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Edible insects are a potential and sustainable protein resource. Various extraction methods are used to process edible insects. However, the residue fraction is discarded after protein extraction because of its poor functional properties, despite having a high protein content. This study was conducted to improve the functional properties of re-extracted protein from the raw and hydrolysed protein extraction residues, and to demonstrate the most effective condition of extraction buffer. Residues from Hermetia illucens L. protein water extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis extraction were hydrated using different pH buffers (0.1 M HCl, distilled water, and 0.1 M NaOH). Compared to the pH of the extract from the re-dissolved residue, the proteins from hydrolysed samples were acidic. Changes in colour values were observed for the different buffers and hydrolysis conditions applied. Protein solubility, foaming properties, and emulsifying properties of the protein improved after hydrolysis. In conclusion, hydrolysed protein extraction using the swelling method under alkaline conditions may improve the protein functionality of the residue fraction in H. illucens.

Recent studies on the composition of edible insects have placed more emphasis on the quantity and quality of macro- and micronutrients and less emphasis on their bioactive components. This study aimed to assess the effect of 0-100% ethanol solvent ratio considering 5-hydroxyindolin-2-one (5-HI) content on the extraction efficiency in Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae (PBSL) extract and to investigate the effect of PBSL on the induction of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) was validated for the quantification of 5-HI. The HPLC-DAD method was validated for its specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, and limits of quantitation. The calibration curve of 5-HI showed significant linearity (R2>1). The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.016 μg/ml and 0.048 μg/ml, respectively. The relative standard deviation of the precision and intraday tests was less than 0.5%. In the recovery test, the accuracy ranged from 94.48-105.5% and the relative standard deviation value was less than 0.13%. The method validation parameters indicate the applicability of the HPLC method for quality control of food or pharmaceutical formulations containing PBSL. Comparative analysis of the 5-HI content by extraction solvent revealed that it was the highest at 357.7 μg/ml in 70% ethanol. Additionally, the analysis result of 5-HI content according to the growth conditions was the highest at 439 μg/ml at 31 °C for 30 days. Furthermore, in the condition where PBSL was at 31 °C for 30 days inhibition of the TNF-α-induced upregulation of protein expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (E-selectin) was observed. Therefore, PBSL may interfere with early atherosclerotic events involving endothelial CAM induction.

White-spotted flower chafer (Protaetia brevitarsis) is an edible insect and P. brevitarsis larvae are used in traditional Oriental medicine. However, the molecular mechanisms behind the anti-inflammatory action of P. brevitarsis larvae are unknown. We investigated the effects of P. brevitarsis larvae ethanol extract (PBLE) on the inflammatory response as well as the molecular mechanisms underpinning this effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. PBLE effectively inhibited the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) through inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 protein expression and 20 μM PBLE suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, at a dose of. Further investigation of the mechanisms revealed that PBLE attenuated phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor alpha (IκB-α) and NF-κB p65 and interfered selectively with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and p38 phosphorylation. These findings provide the first molecular basis that PBLE could be a potential candidate for attenuating proinflammatory NO induction via selective inhibition of the NF-κB, ERK, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways. It is necessary to verify the anti-inflammatory action of PBLE and to ascertain the related mechanisms, both in in vivo models and in clinical studies, to enable the application of PBLE as a potential therapeutic agent for inflammatory diseases.

Glomangiopericytoma is a rare sinonasal mesenchymal tumor of borderline or low malignant potential. We reviewed the CT and MR imaging findings of head and neck glomangiopericytoma via a retrospective case series study and systematic review. Our study revealed that glomangiopericytoma is a well-defined lobulated avidly enhancing soft-tissue mass with erosive bony remodeling that is most commonly found in the sinonasal cavity. Typically, it is hyperintense on T2-weighted images with vascular signal voids, has a high mean ADC value, and a wash-in and washout pattern on dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging. Although the CT findings are nonspecific, typical MR imaging findings, including those on the ADC map and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging, may be helpful for differentiating glomangiopericytomas from other hypervascular tumors in the head and neck.

Crystal, electronic structures and the magnetic and electromagnetic wave absorption properties of BaFe12-xCoxO19 (x = 0–2) M-type hexaferrites prepared by a co-precipitation technique were studied. The analyses of X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the samples mainly crystallized in the P63/mmc hexagonal structure, with the additional constitution of Y-type hexaferrite as x > 0. The replacement of Co2+ for Fe3+ in BaFe12-xCoxO19 changed the lattice constants and caused lattice distortions. Particularly, Co2+ doping also reduced magnetization and hard magnetic property of BaFe12-xCoxO19. This is ascribed to magnetic moment of Co2+ smaller than that of Fe3+ and to the decrease of magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Having studied electromagnetic wave absorption properties in the frequency range f = 0.1–18 GHz, we found BaFe12-xCoxO19 showing high reflection loss (RL) values at frequencies of 0.1–15 GHz, but fairly low RL values at higher frequencies. These features suggest that BaFe12-xCoxO19 can be suitable to electronic devices working at GHz frequencies.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Early detection of local recurrence is important to increase the chance of cure because local recurrence is the main cause of treatment failure in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. We evaluated the added value of voxel-based color maps of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging compared with conventional MR imaging alone for detecting local recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 63 consecutive patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after definitive treatment and posttreatment surveillance MR imaging studies that demonstrated focal enhancement at the primary site. Three independent readers assessed conventional MR imaging and a pair of color maps of initial and final 90-second time-signal intensity areas under the curve from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging. The sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies of both conventional MR imaging alone and combined interpretation of conventional and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging were assessed using the clinicopathologic diagnosis as the criterion standard. κ statistics were used to evaluate interreader agreement. RESULTS: There were 28 patients with subsequently documented local recurrence and 35 with posttreatment change. Adding dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging to conventional MR imaging significantly increased the diagnostic accuracies for detecting local recurrence (48%–54% versus 87%–91%; P < .05), with excellent interreader agreement (κ = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.67–0.92 to κ = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69–0.93). By all 3 readers, the specificities were also significantly improved by adding dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging to conventional MR imaging (22%–43% versus 87%–91%; P < .001) without sacrificing the sensitivities (68%–82% versus 86%–89%; P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Adding voxel-based color maps of initial and final 90-second time-signal intensity areas under the curve from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging to conventional MR imaging increases the diagnostic accuracy to detect local recurrence in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by improving the specificity without sacrificing the sensitivity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: An accurate and comprehensive assessment of lymph node metastasis in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer is crucial in daily practice. This study constructed a predictive model with a risk scoring system based on CT characteristics of lymph nodes and tumors for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to stratify the risk of lymph node metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data included 476 cervical lymph nodes from 191 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma from a historical cohort. We analyzed preoperative CT images of lymph nodes, including diameter, ratio of long-to-short axis diameter, necrosis, conglomeration, infiltration to adjacent soft tissue, laterality and T-stage of the primary tumor. The reference standard comprised pathologic results. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to develop the risk scoring system. Internal validation was performed with 1000-iteration bootstrapping. RESULTS: Shortest axial diameter, ratio of long-to-short axis diameter, necrosis, and T-stage were used to develop a 9-point risk scoring system. The risk of malignancy ranged from 7.3% to 99.8%, which was positively associated with increased scores. Areas under the curve of the risk scoring systems were 0.886 (95% CI, 0.881–0.920) and 0.879 (95% CI, 0.845–0.914) in internal validation. The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test indicated that the risk scoring system was well-calibrated (P = .160). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a comprehensive and simple risk scoring system using CT characteristics in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to stratify the risk of lymph node metastasis. It could facilitate decision-making in daily practice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Carotid-cavernous fistulas are abnormal vascular shunts that can cause various neurologic or orbital symptoms. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of thin-section MR imaging for carotid cavernous fistula in patients with clinically suspected carotid cavernous fistula, and to identify possible imaging predictors of carotid cavernous fistula. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 98 patients who were clinically suspected of having carotid cavernous fistula (according to their symptoms and physical examinations) between January 2006 and September 2018 were included in this study. The patients underwent pretreatment thin-section MR imaging and DSA. Thin-section MR imaging consisted of 2D coronal T1- and T2WI with 3-mm thickness and 3D contrast-enhanced T1WI with 0.6 mm thickness. The diagnostic performance of thin-section MR imaging for carotid cavernous fistula was evaluated with the reference standard of DSA. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine possible imaging predictors of carotid cavernous fistula. RESULTS: Among the 98 patients, DSA confirmed 38 as having carotid cavernous fistula. The overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of thin-section MR imaging were 88.8%, 97.4%, and 83.3%, respectively. Possible imaging predictors on thin-section MR imaging included abnormal contour of the cavernous sinus (OR: 21.7), internal signal void of the cavernous sinus (OR: 15.3), prominent venous drainage flow (OR: 54.0), and orbital/periorbital soft tissue swelling (OR: 40.4). CONCLUSIONS: Thin-section MR imaging provides high diagnostic performance and possible imaging predictors of carotid cavernous fistula in patients with clinically suspected carotid cavernous fistula. Thin-section MR imaging protocols could help decide appropriate management plans for patients with clinically suspected carotid cavernous fistula.

Many universities have started to adopt online programming tools to support students’ programming practice, yet the services currently offered by the existing tools are somewhat passive with respect to considering a student’s programming skill level and providing appropriate code questions. To enhance students’ learning experience and improve their programming skills, it would be helpful to examine students’ programming abilities and provide them with the most suitable code questions and guidelines. Machine learning can play a role in modeling the level of students’ programming skills as well as the difficulty of questions by taking the students’ programming experience and code submissions into account. This paper presents a study on the development of machine learning models to classify the levels of students’ programming skills and those of programming questions, based on the data of students’ code submissions. We extracted a total of 197 features of code quality, code readability and system time. We used those features to build classification models. The model for the student level (four classes) and the question level (five classes) yielded 0.60 and 0.82 F1-scores, respectively, showing reasonable classification performance. We discuss our study highlights and their implications, such as group and question matching based on code submissions and user experience improvement.

BACKGROUND: Accurate lymph node staging is crucial for proper treatment planning for metastasis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. PURPOSE: Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of DWI for differentiating metastatic cervical lymph nodes from benign cervical lymph nodes in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and to identify optimal cutoff values for ADC. DATA SOURCES: A computerized literature search was performed to identify relevant original articles in Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE. STUDY SELECTION: Studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of DWI for differentiating metastatic cervical lymph nodes from benign cervical lymph nodes were selected. DATA ANALYSIS: Diagnostic meta-analysis was conducted with a bivariate random-effects model, and a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve was obtained. Meta-regression was also performed. DATA SYNTHESIS: Nine studies with 337 patients were included. In all studies, ADC values derived from metastatic lymph nodes were significantly lower than ADC values derived from benign lymph nodes. The median ADC cutoff value was 0.965 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for the diagnostic performance of DWI in differentiating metastatic lymph nodes from benign lymph nodes were 90% (95% CI, 84%–94%) and 88% (95% CI, 80%–93%), respectively. In the meta-regression, sensitivity was significantly higher in the studies using a 3-mm slice thickness (93% [95% CI, 88%–98%]) than in studies using a slice thickness of >3 mm (86% [95% CI, 77%–95%], P LIMITATIONS: A small number of studies were included in our meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: DWI demonstrated high diagnostic performance for differentiating metastatic lymph nodes from benign lymph nodes in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and the median ADC cutoff value was 0.965 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s. A 3-mm DWI slice thickness can provide a slight improvement in sensitivity.

Objectives No randomized controlled trials have evaluated the comparative outcomes of cefazolin versus nafcillin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteraemia. Methods A prospective observational cohort study including all S. aureus bacteraemia was conducted at 10 hospitals. Patients (≥15 years) with MSSA bacteraemia who received cefazolin or nafcillin as definitive antibiotics were included. The rates of treatment failure (premature discontinuation of antibiotics because of adverse effects, switching of antibiotics because of clinical failure, all-cause mortality within 1 month, or recurrence) were compared between the cefazolin and nafcillin groups. Propensity score matching analyses were performed to balance the factors influencing the selection of antibiotics. Results Among the 242 included cases, the bones and joints (36.8%) were the most common sites of infection and 60.7% of the patients had sepsis. The overall treatment failure rate was 43.8% (106/242). All-cause mortality within 1 month was 6.2% (15/242). After propensity score matching, the treatment failure rate of cefazolin was lower than that of nafcillin (30.4% (24/79) vs. 49.4% (39/79), p 0.015) because of a higher rate of discontinuation caused by adverse events. When the data were limited to patients with sepsis, the treatment failure rates of both groups were not significantly different. Approximately 22% (24/110) of MSSA isolates exhibited a cefazolin-inoculum effect (CIE) that had significant impact on the failure rate and mortality of the cefazolin group. Conclusions Cefazolin might be recommended as an adequate and better-tolerated treatment for MSSA bacteraemia in the absence of CIE.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The image quality of neck CT is frequently disturbed by streak artifact from the shoulder girdles. Our aim was to determine the effects of an arm traction device on image quality and radiation exposure in neck CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with lymphoma with complete remission who were scheduled to undergo 2 consecutive follow-up neck CT scans for surveillance within a 1-year interval were enrolled in this prospective study. They underwent 2 consecutive neck CT scans (intervention protocol: patients with an arm traction device; standard protocol: no positioning optimization) on the same CT system. The primary outcome measures were image noise in the lower neck and dose-length product. Secondary outcomes were streak artifacts in the supraclavicular fossa, volume CT dose index, and the extent of the biacromial line shift. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients were enrolled and underwent 2 consecutive CT scans with a mean interval of 155 days. In the intervention protocol, a mean noise reduction in the lower neck of 25.2%–28.5% (P < .001) was achieved, and a significant decrease in dose-length product (413 versus 397, P < .001) was observed. The intervention protocol significantly decreased streak artifacts (P < .001) and volume CT dose index (13.9 versus 13.4, P < .001) and could lower the biacromial line an average of 2.1 cm. CONCLUSIONS: An arm traction device can improve image quality and reduce radiation exposure during neck CT. The device can be simply applied in cooperative patients with suspected lower neck lesions, and the approach offers distinct advantages over the conventional imaging protocol.

A new autonomous distributed link scheduling scheme, SINBADLinQ, for device-to-device networks is proposed. SINBADLinQ operates with a modified signal-to-inference-plus-noise ratio. The new link scheduling scheme outperforms recently proposed ITLinQ and ITLinQ+ with or without global scheduling information sharing.

Recent epidemiological studies have suggested an association between sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the general population, prompting our investigation into the gender-specific association between sarcopenia and NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).In this cross-sectional study, 4210 patients with T2DM were recruited from the Seoul Metabolic Syndrome Cohort. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was estimated from bioimpedance analysis measurements, and the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was calculated by dividing the sum of ASM by body weight. Sarcopenia was defined as a gender-specific SMI value2 standard deviations (SDs) below the mean for healthy young adults. NAFLD was defined as the presence of hepatic steatosis on ultrasonography with no other causes of chronic liver disease.Among the entire study population (mean age: 57.4±10.8 years), 1278 (30.4%) had NAFLD and 1240 (29.5%) had sarcopenia, and the prevalence of NAFLD was significantly higher in those with sarcopenia: 46.2% vs 25.1% (P0.001) in men; 38.3% vs 25.4% (P0.001) in women. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with higher risk of NAFLD in men (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.17), whereas the association was attenuated in women after adjusting for clinical risk factors.Sarcopenia is independently associated with NAFLD in men with T2DM, which suggests that sarcopenia may be a risk factor for NAFLD in men with T2DM.

AIM To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched up until 12 June 2018. Eleven articles were included in the qualitative systematic review and nine of the 11 in the quantitative analysis. Two radiologists independently performed data extraction and methodological quality assessment using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. A qualitative systematic review and quantitative analysis were performed, followed by a meta-regression analysis to determine factors causing heterogeneity. RESULTS The pooled sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes were 80% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68–88%) and 85% (95% CI: 63–95%), respectively. The sensitivity and false-positive rate (correlation coefficient, 0.655) showed a positive correlation due to a threshold effect, which was responsible for heterogeneity across the studies, as indicated by a Q-test (p CONCLUSIONS MRI shows moderate diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer in the neck. MRI may be an optional or complementary imaging method to ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) in thyroid cancer patients.

The use of antibiotics to prevent post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in pigs has faced a setback owing to the associated antibiotic resistance in pigs and in the human populace that consumes the pork. In fact, antibiotic resistance that originates from the food chain is estimated to cause around 700,000 deaths globally each year. Consequently, scientists and researchers have suggested possible alternatives to antibiotics in pig diets. The chief of these has been the use of probiotics. The authors reviewed the literature on the use of probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics in treating PWD in pigs. It is clear that because of pathogenic Escherichia coli PWD continues to be a challenge to profitable swine production. The vast number of studies that was reviewed, point to the beneficial effects of probiotic supplementation on reducing the severity and incidence of PWD. However, some studies report inconsistencies to the general hypothesis. The majority of the microorganisms used as probiotics in the studies belong to the genera Lactobacilli , Bacillus , Bifidobacterium , Enterococcus , probiotic Escherichia coli , and Saccharomyces . The review also revealed that the bacterial strains that are used as probiotics are given individually or as combinations of multiple strains, and at various dosages, yielding varied results in each case. Interestingly, the authors observed wide disparities in the onset of probiotic supplementation and duration of the treatment to attain the results. Hence there is a need to standardize supplementation strategies, including dosage, onset and duration of treatment for probiotics. Furthermore, many of the in vivo studies that revealed positive effects of probiotics on diarrhoea and other production parameters were carried out in more controlled environments. The authors therefore suggest that more field studies in more natural and commercial farm settings should be conducted to augment the literature in relation to the use of probiotics as alternatives to antibiotics in treating PWD. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, directly-fed microorganisms, post-weaning diarrhoea, swine diets

Summary Objective Cartilage regenerative procedures using the cell-based tissue engineering approach involving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been receiving increased interest because of their potential for altering the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) by repairing cartilage lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes of MSC implantation in OA knees and to determine the association between clinical and MRI outcomes. Design Twenty patients (24 knees) who underwent arthroscopic MSC implantation for cartilage lesions in their OA knees were evaluated at 2 years after surgery. Clinical outcomes were evaluated according to the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and the Tegner activity scale, and cartilage repair was assessed according to the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) and Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score. Results The clinical outcomes significantly improved ( P P P Conclusions Considering the encouraging clinical and MRI outcomes obtained and the significant correlations noted between the clinical and MRI outcomes, MSC implantation seems to be useful for repairing cartilage lesions in OA knees. However, a larger sample size and long-term studies are needed to confirm our findings.

This paper introduces a statistical method to identify spectral signatures of buried archaeological remains and distinguish them from spectra of the background soil in the visible to near infrared region. The proposed method is based on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The difference between an archaeological spectrum and non-archaeological soil spectra is quantified by a so-called R value. R values larger than 1 indicate that the spectrum represents an archaeological material. The method is successfully applied to samples from five study sites in Italy and Hungary with special conditions. The reflection spectra are taken in a time-efficient way with a field spectrometer. The method works best if background non-archaeological soil spectra are gathered from the same area, around the targeted archaeological site. Also, it can work without such local background spectra (but with lower accuracy) using background spectra from existing spectral libraries. This indicates that the method can, in principle, be applied to any archaeological site which is spectrally distinct from its surroundings. The paper highlights that this method does not require high spectral resolution and thus has the advantage of using low spectral resolution spectrometers which can eventually be applied for continuous 2D imaging applications with high temporal resolution. Additional studies are needed to further improve the method and to investigate under which conditions it works well or only with limited accuracy.

Background Claudins (Cldns) are well-established components of tight junctions (TJs) that play a pivotal role in the modulation of paracellular permeability. Several studies have explored the physiologic aspects of Cldn family members in bone metabolism. However, the effect of Cldn11, a major component of central nervous system myelin, on bone homeostasis has not been reported. Objectives This study was performed to identify the effects of Cldn on bone metabolism via regulation of osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation and their function Methods We performed various in vitro and in vivo studies using gain- and loss-of function of Cldn11 that is belong to the Cldn group. Osteoclast formation from bone marrow cells (BMC) and Osteoblast formation was evaluated in specific condition with over-expression or down- regulation of Cldn11. The expression of osteoclast associated gene and osteoblast related gene mRNA were assessed by RT-PCR. The levels of c-fos and NFATc1 protein were assessed by western blot. Also the mitogen-activated protein (MAPK)s and important signal pathways were measured using Western blot analysis. Osteoclast function was evaluated with resorption pit assay and osteoblastic effects of Cldn11 was evaluated with new bone formation of mouse calvaria. With LPS and co-treated Recombinant protein of Cldn11 on mouse calvaria, we evaluated the effects of Cldn11 on LPS induced bone loss by using histologic analysis. Results We found that Cldn11 played a negative role in receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand dependent osteoclast (OC) differentiation by downregulating the phosphorylated form of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, and phospholipase C gamma 2, in turn impeding c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 expression. Osteoblast (OB) differentiation by positive feedback of Cldn11 was achieved through the phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, ERK, and c-Jun amino-terminal kinase. Importantly, this Cldn11-dependent dual event arose from targeting EphrinB2 ligand reverse signalling into OC and EphB4 receptor forward signalling into OB. In agreement with these in vitro effects, subcutaneous injection of Cldn11 recombinant protein exerted similar effects on local calvarial regions in mice. Conclusions These findings suggest that Cldn11 is a novel regulator in bone homeostasis. Disclosure of Interest None declared

To assess the outcome of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) according to factors associated with necessity for longer treatment in conjunction with the duration of treatment.We prospectively collected the data of patients with SAB consecutively during 12 to 39 months from 11 hospitals. If multiple episodes of SAB occurred in one patient, only the first episode was enrolled. Factors associated with necessity for longer treatment were defined as follows: persistent bacteraemia, metastatic infection, prosthesis and endocarditis. If any of the factors were present, then the case was defined as longer antibiotic treatment warranted (LW) group; those without any factors were defined as shorter antibiotic treatment sufficient (SS) group. Poor outcome was defined as a composite of 90-day mortality or 30-day recurrence. Duration of antibiotic administration was classified as14 or ≥14 days in the SS group and28 or ≥28 days in the LW group.Among 2098 cases, the outcome was analysed in 1866 cases, of which 591 showed poor outcome. The SS group accounted for 964 cases and the LW group for 852. On multivariate analysis, age over 65 years, pneumonia, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and chronic liver diseases were risk factors for poor outcome. Administration of antibiotics less than the recommendation was associated with poor outcome, but this significance was observed only in the LW group (adjusted odds ratio = 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.83; p 0.05).Inappropriately short antibiotic treatment was associated with poor outcome in the LW group. Vigilant evaluation for risk factors to determine the duration of treatment may improve the outcome among patients with SAB.

To evaluate recurrence rate and associated risk factors for recurrence after ethanol ablation (EA) in patients with predominantly cystic thyroid nodules.This observational study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institutional Review Board and informed consent for procedures was obtained. From April 2009 to April 2013, 107 consecutive patients with predominantly cystic nodules were treated using EA. Recurrence was defined as nodules showing a residual solid portion with internal vascularity, cosmetic problems remaining, or persistent symptoms, and patients who requested additional therapy to resolve their symptomatic or cosmetic problems. Delayed recurrence was defined as treated nodules that showed no recurrent features at 1 month, but showed newly developed recurrent features during the longer follow-up period. Multivariate analysis was used for variables to demonstrate the independent factors related to volume reduction.One month after EA, 18.7% of patients (20/107) showed recurrence. Among 87 patients with non-recurrence, 24.1% (21/87) showed delayed recurrence. The total recurrence rate was 38.3% (41/107). Patients with recurrence (n = 41) were treated using radiofrequency ablation (n = 28), second EA (n = 4), and refused further treatment (n = 9). These patients responded well to repeat EA and radiofrequency ablation. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the initial nodule volume (20 ml; p 0.036) and vascularity (grade1; p 0.049) were independent predictors of volume reduction at last follow-up.The results revealed that although EA seemed to be effective during the initial period, delayed recurrence should be considered during longer-term follow-up. The independent predictors of recurrence were initial volume (20 ml) and vascularity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ultrasound has become widely accepted as the first imaging technique used for the assessment of cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluate the performance of CT for the preoperative diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer compared with ultrasound. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE data bases were searched for studies regarding the use of CT to diagnose cervical lymph node metastasis. The diagnostic performance of CT, ultrasound, and combined CT/ultrasound was assessed by using level-by-level and patient-based analyses. We also performed meta-analyses on the basis of the central and lateral neck levels. RESULTS: Nine eligible studies, including a total sample size of 1691 patients, were included. CT showed a summary sensitivity of 62% (95% CI, 52%–70%) and specificity of 87% (95% CI, 80%–92%) for diagnosing cervical lymph node metastasis when using level-by-level analysis. There was a positive correlation between the sensitivity and the false-positive rate (correlation coefficient, 0.807) because of the threshold effect. The summary sensitivity of combined CT/ultrasound (69%; 95% CI, 61%–77%) was significantly higher than ultrasound (51%; 95% CI, 42%–60%), though the summary specificity did not differ. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic performances of CT and ultrasound are similar, though CT and ultrasound combined are superior to ultrasound only. CT may be used as a complementary diagnostic method in addition to ultrasound for diagnosing cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

The Korea scientific microsatellite, STSAT-1 (Science and Technology Satellite-1), was launched in 2003 and observed far ultraviolet (FUV) airglow from the upper atmosphere with a Far-ultraviolet IMaging Spectrograph (FIMS) at an altitude of 690 km. The FIMS consists of a dual-band imaging spectrograph of 900–1150 A (S-band) and 1340–1715 A (L-band). Limb scanning observations were performed only at the S-band, resulting in intensity profiles of OI 989 A, OI 1026 A, NII 1085 A and NI 1134 A emission lines near the horizon. We compare these emission intensities with those computed by using a theoretical model, the AURIC (Atmospheric Ultraviolet Radiance Integrated Code). The intensities of the OI 1026 A, NII 1085 A and NI 1134 A emissions measured by using the FIMS are overall consistent with the values computed by using AURIC under the thermospheric and solar activity conditions on August 6, 1984, which is close to the FIMS’s observation condition. We find that the FIMS dayglow intensity profiles match reasonably well with AURIC intensity profiles for the MSIS90 oxygen atom density profiles within factors of 0.5 and 2. However, the FIMS intensities of the OI 989 A line are about 2 ∼ 4 times stronger than the AURIC intensities, which is expected because AURIC does not properly simulate resonance scattering of airglow and solar photons at 989 A by atomic oxygen in the thermosphere. We also find that the maximum tangential altitudes of the oxygen bearing dayglows (OI 989 A, OI 1026 A) are higher than those of the nitrogen-bearing dayglows (NII 1085 A, NI 1134 A), which is confirmed by using AURIC model calculations. This is expected because the oxygen atoms are distributed at higher altitudes in the thermosphere than the nitrogen molecules. Validations of the qualities of both the FIMS instrument and the AURIC model indicate that AURIC should be updated with improved thermospheric models and with measured solar FUV spectra for better agreement with the observations. Once the updated AURIC model is available, one can extract valuable information on the densities and compositions of the thermosphere from limb scanning observations with an FUV instrument such as FIMS.

Current guidelines for the surveillance colonoscopy interval are largely based on the most recent colonoscopy findings. We aimed to evaluate differences in the probability of high-risk neoplasm recurrence according to the two previous colonoscopy findings. This was a retrospective cohort study from a tertiary-care center. A total of 4,143 subjects who underwent three or more colonoscopies for screening or surveillance purposes from January 2001 to December 2011 were enrolled. We compared the probability of high-risk neoplasm detection on follow-up colonoscopies after the second colonoscopy based on risk categories in both the second and first colonoscopies. At the final colonoscopy, 370 participants (8.9 %) had high-risk neoplasms. In patients with a normal second colonoscopy, the probability of high-risk neoplasm recurrence was different between those with normal, low-risk, and high-risk findings at the first colonoscopy (3.8, 6.8, and 17.7 %, respectively). The hazard ratio of a high-risk neoplasm at the final colonoscopy for patients with a normal second and low-risk first colonoscopy over a normal second and normal first colonoscopy was 3.07 (95 % CI 2.04–4.64, P

For rarefied gas flow regimes, physical phenomena such as velocity slip and temperature jump occur on the solid body surface. To predict these phenomena accurately, either the Navier-Stokes solver with a slip boundary condition or the direct simulation Monte Carlo method should be used. In the present study, flow simulations of a wedge were conducted in Mach-10 flow of argon gas for several different flow regimes using a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes solver with the Maxwell slip boundary condition. The results of the simulations were compared with those of the direct simulation Monte Carlo method to assess the present method. It was found that the values of the velocity slip and the temperature jump predicted increase as the Knudsen number increases. Also, the results are comparatively reasonable up to the Knudsen number of 0.05.

Pipe network for drinking water supply in Seoul might not be systematically planned and organized as both the production capacity and pipe system needed to be increased to meet the rapid industrialization and urbanization of Seoul. The RWR has increased from 64.1% in 1998 to 91.4% in 2007 through a new approach encompassing: 1) construction of water reservoirs, 2) measurement of minimum night flow (MNF) and leak detection, 3) installation of pressure reducing valves, and 4) reorganization of pipes not in use. The RWR in 2013 was 94.3%. Pipe replacement and leak detection/repair could not result in significant improvement of RWR, but with the block system and balanced water pressure.

AIM To retrospectively compare sensitivity encoding (SENSE) and compressed sensing-sensitivity encoding (CS-SENSE) for high resolution (HR) cranial nerve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a clinical population. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty consecutive patients who were clinically suspected of neurovascular compression syndrome (NVCS) were enrolled in this study. HR three-dimensional isotropic T2-weighted fast spin-echo (T2 VISTA) sequences with SENSE or CS-SENSE, and contrast-enhanced three-dimensional T1-turbo field-echo (CE 3D T1 TFE) with SENSE or CS-SENSE, were compared using quantitative and qualitative methods by two board-certified neuroradiologists. RESULTS For the T2 VISTA, CS-SENSE was significantly superior to SENSE in terms of cerebrospinal fluid homogeneity. For CE 3D T1 TFE, CS-SENSE was significantly superior to SENSE in terms of the existence of ghost artefact and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the pontine parenchyma. There was no significant difference in overall image quality between the two techniques. Compared with SENSE, CS-SENSE reduced the scan time to 44.2% of that with SENSE on T2 VISTA, and to 66.1% of that with SENSE of the CE 3D T1 TFE, with the differences being statistically significant (p CONCLUSION For T2 VISTA and CE 3D T1 TFE imaging of patients with suspected NVCS, CS-SENSE appears to offer superior reductions in motion artefact and scan time relative to SENSE, without a loss of overall image quality.