Carotid Endarterectomy for Symptomatic Complete Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery

We described 9 consecutive patients who underwent operative carotid artery exploration with attempted carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. Indications for this surgery based on vascular imaging included segmental occlusion of the proximal ICA and also extensive occlusion of the distal ICA in selected patients in whom color-flow duplex ultrasound showed a poorly echogenic or anechoic thrombus with a flow void, suggestive of an acute thrombus. CEA was performed successfully to restore blood flow in all 9 patients:CEA in 5 and CEA with Fogarty thrombectomy in 4. Postoperative magnetic resonance (MR) angiography confirmed that revascularization had been successful in all 9 patients, and MR imaging displayed improved perfusion in 4 patients. Despite the lack of a generalized efficacy of surgical revascularization for symptomatic ICA occlusion, our study demonstrated that preoperative vascular imaging allows the selection of patients who may benefit from CEA

Vegetation change in the regional surface climate over East Asia due to global warming using BIOME4

This study investigates the possible changes in the regional surface climate due to global warming from a MM5 downscaling simulation for the period of 1971-2100. The main focus of this study is to observe the changes in vegetation types over East Asia. BIOME4, an equilibrium terrestrial biosphere model, is utilized to simulate vegetation patterns. Regional projections of this study show the increase of surface air temperature by 5◦C and precipitation by 6% over East Asia in the end of the 21st century. The present study also noticed that the increasing trend of temperature is associated with the increasing trends of the minimum temperature of the coldest month. Therefore, the region of favorable temperature conditions for vegetation growth in lower latitudes seems to extend toward the higher latitude. It leads to a northward shift of vegetation distribution in the lower latitudes besides the area extension. For instance, the trend in which the warm mixed forest and temperate deciduous forest shift northward may be distinguished. At the same time, the area of temperate deciduous forest pervades the area and replaces temperate grassland regions. Of interest, the tropical evergreen forest is expected to appear over southern China in the end of the 21st century. The possible vegetation changes are mainly affected by a temperature increase rather than a precipitation increase

Identification of C16orf74 as a Marker of Progression in Primary Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

PURPOSE: Methylation-induced silencing of PRSS3 has been shown to be significantly associated with invasive bladder cancer, and expression of the C16orf74 gene locus has been shown to correlate positively with PRSS3. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between C16orf74 expression level and progression in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: C16orf74 mRNA levels were examined by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of 193 tumor specimens from patients with primary NMIBC. Expression data were analyzed in terms of clinical and experimental parameters. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression models, respectively, were used to determine progression-free survival and to identify independent predictive parameters of progression. RESULTS: Analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves revealed prolonged progression-free survival of high-C16orf74-expressors as compared to low-expressors (p<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that low C16orf74 mRNA expression levels are a significant risk factor for disease progression in patients with primary NMIBC (HR: 10.042, CI:2.699-37.360, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased expression of C16orf74 correlates significantly with progression in primary NMIBC. C16orf74 expression level represents a potentially useful marker for predicting progression in primary NMIBC patients

Experience of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a Patient Having Crossed Ectopia with Fusion Anomaly of the Kidney

We report a case of surgically treated abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a patient having crossed ectopia with fusion anomaly of the kidney. One artery from the abdominal aorta above the aneurysm supplies the right kidney while three renal arteries (two from the aneurysm itself and one from the left common iliac artery) supply the crossed ectopic kidney. Preoperative imaging to define the arterial and collecting systems along with a detailed planning of the operation is essential to prevent ischemic renal injury as well as ureteral injury during AAA repair

An Infrarenal Aortic Hypoplasia Presented with Claudication

We describe a case of infrarenal aortic hypoplasia in a 52-yr-old woman who presented with claudication. Computed tomographic angiography revealed an abrupt absence of the infrarenal aorta, with collateral flow reconstituting the iliofemoral systems. After a polytetrafluoroethylene graft was interposed between the aortic stump and the iliac bifurcation, the patient's claudication resolved

One-step synthesis of PEG-coated gold nanoparticles by rapid microwave heating

Polyethylene Glycol- (PEG-) coated gold nanoparticles (PEG-AuNPs) are synthesized by a one-step route with rapid microwave heating. Homogeneous nucleation of the primary gold particles is enhanced by increasing the applied microwave power during the initial stage of the synthesis, increasing the temperature ramping rate (R r) and resulting in decreased size and improved uniformity of the synthesized PEG-AuNPs. Using rapid microwave heating, we successfully produce uniform colloidal PEG-AuNPs with an average diameter of 14.3 ± 2.5 nm within a few minutes. By appropriate tuning of the growth parameters, microwave synthesis can produce largely colloidal PEG-AuNPs with high uniformity. © 2013 Seung Kwon Seol et al.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Report of a case of ischemic colitis with bilaterally patent internal iliac arteries after endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair

During endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), interruption of the internal iliac arteries (IIAs) or the inferior mesenteric artery by stents or embolization is thought to cause colon ischemia. To minimize this risk, attempts have been made to preserve the IIAs using iliac branch devices or IIA revascularization. Here we present our experience of colon ischemia after EVAR in a patient with bilaterally patent IIAs without evidence of embolism. A 70-year-old man had abdominal pain and a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm was found. We performed EVAR with custom-made tube grafts preserving the bilateral IIAs. On postoperative day 2, the patient complained of abdominal pain, a sigmoidoscopy was performed revealing colon ischemia. On laparotomy, transmural infarction of the sigmoid colon was found and resected. Because IIA preservation cannot guarantee protection against colon ischemia, surgeons should maintain a high level of suspicion and use surveillance liberally after EVAR for early diagnosis of colon ischemia, even if both IIAs are preserved

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for fatigue after COVID-19 infection: study protocol for a pilot randomized sham-controlled trial

BackgroundAs the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread globally, its sequelae, called Long COVID, have persisted, troubling patients worldwide. Although fatigue is known to be the most frequent among Long COVID symptoms, its mechanism and treatment have not been clearly demonstrated. In 2022, we conducted a preliminary prospective case series and found that acupuncture and moxibustion were feasible interventions for fatigue. This study is a pilot patient-assessor-blinded randomized sham-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for patients with fatigue that has persisted for at least 4 weeks after recovery from COVID-19.MethodsThirty patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to either the acupuncture or sham acupuncture treatment groups. Treatment will be conducted thrice a week for both groups during 4 weeks. The primary outcome will be the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, including numeric rating scale (NRS), brief fatigue inventory (BFI), fatigue severity scale (FSS), and adverse event evaluation. Secondary outcomes will be evaluation of improvement in the comorbid symptoms of fatigue and feasibility variables. Outcome variables will be assessed before treatment, 4 weeks after treatment, and 8 weeks after treatment completion.DiscussionThe results of this study will be used to clarify the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for persistent fatigue in patients with Long COVID. Additionally, the feasibility of the study design was validated to provide evidence for future full-scale randomized controlled trials.Clinical trial registration: identifier: KCT0008656 https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do?seq=24785&amp;search_page=L