High-resolution, reconfigurable printing of liquid metals with three-dimensional structures

We report an unconventional approach for high-resolution, reconfigurable 3D printing using liquid metals for stretchable, 3D integrations. A minimum line width of 1.9 ??m can be reliably formed using direct printing, and printed patterns can be reconfigured into diverse 3D structures with maintaining pristine resolutions. This reconfiguration can be performed multiple times, and it also generates a thin oxide interface that can be effective in preventing the spontaneous penetration of gallium atoms into different metal layers while preserving electrical properties under ambient conditions. Moreover, these free-standing features can be encapsulated with stretchable, conformal passivations. We demonstrate applications in the form of a reconfigurable antenna, which is tunable by changing geometeries, and reversibly movable interconnections used as mechanical switches. The free-standing 3D structure of electrodes is also advantageous for minimizing the number and space between interconnections, which is important for achieving higher integrations, as demonstrated in an array of microLEDs

Thyroid function in obese Korean children and adolescents: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2015

Purpose In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on thyroid function in pediatric obese patients, but no nationwide study evaluating the relationship between thyroid function and obesity has yet been conducted in Korea. We aimed to evaluate thyroid dysfunction in obese Korean children. Methods We analyzed the associations between obesity and thyroid hormone levels among 975 Korean boys and girls aged 10–18 years and who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013–2015). Results Average serum thyrotropin (TSH) and serum free thyroxine (fT4) levels in the nonobese group were 2.7±0.1 μIU/mL and 1.3±0.0 ng/dL, respectively, and those in the overweight group were 3.1±0.2 μIU/mL and 1.2±0.0 ng/dL. Serum TSH level was significantly higher in the abdominal obesity group than in the normal group (P=0.023). fT4 level was significantly lower in both the overweight and abdominal obesity groups than in the normal group (P<0.001, P=0.014). Serum TSH level was associated positively with abdominal obesity and levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride. Serum fT4 level was negatively correlated with abdominal obesity (P=0.014). Conclusions Korean children with abdominal obesity showed increased TSH and decreased fT4 levels compared to normal children

Tetramethyl-O-scutellarin isolated from peels of immature Shiranuhi fruit exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on LPSinduced RAW264.7 cells

Purpose: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of the immature fruit of a citrus, Shiranuhi, and to identify the active ingredient.Methods: The immature Shiranuhi peel was extracted with 80 % ethanol, and the extract was fractionated with solvents (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol) to afford the corresponding fractions and water residue. Among them, the EtOAc-soluble portion was subjected to medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) over a reversed-phase SiO2 column to give compound 1. The isolated compound was identified based on the proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. The release of nitric oxide, prostaglandin (PG)E2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 secreted by mouse macrophages was measured using RAW264.7 cell culture supernatant.Results: Shiranuhi (Korean name, Hallabong) is an important citrus species cultivated in Jeju Island, Korea. A polymethoxyflavonoid (PMF), tetramethyl-O-scutellarin (1), was isolated from the peels of immature Shiranuhi fruit. Upon the evaluation of anti-inflammatory effects, the flavonoid 1 decreased the nitric oxide production in macrophage cells with high efficiency, viz, 50 % inhibition concentration, IC50 of 57.4 μM. Subsequent studies demonstrated that PMF 1 effectively inhibited the generation of PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 cytokine in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: Tetramethyl-O-scutellarin (1) has been successfully isolated from Shiranuhi species for the first time. Thus, Shiranuhi fruit peel extract containing PMF 1 can potentially be applied as an antiinflammatory ingredient in food or cosmetic industries.Keywords: Shiranuhi fruit, Nitric oxide, Tetramethyl-O-scutellarin, Anti-inflammator

miR-31-3p functions as a tumor suppressor by directly targeting GABBR2 in prostate cancer

MicroRNAs are key regulators of gene expression in tumorigenesis. In this study, we investigated the tumor-suppressive function of miR-31-3p. Analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus database revealed that the expression of miR-31-3p in prostate cancer tissues is lower than that in adjacent normal tissues from patients with prostate cancer. Moreover, miR-31-3p induces apoptosis in DU145, PC-3, and LNCap prostate cancer cells, while those transfected with miR-31-3p exhibit significantly decreased cell proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and tumor sphere-forming ability, as determined using the cell counting kit-8, transwell, and sphere-forming assays. Further analysis revealed that GABBR2 is a direct target of miR-31-3p. Within a DU145 xenograft murine model, intratumoral injection of a miR-31-3p mimic suppresses tumor growth. Taken together, the findings of this study suggest that miR-31-3p performs a novel tumor-suppressive function in prostate cancer and may represent a novel target for anti-prostate cancer miRNA therapeutics

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

Comparison of surgical resection versus transarterial chemoembolization with additional radiation therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein invasion

Background/Aims Portal vein invasion (PVI) is a poor prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We intended to compare the effects of surgical resection and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with additional radiation therapy (RT) in HCC patients with PVI. Methods The subjects comprised 43 patients who underwent surgical resection for HCC with PVI without previous treatment and another 43 patients who received TACE followed by RT (TACE+RT) as initial treatment who were matched for Child-Pugh class, tumor size, and extent of PVI. Disease progression and death after the treatment were examined, and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between groups. Predisposing factors affecting OS were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses in HCC patients with PVI. Results The subjects (Age [51, 24-74; median, range], Sex [81/13; male/female], Etiology [78/1/15; hepatitis B virus {HBV}/ hepatitis C virus {HCV}/non-HBV and non-HCV]) were followed for a median of 17 (2-68) months. There were no differences in clinical or tumor characteristics between the resection and TACE+RT groups. The cumulative PFS was not significantly different between groups. The median PFS was 5.6 and 4.0 months in the resection and TACE+RT groups, respectively. However, the cumulative OS was significantly longer in patients treated with resection than in those treated with TACE+RT (P=0.04). The median OS was 26.9 and 14.2 months in the resection and TACE+RT groups, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that surgical resection was an independent predictive factor for better survival outcome. Conclusions Surgical resection might be an effective treatment in HCC patients with PVI

Postanesthetic torsade de pointes in a patient with unrecognized long QT syndrome -A case report-

Torsade de pointes (TdP) is a devastating form of polymorphic ventricular arrhythmia associated with corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation. TdP usually terminates spontaneously but frequently recurs and may degenerate to ventricular fibrillation. The present report describes a case of TdP in a patient being transferred to the postanesthetic care unit following an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy. The patient had undergone open heart surgery 1 week before. Retrospective electrocardiogram analysis revealed the patient had QTc and Tpeak-Tend interval prolongation that had gone unrecognized. We believe TdP may have been induced by accentuation of sympathetic nervous system during emergence from general anesthesia

Gender differences in characteristics of adolescents with suicide attempt at the emergency department

Purpose This study was performed to investigate the gender differences in suicide attempts in adolescents. Methods We reviewed the medical records of adolescents (≤ 18 years) who had visited a university hospital emergency department (ED) for suicide attempts from January 2018 through December 2019. General characteristics of the adolescents, details of the attempt, and outcomes were analyzed. The characteristics were age, gender, the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale, previous attempts, and psychiatric history. The details were initial Glasgow Coma Scale, attempt-arrival time, living alone, method, place, and motivation of the attempt, and concurrent use of alcohol. The outcomes included psychiatric consultation, ED length of stay, and ED outcomes. Results A total of 86 adolescents were included. Their age ranged from 13 to 18 years, and girls accounted for 65.1%. The girls had more frequent psychiatric history than boys (66.1% vs. 30.0%; P = 0.001) without a significant difference in previous attempts (55.4% vs. 46.7%; P = 0.442). The most common methods of the attempt in the girls and boys were poisoning and sharp objects (53.3% [16 of the 30 boys] vs. 60.7% [34 of the 56 girls]; P = 0.002), respectively. No differences were found in the other details of the attempt and in the rate of psychiatric consultation. The girls had a longer ED length of stay (247.0 minutes vs. 186.5; P = 0.033), a lower rate of discharge against medical advice, and higher rates of hospitalization (discharge against medical advice, 53.6% vs. 76.7%; non-psychiatric, 23.2% vs. 3.3%; psychiatric, 12.5% vs. 0%; P = 0.003). Conclusion Girls may make suicide attempts, usually by poisoning, and undergo relevant hospitalization, more often than boys. In contrast, boys usually use sharp objects, with a higher rate of discharge against medical advice and lower rates of the attempt and hospitalization