Antitumor enhancement of celecoxib, a selective Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, in a Lewis lung carcinoma expressing Cyclooxygenase-2

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The goal of this study was to determine the effects of a selective Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor on the inhibition of tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in a Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) animal model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For immunoblot analysis of COX-2 and PGE2, cells were treated with irradiation in the presence or absence of celecoxib. The right thighs of male, 6-week old C57/BL mice were subcutaneously injected with 1 × 10⁶LLC cells. The animals were randomized into one of six groups: (1) no treatment, (2) 25 mg/kg celecoxib daily, (3) 75 mg/kg celecoxib daily, (4) 10 Gy irradiation, (5) 10 Gy irradiation plus 25 mg/kg celecoxib daily, and (6) 10 Gy irradiation plus 75 mg/kg celecoxib daily. Mice were irradiated only once, and celecoxib was administered orally. Mice were irradiated with 4-MV photons once the tumor volume of the control group reached 500 mm³. All mice were sacrificed when the mean tumor volume of control animals grew to 4000 mm³. The left lobes of the lungs were extracted for the measurement of metastatic nodules.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Irradiation resulted in a dose-dependent increase in PGE2 production. PGE2 synthesis decreased markedly after treatment with celecoxib alone or in combination with irradiation. Compared to mice treated with low dose celecoxib, mean tumor volume decreased significantly in mice treated with a high dose of celecoxib with or without irradiation. Mice treated with a high dose celecoxib alone, with irradiation alone, or with irradiation plus celecoxib had markedly fewer metastatic lung nodules than controls. The mean metastatic area was the smallest for mice treated with irradiation plus a high dose celecoxib.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Oral administration of high dose celecoxib significantly inhibited tumor growth, as compared to a low dose treatment. Radiotherapy in combination with high dose celecoxib delayed tumor growth and reduced the number of pulmonary metastases to a greater extent than celecoxib or radiotherapy alone.</p

An Analysis of Social Participation Structure of Middle School Mathematics Classroom in Korea

2007The research aims to set the foundation for the understanding of the mathematics instruction in the institutional setting of a Korean middle school classroom. To fulfill this purpose, we focused on understanding the types and characteristics of participation structure created by class participants' interaction. One second grade middle school mathematics class was adopted for participant observation and long-term data was collected and analyzed. We have discovered several distinct types of social participation structure based on literature review and the criteria drawn from the comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of the teacher's and students' interaction and behavior

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A and E Viruses Based on the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey in Korea

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Korea during 2005.MethodsStudy subjects were selected from across Korea using a stratified multistage probability sampling design, and HAV and HEV seroprevalence was compared on the basis of sex, age, and residency. A total of 497 rural and urban people aged 10–99 years of age (mean ± SD age = 28.87 ± 17.63 years) were selected by two-stage cluster sampling and tested serologically for anti-HAV and anti-HEV IgG using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsAmong this population, the overall seroprevalence of HAV was 63.80% (55.21% aged in their 20s and 95.92% in their 30s, p < 0.01) and that of HEV was 9.40% (5.21% aged in their 20s and 7.14% in their 30s, p < 0.01). Seroprevalence also varied according to area of residence. HEV prevalence in rural areas was higher than that of urban regions based on the anti-HEV antibody, odds ratio 3.22 (95% confidence interval: 1.46–7.10, p < 0.01). There were no significant differences between male and female against anti-HAV/HEV antibodies.ConclusionOur study suggested that the seropositive rates of HAV and HEV might be related to age and environmental conditions

Prediction for serious bacterial infection in febrile children aged 3 years or younger: comparison of inflammatory markers, the Laboratory-score, and a new laboratory combined model

Purpose To compare the efficacy of inflammatory markers, the Laboratory-score, and a new laboratory combined model for predicting serious bacterial infection (SBI) in young febrile children. Methods The presence of SBI was reviewed in previously healthy children aged 3 years or younger with fever (> 38℃) who visited the emergency department from 2017 through 2018. Areas under the curves (AUCs) of the receiver operating characteristic curve for SBI were compared with individual inflammatory markers (white blood cells [WBC] count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], C-reactive protein [CRP], procalcitonin [PCT], and urine WBC count), the Laboratory-score, and a laboratory combined model. The latter model was developed using logistic regression analysis including ESR, CRP, and PCT. Results Of the 203 enrolled children, SBI was diagnosed in 58 (28.6%). For SBI prediction, the Laboratory-score showed 51.7% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 38.2%-65.0%) and 83.5% specificity (95% CI, 76.4%-89.1%). The AUC of the Laboratory-score (0.76) was significantly superior to the values of all individual inflammatory markers (WBC, 0.59 [P = 0.032]; ESR, 0.69; and CRP, 0.74 [P < 0.001]) except that of PCT (0.77, [P < 0.001]). The AUC of the laboratory combined model (0.80) was superior to that of the Laboratory-score (0.76) (P < 0.001). Conclusion In this study, the new laboratory combined model showed good predictability for SBI. This finding suggests the usefulness of combining ESR, CRP, and PCT in predicting SBI

Measuring Complex Refractive Indices of a Nanometer-Thick Superconducting Film Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy with a 10 Femtoseconds Pulse Laser

Superconducting thin films are widely applied in various fields, including switching devices, because of their phase transition behaviors in relation to temperature changes. Therefore, it is important to quantitatively determine the optical constant of a superconducting material in the thin-film state. We performed a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, based on a 10 femtoseconds pulse laser, to measure the optical constant of a superconducting GdBa2Cu3O7-x (GdBCO) thin film in the terahertz region. We then estimated the terahertz refractive indices of the 70 nm-thick GdBCO film using a numerical extraction process, even though the film thickness was approximately 1/10,000 times smaller than the terahertz wavelength range of 200 mu m to 1 mm. The resulting refractive indices of the GdBCO thin film were consistent with the theoretical results using the two-fluid model. Our work will help to further understand the terahertz optical properties of superconducting thin films with thicknesses under 100 nm, as well as provide a standard platform for characterizing the optical properties of thin films without the need of Kramers-Kronig transformation at the terahertz frequencies

Unusual Presentation of Cystic Lymphangioma of the Gallbladder

Cystic lymphangioma of the gallbladder is quite a rare tumor with only a few cases having been reported in the literature. We describe here a rare case of cystic lymphangioma of the gallbladder, which was unusual in that the patient presented with biliary pain and an abnormal liver test. Ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen showed a multi-septated cystic mass in the gallbladder fossa and an adjacent compressed gallbladder. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography showed there was no communication between the bile tract and the lesion, and there were no other abnormal findings with the exception of a laterally compressed gallbladder. After performing endoscopic sphincterotomy, a small amount of sludge was released from the bile duct. The histological findings were consistent with a cystic lymphangioma originating from the subserosal layer of the gallbladder. This unusual clinical presentation of a gallbladder cystic lymphangioma was attributed to biliary sludge, and this was induced by gallbladder dysfunction that was possibly from compression of the gallbladder due to the mass

Effect of intracoronary adenosine on ergonovine-induced vasoconstricted coronary arteries

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adenosine on epicardial coronary artery diameterduring ergonovine provocation testing.Methods: A total of 158 patients who underwent an ergonovine provocation test with intracoronaryadenosine injection between 2011 and 2014 were selected. Patients were divided into four groups basedon the severity of percent diameter stenosis following intracoronary ergonovine administration: Group 1,induced spasm &lt; 50%; Group 2, 50–89%; Group 3, 90–99%; and Group 4, total occlusion.Results: Spasm positivity was observed in 44 (27.8%) cases in the study population (mean age, 57.4 ±± 10.7 years). Intracoronary adenosine increased the diameter of the ergonovine-induced epicardialartery by 0.51 ± 0.31 mm, 0.73 ± 0.39 mm, 0.44 ± 0.59 mm, and 0.01 ± 0.04 mm in Groups 1, 2, 3,and 4, respectively. Subsequent administration of nitroglycerin further increased vessel diameter by0.49 ± 0.28 mm, 0.93 ± 0.68 mm, 2.11 ± 1.25 mm, and 2.23 ± 0.69 mm in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4,respectively. The ratios of adenosine-induced diameter to reference diameter were significantly lowerin patients with spasm positive results (0.68 [0.59–0.76] vs. 0.18 [0.00–0.41], p &lt; 0.001 in the studypopulation; 0.60 [0.54–0.67] vs. 0.40 [0.27–0.44], p &lt; 0.001 in Group 2) with the best cut-off value of0.505 (sensitivity 0.955, specificity 0.921).Conclusions: Intracoronary administration of adenosine dilated the ergonovine-induced vasoconstrictedepicardial coronary artery. The ratio of adenosine-induced diameter to reference diameter wassignificantly lower in patients with spasm positive results

Comparison of infarct-related artery vs multivessel revascularization in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with multivessel disease: Analysis from Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry

Background: Many ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients have multivessel disease. There is still controversy in treatment strategy in STEMI patients with multivessel disease. We compared clinical outcomes of multivessel revascularization with infarct- related artery (IRA) revascularization in STEMI patients. Methods: The 1,644 STEMI patients with multivessel disease (1,106 in IRA group, 538 in multivessel group) who were received primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were analyzed from a nationwide Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry. Primary endpoint was 12-month major adverse cardiac events (MACE, defined as death, myocardial infarction, and repeated revascularization). Secondary endpoints were 1-month MACE and each component, stent thrombosis during 12 month follow-up, and each components of the 12-month MACE. Results: There were more patients with unfavorable baseline conditions in IRA group. 12-month MACE occurred in 165 (14.9%) patients in IRA group, 81 (15.1%) patients in multivessel group (p = 0.953). There were no statistical significance in the rate of 1-month MACE, each components of 1-month MACE, and stent thrombosis during 12 month follow-up. Each components of 12-month MACE were occurred similarly in both groups except for target lesion revascularization (2.4% in IRA group vs 5.9% in multivessel group, p < 0.0001). After adjusting for confounding factors, multivessel revascularization was not associated with reduced 12-month MACE (OR 1.096, 95% CI 0.676&#8211;1.775, p = 0.711). Conclusions: There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between both groups except for high risk of target lesion revascularization in multivessel revascularization group