Donor body mass index over 30 is no barrier for pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy.

Backgrounds/Aims: Challenges arise when translating pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (PLDRH) results from Asian to Western donors, due to differences in body mass index (BMI). This study compares the outcomes of PLDRH and conventional open donor right hepatectomy (CDRH) in donors with BMI over 30. Methods: Medical records of live liver donors (BMI > 30) undergoing right hepatectomy (2010-2021) were compared: 25 PLDRH cases vs. 19 CDRH cases. Donor and recipient demographics, operative details, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: PLDRH and CDRH had similar donor and recipient characteristics. PLDRH had longer liver removal and warm ischemic times, but a shorter post-liver removal duration than CDRH. Donor complication rates were comparable, with the highest complication being grade IIIa in PLDRH, necessitating needle aspiration for biloma on postoperative day 11. Fortunately, this donor fully recovered without additional treatment. No complications exceeding Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa occurred in either group. Recipient outcomes between the groups were similar. Conclusions: This study supports PLDRH as a viable option for donors with BMI over 30, challenging the notion that high BMI should deter considering PLDRH. The findings provide valuable insights into the safety and feasibility of PLDRH, encouraging further exploration of this technique in diverse donor populations.

Effects of rehabilitation exercise program types on dynamic balance in patients with stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: The purposes of meta-analysis are to evaluate evidence about the effects of Rehabilitation Exercise Program on the balance of post-stroke patients, evaluated by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). METHODS: The search was conducted 'stroke,' 'rehabilitation,' 'dynamic balance,' 'Berg Balance Scale,' 'exercise' and 'randomized controlled trial'using MEDLINE (accessed by PubMed), Web of Science (WoS), ProQuest, and Google Scholar for journal studies published from January 2018 to October 2022. Two independent reviewers performed the article selection, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. The main outcome was dynamic balance assessed by the Berg Balance scale. RESULTS: The review included 30 papers and a total of 540 patients. The overall effect size was 0.550, a medium effect size according to the Cohen's standard. It was observed that gender has moderate effect size in male (0.551), female (0.458) and higher in male. Exercise type results showed large effect sizes in balance training (0.966), and aquatic activities (0.830), moderate effect sizes in virtual reality (0.762), moderate effect sizes in physically active (0.581), gait training (0.541), dual-task (0.478), trunk control (0.284), and small effect sizes in resistance training (0.128). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise programs are effective in improving dynamic balance in stroke patients. Especially, the meta-analysis showed higher Effect Size for balance training and virtual reality than for other programs making this relevant interventions for future head to head superiority studies that compare different balance interventions in stroke.

Highly emissive blue graphene quantum dots with excitation-independent emission via ultrafast liquid-phase photoreduction.

Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) are promising candidates for biomedical applications since they have lower toxicity and higher biocompatibility than traditional semiconductor quantum dots. However, oxygen functional groups such as epoxy and hydroxyl groups usually induce nonradiative relaxation, which leads to GOQDs exhibiting nonemissive properties. For the enhancement of the emission efficiency of GOQDs, the number of nonradiative relaxation sites should be reduced. This paper reports the synthesis of highly luminescent reduced GOQDs prepared by liquid-phase photoreduction (LPP-rGOQDs). First, GOQDs was fabricated from single-walled carbon nanotubes through chlorate-based oxidation and separation after acoustic cavitation. Subsequently, LPP-rGOQDs were obtained by liquid-phase photoreduction of the GOQD suspension under intense pulsed light irradiation. Liquid-phase photoreduction selectively reduced epoxy groups present on the basal plane of GOQDs, and hydrogenated the basal plane without removal of carbonyl and carboxyl groups at the edges of the GOQDs. Such selective removal of oxidative functional groups was used to control the reduction degree of GOQDs, closely related to their optical properties. The optimized LPP-rGOQDs were bright blue in color and showed quantum yields up to about 19.7%, which was 10 times the quantum yield of GOQDs. Furthermore, the LPP-rGOQDs were utilized to image a human embryonic kidney (HEK293A), and a low cytotoxicity level and satisfactory cell imaging performance were observed.

Mitigation of Silicon Contamination in Fuel Cell Gasket Materials through Silica Surface Treatment.

Gaskets and seals are essential components in the operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and are required for keeping hydrogen and air/oxygen within their individual compartments. The durability of these gaskets and seals is necessary, as it influences not only the lifespan but also the electrochemical efficiency of the PEM fuel cell. In this study, the cause of silicon leaching from silicone gaskets under simulated fuel cell conditions was investigated. Additionally, to reduce silicon leaching, the silica surface was treated with methyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, and (3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)trimethoxysilane. Changes in the silica surface chemistry were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy analysis revealed that surface-treated silica was highly effective in reducing silicon leaching.

FoxO6-mediated ApoC3 upregulation promotes hepatic steatosis and hyperlipidemia in aged rats fed a high-fat diet.

FoxO6, an identified factor, induces hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis during aging by activating hepatic lipoprotein secretion and lipogenesis leading to increased ApoC3 concentrations in the bloodstream. However, the intricate mechanisms underlying hepatic steatosis induced by elevated FoxO6 under hyperglycemic conditions remain intricate and require further elucidation. In order to delineate the regulatory pathway involving ApoC3 controlled by FoxO6 and its resultant functional impacts, we employed a spectrum of models including liver cell cultures, aged rats subjected to HFD, transgenic mice overexpressing FoxO6 (FoxO6-Tg), and FoxO6 knockout mice (FoxO6-KO). Our findings indicate that FoxO6 triggered ApoC3-driven lipid accumulation in the livers of aged rats on an HFD and in FoxO6-Tg, consequently leading to hepatic steatosis and hyperglycemia. Conversely, the absence of FoxO6 attenuated the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis, resulting in diminished hepatic lipid accumulation and mitigated hyperlipidemia in murine models. Additionally, the upregulation of FoxO6 due to elevated glucose levels led to increased ApoC3 expression, consequently instigating cellular triglyceride mediated lipid accumulation. The transcriptional activation of FoxO6 induced by both the HFD and high glucose levels resulted in hepatic steatosis by upregulating ApoC3 and genes associated with gluconeogenesis in aged rats and liver cell cultures. Our conclusions indicate that the upregulation of ApoC3 by FoxO6 promotes the development of hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hepatic steatosis in vivo, and in vitro. Taken together, our findings underscore the significance of FoxO6 in driving hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis specifically under hyperglycemic states by enhancing the expression of ApoC3 in aged rats.

Impact of Preformed Donor-specific Antibodies in Comparison to ABO Incompatibility in Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Immunological factors play a pivotal role in the outcomes of solid organ transplantation. We aimed to elucidate the effects of donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) and ABO compatibility on living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 584 LDLT recipients from 2015 to 2020. The recipients were stratified into 3 groups: ABO-compatible recipients without DSAs (group 1), ABO-compatible recipients with DSAs (group 2), and ABO-incompatible recipients without DSAs (group 3). Propensity score matching was used for balanced comparisons. RESULTS: In the matched comparisons, group 2 exhibited a higher incidence of T cell-mediated rejection compared with group 1 (22.7% versus 4.5%, P = 0.030). Despite this, the 5-y survival rates were similar between groups 1 and 2 (81.6% versus 95.5%, P = 0.085). Group 3, in comparison with group 1, showed elevated rates of cytomegalovirus infection (23.2% versus 7.3%, P = 0.008), T cell-mediated rejection (28.0% versus 7.3%, P = 0.001), and antibody-mediated rejection (13.4% versus 0%, P = 0.001). However, the survival rates were comparable between group 3 and group 1 (82.0% versus 86.5%, P = 0.220, respectively). Comparisons between group 2 and group 3 did not reveal significant differences in postoperative outcomes or survival rates (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DSA positivity and ABO incompatibility contribute to distinct posttransplant complications in LDLT. The integrated consideration of both factors in pretransplant assessment may enhance risk stratification and inform tailored interventions. Further research is required to corroborate these findings and provide mechanistic insights.

Transcriptomic Profiling of Plasma Extracellular Vesicles Enables Reliable Annotation of the Cancer-specific Transcriptome and Molecular Subtype.

Longitudinal monitoring of patients with advanced cancers is crucial to evaluate both disease burden and treatment response. Current liquid biopsy approaches mostly rely on the detection of DNA-based biomarkers. However, plasma RNA analysis can unleash tremendous opportunities for tumor state interrogation and molecular subtyping. Through the application of deep learning algorithms to the deconvolved transcriptomes of RNA within plasma extracellular vesicles (evRNA), we successfully predict consensus molecular subtypes in metastatic colorectal cancer patients. We further demonstrate the ability to monitor changes in transcriptomic subtype under treatment selection pressure and identify molecular pathways in evRNA associated with recurrence. Our approach also identified expressed gene fusions and neoepitopes from evRNA. These results demonstrate the feasibility of transcriptomic-based liquid biopsy platforms for precision oncology approaches, spanning from the longitudinal monitoring of tumor subtype changes to identification of expressed fusions and neoantigens as cancer-specific therapeutic targets, sans the need for tissue-based sampling.

Fasting potentiates diclofenac-induced liver injury via inductions of oxidative/endoplasmic reticulum stresses and apoptosis, and inhibition of autophagy by depleting hepatic glutathione in mice.

Diclofenac, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, can cause liver damage via its metabolic activation by hepatic CYP450s and UGT2B7. Fasting can affect drug-induced liver injury by modulating the hepatic metabolism, but its influence on diclofenac hepatotoxicity is unknown. Thus, we investigated diclofenac-induced liver damage after fasting in mice, and the cellular events were examined. Male ICR mice fasted for 16 h showed the elevation of CYP3A11, but the decreases of UGT2B7, glutathione (GSH), and GSH S-transferase-µ/-π levels in the livers. Diclofenac (200 mg/kg) injection into the mice after 16-h fasting caused more significant liver damage compared to that in the diclofenac-treated fed mice, as shown by the higher serum ALT and AST activities. Diclofenac-promoted hepatic oxidative stress (oxidized proteins, 4-hydroxynonenal, and malondialdehyde), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (BiP, ATF6, and CHOP), and apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP) were enhanced by fasting. Autophagic degradation was inhibited in the diclofenac-treated fasting mice compared to that of the corresponding fed mice. The results suggest that fasting can make the liver more susceptible to diclofenac toxicity by lowering GSH-mediated detoxification; increased oxidative/ER stresses and apoptosis and suppressed autophagic degradation may be the cellular mechanisms of the aggravated diclofenac hepatotoxicity under fasting conditions.

Disparities in the impact of economic well-being on self-esteem in adulthood: Race and ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: Most studies have defined economic well-being as socioeconomic status, with little attention given to whether other indicators influence self-esteem. Little is known about racial/ethnic disparities in the relationship between economic well-being and self-esteem during adulthood. AIM: To explore the impact of economic well-being on self-esteem in adulthood and differences in the association across race/ethnicity. METHODS: The current study used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979. The final sample consisted of 2267 African Americans, 1425 Hispanics, and 3678 non-Hispanic Whites. Ordinary linear regression analyses and logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: African Americans and Hispanics were more likely to be in poverty in comparison with non-Hispanic Whites. More African Americans were unemployed than Whites. Those who received fringe benefits, were more satisfied with jobs, and were employed were more likely to have higher levels of self-esteem. Poverty was negatively associated with self-esteem. Interaction effects were found between African Americans and job satisfaction predicting self-esteem. CONCLUSION: The role of employers is important in cultivating employees' self-esteem. Satisfactory outcomes or feelings of happiness from the workplace may be more important to non-Hispanic Whites compared to African Americans and Hispanics.

Prognosis after radical prostatectomy in men older than 75 years: long-term results from a single tertiary center.

Background: Despite longer lifespans, guidelines for prostate cancer treatment recommend surgery for those with over 10 years of life expectancy, potentially leaving older patients undertreated. This study examines the outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP) in a large cohort of men older than 75 years. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 636 patients from a pool of 4,500 RP cases at a single tertiary institution from 2004 to 2022. Patients younger than 75 years or with incomplete records were excluded. Baseline clinical variables, including PSA and biopsy grade group (GG), as well as postoperative pathology and oncological outcomes, were assessed. Achievement of continence based on no pads and ≤1 pad at last follow-up were evaluated. Results: Mean age and PSA were 76.4 years and 15.3 ng/ml, respectively. At biopsy, GG1 and 2 were found in 18.1% and 31.5%, respectively, with 28.5% harboring GG4-5 tumors. After RP, 41.5% had GG upgrade compared to biopsy results, with 46.5% with ≥pT3 tumors. In a mean follow-up of 41.5 months, 82.3% were able to attain total continence of 0 pads, and 89.5% used ≤1 pads at the last follow-up. Overall and cancer-specific mortality was observed in 4.3% and 0.9%, respectively, and biochemical recurrence (BCR) occurred in 20.3% after a median of 154 months. At multivariate analysis, age was not a significant factor for BCR, whereas preoperative PSA, biopsy GG, margin positivity, and lymph node invasion were significant. Conclusion: RP is feasible in men older than 75 years with decent oncological outcome, with absolute age insignificant within this age group. Risk of undertreatment should be acknowledged, and definite treatment must be considered.

PCSK9 stimulates Syk, PKCδ, and NF-κB, leading to atherosclerosis progression independently of LDL receptor.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PCSK9) binds to and degrades low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, leading to increase of LDL cholesterol in blood. Its blockers have emerged as promising therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases. Here we show that PCSK9 itself directly induces inflammation and aggravates atherosclerosis independently of the LDL receptor. PCSK9 exacerbates atherosclerosis in LDL receptor knockout mice. Adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1) is the main binding partner of PCSK9 and indispensable for the inflammatory action of PCSK9, including induction of cytokines, Toll like receptor 4, and scavenger receptors, enhancing the uptake of oxidized LDL. We find spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) to be the key mediators of inflammation after PCSK9-CAP1 binding. In human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, serum PCSK9 levels are positively correlated with Syk, PKCδ, and p65 phosphorylation. The CAP1-fragment crystallizable region (CAP1-Fc) mitigates PCSK9-mediated inflammatory signal transduction more than the PCSK9 blocking antibody evolocumab does.

Uncovering receptor-ligand interactions using a high-avidity CRISPR activation screening platform.

The majority of clinically approved drugs target proteins that are secreted or cell surface bound. However, further advances in this area have been hindered by the challenging nature of receptor deorphanization, as there are still many secreted and cell-bound proteins with unknown binding partners. Here, we developed an advanced screening platform that combines CRISPR-CAS9 guide-mediated gene activation (CRISPRa) and high-avidity bead-based selection. The CRISPRa platform incorporates serial enrichment and flow cytometry-based monitoring, resulting in substantially improved screening sensitivity for well-known yet weak interactions of the checkpoint inhibitor family. Our approach has successfully revealed that siglec-4 exerts regulatory control over T cell activation through a low affinity trans-interaction with the costimulatory receptor 4-1BB. Our highly efficient screening platform holds great promise for identifying extracellular interactions of uncharacterized receptor-ligand partners, which is essential to develop next-generation therapeutics, including additional immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Regulation of colonic neuropeptide Y expression by the gut microbiome in patients with ulcerative colitis and its association with anxiety- and depression-like behavior in mice.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC), show an increased incidence of anxiety and depression; however, the association between UC-associated psychiatric disorders and the gut microbiota is unclear. This study aimed to examine whether gut microbiota from patients with UC can alter colonic gene expression, leading to anxiety- and depression-like behavior in mice receiving fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). RNA sequencing transcriptome analyses revealed a difference in colonic gene expression between mice receiving FMT from patients with UC (UC-FMT mice) and those receiving FMT from healthy controls (HC-FMT mice). Gene ontology analysis revealed the downregulation of neuropeptide signaling pathways, including neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression, in the colons of UC-FMT mice. The protein levels of NPY also decreased in the colon and plasma of UC-FMT mice compared to those in HC-FMT mice. The oral administration of Enterococcus mundtii (EM), a bacterium isolated from the feces of patients with UC, reduced NPY expression in the colons of mice and induced intestinal inflammation, anxiety, and depression-like behavior. Reduced NPY protein levels were also observed in the plasma and hippocampus of EM-treated mice. Intraperitoneal administration of NPY significantly alleviated anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors induced by EM in mice. Capsular polysaccharide in EM was associated with EM-induced NPY downregulation in the colon. Analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus datasets showed markedly reduced NPY expression in the inflamed colons of patients with UC compared with that in the colons of healthy controls. In summary, EM-induced reduction in the colonic expression of NPY may be associated with a decrease in hippocampal NPY and anxiety- and depression-like behavior in mice.

Risk factors for incisional hernia after liver transplantation in the era of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors use: a retrospective study of living donor liver transplantation dominant center in Korea.

Purpose: Incisional hernia (IH) is a common complication after liver transplantation (LT) with an incidence rate of 5% to 46%. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for IH development after LT in the era of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors use. Methods: Data on patients who underwent LT between 2015 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups (IH group and non-IH group) according to the postoperative occurrence of IH. Results: We analyzed data from 878 patients during the study period, with 28 patients (3.2%) developing IH. According to multivariate analysis, body mass index exceeding 25 kg/m2 and the use of mTOR inhibitors within the first month after LT were the sole significant factors for both IH occurrence and the subsequent need for repair operations. Notably, a history of wound complications, a Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, and the timing of LT-whether conducted during regular hours or at night-did not emerge as significant risk factors for IH after LT. Conclusion: Our study reveals a higher incidence of IH among obese patients following LT, often requiring surgical repair, particularly in cases involving mTOR inhibitor usage within the initial month after LT. Consequently, it is crucial to exercise increased vigilance, especially in obese patients, and exercise caution when considering early mTOR inhibitor administration after LT.

Topologically Engineered Strain Redistribution in Elastomeric Substrates for Dually Tunable Anisotropic Plasmomechanical Responses.

The prompt visual response is considered to be a highly intuitive tenet among sensors. Therefore, plasmomechanical strain sensors, which exhibit dynamic structural color changes, have recently been developed by using mechanical stimulus-based elastomeric substrates for wearable sensors. However, the reported plasmomechanical strain sensors either lack directional sensitivity or require complex signal processing and device design strategies to ensure anisotropic optical responses. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports on utilizing anisotropic mechanical substrates to obtain directional optical responses. Herein, we propose an anisotropic plasmomechanical sensor to distinguish between the applied force direction and the force magnitude. We employ a simple strain-engineered topological elastomer to mechanically transform closely packed metallic nanoparticles (NPs) into anisotropic directional rearrangements depending on the applied force direction. The proposed structure consists of a heterogeneous-modulus elastomer that exhibits a highly direction-dependent Poisson effect owing to the periodically line-patterned local strain redistribution occurring due to the same magnitude of applied external force. Consequently, the reorientation of the self-assembled gold (Au)-NP array manifests dual anisotropy, i.e., force- and polarization-direction-dependent plasmonic coupling. The cost-effectiveness and simple design of our proposed heterogeneous-modulus platform pave the way for numerous optical applications based on dynamic transformation and topological inhomogeneities.

Machine learning-based high-frequency neuronal spike reconstruction from low-frequency and low-sampling-rate recordings.

Recording neuronal activity using multiple electrodes has been widely used to understand the functional mechanisms of the brain. Increasing the number of electrodes allows us to decode more variety of functionalities. However, handling massive amounts of multichannel electrophysiological data is still challenging due to the limited hardware resources and unavoidable thermal tissue damage. Here, we present machine learning (ML)-based reconstruction of high-frequency neuronal spikes from subsampled low-frequency band signals. Inspired by the equivalence between high-frequency restoration and super-resolution in image processing, we applied a transformer ML model to neuronal data recorded from both in vitro cultures and in vivo male mouse brains. Even with the x8 downsampled datasets, our trained model reasonably estimated high-frequency information of spiking activity, including spike timing, waveform, and network connectivity. With our ML-based data reduction applicable to existing multichannel recording hardware while achieving neuronal signals of broad bandwidths, we expect to enable more comprehensive analysis and control of brain functions.

Uneven Strain Distribution Induces Consecutive Dislocation Slipping, Plane Gliding, and Subsequent Detwinning of Penta-Twinned Nanoparticles.

Twin structures possess distinct physical and chemical properties by virtue of their specific twin configuration. However, twinning and detwinning processes are not fully understood on the atomic scale. Integrating in situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamic simulations, we find tensile strain in the asymmetrical 5-fold twins of Au nanoparticles leads to twin boundary migration through dislocation sliding (slipping of an atomic layer) along twin boundaries and dislocation reactions at the 5-fold axis under an electron beam. Migration of one or two layers of twin planes is governed by energy barriers, but overall, the total energy, including surface, lattice strain, and twin boundary energy, is relaxed after consecutive twin boundary migration, leading to a detwinning process. In addition, surface rearrangement of 5-fold twinned nanoparticles can aid in the detwinning process.

Three-Dimensional Au Octahedral Nanoheptamers: Single-Particle and Bulk Near-Field Focusing for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Herein, we present a synthetic approach to fabricate Au nanoheptamers composed of six individual Au nanospheres interconnected through thin metal bridges arranged in an octahedral configuration. The resulting structures envelop central Au nanospheres, producing Au nanosphere heptamers with an open architectural arrangement. Importantly, the initial Pt coating of the Au nanospheres is a crucial step for protecting the inner Au nanospheres during multiple reactions. As-synthesized Au nanoheptamers exhibit multiple hot spots formed by nanogaps between nanospheres, resulting in strong electromagnetic near-fields. Additionally, we conducted surface-enhanced Raman-scattering-based detection of a chemical warfare agent simulant in the gas phase and achieved a limit of detection of 100 ppb, which is 3 orders lower than that achieved using Au nanospheres and Au nanohexamers. This pseudocore-shell nanostructure represents a significant advancement in the realm of complex nanoparticle synthesis, moving the field one step closer to sophisticated nanoparticle engineering.

Amelioration of Astrocyte-Mediated Neuroinflammation by EI-16004 Confers Neuroprotection in an MPTP-induced Parkinson's Disease Model.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in motor impairment due to dopaminergic neuronal loss. The pathology of PD is closely associated with neuroinflammation, which can be characterized by astrocyte activation. Thus, targeting the inflammatory response in astrocytes might provide a novel therapeutic approach. We conducted a luciferase assay on an in-house chemical library to identify compounds with anti-inflammatory effects capable of reducing MPP+-induced NF-κB activity in astrocytes. Among the compounds identified, EI-16004, a novel 3-benzyl-N-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamides, exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory effect by significantly reducing MPP+-induced astrocyte activation. Biochemical analysis and docking simulation indicated that EI-16004 inhibited the MPP+-induced phosphorylation of p65 by attenuating ERK phosphorylation, and EI-16004 reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in astrocytes. In vivo studies on the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD model in male C57BL/6 mice showed that EI-16004 ameliorated motor impairment and protected against dopaminergic neuronal loss, and EI-16004 effectively mitigated the MPTP-induced astrocyte activation in striatum (STR) and substantia nigra (SN). These results indicate EI-16004 is a potential neuroprotective agent for the prevention and treatment of astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammatory conditions in PD.

Pure laparoscopic donor hepatectomy: Experience of 556 cases at Seoul National University Hospital.

Pure laparoscopic donor hepatectomy (PLDH) has become a routine procedure at Seoul National University Hospital, and the pure laparoscopic method is now being applied to liver recipients as well. This study aimed to review the procedure and outcomes of PLDH to identify any areas that required improvement. Data from 556 donors who underwent PLDH between November 2015 and December 2021 and their recipients were retrospectively reviewed. Among these, 541 patients underwent pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (PLDRH). The mean hospital stay of the donor was 7.2 days, and the rate of grade I, II, IIIa, and IIIb complications was 2.2%, 2.7%, 1.3%, and 0.9%, respectively, without any irreversible disabilities or mortalities. The most common early and late major complications in the recipient were intraabdominal bleeding (n = 47, 8.5%) and biliary problems (n = 198, 35.6%), respectively. Analysis of the PLDRH procedure showed that operative time, liver removal time, warm ischemic time, Δhemoglobin%, Δtotal bilirubin%, and postoperative hospital stay decreased significantly as the number of cases accumulated. In conclusion, the operative outcomes of PLDRH improved as the number of cases increased. However, continuous caution is needed because major complications still occur in donors and recipients even after hundreds of cases.