Muhammad Ali, Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan, Shahryar Ahmad, Nilay Kumar, Gagan Kumar, Kia Saeian – 14 April 2012 – The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasing among hospitalized patients. Liver transplantation (LT) patients are at higher risk for acquiring CDI. Small, single‐center studies (but no nationwide analyses) have assessed this association. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (2004‐2008) for this retrospective, cross‐sectional study.

Aaron M. Williams, Jonathan C. Hundley, Michael F. Daily, Malay B. Shah, James T. Lee, Roberto Gedaly – 14 April 2012

Salvatore Gruttadauria, Vishal Parikh, Duilio Pagano, Fabio Tuzzolino, Davide Cintorino, Roberto Miraglia, Marco Spada, Giovanbattista Vizzini, Angelo Luca, Bruno Gridelli – 14 April 2012 – Early liver regeneration was studied in a series of 70 patients who underwent right hepatectomy for living donation between November 2004 and January 2010. Liver regeneration was evaluated with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) at a mean of 61.07 days after surgery.

Suman Verma, Phaedra Tachtatzis, Sue Penrhyn‐Lowe, Cinzia Scarpini, Diana Jurk, Thomas Von Zglinicki, Nick Coleman, Graeme J. M. Alexander – 13 April 2012 – Telomeres, a validated biomarker of aging, comprise multiple nucleotide repeats capping chromosomes that shorten with each cell cycle until a critical length is achieved, precipitating cell senescence.

Leo L. Studach, Stephan Menne, Stefano Cairo, Marie Annick Buendia, Ronald L. Hullinger, Lydie Lefrançois, Philippe Merle, Ourania M. Andrisani – 13 April 2012 – Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for developing liver cancer, and the HBV X protein (pX) has been implicated as a cofactor in hepatocyte transformation. We have shown that HBV replication as well as in vitro transformation by pX are associated with induction of the mitotic polo‐like kinase 1 (Plk1) and down‐regulation of the chromatin remodeling components Suz12 and Znf198.

Yu‐Chen Hsu, Hsiang‐Po Huang, I‐Shing Yu, Kang‐Yi Su, Shu‐Rung Lin, Wei‐Chou Lin, Hua‐Lin Wu, Guey‐Yueh Shi, Mi‐Hua Tao, Cheng‐Heng Kao, Yao‐Ming Wu, Patricia E. Martin, Shih‐Yao Lin, Pan‐Chyr Yang, Shu‐Wha Lin – 13 April 2012 – The liver architecture plays an important role in maintaining hemodynamic balance, but the mechanisms that underlie this role are not fully understood. Hepsin, a type II transmembrane serine protease, is predominantly expressed in the liver, but has no known physiological functions. Here, we report that hemodynamic balance in the liver is regulated through hepsin.

Simonetta Pazzaglia, Loredana Cifaldi, Anna Saran, Valerio Nobili, Doriana Fruci, Anna Alisi – 13 April 2012

Edward Kai‐Hua Chow, Ling‐ling Fan, Xin Chen, J. Michael Bishop – 13 April 2012 – At least some cancer stem cells (CSCs) display intrinsic drug resistance that may thwart eradication of a malignancy by chemotherapy. We explored the genesis of such resistance by studying mouse models of liver cancer driven by either MYC or the combination of oncogenic forms of activation of v‐akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (AKT) and NRAS. A common manifestation of chemoresistance in CSCs is efflux of the DNA‐binding dye Hoechst 33342.

John P. Rice, David Burnett, Helena Tsotsis, Mary J. Lindstrom, Daniel D. Cornett, Patricia Voermans, Jill Sawyer, Rob Striker, Michael R. Lucey – 13 April 2012 – The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among incarcerated individuals in the United States is estimated to be between 12% and 31%. HCV treatment during incarceration is an attractive option because of improved access to health care and directly observed therapy.

Theresa C. Hemsworth‐Peterson – 13 April 2012