Clinical heterotopic liver transplantation(HLT) has been carried out in the several institutions since 1962. Recently, Rotterdam group reported a successful clinical series of HLT in spite of several negative viewpoints against orthotopic liver transplantation. Among the successful HLT cases till now, several occurrences of hepatocellular carcinoma in the native liver had been reported. In the current study, a thirty percent liver was transplanted heterotopically in the dimethylnitrosoamine(DMN)-induced cirrhotic rats and the feasibility of host-hepatectomy after regeneration of the graft was tested, and we are going to introduce the concept of host liver resection(HR) to the clinical auxiliary liver transplantation. Of the thirty syngeneic partial HLT with portal blood input only, 16 rats died following transplantation and three rats dies after HR. The DMN-induced cirrhotic liver specimen showed a microscopic finding of nodular cirrhosis with thick intralobular fibrous septa. Grafts examined at three posttransplant weeks appeared architecturally normal and well regenerated and the atrophied host livers were small hard showing micronodularity on the surface. Of all the animals examined, no host liver tissues were regrowing after one month following near total HR. We conclude that HLT can be performed in the clinically relevant cirrhotic rats and HR is feasible after graft regeneration and expect that this experimental model can be used for the study of cirrhosis and HLT.
Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Fibrosis ; Hepatectomy* ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Models, Theoretical ; Rats* ; Regeneration ; Transplants

According to improved radiation therapy technology such as IMRT and proton therapy, the accuracy of patient alignment system is more emphasized and IGRT is dominated research field in radiation oncology. We proposed to study the feasibility of cone-beam CT system using simple x-ray imaging systems for image guided proton therapy at National Cancer Center. 180 projection views (2,304x3,200, 14 bit with 127 micrometer pixel pitch) for the geometrical calibration phantom and humanoid phantoms (skull, abdomen) were acquired with 2degrees step angle using x-ray imaging system of proton therapy gantry room (360degrees for 1 rotation). The geometrical calibration was performed for misalignments between the x-ray source and the flat-panel detector, such as distances and slanted angle using available algorithm. With the geometrically calibrated projection view, Feldkamp cone-beam algorithm using Ram-Lak filter was implemented for CBCT reconstruction images for skull and abdomen phantom. The distance from x-ray source to the gantry isocenter, the distance from the flat panel to the isocenter were calculated as 1,517.5 mm, 591.12 mm and the rotated angle of flat panel detector around x-ray beam axis was considered as 0.25degrees. It was observed that the blurring artifacts, originated from the rotation of the detector, in the reconstructed toomographs were significantly reduced after the geometrical calibration. The demonstrated CBCT images for the skull and abdomen phantoms are very promising. We performed the geometrical calibration of the large gantry rotation system with simple x-ray imaging devices for CBCT reconstruction. The CBCT system for proton therapy will be used as a main patient alignment system for image guided proton therapy.
Abdomen ; Artifacts ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Calibration ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Humans ; Isothiocyanates ; Proton Therapy ; Protons ; Radiation Oncology ; Skull

Objectives: This study aimed to comparatively analyze the demographic characteristics and various other factors influencing those attempting suicide from the younger and older generations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study included subjects who visited the emergency room of the Gachon University Gil Medical Center in Incheon after attempting to cause self-harm or commit suicide. Of the total of 598 cases, the characteristics of 383 subjects belonging to the younger generation (39 years old or younger) and 215 to the older generation subject (40 years old or older) were retrospectively compared. Results: The younger generation subjects who attempted suicide had significantly higher rates of psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and histories of past suicide attempts compared to the older generation. Those attempting suicide among the younger generation were less planned in their attempts to commit suicide than the older generation, and the authenticity of their suicide attempts was significantly lower. Conclusion The younger generation subjects who attempted suicide were more affected by mental illnesses and more impulsive than those of the older generation, and the authenticity and medical lethality of their suicide attempts were low. An individual-centric intervention strategy for suicide prevention is needed in consideration of these generational characteristics.

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare benign disorder caused by excessive proliferation of fibrous tissue within the mediastinum. Pulmonary artery stenosis is uncommon complication of fibrosing mediastinitis. We present a case of percutaneous stent deployment in a patient with severe pulmonary artery stenosis causing pulmonary hypertension secondary to fibrosing mediastinitis.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Mediastinitis* ; Mediastinum ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Stents*