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Although liver transplantation is a widely accepted treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), much controversy remains and there is no generally accepted set of guidelines. An international consensus conference was held on Dec 2–4, 2010, in Zurich, Switzerland, with the aim of reviewing current practice regarding liver transplantation in patients with HCC and to develop internationally accepted statements and guidelines. The format of the conference was based on the Danish model. 19 working groups of experts prepared evidence-based reviews according to the Oxford classification, and drafted recommendations answering 19 specific questions. An independent jury of nine members was appointed to review these submissions and make final recommendations, after debates with the experts and audience at the conference. This report presents the final 37 statements and recommendations, covering assessment of candidates for liver transplantation, criteria for listing in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients, role of tumour downstaging, management of patients on the waiting list, role of living donation, and post-transplant management.

The post-translationally modified amino acid 3-methylhistidine (3-MEH) is a component of the contractile proteins actin and myosin. The presence of 3-MEH in urine is associated with protein breakdown or nitrogen loss, as reported in laboratory rats (Kim and Lee 1990), dairy cows (Blum and others 1985, Plaizier and others 2000) and dogs under a variety of physiological conditions (Neumann and others 2008). This modified amino acid results from post-translational methylation of histidine in the t-RNA complex, which occurs only in actin and myosin. After proteolysis, it cannot be recycled (Young and Munro 1978), and therefore, it is removed as waste in the urine (Long and others 1975). Thus, there is a strong correlation between 3-MEH urinal levels and the degree of myofibrillar (contractile) protein breakdown in the absence of renal failure (Nagabhushan and Narasingarao 1978). Muscle wasting and weakness in humans with heart failure characterised by exercise intolerance and reduced survival (Anker and others 1997, Toth and others 1997), is partly due to increased myofibrillar protein degradation (MPD) causing wasting of both muscle mass and function. Therefore, the estimation of MPD under clinical conditions would be beneficial in assessing the degree of heart failure. Although accurate estimations of MPD can be achieved by using isotope methods (Smith and Sugden 1996), this is impractical in a clinical setting. Therefore, MPD levels are usually estimated by either assessing the levels of 3-MEH in plasma (Bachmann and others 1984) or in a 24-hour urine output (Long and others 1981). The association of plasma 3-MEH levels with systemic diseases has rarely been studied in dogs. Previous studies in dogs with chronic renal failure had a lower clearance of 3-MEH compared with normal dogs (Hansen and others 1992). More recently, it has been reported that the serum concentrations of 3-MEH was significantly increased in …

Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD Ia; MIM 232200) is an autosomal recessive inherited metabolic disorder resulting from a deficiency of the microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), the enzyme that catalyzes the terminal step in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. Various mutations in the G6Pase gene (G6PC) have been found in patients with GSD Ia. To elucidate the spectrum of the G6PC gene mutations, 13 unrelated Korean patients with GSD Ia were analyzed. We were able to identify mutant alleles in all patients, including three known mutations (727G > T, G122D, and T255I) and two novel mutations (P178A and Y128X). The frequency of the 727G > T mutation in Korean patients with GSD Ia was 81% (21/26), which was slightly lower than that (86-92%) in Japanese but much higher than that (44.4%) in Taiwan Chinese. Except one, all patients were either homozygous (9/13) or compound heterozygous (3/13) for the 727G > T mutation; the only patient without the 727G > T mutation was a compound heterozygote for the G122D and Y128X mutations. Our findings suggest that a DNA-based test can be used as the initial diagnostic approach in Korean patients clinically suspected to have GSD Ia, thereby avoiding invasive liver biopsy.

The ACs (R-1/2 and R-1/4) having two different textual and chemical properties are prepared from corn-based biomass precursor and evaluated together with a wood-based activated carbon (WAC) at room temperature using a gas chromatograph. The results obtained from the correlation studies indicate that the pore size distribution (below 8Å) and the relatively lower energetic heterogeneity of ACs on acetaldehyde adsorption are considerable factors rather than that of a specific surface area and surface chemistry. The adsorption equilibrium of ACs is well correlated with the Sips equation. The pseudo second-order equation was better in describing the ACs' adsorption kinetic of acetaldehyde. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Fatigue notch factors for compact keyhole specimens of five common cast steels were estimated using an elastic stress distribution around the notches and the fatigue tests of simple specimens. The values were used with modified Neuber's rule to calculate the stress and strain at an equivalent characteristic length under variable loadings. Another method, which uses the load-strain relation obtained from elastic-plastic finite element method (FEM) analysis, was also used to calculate the strain at the equivalent characteristic length. Both methods were used to calculate the fatigue damage at the keyhole notch using the Palmgren-Miner linear damage rule and low cycle fatigue properties obtained from smooth specimens. The results showed that both methods could be used for the crack initiation calculation within a reasonable accuracy.

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is a major pathogen inducing acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in dogs. Despite the identification of numerous CPV-2 variants (from CPV-2a to CPV-2c), the pathogenic differences among the CPV-2 variants in dogs have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to compare the pathogenicity of CPV-2 variants (CPV-2a-I, CPV-2a-V and CPV-2b) isolated mainly from Korea. We evaluated the pathogenicity of three different CPV-2 variants, by performing clinical, hematological, serological and histopathological examinations after experimentally inoculating three types of CPV-2 variants into young puppies. We found that the overall pathogenicity of the CPV-2a variants (CPV-2a-I and 2a-V) was severer compared to the CPV-2b variant. In addition, there was no significant difference in pathogenicity between the two CPV-2a variants. Our findings indicate that there are differences in the pathogenicity of CPV-2 variants in dogs, which may be useful to understand the different pathobiology of the CPV-2 variants.

Objective: The surgical treatments for unilateral cervical radiculopathy have been performed by either the anterior or posterior approach. The anterior approach has usually been used more than the posterior approach. The authors compared the results of newly advanced upper vertebral transcorporeal (UVTC) approach with those of the original transuncal (TU) approach in the anterior approach. Methods: The anterior cervical microforaminotomy was performed for 60 patients (male: female = 40:20) from June, 2000 to October, 2003. 40 patients were treated by the TU approach while 20 patients were operated on by the new UVTC approach. The authors analyzed postoperative changes of disc height, the spinal instability, the average length of hospital stay, the degree of patients' satisfaction and complications from each approach. The mean follow-up period was 9.5 months. Results: In the TU approach, postoperative intervertebral disc height was decreased from 7.1 ±0.65 mm to 6.2 ± 0.61 mm. In the UVTC approach, postoperative intervertebral disc height was decreased from 6.6 ± 0.43 mm to 6.3 ± 0.41 mm. The average length of hospital stay was 5.2 days for the TU approach and 3.4 days for the UVTC approach. In the TU approach, 28 patients experienced excellent results, 11 patients experienced good results, one patient who experienced a fair result was operated by anterior cervical fusion because of a recurrent herniated disc. In the UVTC approach, 16 patients had excellent results and four patients experienced good results. Conclusions: This comparative study demonstrates that the UVTC approach is a better surgical technique than the TU approach considering the preservation of disc height, spinal stability, length of hospital stay, degree of satisfaction and complications.

Homocysteine is a nonessential amino acid that is biosynthesised through a multistep process from methionine, and can also be converted into cysteine (Chandler and Payne-James 2006, Rossi and others 2008). Many studies (including veterinary), have shown that a high concentration of homocysteine is a sensitive marker for folate and vitamin B deficiency, and also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (McMichael and others 2000, Finch and Joseph 2010). Accordingly, homocysteine is considered a biomarker for increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and impaired clinical outcomes, regardless of the unknown relationship between homocysteine and cardiac dysfunction. Similarly, there have been very few veterinary studies that have showed a relationship between homocysteine and the severity of heart failure in dogs (Suematsu and others 2007, Rossi and others 2008, Trisolini and others 2008). This study focused on evaluating the baseline plasma levels of homocysteine in dogs at different stages of chronic mitral valve insufficiency (CMVI), in order to assess and delineate the relationship of plasma levels of homocysteine, to the severity of heart failure. The study population consisted of 101 dogs (median age: 11.2 ± 2.4 years; range: 7–17 years) with CMVI. The dogs were presented to either the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Kangwon National University or the Chung-Hyun Animal Hospital from 2010 to 2011. All dogs …

A nurse experienced a needlestick during the care of a patient with scrub typhus, treated with pefloxacin (400 mg twice daily) and cefazolin. Seven days after the needlestick, pain and erythematous swelling developed at the tip of her left fourth finger, the site of the needlestick. Fever and headache developed 10 days later, and her skin lesion became a small vesicle surrounded by a dark erythematous area. The diagnosis of scrub typhus was made by a rising indirect immunofluorescent antibody titre, and her illness was improved with doxycycline.

We present monozygotic twin boys of a triplet pregnancy with phalangeal abnormalities, deafness, a caudal appendage and the additional features of short stature, cryptorchidism, mental retardation and facial dysmorphism.

Phenthoate [O,O‐dimethyl S‐(α‐ethoxycarbonyl)benzyl phosphorodithioate] was rapidly hydrolyzed by rat liver and plasma carboxylesterases to the corresponding nontoxic metabolite, phenthoate acid. A partially purified enzyme isolated from rat liver microsomes was sevenfold more effective in hydrolyzing phenthoate than the microsomal fraction. O,S,S‐Trimethyl phosphorodithioate (TMPDT) and O,O,S‐trimethyl phosphorothioate (TMPT), two impurities present in technical formulations of phenthoate, were examined for their inhibiting effects on the esterase degradation of [phenyl‐14C] phenthoate in vitro. Incubation of [14C]phenthoate with rat liver and plasma carboxylesterases in the presence of these impurities greatly diminished the amount of phenthoate acid formed. TMPDT was superior in its inhibitory action against rat liver carboxylesterase to that of TMPT. TMPDT was equipotent in inhibiting crude rat liver and plasma carboxylesterases, and TMPT was more effective in inhibiting plasma carboxylesterase than r...

Subcellular liver homogenates from rats of both sexes were used to study the enzyme system required for the transformation of mestranol to ethynylestradiol (17-ethynyl-135(10)-estratriene-3 17 beta-diol). Substantial mestranol O-demethylation activity at physiological pH was found mainly in the microsomal fraction. Formaldehyde formed from mestranol was increased with increasing amounts of microsomal enzyme substrate concenteration and incubation time up to 60 minutes. Activities of this O-demethylase system in the brain kidney heart and spleen were negligible. Substantial demethylation activity was observed only in the presence of NADPH or an NADPH-generating system and this reaction reaction required oxygen for anaerobic incubation abolished this reaction almost completely. Results indicated mestranol is a substrate for the microsomal oxygenase system that metabolizes drugs and natural steroids. Also that it is a competititve inhibitor of p-nitroanisole O-demethylation. The feeding of mestranol to female rats did not produce any significant induction of the drug metabolizing enzyme systems.