Successful Treatment of Pure Red Cell Aplasia with Rituximab in Patients after ABO-Compatible Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been mostly reported in situations involving major ABO incompatibility between donor and recipient. Conventional treatments such as plasma exchange, erythropoietin, and steroid are often unsatisfactory. Rituximab has been reported to be highly effective for PRCA following major ABO-incompatible allogeneic HSCT. A 49-year-old woman with PRCA following ABO-matched allogeneic HSCT for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, refractory to erythropoietin treatment, received 4 doses of rituximab 375 mg/m2 weekly. After the 3rd dose of rituximab, she exhibited a striking rise in her reticulocyte count with an increase in her hemoglobin level. To our knowledge, this is the first case of PRCA following major ABO-compatible allogeneic HSCT resolving completely after rituximab treatment

SWAG demo : smart watch assisted gesture interaction for mixed reality head-mounted displays

In this demonstration, we will show a prototype system with sensor fusion approach to robustly track 6 degrees of freedom of hand movement and support intuitive hand gesture interaction and 3D object manipulation for Mixed Reality head-mounted displays. Robust tracking of hand and finger with egocentric camera remains a challenging problem, especially with self-occlusion – for example, when user tries to grab a virtual object in midair by closing the palm. Our approach leverages the use of a common smart watch worn on the wrist to provide a more reliable palm and wrist orientation data, while fusing the data with camera to achieve robust hand motion and orientation for interaction.Postprin

Effects of a Herbal Medicine, Yukgunja-Tang, on Functional Dyspepsia Patients Classified by 3-Dimensional Facial Measurement: A Study Protocol for Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomized Trial

Introduction. Functional dyspepsia (FD), a common upper gastrointestinal disease, is difficult to manage because of the limitations of current conventional treatments. Yukgunja-tang (YGJT) is widely used to treat FD in clinical practice in Korea, Japan, and China. However, YGJT significantly improves few symptoms of FD. In Korean medicine, FD is a well-known functional gastric disease that shows difference in the effect of herbal medicine depending on constitution or type of Korean medicine diagnosis. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of YGJT on FD patients classified by 3-dimensional facial measurement using a 3-dimensional facial shape diagnostic system (3-FSDS). Methods. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, two-center trial will be performed to evaluate the efficacy of YGJT on FD patients. Eligible subjects will be initially classified as two types by 3-dimensional facial measurement using the 3-FSDS. Ninety-six subjects (48 subjects per each type) will be enrolled. These subjects will be randomly allocated into treatment or control groups in a 2 : 1 ratio. YGJT or placebo will be administered to each group during the 8-week treatment period. The primary outcome is total dyspepsia symptom scale, and the secondary outcomes include single dyspepsia symptom scale, proportion of responders with adequate symptom relief, visual analog scale, Nepean dyspepsia index-Korean version, functional dyspepsia-related quality of life, and spleen qi deficiency questionnaire. Discussion. This is the first randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of the YGJT on FD patients classified by 3-dimensional facial measurement. We will compare the treatment effect of the YGJT on FD patients classified as two types using the 3-FSDS. The results of this trial will help the FD patients improve the symptoms and quality of life effectively and provide objective evidence for prescribing the YGJT to FD patients in clinical practice. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0001920, 15 May, 2016

Decreased Pattern-Recognition Receptor-Mediated Cytokine mRNA Expression in Obese Children With Otitis Media With Effusion

ObjectivesTo assess innate and humoral immune responses in middle ear effusion of obese pediatric patients with otitis media with effusion (OME).MethodsWe evaluated 219 children with OME, of whom 21 were obese and 198 were non-obese. We compared the expression in middle ear effusion of mRNAs encoding toll-like receptors (TLR) 2, 4, 5, and 9; nucleotide-binding oligomerization domains (NOD) 1 and 2; retinoic acid-inducible gene (RIG)-I; interleukins (IL)-6, -10, and -12; interferon (IFN)-γ; and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α mRNAs. We also compared the expression of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and IgM and the bacterial detection rate in the two groups.ResultsTLR2-mediated expression of IL-6 mRNA, TLR4-mediated expression of IL-6 and IL-10 mRNA, TLR5-mediated expression of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α mRNA, TLR9-mediated expression of IL-6 mRNA, and NOD2-mediated expression of IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α mRNA were significantly lower in obese than in non-obese children (P0.05).ConclusionMean body mass index was higher and pattern-recognition receptor-mediated cytokine mRNA expression was lower in obese than in non-obese children with OME

Pogostemon cablin as ROS Scavenger in Oxidant-induced Cell Death of Human Neuroglioma Cells

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide range of acute and long-term neurodegenerative diseases. This study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of Pogostemon cablin, a well-known herb in Korean traditional medicine, on ROS-induced brain cell injury. Pogostemon cablin effectively protected human neuroglioma cell line A172 against both the necrotic and apoptotic cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The effect of Pogostemon cablin was dose dependent at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 5 mg ml−1. Pogostemon cablin significantly prevented depletion of cellular ATP and activation of poly ADP-ribose polymerase induced by H2O2. The preservation of functional integrity of mitochondria upon the treatment of Pogostemon cablin was also confirmed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay. Furthermore, Pogostemon cablin significantly prevented H2O2-induced release of cytochrome c into cytosol. Determination of intracellular ROS showed that Pogostemon cablin might exert its role as a powerful scavenger of intracellular ROS. The present study suggests the beneficial effect of Pogostemon cablin on ROS-induced neuroglial cell injury. The action of Pogostemon cablin as a ROS-scavenger might underlie the mechanism

Comparison of Fibrin Glue and Sutures for Conjunctival Wound Closure in Strabismus Surgery

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the efficacy and tolerance of fibrin glue and sutures for closing conjunctival wounds in strabismus surgery. Methods: In a prospective trial, we performed strabismus surgery using limbal incisions. Conjunctival wounds wer