Hepatic Parasitic Abscess Caused by Clonorchiasis: Unusual CT Findings of Clonorchiasis

Clonorchiasis is caused by a chronic infestation of liver flukes, Clonorchis sinensis, and these reside mainly in the medium- and small-sized intrahepatic bile ducts. Therefore, diffuse, uniform, minimal or mild dilatation of these bile ducts, particularly in the periphery, without dilatation of the extrahepatic bile duct is the typical finding on several imaging modalities. We report here on the CT findings of an unusual case of hepatic parasitic abscess that was caused by clonorchiasis; this malady mimicked cholangiocarcinoma, and there was no dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts

Immature Gastric Teratoma in an Infant: A Case Report

Gastric teratomas are extremely rare neoplasms and almost exclusively benign. They occur predominantly in males and generally present as a palpable abdominal mass. To our knowledge, only one adult case has been described in the Korean literature. We report a case in which an immature gastric teratoma in a 3-month-old boy was revealed by CT and US

Peliosis Hepatis with Hemorrhagic Necrosis and Rupture: a Case Report with Emphasis on the Multi-Detector CT Findings

We report here on an uncommon case of peliosis hepatis with hemorrhagic necrosis that was complicated by massive intrahepatic bleeding and rupture, and treated by emergent right lobectomy. We demonstrate the imaging findings, with emphasis on the triphasic, contrast-enhanced multidetector CT findings, as well as reporting the clinical outcome in a case of peliosis hepatis with fatal hemorrhage

Hypofractionated High-Dose Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (60 Gy at 2.5 Gy per Fraction) for Recurrent Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

A patient with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) developed synchronous bone metastasis with metachronous relapses to the bone and renal fossa. The primary lesion was initially removed surgically, and the metastatic bone lesions and locally recurrent tumours were treated by a high-fractional dose and high-total-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT, 60 Gy at 2.5 Gy per fraction) without significant side effects. All the grossly relapsed tumors underwent complete remission (CR) within a short time after IMRT. To date, CR has been maintained for more than two years. This case study reports the successful treatment of radioresistant RCC using a new scheme that involves a fractionation regimen with a high precision radiotherapy

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori Increases Ghrelin mRNA Expression in the Gastric Mucosa

It has been suggested that Helicobacter pylori eradication may influence production of some peptides in the stomach, which can affect appetite. This hypothesis is controversial. To verify the hypothesis, we conducted this randomized controlled trial using H. pylori infected subjects without any gastrointestinal symptoms. The treatment group received triple H. pylori eradication therapy for 7 days and the control group received no medication. We measured ghrelin, obestatin and the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA levels in endoscopic biopsy specimens and the changes from baseline to follow-up. The plasma active n-octanoyl ghrelin and obestatin levels were measured in both groups. The ghrelin/obestatin ratios in plasma and gastric mRNA expression were calculated at baseline and follow-up. Ghrelin mRNA expression in the fundic mucosa after H. pylori eradication increased significantly compared to the control group (4.47±2.14 vs. 1.79±0.96, P=0.009), independent of inflammatory changes. However, obestatin mRNA expression decreased in the antral mucosa (-0.57±1.06 vs. 0.41±0.72, P=0.028). The treatment group showed a marginal increase (P=0.060) in plasma ghrelin/obestatin ratio. The TNF-α mRNA expression also decreased significantly with treatment. This randomized controlled trial demonstrates that H. pylori eradication increases ghrelin mRNA expression, independent of inflammatory cell changes

Prevalence of Human Papilloma Virus Infections and Cervical Cytological Abnormalities among Korean Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

We performed a multicenter cross-sectional study of 134 sexually active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for high risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and cervical cytological abnormalities among Korean women with SLE. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, HPV testing and routine cervical cytologic examination was performed. HPV was typed using a hybrid method or the polymerase chain reaction. Data on 4,595 healthy women were used for comparison. SLE patients had greater prevalence of high-risk HPV infection (24.6% vs. 7.9%, P<0.001, odds ratio 3.8, 95% confidence interval 2.5-5.7) and of abnormal cervical cytology (16.4 vs. 2.8%, P<0.001, OR 4.4, 95% CI 2.5-7.8) compared with controls. SLE itself was identified as independent risk factors for high risk HPV infection among Korean women (OR 3.8, 95% CI 2.5-5.7) along with ≥2 sexual partners (OR 8.5, 95% CI 1.2-61.6), and Pap smear abnormalities (OR 97.3, 95% CI 6.5-1,456.7). High-risk HPV infection and cervical cytological abnormalities were more common among Korean women with SLE than controls. SLE itself may be a risk factor for HPV infection among Korean women, suggesting the importance of close monitoring of HPV infections and abnormal Pap smears in SLE patients

Determination of Leuprolide&ndash;Fatty Acid Conjugate in Rat Plasma Using LC-MS/MS and Its Pharmacokinetics after Subcutaneous Administration in Rats

Leuprolide is a synthetic nonapeptide drug (pyroGlu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-d-Leu-Leu-Arg-Pro-NHEt) that acts as a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. The continuous administration of therapeutic doses of leuprolide inhibits gonadotropin secretion, which is used in androgen-deprivation therapy for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, central precocious puberty, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and other sex-hormone-related conditions. To improve the pharmacokinetic properties of peptide drugs, a fatty acid was conjugated with leuprolide for long-term action. In this study, we developed a simple ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of leuprolide and leuprolide&ndash;oleic acid conjugate (LOC) levels. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, recovery, matrix effect, and stability according to the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines, and the parameters were within acceptable limits. Subsequently, the pharmacokinetics of leuprolide and LOCs were evaluated. In vivo rat subcutaneous studies revealed that conjugation with fatty acids significantly altered the pharmacokinetics of leuprolide. After the subcutaneous administration of fatty-acid-conjugated leuprolide, the mean absorption time and half-life were prolonged. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing the effects of fatty acid conjugates on the pharmacokinetics of leuprolide using a newly developed UPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of leuprolide and LOCs

Particulate Matter Removal Ability of Ten Evergreen Trees Planted in Korea Urban Greening

Broad-leaved evergreen trees create urban forests for mitigation of climate warming and adsorption of particulate matter (PM). This study was performed to identify the species suitable for urban greening by examining the adsorption capacity of the evergreen species in urban areas in Korea, the adsorption points and the elemental composition of PM in the adsorbed tree. Leaf sampling was carried out four times (period of seven months from October 2017 to May 2018) and used after drying (period 28 to 37 days). Particulate matter (PM) was classified and measured according to size PM2.5 (0.2–2.5 μm), PM10 (2.5–10 μm), PM100 (10–100 μm). The total amount of PM adsorbed on the leaf surface was highest in Pinus densiflora (24.6 μg∙cm−2), followed by Quercus salicina (47.4 μg∙cm−2). The composition of PM adsorbed by P. densiflora is 4.0% PM2.5, 39.5% PM10 and 56.5% PM100, while those adsorbed by Q. salicina are evergreen at 25.7% PM2.5, 27.4% PM10 and 46.9% PM100. When the amount of PM adsorbed on the leaf was calculated by LAI, the species that adsorbed PM the most was P. densiflora, followed by Q. salicina, followed by Q. salicina in the wax layer, then P. densiflora. As a result of this study, the amount of PM adsorbed per unit area of leaves, and the amount of PM calculated by LAI, showed a simpler pattern. The hardwoods had a high adsorption rate of PM2.5. The adsorption ratio of ultra-fine PM2.5 by evergreen broad-leaved trees was greater than that of coniferous trees. Therefore, broad-leaved evergreens such as Q. salicina are considered very suitable as species for adsorbing PM in the city. PM2.5 has been shown to be adsorbed through the pores and leaves of trees, indicating that the plant plays an important role in alleviating PM in the atmosphere. As a result of analyzing the elemental components of PM accumulated on leaf leaves by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/ energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) analysis, it was composed of O, C, Si, and N, and was found to be mainly generated by human activities around the road. The results of this study provide basic data regarding the selection of evergreen species that can effectively remove aerial PM. It also highlights the importance of evergreen plants for managing PM pollution during the winter and provides insights into planning additional green infrastructure to improve urban air quality

Effects of Drip Irrigation-Fertilization on Growth, Flowering, Photosynthesis and Nutrient Absorption of Containerized Seedlings of <i>Hibiscus syriacus</i> L. (Haeoreum)

The amount of irrigation and fertilization should be considered first for the production and standardization of high-quality H. syriacus L. seedlings using container seedlings. This study was conducted to investigate the optimal conditions suitable for container cultivation of hibiscus by analyzing growth and physiological responses according to the control of irrigation and fertilization. Therefore, in this study, H. syriacus L. for. Haeoreum (3-year-old hardwood cutting propagation), a fast-growing, was transplanted into a 40 L container. The irrigation amount per container was adjusted (0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 ton/yr/tree), and the amount of fertilizer applied (0, 69.0, 138.0 and 207.0 g/yr/tree). The growth rate according to the irrigation-fertilization treatment was higher in the 0.3 ton-138.0 g/yr/tree irrigation-fertilization treatment (p p H. syriacus L. was reduced in bare root seedling cultivation and container-non-fertilized treatment. The chlorophyll fluorescence response was also affected by bare root cultivation and containerized seedling cultivation fertilization. Nutrient vector diagnosis showed “nutritional suitability” in the 0.3 ton-138.0 g/yr/tree treatment. Overall, containerized seedling cultivation was superior in growth, photosynthetic performance, photochemical efficiency, and nutrient storage capacity compared to bare root cultivation. These results be expected to contribute not only to the industrial production of excellent container seedlings of H. syriacus L. but also to the production of other woody plants

A 0.5 V 8-12 bit 300 KSPS SAR ADC with adaptive conversion time detection-and-control for high immunity to PVT variations

In this paper, a low power asynchronous successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) involving the process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) compensation is presented. A proposed adaptive conversion time detection-and-control technique enhances the power efficiency, covering wide PVT variations. The proposed detection-and-control technique senses PVT variation in an aspect of conversion time, and adaptively controls the operation speed and power consumption. For PVT compensation, the proposed architecture includes the local supply/ground voltage. The local supply/ground voltage makes high $\vert \text{V}_{\mathrm {GS}}\vert$ for transistors in the comparator and capacitive digital-to-analog converter switches, resulting in enhanced operation speed. However, when PVT condition changes to be favorable for the conversion speed, the $\vert \text{V}_{\mathrm {GS}}\vert$ decreases for low power consumption. 30 chips were measured to verify the proposed ADC. Having the proposed architecture tested with 10 kHz input frequency, SNDR remained higher than 60 dB at unfavorable conditions such as -9 % supply voltage variation, or -20 °C temperature variation. On the other hand, at favorable conditions such as +9 % supply voltage variation, or 80 °C temperature variation, the power consumption of SAR ADC decreased without performance degradation.Published versio