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Background In this prospective, multicenter, non-comparative observational study, the effectiveness and safety of the triple single-pill combination (SPC) of olmesartan/amlodipine/hydrochlorothiazide (OM/AML/HCTZ) were evaluated in a real clinical practice setting in Korean patients with essential hypertension. Methods A total of 3752 patients were enrolled and followed for 12 months after administration of OM/AML/HCTZ. Primary endpoint was change from baseline to month 6 in the mean systolic blood pressure (SBP). Secondary endpoints included changes from baseline in the mean SBP at month 3, 9, 12 and the mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at month 3, 6, 9, 12; changes in the mean SBP/DBP according to age and underlying risk factors; and blood pressure control rate (%) at different time points. Adherence to and satisfaction with OM/AML/HCTZ treatment among patients and physicians were assessed by medication possession ratio (MPR) and numeric rating scale, respectively, as exploratory endpoints. Safety was evaluated by the incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs) as well as the discontinuation rate due to AEs. Results OM/AML/HCTZ administration led to significant reductions in the mean SBP/DBP by 11.5/6.6, 12.3/7.0, 12.3/7.2, and 12.8/7.4 mmHg from baseline to month 3, 6, 9 and 12, respectively (P Conclusions Treatment with the triple SPC of OM/AML/HCTZ demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing SBP/DBP and achieving target BP control with high adherence over the 1-year observation period in Korean hypertensive patients and was well-tolerated. Trial registration CRIS, KCT0002196, Registered 3 May 2016.

Our purpose in this research was to develop a measure that reflected cross-cultural and cultural-specific expectations of “good mothering.” We based our measure on samples of South Korean mothers ( n = 626) and White mothers in the United States ( n = 612). We developed an initial pool of 74 items that described good mothering in both cultures. We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses separately for each group. We found different factor structures: the South Korean sample had three factors, the United States’ sample yielded four factors. Two of these factors were similar in meaning across the groups, although the items that loaded onto these factors were not identical. Our analyses also yielded three factors unique to each group. The final instrument comprises 30 items that loaded onto both the shared and unique factors for the two groups. Additional support for the validity and reliability of the scale is presented.

Rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus have been widely used as a traditional medicine in Asia for the treatment of gynecological diseases. However, there is no scientific evidence demonstrating the effect of C. rotundus rhizomes on endometriosis, which is characterized by the adhesion of endometrial tissues outside the uterus, resulting in chronic and severe pelvic pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Cyperi rhizoma extract (CRE) on cell adhesion and the expression of pain-related factors (neurotrophins) in endometriotic cells, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. CRE inhibited the adhesion of human endometriotic 12Z cells to peritoneal mesothelial Met5A cells using by adhesion assays. The mRNA expression of adhesion molecules [P-cadherin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2] was downregulated by CRE treatment. In addition, CRE significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of neurotrophins (BDNF, NGF, NT-3 and NT-4/5) in 12Z cells. Moreover, Akt overexpression markedly neutralized the inhibition of cell adhesion by CRE and expression of neurotrophins in 12Z cells. Furthermore, it was found that CRE suppressed NF-kB activation through the Akt pathway. These data suggest that CRE exerts anti-endometriotic activities by the inhibition of cell adhesion and neurotrophin expression, through the negative regulation of the Akt and NF-kB pathways in endometriotic cells.

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic, immune-mediated-, systemic disease that is characterized by IgG4 plasma cell infiltration with fibrotic changes in various organs. The most affected organs are pancreas and salivary glands. Kidney can be rarely involved, and is usually represented as a renal mass and organomegaly. Usually, elevated levels of serum IgG4 more than 135 mg/dl with organ-specific features and biopsy results showing enriched infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells are needed to diagnose the disease. However, we experienced two unusual cases of IgG4-RD involving kidney. IgG4-related kidney disease (IgG4-RKD) was first reported as an extra pancreatic feature of autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP) in 2004. Herein, we describe two cases of such unique presentation of IgG4RKD and a literature review focusing on clinicopathologic features of IgG4RKD. Our cases are distinct in the fact that IgG4RD invades unusual organs such as perinephric capsule or scrotum. We reported the patient who showed extinct perirenal capsule invasion with multi-organ involvement including exocrine glands in comparison to previous IgG4RKD that often involved in renal parenchyma and renal pelvis lesions. And the other patient had scrotal invasion with multifocal renal parenchymes. Referring to the features observed in these two cases, we could propose that as every organ can be related to IgG4RD, we propose clinicians to confirm the disease using imaging, serologic, and pathologic studies. We also reviewed previous reports of IgG4-RKD and summarized diverse imaging findings and pathologic features.

Background We evaluated the optimal radiotherapy (RT) plan for synchronous bilateral breast cancer (SBBC), especially treatment plans including the regional lymph node (LN) area. Methods This study was conducted using 15 patients with SBBC (5 with small breasts, 5 with large breasts, and 5 who underwent a left total mastectomy). The clinical target volume (CTV) was defined as the volume enveloping the bilateral whole breasts/chest wall and left regional LN area. We established the following plans: 1) volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT)-the only plan using two pairs of partial arcs for the whole target volume, 2) VMAT using one partial arc for the left CTV followed by a 3D tangential technique for the right breast (primary hybrid plan), and 3) VMAT for the left CTV followed by a tangential technique using an automatically calculated prescription dose for the right breast, considering the background dose from the left breast VMAT plan (modified hybrid plan). The Tukey test and one-way analysis of variance were used to compare the target coverage and doses to organs at risk (OARs) of the three techniques. Results For target coverage, the VMAT-only and modified hybrid plans showed comparable target coverage in terms of Dmean (50.33 Gy vs. 50.53 Gy, p = 0.106). The primary hybrid plan showed the largest distribution of the high-dose volume, with V105% of 25.69% and V110% of 6.37% for the planning target volume (PTV) (p

Objective Prophylactic trans-catheter arterial balloon occlusion (PTABO) before cesarean section of placenta previa totalis has been introduced to prevent massive hemorrhage. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical usefulness of PTABO in cases of suspected placental adhesion and to examine antepartal risk factors and perinatal outcomes in women with placental adhesion. Methods Between January 2012 and December 2015, 77 patients who had undergone ultrasonography for evaluation of placenta previa were enrolled in this study. Seventeen of these patients with suspected placental adhesion by ultrasonography and Pelvic MRI underwent PTABO before cesarean section and another 59 patients underwent cesarean section without PTABO. Antepartal risk factors and peripartum maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between patients with PTABO and those without PTABO. Results More advanced maternal age, longer in gestational weeks at delivery, and more common previous cesarean section history were observed in the PTABO group. Placenta adhesion, abnormal Doppler findings, and frequency of transfusion were more common in the PTABO group. However there was no significant difference in estimated blood loss, hospital days, and neonatal outcome. It had occurred 3 cases of hysterectomy and 1 case of uterine artery embolization after cesarean section in the PTABO group. Conclusion Close surveillance of antepartum risk factors for placental adhesion using ultrasonography and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging is important to prevention of massive hemorrhage during cesarean section. PTABO before cesarean section might result in reduced blood loss and requirement for transfusion during the operation.

Two new sesquiterpenes, cyperusol A3 (1) and 3β-hydroxycyperenoic acid (2), along with three known sesquiterpenes, britanlin E (3), 1β,4α-dihydroxyeudesm-11-ene (4), and 11,12-dihydroxyeudesm-4-en-3-one (5), were isolated from the AcOEt-soluble fraction of rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus L. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by physical and spectroscopic methods (1H- and 13C-NMR, 2D-NMR, and MS). All of the isolates, 1–5, were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against human ovarian cancer cells (A2780) and endometrial adenocarcinoma cells (Ishikawa) using MTT assays.

4D-Radiation Therapy is the optimal treatment to track moving organs(tumor) and give the appropriate prescription dose to tumor and low radiation dose to normal tissue surrounding tumor volume. The ABCHES is a 4DRT devices maintaining shallow breathing to patients. It allows the tumor`s movement was minimize. Meanwhile, Abdominal compression device is limited the breath compressing abdomen on patients. In this paper we will quantitative analysis the movement of tumor on only ABCHES versus ABCHES with Abdomal compression device and Analysis tumor dose and normal tissue`s dose by Dose Volume Histogram on two parts. The result of Comparision ABCHES and ABCHES with Abdominal compression device, SI(Superior-Inferior) direction, AP(Anterior-Posterior) direction and LR(Left-Right) direction was limited 1.0 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.2 mm(average). and also reduction rate of voluume in HPTV was , and LPTV was under only using ABCHES and ABCHES with compression. The analysis dose volume histogram was more radiation dose in ABCHES and abdominal compression device than only using ABCHES, and less normal tissue-ipsilateral lung, whole lung, kidney-dose in ABCHES and abdominal compression device than only using ABCHES. The overall analysis was ABCHES with abdominal compression better than only using ABCHES method. In hereafter it will be studies that limitation of ABCHES and abdomonal compression device. In other words, patient`s discomfort on compression intensity, method of application on patient with inaccurate respiration cycle.

This paper reports a new polyimide design with high internal free volume elements for fast mass transport simultaneously with high selectivity. Here, we show that the polymer design using a three-dimensional rigid molecular structure having internal void space can lead to the formation of high fractional free volume with proper cavity size to separate small gas molecules with high selectivities as high permeabilities. These findings could strongly impact emerging gas separation applications using polymeric membranes such as natural gas purification and biogas purification to get clean energy resources.

This study was conducted to find characteristics of photosynthesis for dwarf and street tree cultivars of Hibiscus syriacus L. Characteristics of growth and flowering on some cultivars were investigated. The photosynthetic capacity for the cultivars was also measured. Bulsae showed the best height increase; Soyang represented the lowest growth. Baektanshim Kyungbuk1 had the largest number of branches and leaves. Sundeok and Bulsae were the best in terms of height and width of flower, Soyang showed the smallest flowers. According to the analysis of chlorophyll content (chlorophyll a, b, total) for the cultivars, there was little difference between Sundeok and Bulsae. Based on light response curves for cultivars, it was found that Baektanshim Kyungbuk1 and Soyang had lower light compensation and light saturation points than Bulsae and Sundeok. Cultivars Baektanshim Kyungbuk1 and Soyang were also low in dark respiration, photosynthetic capacity, and net apparent quantum yield. In conclusion, it is recommended that cultivars Baektanshim Kyungbuk1 and Soyang might be used as a dwarf type due to photosynthetic capacity.

Eclipta prostrate L. (syn. E. alba Hassk), commonly known as False Daisy, has been used in traditional medicine in Asia to treat a variety of diseases, including cancer. Although an anti-tumor effect has been suggested for E. prostrata, the exact anti-tumor effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of its bioactive compounds are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify compounds with anti-cancer activity from E. prostrata and to investigate their mechanism of action.To assess cell viability, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis, we performed MTT assays and FACS analysis using Annexin and PI staining. We also investigated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and caspase activation using flow cytometry and Western blot analysis, respectively. Cytosolic translocation of cytochrome c was measured using an ELISA kit. Antioxidants, MAPK signaling inhibitors, NADPH oxidase inhibitors, and siRNA were used to elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of the compound.We isolated five terthiophenes from the n-hexane fraction of E. prostrata; of these, α-terthienylmethanol possessed potent cytotoxic activity against human endometrial cancer cells (Hec1A and Ishikawa) (IC501μM). The growth inhibitory effect of α-terthienylmethanol was mediated by the induction of apoptosis, as shown by the accumulation of sub-G1 and apoptotic cells. In addition, α-terthienylmethanol triggered caspase activation and cytochrome c release into the cytosol in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, α-terthienylmethanol increased the intracellular level of ROS and decreased that of GSH, and the antioxidants N-acetyl-l-cysteine and catalase significantly attenuated α-terthienylmethanol-induced apoptosis. We further demonstrated that inhibition of the NADPH oxidase attenuated α-terthienylmethanol-induced cell death and ROS accumulation in endometrial cancer cells.Overall, these results suggest that α-terthienylmethanol, a naturally occurring terthiophene isolated from E. prostrata, induces apoptosis in human endometrial cancer cells by ROS production, partially via NADPH oxidase.

This paper reports a new polyimide design with high internal free volume elements for fast mass transport simultaneously with high selectivity. Here, we show that the polymer design using a three-dimensional rigid molecular structure having internal void space can lead to the formation of high fractional free volume with proper cavity size to separate small gas molecules with high selectivities as high permeabilities. These findings could strongly impact emerging gas separation applications using polymeric membranes such as natural gas purification and biogas purification to get clean energy resources.

Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy is rare and occurs in approximately 3 in 10,000 pregnancies. It rarely complicates pregnancy, and can occur during any trimester, however over half (52%) of cases occur during the third trimester and during the post-partum period. Gallstones are the most common cause of acute pancreatitis. On the other hand, acute pancreatitis caused by hypertriglyceridemia due to increase of estrogen during the gestational period is very unusual, but complication carries a higher risk of morbidity and mortality for both the mother and the fetus. We experienced a case of pregnant woman who died of acute exacerbation of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis at 23 weeks of gestation. We report on progress and management of this case along with literature reviews.