Predictive factors for the development of diabetes in cancer patients treated with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors.

Purpose: Targeted therapy using phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors is used to treat cancer such as lymphoma. In animal studies, its use raised concern about alteration of glucose metabolism. To date, clinical data are inconclusive; therefore, we investigated the incidence and clinical manifestations of diabetes in cancer patients treated with PI3K inhibitors.

Chemical Vapor Deposition Grown Large-Scale Atomically Thin Platinum Diselenide with Semimetal-Semiconductor Transition.

Among two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), platinum diselenide (PtSe) stands in a distinct place due to its fancy transition from type-II Dirac semimetal to semiconductor with a thickness variation from bulk to monolayer (1 ML) and the related versatile applications especially in mid-infrared detectors. However, achieving atomically thin PtSe is still a challenging issue. Herein, we have designed a facile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to achieve the synthesis of atomically thin 1T-PtSe on an electrode material of Au foil.

Pilot study: asymptomatic hyperuricemia patients with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have increased risk of double contour sign.

Background/aims: Double contour sign (DCS) is a representative ultrasonographic finding in gout. DCS is evidence of monosodium urate deposit in gouty arthritis and has been identified in some patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. However, the specific characteristics of asymptomatic hyperuricemia in patients with DCS have not yet been revealed.

Real-World Analysis of the Efficacy of Rebiopsy and Mutation Test of Tissue and Plasma Samples in Drug-Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Standard treatment for cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibiting acquired drug resistance includes tumor rebiopsy, epidermal growth factor receptor () mutation testing (e.g., for T790M mutations), and the subsequent administration of third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs).

Enhanced biomass and lipid production of Neochloris oleoabundans under high light conditions by anisotropic nature of light-splitting CaCO crystal.

The aim of this work was to study the anisotropic effect of crystalline CaCO nanoparticles (CN)-driven multiple refraction/scattering from the CN-coated agglomerated cells on the rate of photosynthesis and the product yield under high light conditions in the freshwater microalgae Neochloris oleoabundans. The CN-coating via biomineralization significantly improved the biomass and lipid production of N. oleoabundans during second stage of autotrophic induction by sustaining relatively high rate of photosynthesis at high irradiance using the multiple-splitting effect of the anisotropic polymorphism.

Selection of mutants with high linolenic acid contents and characterization of fatty acid desaturase 2 and 3 genes during seed development in soybean (Glycine max).

Background: Soybean seeds contain 18-24% lipids, which are made up of 85% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Two of these (linoleic and linolenic acids) comprise essential fatty acids that are not synthesized in humans and animals. Linolenic acid plays a vital role in the maintenance of brain function and is a source of docosahexaenoic acid for retinal and nerve tissue, with its physiological functions being a focus of attention.

Mediators of the homeostasis and effector functions of memory Th2 cells as novel drug targets in intractable chronic allergic diseases.

Allergic patients have life-long chronic inflammatory diseases with repeated relapses and exacerbations. Currently used allergy therapeutics have some limitations, which warrants a search for novel drug targets for allergy treatment. The studies on conventional allergic disease therapeutics have been focused on the pathology of allergy involving effector type 2 helper T cells (Th2).

Indoor radon exposure increases tumor mutation burden in never-smoker patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: Radon, a natural radiation, is the leading environmental cause of lung cancer in never-smokers. However, the radon exposure impact on the mutational landscape and tumor mutation burden (TMB) of lung cancer in never-smokers has not been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the mutational landscape of lung adenocarcinoma in never-smokers who were exposed to various degrees of residential radon.

Utility of TRAP markers to determine indel mutation frequencies induced by gamma-ray irradiation of faba bean ( L.) seeds.

The aims were to determine the optimal gamma ray dose for faba bean () and to identify genetic variation and indel mutation frequency among mutants using target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) markers. Seeds from 10 elite lines were irradiated with gamma rays (50-700 Gy), and germination, survival rate, and representative morphological traits were measured. The extent of DNA damage was investigated using comet assays, and TRAP markers were used to evaluate genetic variation, genetic diversity, and mutation frequencies.

Predictors of Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) Health Index in Axial Spondyloarthritis and Comparison of ASAS Health Index between Ankylosing Spondylitis and Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: Data from the Catholic Axial Spondyloarthritis COhort (CASCO).

The Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) health index (HI) is a novel tool for approaching disability, health, and functioning in spondyloarthritis (SpA). In the present study we compared ASAS HI between patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and those with nonradiographic axial SpA (nr-axSpA). In addition, we identified predictors of ASAS HI.

Safety and Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation for Nonfunctioning Benign Thyroid Nodules in Children and Adolescents in 14 Patients over a 10-Year Period.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency (RF) ablation for nonfunctioning benign thyroid nodules in children and adolescents.

Materials And Methods: Fourteen pediatric patients (10 female, 4 male; mean age 15.7 ± 2.

Baseline severity of sacroiliitis can predict acute inflammatory status of sacroiliac joint in early axial spondyloarthritis of male patients: a cross sectional study.

Background: This study compared clinical, laboratory and radiographic features of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nrAxSpA) of young male patients. Additionally, we sought factors which can predict the baseline inflammatory status of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) in axSpA.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 322 patients who visited our hospital due to inflammatory back pain, and 159 male patients with axSpA were enrolled.

Seroprevalence of Measles in Healthcare Workers in South Korea.

There are only limited data regarding the seroprevalence of measles of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Korea. We evaluated the seroprevalence of measles in HCWs in a tertiary care hospital in Korea. A total of 7,411 HCWs born from 1952 to 1995 underwent antibody test.

Comparison of the clinical characteristics of bilateral and unilateral fungal balls in Korea.

Objective: Fungal rhinosinusitis occurs in different forms depending on race and region. While allergic fungal rhinosinusitis is common in Caucasians, fungal ball (FB) is more common in Asians. However, most cases are reported as unilateral, and clinical data on bilateral FB (BFB) are rare.

Neoadjuvant therapy for thymic neoplasms reduces tumor volume per 3D-reconstructed images but does not improve the complete resection rate.

Objectives: Complete resection of thymic neoplasms is important for achieving a favorable prognosis; however, the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy remains controversial. We investigated the effect of induction therapy on complete resection and survival using 3-dimensionally reconstructed images to measure tumor volume.

Methods: Eighty-nine patients who underwent surgical resection for Masaoka-Koga stage III-IV thymic neoplasms between January 2000 and December 2013 were enrolled, including 71 and 18 in the primary surgery and neoadjuvant therapy groups, respectively.

Comprehensive analysis of the characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with anti-PD-1 therapy in real-world practice.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have shown marked responses in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in clinical trials. However, because such trials comprise cohorts selected based on specific criteria, it is unclear if their results represent routine clinical practice.

Methods: We examined 155 patients with advanced NSCLC who were administered either nivolumab or pembrolizumab at Yonsei Cancer Center, Korea between March 2014 and January 2019.

Visualizing the down-regulation of hTERT mRNA expression using gold-nanoflare probes and verifying the correlation with cancer cell apoptosis.

The human telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit (hTERT) is the rate-limiting subunit of the telomerase holoenzyme. Down-regulating the expression of hTERT mRNA by antisense oligonucleotides would reduce the expression of hTERT, inhibit telomerase activity, and impair the growth of cancer cells in vitro. In this work, we propose a locked nucleic acid-functionalized gold nanoparticle flare probe (AuNP-probe).

Candida auris colonization or infection of the ear: A single-center study in South Korea from 2016 to 2018.

Candida auris was first identified in Japan from specimens obtained from the ear, but most reports since have reported invasive infections or non-ear based cases. We reviewed all the microbiology records from a single center in South Korea from February 2016 to July 2018. One hundred eleven isolates were positive for C.

Effect of light conditions on mixotrophic cultivation of green microalgae.

Current research aimed to increase mixotrophic biomass from various organic carbon sources by exploring best light conditions. Three substrates glucose, acetic acid and glycerol were studied for their effects on mixotrophic microalgae cultivation under four light conditions. Light irradiance exhibited variability in growth response and photosynthetic efficiency based on type of substrates used in mixotrophic growth.

Thermoelectric GeTe with Diverse Degrees of Freedom Having Secured Superhigh Performance.

Driven by the ability to harvest waste heat into reusable electricity and the exclusive role of serving as the power generator for deep spacecraft, intensive endeavors are dedicated to enhancing the thermoelectric performance of ecofriendly materials. Herein, the most recent progress in superhigh-performance GeTe-based thermoelectric materials is reviewed with a focus on the crystal structures, phase transitions, resonant bondings, multiple valance bands, and phonon dispersions. These features diversify the degrees of freedom to tune the transport properties of electrons and phonons for GeTe.

YH25448, an Irreversible EGFR-TKI with Potent Intracranial Activity in EGFR Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Given that osimertinib is the only approved third-generation EGFR-TKI against activating and resistant T790M mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), additional mutant-selective inhibitors with a higher efficacy, especially for brain metastases, with favorable toxicity profile are still needed. In this study, we investigated the antitumor efficacy of YH25448, an oral, mutant-selective, irreversible third-generation EGFR-TKI in preclinical models.

Experimental Design: Antitumor activity of YH25448 was investigated using mutant -expressing Ba/F3 cells and various lung cancer cell lines.

Yu-Ping-Feng-San ameliorates recurrent allergic inflammation of atopic dermatitis by repairing tight junction defects of the epithelial barrier.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common allergic inflammatory skin disease, concomitant with a high relapse rate. Yu-Ping-Feng-San (YPFS), a well-known Chinese herbal decoction, reduces the AD relapse rate and recurring severity incidence. However, the underlying mechanism of YPFS on resisting AD recurrence is still unknown and further study is needed.

Recent progress in the controlled synthesis of 2D metallic transition metal dichalcogenides.

Two-dimensional (2D) metallic transition metal dichalcogenides (MTMDCs), the complement of 2D semiconducting TMDCs, have attracted extensive attentions in recent years because of their versatile properties such as superconductivity, charge density wave, and magnetism. To promote the investigations of their fantastic properties and broad applications, the preparation of large-area, high-quality, and thickness-tunable 2D MTMDCs has become a very urgent topic and great efforts have been made. This topical review therefore focuses on the introduction of the recent achievements for the controllable syntheses of 2D MTMDCs (VS, VSe, TaS, TaSe, NbS, NbSe, etc).

IRF1 inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer by suppressing the RAS-RAC1 pathway.

Background: Interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) plays a role in the immune response, cellular necrosis, DNA damage, and DNA repair, offering an attractive target for anticancer treatment. However, little is known about the role of IRF1 in the regulation of CRC progression.

Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the expression level of IRF1; Cell Counting Kit-8, migration assay, and xenograft mouse models were used to examine the function of IRF1 in CRC cell lines; a ChIP assay was used to examine the binding between IRF1 and Ras association domain-containing protein 5 (RASSF5).