Metabolic syndrome is increasingly common, and closely related with overweight or obesity. In the obese state, macrophages infiltrate to the adipose tissue (AT), resulting in chronic inflammation and ...insulin resistance in the AT cells. Recently, attention has been paid to the role of AT macrophages in metabolic disorders should be applied to the initial drug screening step, but it was difficult to mimic the inflammatory adipocytes using the traditional 2-dimensional (2D) culture. In this study, we developed the 3-dimensional (3D) culture system to overcome this limitation. After adipogenic differentiation, lipid droplets were highly accumulated in cells, and differentiation of preadipocytes was not declined by macrophage co-culture. However, only co-cultured cells expressed the insulin resistance features. Compare to mono-cultured adipocytes, co-cultured adipocytes showed reduced glucose uptake and GLUT4 did not translocated to cell membrane even though treatment of high concentration of insulin. Using 3D co-culture model, we develop a microwell-scale drug screening protocol to test anti-obesity effect. 3D cultured cells reacted more sensitive to drugs, and PPARγ antagonist GW9662 (10, 20 μM) repressed adipogenic differentiation in a concentration-dependent manner in 3D co-cultured cells.
Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a distinct subtype of pancreatitis, which is classified into type 1 and 2 based on the clinicopathological features. According to the international consensus ...diagnostic criteria, pancreas resection or core biopsy specimens are recommended to make an accurate histological evaluation. However, the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) for histological evaluation has also been reported. Furthermore, the simultaneous presentation of type 2 AIP and Crohn's disease (CD) is very rare, especially in the Asian population. Therefore, we herein report a case of type 2 AIP with CD, which was diagnosed using EUS guided FNA with a 22-gauge needle.
Focused ion beam chemical vapor deposition (FIB-CVD) processes can be used to fabricate nano-/microstructures by enabling highly localized material deposition. Due to these advantages, the FIB-CVD ...process has been utilized extensively as a method for material analysis and device fabrication in the fields of nano-/microscale electronics, sensors, drivers, bio, and optics. In this study, we fabricated shape memory alloy (SMA) carbon composites using an FIB-CVD process and performed a micro-tensile test to evaluate the mechanical properties of the fabricated composites. According to the results of the tensile test, the fabricated composite structure had higher stiffness values and lower maximum tensile strength values than general SMA materials. Based on our experimental results, we fabricated an SMA microscale bending actuator by localized carbon block deposition and evaluated the bending characteristics of the microactuator.
Glass is a well-known non-conductive material that has many useful properties, and considerable research has been conducted into making circuits on glass. Many deposition techniques have been ...studied, and laser-induced chemical liquid phase deposition (LCLD) is a well-known and cost-effective method for rapid prototyping of copper deposition on glass. However, the deposition results from the LCLD method on the surface of glass, which shows an issue in its detachment from the substrates because of the relatively low adhesion between deposited copper and the nontreated glass surface. This problem undermines the usability of deposited glass in industrial applications. In this study, the laser-induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) method was performed as a preceding process to fabricate microchannels, which were filled with copper by LCLD. Additional durable copper wire was produced as a result of the enhanced adhesion between the glass and the deposited copper. The adhesion was enhanced by a rough surface and metal layer, which are characteristics of LIBWE machining. Furthermore, the proposed method is expected to broaden the use of deposited glass in industrial applications, such as in stacked or covered multilayer structures with built-in copper wires, because the inserted copper can be physically protected by the microstructures.
Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints worldwide. This study examined the effects of fig (Ficus carica L.) paste for the treatment of loperamide-induced constipation in a ...rat model.
Animals were divided into one normal control group and four experimental groups (0, 1, 6, and 30 g/kg). Loperamide (2 mg/kg, twice per day) was injected intraperitoneally to induce constipation in the four experimental groups. Fig paste was administered for 4 weeks to assess its anti-constipation effects.
Fecal pellet number, weight and water content were increased in the fig-treated groups as compared to the control group. Reductions in body weight and increased intestinal transit length were observed in the fig-treated groups. Fecal pellet number was reduced in the distal colons of the fig-treated rats. Exercise and ileum tension increased in the experimental groups as compared to the control group. According to histological analyses, the thickness of the distal colon and areas of crypt epithelial cells that produce mucin were increased in the fig-treated groups in a dose-dependent manner.
Constipation was decreased when fig fruit was fed to rats. Specifically, fecal number, weight, and water content, as well as histological parameters such as thickness and mucin areas in the distal colon were improved. Fig treatment may be a useful therapeutic and preventive strategy for chronic constipation.
Objectives
To evaluate the added value of MR dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC)-perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI)-derived tumour microvascular and oxygenation information with cerebral blood volume ...(CBV) to distinguish pseudoprogression from true progression (TP) in post-treatment glioblastoma.
Methods
This retrospective single-institution study included patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioblastoma and a newly developed or enlarging measurable contrast-enhancing mass within 12 weeks after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. CBV, capillary transit time heterogeneity (CTH), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO
2
) were obtained from DSC-PWI. Predictors were selected using univariable logistic regression, and performance was measured with adjusted diagnostic odds with tumour volume and area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics analysis.
Results
A total of 103 patients were included (mean age, 59.6 years; 59 women), with 67 cases of TP and 36 cases of pseudoprogression. Pseudoprogression exhibited higher CTH (4.0 vs. 3.4,
p
= .019) and higher OEF (12.7 vs. 10.7,
p
= .014) than TP, but a similar CBV (1.48 vs. 1.53,
p
= .13) and CMRO
2
(7.7 vs. 7.3s,
p
= .598). Independent of tumour volume, both high CTH (adjusted odds ratio OR 1.52; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.11–2.09,
p
= .009) and high OEF (adjusted OR 1.17; 95% CI:1.03–1.33,
p
= .016) were predictors of pseudoprogression. The combination of CTH, OEF, and CBV yielded higher diagnostic performance (AUC 0.71) than CBV alone (AUC 0.65).
Conclusion
High intratumoural capillary transit heterogeneity and high oxygen extraction fraction derived from DSC-PWI have enhanced the diagnostic value of CBV in pseudoprogression of post-treatment IDH-wild type glioblastoma.
Clinical relevance statement
In the early post-treatment stage of glioblastoma, pseudoprogression exhibited both high oxygen extraction fraction and high capillary transit heterogeneity and these dynamic susceptibility contrast-perfusion weighted imaging derived parameters have added value in cerebral blood volume-based noninvasive differentiation of pseudoprogression from true progression.
Key Points
• Capillary transit time heterogeneity and oxygen extraction fraction can be measured noninvasively through processing of dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging.
• Pseudoprogression exhibited higher capillary transit time heterogeneity and higher oxygen extraction fraction than true progression.
• A combination of cerebral blood volume, capillary transit time heterogeneity, and oxygen extraction fraction yielded the highest diagnostic performance (area under the curve 0.71).
Degenerative spine disease, encompassing disc prolapse and stenosis, is a common ailment in old age. This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the role of endoscopic spine surgery in elderly ...patients (above 70 years of age) with clinical and radiological follow-up.
In this study, a prospective analysis was conducted of 53 patients with lumbar disc prolapse or spinal stenosis who were treated with percutaneous endoscopic discectomy or decompression from November 2015 to June 2017. Clinical follow-up was done at 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year, and at yearly intervals thereafter. The outcomes were assessed using the modified Macnab criteria, a visual analogue scale, and the Oswestry Disability Index.
Of the 53 patients, 21 were men and 32 were women. Their mean age was 76±4 years. The mean follow-up period was 17 months. Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy was performed in 24 patients and endoscopic decompression in 24 patients, while 5 patients underwent combined surgery. An excellent outcome in terms of the MacNab criteria was observed in 9 patients (16.98%), a good outcome in 38 patients (71.7%), and a poor outcome in 6 patients (11.3%). Of the 6 patients with a poor outcome, 5 (9.4%, 5 of 53) developed recurrent disc prolapse, and 1 developed hematoma with motor weakness. All 6 of these cases required revision surgery.
Managing degenerative spine disease in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities is a challenging task. Percutaneous endoscopic spine surgery is pivotal for addressing this concern. The authors have shown that optimal results can be achieved with various types of disc prolapse and stenosis with favorable long-term outcomes.
In patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and multivessel coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of non-infarct-related artery reduces death or MI. However, whether ...selective PCI guided by fractional flow reserve (FFR) is superior to routine PCI guided by angiography alone is unclear. The current trial sought to compare FFR-guided PCI with angiography-guided PCI for non-infarct-related artery lesions among patients with acute MI and multivessel disease.
Patients with acute MI and multivessel coronary artery disease who had undergone successful PCI of the infarct-related artery were randomly assigned to either FFR-guided PCI (FFR ≤0.80) or angiography-guided PCI (diameter stenosis of >50%) for non-infarct-related artery lesions. The primary end point was a composite of time to death, MI, or repeat revascularization. A total of 562 patients underwent randomization. Among them, 60.0% underwent immediate PCI for non-infarct-related artery lesions and 40.0% were treated by a staged procedure during the same hospitalization. PCI was performed for non-infarct-related artery in 64.1% in the FFR-guided PCI group and 97.1% in the angiography-guided PCI group, and resulted in significantly fewer stent used in the FFR-guided PCI group (2.2 ± 1.1 vs. 2.5 ± 0.9, P < 0.001). At a median follow-up of 3.5 years (interquartile range: 2.7-4.1 years), the primary end point occurred in 18 patients of 284 patients in the FFR-guided PCI group and in 40 of 278 patients in the angiography-guided PCI group (7.4% vs. 19.7%; hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.75; P = 0.003). The death occurred in five patients (2.1%) in the FFR-guided PCI group and in 16 patients (8.5%) in the angiography-guided PCI group; MI in seven (2.5%) and 21 (8.9%), respectively; and unplanned revascularization in 10 (4.3%) and 16 (9.0%), respectively.
In patients with acute MI and multivessel coronary artery disease, a strategy of selective PCI using FFR-guided decision-making was superior to a strategy of routine PCI based on angiographic diameter stenosis for treatment of non-infarct-related artery lesions regarding the risk of death, MI, or repeat revascularization.
Purpose
The Korean Chronic Cough Registry study was initiated to characterize patients with chronic cough (CC) and investigate their outcomes in real-world clinical practice. This report aims to ...describe the baseline cohort profile and study protocols.
Methods
This multicenter, prospective observational cohort study included newly referred CC patients and those already being treated for refractory or unexplained chronic cough (RUCC). Cough status was assessed using a visual analog scale, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), and the Cough Hypersensitivity Questionnaire (CHQ).
Results
A total of 610 patients (66.9% women; median age 59.0 years) were recruited from 18 centers, with 176 being RUCC patients (28.9%). The median age at CC onset was 50.1 years, and 94.4% had adult-onset CC (≥ 19 years). The median cough duration was 4 years. Compared to newly referred CC patients, RUCC patients had a longer cough duration (6.0 years vs. 3.0 years) but had fewer symptoms and signs suggesting asthma, rhinosinusitis, or gastroesophageal acid reflux disease. Subjects with RUCC had lower LCQ scores (10.3 ± 3.3 vs. 11.6 ± 3.6;
P
< 0.001) and higher CHQ scores (9.1 ± 3.9 vs. 8.4 ± 4.1;
P
= 0.024). There were no marked differences in the characteristics of cough between refractory chronic cough and unexplained chronic cough.
Conclusions
Chronic cough typically develops in adulthood, lasting for years. Cough severity and quality of life impairment indicate the presence of unmet clinical needs and insufficient cough control in real-world clinical practice. Longitudinal follow-up is warranted to investigate the natural history and treatment outcomes.
Natural sources are very promising materials for the discovery of novel bioactive compounds with diverse pharmacological effects. In recent years, many researchers have focused on natural sources as ...a means to prevent neuronal cell death in neuropathological conditions. This study focused on identifying neuroprotective compounds and their underlying molecular mechanisms. Procyanidin C1 (PC-1) was isolated from grape seeds and assessed for biological effects against glutamate-induced HT22 cell death. The results showed that PC-1 strongly prevented glutamate-induced HT22 cell death. Moreover, PC-1 was also found to prevent glutamate-induced chromatin condensation and reduce the number of annexin V-positive cells indicating apoptotic cell death. Procyanidin C1 possessed a strong 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity and inhibited glutamate-induced accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and protein carbonylation. Additionally, PC-1 mediated nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 and increased the expression levels of heme oxygenase (HO-1). Inhibition of HO-1 by tin protoporphyrin, a synthetic inhibitor, reduced the protective effect of PC-1. Furthermore, PC-1 also blocked glutamate-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) including ERK1/2 and p38, but not JNK. This study is the first experimental report to demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of PC-1 against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 cells. Therefore, our results suggest that PC-1, as a potent bioactive compound of grape seeds, can prevent neuronal cell death in neuropathological conditions.
PDF
