Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on reflux esophagitis and GERD symptoms after endoscopic resection of gastric neoplasm: a single-center prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The association between Helicobacter pylori and reflux esophagitis (RE) remains controversial. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication on RE and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) symptoms in H. pylori-positive patients who underwent endoscopic resection of gastric neoplasm. METHODS: Of the 244 patients enrolled in this study, 173 H. pylori-positive patients underwent follow-up at least once. We evaluated the prevalence of RE and GERD symptoms in these patients following H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: There were 75.7% (131/173), 78.6% (125/159), and 78.9% (105/133) subjects who were successfully eradicated after 6, 12, and 18-24 months, respectively. During the 2-year follow-up period, the eradication of H. pylori did not increase the incidence of RE (OR 0.93; 95% CI, 0.49-1.77, p = 0.828). H. pylori status was also not associated with the development of GERD symptoms (OR 1.12; 95% CI, 0.47-2.95, p = 0.721). In the univariate analysis for RE, present smoking history (OR 4.79; 95% CI 1.98-11.60, p = 0.001), present alcohol consumption history (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.03-4.63, p = 0.041), and diabetes mellitus (OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.02-5.86, p = 0.045) were found to be associated with RE. Multivariate analysis showed that present smoking history (OR 4.54; 95% CI 1.84-11.02, p = 0.001) was a significant risk factor for RE. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori eradication did not increase the incidence of RE or GERD symptoms in patients who underwent endoscopic resection of gastric neoplasm.

Novel endoscopic categorization for prediction of chemoradiotherapy response in locally advanced esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by esophagectomy is a well-known treatment modality for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC). This study developed an algorithm to predict pathological complete response (CR) in these patients using post-CRT endoscopic category with biopsy and validated the proposed algorithm. METHODS: A retrospective review of 141 consecutive patients who completed preoperative CRT and underwent surgical resection for locally advanced EC was performed. The post-CRT endoscopic findings of each patient were stratified into five categories. RESULTS: The distribution of post-CRT endoscopic categories was significantly different between the pathological CR and non-pathological CR groups (P < 0.001). About 76.8% (73/95) of patients in category 0, 1, or 2 achieved pathological CR. In contrast, 91.3% (42/46) of endoscopic categories 3 and 4 patients did not achieve pathological CR. Sensitivity of post-CRT biopsy was 11.1%. Therefore, an algorithm combining biopsy results and dichotomized post-CRT endoscopic category (category 0, 1, or 2 vs category 3 or 4) was developed. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in predicting pathological CR by the proposed algorithm were 64.8%, 95.9%, and 82.8%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, the proposed algorithm remained a significant negative factor of survival (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Algorithm using post-CRT endoscopic category with biopsy may help identify locally advanced EC patients who achieved pathological CR after preoperative CRT. Modalities to accurately detect subepithelial remnant EC may further aid in predicting pathological CR.

BK virus-associated nephropathy with hydronephrosis in a patient with AIDS: a case report and literature review.

BK virus is ubiquitous worldwide, with infection usually occurring in early childhood. BK virus replicates prolifically under immunosuppressive conditions, causing inflammation along the genitourinary tract and progressing clinically to hemorrhagic cystitis, ureteral stenosis, and tubulointerstitial nephritis. Most BK virusassociated nephropathy occurs in renal allograft patients after kidney transplantation, although some case reports have described BK virus-associated nephropathy in the native kidney, particularly in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Here we present the case of a 49-year-old male with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and renal dysfunction with hydronephrosis. The renal biopsy showed tubulointerstitial nephritis with lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates and intranuclear inclusions in the tubular epithelium, which are typical findings for BK virus-associated nephropathy. In addition, immunohistochemical staining revealed that the SV40 large T antigen exhibited a nuclear localization in tubular cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of BK virus-associated nephropathy combined with hydronephrosis that was diagnosed by biopsy in a patient with AIDS.

Ratiometric photothermal detection of silver ions using diimmonium salts.

Selective detection and determination of silver ions are tricky due to the poor reactivity and the interference of various metal ions and halides. Only a few cases have been reported concerning sulfur-based functionality. This work proposes silver-selective probes exhibiting peculiar colorimetric and photothermal responses without the need for sulfur-functional groups. Tetrakis(4-dialklyaminophenyl)1,4-phenylenediamine containing hexyl and methoxytriethyleneglycol substituents, PTS1 and PTS2, respectively, are selectively oxidized by silver ions to form dicationic diimmonium salts. The resulting quinone diimminium salts show strong absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region with intense color changes. The striking color change is observed from pale brown to intense olive green with immediate responses. PTS1 shows a higher binding constant and nanomolar detection limit, whereas PTS2 shows a sub-micromolar detection limit. Job's plot studies reveal the stoichiometric ratio as 1:2 (PTS1: Ag+). Due to the strong NIR absorption of the oxidized PTS probes, the temperature rise is monitored, after adding silver ions, by a thermal camera and in-contact thermal sensors. The concentration of the actual samples can be determined based on a calibration plot with a temperature change as a function of silver ion concentration. The current results offer highly selective and ultrasensitive probes for silver ions under multiple detection mediums, including naked eye and photothermal detection.

Unusual melting transition of nitrogen physisorbed on carbon nanotube bundles.

The melting transition of nitrogen physisorbed on close-ended single-wall nanotube bundles was investigated using synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements. The beta-nitrogen solid diffraction peak was observed above the coverage that corresponded to the monolayer and the average size of the nitrogen solid was approximately 30 A. The diffraction peak was surprisingly maintained above the triple point of the bulk nitrogen solid. The crystal structure of N2 changed from cubic N2 (beta-phase) to hexagonal N2 (beta-phase) at 35.61 K. The melting temperature of the nano-scale solid nitrogen in the experiment was between 80 K and 90 K, however, which is about 20 K higher than the melting temperature of normal bulk nitrogen. The observed extraordinary melting behavior of nitrogen might originate from a combination of two factors, i.e., the substrate field effect of the carbon nanotube surface (the interaction between the single walled carbon nanotubes and the adsorbates) and the capillary condensation. If the substrate field effect is especially prominent, the nitrogen molecules that were adsorbed mainly in the groove region would be under 1,100-Torr pressure from the nanotube bundles, compared to the corresponding melting temperature of the bulk beta-nitrogen solid under a high pressure.

Effects of the nano-tubular anodic TiO2 buffer layer on bioactive hydroxyapatite coating.

We studied the effect of nano-tubular anodic TiO2 buffer layers on hydroxyapatite (HA) coating. The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method was used to deposit HA on a well arranged nano-tubular anodic TiO2 (NT-ATO) buffer layer prepared by an electrochemical anodization technique. The surface morphology and chemical composition of HA coatings were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and contact angle measurement. We found that crystalline HA coatings show well arranged porous morphologies with a favorable surface wettability. We also found that an anodic nano-tubular TiO2 buffer layer with a relatively short tube length shows a better coating morphology. The deposition process of HA on the nanotubular TiO2 buffer layer was also proposed.

Optical and electrical properties of ultralong ZnO nanorod fabricated from preheating hydrothermal method.

Ultralong ZnO nanorod arrays with a length of 10 microm were synthesized using a preheated hydrothermal-solution precursor, and their optical and electrical properties were studied using photoluminescence (PL) spectra and field effect transistors (FETs). The PL spectra showed ultraviolet, orange, and red emissions and had different temperature dependences with increasing temperature. The high-resolution photoluminescence spectra showed that the ultraviolet (UV) emission had different origins within different temperature ranges. The parameters describing the temperature dependence of the peak position shift, intensity, and full width at half maximum were evaluated using different models. After the fabrication of individual nanorod FETs, the ultralong ZnO NRs showed a clear n-type gate modulation with a typical electron concentration of 10(17) cm(-3) and a typical electron mobility of 35.7 cm2/V x s.

Plasmonic Enhancement of Chiroptical Property in Enantiomers Using a Helical Array of Magnetoplasmonic Nanoparticles for Ultrasensitive Chiral Recognition.

Recognition of enantiomeric molecules is essential in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. In this Article, a novel approach is introduced to monitor chiral molecules via a helical magnetic field (hB), where chiral-inactive magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles (MagPlas NPs, Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell NPs) are assembled into helical nanochain structures to be chiral-active. An in-house generator of hB-induced chiral NP assembly, that is, a plasmonic chirality enhancer (PCE), is newly fabricated to enhance the circular dichroism (CD) signals from chiral plasmonic interaction of the helical nanochain assembly with circularly polarized light, reaching a limit of detection (LOD) of 10-10 M, a 1000-fold enhancement as compared to that of conventional CD spectrometry. These enhancements were successfully observed from enantiomeric molecules, oligomers, polymers, and drugs. Computational simulation studies also proved that total chiroptical properties of helical plasmonic chains could be readily changed by modifying the chiral structure of the analytes. The proposed PCE has the potential to be used as an advanced tool for qualitative and quantitative recognition of chiral materials, enabling further application in pharmaceutical and biomedical sensing and imaging.

Solution-derived 40 microm vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays as photoelectrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Well-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays with a long length of more than 40 microm were prepared successfully by using the polyethylenimine (PEI)-assisted preheating hydrothermal method (PAPHT). Several important synthetic parameters such as PEI content, growth time, preheating time and zinc salt concentration were found to determine the growth of ultralong ZnO nanowire arrays, including length, diameter, density and alignment degree. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of as-grown ultralong ZnO nanowire arrays revealed a UV emission and a yellow emission, which was attributed to the absorbed hydroxyl group based on the peak shift after annealing in various atmospheres. The performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) increased with increasing length of ZnO nanowire arrays, which was mainly ascribed to the aggrandized photocurrent and reduced recombination loss according to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A maximum efficiency of 1.3% for a cell with a short-circuit current density (J(sc)) = 4.26 mA cm(2), open-circuit voltage (V(oc)) = 0.69 V and (fill factor) FF = 0.42 was achieved with a length of 40 microm.

Effects of Density and Diameter on Surface Optical Phonon Modes in GaAs Nanowire Bundles.

We report the systematic investigation of the surface optical phonon modes in Au-catalyzed GaAs nanowires grown on an Au pre-patterned GaAs(111)B substrate using µ-Raman spectroscopy. We employed electron-beam dose rate as a control parameter during the substrate patterning step for adjusting the nanowire base diameter and coverage, which are independent from the nanowire growth conditions. We have experimentally studied the effect of the fill factor and average diameter on the surface optical phonon modes and explained the red-shift and broadening of the surface optical phonon frequencies by employing the dielectric continuum model. The surface optical phonon mode shift is exhibited to be sensitive to fill factor, rather than base diameter. The decrease in the average diameter from 280 nm to 180 nm results in the asymmetric broadening and red-shift of the surface optical phonon frequency (~1.83 cm-1) but the theoretical calculation from the isolated single nanowire-based dielectric continuum model cannot solely explain the behaviors of the surface optical phonon mode. In contrast, the change in the fill factor from 0.01 to 0.83 results in a shift of the surface optical phonon frequency (~6.5 cm-1) from the GaAs bulk value. The red-shift and asymmetric broadening of the surface optical phonons, in an agreement with the Maxwell-Garnett approximation, are consequences of dipolar interaction of randomly aligned neighboring nanowires and the polar nature of GaAs nanowire bundles. This work suggests the pre-patterning parameter dependent surface optical phonon characteristics of GaAs nanowire bundles which are of great importance in the nondestructive characterization of low-dimensional opto-electronic materials and devices.

Nondestructive Characterizations of Au-Catalyzed GaAs Nanowires on GaAs(111)B Substrates via Identifications of 1st Order Optical Phonon Modes Using µ-Raman Spectroscopy.

We report the relation between the catalyst patterning conditions and the intensity of the 1st order Raman active modes in Au-catalyzed GaAs nanowire bundles. We fabricated e-beam lithographically Au-patterned GaAs(111)B substrates by varying the patterning conditions (e-beam dose rate, dot-size and interdot-spacings), and grew GaAs nanowires via vapor-liquid-solid process using a solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. To understand the effects of the substrate preparation conditions and resulting morphologies on the optical characteristics of 1st order transverse optical and longitudinal optical phonon modes of GaAs, we characterized the nanowire bundles using complementary µ-Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy as a function of the e-beam dose rate (145-595 µC/cm²), inter-dot spacing (100 and 150 nm) and pattern size (100 and 150 nm). Ensembles of single crystalline GaAs nanowires covered with different Au-thickness exhibit a downshift and asymmetric broadening of the 1st order transverse optical and longitudinal optical phonon peaks relative to GaAs bulk modes. We also showed that the sensitivity of a downshift and broadening of Raman spectra are directly related to morphological and surface coverage variations in as-grown nanowires. We observed clear increases of the transverse optical and longitudinal optical intensity as well as the relatively higher peak shift and broadening of Raman spectra from the 100 nm patterning in response to the dose rate change. Strong dependence of Raman spectra of the nanowire bundles on the e-beam dose rate changes are attributed to the variations in spatial density, size, shape and random growth orientation of the wires. We have shown that the identification of the changes in GaAs longitudinal optical and Arsenic anti-site peaks is good indicators to characterize the quality of as-grown GaAs nanowires. Our finding confirms the utilization of Raman spectroscopy as a powerful tool for characterizing chemical, structural, and morphological information of as-grown nanowires within the supporting substrate.

The growth mechanism and optical properties of ultralong ZnO nanorod arrays with a high aspect ratio by a preheating hydrothermal method.

Well-aligned ultralong ZnO nanorod arrays with a length of 10 microm have been synthesized on glass substrates using a preheating hydrothermal method. The diameter of the nanorods is in the range from 50 to 80 nm, and the aspect ratio and alignment can be simply controlled by varying the preheating time. Based on the evolution of aspect ratio with preheating time, a possible growth mechanism was proposed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) show that the nanostructures are well oriented with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the as-grown ZnO nanostructure reveals a near-band-edge (NBE) emission peak and a yellow emission, and the origin of yellow emission was confirmed to be from the absorbed hydroxyl group. The ultralong nanorod arrays made in solution have a desirable diameter, length, density and orientation for ordered nanodevice applications.

TBK1-targeted suppression of TRIF-dependent signaling pathway of Toll-like receptors by 6-shogaol, an active component of ginger.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are primary sensors that detect a wide variety of microbial components involving induction of innate immune responses. After recognition of microbial components, TLRs trigger the activation of myeloid differential factor 88 (MyD88) and Toll-interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor domain-containing adapter inducing interferon-beta (TRIF)-dependent downstream signaling pathways. 6-Shoagol, an active ingredient of ginger, inhibits the MyD88-dependent signaling pathway by inhibiting inhibitor-kappaB kinase activity. Inhibitor-kappaB kinase is a key kinase in nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation. However, it is not known whether 6-shogaol inhibits the TRIF-dependent signaling pathway. Our goal was to identify the molecular target of 6-shogaol in the TRIF-dependent pathway of TLRs. 6-Shogaol inhibited the activation of interferon-regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and by polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (poly[I:C]), overexpression of TRIF, TANK-binding kinase1 (TBK1), and IRF3. Furthermore, 6-shogaol inhibited TBK1 activity in vitro. Together, these results suggest that 6-shogaol inhibits the TRIF-dependent signaling pathway of TLRs by targeting TBK1, and, they imply that 6-shogaol can modulate TLR-derived immune/inflammatory target gene expression induced by microbial infection.

The fabrication of TiO2 mesoporous thick films by employing a pre-embedded ZnO nanorods support.

TiO2 mesoporous films with a thickness more than 2 microm were synthesized through the evaporation-induced self-assembly approach. In order to prevent the formation of cracks due to the strain during the calcination, we employed the ZnO nanorod arrays as a pre-embedded support, which were obtained from an aqueous solution method. The spaces between ZnO nanorods were filled with TiO2 sol-gel by a dip-coater. Then ZnO nanorods embedded in the thick film were eliminated by a wet chemical etching method and the left spaces were refilled by the TiO2 sol-gel. As a result, a dense and thick TiO2 mesoporous film was obtained. The resultant materials were characterized in detail by using small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy methods (TEM).

Fabrication of Volmer-Weber type ZnO nanorods by combining RF sputtering and hydrothermal methods.

We fabricated Volmer-Weber type ZnO nanorods by using a hydrothermal method combing with an RF sputtering system. Volmer-Weber type ZnO seed nanocrystals were formed on Pt(111)/TiO2/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by using RF sputtering method and then the seeded substrates were soaked in an aqueous chemical solution, which was mixed with Zn(NO3)2 x 6H2O and NaOH. We found that ZnO nanorods were perpendicularly grown along the [002] direction by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. We also confirmed that fabricated ZnO nanorods were Volmer-Weber type by using an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) method.

Prognosis of Pregnancy-Associated Gastric Cancer: An Age-, Sex-, and Stage-Matched Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pregnancy-associated gastric cancer is a rare condition. This case-control study was performed to identify the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of pregnancy-associated gastric cancer. METHODS: All consecutive patients who presented to our tertiary referral hospital with pregnancy-associated gastric cancer from 1991 to 2012 were identified. Two age-, sex-, and stagematched controls for each case were also identified from the records. Clinicopathological, gynecological, and oncological outcomes were recorded. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor, and E-cadherin. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed for fibroblast growth factor receptor 2. RESULTS: The median overall survival rates of the pregnancyassociated gastric cancer and control groups were 7.0 months and 15.0 months, respectively (p=0.189). Poor prognostic factors included advanced stage and tumor location in the corpus or the entire stomach but not pregnancy status or loss of E-cadherin. Pregnancy-associated gastric cancer was associated with a longer time from diagnosis to treatment (21 days vs 7 days, p=0.021). The two groups did not differ in the expression of the receptors or E-cadherin. CONCLUSIONS: The dismal prognosis of pregnancy-associated gastric cancer may related to the tumor stage and location rather than to pregnancy itself.

Endoscopic resection for synchronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma in early stage is a possible alternative to surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the clinical outcomes according to the method of treatment in synchronous esophageal and gastric cancer. METHODS: Synchronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma were diagnosed in 79 patients between 1996 and 2010. We divided the patients into four groups according to treatment; Group 1 received surgical resection for both cancers or surgery for gastric cancer with chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer (n=27); Group 2 was treated by endoscopic resection with or without additional treatment (n=14); Group 3 received chemoradiotherapy only (n=18); and Group 4 received supportive care only (n=20). RESULTS: The median survival times in groups 1 and 2 were 86 and 60 months, respectively. The recurrence rate and mortality were 23% and 48%, respectively, in group 1 and 21% and 4%, respectively, in group 2. The median survival time was 12 months in group 3 and 9 months in group 4. Multivariate analysis showed that age (p<0.001) and treatment group (p=0.019) were significantly associated with death. Compared with group 1, treatment in the intensive care unit (p=0.003), loss of body weight (p=0.042), and decrease in hemoglobin (p=0.033) were worse in group 1. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection for synchronous esophageal and gastric cancer could be considered as a possible alternative to surgery for early-stage cancer.

Improved Hand Hygiene Compliance is Associated with the Change of Perception toward Hand Hygiene among Medical Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene compliance has improved significantly through hand hygiene promotion programs that have included poster campaign, monitoring and performance feedback, and education with special attentions to perceived subjective norms. We investigated factors associated with improved hand hygiene compliance, focusing on whether the improvement of hand hygiene compliance is associated with changed perception toward hand hygiene among medical personnel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hand hygiene compliance and perceptions toward hand hygiene among medical personnel were compared between the second quarter of 2009 (before the start of a hand hygiene promotion program) and the second quarter of 2012. We assessed adherence to hand hygiene among medical personnel quarterly according to the WHO recommended method for direct observation. Also, we used a modified self-report questionnaire to collect perception data. RESULTS: Hand hygiene compliance among physicians and nurses improved significantly from 19.0% in 2009 to 74.5% in 2012 (P < 0001), and from 52.3% to 91.2% (P < 0.001), respectively. These improvements were observed in all professional status or all medical specialties that were compared between two periods, regardless of the level of the risk for cross-transmission. Hand hygiene compliance among the medical personnel continued to improve, with a slight decline in 2013. Perceptions toward hand hygiene improved significantly between 2009 and 2012. Specifically, improvements were evident in intention to adhere to hand hygiene, knowledge about hand hygiene methods, knowledge about hand hygiene indications including care of a dirty and a clean body site on the same patient, perceived behavioral and subjective norms, positive attitude toward hand hygiene promotion campaign, perception of difficulty in adhering to hand hygiene, and motivation to improve adherence to hand hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: The examined hand hygiene promotion program resulted in improved hand hygiene compliance and perception toward hand hygiene among medical personnel. The improved perception increased hand hygiene compliance. Especially, the perception of being a role model for other colleagues is very important to improve hand hygiene compliance among clinicians.

Endoscopic resection as a possible radical treatment for duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma: a report of four cases.

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is a rare, benign tumor which is usually found in the duodenum. We here report four recent cases of GP, with successful endoscopic resection in three cases, including a lesion on the ampulla of Vater. In all cases, each lesion had a stalk that facilitated removal using an endoscopic approach. Endoscopic mucosal resection is a feasible and safe treatment if the location, depth, and lymph node status are all favorable and is also helpful for definite diagnosis of unknown duodenal mass. To avoid morbidity resulting from open surgical resection, careful inspection for the peduncle of the GP will help determine the feasibility of endoscopic resection.