BACKGROUND:Rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) < 10 mm in diameter, limited to the submucosa without local or distant metastasis, can be treated endoscopically. Endoscopic mucosal resection with a ligation band device (EMR-L) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been employed to resect rectal NETs. We evaluated and compared the clinical outcomes of EMR-L and ESD for endoscopic resection of rectal NETs G1 < 10 mm in diameter.METHODS:We conducted a retrospective study of 82 rectal NETs in 82 patients who underwent either EMR-L or ESD. Therapeutic outcomes (en bloc resection and complete resection rates), procedure time, and procedure-related adverse events were evaluated. Additionally, we measured the distance of the lateral and vertical margins from the border of the tumor in pathologic specimens and compared the resectability between EMR-L and ESD.RESULTS:Sixty-six lesions were treated using EMR-L and 16 using ESD. En bloc resection was achieved in all patients. The complete resection rate with EMR-L was significantly higher than that with ESD (95.5% vs.75.0%, p = 0.025). The prevalence of vertical margin involvement was significantly higher in the ESD group than in the EMR-L group (12.5% vs. 0%, p = 0.036), and ESD was more time consuming than EMR-L (24.21 ± 12.18 vs. 7.05 ± 4.53 min, p < 0.001). The lateral and vertical margins were more distant in the EMR-L group than in the ESD group (lateral margin distance, 1661 ± 849 vs. 1514 ± 948 μm; vertical margin distance, 277 ± 308 vs. 202 ± 171 μm).CONCLUSIONS:EMR-L is more favorable for small rectal NETs with respect to therapeutic outcomes, procedure time, and technical difficulties. Additionally, EMR-L enables achievement of sufficient vertical margin distances.

The objective was to examine the antifungal activity of Pinus densiflora extract for the control of turfgrass fungal diseases. Antifungal activities of the various fractions of n-hexane, methylene chloride (Ch), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol from P. densiflora were evaluated against Rhizoctonia solani AG1-1B, R. solani AG2-2IV, Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, R. cerealis, Pythium spp., and Colletotrichum graminicola. The Ch and EtOAc fractions showed antifungal activity against Pythium sp. and C. graminicola in paper disc assay. The effective concentration to produce 50% mycelial inhibition (EC50) using five discriminatory concentrations of pinosylvin (1) from the Ch fraction of P. densiflora was evaluated on R. solani AG1-1B, R. solani AG2- 2IV, R. cerealis, and S. homoeocarpa. S. homoeocarpa showed the highest sensitivity with the lowest mean EC50 value (8.426 μg/mL) among the four pathogens. Among the three Rhizoctonia pathogens, R. cerealis had the highest mean EC50 value (99.832 μg/mL) and R. solani AG2-2IV, with the lowest sensitivity, had the lowest EC50 value (39.696 μg/mL). These results suggested that pinosylvin (1) from P. densiflora could be a valuable lead compound in the improvement of a novel antifungal agent.

Application of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers (EGCs) remains controversial owing to limited data regarding long-term outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of ESD for undifferentiated-type EGCs that meet the expanded criteria (EC).

The gastrointestinal tract is the most common site of extra-nodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, the incidence of primary rectal lymphoma is extremely rare. Among the primary gastrointestinal lymphomas, follicular lymphoma has been described as a rare disease. It is difficult to diagnose rectal lymphoma due to its variable growth patterns and inadequate biopsies. Majority of patients with rectal lymphoma have non-specific symptoms or negative biopsies, often delaying the diagnosis. Our patient is a 62-year-old female. Two sessile and smooth subepithelial lesions with a yellowish normal mucosa were found on a screening colonoscopy. The initial mucosal biopsy finding was chronic inflammation, but we were highly suspicion of malignancy; we performed an endoscopic mucosal resection. Herein, we present a rare case of rectal follicular lymphoma diagnosed by endoscopic mucosal resection with a literature review.

Esophageal duplication cyst is a rare congenital gastrointestinal malformation. It is the second most common duplication cyst following small bowel duplication cyst in the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with an esophageal duplication cyst are generally asymptomatic; however, some patients may present the following symptoms: dysphagia, chest pain, stridor, unproductive cough, and epigastric discomfort by compression of the surrounding structures. Surgical removal is the treatment of choice in symptomatic cases and can be considered in asymptomatic cases if they are at risk for developing complications, such as ulceration or perforation. Herein, we report a case of hemorrhage of an esophageal duplication cyst, which was improved by endoscopic drainage.

Background/Aim: Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS) has been widely used for the diagnosis and treatment. PTCS-related complications (hemobilia, cholangitis, biliary tract perforations) are not infrequent. However, data on the risk factors for PTCS-related complications are limited. Therefore, we aimed to identify the risk factors for PTCS-related complications.Methods: Two hundred thirty-three patients who underwent PTCS at a single tertiary center between January 2006 and October 2014 were enrolled. After retrospectively analyzing the patients’ medical records, 212 patients were enrolled and classified into two groups: 1) a complication group and 2) a non-complication group.Results: The study population comprised 112 men and 100 women, with a median age of 64.5 years. Of the 212 patients, 32 (15.1%) developed complications: 14 (6.7%) developed cholangitis, six (2.8%) developed bile duct injury, and two (0.9%) developed hemobilia. In the univariate analyses, older age, a small number of tract dilatation sessions, and computed tomography (CT) findings of liver cirrhosis and a non-dilated intrahepatic duct were risk factors for PTCS-related complications. In the multivariate analysis, older age, a small number of tract dilatation sessions, and the CT finding of a non-dilated intrahepatic duct were independent factors for predicting PTCS-related complications. Serial tract dilatations (≥2 sessions) were performed in 95 patients (44.8%), but this did not affect the complication rate. In this subgroup of patients, a short interval between sessions (≤3 days) was associated with PTCSrelated complications.Conclusions: Elderly patients and those with non-dilated intrahepatic ducts on CT need to be managed carefully. Stepwise tract dilatations and a long interval between sessions (>3 days) can help decrease PTCS-related complications.

Duodenal subepithelial tumors (SETs) are not infrequently observed lesions during upper endoscopy. Recently, endoscopic resection (ER) techniques including endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been used as therapeutic and diagnostic modality of gastrointestinal SETs. However, the efficacy and safety of ER for duodenal SETs is not reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of ER for duodenal SETs.

Needle-knife fistulotomy has commonly been used for overcoming difficult bile duct cannulation. There are little data on primary fistulotomy in patients with bile duct cannulation. We aimed to assess the safety and complications of primary fistulotomy in patients with bile duct cannulation.

A facile and scalable synthetic route to uniform Cu nanocrystals with tunable sizes in the range of 20–100 nm based on an ethylene glycol-assisted synthetic method was developed.

We developed printed IGZO TFTs by delivering droplets of a precursor solution using a picoliter fluidic dispensing system.

An ultrathin conductive adhesion promoter using positively charged reduced graphene oxide (rGO-NH3+) has been demonstrated for preparing highly stable silver nanowire transparent conductive electrodes (AgNW TCEs). The adhesion promoter rGO-NH3+, spray coated between the substrate and AgNWs, significantly enhances the chemical and mechanical stabilities of the AgNW TCEs. Besides, the ultrathin thickness of the rGO-NH3+ ensures excellent optical transparency and mechanical flexibility for TCEs. The AgNW films prepared using the adhesion promoter are extremely stable under harsh conditions, including ultrasonication in a variety of solvents, 3M Scotch tape detachment test, mechanical bending up to 0.3% strain, or fatigue over 1000 cycles. The greatly enhanced adhesion force is attributed to the ionic interactions between the positively charged protonated amine groups in rGO-NH3+ and the negatively charged hydroxo-and oxo-groups on the AgNWs. The positively charged GO-NH3+ and commercial polycationic polymer (poly allylamine hydrochloride) are also prepared as adhesion promoters for comparison with rGO-NH3+. Notably, the closely packed hexagonal atomic structure of rGO offers better barrier properties to water permeation and demonstrates promising utility in durable waterproof electronics. This work offers a simple method to prepare high-quality TCEs and is believed to have great potential application in flexible waterproof electronics.

Predicting the invasion depth of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC) is important when selecting among therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to compare magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging(ME-NBI) with endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for predicting the depth of tumor invasion in patients with SESCC.

Endoscopic resection (ER) is widely accepted as appropriate treatment modalities for gastric epithelial neoplasms. However, issues regarding discrepancy between forceps biopsy and ER specimens or negative pathologic diagnosis (NPD) after ER have been rising. Recently pit dysplasia (PD) is suggested as one of subtypes of gastric dysplasia. Therefore, we aimed to review clinicopathologic features of cases with NPD after ER for early gastric neoplasms, and to evaluate the role of PD in these cases.

The polyol synthesis of silver (Ag) nanostructures typically involves the rapid injection of Ag precursor to a preheated, ethylene glycol solution containing polymeric stabilizers and other additives. Here we report that Ag nanowires can be synthesized in high yields by applying a heat-up process in the polyol synthesis. Electron microscopy studies revealed that multiple-twinned Ag seeds were generated preferentially during the heat-up procedure, and then grew into nanowires. We also demonstrate that these Ag nanowires can be applied as electrode materials for the fabrication of flexible and transparent organic field-effect transistors with a reasonably high hole-mobility.