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Purpose This retrospective study compares higher-dose whole-brain radiotherapy (hdWBRT) with reduced-dose WBRT (rdWBRT) in terms of clinical efficacy and toxicity profile in patients treated for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Materials and methods Radiotherapy followed by high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based chemotherapy was administered to immunocompetent patients with histologically confirmed PCNSL between 2000 and 2016. Response to chemotherapy was taken into account when prescribing the radiation dose to the whole brain and primary tumor bed. The whole brain dose was ≤23.4 Gy for rdWBRT (n = 20) and >23.4 Gy for hdWBRT (n = 68). Patients manifesting cognitive disturbance, memory impairment and dysarthria were considered to have neurotoxicity. A median follow-up was 3.62 years. Results The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 70.0% and 48.9% with rdWBRT, and 63.2% and 43.2% with hdWBRT. The 3-year OS and PFS among patients with partial response (n = 45) after chemotherapy were 77.8% and 53.3% with rdWBRT, and 58.3% and 45.8% with hdWBRT (p > 0.05). Among patients with complete response achieved during follow-up, the 3-year freedom from neurotoxicity (FFNT) rate was 94.1% with rdWBRT and 62.4% with hdWBRT. Among patients aged ≥60 years, the 3-year FFNT rate was 87.5% with rdWBRT and 39.1% with hdWBRT (p = 0.49). Neurotoxicity was not observed after rdWBRT in patients aged below 60 years. Conclusion rdWBRT with tumor bed boost combined with upfront HD-MTX is less neurotoxic and results in effective survival as higher-dose radiotherapy even in partial response after chemotherapy.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising 2D material for adsorbents and membranes, in particular, for the CO2 separation process. However, CO2 diffusion and sorption in GO and its layered structures are ...

OBJECTIVES Successful biliary cannulation is a prerequisite and important component of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, but conventional cannulation methods (CCMs) have a postendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP) rate of 14.1% in patients at high risk for PEP. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of needle-knife fistulotomy (NKF), compared with a CCM, when used for primary biliary access in patients at high risk for developing PEP. METHODS A total of 207 patients with one or more risk factors for PEP were prospectively enrolled. The patients were randomly allocated to one of 2 groups according to the primary biliary cannulation technique (NKF or CCM). We compared biliary cannulation success rates, cannulation and procedure times, and the incidence of adverse events, including PEP, between the groups. RESULTS The mean number of PEP risk factors was similar between the groups (NKF, 2.2 ± 1.0; CCM, 2.2 ± 0.9). PEP occurred in 8 patients in the CCM group and in no patients in the NKF group (9.2% vs 0%, P < 0.001). The rates of other adverse events did not differ between the groups. The biliary cannulation success rate was high in the NKF group, but relatively low in the CCM group, possibly because of the stringent failure criteria aimed at reducing PEP. However, the mean cannulation and total procedural times were longer in the NKF group than in the CCM group. DISCUSSION NKF is an effective and safe procedure to gain primary biliary access in patients at high risk for developing PEP. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02916199.

This paper presents a wearable multi-biosignal wireless interface for sleep analysis. It enables comfortable sleep monitoring with direct sleep-stage classification capability while conventional analytic interfaces including the Polysomnography (PSG) require complex post-processing analyses based on heavy raw data, need expert supervision for measurements, or do not provide comfortable fit for long-time wearing. The proposed multi-biosignal interface consists of electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and electrooculography (EOG). A readout integrated circuit (ROIC) is designed to collect three kinds of bio-potential signals through four internal readout channels, where their analog feature extraction circuits are included together to provide sleep-stage classification directly. The designed multi-biosignal sensing ROIC is fabricated in a 180-nm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process. For system-level verification, its low-power headband-style analytic device is implemented for wearable sleep monitoring, where the direct sleep-stage classification is performed based on a decision tree algorithm. It is functionally verified by comparison experiments with post-processing analysis results from the OpenBCI module, whose sleep-stage detection shows reasonable correlation of 74% for four sleep stages.

Driven by the desire to find efficient alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage systems, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been extensively researched with the aim of realizing similar electrochemical properties to those of lithium. While Sn-based anodes for SIBs offer reasonable theoretical capacity (847 mA h g−1 for Na15Sn4), their sluggish kinetics, low conductivity, and large volume expansion represent unresolved drawbacks. To address these issues, we propose an effective approach to alleviate the volume pulverization and enhance the capacity of SIB anodes by anchoring SnS nanoparticles densely on a porous carbon nanotube (CNT) film (SnS@CNT). As a result of the formation of inherent chemical bonds between SnS and the surface of the CNTs, the well-dispersed SnS nanoparticles anchored on the CNT network help to significantly enlarge the contact surface area between the active material and sodium ions. This free-standing film yields a high capacity of up to 762 mA h g−1, owing to its improved conductivity and enlarged surface area, which are attributed to the increase in capacity of 146%, compared to the capacity of SnS nanoparticles in the absence of CNT (521 mA h g−1), at a current density of 100 mA g−1. The SnS@CNT anode exhibits excellent cyclability at a current density of 1 A g−1, with capacities of 666 and 615 mA h g−1 after 100 (100% retention) and 500 cycles (92% retention), respectively, in addition to excellent kinetics. The hybrid SnS@CNT film used as the SIB anode is binder-free, allowing for a greater concentration of active materials that contribute to battery performance.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided choledochoduodenostomy using a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) allows access to the biliary system with a sufficiently large diameter stent. However, an appropriate endoscope for this purpose is required. We evaluated the feasibility of per-oral cholangioscopy (POC) using a multibending ultra-slim endoscope through a LAMS for EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy.Twelve patients who underwent EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy, followed by POC via a LAMS, were enrolled. POC was performed with an multibending ultra-slim endoscope. The primary outcome was technical success, defined as examination of both hepatic ducts and either the distal common bile duct or stricture site within 10 min. The types of intervention and adverse events were also assessed.Technical success was achieved in all cases with the multibending ultra-slim endoscope. Narrow-band imaging endoscopy was performed in five cases (41.7%) and POC-guided targeted biopsy was performed in three cases (25.0%). Stone extraction during POC was performed in two patients (16.7%) and foreign body removal from the intrahepatic duct was performed in one patient. One patient underwent additional metal stent insertion under direct visualization. After POC, no stent migration or severe adverse events were seen in any case.POC using a multibending ultra-slim endoscope for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes can be performed effectively and safely through a LAMS after EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy.

In this study, O-glycosides of cholesterol derivatives Δ

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) has diverse physiological functions and plays important roles in health and disease. In this report, we focus on its function in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-8, which are implicated in several autoimmune diseases and host defense against infection. IL-1β activity is markedly dependent on the binding affinity toward IL-1 receptors (IL-1Rs). Several studies have been conducted to identify suitable small molecules that can modulate the interactions between 1L-1β and 1L-1R1. Based on our previous report, where DPIE [2-(1,2-Diphenyl-1

Introduction and Objectives. Most patients with colorectal cancer are elderly. Literature is scarce on elderly patients submitted to robotic-assisted surgery, despite the feasibility shown in other age groups. The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative and survival outcomes of robotic-assisted colorectal cancer surgery in elderly patients. Materials and Methods. Data of all patients ≥75 years who underwent a robotic-assisted curative resection in Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, South Korea, between January 2007 and January 2021 were extracted from a prospectively maintained colorectal cancer database. Patients were subdivided into the three groups according to the age: youngest-old (YO: 75–80 years), middle-old (MO: 81–85), and oldest-old (OO: ≥86 years). Intraoperative findings, postoperative, and oncological outcomes were compared between the groups. Results. Seventy-six consecutive patients (female 52.6%) were included; mean age was 80 years (SD 0.33); mean body mass index (BMI), 23.8 20.9 kg/m2 (SD 3.58); mean total operative time, 279 min (SD 80.93); mean blood loss, 186 ml (SD 204.03); mean postoperative length of stay, 14 days (SD 12.03). Major complications were seen in 2.1% of patients. The 30-day mortality rate was 0%. Average number of lymph node harvested was 20.9 (SD 12.33). Postoperative complications were not statistically different between the groups. Mean follow-up time for cancer-specific survival (CSS) was 99.28 months for the YO, 72.11 months for MO, and 31.25 months for OO groups ( p = 0.045). The CSS rates at 5 years were 27.0%, 21.0%, and 0%, respectively. Recurrence risk was 10.50 times higher in the OO group than the others (adjusted HR, 95% CI 1.868–59.047, p = 0.008). In the multivariable analysis, TNM stage was not a risk factor for CSS in all groups. The number of the harvested nodes was a protective factor for recurrence (HR of 0.932, 95% CI 0.875–0.992, p = 0.027) and CSS (HR of 0.928, 95% CI 0.861–0.999, p = 0.047) in elderly patients. Conclusion. Robotic surgery is highly feasible in elderly and very elderly colorectal cancer patients, providing a favorable operative safety profile and an acceptable cancer-specific survival outcome.

Background and AimAlthough endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) after failed primary ERCP in malignant distal biliary obstruction has similar clinical outcomes compared to percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), little is known about optimal cost-saving strategy after failed ERCP. We performed a cost analysis of EUS-BD and PTBD after failed ERCP in two countries with different health care systems in the East and West.MethodsFrom an unpublished database nested in a randomized controlled trial, we compared the cost between EUS-BD and PTBD in Korea. The total cost was defined as the sum of the total biliary drainage costs plus the cost of hospital stay to manage adverse events. We also performed a cost-minimization analysis using a decision-analytic model of a US Medicare population.ResultsIn Korea, the median total costs for the biliary intervention ($1,203.36 for EUS-BD vs. $1,517.83 for PTBD; P=.0015) and the median total costs for the entire treatment were significantly higher in PTBD ($4,175.53 for EUS-BD vs. $5,391.87 for PTBD; P=.0496) due to higher re-intervention rate in PTBD. In cost-minimization analysis of US Medicare population, EUS-BD would cost $9,497.03 and PTBD $13,878.44 from a Medicare insurance perspective (average cost-savings in choosing EUS-BD of $4,381.41 in the US). In sensitivity analysis, EUS-BD was favored over PTBD regardless of the expected re-intervention rate in EUS-BD and PTBD.ConclusionsEUS-BD may have an impact on cost-savings due to better clinical outcomes profile compared to PTBD after failed ERCP, even in different medical insurance programs.

A series of (S)-3-(1-aminoethyl)-8-pyrimidinyl-2-phenylisoquinoline-1(2H)-ones 3a–3k was synthesized in 40–98% yield through Suzuki–Miyaura coupling using Pd(PPh3)2Cl2, Sphos, and K2CO3 in THF/H2O mixed solvent. All newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for cell viability (IC50) against MDA-MB-231, HeLa, and HepG2 cells. The antitumor activities of 3a–3k were improved when various pyrimidine motifs were introduced at position C-8 of the isoquinolinone ring.

Funder: Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award, Smart textiles consist of discrete devices fabricated from-or incorporated onto-fibres. Despite the tremendous progress in smart textiles for lighting/display applications, a large scale approach for a smart display system with integrated multifunctional devices in traditional textile platforms has yet to be demonstrated. Here we report the realisation of a fully operational 46-inch smart textile lighting/display system consisting of RGB fibrous LEDs coupled with multifunctional fibre devices that are capable of wireless power transmission, touch sensing, photodetection, environmental/biosignal monitoring, and energy storage. The smart textile display system exhibits full freedom of form factors, including flexibility, bendability, and rollability as a vivid RGB lighting/grey-level-controlled full colour display apparatus with embedded fibre devices that are configured to provide external stimuli detection. Our systematic design and integration strategies are transformational and provide the foundation for realising highly functional smart lighting/display textiles over large area for revolutionary applications on smart homes and internet of things (IoT)., EU H2020, 1D-NEON, Grant agreement ID:685758 EPSRC, EP/P027628/1

Background The purpose of this study was to compare the treatment efficacy and safety of re-irradiation (re-RT) using stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and initial SABR for primary, recurrent lung cancer or metastatic lung tumor. Methods A retrospective review of the medical records of 336 patients who underwent lung SABR was performed. Re-RT was defined as the overlap of the 70% isodose line of second-course SABR with that of the initial radiotherapy, and 20 patients were classified as the re-RT group. The median dose of re-RT using SABR was 54 Gy (range 48–60 Gy), and the median fraction number was 4 (range 4–6). One-to-three case-matched analysis with propensity score matching was used, and 60 patients were included in the initial SABR group of the matched cohort. Results The 1- and 2-year local control rates for the re-RT group were 73.9% and 63.3% and those for the initial SABR group in the matched cohort were 92.9% and 87.7%, respectively (P = 0.013). There was no difference in distant metastasis-free, progression-free, and overall survival rates. The crude grade ≥ 2 toxicity rates were 40.0% for the re-RT group and 25.0% for the initial SABR group (P = 0.318). Re-RT group had higher acute grade ≥ 2 toxicity rates (25.0% vs 5.0%, P = 0.031). One incident of grade 3 toxicity (pulmonary) was reported in the re-RT group; there was no grade 4‒5 toxicity. Conclusions The local control rate of the in-field re-RT SABR was lower than that of the initial SABR without compromising the survival rates. The toxicity of re-RT using SABR was acceptable.

Chemical pesticides are still frequently overused to diminish such crop loss caused by biotic stress despite the threat to humans and the environment. Thus, it is urgent to find safer and more effective defense strategies. In this study, we report that caffeine, implanted through a transgenic approach, enhances resistance against variable biotic stresses in rice without fitness cost. Caffeine-producing rice (CPR) was generated by introducing three N-methyltransferase genes involved in the biosynthesis of caffeine in coffee plants. The CPR plants have no differences in morphology and growth compared to their wild-type counterparts, but they show strongly enhanced resistance to both bacterial leaf blight, rice blast, and attack of white-backed planthoppers. Caffeine acts as a repellent agent against rice pathogens. Moreover, caffeine triggers a series of Ca

This study shows to obtain smart healthcare through histological and behavioral comparison analysis of brain injury by grafted cells into brain tissue. We used MCAO rat to experimentally investigate the extent of stroke-induced cerebral infarction and smart intelligence with IoT. The experiment was proceeded. Experimental rats (n = 36) were separately assigned to two groups after ischemic surgery: We divided into two different groups in testing the sham-control of PBS-only group and mESC injection group. Significant functional benefit in the experimental stage resulted by the transplantation procedure of embryonic stem cells into damaged brain tissue. We found behavioral and immunological differences between two groups. We study to closely examine the neuro-regeneration and rehabilitation functions of rat model individuals through clinical application systems. This research suggests that cell therapy shows a powerful approach for severe central nervous system.

Purpose We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of temperature-controlled intraductal radiofrequency ablation (ID-RFA) for advanced malignant hilar biliary obstruction (MHBO). Methods Patients were randomly assigned to RFA group (ID-RFA and bilateral plastic stent [PS]) or non-RFA group (bilateral PS) at a 1:1 ratio. Exchange to self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) was performed after three months or when premature PS occlusion occurred. Total event-free stent patency, overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed. Results A total of 30 patients from three hospitals were enrolled. Stent patency and OS did not differ between the two groups (178 days vs. 122 days, P = 0.154; 230 days vs. 144 days, P = 0.643; respectively). In patients with each stricture length ≥ 11 mm on both sides, stent patency was longer in the RFA group than in the non-RFA group (175 days vs. 121 days, P = 0.028). More patients received elective exchange to SEMS without PS occlusion in the RFA group than in the non-RFA group (69.2% vs. 23.1%, P = 0.018). AE rates did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions Temperature-controlled ID-RFA for advanced MHBO was safe and feasible. It could prevent premature PS occlusion within 3 months.

Oral healthcare is a critical condition for high quality of life. According to statistics, gingivitis is one of major diseases in the world (The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, 3.5 billion population worldwide). Oral diseases, that initiated by a group of multispecies bacteria with diverse extracellular slime that called biofilms, are modifiable risk factors with the cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease. Hence, effective management of biofilms is important. Since biofilms are comprised of extracellular matrix that inhibit drug diffusion, the traditional antibiotic treatment requires 500 -5000 times more concentration than planktonic bacterial infection. The biofilm cleaning in dentistry includes time-consuming and painful physical brushing. In this work, we have developed a new electric toothbrush in emphasis on demonstration of convenient and painless gingivitis improvement device. For the first time, the toothbrush has been integrated with an electromagnetic technology for effective biofilm removal, known for bioelectric effect (BE). Biofilms consists of electrically charged molecules that are affected by external electric fields. Thus, when an electric field is applied, it creates interruption of metabolism, reduction of enzyme activity, weakening surface attachment, and nonuniform electrolyte distribution, resulting in separation from the surface. Thus, integration of the BE on a toothbrush enables enhanced biofilm reduction. The toothbrush tested with mild gingival patient (N=40) at the department of dentistry, Ulsan University Hospital, South Korea. The patient used the BE toothbrush and non-BE toothbrush consecutively for 2 weeks in each, following their gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PI) measurement for the quantitative analysis. The results demonstrate 1.75 times more decrease of GI in BE toothbrush than the data of the non-BE device (p0.05). In conclusion, a new electromagnetic wave toothbrush has been successfully demonstrated especially in reduction of inflammation. Based on this work, we are going to further develop a medical device that dedicated on the treatment of inflammation.

The therapeutic utility of peroral cholangioscopy (POC) is limited. Direct POC using an ultra‑slim upper endoscope expands the therapeutic indications because of its larger working channel, of up to 2.2 mm. We evaluated the feasibility of selective biliary drainage using a plastic stent under direct POC. From April 2015 to March 2019, biliary drainage under endoscopic visualization was performed in the same endoscopic session as direct POC without exchanging the duodenoscope. After guidewire insertion through the stricture or stone, a 5 Fr plastic stent and/or nasobiliary drainage catheter was used for biliary drainage. Selective biliary drainage under direct POC was performed in 32 patients, including 17 with difficult bile duct stones. Biliary drainage was performed with a plastic stent in 29 patients, nasobiliary drainage in one, and combined drainage in two patients. The technical success rate for biliary drainage placement under direct POC was 100 % (32/32). No significant procedure-related complications occurred. In conclusion, biliary drainage with a plastic stent or catheter under direct POC using an ultra-slim upper endoscope is feasible and may be useful for lesions obstructing the bile duct.

Recent evidence shows an association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and liver steatosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Studies suggest that improved glycemic control, weight loss, and GLP-1 agonists may halt progression and even improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, little is known about the extent of improvement these factors have on liver fibrosis. ADA guidelines suggest only patients with T2DM or pre-DM and elevated liver enzymes (or fatty liver on ultrasound) should be evaluated for NAFLD and fibrosis. Three patients ages 65-71 with long-standing T2DM, HLD, obesity, and no history of liver disease or current alcohol use were followed in our diabetic clinic and referred for screening for liver steatosis and fibrosis. The transient elastography method (fibroscan) was used to determine the degree of liver fibrosis. On initial fibroscans, all three patients were found to have F4 scores consistent with liver cirrhosis. The first patient is a 71-year-old male with T2DM (BMI 37.5kg/m 2), treated with semaglutide, empagliflozin, glipizide, and insulin. Over two years, he experienced a 4-lb weight loss and improvement in HbA1c(7.8% to 7.1%). Repeat fibroscan after two years showed improved fibrosis score – F3 (11.6 kPa to 10.2 kPa), consistent with moderate fibrosis. The second patient is a 69-year-old female with T2DM (BMI 37.3kg/m 2) and transient mild LFT abnormalities, found to have cirrhosis on fibroscan – F4 score. She was managed with semaglutide, empagliflozin, metformin, and insulin; weight decreased 9-lbs over two years and HbA1c improved(10.8% to 7.8%). Repeat fibroscan showed improvement in fibrosis score to F2 (15.1 kPa to 8.9 kPa), and her LFT abnormalities resolved. The third patient is a 65-year-old male with T2DM (BMI 35kg/m 2). His initial fibroscan showed cirrhotic liver – F4 score. He was maintained on empagliflozin and dulaglutide- then switched to semaglutide. He experienced a 10-lb weight loss during this time and had a stable HbA1c(6.6%). Repeat fibroscan after one year showed improvement to F0-F1(11.3 kPa to 6.1 kPa) consistent with little to no liver scarring. These cases highlight two important factors: 1) ADA liver screening guidelines should be expanded to include obesity and dyslipidemia; and 2) advanced liver fibrosis in patients with diabetes is, to some degree, reversible. Not all of the patients initially met standard ADA screening criteria, mostly without elevated liver enzymes and no prior abnormal liver imaging. Yet, all were diabetic and obese with dyslipidemia, which are independent risk factors for NAFLD. Additionally, patients with improved glycemic control on GLP-1 treatment as well as some weight loss have promising results on repeat fibroscan. These findings may improve screening and management of diabetes-related liver disease. Further studies are needed to investigate to what extent GLP-1 agonists alone or in combination with glycemic control and weight loss contribute to these improvements. Presentation: No date and time listed

Fine control of ultramicroporosity (

Background The purpose of this study was to analyze the treatment efficacy and safety of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) boost for cervical cancer patients not amenable to brachytherapy. Methods A retrospective review of the medical records from single institution of 25 eligible patients was performed. The patients underwent pelvic radiotherapy (RT) in 25 or 28 fractions with a median dose of 45 Gy (range 44–50.4 Gy). SABR boost was delivered after pelvic RT, with a median dose of 25 Gy (range 20–33 Gy), and a median fraction number of 5 (range 4–6). 21 patients with a follow-up period of more than one year were included in the toxicity analysis, and hematuria and hematochezia that occurred later than 3 months after the RT were graded. Results The median follow-up period after radiotherapy was 2.85 years (range 0.33–6.60). The 3-year local control, locoregional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates were 80.9%, 75.8%, 40.9%, and 77.1%, respectively. 5 patients experienced grade 3 toxicity (3 genitourinary, 3 gastrointestinal), and no grade 4–5 toxicity was reported. Univariate analysis showed that cumulative D2cc in equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) of rectum was marginally predictive for any grade of hematochezia (P = 0.051). Cumulative D2cc EQD2 of bladder was not predictive for hematuria. In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the optimal threshold of cumulative rectal D2cc EQD2 was 81.2 Gy for any grade of hematochezia. Conclusion SABR boost for cervical cancer was effective and tolerable. Although it cannot substitute brachytherapy, it can be a treatment option when brachytherapy is not possible.

sQuantum dot light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) are considered as competitive candidate for next-generation displays or lightings. Recent advances in the synthesis of core/shell quantum dots (QDs) and tailoring procedures for achieving their high quantum yield have facilitated the emergence of high-performance QD-LEDs. Meanwhile, the charge-carrier dynamics in QD-LED devices, which constitutes the remaining core research area for further improvement of QD-LEDs, is, however, poorly understood yet. Here, we propose a charge transport model in which the charge-carrier dynamics in QD-LEDs are comprehensively described by computer simulations. The charge-carrier injection is modelled by the carrier-capturing process, while the effect of electric fields at their interfaces is considered. The simulated electro-optical characteristics of QD-LEDs, such as the luminance, current density and external quantum efficiency (EQE) curves with varying voltages, show excellent agreement with experiments. Therefore, our computational method proposed here provides a useful means for designing and optimising high-performance QD-LED devices.

Chronic inflammatory skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, are caused by the accumulation of immune cells and the overproduction of chemokines, including CCL17 and CCL22, due to the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted from keratinocytes. In the present study, the inhibitory activity of HM-V on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)/interferon gamma (IFN-γ)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines was examined in human keratinocytes (HaCaTs) and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNCB)-induced chronic skin contact dermatitis animal models. Traditional Asian medicinal herb extracts mixture (HM-V), which have been extensively used in Asian medicine, were utilized. In TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced HaCaTs, HM-V strongly inhibited mRNA and protein expression of CCL17 and CCL22 in a concentration-dependent manner. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 was also inhibited. Therefore, localized administration of HM-V in the DNCB-induced animal model alleviated immune cell deposition and skin inflammation. The results indicate that HM-V exerts inhibitory effects on keratinocyte production of CCL17 and CCL22. Furthermore, HM-V may be a useful anti-inflammatory agent for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.

Cudrania tricuspidata extracts (CTE) and Stewartia koreana extracts (SKE) are viable drugs for managing inflammation. We investigated the nitric oxide levels of CTE and a mixture of CTE/SKE (CTE mix) against lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells. In addition, we administered the CTE and CTE mix to mice with collagen-induced arthritis to confirm an anti-inflammatory effect against rheumatoid arthritis. We analyzed arthritis symptoms by oral administration of CTE mix using a CIA-induced animal model and analyzed the inhibitory activity of NO production with in vitro experiments. Both the CTE and CTE mix decreased nitric oxide levels, and a 2:1 ratio of CTE mix was most effective in vivo among the varying ratios of CTE mix tested. The spleen size increased by about 2.1 times, and the lymph node size decreased by about 2.5 times relative compared to the vehicle group. In blood biochemical analyses, tumor necrosis factor–α levels decreased by about three times, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 levels were reduced by about eight times and three times, and PRG4 expression levels were increased by about 2.5 times relative to the vehicle group. We suggest that the CTE mix was superior to CTE alone and has potential as an anti-inflammatory treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease accompanied by pathological reactions such as swelling, redness, fever, and pain in various joint areas. The drugs currently available to treat arthritis are associated with diverse side-effects. Therefore, there is a need for safer and more effective treatments to alleviate the inflammation of arthritis with fewer side-effects. In this study, a new sterol, Δ8(14)-ergostenol, was discovered, and its glycosides were synthesized and found to be more efficient in terms of synthesis or anti-inflammatory activity than either spinasterol or 5,6-dihydroergosterol is. Among these synthetic glycosides, galactosyl ergostenol inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators in TNF-α-stimulated FLS and TNF-α-induced MMPs and collagen type II A1 degradation in human chondrocytes. These results suggest the new galactosyl ergostenol as a treatment candidate for arthritis.

Background There have been many studies on the clinical characteristics of neutrophilic, lymphocytic, and/or eosinophilic pleural effusion. While caring for patients with pleural effusion, we found that histiocytic pleural effusion (HisPE) was not uncommon. However, few studies have explored HisPE. The purpose of the present study was to determine the clinical characteristics and etiologies of HisPE. Methods In this retrospective study, HisPE was defined as pleural fluid white blood cells comprised of ≥ 50% histiocytes. Using a clinical data warehouse, patients with HisPE among all patients aged >18 years who underwent thoracentesis and pleural fluid analysis between January 2010 and December 2019 at Ulsan University Hospital were enrolled. A total of 295 (9.0%) of 3279 patients who underwent thoracentesis were identified as HisPE patients. Among them, 201 with exudative HisPE were included. Clinical characteristics and etiologies were extracted from medical records and analyzed. Results Among the 201 patients with exudative HisPE, the major causes were malignant pleural effusion (n = 102 [50.7%]), parapneumonic effusion (n = 9 [4.5%]), and tuberculous pleurisy (n = 9 [4.5%]). In the 102 patients with malignant pleural effusion, the main types of cancer were lung (n = 42 [41.2%]), breast (n = 16 [15.7%]), and stomach cancer (n = 11 [10.8%]). Among lung cancers, adenocarcinoma (n = 34 [81.0%]) was the most common histology. Conclusions The leading cause of exudative HisPE was malignancy, particularly lung cancer. Physicians should consider the possibility of malignant disease if histiocytes are predominantly present in pleural effusion.

Background Drug-resistance surveillance (DRS) data provide key information for building an effective treatment regimen in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). This study was conducted to investigate the patterns and trends of additional drug resistance in MDR-TB patients in South Korea. Methods Phenotypic drug susceptibility test (DST) results of MDR-TB patients collected from seven hospitals in South Korea from 2010 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Results In total, 633 patients with MDR-TB were included in the analysis. Of all patients, 361 (57.0%) were new patients. All patients had additional resistance to a median of three anti-TB drugs. The resistance rates of any fluoroquinolone (FQ), linezolid, and cycloserine were 26.2%, 0.0%, and 6.3%, respectively. The proportions of new patients and resistance rates of most anti-TB drugs did not decrease during the study period. The number of additional resistant drugs was significantly higher in FQ-resistant MDR-TB than in FQ-susceptible MDR-TB (median of 9.0 vs. 2.0). Among 26 patients with results of minimum inhibitory concentrations for bedaquiline (BDQ) and delamanid (DLM), one (3.8%) and three (11.5%) patients were considered resistant to BDQ and DLM with interim critical concentrations, respectively. Based on the DST results, 72.4% and 24.8% of patients were eligible for the World Health Organization's longer and shorter MDR-TB treatment regimen, respectively. Conclusion The proportions of new patients and rates of additional drug resistance in patients with MDR-TB were high and remain stable in South Korea. A nationwide analysis of DRS data is required to provide effective treatment for MDR-TB patients in South Korea., Graphical Abstract

The scribe line (also known as kerf or frame) is an area in the silicon wafer which is used to separate individual die at the end of wafer processing. The scribe line also contains features which assist in the manufacturing process but are not present in the final product. Examples of such features include lithography alignment and overlay marks, thickness measurement pads, and electrical test macros. The overall design of scribe line features can be drastically different from the die layout. In the chemical mechanical polishing process, regions of low pattern density have higher polishing rates compared to those of high pattern density, leading to overpolishing or “dishing”. The scribe line, with intermittent regions of low and high pattern density, is naturally more prone to dishing, an issue which is exacerbated by thickness variation at the wafer edge. In this work, we present examples of unforeseen defects caused by interaction between process variation and scribe line design, which can eventually lead to yield loss in the prime die. The findings in this paper pertain to “common platform” FINFET technology but can be extended to other technologies due to similar process steps employed in semiconductor manufacturing.

The battery-supercapacitor hybrid (BSH) device has potential applications in energy storage and can be a remedy for low-power batteries and low-energy supercapacitors. Although several studies have investigated electrode materials (particularly for a battery-type anode material) and design for BSHs, the energy density and power density are insufficient (far from the levels required for practical applications). Herein, a hierarchical vanadium(IV) oxide on reduced graphene oxide (rGO@VO