Immune signature and therapeutic approach of natural killer cell in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the key members of innate immunity that predominantly reside in the liver, potentiating immune responses against viral infections or malignant tumors. It has been reported that changes in cell numbers and function of NK cells are associated with the development and progression of chronic liver diseases (CLDs) including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, and chronic viral hepatitis. Also, it is known that the crosstalk between NK cells and hepatic stellate cells plays an important role in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. In particular, the impaired functions of NK cells observed in CLDs consequently contribute to occurrence and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Chronic infections by hepatitis B or C viruses counteract the anti-tumor immunity of the host by producing the sheddases. Soluble major histocompatibility complex class I polypeptide-related sequence A (sMICA), released from the cell surfaces by sheddases, disrupts the interaction and affects the function of NK cells. Recently, the MICA/B-NK stimulatory receptor NK group 2 member D (NKG2D) axis has been extensively studied in HCC. HCC patients with low membrane-bound MICA or high sMICA concentration have been associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, reversing the sMICA-mediated downregulation of NKG2D has been proposed as an attractive strategy to enhance both innate and adaptive immune responses against HCC. This review aims to summarize recent studies on NK cell immune signatures and its roles in CLD and hepatocellular carcinogenesis and discusses the therapeutic approaches of MICA/B-NKG2D-based or NK cell-based immunotherapy for HCC.

Feasibility of Customized Thermoplastic Patient-Specific Helmet Bolus for Scalp Irradiation Using Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy Planning.

Introduction: In this study, we sought to develop a thermoplastic patient-specific helmet bolus that could deliver a uniform therapeutic dose to the target and minimize the dose to the normal brain during whole-scalp treatment with a humanoid head phantom. Methods: The bolus material was a commercial thermoplastic used for patient immobilization, and the holes in the netting were filled with melted paraffin. We compared volumetric-modulated arc therapy treatment plans with and without the bolus for quantitative dose distribution analysis. We analyzed the dose distribution in the region of interest to compare dose differences between target and normal organs. For quantitative analysis of treatment dose, OSLD chips were attached at the vertex (VX), posterior occipital (PO), right (RT), and left temporal (LT) locations. Results: The average dose in the clinical target volume was 6553.8 cGy (99.3%) with bolus and 5874 cGy (89%) without bolus, differing by more than 10% from the prescribed dose (6600 cGy) to the scalp target. For the normal brain, it was 3747.8 cGy (56.8%) with bolus and 5484.6 cGy (83.1%) without bolus. These results show that while the dose to the treatment target decreased, the average dose to the normal brain, which is mostly inside the treatment target, increased by more than 25%. With the bolus, the OSLD measured dose was 102.5 ± 1.2% for VX and 101.5 ± 1.9%, 95.9 ± 1.9%, and 81.8 ± 2.1% for PO, RT, and LT, respectively. In addition, the average dose in the treatment plan was 102%, 101%, 93.6%, and 80.7% for VX, PO, RT, and LT. When no bolus was administered, 59.6 ± 2.4%, 112.6 ± 1.8%, 47.1 ± 1.6%, and 53.1 ± 2.3% were assessed as OSLD doses for VX, PO, RT, and LT, respectively. Conclusion: This study proposed a method to fabricate patient-specific boluses that are highly reproducible, accessible, and easy to fabricate for radiotherapy to the entire scalp and can effectively spare normal tissue while delivering sufficient surface dose.

The current trend of emergency airway management: a clinical review.

Airway management is a fundamental and intricate process that involves a sequence of integrated tasks. Situations requiring emergency airway management may occur in emergency department, intensive care units, and various other spaces. Emergency airway management can face a variety of challenges during preparation, intubation, and post-intubation, and may result in significant complications for the patients. Therefore, many countries are establishing step-by-step systemization and detailed guidelines, and updating the content based on the latest research. This clinical review introduces the current trends in emergency airway management, such as emergency airway management algorithms, comparison of video and direct laryngoscopy, rapid sequence intubation, pediatric airway management, pre-hospital airway management, surgical airway management, and airway management education.

Mitigating air and noise pollution through highway capping: The Bundang-Suseo Highway Cap Project case study.

Highways, while vital for transportation, often lead to heightened air and noise pollution, adversely affecting nearby communities. This study delves into the effectiveness of highway capping, a sustainable urban development strategy, in addressing these environmental challenges, with a specific focus on the Bundang-Suseo Highway in South Korea. This study employed a multifaceted approach, incorporating on-road monitoring, in situ measurements, and vertical assessments using UAVs. Following the cap's installation, the area experienced more stable pollutant levels, marking a notable shift from the previously fluctuating conditions heavily influenced by the highway. In-depth in situ monitoring near the cap revealed significant reductions in noise and pollutants like UFP and BC. Furthermore, UAV monitoring captured these changes in pollutant levels at different altitudes. Notably, the installation of the highway cap led to increased PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 levels at ground level, but a decrease above the cap, emphasizing the critical importance of intentional highway cap design in enhancing urban air quality and reducing exposure to harmful pollutants. This research yields invaluable insights for urban planners, health authorities, and policymakers, aiding the precise identification of pollution-prone areas and advocating for improved highway cap design to enhance urban environments.

AI-Based Geometry Recognition for Evaluating the Feasibility of Intensified Reaction and Separation Systems.

Reactive distillation (RD) provides notable advantages over conventional processes, regarding reduced energy requirements and CO2 emissions. However, as the benefits of RD may not be universally applicable, a comprehensive feasibility assessment is necessary. This study introduced an automated feasibility evaluation procedure for an RD column using an AI-based region recognition approach, reducing the reliance on expert knowledge and heuristics in graphical methods. Through k-means clustering-based image segmentation, topological information on the reaction and separation reachable region was extracted from ternary diagram landscapes. Subsequently, the extracted information was integrated into tray-by-tray calculations to automate the evaluation. This geometric calculation procedure was applied to assess the feasibility of RD columns with different types of reactions. The feasibility results were obtained within seconds, demonstrating the efficiency of the proposed approach. Furthermore, case studies validated the feasibility of the evaluation results for three practical examples using rigorous simulations, confirming its reliability and applicability.

Validation of the Finite Element Model versus Biomechanical Assessments of Dental Implants and Total Knee Replacements.

Computer modeling and simulation (CM&S) technology is widely used in the medical device industry due to its advantages such as reducing testing time and costs. However, the developer's parameter settings during the modeling and simulation process can have a significant impact on the results. This study developed a test model for the rotational shear strength of dental implants and the constraint force of total knee replacements based on CM&S technology and proposes ideal parameters to ensure reliability. For dental implants, the load area and sliding contact conditions were considered, and for total knee replacements, the friction coefficient, medial-lateral displacement, valgus-varus rotation, and elastic modulus were considered. By comparing the simulation results and mechanical tests, boundary conditions with an error rate of less than 1.5% were selected. When a jig (gripper and collector) was applied with the same boundary conditions, an error rate of 48~22% occurred; otherwise, it was confirmed that the error rate was within 10~0.2%. The FE model was verified with an error of 2.49 to 3% compared to the mechanical test. The friction coefficient variable had the greatest influence on the results, accounting for 10 to 13%, and it was confirmed that valgus-varus rotation had a greater influence on the results than medial-lateral displacement. Relatively, the elastic modulus of the insert had the least effect on the results. These research results are expected to make CM&S techniques useful as a medical device digital development tool (M3DT) in the development of total knee replacements and dental implants.

Quercetin induces pathogen resistance through the increase of salicylic acid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Quercetin is a flavonol belonging to the flavonoid group of polyphenols. Quercetin is reported to have a variety of biological functions, including antioxidant, pigment, auxin transport inhibitor and root nodulation factor. Additionally, quercetin is known to be involved in bacterial pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis through the transcriptional increase of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying how quercetin promotes pathogen resistance remain elusive. In this study, we showed that the transcriptional increases of PR genes were achieved by the monomerization and nuclear translocation of nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related proteins 1 (NPR1). Interestingly, salicylic acid (SA) was approximately 2-fold accumulated by the treatment with quercetin. Furthermore, we showed that the increase of SA biosynthesis by quercetin was induced by the transcriptional increases of typical SA biosynthesis-related genes. In conclusion, this study strongly suggests that quercetin induces bacterial pathogen resistance through the increase of SA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Multifunctionality of Additively Manufactured Kelvin Foam for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Load Bearing.

Rationally engineered porous structures enable lightweight broadband electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbers for countering radar signals or mitigating EM interference between multiple components. However, the scalability of such structures has been hindered by their limited mechanical properties resulting from low density. Herein, an additively manufactured Kelvin foam-based EM wave absorber (KF-EMA) is reported that exhibits multifunctionality, namely EM wave absorption and light-weighted load-bearing structures with constant relative stiffness made possible using bending-dominated lattice structures. Based on tuning design parameters, such as the backbone structures and constituent materials, the proposed KF-EMA features a multilayered 3D-printed design with geometrically optimized KF structures made of carbon black-based backbone composites. The developed KF-EMA demonstrated an absorbance greater than 90% at frequencies ranging from 5.8 to 18 GHz (average EM wave absorption rates of 95.89% and maximum of 99.1% at 15.8 GHz), while the low-density structures of the absorber (≈200 kg m-3 ) still maintained a compression index between the stiffness and relative density (n = 2) under compression. The design strategy paves the way for using metamaterials as mechanically reinforced EM wave absorbers that enable multifunctionality by optimizing unit-cell parameters through a single and low-density structure.

Reset-First and Multibit-Level Resistive-Switching Behavior of Lanthanum Nickel Oxide (LaNiO3-x) Thin Films.

The resistive random-access memory (RRAM) with multi-level storage capability has been considered one of the most promising emerging devices to mimic synaptic behavior and accelerate analog computations. In this study, we investigated the reset-first bipolar resistive switching (RS) and multi-level characteristics of a LaNiO3-x thin film deposited using a reactive magnetron co-sputtering method. Polycrystalline phases of LaNiO3 (LNO), without La2O3 and NiO phases, were observed at similar fractions of Ni and La at a constant partial pressure of oxygen. The relative chemical proportions of Ni3+ and Ni2+ ions in LaNiO3-x indicated that it was an oxygen-deficient LaNiO3-x thin film, exhibiting RS behavior, compared to LNO without Ni2+ ions. The TiN/LaNiO3-x/Pt devices exhibited gradual resistance changes under various DC/AC voltage sweeps and consecutive pulse modes. The nonlinearity values of the conductance, measured via constant-pulse programming, were 0.15 for potentiation and 0.35 for depression, indicating the potential of the as-fabricated devices as analog computing devices. The LaNiO3-x-based device could reach multi-level states without an electroforming step and is a promising candidate for state-of-the-art RS memory and synaptic devices for neuromorphic computing.

The therapeutic effects on U87 and SAS cells using Proton Linac based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy in Korea.

A proton linac based boron neutron capture therapy system (A-BNCT, 10MeV, 4mA) was successfully developed in Korea. We performed in vitro experiments with U87 and SAS cells and revealed the efficacy of a binary therapy BNCT using epithermal neutrons and boronophenylalanine (BPA). The results revealed that BNCT showed cancer cell selectivity and caused cell death. Further in vitro studies can be a valuable method to characterize an A-BNCT system. We expect BNCT to become a treatment option for cancer patients.

Rapid correction of severe hyponatremia and control of subsequent overcorrection in operative hysteroscopy intravascular absorption syndrome: A case report.

RATIONALE: Operative hysteroscopy intravascular absorption syndrome (OHIAS) results from systemic absorption of hypotonic solution during hysteroscopy, which may induce severe hyponatremia within hours. Depending on the serum sodium (Na+) level, this can be life-threatening and requires prompt and careful remedial treatment. PATIENT CONCERNS AND DIAGNOSES: A 53-year-old woman underwent hysteroscopic myomectomy for submucosal leiomyoma. Approximately 3 hours postoperatively, the serum Na+ level decreased to 82 mM/L, accompanied by pulmonary edema and lactic acidosis. The patient was strongly suspicious of OHIAS. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: A rapid correction was made using 3% NaCl to prevent brain edema as an initial response. After the serum Na+ level reached 120 mM/L, gradual correction was performed considering osmotic demyelination syndrome, and desmopressin was administered to prevent overcorrection caused by excessive water diuresis. Serum Na+ level normalized in 4 days and the patient recovered without any specific sequelae. LESSONS: The detection of OHIAS may be delayed under general anesthesia, and prior vigilance is important if the operation time is prolonged. In severe hyponatremia with an apparently rapid onset, such as OHIAS, a two-step correction process may be safe and useful: rapid correction followed by more gradual correction.

Prolonged ileus in traumatic pelvic ring injury patients who underwent arterial angio-embolization: A retrospective study.

Paralytic ileus occurs in up to 18% of the patients with pelvic bone fractures. The aim of this study is to determine if massive bleeding requiring arterial angio-embolization is related with the duration of ileus in patients with traumatic pelvic ring injuries. This retrospective study included 25 patients who underwent arterial angio-embolization for traumatic pelvic ring injuries. Data were collected from prospectively maintained databases of two independent hospitals. Demographic characteristics (such as age, sex, body mass index, and Charlson Comorbidity Index), cause of trauma, and severity of pelvic injuries were similar in the non-prolonged and prolonged ileus groups. As expected, the prolonged ileus group had a significantly longer duration of ileus than the non-prolonged ileus group (8.0 ±â€…4.2 days vs 1.2 ±â€…0.4 days, respectively; P < .001). The mortality rate was higher in the prolonged ileus group (20% vs 0%), but it was not significantly different (P = .13). Interestingly, the prolonged ileus group received significantly higher amounts of packed red blood cell transfusions (6.1 ±â€…2.1 units vs 3.8 ±â€…2.5 units; P = .02). The amount of packed red blood cell transfusions was associated with a greater risk of prolonged ileus development (P = .03, odds ratio = 2.04, 95% confidence interval = 1.08-3.88). This study supports the idea that the duration of the ileus is related with the amount of bleeding caused by the traumatic pelvic ring injury. In order to prevent further complications, conservative treatments of the ileus should be considered.

The Anti-Tumor Effect of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy in Glioblastoma Subcutaneous Xenograft Model Using the Proton Linear Accelerator-Based BNCT System in Korea.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a radiation therapy that selectively kills cancer cells and is being actively researched and developed around the world. In Korea, development of the proton linear accelerator-based BNCT system has completed development, and its anti-cancer effect in the U-87 MG subcutaneous xenograft model has been evaluated. To evaluate the efficacy of BNCT, we measured 10B-enriched boronophenylalanine (BPA) uptake in U-87 MG, FaDu, and SAS cells and evaluated cell viability by clonogenic assays. In addition, the boron concentration in the tumor, blood, and skin on the U-87 MG xenograft model was measured, and the tumor volume was measured for 4 weeks after BNCT. In vitro, the intracellular boron concentration was highest in the order of SAS, FaDu, and U-87 MG, and cell survival fractions decreased depending on the BPA treatment concentration and neutron irradiation dose. In vivo, the tumor volume was significantly decreased in the BNCT group compared to the control group. This study confirmed the anti-cancer effect of BNCT in the U-87 MG subcutaneous xenograft model. It is expected that the proton linear accelerator-based BNCT system developed in Korea will be a new option for radiation therapy for cancer treatment.

Microneedle patch as a new platform to effectively deliver inactivated polio vaccine and inactivated rotavirus vaccine.

We recently reported a lack of interference between inactivated rotavirus vaccine (IRV) and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and their potential dose sparing when the two vaccines were administered intramuscularly either in combination or standalone in rats and guinea pigs. In the present study, we optimized the formulations of both vaccines and investigated the feasibility of manufacturing a combined IRV-IPV dissolving microneedle patch (dMNP), assessing its compatibility and immunogenicity in rats. Our results showed that IRV delivered by dMNP alone or in combination with IPV induced similar levels of RV-specific IgG and neutralizing antibody. Likewise, IPV delivered by dMNP alone or in combination with IRV induced comparable levels of neutralizing antibody of poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3. We further demonstrated high stability of IRV-dMNP at 5, 25, and 40 °C and IPV-dMNP at 5 and 25 °C, and found that three doses of IRV or IPV when co-administered at a quarter dose was as potent as a full target dose in inducing neutralizing antibodies against corresponding rotavirus or poliovirus. We conclude that IRV-IPV dMNP did not interfere with each other in triggering an immunologic response and were highly immunogenic in rats. Our findings support the further development of this innovative approach to deliver a novel combination vaccine against rotavirus and poliovirus in children throughout the world.

Verification of rebuild-up effect on superficial cardiac lesion of ventricular tachycardia using 3-D printed phantom in volumetric-modulated arc therapy planning.

The aim of the study was to evaluate dose distributions on the superficial cardiac lesion surrounded by low-density lungs. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique was applied to optimize the dose distribution using the anisotropic analytic algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB algorithm (AXB) using the 3-D printed cardiac phantom. We used four full and half arcs with 6-MV and 15-MV photons to investigate the rebuild-up effect near the planning target volume (PTV). Depending on the calculation algorithm (AAA vs. AXB) for full arcs plans, V95 of PTV differed by 27% for 6-MV and 29% for 15-MV, and D95 for 6-MV and 15-MV shows 24% and 30%, respectively. The maximum doses in the AXB plans on PTV were 5.1% higher than those in AAA plans at 6-MV, and 3.8% higher at 15-MV. In addition, half arcs treatment plans showed a very similar tendency with full arcs plans. Film dosimetry showed significant differences from the planned results in the AAA plans. Particularly, the dose mismatch occurred between the cardiac PTV and the left lung interface. In the case of 6-MV plans calculated by AAA, the maximum dose increased from 4.1 to 7.7% in the PTV. Furthermore, it showed that 50% of the width of dose profiles was reduced by 1.3 cm in the 6-MV plan. Conversely, in the case of the plans using the AXB algorithm, the maximum dose increased by 2.0-5.0%. In contrast to the AAA algorithm, the dose patterns at the interface demonstrated a good agreement with the plans. Dose fluctuation on the interface between superficial cardiac lesions and low-density lungs can lead to an error in the estimation of accurate dose delivery for the case of VT SBRT.

Risk of ischaemic stroke in patients with transient global amnesia: a propensity-matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The exact pathophysiological mechanism of transient global amnesia (TGA) is unknown. It is debatable whether TGA is a risk factor for stroke. Therefore, here we investigated the possibility of TGA as a risk factor for stroke in a real-world setting using large-scale nationwide health claims data. METHODS: We used health claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Patients diagnosed with TGA between 2007 and 2013 were selected. We initially extracted patients without TGA who were preferentially matched for age and sex with the patients with TGA at a ratio of 10:1 from the whole dataset. Further, we performed 1:2 propensity score matching analysis to balance the baseline characteristics between the two groups. In the propensity score-matched dataset, we performed multivariable Cox regression analysis to investigate the association between TGA and stroke type, including ischaemic, haemorrhagic and all stroke types. RESULTS: Patients with TGA (n=14 673) were selected from the NHIS database. After extracting from the whole database (n=140 486) and propensity score matching their data at a 1:2 ratio, a total of 10 448 and 20 442 patients were finally assigned to the TGA and control groups, respectively. The multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the TGA group had a higher risk of ischaemic stroke and all types of stroke (adjusted HR=1.194; 95% CI: 1.043 to 1.368; and HR=1.197; 95% CI: 1.056 to 1.357, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the nationwide claims database showed that TGA could be an important risk factor for stroke, especially for ischaemic stroke.

Massive hemothorax due to intercostal arterial bleeding after percutaneous catheter removal in a multiple-trauma patient: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Intercostal arterial bleeding is unusual complication of percutaneous chest procedures. However, intercostal arterial bleeding is likely to result in critical complications such as abnormalities in vital signs, hypovolemic shock, and death due to massive bleeding. Therefore, it is very important to establish the diagnosis of intercostal arterial bleeding and to initiate treatment. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case in which a 59-year-old woman who was hospitalized at intensive care unit with multiple trauma had a massive hemothorax after the removal of a percutaneous catheter. She sustained a refractory right pleural effusion due to biloma caused by a traumatic injury to the liver, despite persistent intraperitoneal drainage. As a result, atelectasis persisted in the dependent portion of the right lung. Therefore, we performed right percutaneous catheter drainage (8.5-F pigtail catheter) for pleural effusion drainage at the 7th intercostal space. After percutaneous catheter removal, portable chest radiography and vital signs of the patient assisted in establishing a diagnosis of intercostal arterial bleeding. Intercostal arterial bleeding was also confirmed using transarterial angiography; and embolization was performed. The patient's condition progressively improved, and no further intervention was required. CONCLUSION: Massive hemothorax is a rare complication of percutaneous catheter removal. Clinicians should carefully examine and diagnose patients to improve prognosis. And interventional selective angiography may be a feasible and minimally invasive treatment for intercostal arterial bleeding control.

Pedestrianization Impacts on Air Quality Perceptions and Environment Satisfaction: The Case of Regenerated Streets in Downtown Seoul.

Previous studies have investigated the increased volume of pedestrians to establish success rates of the pedestrian-friendly policy after a street redesign intervention. However, few studies have focused on the effect of street regeneration on air quality perception and user satisfaction. The influence of the physical environment on street vitality may vary, depending on area context and regional factors. A comprehensive understanding of effective interventions could increase pedestrians' satisfaction with their walking environment. This study examines the effect of pedestrianization on individuals' air quality perception and satisfaction, based on three regenerated streets in Seoul, Korea. We analyzed data from 672 questionnaires administered after the pedestrianization project. We used a subset of variables in a binary logistic regression model to understand general determinants of user satisfaction toward their walking environment. Our case study contributes to the verification of pedestrianization effects on air quality perceptions. Results show that overall satisfaction could be acquired through positive perceptions of air quality, as achieved through pedestrianization of streets. Moreover, pedestrian satisfaction varies according to the purpose, activities and health-related behaviors and attitudes. The interrelationships between environmental health, activity, satisfaction and quality of life provide design insights to consider when implementing pedestrianization projects in the future.

The effect of an eye mask on midazolam requirement for sedation during spinal anesthesia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Midazolam is frequently used for sedation during spinal anesthesia. However, external environmental factors, such as bright surgical lights, may hamper patient relaxation, which may lead to an increase in the dose of midazolam required and the likelihood of adverse drug effects. We investigated whether using an eye mask to block the external environment could reduce midazolam requirements during spinal anesthesia. METHODS: Participants aged 18-‒80 years, scheduled for elective surgery under spinal anesthesia, were randomly divided into a masked group (wearing eye masks during surgery, n = 20) and a control group (no mask, n = 18). The sedation level was assessed using a modified Observer Assessment of Alertness and Sedation (MOAA/S) scale. Midazolam (1 mg) was incrementally administered every 5 min until moderate sedation (MOAA/S score of 3) was achieved. The bispectral index (BIS) was monitored, and the onset and maintenance times of a BIS < 80 were recorded. RESULTS: The two groups had similar demographic characteristics. The midazolam requirements were significantly lower in the masked group than in the control group (2.8 mg vs. 3.7 mg, P = 0.024). However, the onset and maintenance times for a BIS < 80 were similar. In addition, there were no significant differences in the incidence of side effects or patient satisfaction between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Blocking the external environment with an eye mask during spinal anesthesia can reduce the requirement for sedatives, such as midazolam. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was retrospectively registered with the Clinical Research Information Service (No. KCT0005528, 15/10/2020) entitled "Can we reduce an amount of sleeping pills just by blocking light?".