Selective Osteotomies to Correct Deviated Bony Vaults of Asian Noses.

BACKGROUND: Standard osteotomies for the correction of deviated noses are bilateral and comprise a combination of medial and lateral osteotomy procedures. However, their uniform application to the small/delicate Asian bony vault is inappropriate and often results in suboptimal outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study describes how asymmetric bony pyramids were defined through 3-component analysis, which was then used to inform selective/individualized osteotomies. METHODS: Bony vault deviations were categorized after 3-component analysis in 117 patients seeking correction of a deviated nose. Selective osteotomies were applied accordingly. Pre- and postoperative photographs were compared and rated by 2 independent evaluators. Patients' subjective evaluations were also included. RESULTS: Selective osteotomies were possible in 79 (68%) out of 117 patients. Among the 79 study subjects, outcome ratings were excellent in 37 (47%), acceptable in 25 (32%), unsatisfactory in 8 (10%), and unspecified in 9 (11%). Unspecified cases aside, satisfactory correction was achieved in 88% (62/70 patients). Of the 54 patients who responded to telephone interviews, patient satisfaction was excellent in 43 (80%), improved in 10 (18.2%), and unchanged in 1 (1.8%). Follow-up of the 88% of patients with satisfactory correction showed a stable long-term outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Each bony vault in deviated noses is different, and thus, its correction must be individualized for each patient and for each side. The protocol described herein achieves a controlled correction of deviated bony vault. Restoration of bony pyramid symmetry via current techniques is best suited to short Asian bony vaults, where additional structural needs from routine nasal augmentation/lengthening are required.

Fabrication of nano-LaCrO3 receptor by polymeric precursor method and its impedancemetric NOx sensing properties.

LaCrO3 was prepared by using the polymeric precursor method for use as a receptor material and its NOx sensing characteristics were investigated. Nano-LaCrO3 powders were synthesized at the optimum compositions of the mole ratio of [La-, Cr-source]:[EG]:[AcAc] = [a, a]:[160 a]:[8 a] with 1 wt% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) using ethylene glycol (EG) as a solvent, acetyl acetone (AcAc) as a chelating agent, and PVP as a polymer additive. The thermal decomposition behavior, crystal structure, morphology, and particle sizes of nano powders were characterized by a thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), a field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and a particle size analyzer, respectively LaCrO3 powders were mainly orthorhombic in structure and the primary particle size was 30 nm according to the XRD results. All solid-state compact impedancemetric-type sensor devices composed of Li1.5Al0.5Ti1.5(PO4)3 (LATP) as a transducer and a perovskite-type LaCrO3 nano powder as a receptor, have been investigated for their ability to detect NOx (NO and NO2) in the range of 1-250 ppm at 400 degrees C. The sensor device showed high gas sensitivities at NO gas, but relatively low gas sensitivities for NO2 gas.

Losartan Prevents Maladaptive Auditory-Somatosensory Plasticity After Hearing Loss via Transforming Growth Factor-ß Signaling Suppression.

OBJECTIVES: Hearing loss disrupts the balance of auditory-somatosensory inputs in the cochlear nucleus (CN) of the brainstem, which has been suggested to be a mechanism of tinnitus. This disruption results from maladaptive auditory-somatosensory plasticity, which is a form of axonal sprouting. Axonal sprouting is promoted by transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß signaling, which can be inhibited by losartan. We investigated whether losartan prevents maladaptive auditory-somatosensory plasticity after hearing loss. METHODS: The study consisted of two stages: determining the time course of auditory-somatosensory plasticity following hearing loss and preventing auditory-somatosensory plasticity using losartan. In the first stage, rats were randomly divided into two groups: a control group that underwent a sham operation and a deaf group that underwent cochlea ablation on the left side. CNs were harvested 1 and 2 weeks after surgery. In the second stage, rats were randomly divided into either a saline group that underwent cochlear ablation on the left side and received normal saline or a losartan group that underwent cochlear ablation on the left side and received losartan. CNs were harvested 2 weeks after surgery. Hearing was estimated with auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Western blotting was performed for vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1), reflecting auditory input; vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2), reflecting somatosensory input; growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), reflecting axonal sprouting; and p-Smad2/3. RESULTS: Baseline ABR thresholds before surgery ranged from 20 to 35 dB sound pressure level. After cochlear ablation, ABR thresholds were higher than 80 dB. In the first experiment, VGLUT2/VGLUT1 ratios did not differ significantly between the control and deaf groups 1 week after surgery. At 2 weeks after surgery, the deaf group had a significantly higher VGLUT2/VGLUT1 ratio compared to the control group. In the second experiment, the losartan group had a significantly lower VGLUT2/VGLUT1 ratio along with significantly lower p-Smad3 and GAP-43 levels compared to the saline group. CONCLUSION: Losartan might prevent axonal sprouting after hearing loss by blocking TGF-ß signaling thereby preventing maladaptive auditory-somatosensory plasticity.

Does Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Aggravate Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) according to the sleep stage in more detail after control of posture. METHODS: Patients who underwent nocturnal polysomnography between December 2007 and July 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Inclusion criteria were as follows: age >18 years, sleep efficacy >80%, and patients who underwent polysomnography only in the supine position (100% of the time). Patients were classified into different groups according to the methods the first, rapid eye movement (REM)-dominant group (AHIREM/AHINREM >2), non-rapid eye movement (NREM)-dominant group (AHINREM/AHIREM >2), and non-dominant group; and the second, light sleep group (AHIN1N2>AHISWS) and slow wave sleep (SWS) group (AHISWS>AHIN1N2). RESULTS: A total of 234 patients (mean age, 47.4±13.9 years) were included in the study. There were 108 patients (46.2%) in the REM-dominant group, 88 (37.6%) in the non-dominant group, and 38 (16.2%) in the NREM-dominant group. The AHI was significantly higher in the NREM-dominant group than in the REM-dominant group (32.9±22.9 events/hr vs. 18.3±9.5 events/hr, respectively). There were improvements in the AHI from stage 1 to SWS in NREM sleep with the highest level in REM sleep. A higher AHISWS than AHIN1N2 was found in 16 of 234 patients (6.8%); however, there were no significant predictors of these unexpected results except AHI. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated the highest AHI during REM sleep stage in total participants after control of posture. However, there were 16.2% of patients showed NREM-dominant pattern (AHINREM/AHIREM >2) and 6.8% of patients showed higher AHISWS than AHIN1N2. Therefore, each group might have a different pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and we need to consider this point when we treat the patients with OSA.

[A randomized, prospective, comparative, multicenter study of rabeprazole and ranitidine in the treatment of reflux esophagitis].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of rabeprazole (proton-pump-inhibitor) and ranitidine (H(2)-receptor antagonist) in the symptom relief and treatment of erosive esophagitis diagnosed by endoscopy. METHODS: A total of 110 patients with typical gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms were enrolled in this multicenter study. They were randomized into rabeprazole group (53 patients) and ranitidine group (57 patients) respectively. The patients in rabeprazole group were given 10 mg of rabeprazole and ranitidine group received 300 mg of ranitidine before breakfast and dinner for 8 weeks. After the end of treatment, we evaluated the endoscopic healing rate of reflux esophagitis and symptomatic improvement. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment, rabeprazole group showed significantly higher complete endoscopic cure rate than ranitidine group (86.8% [46/53] vs. 57.9% [33/57], p=0.001) and higher symptomatic improvement of heartburn (91.2% [31/34] vs. 76.2% [32/42], p=0.085), especially in the first 7 days (76.7% vs. 45.3%, p=0.008). Also, rabeprazole group showed significantly higher improvement of regurgitation symptom than ranitidine group (100% [35/35] vs. 83% [39/47], p=0.009). Both group showed no differences in the improvement of chest pain and globus sensation. All the adverse events (rabeprazole group 4 events vs. ranitidine group 3 events) were mild and there was no abnormality in laboratory test. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with GERD, rabeprazole 10 mg b.i.d. is superior to ranitidine 300 mg b.i.d. in healing of reflux esophagitis and resolving typical GERD symptoms. Rabeprazole is an effective and well-tolerated drug for GERD treatment.

A case of acute cholestatic hepatitis associated with the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia (Boh-Gol-Zhee).

The potential hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies is usually ignored in daily life. One such compound, Boh-Gol-Zhee (in Chinese, Bu Ku Zi), appeared to be associated with the occurrence of acute cholestatic hepatic injury in the following case. Some alternative medicine therapists claim that Psoralea corylifolia is effective for the treatment of osteoporosis. We observed a case of acute cholestatic hepatitis associated with the use of the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia in amounts over 10 times the usual dose in a postmenopausal woman. Liver biopsy showed zone three necroses, degenerating cells, cholestasis, and infiltrations with inflammatory cells. This case stresses the need to warn of the potential hepatotoxicity of the seed of Psoralea corylifolia, especially in a large dose.

[Immunohistochemical expression of bcl-2, bcl-xL, bax, p53 proteins in gastric adenoma and adenocarcinoma].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of bcl-2, bcl-xL, bax, and p53 proteins according to the pathological parameters such as grade of dysplasia, histological type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage in the gastric adenoma and gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal bcl-2, bcl-xL, bax, p53 antibodies were performed on paraffin embedded specimens from forty-one gastric adenomas and 100 gastric adenocarcinomas. RESULTS: The expression rate of bcl-2 was higher in adenomas (34.2%), especially in high grade dysplasia (52.4%), than adenocarcinomas (2.0%). The expression rate of bcl-xL was higher in adenocarcinomas (55.0%) than adenomas (22%). The expression rate of the bax was higher in adenocarcinomas (58.0%) than adenomas (14.6%). In the adenocarcinoma, the bax expression was significantly related with the depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage. The expression rate of p53 was higher in adenocarcinomas (64.0%) than adenomas (14.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Bcl-2 protein would be related with the development of gastric adenoma, especially with high grade dysplasia. Bcl-xL and p53 proteins would be involved in the development of relatively early stage of gastric adenocarcinoma but not in tumor progression. Bax protein would be involved in the development of gastric adenocarcinoma and related with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage.

A case of the hepatocellular carcinoma during the pregnancy and metastasis to the left atrium.

A 28-year-old female with a pregnant state of 29th gestational week was admitted because of nausea and vomiting. MRI showed a huge hepatocellular carcinoma. At the 36th gestational week, a normal delivery was done. Surgery of hepatocellular carcinoma was done at 20 days after delivery. After 22 months from the operation, pulmonary metastasis was found and resection of lung mass was done. About 3 years after resection, a low attenuating nodule was detected in the left atrial chamber of heart. We report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with metastatic lesions to lung and heart in a pregnant woman.

A case of pancreatic endometrial cyst.

Pancreatic endometrial cyst is an extremely rare instance of ectopic endometriosis that was first described by Marchevsky in 1984. A 21-yr-old woman with a history of epigastric pain and weight loss was found to have a cystic lesion in the pancreas on CT-scan. Under the tentative diagnosis of a pancreatic cystic neoplasm, partial pancreatectomy was performed. Histopathological examination of the specimen revealed cystic endometriosis. The clinicopathological features of the lesion are discussed and literature concerning this extremely rare lesion is reviewed.