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BackgroundLung cancer diagnosis affects an individual’s quality of life as well as physical and emotional functioning. Information on survivorship care tends to be introduced at the end of treatment, but early intervention may affect posttreatment adjustment. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has explored the effect of early information intervention on the return to work, family, and societal roles of lung cancer survivors. ObjectiveWe report the study protocol of a comprehensive care prehabilitation intervention designed to facilitate lung cancer survivors’ psychological adjustment after treatment. MethodsA comprehensive care program was developed based on a literature review and a qualitative study of patients with lung cancer and health professionals. The Lung Cancer Comprehensive Care Program consists of educational videos and follow-up visits by a family medicine physician. To prevent contamination, the control group received routine education, whereas the intervention group received routine care and intervention. Both groups completed questionnaires before surgery (T0) and at 1-month (T1), 6-month (T2), and 1-year (T3) follow-up visits after surgery. The primary outcome was survivors’ psychological adjustment to cancer 6 months after pulmonary resection. ResultsThe historical control group (n=441) was recruited from September 8, 2021, to April 20, 2022, and the intervention group (n=350) was recruited from April 22, 2022, to October 17, 2022. All statistical analyses will be performed upon completion of the study. ConclusionsThis study examined the effectiveness of an intervention that provided general and tailored informational support to lung cancer survivors, ranging from before to the end of treatment. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05078918; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05078918 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/54707

In epithelial cells, Scribble forms cell-cell junctions and contributes to cell morphology and homeostasis by regulating apical-basolateral polarity in mammals and functions as a tumor suppressor in many carcinomas. The initial diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma is important, and its prognosis is poor when accompanied by metastasis. However, research on the mechanisms of oral squamous cell carcinoma metastasis is insufficient. Herein, we showed that Scribble regulates the apical-basolateral polarity of oral squamous cell carcinoma by regulating lethal giant larvae 1, Scribble module and E-cadherin, the adhesion junction. The expression of lethal giant larvae 1 and E-cadherin decreased when the expression of Scribble was knocked down and their localization was completely disrupted in both the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line and in vivo model. In particular, the Scribble was involved in oral squamous cell carcinoma metastasis via hsa-miR-199b-5p, which is a microenvironmental factor of hypoxia. The disruption of Scribble localization under hypoxic conditions, but its localization was maintained in miR-199b-5p oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines and in vivo. These results suggest that Scribble functions as a tumor suppressor marker mediated by miR-199b-5p in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

This study investigated the reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from waste polypropylene (PP) from automobile bumpers by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction. The scCO2 extraction was performed with varying temperatures, pressures, and times in the range of 313–353 K, 10–25 MPa, and 1–6 h, respectively. At 333 K, 25 MPa, and 6 h, highly efficient removal of xylene, styrene, and total VOCs were observed, with removal percentages of >98 %. Optimal condition for VOC removal using scCO2 based on response surface methodology was determined to be 313 K, 10 MPa, and 2.17 h. No differences in size and color were observed in the scCO2-treated PP pellets. Moreover, VOC removal using scCO2 did not induce noticeable changes in the chemical and thermal properties of the treated PP samples. This result demonstrated that scCO2 extraction is a promising method for the VOC removal from automobile plastic waste.

Abstract Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly malignant tumor that is frequently associated with lymph node metastasis, resulting in poor prognosis and survival in patients. In the tumor microenvironment, hypoxia plays an important role in regulating cellular responses such as progressive and rapid growth and metastasis. In these processes, tumor cells autonomously undergo diverse transitions and acquire functions. However, hypoxia-induced transition of OSCC and the involvement of hypoxia in OSCC metastasis remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism of hypoxia-induced OSCC metastasis and particularly, its impact on tight junctions (TJs). Methods The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) was detected in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 29 patients with OSCC using reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The migration and invasion abilities of OSCC cell lines treated with small interfering (si)RNA targeting HIF-1α or cultured in hypoxic conditions were analyzed using Transwell assays. The effect of HIF-1α expression on in vivo tumor metastasis of OSCC cells was evaluated using lung metastasis model. Results HIF-1α was overexpressed in patients with OSCC. OSCC metastasis was correlated with HIF-1α expression in OSCC tissues. Hypoxia increased the migration and invasion abilities of OSCC cell lines by regulating the expression and localization of partitioning-defective protein 3 (Par3) and TJs. Furthermore, HIF-1α silencing effectively decreased the invasion and migration abilities of OSCC cell lines and restored TJ expression and localization via Par3. The expression of HIF-1α was positively regulated the OSCC metastasis in vivo. Conclusions Hypoxia promotes OSCC metastasis by regulating the expression and localization of Par3 and TJ proteins. HIF-1α positively correlates to OSCC metastasis. Lastly, HIF-1α expression could regulate the expression of Par3 and TJs in OSCC. This finding may aid in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of OSCC metastasis and progression and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for OSCC metastasis.

Although astaxanthin has promising physiological functions, its practical applications are limited by poor stability. Herein, astaxanthin was encapsulated in β-cyclodextrin (βCD) using CO2 as a supercritical antisolvent (SAS). The effects of process conditions, including temperature (313–333 K), pressure (12–18 MPa), solution concentration (3–5 wt%), solution flow rate (0.8–1.2 mL min−1), and astaxanthin-to-βCD mole ratio (1:50, 1:25, or 1:10), on the encapsulation efficiency, particle morphology, and residual solvent content were investigated. Astaxanthin–βCD complex spheres with an average diameter of 0.44 ± 0.08 µm were produced at 313 K and 15 MPa with a solution concentration and flow rate of 5 wt%, and 1.0 mL min−1, respectively. Under these optimal conditions, almost complete encapsulation (99.6% encapsulation efficiency) and residual organic solvent removal (0.22 ppm in the complex) were achieved. Density functional theory analysis of the configuration of the astaxanthin–βCD complex indicate that the hydroxyl hydrogen atoms on an ionone ring of astaxanthin interact with the oxygen atoms of βCD, but the ionone ring does not fit deeply within the βCD cavity. Notably, the astaxanthin–βCD complex exhibits higher thermal stability and antioxidant activity than free astaxanthin. The findings suggest that βCD encapsulation via the SAS process can produce astaxanthin microparticles with potential utility for food and pharmaceutical applications.

Abstract Background Rapid metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is associated with a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying OSCC metastasis have not been fully elucidated. Although deregulated expression of microRNA (miRNA) has a crucial role in malignant cancer progression, the biological function of miRNA in OSCC progression remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the function of miRNA-18a in OSCC metastatic regulation via hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Methods miRNA-18a-5p (miRNA-18a) expressions in patients with OSCC (n = 39) and in OSCC cell lines (e.g., YD-10B and HSC-2 cells) were analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. HIF-1α protein expressions in OSCC cells treated with miRNA-18a mimics or combined with cobalt chloride were analyzed using western blotting. The miRNA-18a expression-dependent proliferation and invasion abilities of OSCC cells were analyzed using MTT assay, EdU assay, and a Transwell® insert system. Results miRNA-18a expression was significantly lower in OSCC tissue than in the adjacent normal tissue. In OSCC cell lines, HIF-1α expression was significantly decreased by miRNA-18a mimic treatment. Furthermore, the migration and invasion abilities of OSCC cells were significantly decreased by miRNA-18a mimics and significantly increased by the overexpression of HIF-1α under hypoxic conditions relative to those abilities in cells treated only with miRNA-18a mimics. Conclusions miRNA-18a negatively affects HIF-1α expression and inhibits the metastasis of OSCC, thereby suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for antimetastatic strategies in OSCC.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the curative therapy for decompensated cirrhosis. However, anesthesiologists can find it challenging to manage patients undergoing LT due to the underlying pathologic conditions of patients with end-stage liver disease and the high invasiveness of the procedure, which is frequently accompanied by massive blood loss. Echocardiography is a non-invasive or semi-invasive imaging tool that provides real-time information about the structural and functional status of the heart and is considered to be able to improve outcomes by enabling accurate and detailed assessments. This article reviews the pathophysiologic changes of the heart accompanied by cirrhosis that mainly affect hemodynamics. We also present a comparative review of the diagnostic criteria for cirrhotic cardiomyopathy published by the World Congress of Gastroenterology in 2005 and the Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy Consortium in 2019. This article discusses the conditions that could affect hemodynamic stability and postoperative outcomes, such as coronary artery disease, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, portopulmonary hypertension, hepatopulmonary syndrome, pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, patent foramen ovale, and ascites. Finally, we cover a number of intraoperative factors that should be considered, including intraoperative blood loss, rapid reaccumulation of ascites, manipulation of the inferior vena cava, post-reperfusion syndrome, and adverse effects of excessive fluid infusion and transfusion. This article aimed to summarize the cardiovascular manifestations of cirrhosis that can affect hemodynamics and can be evaluated using perioperative echocardiography. We hope that this article will provide information about the hemodynamic characteristics of LT recipients and stimulate more active use of perioperative echocardiography.

The primary goal of image color correction is to minimize color confusion for those people who experience deficiencies in their ability to distinguish certain colors. When the colors in a particular image are converted so as to make them perceivable to color vision deficient people, most of the existing methods correct all the colors of the image instead of only the specific colors that are confused. When ordinary people view the images converted using such techniques, they experience a significant difference in perception. To solve this problem, this study investigates the color perception of color vision deficient people through analysis of confused color regions in images and proposes a new method that corrects the minimum number of color regions into optimal colors. For this purpose, the proposed method builds a confusion line database for colors confused by color vision deficient people using the CIEDE2000 color-difference formula and Brettel's method for simulation of color vision deficiency in the offline stage. In the online processing stage, regions are divided through the region growing technique, and the colors in the divided images are compared. When there exist confused colors by color vision deficient people, a method for finding the optimal color is proposed through the confusion line database. Furthermore, this study developed an optimization index to propose a method of finding such optimal colors and validated them through various tests. The excellence of the color correction results of this study was demonstrated based on an objective index as well as on participants' subjective visual perception through comparative experiments with other existing studies.

Multiple vertebral compression fractures are a rare condition and are a serious consequence of postpartum osteoporosis. This report describes the case of a 35-year-old woman who had given birth to her first child 2 months before the onset of pain. Magnetic resonance imaging showed compression fractures of 7 vertebrae. The patient was treated with both conventional, and Korean medicine methods including acupuncture and herbal prescriptions. The patient’s progress was assessed using self-reported symptoms, scale scores and laboratory test results. Her pain was gradually alleviated and biochemical inflammation marker levels improved, but her functional status remained severely impaired. Clinical practitioners who treat women in the postpartum period must be aware of osteoporosis and potential vertebral fractures and need to consider Korean medicine as an alternative therapy to help such patients.

Background The purpose of this survey study was to understand how utilization of X-rays as an adjunct to Chuna manual therapy (CT) supports treatment, as assessed by Korean medicine doctors (KMDs). Methods A survey was emailed to all 18,289 members of the Association of Korean Oriental Medicine (AKOM)to determine the implications of X-ray use in CT. Surveys were collected from September 22, 2017 to October 15, 2017. Results Of the 18,289 KMDs 562 completed the survey. The implications of a radiological diagnosis (X-ray) with CT was assessed using 5 items in a questionnaire: time to diagnosis, accuracy of treatment, patient comprehension and satisfaction, CT effect, and safety of CT. Survey participants identified improvement in patient comprehension and satisfaction as the most important factor for X-ray use with CT, followed by increased safety of CT. From the determinant factors for selection of CT intensity and specific techniques, severity of clinical symptoms was shown to be the most influential factor. Degenerative changes of the spine and degree of spinal malposition were also reported to be highly influential. Conclusions The KMDs’ that participated in this study indicated that utilization of X-rays in conjunction with CT administration improved patient comprehension and satisfaction, and CT safety. Installation of radiological equipment in Korean medicine clinics where CT is provided may increase safety and patients’ satisfaction.

Conversion of low-grade waste heat into electricity is an important energy harvesting strategy. Here, the authors fabricate carbon nanotube aerogel-based thermo-electrochemical cells, which are potentially low-cost and relatively high-efficiency materials for this application.