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1.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 3804, 2024 May 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38714648

ABSTRACT

Messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics delivered via lipid nanoparticles hold the potential to treat metabolic diseases caused by protein deficiency, including propionic acidemia (PA), methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), and phenylketonuria (PKU). Herein we report results from multiple independent preclinical studies of mRNA-3927 (an investigational treatment for PA), mRNA-3705 (an investigational treatment for MMA), and mRNA-3210 (an investigational treatment for PKU) in murine models of each disease. All 3 mRNA therapeutics exhibited pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) responses in their respective murine model by driving mRNA, protein, and/or protein activity responses, as well as by decreasing levels of the relevant biomarker(s) when compared to control-treated animals. These preclinical data were then used to develop translational PK/PD models, which were scaled allometrically to humans to predict starting doses for first-in-human clinical studies for each disease. The predicted first-in-human doses for mRNA-3927, mRNA-3705, and mRNA-3210 were determined to be 0.3, 0.1, and 0.4 mg/kg, respectively.


Subject(s)
Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors , Disease Models, Animal , Phenylketonurias , Propionic Acidemia , RNA, Messenger , Propionic Acidemia/genetics , Propionic Acidemia/therapy , Propionic Acidemia/drug therapy , Animals , Phenylketonurias/genetics , Phenylketonurias/drug therapy , Phenylketonurias/therapy , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/genetics , Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/therapy , Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/drug therapy , Mice , Humans , Male , Female , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Liposomes
2.
World Neurosurg ; 2024 May 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38762026

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to describe a case series of children undergoing selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) for treatment of spastic cerebral palsy in Vietnam. Also described is an international cooperation model to facilitate the development of a new, multi-disciplinary team for evaluation and treatment of these children. METHODS: Details of international collaboration are described, including in-person travel and virtual interactions. All cases of children under 18 undergoing SDR for treatment of spastic cerebral palsy at a single center in Hanoi, Vietnam are described, including pre-operative evaluation of spasticity and gait as well as results at 6 and 12 months. Results are summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Since the beginning of cooperation in training and transferring SDR techniques by experts from the United States, in the period from June 2016 to December 2022, 18 SDR surgeries were performed in Hanoi. Age ranged from 2-14 years; 13 were male and 5 were female. Overall, approximately 60% of nerve rootlets were cut. Modified Ashworth scores at 6- and 12-months post-surgery in the hip, knee, and ankle joints showed improvement from pre-operative values. There were two recorded complications: intracranial hypotension causing subdural hemorrhage and a case of skin infection at the incision site. CONCLUSION: The ongoing international cooperation between Vietnamese and American physicians has helped improve the surgical treatment of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy in Hanoi, providing children with a surgical treatment option with successful outcomes.

3.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38676306

ABSTRACT

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis by serving as negative regulators of adaptive immune system effector cell responses. Reduced production or function of Tregs has been implicated in several human autoimmune diseases. The cytokine interleukin 2 plays a central role in promoting Treg differentiation, survival, and function in vivo and may therefore have therapeutic benefits for autoimmune diseases. mRNA-6231 is an investigational, lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated, mRNA-based therapy that encodes a modified human interleukin 2 mutein fused to human serum albumin (HSA-IL2m). Herein, we report the development of a semi-mechanistic kinetic-pharmacodynamic model to quantify the relationship between subcutaneous dose(s) of mRNA-6231, HSA-IL2m protein expression, and Treg expansion in nonhuman primates. The nonclinical kinetic-pharmacodynamic model was extrapolated to humans using allometric scaling principles and the physiological basis of pharmacological mechanisms to predict the clinical response to therapy a priori. Model-based simulations were used to inform the dose selection and design of the first-in-human clinical study (NCT04916431). The modeling approach used to predict human responses was validated when data became available from the phase I clinical study. This validation indicates that the approach is valuable in informing clinical decision-making.

4.
Transplant Proc ; 56(2): 322-329, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38402061

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Our study aims to evaluate the biliary anatomy variation according to the Varotti classification and its correlation with surgical outcomes for both donors and recipients undergoing living donor liver transplants (LDLTs). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 150 LDLT cases performed at a single center in Vietnam with preoperative radiologic evaluations and intraoperative surgical assessments to identify biliary variant anatomy. Postoperative biliary complications were documented and analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed to determine any significant associations between biliary variations and post-transplant outcomes. RESULTS: One hundred fifty cases of LDLT at 108 Military Central Hospital from October 2017 to December 2022 were included in our study. Among the donors, the mean age was 30.89 ± 7.23, with male predominance (77.3%). The prevalence of type 1 biliary anatomy was 84.67%. Type 2, 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b accounted for 5.33%, 2.67%, 5.33%, 0.67%, and 1.33% of cases, respectively. Donors' complications were witnessed in 7 cases (4.67%), and all needed intervention (Clavien-Dindo grade 3). Biliary complications were found in 36 (24.0%) recipients, with 22 (14.67%) cases of biliary stenosis and 16 (10.67%) cases of biliary leak, including 2 cases encountering both complications. Age, gender, graft type, preoperative liver function, biliary variant anatomy, number of graft orifices, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and blood loss were not significant risk factors for recipients' biliary complications. Cold ischemia time significantly increased the biliary complication rate. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that biliary variant anatomy is common in living liver donors. Such variations should not be a contraindication to liver donation. However, accurate pre- and intraoperative radiologic and surgical evaluations are fundamental for a careful reconstruction plan.


Subject(s)
End Stage Liver Disease , Liver Transplantation , Male , Humans , Young Adult , Adult , Female , Liver Transplantation/adverse effects , Living Donors , Retrospective Studies , End Stage Liver Disease/etiology , Vietnam/epidemiology , Severity of Illness Index , Postoperative Complications/epidemiology , Postoperative Complications/etiology
5.
Nat Prod Res ; : 1-7, 2023 Nov 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37950747

ABSTRACT

Owing to the challenges of antimicrobial resistance, investigations of new antibiotics from medicinal plants are continuously being conducted. Peperomia pellucida is a pantropical plant used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various disorders. From the ethanol extract of a whole P. pellucida plant, one previously undescribed carotane sesquiterpene (pellucarotine), one known carotane sesquiterpene (daucol), and one phenylpropanoid (dillapiol) were isolated and structurally elucidated. Their structures were determined based on 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-Mass, experimental, and computational electronic circular dichroism spectroscopic data and compared with those reported in the literature. Antimicrobial assay results showed that pellucarotine had an anti-infective effect on Candida albicans with an MIC of 512 µg/mL.

6.
Sensors (Basel) ; 23(19)2023 Sep 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37836922

ABSTRACT

Image-based ship detection is a critical function in maritime security. However, lacking high-quality training datasets makes it challenging to train a robust supervision deep learning model. Conventional methods use data augmentation to increase training samples. This approach is not robust because the data augmentation may not present a complex background or occlusion well. This paper proposes to use an information bottleneck and a reparameterization trick to address the challenge. The information bottleneck learns features that focus only on the object and eliminate all backgrounds. It helps to avoid background variance. In addition, the reparameterization introduces uncertainty during the training phase. It helps to learn more robust detectors. Comprehensive experiments show that the proposed method outperforms conventional methods on Seaship datasets, especially when the number of training samples is small. In addition, this paper discusses how to integrate the information bottleneck and the reparameterization into well-known object detection frameworks efficiently.

7.
Sensors (Basel) ; 23(17)2023 Sep 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37688093

ABSTRACT

Optical camera communication (OCC) is one of the most promising optical wireless technology communication systems. This technology has a number of benefits compared to radio frequency, including unlimited spectrum, no congestion due to high usage, and low operating costs. OCC operates in order to transmit an optical signal from a light-emitting diode (LED) and receive the signal with a camera. However, identifying, detecting, and extracting data in a complex area with very high mobility is the main challenge in operating the OCC. In this paper, we design and implement a real-time OCC system that can communicate in high mobility conditions, based on You Only Look Once version 8 (YOLOv8). We utilized an LED array that can be identified accurately and has an enhanced data transmission rate due to a greater number of source lights. Our system is validated in a highly mobile environment with camera movement speeds of up to 10 m/s at 2 m, achieving a bit error rate of 10-2. In addition, this system achieves high accuracy of the LED detection algorithm with mAP0.5 and mAP0.5:0.95 values of 0.995 and 0.8604, respectively. The proposed method has been tested in real time and achieves processing speeds up to 1.25 ms.

8.
PLoS One ; 18(9): e0290235, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37656689

ABSTRACT

The impact of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) therapy on lipid and glucose metabolism and kidney function in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, along with its side effects on blood cells, remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a study that enrolled 280 patients with HCV infection who achieved sustained virologic response after treatment with DAA therapy without ribavirin to evaluate the metabolic changes, renal function, and anemia risk based on real-world data. This study was an observational prospective study with a follow-up period of 12 weeks after the initiation of DAA therapy. Data on biochemical tests, renal function, blood counts, viral load, and host genomics were recorded before treatment and after 12 weeks of treatment with DAAs. DAA therapy reduced fibrosis-4 scores and improved liver function, with significant reductions in aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels. However, DAA therapy slightly increased uric acid, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. It significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels and hemoglobin A1C index (HbA1C) in the study group, while hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) concentrations decreased significantly (4.78 ± 21.79 g/L and 0.09% ± 0.11%, respectively). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreased by 12.89 ± 39.04 mL/min/1.73m2. Most variations were not related to the genotype, except for Hb, HCT, and HbA1C. Anemia incidence increased from 23.58% before treatment to 30.72% after treatment. Patients with HCV-1 genotype had a higher rate of anemia than did patients with genotype 6 (36.23% vs. 24.62%). Multivariate analysis showed that the risk of anemia was related to female sex, cirrhosis status, fibrosis-4 score, pretreatment eGFR, and pretreatment Hb level. The results of our study can provide helpful information to clinicians for the prognosis and treatment of HCV infection.


Subject(s)
Hepatitis C, Chronic , Hepatitis C , Humans , Female , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Prospective Studies , Glycated Hemoglobin , Hepacivirus/genetics
9.
Int J Pediatr ; 2023: 4628858, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37408591

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Acute diarrhea caused by group A rotavirus (RVA) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally in children less than 5 years old. Acute diarrhea caused by RVA is often manifested by loose/watery stool leading to different degrees of dehydration. The detection of risk factors, diagnosis, and prompt treatment of acute diarrhea caused by RVA is critical. We aimed to describe clinical epidemiological features of acute diarrhea caused by RVA and its associated risk factors. Subjects and Method. We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 321 children under 5 years old with acute diarrhea at Haiphong Children's Hospital, Vietnam, from 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2020. Results: Among the 321 children included in our analysis, 221 (68.8%) children were positive for RVA. Males represented 61.1% of cases, 41.2% of children were in the 12-<24-month age group, and the majority of cases were among children in suburban areas (71.5%). Clinical manifestations included loose and watery stool (100%), vomiting-fever-loose/watery stool (57.9%), vomiting-loose/watery stool (83.2%), fever-loose/watery stool (58.8%), dehydration (30%), hyponatremia (22.1%), hypernatremia (1.4%), and hypokalemia (15%). Risk factors for acute diarrhea caused by RVA included history of diarrhea, not exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months, living area, maternal education, and income. Conclusions: Acute diarrhea due to RVA was very prevalent in children under 5 years old. Clinical manifestations included a high prevalence of loose/watery stools/day and dehydration with electrolyte disorder. Mothers should exclusively breastfeed their children for the first 6 months to avoid the risk of acute diarrhea caused by RVA.

10.
J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A ; 33(7): 707-712, 2023 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32326810

ABSTRACT

Aim: To present outcomes of single trocar thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of pleural empyema (PE) in children. Patients and Methods: The thoracoscopic surgery was performed using a single trocar inserted through the fifth intercostal space. A conventional rigid scope with a working channel was used. Pleural fluid was aspirated, followed by debridement and ablation of all septa using one instrument through the working channel. Results: Sixty patients from 1 month to 14 years of age underwent surgery without any intraoperative complications or death. The mean operative time was 67 ± 21 minutes. There was no conversion to open thoracotomy. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients. Reoperation was required in 1 patient. Mean duration of postoperative hospitalization was 15 ± 9 days. Follow-up was obtained in 57 patients and resulted in normal clinical and chest X-ray findings in all patients. Conclusion: Single trocar thoracoscopic operation is safe, feasible, and effective in the treatment of PE in children. A future study with control group is required to draw accurate conclusions.


Subject(s)
Empyema, Pleural , Thoracoscopy , Humans , Child , Empyema, Pleural/surgery , Thoracotomy , Debridement , Surgical Instruments , Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted , Retrospective Studies
11.
Ear Nose Throat J ; 102(12): NP579-NP582, 2023 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34281402

ABSTRACT

Minor salivary gland cancer is a relatively uncommon disease of head and neck, arising across the upper aerodigestive tract. This is a malignant neoplasm with diverse clinical behaviors and histological types which are prognostically significant. Although complete surgical resection, with adequate free margin, is currently the treatment of choice for locoregional diseases, the optimal treatment is still not standardized. We presented here a case of locally advanced minor salivary gland cancer that was treated by radical resection, reconstruction, and adjuvant radiation therapy at Vietnam National Cancer Hospital and had promising outcomes.


Subject(s)
Salivary Gland Neoplasms , Humans , Salivary Gland Neoplasms/pathology , Combined Modality Therapy , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant , Salivary Glands, Minor/pathology
12.
Environ Monit Assess ; 194(Suppl 2): 767, 2022 Oct 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36255502

ABSTRACT

Ca Mau and Kien Giang, the two provinces of the Mekong Delta bordering the Gulf of Thailand, are facing major environmental challenges affecting the agriculture and aquaculture sectors upon which many livelihoods in this region depend on. This study maps the suitability of these two provinces for paddy rice cultivation and shrimp farming according to soil characteristics and current and future environmental conditions for variables found to significantly influence the yield of those two sectors, i.e., the level of saltwater intrusion, water availability for rainfed agriculture, and the length of the growing period. Future environmental conditions were simulated using the MIKE 11 hydrodynamic model forced by four hydrodynamic scenarios, each one representing different extents of saltwater intrusion during both the dry and rainy seasons, while also considering the availability of water resources for rainfed agriculture. The suitability zoning was performed using a GIS-based analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach, resulting in the categorisation of the land according to four suitability levels for each sector. The analysis reveals that paddy rice cultivation will become more suitable to Kien Giang province while shrimp farming will be more suitable to Ca Mau province if the simulated future environmental conditions materialise. A suitability analysis is essential for optimal utilisation of the land. The approach presented in this study will inform the regional economic development master plan and provide guidance to other delta regions experiencing severe environmental changes and wishing to consider potential future climatic and sea level changes, and their associated impacts, in their land use planning.


Subject(s)
Oryza , Animals , Environmental Monitoring , Aquaculture , Agriculture/methods , Soil , Crustacea , Water
13.
Biomed Res Int ; 2022: 6054677, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35572735

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have significantly improved the efficacy and tolerability of the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, studies conducted on actual patients with the aim of predicting the risk associated with treatment failure are lacking. Methods: Our study enrolled 334 new HCV patients and assessed the effectiveness of treatment and predicted the risk of failure to achieve sustained virological response (SVR) by developing a multiple logistic model. Our study compared the variables between the two groups, those who did (group 0, n = 239) and did not achieve SVR (group 1, n = 95). Results: The cure rate of HCV at 12th week in our study was 71.56%. We found that advanced cirrhosis, HCV genotype, HBV coinfection, rapid virological response (RVR), fibrosis index (FIB-4) score, serum levels of AST, ALP, hemoglobin, and viral load before treatment were prognostic factors associated with rate of failure to achieve SVR at week 12 of DAA therapy. In the multiple logistic model, eight significant predictors including advanced cirrhosis status, HCV genotype, RVR, AST/ALP levels, FIB-4 score, and viral load before treatment predicted the risk of failure with excellent model performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCROC) [95% CI] =0.986 (0.971-0.999)). RVR and advanced cirrhosis were the two strongest predictors with odd ratios (95% CI) =9.72 (2.8, 39.28) and 51.54 (6.39, 139.82), respectively. Conclusion: The multiple logistic regression model included significant factors to estimate the probability of failure to achieve SVR, which could improve HCV treatment strategy.


Subject(s)
Hepatitis C, Chronic , Hepatitis C , Antiviral Agents , Genotype , Hepacivirus/genetics , Hepatitis C/complications , Hepatitis C/drug therapy , Humans , Interferon-alpha/genetics , Liver Cirrhosis/complications , Polyethylene Glycols/therapeutic use , Prospective Studies , Ribavirin/therapeutic use , Risk Factors , Treatment Outcome
14.
Food Sci Nutr ; 10(1): 191-203, 2022 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35035921

ABSTRACT

Anthocyanins are important phytochemical compounds in nature that are of interest not only for their health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties, but also for their role in imparting attractive and characteristic color to food products. In this study, anthocyanins from hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) calyces were microencapsulated by spray-drying technique using maltodextrin as the carrier. The experiment was carried out in the full factorial design with two factors, namely inlet temperature (150, 160, and 170°C) and anthocyanin to maltodextrin mass ratio (1:50, 1:60, 1:70, 1:80, 1:90, and 1:100) with the aim of investigating the effect of spray drying conditions on phenolic content, anthocyanin, antioxidant activity, and color of spray-dried hibiscus powder. The results showed that increasing the carrier ratio significantly reduced the antioxidant content and their activities in the powder. However, the high level of carriers exhibited a protective effect in encapsulating anthocyanin compounds into the maltodextrin matrix, which was demonstrated by high encapsulation efficiency (>85%) observed in the samples prepared at a ratio of 1:100. It should be highlighted that although high temperature (170°C) reduced total anthocyanin concentration, it actually enhanced total phenolic content. In addition, the moisture content of the powder declined with increasing carrier ratio and inlet temperature, and it was found to be in the range of 5.57%-10.19% in the powder. With solubility greater than 93.71%, the total phenolic and total anthocyanin content of spray-dried hibiscus powder were 31.5-41.9 (mg gallic acid equivalent/g of dry powder) and 6.08-10.47 (mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/g of dry powder), respectively.

15.
Molecules ; 26(24)2021 Dec 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34946774

ABSTRACT

Although avocado is a superfood rich in phytochemicals with high antioxidant activities, studies on the antibacterial properties of its pulp are limited, except for seed and peel portions. In this study, three types of solvent (acetone, methanol, and diethyl ether) were used to obtain the extracts from "Maluma" avocado pulp powder prepared by infrared drying. The extracts were analyzed for total polyphenols, phytopigments (total chlorophylls and carotenoids), antioxidant activities (ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays), and antibacterial activities against seven pathogens (Shigella sonnei ATCC 9290, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella typhi ATCC 6539, Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 25933, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778). The results showed that the acetone solvent could extract the highest polyphenols and chlorophylls with the highest antioxidant activity in terms of ABTS and DPPH assays. In contrast, diethyl ether exhibited the most significant content of carotenoids and FRAP values. However, the methanol extract was the best solvent, exerting the strongest antibacterial and meaningful antioxidant activities. For the bacterial activities, Gram-positive pathogens (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) were inhibited more efficiently by avocado extracts than Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, the extracts from avocado powder showed great potential for applications in food processing and preservation, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Antioxidants , Bacteria/growth & development , Persea/chemistry , Plant Extracts , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology
16.
Molecules ; 26(12)2021 Jun 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34205529

ABSTRACT

Polyscias fruticosa (L.) leaves contain significant bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity such as chlorophylls, total polyphenols, etc. but these have still been underutilized. In this study, the kinetics of chlorophyll and antioxidant activity extraction from P. fruticosa leaves by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were investigated. Microwave power was 300, 450, or 600 (W); the ratio of material/solvent varied from 1:40 to 1:80 (g/mL). In this study, the second-order kinetic model successfully predicted the change of chlorophyll and antioxidant activity during MAE. The increase of microwave power or/and the solvent amount increased saturated extraction efficiency and the extraction rate constant. However, the saturated concentration of chlorophyll and antioxidant activity increased with the increment of microwave power and the decrease in solvent amount.


Subject(s)
Antioxidants/pharmacology , Araliaceae/chemistry , Chlorophyll/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Ethanol/chemistry , Kinetics , Microwaves , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Polyphenols/chemistry , Polyphenols/pharmacology , Solvents/chemistry
17.
Clin Exp Gastroenterol ; 14: 297-302, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34188512

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the short-term results of hepatectomy with Takasaki's technique using Sonastar ultrasonic aspiration system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined data of 58 patients who underwent hepatectomy with Takasaki's technique using Sonastar ultrasonic aspiration system at Hue Central Hospital from 01/2018 to 02/2021. RESULTS: The mean age was 60.7 ± 10.5 years (25-80) and the male/female ratio was 6:1. Patients with solitary tumor accounted for 79%; 68.4% had tumor size greater than 5 cm. Pringle maneuver was used in 57.9%, while selective right or left Glissonean pedicle occlusion was used in 69.0% and 32.8%, respectively. Final transection surface reinforcement was achieved by Surgicel and BioGlue in 78.9% and 21.5% of cases, respectively. Major liver resection accounted for 73.7%. The mean parenchymal transection time was 50 (45-110) minutes, while mean total operative time was 125 (90-280) minutes. Mean operative blood loss was 250 (150-650) mL. Mean post-operative hospital stay was 8 days (7-23). Post-operative complication rate was 15.9% and mortality rate was 1.7%. CONCLUSION: Hepatectomy using Takasaki technique with Sonastar ultrasonic aspiration system is safe, effective, allowing an anatomical resection with sufficient safety margin and resulting in low complication rates (liver failure, biliary leakage) and good survival outcomes.

18.
Food Sci Nutr ; 8(7): 3826-3834, 2020 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32724644

ABSTRACT

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) is a fruit that brings health benefits to consumers because the fruit is rich in bioactive compounds. In this work, a combination of low-temperature convective drying and microwave radiation was used to dehydrate sliced bitter melon. One-factor-at-a-time design was performed to evaluate the influence of microwave power density (1.5, 3.0, 4.5 W/g), drying temperatures (20, 25, and 30°C), and air velocity (1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 m/s) on the change of moisture content, nutrient levels (vitamin C and total phenolics), and the antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP assays) of the bitter melon. The obtained results showed that all investigated factors affected the rate of moisture removal. Microwave power density output and air-drying temperature strongly participated in the retention of nutrients. In this study, the drying process was driven by both heat and mass transfer processes, so the increase of air velocity prolonged the drying time causing more loss of nutrient levels and antioxidant activities. It was found that DPPH free radical scavenging ability directly correlated with total phenolic content, but the ferric-reducing antioxidant power was related to the presence of reductants including phenolic compounds, vitamin C, and other phytochemicals in bitter melons. This work determined that microwave power density and the air-drying temperature are the main two factors that should be used for further investigations.

19.
Food Sci Nutr ; 7(11): 3513-3519, 2019 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31763001

ABSTRACT

Blanching is a pretreatment method that is often applied in fruit and vegetable processing to inhibit enzyme activity and reduce loss of food quality. It was recently discovered that well-controlled microwave volumetric heating could improve the blanching efficiency and retain nutritional and sensorial values of product. This study was conducted to investigate effects of microwave blanching conditions on the quality of green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) butt segments, a rich source of fiber and antioxidants but are often discarded during processing. The experiments were designed by one-factor-at-a-time method with two varying factors including blanching time (2, 4, 6, and 8 min) and microwave power output (150, 300, 450, and 600 W). Quality of product was evaluated by sensory, retention of phenolics, and free-radical scavenging activity retention. The results showed that longer blanching time or higher microwave power was associated with reduced quality of green asparagus butt segment. Besides, the appropriate parameters for microwave blanching of the green asparagus butt segment was found at 300 W for 4 min.

20.
PLoS One ; 12(10): e0185674, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29020015

ABSTRACT

Due to the high-cost and limitations of current wound healing treatments, the search for alternative approaches or drugs, particularly from medicinal plants, is of key importance. In this study, we report anti-inflammatory and wound healing activities of the major calophyllolide (CP) compound isolated from Calophyllum inophyllum Linn. The results showed that CP had no effect on HaCaT cell viability over a range of concentrations. CP reduced fibrosis formation and effectively promoted wound closure in mouse model without causing body weight loss. The underlying molecular mechanisms of wound repair by CP was investigated. CP markedly reduced MPO activity, and increased M2 macrophage skewing, as shown by up-regulation of M2-related gene expression, which is beneficial to the wound healing process. CP treatment prevented a prolonged inflammatory process by down-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines-IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, but up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. This study is the first to indicate a plausible role for CP in accelerating the process of wound healing through anti-inflammatory activity mechanisms, namely, by regulation of inflammatory cytokines, reduction in MPO, and switching of macrophages to an M2 phenotype. These findings may enable the utilization of CP as a potent therapeutic for cutaneous wound healing.


Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Calophyllum/chemistry , Coumarins/isolation & purification , Coumarins/pharmacology , Wound Healing/drug effects , Animals , Biomarkers/metabolism , Cell Survival/drug effects , Cytokines/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects , Humans , Inflammation Mediators/metabolism , Macrophages/drug effects , Macrophages/metabolism , Male , Mice , Peroxidase/metabolism , RAW 264.7 Cells , Seeds/chemistry , Skin/drug effects , Skin/pathology , Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate , Spleen/drug effects , Spleen/pathology
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