Music from Noise-Canceling Headphones Is Beneficial against Anxiety in Male Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Follow-Up Cystoscopy: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Bladder cancer, with a greater incidence in males than in females, requires frequent cystoscopies. We aimed to evaluate the effect of music played through noise-canceling headphones on male bladder cancer patients during follow-up cystoscopy. METHODS: A total of 160 male bladder cancer patients undergoing follow-up flexible cystoscopy were randomly divided into the noise-canceling headphones without music group and the noise-canceling headphones with music group (groups 1 and 2, respectively; n = 80 per group). The patients' clinical characteristics were examined, and objective and subjective measurements were compared before and after cystoscopy. The primary outcomes that were evaluated included the visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10) and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI, 20-80). Other outcomes, including vital signs and scores for assessing satisfaction and the willingness to repeat the procedure, were also examined. RESULTS: The characteristics of the patients in groups 1 and 2, and their pre-cystoscopy status, did not differ significantly. Although post-cystoscopy vital signs for the objective parameters and VAS pain scores were similar between the groups, subjective parameters were not. When compared with group 1, post-cystoscopy STAI-state scores were significantly lower in group 2, whereas patients' satisfaction scores and the willingness to repeat the procedure were significantly higher in group 2 (p = 0.002, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Additionally, in group 2, STAI-state scores changed significantly after the procedure when compared with before the procedure (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Providing music to male bladder cancer patients through noise-canceling headphones was found to reduce anxiety during cystoscopy and to improve patient satisfaction and willingness to undergo repeat cystoscopy.

Spiritual nursing education programme for nursing students in Korea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This study conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the characteristics and contents of studies on spiritual nursing education programmes and their effects. METHODS: The literature search included five databases (RISS, KISS, DBpia, Science ON, and KmBase) published in South Korea until September 30, 2021. Nine studies were included in the final review, with six for the meta-analysis using the RevMan 5.4. 1 programme. The programmes targeted nursing students and nurses in the RN-BSN course and employed methods such as lecturing, discussions, and case presentations. The contents focused on self-spirituality awareness, spirituality-related concepts, understanding others' spirituality, and the process and application of spiritual nursing. RESULTS: The meta-analysis revealed statistically significant effects on spiritual nursing competencies, spirituality, spiritual well-being, existential well-being, and spiritual needs, except self-esteem. Spiritual nursing education was effective in enhancing spiritual nursing competencies. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that spiritual nursing education effectively improves spiritual nursing competency, indicating a need for increased focus and administrative and financial support for such education in schools and hospitals. Furthermore, future studies should employ randomised experimental designs to examine the effects of online education programmes with short training time on clinical nurses in hospitals.

The increased risk of colorectal cancer in the women who underwent hysterectomy from the South Korean National Health Insurance Database.

BACKGROUND: Several population-based studies and observational studies have shown that oophorectomy is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), and hormone replacement therapy has been associated with a reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer. This study was carried out to investigate whether hysterectomy, which may affect the levels of female hormones, is associated with a risk of cancer of the specific gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: This population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using insurance data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2020. The hysterectomy group included 40- to 59-year-old women who underwent hysterectomy with uterine leiomyoma or uterine endometriosis from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2014. The control group included women aged 40 to 59 years who visited medical institutions for medical examination from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2014. RESULTS: The hysterectomy and non-hysterectomhy groups comprised 66,204 and 89,768 subjects, respectively. The median ages in the non-hysterectomy group and hysterectomy group were 48 (range: 43-53) and 46 (range: 44-49) years, respectively. In the unadjusted results of the analysis, all colorectal cancer (CRC) increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.222, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.016-1.47, p = 0.033), sigmoid colon cancer increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.073-2.724, p = 0.024), and rectal cancer increased in the hysterectomy with adnexal surgery group (HR 1.924, 95% CI 1.073-2.724, p = 0.002). The adjusted results showed that all CRC increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.406, 95% CI 1.057-1.871, p = 0.019), colon cancer increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.523, 95% CI 1.068-2.17, p = 0.02), and rectal cancer increased in the hysterectomy with adnexal surgery group (HR 1.933, 95% CI 1.131-3.302, p = 0.016). The all-cause mortality of GI cancer increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 3.495, 95% CI 1.347-9.07, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the risk of all CRC increased in women who underwent hysterectomy compared with women who did not. In particular, the risk of rectal cancer was significantly higher in the women who underwent hysterectomy with adnexal surgery than in the controls. There was no association between hysterectomy and other GI cancers.

Health-related quality of life of migrant workers: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Currently, the number of migrant workers residing in Korea is continuously increasing, which is exacerbating the workforce shortage in its society. Migrant workers experience health problems or stress due to rapid environmental changes, consequently impairing their quality of life (QoL). Accordingly, this literature review aimed to prepare basic data by identifying factors related to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of migrant workers in Korea. METHOD: In total, the literature search used seven databases to find all documents corresponding to related subject words until June 7, 2022, including PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Regional Information Sharing Systems, Korean Medical database, Science ON, and DataBase Periodical Information Academic. Furthermore, this study used the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar to manually search, to include comprehensive literature. Moreover, both English and Korean were used to search for the main terms. RESULTS: In total, nine articles were selected. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version tool was used in six studies to measure HRQoL. Factors affecting the HRQoL of domestic migrant workers included general characteristics such as monthly income and residence period, physical and psychological health-related characteristics such as health promotion behaviour, medical service satisfaction, and depression, and social factors such as social support and cultural adaptation stress. Social support was an important variable affecting the QoL. Particularly, increased social support improved health-related QoL. In addition, higher medical service satisfaction and lower cultural adaptation stress increased HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: Social factors such as social support and cultural adaptation stress affect the HRQoL of migrant workers. Therefore, the social integration program should be expanded to ensure that migrant workers can adapt to the domestic culture at an early stage. In addition, people require active support to improve the QoL in Korea through activities such as self-help groups to help them cope with stressful situations and experience positive emotions. Moreover, it is necessary to provide information on domestic medical services as well as support for medical information for self-health management to improve the quality of medical services for migrant workers.

Bioinformatic Expansion of Borosins Uncovers Trans-Acting Peptide Backbone N-Methyltransferases in Bacteria.

Backbone N-methylation is one of the prominent peptide modifications that can greatly enhance the pharmacological properties of a peptide. Naturally occurring backbone N-methylated peptides are produced via nonribosomal or ribosomal pathways, the latter of which was only recently identified in the borosin family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides. Although previous bioinformatic analyses have revealed new putative genes for borosin biosynthesis, the natural scope of structural and biosynthetic diversity of the borosin family has not been thoroughly explored. Here, we report a comprehensive overview of the borosin family of peptide natural products. Using a genome mining approach, we identified more than 1400 new putative biosynthetic gene clusters for borosins and demonstrated that, unlike those previously reported, most of them are found in bacterial genomes and encode a precursor peptide unfused to its cognate methyltransferase enzyme. Biochemical analysis confirmed the backbone N-methylation of the precursor peptide in trans in eight enzyme-precursor pairs and revealed two novel types of enzyme-recognizing sequences in the precursor peptide. This work significantly expands the biosynthetic diversity of borosins and paves the way for the enzymatic production of diverse backbone N-methylated peptides.

Fetal Pulmonary Vein Pulsatility Index in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy as a Predictor of Small for Gestational Age.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish whether the increased fetal pulmonary venous pulsatility index (PVPI) in late pregnancy can independently predict small for gestational age (SGA) and to verify its cut point value and efficacy. METHOD: The PVPI was measured in women with singleton pregnancies between 25 and 39 gestational weeks. Maternal hypertension and diabetes, estimated fetal weight (EFW) and percentile of the corresponding weeks of pregnancy (USG_PER), gestational weeks at delivery, and birth weight and percentile of the corresponding weeks of pregnancy (BABY_PER) were reviewed. To assess whether PVPI was independently correlated with BABY_PER, Pearson's correlation analysis was performed. The cut point value of PVPI for the prediction of SGA was established using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 129 mothers were included in this study. Both USG_PER and PVPI were significantly related to SGA, independently (P <.001 and P = .004, respectively). The cut point value of PVPI was found to be 1.13. The AUCs of PVPI and USG_PER were not significantly different (P = .624). The sensitivity of PVPI was 70.27%, and the specificity was 92.39%. CONCLUSION: PVPI could predict SGA independently, and the efficacy was comparable to EFW during pregnancy.

Induction of PLXNA4 Gene during Neural Differentiation in Human Umbilical-Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Low-Intensity Sub-Sonic Vibration.

Human umbilical-cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC) are a type of mesenchymal stem cells and are more primitive than other MSCs. In this study, we identify novel genes and signal-activating proteins involved in the neural differentiation of hUC-MSCs induced by Low-Intensity Sub-Sonic Vibration (LISSV). RNA sequencing was used to find genes involved in the differentiation process by LISSV. The changes in hUC-MSCs caused by LISSV were confirmed by PLXNA4 overexpression and gene knockdown through small interfering RNA experiments. The six genes were increased among genes related to neurons and the nervous system. One of them, the PLXNA4 gene, is known to play a role as a guide for axons in the development of the nervous system. When the PLXNA4 recombinant protein was added, neuron-related genes were increased. In the PLXNA4 gene knockdown experiment, the expression of neuron-related genes was not changed by LISSV exposure. The PLXNA4 gene is activated by sema family ligands. The expression of SEMA3A was increased by LISSV, and its downstream signaling molecule, FYN, was also activated. We suggest that the PLXNA4 gene plays an important role in hUC-MSC neuronal differentiation through exposure to LISSV. The differentiation process depends on SEMA3A-PLXNA4-dependent FYN activation in hUC-MSCs.

Highly Efficient Deep Blue Cd-Free Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes by a p-Type Doped Emissive Layer.

Environmentally friendly ZnSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) as an alternative blue emission material to Cd-based QDs have shown great potential for use in next-generation displays. However, it remains still challenging to realize a high-efficiency quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) based on ZnSe/ZnS QDs due to their insufficient electrical characteristics, such as excessively high electron mobility (compared to the hole mobility) and the deep-lying valence band. In this work, the effects of QDs doped with hole transport materials (hybrid QDs) on the electrical characteristics of a QLED are investigated. These hybrid QDs show a p-type doping effect, which leads to a change in the density of the carriers. Specifically, the hybrid QDs can balance electrons and holes by suppressing the overflow of electrons and improving injection of holes, respectively. These electrical characteristics help to improve device performance. In detail, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 6.88% is achieved with the hybrid QDs. This is increased by 180% compared to a device with pure ZnSe/ZnS QDs (EQE of 2.46%). This record is the highest among deep-blue Cd-free QLED devices. These findings provide the importance of p-type doping effect in QD layers and guidance for the study of the electrical properties of QDs.

Surface wrinkle formation by liquid crystalline polymers for significant light extraction enhancement on quantum dot light-emitting diodes.

We propose an optimal outcoupling structure of a quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) and present material properties based on numerical calculations via the ray-tracing method, in which light extraction properties are obtained according to the surface wrinkles on a substrate. After analyzing the designed microstructure elements, the optimal model was derived and applied to the QLEDs; consequently, the outcoupling efficiency enhanced by 31%. The liquid crystalline polymer forming the random surface wrinkles not only achieves an excellent light extraction through plasma crosslinking but also facilitates large-area processes. We propose an optical design rule for high-efficiency QLED design by analyzing the electro-optical efficiency, emission spectrum, and angular radiation pattern of the optical device.

Does Fetal Pulmonary Venous Flow Impedance Increase in Pregnancies With Placental Insufficiency-Related Oligohydramnios in the Third Trimester?

OBJECTIVES: In placental insufficiency, alteration of left heart compliance occurs, with consequent increased placental vascular impedance. Pulmonary vein flow patterns could reflect altered left atrial pressure. Although the fetal pulmonary venous pulsatility index (PVPI) has been reported as an early marker to evaluate fetal cardiac dysfunction, no studies have been focused on its correlation with oligohydramnios. The aim of this study was to determine whether fetal pulmonary venous flow impedance was greater in women with placental insufficiency-related oligohydramnios than in women with adequate amounts of amniotic fluid during the third trimester. METHODS: The fetal PVPI and the umbilical arterial systolic-to-diastolic (S/D) ratio were measured by Doppler echocardiography in 130 pregnant women between 28 and 39 gestational weeks. Pregnant women were divided into 2 groups according to the amount of amniotic fluid. The PVPI and umbilical arterial S/D ratio were compared between 19 pregnancies with oligohydramnios and 111 with adequate amniotic fluid. RESULTS: The mean gestational age and estimated fetal weight were not significantly different between the groups. The maternal age was higher in the oligohydramnios group than in the control group (mean ± SD, 36.89 ± 5.88 versus 34.06 ± 4.79 years; P = .023). The mean PVPI was significantly higher in the oligohydramnios group than in the control group (1.13 ± 0.22 versus 0.89 ± 0.31; P < .001). There was no significant difference in umbilical arterial S/D ratio between the groups (P = .142). CONCLUSIONS: The PVPI could be used as an early diagnostic marker of fetal deterioration in placental insufficiency-related oligohydramnios.

Usefulness of computed tomography in predicting ethmoidal arterial bleeding in refractory epistaxis.

PURPOSE: Epistaxis that is refractory to conservative management can be treated with endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation (ESPAL). Although rare, ethmoidal artery (EA) bleeding can be a cause of rebleeding after successful ESPAL. EA bleeding is diagnosed by angiography and can also be identified during surgical exploration. However, since the angiographic embolization of the EA is contraindicated, surgical hemostasis is mandatory. This study investigated whether paranasal sinus (PNS) CT could provide information for predicting EA bleeding without angiography in patients with refractory epistaxis requiring ESPAL. METHODS: Forty-seven patients, who were surgically treated [with ESPAL or EA ligation (EAL)] for refractory epistaxis from March 2010 to June 2019, were retrospectively analyzed. A positive PNS CT finding for EA bleeding was defined as the presence of soft tissue densities having continuity with the EA pathway, accompanied by a partially deficient surrounding bony canal. These findings as well as soft tissue densities in each paranasal sinus were compared between the ESPAL and EAL groups. RESULTS: All patients in the EAL group had positive CT findings of EA bleeding, compared to only 12.2% in the ESPAL group (P < 0.001). The rate of soft tissue densities within the frontal and sphenoid sinuses were noted in 26.8% and 17.1% of patients in the ESPAL group, compared to 83.3% and 83.3% of patients in the EAL group (P = 0.013 and P = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION: PNS CT might be useful for predicting EA bleeding in patients with refractory epistaxis requiring surgical hemostasis.

Meta-analytic path analysis of the social cognitive well-being model: Applicability across life domain, gender, race/ethnicity, and nationality.

The social-cognitive well-being model (SCWB; Lent, 2004) was designed to explain subjective well-being and other aspects of positive functioning within particular life domains. It has received a substantial amount of inquiry, especially in the context of academic and work satisfaction, in student and adult samples in the United States and other countries (Lent & Brown, 2006a, 2008). We present a meta-analysis synthesizing the empirical findings of 100 studies (154 samples) on the SCWB model that appeared between 2004 and 2017. The original model provided good overall fit to the data across all samples, and most of the predictors produced paths that were consistent with hypotheses. A culture-modified version of the model, which includes indicators of independent/individualistic and interdependent/collectivistic cultural orientations, also fit the data well, offering initial evidence for the incremental validity of these cultural variables in predicting well-being. Multigroup analyses showed that the model yielded acceptable fit in both academic and work domains. Within the academic domain, we also found adequate fit for the culture-modified model across gender, racial/ethnic groups, and U.S. and non-U.S. samples. At the same time, some group differences in parameter estimates were statistically and practically significant. Implications for the theory, its research base, and practical applications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Clinical significance of IgG4 in sinonasal and skull base inflammatory pseudotumor.

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) in the sinonasal cavity and skull base region is benign non-neoplastic inflammatory process. However, IPT can mimic malignant tumor or infectious disease and there are difficulties in confirmation of diagnosis. The aim of study is to evaluate the clinical significance of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) in IPT in terms of steroid response and differential diagnosis with other skull base infiltrative lesions. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed retrospectively from 1998 to 2016. Subjects diagnosed with IPT by surgical biopsy were enrolled. IgG4 positivity was defined as IgG4/IgG ratio > 0.4. Additionally, IgG4/IgG ratio was calculated in eight skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) patients. RESULTS: Twenty-six IPT patients were included and the average age was 52.3 years, and 57.7% were male and 42.3% were female. Most lesions were involved in the sinuses (88.5%) and the incidence of extension beyond the sinuses itself was as follows: the cheek/hard palate/parapharynx (15.4%), orbit (61.5%), skull base (57.7%), and dura or brain (23.1%). All IPT cases revealed IgG4 + plasma cells and IgG4/IgG ratio over 0.4 was detected in 42.3% (11/26) of cases. In case of SBO, no patients had IgG4/IgG ratio exceed 0.4. Main treatment modality was systemic steroids (61.5%) and other modalities were used: surgery (3.8%), immunosuppressant (7.7%), radiotherapy (30.8%), or a combination of these modalities (15.4%). Steroid responses were not significantly different, but IgG4-positive group tended to have better response to steroid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: IgG4-positive and IgG4-negative IPT patients revealed no differences in involvement sites, clinical course, and steroid responses. However, IgG4/IgG ratio and IgG4 + plasma cell count can provide a diagnostic clue for infiltrative skull base lesions such as IPT and a differential diagnosis of SBO.

Staged Mosaic Punching Excision of a Kissing Nevus on the Eyelid.

BACKGROUND: A congenital divided nevus, also known as kissing nevus, is a type of congenital compound nevus that affects equal areas of the upper and lower eyelids. The edges of the nevus touch or "kiss" during closure of the lids, owing to its extension to the lid margins. Multiple treatment modalities, such as dermabrasion, cryotherapy, primary closure after excision, and skin grafts, have been proposed; however, complications such as recurrence, ectropion, skin color mismatch, and scar contractures are known to occur. This study aimed to introduce a staged excision using the 10,600-nm CO2 pulsed laser to remove a congenital divided nevus without noticeable complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From August 2015 to December 2018, patients with congenital divided nevus underwent staged laser excision. Seven patients underwent staged mosaic pattern punch excision with a laser. Eight patients underwent concomitant excision, and one patient underwent skin grafting of the medial canthus. Patient satisfaction was assessed immediately and at 3 months after the procedure. RESULTS: During the study period, 15 patients (10 women and 5 men), with a mean age of 26.0 years (range 13-73 years), underwent laser excision. Continuity of the eyelid margins was maintained in 13 patients. In one patient, the eyelashes grew inward and developed inflammation. No patient developed complications during the healing process, except for partial loss of cilia. Eleven patients were very satisfied, whereas three were satisfied with the results. One patient discontinued treatment after two laser sessions. CONCLUSION: We performed multiple staged mosaic punching excisions of a congenital divided nevus with the CO2 laser in 15 cases. We observed consistent therapeutic results without definite recurrence, while maintaining the continuity of the eyelid and eyelash. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Increased expression of IL-33 in rosacea skin and UVB-irradiated and LL-37-treated HaCaT cells.

Rosacea is one of the most common dermatoses of adults. Although the detailed pathophysiology remains unknown, it is thought that rosacea is caused by a consistently aberrant, innate immune response, and that LL-37 plays an important role. However, involvement of the inflammatory cytokine IL-33 has not yet been studied. We explored the role played by IL-33 in the pathophysiology of rosacea. First, we immunohistochemically evaluated the expression of IL-33 and its receptor (ST2) in rosacea skin. Second, we exposed HaCaT cells to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation in the presence or absence of LL-37 and measured the expression of proinflammatory cytokines including IL-33. We also analysed VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) mRNA expression and protein release after costimulation of HaCaT cells by LL-37 and IL-33. Immunohistochemically, IL-33 expression was enhanced in the skin of rosacea patients, especially with erythematotelangiectatic subtype. In vitro, UVB and LL-37 synergistically increased mRNAs expression of proinflammatory cytokines, especially IL-33 and IL-1ß. IL-33 protein release was also synergistically increased by LL-37 and UVB treatment. LL-37 and IL-33 stimulated VEGF mRNA expression and VEGF release from HaCaT cells. Our findings suggest that rosacea skin with abundant LL-37 may robustly produce and release IL-33 when exposed to UV radiation. IL-33 may participate in the angiogenesis and vasodilation of rosacea skin by enhancing VEGF release.

Idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in the elderly: a long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of peripheral-type vertigo in the elderly. While some studies have investigated BPPV among the elderly, no study has focused on the isolated idiopathic BPPV (iBPPV) in the elderly. AIMS: To investigate the clinical features and recurrence rate in elderly patients diagnosed with iBPPV. METHODS: The authors prospectively reviewed the medical records of 627 patients diagnosed with BPPV, and a total of 370 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The subjects were divided into two groups by age (experimental group ≥65 years and control group 17-64 years), and the gender, numbers of canalith reposition maneuver (CRM) for successful treatment, time elapsed from onset of symptoms to clinic visit, the affected semicircular canal, and the 1- and 5-year recurrence proportion were analyzed. RESULTS: The gender, numbers of CRM for successful treatment, affected semicircular canal, and the 1- and 5-year recurrence proportion showed no statistically significant difference between two groups (p > 0.05). The only exception was the experimental group which took a longer duration from manifestation of symptoms to hospital visit than control group (student's t test, p = 0.021). DISCUSSION: Several previous studies report that the elderly with iBPPV shows more protracted clinical course and much higher recurrence rate than younger adult. Unlike those reports, our study showed no significant differences about the clinical features and recurrence rate between age groups. CONCLUSION: The elderly with iBPPV could be treated as effective as general population.

Effective strategies for anode surface modification for power harvesting and industrial wastewater treatment using microbial fuel cells.

This study investigates three different strategies for anode surface treatment by doping superficial nitrogen groups on the anode surfaces of carbon cloth (CC) and carbon paper (CP). The chosen anodes were hydrothermally treated in the presence of an ammonia solution (AST), a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid (AHT), and solid urea (UT) at 180 °C for 3 h. The utilized characterization techniques confirmed doping of nitrogen on the anode surfaces and a decrease in the oxygen-bonded carbon content. Furthermore, the results showed that the power and current densities were significantly affected by the surface modification techniques. Interestingly, the AST strategy achieved the highest power density of 159.3 mW-2 and 91.6 mWm-2, which revealed an increase in power of 115% and 56.8% for CC-AST and CP-AST, respectively. Additionally, the maximum coulombic efficiencies were 63.9% and 27.5% for the CC-AST and CP-AST anodes, respectively. Overall, these results highlight the significance of anode surface modification for enhancing MFC performance to generate electricity and treat actual wastewater.

Prognostic values of negative estrogen or progesterone receptor expression in patients with luminal B HER2-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The luminal subtype of breast cancer is sensitive to anti-estrogen therapy and shows a better prognosis than that of human epidermal growth factor receptor2 (HER2)-enriched or triple-negative breast cancer. However, the luminal type of breast cancer is heterogeneous and can have aggressive clinical features. We investigated the clinical implications of single hormone receptor negativity in a luminal B HER2-negative group. METHODS: We collected luminal B HER2-negative breast cancer data that were estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) positive, Ki 67 high (>14 %), and HER2 negative and divided them into the ER- and PR-positive group and the ER- or PR-negative group. We analyzed the clinical and pathological data and survival according to ER or PR loss. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in TNM stage, breast and axillary operative methods, or number of tumors between the ER- and PR-positive group and ER- or PR-negative group. However, the ER- or PR-negative group was associated with older age (≥45 years), higher histological grade, lower Bcl-2 expression, and far higher Ki 67 (>50 %). Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were shorter in the ER- or PR-negative group than that in the ER- and PR-positive group (p = 0.0038, p = 0.0071). CONCLUSIONS: ER- or PR-negative subgroup showed worse prognosis than ER- and PR-positive subgroup in the luminal B HER2-negative group. We could consider the negativity of ER or PR as prognostic marker in luminal B HER2-negative subtype of breast cancer.

Enhanced Cellular Uptake of Silica-Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles Compared with PEG-Coated Ones in Stem Cells.

Monodispersed magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared through the thermal decomposition method. The obtained NPs were surface modified with silica (SiO2) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), to enhance their stability in aqueous environment and their cellular uptake efficiency for biomedical applications. The NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The cytotoxicity of these NPs on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) was measured by MTT assay (cell viability test) at various concentrations (2, 5, 12.5, 25, and 50 µg/mL). The cells remained more than 90% viable at concentrations as high as 50 µg/mL. To compare the cellular uptake efficiency, these NPs were treated in BM-MSCs and the Fe concentration within the cells was measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) analysis. The uptake process displayed a time- and dose-dependency. The uptake amount of SiO2-coated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@SiO2) NPs was about 10 times higher than that of the PEG-coated ones (Fe3O4@PEG).

Effect of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty on CPAP compliance.

In this retrospective cohort study, we tried to evaluate the compliance of continuous positive airway treatment (CPAP) in the patients with or without previous surgical treatment to OSAS. Retrospective study with prospectively collected data was performed. Eighty-six consecutive OSAS patients who decided to try CPAP were enrolled, and data regarding polysomnography, history of previous surgical treatment and CPAP usage were collected. Among them, nine patients who had history of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for OSAS were included in the surgery group and another 77 non-surgical patients were assigned to the untreated group. There was no statistical difference for demographics or polysomnographic parameters. They showed similar CPAP acceptance and air leak after the first trial. However, the surgery group (6.39 ± 1.49 h/day) used CPAP significantly longer than the untreated group (4.73 ± 1.64 h/day; p = 0.007) and less troubled with 'waking up during night'. The present study showed that the prior surgery for OSAS doesn't preclude the subsequent CPAP therapy.