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Purpose: It is important to fully automate the evaluation of gadoxetate disodium–enhanced arterial phase images because the efficient quantification of transient severe motion artifacts can be used in a variety of applications. Our study proposes a fully automatic evaluation method of motion artifacts during the arterial phase of gadoxetate disodium–enhanced MR imaging. Methods: The proposed method was based on the construction of quality‐aware features to represent the motion artifact using MR image statistics and multidirectional filtered coefficients. Using the quality‐aware features, the method calculated quantitative quality scores of gadoxetate disodium–enhanced images fully automatically. The performance of our proposed method, as well as two other methods, was acquired by correlating scores against subjective scores from radiologists based on the 5‐point scale and binary evaluation. The subjective scores evaluated by two radiologists were severity scores of motion artifacts in the evaluation set on a scale of 1 (no motion artifacts) to 5 (severe motion artifacts). Results: Pearson's linear correlation coefficient (PLCC) and Spearman's rank–ordered correlation coefficient (SROCC) values of our proposed method against the subjective scores were 0.9036 and 0.9057, respectively, whereas the PLCC values of two other methods were 0.6525 and 0.8243, and the SROCC values were 0.6070 and 0.8348. Also, in terms of binary quantification of transient severe respiratory motion, the proposed method achieved 0.9310 sensitivity, 0.9048 specificity, and 0.9200 accuracy, whereas the other two methods achieved 0.7586, 0.8996 sensitivities, 0.8098, 0.8905 specificities, and 0.9200, 0.9048 accuracies Conclusions: This study demonstrated the high performance of the proposed automatic quantification method in evaluating transient severe motion artifacts in arterial phase images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to enhanced biocompatibility and osseointegration, hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings are often applied to biomedical devices that are implanted directly on the bone. Although various HAp coating techniques have been developed, they are restricted due to the time‐consuming HAp synthesis and additional coating processes. Herein, the development of a rapid single‐step method for simultaneous synthesis and coating of HAp via nanosecond laser surface treatment is described. In the conventional HAp‐coating method, the resulting interface between the HAp layer and the base material is clearly distinguished. However, in this method, HAp synthesis and coating occur simultaneously via the melting of the base material (i.e., titanium, polyetheretherketone, and polycaprolactone) to form a gradient HAp‐base material composite coating layer. The resultant coating layer on a titanium surface exhibits a binding force of 31.7–47.2 N, which is sufficient for medical implant applications. Changing the laser irradiation conditions provides quantitative adjustment of the HAp formation process and coating layer thickness. Furthermore, the resulting HAp coating layer better facilitates the attachment of bone cells. These results offer a breakthrough in the surface treatment of bone‐bonding sites of metal and polymer biomedical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noticeable enhancements in the (a) breaking tensile stress and (b) shape recovery rate after the grafting of polystyrene onto PU in PS series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The graft polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate ( TBA) onto polyurethane ( PU) was conducted to prepare a series of samples that was compared to a control series comprising a physical mixture of poly( TBA) and PU. Maximum tensile stress sharply increased because of chemical cross-linking via poly( TBA), whereas tensile breaking strain slightly diminished by the grafted poly( TBA). Percent shape recovery at 10°C rapidly increased by the additional grafting of poly( TBA), whereas control series decreased with increases in TBA monomer content. Chemical cross-linking from the grafted poly( TBA) was responsible for the enhancement of shape recovery. Low-temperature flexibility tests from −35°C demonstrated that a proper composition of grafted poly( TBA) could enhance the flexibility of PU below 0°C. Overall, the grafted poly( TBA) greatly stepped up the maximum tensile stress, recovery capability to original form, and flexibility of PU at very low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Brain disorders including neurological and psychiatric disorders have become a major global public health issue due to their high prevalence and burden. However, elucidating ultimate causes and improving strategies for diagnosis and treatment of these disorders remain challenging due to limited accessibility to living human brain. In addition, there has been a great need for robust biomarkers for them at a very early stage. Neuroimaging technologies have demonstrated the potential in investigating the pathophysiology and developing the biomarkers. The current review discusses the potential diagnostic applications of neuroimaging in brain disorders. We summarized major findings in recent neuroimaging meta-analyses, which could be used as future biomarkers, in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, central nervous system inflammation, depression, and schizophrenia. New possibilities of novel imaging techniques were also demonstrated. Finally, future directions for the imaging-based diagnosis were suggested. In spite of promising results from preliminary studies and rapid technological advances, further studies on the reliability and validity of potential imaging biomarkers in larger patient populations and the development of new guidelines for the clinical applications would be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocomposites have been widely studied for sensor applications because of their high design flexibility. However, the creep behavior of polymeric materials is a crucial issue of nanocomposite‐based strain sensors in terms of sensing accuracy in high‐temperature environments, which acts as a bottleneck for the use of nanocomposites in embedded type sensors for monitoring the curing reactions and structural health of composite. Herein, we suggest a microwave‐assisted cross‐linking method for enhancing the reliability of polymer‐based coaxial‐structured fiber strain sensors in high temperatures. A dry‐jet wet‐spun ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene core fiber with a microwave post‐treatment in a peroxide bath provided superior strength (2.1 GPa), modulus (69 GPa), and enhanced creep resistance (>94%). By using a creep resistance‐enhanced core fiber, coaxial‐structured fiber strain sensors, which have multi‐layer structured shell parts, could be fabricated via the simple dip‐coating method. The fabricated coaxial‐structured fiber strain sensor showed a high gauge factor (4.12 with strain range of 0%–1%), a low‐temperature sensitivity coefficient (−6.5 × 10−4), and an improved sensing accuracy (<3% error at 80 °C) in high‐temperature environments. From these results, it can be confirmed that the microwave‐assisted cross‐linking method is very promising for use in nanocomposite‐based strain sensors for various application fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylonitrile ( PAN) or poly(methyl methacrylate) ( PMMA) was graft-polymerized onto polyurethane ( PU) to form the urethane-acrylate polymers grafted with PAN ( UA series) or PMMA ( UM series). With an increase in the acryl content, the Tm, Δ Hm , and Tg did not significantly change for the UA and UM series. The tensile strengths of the UA and UM series increased with the acryl content, whereas those of the control PUs did not. The breaking strain of the UA and UM series, and control PUs remained the same with the increase in the acryl content. The shape recovery and shape retention of the UA and UM series remained high after four repeated tests. The UA and UM series demonstrated better low-temperature flexibility and water permeability than the unmodified PU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Since both Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVaD) are subcortical dementia syndromes and have similar patterns of cognitive dysfunction, it is difficult to accurately differentiate between these in their early phases using neuropsychological tests. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the cerebral perfusion pattern of patients with SIVaD and PDD at the earliest stages using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We, consecutively, recruited 24 patients with mild PDD, 28 patients with mild probable AD, and 33 age-matched healthy subjects. All subjects underwent Tc-99m HMPAO perfusion SPECT and general neuropsychological tests. Brain SPECT images were analyzed using the statistical parametric mapping program. There was more significant hypoperfusion in the right cuneus, fusiform gyrus and lingual gyrus in the occipital lobe, right middle temporal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and right cerebellar tonsil in PDD compared with the SIVaD group. Conversely, significant hypoperfusion was observed in the bilateral brain stem, limbic system and posterior cingulate gyrus in SIVaD compared with the PDD group. This study suggests that parieto-occipital hypoperfusion in PDD and hypoperfusion of the brain stem and limbic system in SIVaD are likely useful to differentiate between mild PDD and SIVaD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The clinical heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease (PD) is well recognized. It is possible to distinguish two main clinical subgroups, a tremor dominant PD (TP) and nontremor dominant PD (NTP). However studies compared the regional cerebral blood flow between subtypes of PD had rarely been performed yet, although the classification of subtypes was very important because of difference of disease progression and prognosis between subtypes of PD. We recruited 43 patients with PD (21 TP and 22 NTP). All patients with PD underwent brain perfusion SPECT and evaluated motor severity by using the Hoehn and Yahr stage and Part III of the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS). We also compared tremor and nontremor symptoms with motor phenotype scores between two subtypes of PD. Brain perfusion SPECT showed significant hypoperfusion in TP compared with NTP in the left occipital lobe and middle occipital gyrus, left frontal lobe and superior frontal gyrus, cerebellar hemisphere, left lentiform nucleus. On the other hand, brain perfusion SPECT of NTP compared with TP showed hypoperfusion in right parietal lobe and precuneus, left temporal lobe and inferior temporal gyrus, both frontal lobe and inferior frontal gyrus. The present study indicates that pathophysiology of TP compared to NTP has more closely association with neuronal circuits including cerebellar pathway, such as CTC circuit. Therefore, we cautiously assert that neuronal systems other than the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system are likely involved in the generation of tremor in PD. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 23, 222-226, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Despite accumulating evidence for the clinical efficacy and neuroprotective properties of rasagiline in Parkinson's disease (PD), effects of rasagiline on brain perfusion in PD patients have not been elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of rasagiline on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with PD using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).Methods: A total of 44 PD patients were recruited and treated with dopamine agonist, either alone or in combination with levodopa. Twenty-two of these patients (referred to as the rasagiline group) additionally received rasagiline (1 mg/day). All patients underwent brain SPECT scans and clinical assessments at baseline and follow-up visits. The mean follow-up period was 2.2 years. Changes in rCBF were compared between the rasagiline group and the comparison group in a voxel-wise manner.Results: Annual change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score was lower in the rasagiline group compared to the comparison group (P = .01). A significant group-by-time interaction effect on rCBF was found in the right precuneus (P = .001), where rCBF was decreased in the comparison group and remained stable in the rasagiline group.Conclusions: Our results show that adjunctive rasagiline treatment had beneficial effects on perfusion in the precuneus of PD patients, suggesting potential neuroprotective effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very difficult that idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with dementia (PDD) distinguish from PD patients, because PD patients may exhibit patterns of cognitive impairment. Recently, cardiac I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy has been used as tools to distinguish PD from atypical parkinsonism. Thus, we performed this study to confirm significant clinical value of cardiac I-123 MIBG scintigraphy for differential diagnosis between PD and PDD. Cardiac I-123 MIBG scintigraphy was studied in 18 patients with PD, 18 patients with PDD, and 13 normal controls that were matched for age, disease duration, and severity of symptoms. The heart to mediastinum ratio (H/M ratio) was calculated. The mean value of H/M ratio of PDD and PD was significantly lower than normal controls. However, there were no differences between PDD and PD groups. Although cardiac I-123 MIBG scintigraphy did not distinguish PDD from PD, we wish to focus attention on sustained studies that are needed to differentiate other Lewy body disease from many dementia patients with PD features. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 22, 241-244, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hair loss occurs due to various biological and environmental causes, which can have psychosocial consequences. The Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is well‐known for its role in hair growth and regeneration, as it induces the proliferation and differentiation of hair cells. When the leucine‐rich G protein‐coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) interacts with the R‐spondins, the frizzled receptor (FZD), a Wnt receptor, becomes stabilized, resulting in an increased β‐catenin activity. Aim: We investigated whether the octapeptide that binds to Lgr5 enhances proliferation and differentiation of human primary hair cells through the activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling. Methods: The binding affinity of the octapeptide to Lgr5 was evaluated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). We confirmed changes in proliferation and related factors like β‐catenin activation and growth factors (GFs) expression in human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HHFDPCs). Additionally, we observed the proliferation and the expression of differentiation markers in human hair follicle outer root sheath cells (HHFORSCs), human hair follicle germinal matrix cells (HHFGMCs), and human hair follicle stem cells (HHFSCs). We used three‐dimensional HHFDPC spheroid culture treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to create in vitro conditions that mimic androgenetic alopecia, and we studied the effects of octapeptide on Wnt expression and HHFSC differentiation. Results: The binding of the octapeptide to Lgr5 was confirmed using SPR analysis. In HHFDPCs, treatment with octapeptide resulted in a concentration‐dependent increase in proliferation. We also observed increased nuclear translocation of β‐catenin and increased expression of its downstream targets. HHFDPCs treated with octapeptide exhibited increased expression of growth factors and phosphorylation of Akt and ERK. In addition, we confirmed that octapeptide increased proliferation and induced differentiation in HHFORSCs, HHFGMCs, and HHFSCs. Under the HHFDPC spheroid culture conditions, we found that octapeptide restored the inhibition of Wnt‐5a and Wnt‐10b expressions by DHT. In HHFSCs treated with HHFDPC spheroid culture media, we observed that octapeptide recovered the inhibition of differentiation by DHT. Conclusion: We found that octapeptides activated the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling and induced the proliferation and differentiation of human primary hair cells by acting as an exogenous ligand for Lgr5. In addition, octapeptides recovered inhibited hair regeneration characters by DHT in androgenetic alopecia‐mimic in vitro model. These findings suggest that octapeptides may be a promising therapeutic option for treating hair loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Over the course of treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), the clinical effects of dopaminergic medication diminish and side effects emerge. Therefore, searching for new therapeutic alternatives or complementary treatments is required. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could potentially complement the current therapeutic armamentarium, but only a few studies have investigated the therapeutic effects of tDCS in PD. The present pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of repeated tDCS treatment on motor symptoms and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with PD using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).Methods: Four patients with PD received tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex two times per week (anode F3/cathode F4, 2 mA for 30 minutes) over a period of 12 months. Patients underwent brain SPECT scans and clinical motor evaluation at baseline and 12-month follow-up. For SPECT data, voxel-wise changes in rCBF were analyzed.Results: There was no significant change of the motor severity scale, but the follow-up SPECT showed significant hyperperfusion in the left superior frontal gyrus medial segment and left superior parietal lobule compared to baseline (P < .001).Conclusions: This study shows that tDCS application may improve rCBF in the frontal and parietal lobes in patients with PD, suggesting beneficial effects of tDCS on brain function. Our results are preliminary and further large-scale studies are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Fatty change is commonly observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the characteristics of steatotic and steatohepatitic HCCs are not well understood. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with HCCs who underwent resection between January 2014 and December 2019 to evaluate clinicopathological and magnetic resonance imaging features. Tumours were categorized as magnetic resonance imaging‐steatotic, pathology‐steatotic and steatohepatitic HCCs and were defined as HCCs with ≥50% steatosis on in‐and‐oppose phase images, ≥34% tumour cells with lipid droplets and ≥50% tumour areas with steatohepatitic features on light microscopy respectively. Results: Of 465 HCCs, 38 (8%), 23 (5%) and 15 (3%) were diagnosed as magnetic resonance imaging‐steatotic, pathology‐steatotic and steatohepatitic HCCs respectively. These HCC variants were less likely to be associated with hepatitis B virus infections than with type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, non‐tumour liver steatosis and steatohepatitis. Moreover, microvascular invasion was less likely to be associated with them than either tumour size or differentiation. Type 2 diabetes and non‐tumour steatosis were independent risk factors for magnetic resonance imaging‐steatotic HCCs. Pathology‐steatotic HCCs and steatohepatitic HCCs were significantly associated with magnetic resonance imaging‐steatotic HCCs. A targetoid appearance in the transitional or hepatobiliary phase was also more prevalent in steatohepatitic‐HCCs than in non–steatohepatitic‐HCCs. When magnetic resonance imaging‐steatotic HCCs were combined with one or more ancillary features, the sensitivity and specificity were 60% and 97% respectively. Conclusion: Underlying fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome are strongly associated with both steatotic and steatohepatitic HCCs. Clinicoradiological characteristics help identify steatohepatitic HCC with high specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation of hydrogen fuel via electrochemical water splitting powered by sustainable energy, such as wind or solar energy, is an attractive path toward the future renewable energy landscape. However, current water electrolysis requires desalinated water resources, eventually leading to energy costs and water scarcity. The development of cost‐effective electrocatalysts capable of splitting saline water feeds directly can be an evident solution. Herein, a surface reconstructed nickel‐iron layered double hydroxide (NF‐LDH) is reported as an exceptionally active and durable bifunctional electrocatalyst for saline water splitting without chloride corrosion. The surface reconstructed NF‐LDH consists of Ni3Fe alloy phase interconnected in a 2D network in which an ultrathin (≈2 nm) and low‐crystalline NiFe (oxy)hydroxide phase are formed on the surface. The NiFe (oxy)hydroxide phase draws large anodic current densities, satisfying the level of practical application, while the Ni3Fe alloy phase is simultaneously responsible for the high catalytic activity for cathodic reactions and superior corrosion resistance. The surface reconstructed NF‐LDH electrode can be easily fabricated in a large electrode area (up to 25 cm2) and can successfully produce hydrogen fuels from saline water powered by the laboratory‐made low‐intensity photovoltaic cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Although neuroimaging has been used to examine brain changes related to recovery from stroke, cerebral perfusion changes after rehabilitation have yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes and their associations with gross motor functions after neurorehabilitation therapy in stroke patients. A total of 7 patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction received conventional neurorehabilitation therapy twice per day for 4‐6 weeks on admission. Brain perfusion images were acquired before and after the therapy using acetazolamide‐challenged single photon emission computed tomography. A whole‐brain voxel‐wise analysis found increased rCBF in the contralesional prefrontal, precentral, and postcentral cortical areas and decreased rCBF in the ipsilesional insula, posterior orbital gyrus, and central operculum. Moreover, a region of interest analysis revealed that rCBF of the ipsilesional basal ganglia was positively correlated with motor function at baseline and follow‐up, and perfusion changes in the ipsilesional basal ganglia was positively correlated with changes in motor function. These findings suggest that the contralesional prefrontal and sensorimotor cortex may play compensatory roles during the motor recovery and that perfusion in the ipsilesional basal ganglia is closely associated not only with current functional status but also with clinical improvement after neurorehabilitation therapy in patients with MCA infarction. Further studies with larger sample size are warranted to investigate whether assessment of cerebral perfusion may be clinically useful in rehabilitation of stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study aims to propose a physics-based method of reducing beam-hardening artifacts induced by high-attenuation materials such as metal stents or other metallic implants. Methods The proposed approach consists of deriving a sinogram inconsistency formula representing the energy dependence of the attenuation coefficient of high-attenuation materials. This inconsistency formula more accurately represents the inconsistencies of the sinogram than that of a previously reported formula (called the MAC- BC method). This is achieved by considering the properties of the high-attenuation materials, which include the materials' shapes and locations and their effects on the incident X-ray spectrum, including their attenuation coefficients. Results Numerical simulation and phantom experiment demonstrate that the modeling error of MAC- BC method are nearly completely removed by means of the proposed method. Conclusion The proposed method reduces beam-hardening artifacts arising from high-attenuation materials by relaxing the assumptions of the MAC- BC method. In doing so, it outperforms the original MAC- BC method. Further research is required to address other potential sources of metal artifacts, such as photon starvation, scattering, and noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a 68-year-old man who was incidentally found to have cystic liver lesion. It states that the tomography revealed a thick-walled cystic lesion with internal septation and the diagnosis shows the presence of mucinous cystic neoplasm and hydatid cyst disease. It adds that the diagnosis after a 1 year of follow-up shows that the person has hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma.

ABSTRACT This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated the secondary somatosensory area (SII) in humans, especially regarding the presence of distinctive spatial arrangements of neural subunits responding to different types of tactile stimuli. Ten healthy volunteers received four different sensory stimuli on the palmar side of the right hand-vibrotactile, pressure, warmth, and coolness. Based on group-level analysis of the fMRI data, all four of the somatosensory stimuli resulted in activations in the bilateral SII and insula as well as the SI contralateral to the stimulation. The spatial distribution of neural activations corresponding to each stimulus, as examined by cortical inflation technique, revealed significant overlaps, but also showed the differences in terms of its overall topology. The local maxima of the activation within the SII, corresponding to these stimuli, manifested distinctive spatial location. These results suggest that differential networks of the SII subregions are involved in the processing of the different nature of the tactile stimuli, while sharing common regions in the parietal operculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this open‐label, single‐dose, parallel‐group study, we compared the pharmacokinetic profile and safety of lobeglitazone, a thiazolidinedione acting as an agonist for peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors, in patients with hepatic impairment (HI) and healthy matched controls for age, sex, and body weight. After a single oral dose of lobeglitazone (0.5 mg), the lobeglitazone (parent drug) and M7 (major metabolite) plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed and compared between the HI patient groups and healthy matched control groups. The geometric mean ratio (GMR; 90% confidence interval [CI]) for maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinity (AUCinf) of lobeglitazone was 1.06 (0.90‐1.24) and 1.07 (0.82‐1.40), respectively, for mild HI vs control A. The GMR (90%CI) of Cmax and AUCinf was 0.70 (0.56‐0.88) and 1.00 (0.72‐1.37), respectively, for moderate HI vs control B. For M7, the GMR (90%CI) of Cmax and AUCinf was 1.09 (0.75‐1.57) and 1.18 (0.71‐1.97), respectively, for mild HI vs control A and 1.50 (0.95‐2.38) and 1.79 (1.06‐3.04), respectively, for moderate HI vs control B. Notable adverse events or tolerability issues were not observed. Lobeglitazone may be safely used in patients with mild or moderate HI without dose adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Kyung-ok-ko (KOK) has been used for the treatment of central nervous system disorders such as amnesia, dementia, and cerebral ischemia. However, the effects of KOK on transient ischemic-induced neuronal damage are still unclear. We examined whether KOK improves functional recovery and has a neuroprotective effect on infarction volume after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). KOK (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) was administered orally following reperfusion and twice per day for 14 days post-MCAO. Infarction volume was measured using 2% 2-3-5 triphenylterazolium (TTC) staining at 14 days post-MCAO and alteration in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) after KOK treatment was monitored. Functional improvement was evaluated using adhesive removal and treadmill tests at 1, 7, and 14 days post-MCAO. Also, apoptotic cell death was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase mediated d-UTP-biotin nick end (TUNEL) in the peri-infarction region. The protein level of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was measured in the ischemic core, ischemic border zone, and contralateral hemisphere regions. The KOK-treated group showed both reduced infarction volume and behavior tests demonstrated a significant improvement as compared to the control. Also, in the KOK-treated group, rCBF was recovered to near normal levels. The apoptotic cells were significantly decreased as compared with the control group in the ischemic peri-infarction area. Furthermore, the level of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-1α was decreased. These results suggest that KOK may improve functional outcome by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-1α) in neuronal injury such as ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Memantine's efficacy has been demonstrated in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. However, memantine therapy is not typically used in treating Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), although the deviating glutamatergic pattern evidenced in neuropathological findings suggests that N-methyl D-aspartate receptor antagonists in patients with Lewy-body disorder may be effective. Therefore, we conducted this longitudinal study to confirm the efficacy of memantine for PDD by analyzing comparative changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and neuropsychological tests before and after memantine administration in PDD. A total of 18 patients with PDD were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent technetium-99m hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime single photon emission computed tomography and completed neuropsychological tests before and 12 months after memantine administration. This study showed that there was no significant difference in cognitive functioning before and after memantine administration. No significant difference in rCBF was observed in any regions at baseline compared to 12 months after memantine administration. Our results suggest that memantine delays the speed of deterioration in cognitive functioning and behavioral symptoms in PDD because we found no significant changes in rCBF and cognition after memantine treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence indicates that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)‐related cognitive dysfunction may develop in the early stage of the disease and is often accompanied by hippocampal structural alterations. In the current study, we investigated volume and shape alterations of the hippocampus at a subregional level in patients with T2DM. With the use of high‐resolution brain structural images that were obtained from 30 T2DM patients with less than 5 years of disease duration and 30 healthy individuals, volumetric and shape analyses were performed. We also assessed the relationship between T2DM‐related hippocampal structural alterations and performance on verbal fluency. In volumetric analysis, total hippocampal volume was smaller in the T2DM group, relative to the control group. At a subregional level, T2DM patients showed significant inward deformation and volume reduction of the right dentate gyrus and cornu ammonis 2/3 subregions as compared with healthy individuals. In particular, T2DM patients with lower performance on verbal fluency had smaller right dentate gyrus volumes relative to those with higher performance. These findings suggest that the hippocampus may undergo atrophy at a subregional level even in the early stage of T2DM, and this subregion‐specific atrophy may be associated with reduced performance on verbal fluency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is an annual fiber crop grown mainly in India and China. This crop is becoming a new bio‐based energy source because of its fast growth rate, excellent CO2 absorption ability, and large productivity per unit area. In this study, we evaluated 10 different cultivars of kenaf for their potential as biomass for cellulosic ethanol production. First, kenaf samples were hydrolyzed using dilute sulfuric acid, which is the most simple and cost‐effective pretreatment method. Next, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the hydrolysates were performed by wild‐type and engineered xylose‐fermenting yeast strains. The results of compositional analysis of the biomass, the hydrolysates, and the fermented products suggested that ethanol yield and productivity were significantly affected by a type of kenaf cultivars, which was not predictable based on the biomass compositions. Also, the ethanol production was maximized when the xylose fraction was utilized by engineered yeast under the control of pH to avoid acetate inhibition. Considering the sugar compositions and their fermentability, kenaf can be a promising energy‐dedicated crop for cellulosic ethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aims: Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI‐RADS) is a comprehensive system for standardizing CEUS at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed a meta‐analysis to determine the diagnostic performance of the CEUS LR‐5 for HCC and the pooled proportions of HCCs in each CEUS LI‐RADS category. Methods: We searched multiple databases for studies reporting the diagnostic accuracy of the CEUS LI‐RADS. Random‐effects model was used to determine summary estimates of the diagnostic performance of CEUS LR‐5 and the pooled proportions of HCCs in each CEUS LI‐RADS category. Risk of bias and concerns regarding applicability were evaluated with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies‐2 tool. Results: Eleven studies were included in the final analysis, which consisted of 5535 observations with 3983 HCCs. The pooled per‐observation sensitivity and specificity of the CEUS LR‐5 for diagnosing HCC were 69% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64%–73%) and 92% (95% CI, 83%–96%) respectively. The pooled proportions of HCCs were 0% (95% CI, 0‐0%) for LR‐1, 1% (95% CI, 0%–4%) for CEUS LR‐2, 26% (95% CI, 14%–39%) for CEUS LR‐3, 77% (95% CI, 68%–86%) for CEUS LR‐4, 97% (95% CI, 95%–98%) for CEUS LR‐5, 57% (95% CI, 44%–69%) for CEUS LR‐M and 100% (95% CI, 93%–100%) for CEUS LR‐5V or TIV. Conclusions: The CEUS LR‐5 category showed moderate sensitivity and high specificity for diagnosing HCC. The proportion of HCCs was higher in the higher CEUS LI‐RADS categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with reduction of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in various brain regions. Although nicergoline has been used to treat cognitive impairment in various types of dementia, the effect of nicergoline on brain perfusion in AD has not been elucidated. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of nicergoline on rCBF in patients with early AD using technetium‐99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). For 1.7 years on average, 22 patients with early AD received nicergoline (30 mg twice daily) and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI), whereas other 22 patients received AChEI only. All patients underwent assessment of dementia severity and SPECT scans at baseline and follow‐up. We compared baseline rCBF and annual percent change of rCBF between the two groups. There were no significant differences in rCBF between the groups at baseline. Although changes in dementia severity was not statistically different, the annual percent changes of rCBF were higher in the left temporal pole (−0.12 ± 3.95 vs −3.38 ± 3.30, P = 0.002) and middle cingulate gyrus (1.91 ± 3.58 vs −1.34 ± 3.17, P = 0.002) among the nicergoline group. Our study demonstrated that nicergoline treatment combined with AChEI either better preserves or further improves cerebral perfusion in the temporal and cingulate cortices in patients with early AD compared to AChEI treatment alone. These results may indicate potential beneficial effects of nicergoline on brain functions in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper proposes a sinogram‐consistency learning method to deal with beam hardening‐related artifacts in polychromatic computerized tomography (CT). The presence of highly attenuating materials in the scan field causes an inconsistent sinogram that does not match the range space of the Radon transform. When the mismatched data are entered into the range space during CT reconstruction, streaking and shading artifacts are generated owing to the inherent nature of the inverse Radon transform Methods: The proposed learning method aims to repair inconsistent sinogram by removing the primary metal‐induced beam hardening factors along the metal trace in the sinogram. Taking account of the fundamental difficulty in obtaining sufficient training data in a medical environment, the learning method is designed to use simulated training data and a patient's implant type‐specific learning model is used to simplify the learning process. Results: The feasibility of the proposed method is investigated using a dataset, consisting of real CT scans of pelvises containing simulated hip prostheses. The anatomical areas in training and test data are different, in order to demonstrate that the proposed method extracts the beam hardening features, selectively. The results show that our method successfully corrects sinogram inconsistency by extracting beam hardening sources by means of deep learning. Conclusion: This paper proposed a deep learning method of sinogram correction for beam hardening reduction in CT for the first time. Conventional methods for beam hardening reduction are based on regularizations, and have the fundamental drawback of being not easily able to use manifold CT images, while a deep learning approach has the potential to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: chloride corrosion; electrocatalysis; nickel iron layered double hydroxide; seawater splitting EN chloride corrosion electrocatalysis nickel iron layered double hydroxide seawater splitting 1 1 1 05/30/23 20230525 NES 230525 B Seawater Splitting b In article number 2214069, HyukSu Han, Chan-Yeup Chung, Hyeok Kim, and co-workers develop a revolutionary catalyst design strategy to induce chloride blocking materials in nickel iron layered double hydroxide via surface reconstruction enabling excellent overall saline water splitting. Chloride corrosion, electrocatalysis, nickel iron layered double hydroxide, seawater splitting Surface Reconstruction of Ni-Fe Layered Double Hydroxide Inducing Chloride Ion Blocking Materials for Outstanding Overall Seawater Splitting (Adv. Funct. [Extracted from the article]

Although N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists may have beneficial influences on cognition in patients with alcohol-related dementia (ARD), their effects on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) remain unknown. This study evaluated changes in rCBF in ARD patients after administration of NMDA receptor antagonist for 12 weeks using technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc-99m ECD) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Twenty-eight ARD patients were administered memantine for 12 weeks and underwent clinical evaluations and brain SPECT scans at baseline and follow-up. Whole-brain changes in perfusion were examined on a voxel-by-voxel basis. At follow-up, the patients showed reduced rCBF in the left medial frontal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, left claustrum, right brainstem, left superior temporal gyrus, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and left cerebellum. On the other hand, increased rCBF was found in the bilateral uncus, left parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule, left cuneus, and left superior temporal gyrus. Perfusion increases in various brain areas including the superior frontal, parahippocampal, and inferior parietal areas, which may play important roles in the pathophysiology of ARD, suggest potential benefits of NMDA receptor antagonists on brain functions in patients with ARD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with the severity of human neurodegenerative diseases due to its neuronal and endothelial toxicities, and pretreatment of a catecho-O-methyltransferase (COMTI) could block the l-dopa induced elevation of serum Hcy levels in preclinical study. However, it is unclear whether hyperhomocysteinemia in the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is related to clinical progression or not. Therefore, we conducted this 2-year follow-up study to evaluate whether or not COMTI has an impact on the progression or severity of PD. Data for 50 PD patients (22 PD patients treated with l-Dopa and COMTI and 28 PD patients treated with l-Dopa alone) who were recruited for this study were compared with those of 19 healthy controls. All subjects underwent Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT and neurological evaluation including cognitive function. Serum homocysteine (Hcy) was measured at baseline and at the 2-year follow up visit. The result showed serum Hcy levels were greater in the two PD groups than the healthy control group ( P = 0.003), suggesting L-dopa induced hyperhomocysteinemia. However, the comparison between these two PD groups showed no significant differences in serum Hcy level as well as regional cerebral perfusion, cognitive function or motor severity at baseline and at 2 years, indicating that COMTI neither prevented l-dopa induced hyperhomocysteinemia nor delayed clinical progression. Given limitation of excluding advanced PD with late motor complications, future large-scale long-term followup studies are needed to clarify the effects of COMTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims Advanced liver fibrosis is associated with recurrence after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC). This study aimed to investigate whether noninvasive fibrosis indices could predict intrahepatic recurrence and death after curative resection of HCC. Methods Patients who underwent curative resection for hepatitis B virus ( HBV)-related HCC between 2006 and 2010 at a single tertiary hospital were included. This study analysed the association of noninvasive fibrosis indices with recurrence and overall survival. Results A total of 303 patients were included. During a median follow-up period of 56.0 (interquartile range, 42.0-70.0) months, 151 (49.8%) patients experienced HCC recurrence and 54 (17.8%) died. Based on multivariate analysis, Forns index [hazard ratio ( HR), 1.238; 95% confidence interval ( CI), 1.097-1.398; P = 0.001] was independently associated with tumour recurrence after adjustment for anti- HBe positivity, histological cirrhosis, tumour size and number. Patients with Forns index <6.9 had a significantly longer recurrence-free survival rate than patients with Forns index ≥6.9 ( P < 0.001 by log-rank test). Forns index ( HR, 1.246; 95% CI, 1.034-1.501; P = 0.02) could also predict overall survival after adjustment for tumour size and number. Forns index detected cirrhosis with an AUROC of 0.700 (95% CI, 0.641-0.758). Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index, cirrhosis discriminant score, FIB-4 index, P2/ MS and Lok index detected cirrhosis comparably to Forns index, but were not associated with tumour recurrence or death. Conclusions Our data suggest that Forns index could be a useful predictor of recurrence and overall survival after curative resection of HBV-related HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sputtered-Zn(O,S) and -CdS films were prepared as a buffer layer in CuInSe2 (CIS) in the bottom cell of a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS)-tandem-structured solar cell. We characterized the thermal stability and long wavelength response of the CIS solar cell. The thermal stability of CIS solar cell is tested in increasing annealing temperature up to 500 °C in a vacuum for 60 min. The optical response of CIS solar cell was measured by using long-wavelength pass filter to verify availability as a bottom cell. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the sputtered-Zn(O,S)/CIS cell showed a slight drop from 9.73% as-fabricated to 9.61% after 60 min of annealing at 300 °C, whereas the 7.97% as-fabricated PCE of the sputtered-CdS/CIS cell fully deteriorated above 300 °C at 60 min of annealing. The PCE of as-fabricated-Zn(O,S)/CIS was 5.46% by using the selective 715 nm long-pass filter. This value remains almost unchanged after post-annealing, whereas the 4.36% PCE of as-fabricated-CdS/CIS solar cell by using the 715 nm long-pass filter continuously dropped after 60 min of 300 °C annealing. The high-temperature-stability of the Zn(O,S) buffer was attributed to the smaller diffusivity of Zn atoms than that of Cd atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Ultrasound application to neural tissues modifies their activity, and it is increasingly considered as a new mode of functional neuromodulation in both central and peripheral nervous system. We investigate that ultrasound focused to skin surface can induce differential peripheral sensations by modulating the activity of sensory receptors. Pulsed focused ultrasound was applied to the last digit of human hands for 10 s using combinations of acoustic frequencies (350 and 650 kHz), tone-burst-durations (0.1 and 1.0 ms), pulse repetition frequencies (10 and 100 Hz) with 1% duty cycle, and acoustic intensities (3-100 mW/cm2), divided into two ambient temperatures (20 and 40°C). On insonification, volunteers reported cooling, warming, vibrotactile sensations, and mild nociception, while there was no actual increase to the skin temperature. Continuous insonification, in contrast to pulsed insonification, failed to elicit these sensations. Our results suggest that pulsed ultrasound temporarily modifies the activity of the sensory receptors on the skin, and casts future utility in dermatological applications as well as in the field of haptic device interfaces. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 24, 167-174, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Liver fibrosis is associated with the deposition of the extracellular matrix, and hepatic stellate cells ( HSCs) are the major source of these matrix proteins. Guggulsterone has recently been shown to induce apoptosis in several cell lines. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether guggulsterone has antifibrotic activities by reducing the activation and survival of HSCs. Methods Apoptotic and fibrosis-related signaling pathways and nuclear factor kappa B ( NF- κB) activity were explored in LX-2 cells, an immortalized human HSC line, and in a mice model of liver fibrosis. Results Guggulsterone suppressed LX-2 cell growth in a dose- and activation-dependent manner. This growth suppression was due to the induction of HSC apoptosis, which was mediated by the activation of c- Jun N-terminal kinase and mitochondrial apoptotic signaling. Additionally, guggulsterone regulated phosphorylation of Akt and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, which were subsequently proven responsible for the guggulsterone-induced HSC growth suppression. Guggulsterone inhibited NF- κB activation in LX-2 cells, which is one of the major mediators in HSC activation. Indeed, guggulsterone decreased collagen α1 synthesis and α-smooth muscle actin expression in these cells. Compared with the control mice or mice treated with a low dose of guggulsterone, high dose of guggulsterone significantly decreased the extent of collagen deposition and the percentage of activated HSCs undergoing apoptosis. Conclusions These results demonstrate that guggulsterone suppressed HSC activation and survival by inhibiting NF- κB activation and inducing apoptosis. Therefore, guggulsterone may be useful as an antifibrotic agent in chronic liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The testis shows physiologic uptake in flourine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of FDG uptake of normal testis on PET/computed tomography (CT), especially in relationship to various clinical parameters. We obtained the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) of each testis from PET/CT of 166 healthy men. We also calculated the testis-to-muscle (T/M) ratio, defined as the SUVmean of the testis divided by the SUVmean of the right thigh muscle. Subjects completed a questionnaire on their medical history and sexual habits, including frequency of sexual intercourse, latest date of sexual intercourse, and vasectomy history. We then evaluated the association between imaging parameters and sexual habits. The mean age of subjects was 48 ± 10 years (range, 21-74), and the mean volume of each testis was 17.1 ± 4.5 cm3 (range, 7.4-32.4). The mean SUVmax was 3.6 ± 0.5 (range, 2.2-5.5), the mean SUVmean was 2.5 ± 0.4 (range, 1.6-3.8), and the mean T/M ratio was 4.2 ± 0.8 (range, 2.3-7.3). Of the 166 subjects, 51 reported having sexual intercourse zero times per month and 109 had sexual intercourse at least per month. The interval between the latest date of sexual intercourse and PET/CT was less than 3 days in 48 subjects; between 3 days and 1 month in 58; and greater than 1 month in 60. Twenty subjects were currently vasectomized. The T/M ratio was significantly correlated with age ( P = 0.040) but not with sexual habits. On the PET/CT, normal testicular FDG uptake decreased as age increased. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 22, 245-249, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative pain assessment in human beings is useful for developing new analgesics. This study assessed the analgesic effect of remifentanil in 20 healthy Korean men using three pain models to investigate whether these models can be used in Asians. The study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way cross-over study. The subjects received intravenous remifentanil with doses starting at 0.01 μg/kg/min. and increasing by 0.01 μg/kg/min. up to 0.10 μg/kg/min. in one session; they received placebo in another session. Heat pain thresholds were assessed at dose levels of 0.02, 0.05, 0.08 and 0.10 μg/kg/min. Pressure pain threshold and tolerance and mechanical pain threshold were assessed at 0.08 μg/kg/min. Remifentanil dose-dependently increased the heat pain threshold. The differences (95% confidence interval) between remifentanil and placebo were 1.54° C (0.78, 2.31), 1.82° C (1.11, 2.54) and 2.47° C (1.55, 3.38) at 0.05, 0.08 and 0.10 μg/kg/min. remifentanil, respectively. Remifentanil conferred a significantly higher pressure pain threshold and tolerance than placebo ( p = 0.0001). There was a trend of increasing mechanical pain threshold with remifentanil, although it was not statistically significant. The results suggest that heat pain and pressure pain models are valid in East Asians for assessing analgesic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) have immune regulatory functions. Mesalamine is an effective immune regulatory drug for inflammatory bowel disease. Thus, we hypothesized that mesalamine may also modulate the immune regulatory functions of HSCs. Since B7-H1 plays a crucial role in regulating T-cell apoptosis, we evaluated if mesalamine induces B7-H1 expression on HSCs, and if so, whether mesalamine attenuates autoimmune liver injury in vivo. LX-2 cells, an immortalized human HSC cell line, and human peripheral T-cells were used in this study. B7-H1 expression on LX-2 cells following mesalamine treatment was examined by using flow cytometry. Cell viability was analyzed by MTS assay. Concanavalin-A (ConA) mice hepatitis model was used for in vivo study. Flow cytometry showed that mesalamine treatment increased the B7-H1-expressing LX-2 cell fraction from 45.4% to 88.2%, of which increment is equivalent to that of positive control (29.9%, interferon γ-treated cells). Human T-cells incubated with LX-2 cells showed significantly less cell viability in the presence of mesalamine than cells without mesalamine treatment ( P < 0.001). Histological examination revealed that hepatic necroinflammation was significantly attenuated by mesalamine pretreatment ( P = 0.019), although serum levels of aminotransferases were not significantly reduced. During the 24-h period following ConA injection, 1 of 10 mice pretreated with mesalamine and 3 of 10 mice without pretreatment died. These results demonstrate that mesalamine enhances B7-H1 expression on HSCs, and thus, induces T-cell apoptosis and attenuates autoimmune liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endonuclease G (EndoG) is a mitochondrial enzyme that responds to apoptotic stimuli by translocating to the nucleus and cleaving chromosomal DNA. EndoG is the main apoptotic endonuclease in the caspase-independent pathway. Mouse EndoG without the mitochondrial localization signal (amino-acid residues 1-43) was successfully overexpressed, purified and crystallized using a microbatch method under oil. The initial crystal (type I) was grown in the presence of the detergent CTAB and diffracted to 2.8 Å resolution, with unit-cell parameters a = 72.20, b = 81.88, c = 88.66 Å, β = 97.59° in a monoclinic space group. The crystal contained two monomers in the asymmetric unit, with a predicted solvent content of 46.6%. Subsequent mutation of Cys110 improved the stability of the protein significantly and produced further crystals of types II, III and IV with space groups C2, P41212 (or P43212) and P212121, respectively, in various conditions. This suggests the critical involvement of this conserved cysteine residue in the crystallization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Abdominal wall hernia is a common feature of decompensated liver cirrhosis and frequently causes life-threatening complications or severe pain. However, there have been no data reported on postoperative mortality, hepatic functional deterioration and recurrence rate according to Child–Turcotte–Pugh (CTP) class and to the presence of refractory ascites. Methods: The study population comprised 53 liver cirrhosis patients who underwent hernia repair operation. Comparisons were made of 30-day mortality among the different CTP classes, and between those with or without refractory ascites. Liver function was also analyzed just before the operation, in the immediate postoperative period, and in the remote postoperative period. Results: Seventeen patients were in CTP class A, 27 patients in class B, and 9 patients in class C. The median follow-up duration was 24 months. There was single 30-day postoperative mortality in class C, and no CTP class deterioration after 30 days of operation. There was no mortality or recurrences in 17 patients with medically refractory ascites. The difference in 30-day mortality according to CTP class and the presence of refractory ascites did not show statistical significance ( P = 0.17 and 0.97, respectively). Conclusion: Hernia operation could be done safely in CTP class A and B with low rate of recurrences, and there was no definitive increase in the operative risk in class C. In addition, refractory ascites did not increase operative risk and recurrence rate. Therefore, surgical repair might be recommended even in patients with refractory ascites and poor hepatic function to prevent life-threatening complications or severe pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our study was to prospectively evaluate cardiac [(123)I]metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake in patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) who develop clinical symptoms of vascular Parkinsonism (VP). A total of 19 consecutive patients who developed Parkinsonism during the course of their CVD were enrolled in the study; 16 age-matched subjects, and 30 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) were also evaluated with cardiac MIBG uptake. MIBG uptake was assessed using the ratio of the heart to the upper mediastinum (H/M) according to planar scintigraphic data. The mean H/M ratio was significantly higher in patients with VP than in those with PD (2.28 +/- 0.41 vs. 1.27 +/- 0.13; P < 0.001). MIBG uptake did not differ between VP and controls (2.46 +/- 0.33; P > 0.05). Our findings suggest that myocardial postganglionic sympathetic dysfunction found in PD is absent in most patients with VP. MIBG single photon emission computed tomography imaging may be useful to help distinguish between PD and VP patients in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Aldosterone antagonists are the diuretics of first choice in the treatment of cirrhotic ascites. However, there is still no reliable clinical parameter to evaluate their efficacy. Transtubular potassium gradient (TTKG), the accurate indicator of aldosterone bioactivity, may serve as a guide for the proper use of the aldosterone antagonists. Methods: In 23 patients with cirrhotic ascites, the daily administered initial dosage of 100 mg of spironolactone was increased by 100 mg/day at intervals of 5 days until either diuresis commenced or TTKG fell below 3.0, the value indicating complete blockade of aldosterone bioactivity. For the non-responders with TTKG lower than 3.0, furosemide was given in addition to spironolactone.Results: Basal TTKG correlated significantly with plasma aldosterone concentration (r = 0.60, P = 0.002). Spironolactone induced the decrease of TTKG in 20 patients, from 5.3 ± 0.5 to 2.9 ± 0.2 (mean ± SE, P < 0.001). A TTKG value of 3.0 could classify seven patients, who did not respond to low dose spironolactone, into two distinct groups at that time, indicating different further diuretic regimen. All patients achieved diuretic responses without complication by this TTKG-guided modification of diuretics. Conclusions: TTKG may be a suitable guide for the diuretic management of cirrhotic ascites by accurately reflecting the effect of aldosterone antagonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background. Nitric oxide (NO) generated by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is known to be an important modulator of the mucosal inflammatory response. In this study, we questioned whether Helicobacter pylori infection could up-regulate the epithelial cell inducible NOS (iNOS) gene expression and whether NO production could show polarity that can be regulated by immune mediators. Materials and Methods. Human gastric epithelial cell lines were infected with H. pylori , and the iNOS mRNA expression was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. NO production was assayed by determining nitrite/nitrate levels in culture supernatants. To determine the polarity of NO secretion by the H. pylori -infected epithelial cells, Caco-2 cells were cultured as polarized monolayers in transwell chambers, and NO production was measured. Results. iNOS mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated in the cells infected with H. pylori , and expression of iNOS protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Increased NO production in the gastric epithelial cells was seen as early as 18 hours postinfection, and reached maximal levels by 24 hours postinfection. The specific MAP kinase inhibitors decreased H. pylori -induced iNOS and NO up-regulation. After H. pylori infection of polarized epithelial cells, NO was released predominantly into the apical compartment, and IL-8 was released predominantly into basolateral compartment. The addition of IFN-γ to H. pylori -infected polarized epithelial cells showed a synergistically higher apical and basolateral NO release. Conclusion. These results suggest that apical NO production mediated by MAP kinase in H. pylori -infected gastric epithelial cells may influence the bacteria and basolateral production of NO and IL-8 may play a role in the tissue inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–metalloid compounds have been paid much attention as new high‐performance water oxidation catalysts due to their exceptional durability for water oxidation in alkaline media originating from the multi‐dimensional covalent bonding of the metalloid with the surrounding metal atoms. However, compared to the excellent stability, a relatively low catalytic activity of metal‐metalloids often limits their practical application as high‐performance water oxidation catalysts. Here, for the first time, disclosed is a novel self‐templating strategy combined with atomic layer deposition (ALD) to design the electrochemically active and stable quaternary metal boride (vanadium‐doped cobalt nickel boride, VCNB), hollow nanoprism by inducing electronic double layers on the surface. The incorporation of V in a double‐layered structure can substantially increase the number of surface active sites with unsaturated electronic structure. Furthermore, the induced electronic double layers of V can effectively protect the dissolution of the surface active sites. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the impressive water oxidation properties of VCNB originate from the synergetic physicochemical effects of the different metal elements, Co and B as active sites, Ni as a surface electronic structure modifier, and V as a charge carrier transporter and supplier. Electronically double‐layered structure in quaternary metal–metalloid hollow nanoprism can substantially enhance water oxidation activity as well as stability of metal–metalloid in alkaline media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In article number 1803799, Heechae Choi, Yong‐Chae Chung, Taeseup Song and co‐workers report that an electronically double‐layered structure in quaternary metal‐metalloid hollow nanoprism can substantially enhance water oxidation activity as well as the stability of metalmetalloids in alkaline media. Double‐layered vanadium enhances charge transfer at the surface as well as the carrier concentration at the Fermi level. Furthermore, it can also prevent the surrounding metal atoms from leaching out and, as a result, substantially improves electrocatalytic stability of quaternary metal‐metalloid compounds for water oxidation in an alkaline medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]