Guidewire-catheter induced hydrodissection to assist radiofrequency ablation for subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma with iodized oil retention in patients with failed artificial ascites due to perihepatic adhesion

PURPOSEWe aimed to evaluate the usefulness of guidewire-catheter induced hydrodissection (GIH) to assist radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with iodized oil retention in patients with failed artificial ascites due to perihepatic adhesion.METHODSThis retrospective study included 17 patients with small subcapsular HCC ineligible for ultrasonography-guided RFA who received RFA under guidance of fluoroscopy and cone-beam computed tomography immediately after iodized oil transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) between April 2011 and January 2016. In the study patients, creation of artificial ascites to protect the perihepatic structures failed due to perihepatic adhesion and GIH was attempted to separate the perihepatic structures from the ablation zone. The technical success rate of GIH, technique efficacy of RFA with GIH, local tumor progression (LTP), peritoneal seeding, and complications were evaluated.RESULTSThe technical success rate of GIH was 88.24% (15 of 17 patients). Technique efficacy was achieved in all 15 patients receiving RFA with GIH. During an average follow-up period of 48.1 months, LTP developed in three patients. Cumulative LTP rates at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years were 13.3%, 20.6%, 20.6%, and 20.6%, respectively. No patient had peritoneal seeding. Two of the 15 patients receiving RFA with GIH had a CIRSE grade 3 liver abscess, but none had complications associated with thermal injury to the diaphragm or abdominal wall near the ablation zone.CONCLUSIONGIH can be a useful method to assist RFA for subcapsular HCC with iodized oil retention in patients with failed artificial ascites due to perihepatic adhesion

Increased Expression of Herpes Virus-Encoded hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9-5p in Cancer-Containing Prostate Tissue Compared to That in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia Tissue

Purpose: Previously, we reported the presence of virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) in the urine of prostate cancer (CaP) patients. In this study, we investigated the expression of two herpes virus-encoded miRNAs in prostate tissue. Methods: A total of 175 tissue samples from noncancerous benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 248 tissue samples from patients with CaP and BPH, and 50 samples from noncancerous surrounding tissues from these same patients were analyzed for the expression of two herpes virus-encoded miRNAs by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunocytochemistry using nanoparticles as molecular beacons. Results: Real-time reverse transcription-PCR results revealed significantly higher expression of hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miRH9- 5p in surrounding noncancerous and CaP tissues than that in BPH tissue (each comparison, P<0.001). Of note, these miRNA were expressed equivalently in the CaP tissues and surrounding noncancerous tissues. Moreover, immunocytochemistry clearly demonstrated a significant enrichment of both hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9 beacon-labeled cells in CaP and surrounding noncancerous tissue compared to that in BPH tissue (each comparison, P<0.05 for hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2- miR-H9). Conclusions: These results suggest that increased expression of hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H95p might be associated with tumorigenesis in the prostate. Further studies will be required to elucidate the role of these miRNAs with respect to CaP and herpes viral infections

Multiple Smart Cities: The Case of the Eco Delta City in South Korea

This paper follows the urban development process of the Eco Delta City (EDC) in South Korea, a new waterfront development demonstrating the concept of a smart city. The investigation focuses on the mobilisation process under the framework of assemblage thinking: the way in which the smart city concept was applied to the project and the relational moments that delayed and stopped the process. This qualitative research with the case study and ethnographical tradition of analysis was conducted with data from diverse archival sources and interviews. By dissecting the network of EDC development, the analysis finds that the smart city mobilisation emerged from the complex actor-relations rather than from the top-down policy, and the initially brought smartness framed by the government was not accepted intactly but was contested, affiliated and compounded by the actor-relations. This study also verifies that the assemblage approach is a suitable tool in managing and evaluating policy mobilisation because it is affected by the local context and actor-relations rather than just imitation and direct application

Multiple Smart Cities: The Case of the Eco Delta City in South Korea

This paper follows the urban development process of the Eco Delta City (EDC) in South Korea, a new waterfront development demonstrating the concept of a smart city. The investigation focuses on the mobilisation process under the framework of assemblage thinking: the way in which the smart city concept was applied to the project and the relational moments that delayed and stopped the process. This qualitative research with the case study and ethnographical tradition of analysis was conducted with data from diverse archival sources and interviews. By dissecting the network of EDC development, the analysis finds that the smart city mobilisation emerged from the complex actor-relations rather than from the top-down policy, and the initially brought smartness framed by the government was not accepted intactly but was contested, affiliated and compounded by the actor-relations. This study also verifies that the assemblage approach is a suitable tool in managing and evaluating policy mobilisation because it is affected by the local context and actor-relations rather than just imitation and direct application

A Two-Dimensional Laser Scanning Mirror Using Motion-Decoupling Electromagnetic Actuators

This work proposes a two-dimensional (2-D) laser scanning mirror with a novel actuating structure composed of one magnet and two coils. The mirror-actuating device generates decoupled scanning motions about two orthogonal axes by combining two electromagnetic actuators of the conventional moving-coil and the moving-magnet types. We implement a finite element analysis to calculate magnetic flux in the electromagnetic system and experiments using a prototype with the overall size of 22 mm (W) × 20 mm (D) × 15 mm (H) for the mirror size of 8 mm × 8 mm. The upper moving-coil type actuator to rotate only the mirror part has the optical reflection angle of 15.7° at 10 Hz, 90° at the resonance frequency of 60 Hz at ±3 V (±70 mA) and the bandwidth of 91 Hz. The lower moving-magnet type actuator has the optical reflection angle of 16.20° at 10 Hz and 50° at the resonance frequency of 60 Hz at ±5 V (±34 mA) and the bandwidth of 88 Hz. The proposed compact and simple 2-D scanning mirror has advantages of large 2-D angular deflections, wide frequency bandwidth and low manufacturing cost