New Tubulocentric Insights for Diabetic Nephropathy: From Pathophysiology to Treatment

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, and one of the most important complications, diabetic nephropathy, constitutes a significant global health care and socioeconomic burden. Glomerular dysfunction is a major factor in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. However, emerging evidence suggests that tubular damage also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. This tubulocentric view shifts the focus markedly from glomeruli to proximal tubules, which might have an important role as a trigger or a driver in the early development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Accordingly, numerous studies have focused on several different tubular damage markers that are clinically indicated as potential biomarkers for the early detection of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, these findings are relevant for identifying therapeutics for diabetic nephropathy that target the proximal tubules. This review outlines new tubulocentric insights into diabetic nephropathy, from pathophysiological mechanisms to diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

Superficial cervical plexus block for management of herpes zoster neuralgia in the C3 dermatome: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Herpes zoster is a well-known reactivating viral disease that gives rise to painful skin lesions. Although this vesicular rash heals up within a few weeks, pain sometimes continues, becoming postherpetic neuralgia. In the case of those at high risk of developing postherpetic neuralgia, early interventional pain management is generally recommended as a preventive measure. Pain specialists usually do not see patients face-to-face for chronic refractory pain until the stage of postherpetic neuralgia. However, active and aggressive management, including antiviral treatment, of herpetic neuralgia during the acute stage of herpes zoster promises better results. In this respect, superficial cervical plexus block can help patients, such as the case reported here, by relieving the pain of herpes zoster involving the C3 dermatome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old Korean man with severe pain in his left C3 dermatome due to herpes zoster was admitted to our hospital. His pain was so refractory to medication that he consulted our pain clinic for pain control. Due to the medication limitations imposed by his underlying diseases (hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, atrial fibrillation, and asthma), early interventional therapy including stellate ganglion block was planned. In addition, because his painful C3 dermatome overlapped significantly with the superficial cervical plexus dermatome, ultrasound-guided superficial cervical plexus block was utilized for pain control of the intractable herpes zoster neuritis in his C3 dermatome. The result with respect to his sporadic neuralgia was satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: We found superficial cervical plexus block to be an effective interventional procedure for pain management of herpes zoster, particularly at the C3-dermatomal level

Structural, electrical and multiferroic properties of Nb-doped Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 thin films

The effects of donor Nb5+-ion doping on the structural, electrical, and multiferroic properties of an Aurivillius Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 thin film were investigated. Incorporation of Nb5+-ions into the Ti4+-sites of the Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 thin film resulted in a substantial improvement of its electrical and multiferroic properties. From the study of the electrical properties, the Bi7Fe3Ti2.94Nb0.06O21+δ thin film exhibited a low leakage current density of 5.11×10-6 A/cm2at 100 kV/cm, which was about one order of magnitude lower than that of the untreated Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 thin film. The ferroelectric P -E hysteresis loops of the Bi7Fe3Ti2.94Nb0.06O21+δthin film showed a large remnant polarization (2Pr) of 20.6 μC/cm2 at 630 kV/cm whereas the 2Pr value measured for the untreated Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 thin film was 3.5 μC/cm2at 318 kV/cm. Furthermore, a well-saturated magnetic hysteresis loop with an enhanced magnetization was observed for the Bi7Fe3Ti2.94Nb0.06O21+ δthin film at room temperature

Contribution of the family environment to depression in Korean adults with epilepsy

AbstractPurposeDepression is common in adults with epilepsy and an important factor that affects quality of life in these individuals. However, there are few studies on the interactions between epilepsy and family factors in adults and we here investigate this association.MethodsThis cross-sectional, multicenter study collected data on 391 adults with epilepsy and their caregivers recruited from 27 hospitals throughout Korea. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Stigma Scale, and Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) were used to evaluate the study population. Multivariate analysis was conducted using hierarchical linear regression. The Sobel test and structural equation modeling were used to examine interrelationships among the potential factors.ResultsThe mean patient BDI score was 16.3 (SD=11.1). Depressive symptoms (BDI≥10) were in 68.3% and 57.0% in patients and their caregivers, respectively. Hierarchical linear regression analysis only identified caregiver BDI (β=0.219; p<0.001) as an independent factor related to patient BDI. The mediational model suggested that caregiver BDI mediated the effects of other family factors on patient BDI: caregiver's educational level (p=0.002), caregiver's CBI score (p<0.001), caregiver's Stigma Scale score (p<0.001), and family APGAR score (p<0.001). In addition, structural equation modeling showed that the relation between caregiver and patient BDI was unidirectional.ConclusionCaregiver depression is the most important contributor to depression in adults with epilepsy. The other family factors such as caregiver's perception of burden and the level of family function are indirectly correlated with patient depression via the mediating effects of caregiver depression

Observation of Young's Double-Slit Interference with the Three-Photon N00N State

Spatial interference of quantum mechanical particles exhibits a fundamental feature of quantum mechanics. A two-mode entangled state of N particles known as N00N state can give rise to non-classical interference. We report the first experimental observation of a three-photon N00N state exhibiting Young's double-slit type spatial quantum interference. Compared to a single-photon state, the three-photon entangled state generates interference fringes that are three times denser. Moreover, its interference visibility of $0.49 \pm 0.09$ is well above the limit of 0.1 for spatial super-resolution of classical origin. The demonstration of spatial quantum interference by a N00N state composed of more than two photons represents an important step towards applying quantum entanglement to technologies such as lithography and imaging

Effects of Nd-doping on the structural, electrical, and multiferroic properties of Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 thin films

Aurivillius-phase six-layered Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 (BFTO21) and Nd-doped Bi6.4Nd0.6Fe3Ti3O21 (BNdFTO21) thin films were prepared on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by using a chemical solution deposition method in order to investigate their structural, electrical, and multiferroic properties. Doping the Bi sites of the BFTO21 with Nd-ions led to remarkable improvements in the electrical and the multiferroic properties. The electrical study of the BNdFTO21 thin film showed a low leakage current density of 4.38 × 10-6 A/cm at an applied electric field of 100 kV/cm, which was about one order of magnitude lower than that of the BFTO21 thin film. The ferroelectric P - E hysteresis loop of the BNdFTO21 thin film exhibited a large remnant polarization (2Pr) of 24 μC/cm2 and a low coercive electric field (2Ec) of 154 kV/cm at an applied electric field of 239 kV/cm. Furthermore, the magnetization and the coercive magnetic field that were observed for the BNdFTO21 thin film at room temperature were drastically enhanced compared to those observed for the BFTO21 thin film