1% and 33.3% ( P = .006), respectively. Endoscopic resection was successfully performed in 8 patients, all in the regular screening group. For colorectal cancer, the mean patient age was 53.3 ± 6.1 years at LT and 58.1 ± 6.7 years at cancer diagnosis, with a post-transplant interval of 54.3 ± 38.0 months. Patients were divided into regular (n = 19) and non-regular (n = 3) screening groups, with early cancer found in 12 and 0 patients; their 2-year survival rates after cancer diagnosis of 92.3% and 33.3% ( P = .003), respectively. Endoscopic resection was successfully performed in 6 patients, all in the regular screening group. Conclusions LT recipients are strongly advised to undergo regular screening studies for various de novo malignancies, especially cancers common in the general population. Regular endoscopic screening contributes to the timely detection of gastric and colorectal cancers, improving post-treatment survival outcomes.
We present a measurement of the branching fraction and the longitudinal polarization fraction of B0->p+p- decays, as well as the time-dependent CP violating parameters in decays into longitudinally ...polarized p+p- pairs with Belle's final data set of 772x106 BB pairs, at the Y(4S) resonance, collected at the asymmetric-energy e+e- collider KEKB.
In this study we have made a forecast evaluation of geoeffective coronal mass ejections (CMEs) by using frontside halo CMEs and the magnetospheric ring current index, Dst. This is the first time, to ...our knowledge, that an attempt has been made to construct contingency tables depending on the geoeffectiveness criteria as well as to estimate the probability of CME geoeffectiveness depending on CME location and/or speed. For this, we consider 7742 CMEs observed by SOHO/LASCO and select 305 frontside halo CMEs with their locational information from 1997 to 2003 using SOHO/EIT images and GOES data. To select CME‐geomagnetic storm (Dst < −50 nT) pairs, we adopt a CME propagation model for estimating the arrival time of each CME at the Earth and then choose the nearest Dst minimum value within the window of ±24 hours. For forecast evaluation, we present contingency tables to estimate statistical parameters such as probability of detection yes (PODy) and false alarm ratio (FAR). We examine the probabilities of CME geoeffectiveness according to their locations, speeds, and their combination. From these studies, we find that (1) the total probability of geoeffectiveness for frontside halo CMEs is 40% (121/305); (2) PODys for the location (L < ∣50°∣) and the speed (>400 km s−1) are estimated to be larger than 80% but their FARs are about 60%; (3) the most probable areas (or coverage combinations) whose geoeffectiveness fraction is larger than the mean probability (∼40%), are 0° < L < +30° for slower speed CMEs (≤800 km s−1), and −30° < L < +60° for faster CMEs (>800 km s−1); (4) when the most probable area is adopted as the new criteria, the PODy becomes slightly lower, but all other statistical parameters such as FAR and bias are significantly improved. Our results can give us some criteria to select geoeffective CMEs with the probability of geoeffectiveness depending on the location, speed, and their combination.
3D printing products are progressively being utilized in the dental field and for achieving suitable mechanical properties. The post-curing process is essential after fabricating a restoration using ...3D printed resin. This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of a handheld multiwavelength light-emitting diode (LED) dental light-curing unit (LCU) for post-curing of 3D printed resin by measuring the microhardness and biaxial strength of the post-cured resin.
1-mm and 2-mm thick resin discs (n=6, each) were 3D printed using a DLP printer (Zenith L2; Dentis). After rinsing with ethyl alcohol, the discs were further post-cured by a dental LCU (VALO; Ultradent) for 3seconds per cycle at 3,200mW/cm2. Post-curing was repeated either on one side from the top surface: 2 cycles (V2S), 4 cycles (V4S), 8 cycles (V8S); or on both sides from the top and bottom surface: 1 cycle (V1D), 2 cycles (V2D), 4 cycles (V4D) for each side. Afterwards, microhardness and biaxial strengths of the discs were compared to those post-cured by conventional desktop curing units (Cure Box; ODS DCB and Zenith Cure; Dentis DZC) (n=6, each) and those without post-curing (NC) (n=6). Data were analyzed using One-way ANOVA, Tukey HSD Test for multiple comparisons, and independent t-test to compare the values between the 1-mm-thick and 2-mm-thick discs (α=0.05).
Microhardness of the discs varied between the 1-mm and 2-mm-thick discs and between the top and bottom surfaces, depending on the post-curing methods. In both thicknesses, V8S and V4D provided microhardness values of the top surface comparable to the control group, while DCB and V4D obtained the highest microhardness on the bottom surface (P< 0.05). The 1-mm-thick discs showed greater biaxial strength than the 2-mm-thick discs, except for NC and DZC. V4D provided the highest biaxial strength in both thicknesses (P< 0.05) that were comparable to the conventional desktop curing units (P> 0.05).
The dental LCU showed increased microhardness and biaxial strength of the post-cured 3D printed discs, particularly with multiple curing cycles from both sides. The handheld multiwavelength LCU has the potential to be used as a viable alternative to conventional desktop curing units.
Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) remains one of the most severe complications of hematopoietic SCT (HSCT). Anticoagulation and thrombolytic therapies using tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) ...have been used, but are reported to be ineffective and are associated with significant bleeding complications. We analyzed 56 moderate-to-severe post HSCT hepatic VOD cases treated with t-PA. We analyzed clinical outcomes according to the maximal daily dose of t-PA (t-PAmax) and the severity of VOD. Patients were stratified by t-PAmax10 mg (n=37) vs t-PAmax>10 mg (n=19). A higher t-PAmax was associated with increased mortality. Bleeding complications were more likely at higher t-PAmax in both moderate and severe VOD (P=0.036, 0.063), especially if patients had concomitant use of anticoagulants (36.4% vs 13.3%). In moderate VOD, the response rate was 86.4% for t-PAmax10 mg/day and 80% for t-PAmax>10 mg compared with 33.3% and 7.1%, respectively, for severe VOD (P=0.106). The 5-year OS in moderate and severe VOD was 49% and 7%, respectively, and it was 32% for t-PAmax10 mg and 18% for t-PAmax>10 mg. Our data demonstrate that lower bleeding complications and bleeding-related deaths may result from strict limitations on the t-PAmax without concomitant use of anticoagulation therapy. However, the overall response and survival outcomes should be re-evaluated by a well-validated study in the future.
Summary
Trabecular bone scores (TBS) have recently been developed as a diagnostic tool to assess bone texture. We studied thyroid status and TBS in a population-based cohort and demonstrated that ...high-normal thyroxine levels are associated with low TBS in healthy euthyroid postmenopausal women.
Introduction
Increased thyroid hormone levels affect bone mineral density (BMD) and, if untreated, increase the risk of fracture. However, the relationship between thyroid function and bone microarchitecture has not yet been established. Trabecular bone scores (TBS) are gray-level textural measurements of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) images. The TBS has been proposed as an indirect index of bone microarchitecture. The goal of this study was to characterize the relationship between thyroid function and TBS in euthyroid men and postmenopausal euthyroid women.
Methods
A total of 1376 euthyroid subjects (648 postmenopausal women and 728 men) were recruited from a community-based cohort in Korea. Free thyroxine (fT4) levels, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, BMD, and TBS were measured and compared.
Results
There was no significant relationship between either fT4 or TSH levels and BMD in men and women. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that high-normal fT4 levels were negatively correlated with TBS (
β
= −0.111;
P
= 0.002, after adjusting for both age and body mass index BMI) in postmenopausal women. In men, however, there was no significant correlation between fT4 levels and TBS. TSH levels were not significantly associated with TBS in either men or women.
Conclusion
Higher fT4 levels within the normal reference range are associated with deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture in healthy euthyroid postmenopausal women.
Graphene is emerging as a viable alternative to conventional optoelectronic, plasmonic and nanophotonic materials. The interaction of light with charge carriers creates an out-of-equilibrium ...distribution, which relaxes on an ultrafast timescale to a hot Fermi-Dirac distribution, that subsequently cools emitting phonons. Although the slower relaxation mechanisms have been extensively investigated, the initial stages still pose a challenge. Experimentally, they defy the resolution of most pump-probe setups, due to the extremely fast sub-100 fs carrier dynamics. Theoretically, massless Dirac fermions represent a novel many-body problem, fundamentally different from Schrödinger fermions. Here we combine pump-probe spectroscopy with a microscopic theory to investigate electron-electron interactions during the early stages of relaxation. We identify the mechanisms controlling the ultrafast dynamics, in particular the role of collinear scattering. This gives rise to Auger processes, including charge multiplication, which is key in photovoltage generation and photodetectors.
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