Comparative Neuroprotective Effects of Moringa oleifera Seed Oil and Aqueous Extract on Cognitive Functions on a High-Fat, High-Fructose Diet Mice: Focus on Senescence Markers.

Several studies have demonstrated that Moringa oleifera (MO) has different pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective effects. However, the role of MO in preventing brain impairment in high-fat, high-fructose diet (HFFD) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of MO leaves aqueous extract (MOE) and moringa seed oil (MOO) against brain impairment in mice with HFFD. Twenty-eight male mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal diet, HFFD, HFFD + MOE 500 mg/kgBW, and HFFD + MOO 2 mL/kgBW. Cognitive function was assessed using the Y-maze and novel object recognition (NOR) tests. The p16, p21, and BDNF expressions were analyzed using the RT-PCR method. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) staining in the brain was also performed. The results showed that administration of MOE or MOO could increase the percentage of alternation and recognition of new objects, prevent the increase of p16 and p21 expression, and ameliorate SA-ß-Gal activity in the brain. MOO, but not MOE, increased BDNF expression in senescence brains isolated from HFFD mice. The findings indicate that MOO and MOE possess neuroprotective properties, with MOO demonstrating a greater ability to inhibit the brain senescence process compared to MOE.

Efficacy of low dose gabapentin in acute herpes zoster for preventing postherpetic neuralgia: a prospective controlled study.

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a sequela of herpes zoster that adversely affects quality of life seriously. The risk factors for PHN are well known but the effective interventions that reduce the incidence of PHN are less studied. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with gabapentin in patients with acute herpes zoster for preventing PHN. We performed a prospective randomized controlled study of 120 participants diagnosed with acute herpes zoster, aged 50 and over and complaining moderate to severe pain. All patients were treated with valacyclovir and acetaminophen. Half of the participants were assigned to the gabapentin group and received gabapentin 300 mg three times a day additionally. The intensity of pain at every visit and the incidence of PHN in both groups were measured. Total 52 and 49 patients in the gabapentin group and the control group, respectively, had completed 12 weeks of follow-up period. Although the incidence of PHN was higher in the control group, the difference was not statistically significant (6.1% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.67). Our results indicate that the use of low-dose gabapentin in acute herpes zoster seems not effective in the prevention of PHN.

Periungual Bowen's Disease in a 12-Year-Old Boy Treated with Photodynamic Therapy.

Bowen's disease (BD) usually occurs on sun-exposed areas in elderly patients. BD rarely occurs in childhood and lesions of the nail unit and periungual area are likely associated with human papillomavirus infection. Herein, we report a case of BD presenting on the periungual area in a 12-year-old boy which was successfully treated with two sessions of photodynamic therapy.

Comparison of four facial muscles, orbicularis oculi, corrugator supercilii, masseter or mylohyoid, as best predictor of good conditions for intubation: a randomised blinded trial.

CONTEXT: Monitoring of facial muscles after neuromuscular blockade can give an early indication of respiratory muscle readiness for tracheal intubation. OBJECTIVE: To assess which facial muscle, the orbicularis oculi, corrugator supercilii, masseter or the mylohyoid, is the best predictor of readiness for intubation after rocuronium. DESIGN: Prospective, randomised, blinded trial. SETTING: Single centre: Seoul, Korea, from August 2012 to November 2012. PATIENTS: Two hundred and eighty-eight patients aged 22 to 64 years were randomised to one of eight study groups: orbicularis oculi, corrugator supercilii, masseter and mylohyoid for rocuronium 0.6 or 1.2 mg kg. INTERVENTION: The maximum twitch depression at the eyelid (orbicularis oculi), the superciliary arch (corrugator supercilii), the cheek (masseter) and the submental triangle (mylohyoid) was assessed after rocuronium 0.6 and 1.2 mg kg. Endotracheal intubation was performed after maximal neuromuscular blockade, and intubating conditions were appraised. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The onset time of rocuronium and the quality of the intubation conditions were assessed. RESULTS: The onset times in the orbicularis oculi, corrugator supercilii and masseter were significantly faster than that in the mylohyoid (P < 0.001). 'Clinically acceptable' intubation conditions were significantly enhanced in the mylohyoid (94%) compared with those in the orbicularis oculi (80%) and masseter (78%) after rocuronium 0.6 mg kg (P < 0.05), and no difference with corrugator supercilii (92%). Despite differences in onset time of orbicularis oculi and masseter compared to mylohyoid (P < 0.05), intubating conditions were similar among the four muscles after rocuronium 1.2 mg kg. CONCLUSION: Following rocuronium 0.6 mg kg at similar depths of anaesthesia, the monitoring of the corrugator supercilii provided the best balance of a shorter onset time while maintaining 'clinically acceptable' intubation conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRB File No.: HYUH 2012-07-009.

Pathological complete response, long-term outcomes, and recurrence patterns in HER2-low versus HER2-zero breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The interest in HER2-low breast cancer (BC) has increased in recent years with the development of novel anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugates. Here, we investigated the clinical outcomes and relapse patterns of patients with HER2-low or -zero BCs in an Asian population. METHODS: We retrospectively identified HER2-low or -zero BC patients with stage I-III tumours who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent curative surgery, between 2014 and 2018 at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. RESULTS: A total of 818 and 754 HER2-zero and HER2-low BC patients, respectively, were consecutively included in this analysis. The HER2-low group had more hormone receptor [HR]-positive patients (81% versus 56%, P < 0.001). The HER2-zero group had a higher proportion of patients who achieved pathological complete response (pCR) (14.7% versus 9.8%, P = 0.003); however, no significant differences of pCR rate by HER2 status were identified in the HR-positive (P = 0.4) and HR-negative groups (P = 0.3) when analysed separately. The HER2-low BC cases had higher 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates (P < 0.001 for OS; P = 0.002 for DFS); however, no differences were observed in terms of OS and DFS by HER2 status in the HR-positive group (P = 0.21 for OS and P = 0.66 for DFS). CONCLUSIONS: Our current findings do not support that HER2-low BC had different biology and clinical features compared to HER2-zero BC in patients who treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, the prognostic impact of HER2-low status in BC remains controversial; thus warranting further research.

The efficacy of several neuromuscular monitoring modes at the P6 acupuncture point in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we tested the efficacy of several neuromuscular monitoring modes at the P6 acupuncture point for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 264 women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy were evaluated for PONV. Neuromuscular blockade was monitored by acceleromyography with 1-Hz single twitch (ST) over the ulnar nerve (n = 54, control), and ST (n = 52), train-of-four (n = 53), double-burst stimulation (n = 53), or tetanus (n = 52) over the median nerve stimulating at the P6 acupuncture point. RESULTS: The incidence of PONV (P = 0.022), the number of requests for patient-controlled analgesia (P = 0.009), and total patient-controlled analgesia volume (P = 0.042) 6 hours after tetanic stimulation were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with the control group. Overall, patients in the tetanus group were more satisfied with the management of PONV compared with patients in the control group. CONCLUSION: Tetanic stimulation applied to the P6 acupuncture point can reduce PONV after laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with ST stimulation of the ulnar nerve, resulting in a greater degree of patient satisfaction. None of the stimulations, ST, train-of-four, or double-burst, applied to the P6 acupuncture point significantly affected PONV.

Electrostatic instability of electron beams in a planar E x B amplifier.

A wave equation is kinetically derived for an electron beam to describe the linear electrostatic perturbations propagating in the perpendicular direction with respect to the applied magnetic field in a planar E x B amplifier in which the operating electric field is inhomogeneous. For omega(c)>omega(p), the massless guiding center limit is taken to obtain the wave equation for the analysis of the electrostatic instability encountered in the planar E x B amplifier. In this work the plasma density profile is assumed to be a step function with vacuum boundaries between the cathode and the anode. The growth rates of the perpendicular electrostatic wave are obtained for the parameters such as the location and the thickness of the electron beam as well as the wave number.

A novel homozygous missense mutation in the factor VII gene of severe factor VII deficiency in a newborn baby.

A term male infant born to nonconsanguineous parents was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of lethargy and a pale appearance on the third day of life. He had anemia from an intracranial hemorrhage, and his coagulation factor assay revealed that his bleeding episode was due to severe congenital factor VII deficiency (5% of normal activity). An A-to-G point mutation in the acceptor splice site of intron 5 was identified at nucleotide position 9418. Sequence analysis of the factor VII gene in the parents revealed that they were both heterozygous for a G-to-A transversion at nucleotide position 9418 (IVS5-1) between intron 5 and exon 6. A genetic study involving a patient with a congenitally inherited disease and the parents can confirm the genetic background of the disease and can be used for prenatal guidance to exclude severe bleeding disorders.

High frequency of grossly deleted nef genes in HIV-1 infected long-term slow progressors treated with Korean red ginseng.

To investigate the association between Korean red ginseng (KRG) intake in HIV-1 infected patients and the occurrence of grossly deleted nef genes (gDeltanef), we characterized nef genes in 10 long-term slow progressors (LTSP) infected with HIV-1 subtype B and 34 control patients. LTSP was defined by the annual decrease in CD4 T cells being less than 20/microl over 10 years in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. They were treated with KRG for a prolonged period. Nef genes were amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using nested PCR and the products were sequenced directly. It was observed that the patients CD4 T cell counts decreased from 444 +/- 207/microl to 294 +/- 177/microl over 136 +/- 23 months of KRG intake. This corresponds to an annual decrease in the level of CD4 T cells of 13.3/microl. A total of 479 nef genes were amplified from 137 PBMC samples. Nine out of the 10 patients, 47 (34.3%) out of the 137 samples, and 90 out of the 479 genes revealed gDeltanef. The deletion extended outside the nef gene in 25 gDeltanef obtained from 6 patients. The proportion of samples with gDeltanef (34.3%) was significantly higher than 4.8% in control patients (P < 0.001). In addition, it significantly increased as the duration of KRG intake prolongs (P < 0.01). These data suggest that the occurrence of gDeltanef might be associated with long-term intake of KRG.

Factors affecting the quality of life after ischemic stroke: young versus old patients.

BACKGROUND: Factors affecting the quality of life (QOL) may be different between young and old stroke patients. However, these issues have not yet been properly investigated. METHODS: We identified 170 young-onset stroke patients (onset between 15 and 45 years of age) who were admitted to the Asan Medical Center. Three hundred and forty follow-up period matched, old-onset stroke patients (onset >45 years of age) were chosen as a control group. A follow-up interview was performed 1~5 years after the onset of stroke in 96 young patients and 160 old patients. With the use of standardized questionnaire, we assessed physical disabilities, activity of daily living (Barthel Index Score, modified Rankin scale), the presence of depression (using DSM IV criteria and Beck Depression Inventory) and socio-economic/job status. The QOL was assessed using the Stroke Specific QOL developed by Williams et al. RESULTS: The QOL scores were significantly higher in young patients than in old ones. Univariate analysis showed that factors related to low QOL included unemployment, motor impairment, aphasia, dysarthria, dysaphagia and severe modified Rankin score in young patients while poor economic status, unemployment, supratentorial (vs. infratentorial) stroke, anterior (vs. posterior) circulation stroke, the presence of diabetes mellitus, motor impairment, aphasia, dysarthria, dysphagia, visual field defect, severe modified Rankin score, the presence of post-stroke seizures and depression were related to the low QOL in old patients. Cigarette smoking (in old patients) and alcohol drinking (in both young and old patients) were related to high QOL. Multiple regression analysis showed that modified Rankin score was the most important factor explaining low QOL in both groups, while other important factors included depression, visual field defect and anterior circulation stroke in old patients, and the motor dysfunction and dysarthria in young patients. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that aside from modified Rankin scale, factors affecting the quality of life are different between these two groups. Recognition of these differences may allow us to develop different strategies to improve the quality of life in stroke patients.

Tactile assessment for the reversibility of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade during propofol or sevoflurane anesthesia.

We sought to determine whether tactile train-of-four (TOF) count can predict the efficacy of neostigmine administration for rocuronium-induced blockade during propofol or sevoflurane anesthesia, and to follow subsequent recovery until the TOF ratio reached 0.9. One-hundred-sixty patients, divided into eight equal groups, were randomly allocated to maintenance of anesthesia with propofol or sevoflurane. The tactile response of the adductor pollicis to TOF stimulation was evaluated on one arm, and the mechanomyographic response was recorded on the other. Neuromuscular block was induced with rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg and maintained with rocuronium to 15% of the control first twitch in TOF. Neostigmine 0.07 mg/kg was administered on reappearance of the first (Group I), second (Group II), third (Group III), or fourth (Group IV) tactile TOF response in each anesthesia. At this time, sevoflurane or the propofol dosage was reduced in each group (n = 20 in each group). The times from administration of neostigmine until the TOF ratio recovered to 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 were recorded. The times [median (range)] to TOF ratio = 0.9 were 8.6 (4.7-18.9), 7.5 (3.4-9.8), 5.4 (1.6-8.6), and 4.7 (1.3-7.2) min in Groups I-IV during propofol anesthesia, respectively, and 28.6 (8.8-75.8), 22.6 (8.3-57.4), 15.6 (7.3-43.9), and 9.7 (5.1-26.4) min in corresponding groups during sevoflurane anesthesia, respectively (P < 0.0001). We recommend more than 2 TOF responses with propofol anesthesia and 4 TOF responses with sevoflurane anesthesia for adequate reversal within 10 and 15 min, respectively. The more tactile TOF responses present at the time of reversal achieved greater adequate recovery; however, tactile TOF responses are not a completely reliable predictor within a reasonable time period.