The First Very Long Baseline Interferometry Image of 44 GHz Methanol Maser with the KVN and VERA Array (KaVA)

We have carried out the first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of 44 GHz class I methanol maser (7_{0}-6_{1}A^{+}) associated with a millimeter core MM2 in a massive star-forming region IRAS 18151-1208 with KaVA (KVN and VERA Array), which is a newly combined array of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). We have succeeded in imaging compact maser features with a synthesized beam size of 2.7 milliarcseconds x 1.5 milliarcseconds (mas). These features are detected at a limited number of baselines within the length of shorter than approximately 650 km corresponding to 100 Mlambda in the uv-coverage. The central velocity and the velocity width of the 44 GHz methanol maser are consistent with those of the quiescent gas rather than the outflow traced by the SiO thermal line. The minimum component size among the maser features is ~ 5 mas x 2 mas, which corresponds to the linear size of ~ 15 AU x 6 AU assuming a distance of 3 kpc. The brightness temperatures of these features range from ~ 3.5 x 10^{8} to 1.0 x 10^{10} K, which are higher than estimated lower limit from a previous Very Large Array observation with the highest spatial resolution of ~ 50 mas. The 44 GHz class I methanol maser in IRAS 18151-1208 is found to be associated with the MM2 core, which is thought to be less evolved than another millimeter core MM1 associated with the 6.7 GHz class II methanol maser.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure

Treatment strategy and outcomes in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a nationwide retrospective cohort study (KCSG HN13–01)

Abstract Background By investigating treatment patterns and outcomes in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC), we aimed at providing valuable insights into the optimal therapeutic strategy for physicians in real-world practice. Methods This is a multi-institutional study enrolled the patients with stage III to IVB LA-HNSCC, except for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, from 2004 to 2015 in thirteen referral hospitals capable of multidisciplinary care. Results A total of 445 LA-HNSCC patients were analyzed. The median age was 61 years (range, 24–89). The primary tumor location was the oropharynx in 191 (43%), oral cavity in 106 (24%), hypopharynx in 64 (14%), larynx in 57 (13%) and other sites in 27 (6%). The most common stage was T2 in 172 (39%), and N2 in 245 (55%). Based on treatment intents, 229 (52%) of the patients received definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and 187 (42%) underwent surgery. Approximately 158 (36%) of the study population received induction chemotherapy (IC). Taken together, 385 (87%) of the patients underwent combined therapeutic modalities. The regimen for definitive CCRT was weekly cisplatin in 58%, 3-weekly cisplatin in 28% and cetuximab in 3%. The preferred regimen for IC was docetaxel with cisplatin in 49%, and docetaxel, cisplatin plus fluorouracil in 27%. With a median follow-up of 39 months, one-year and two-year survival rates were 89 and 80%, respectively. Overall survival was not significantly different between CCRT and surgery group (p = 0.620). Conclusions In patients with LA-HNSCC, the majority of patients received combined therapeutic modalities. Definitive CCRT, IC then definitive CCRT, and surgery followed by adjuvant CCRT or radiotherapy are the preferred multidisciplinary strategies in real-world practice

A Gene Expression Signature of Acquired Chemoresistance to Cisplatin and Fluorouracil Combination Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer Patients

We initiated a prospective trial to identify transcriptional alterations associated with acquired chemotherapy resistance from pre- and post-biopsy samples from the same patient and uncover potential molecular pathways involved in treatment failure to help guide therapeutic alternatives.A prospective, high-throughput transcriptional profiling study was performed using endoscopic biopsy samples from 123 metastatic gastric cancer patients prior to cisplatin and fluorouracil (CF) combination chemotherapy. 22 patients who initially responded to CF were re-biopsied after they developed resistance to CF. An acquired chemotherapy resistance signature was identified by analyzing the gene expression profiles from the matched pre- and post-CF treated samples. The acquired resistance signature was able to segregate a separate cohort of 101 newly-diagnosed gastric cancer patients according to the time to progression after CF. Hierarchical clustering using a 633-gene acquired resistance signature (feature selection at P<0.01) separated the 101 pretreatment patient samples into two groups with significantly different times to progression (2.5 vs. 4.7 months). This 633-gene signature included the upregulation of AKT1, EIF4B, and RPS6 (mTOR pathway), DNA repair and drug metabolism genes, and was enriched for genes overexpressed in embryonic stem cell signatures. A 72-gene acquired resistance signature (a subset of the 633 gene signature also identified in ES cell-related gene sets) was an independent predictor for time to progression (adjusted P = 0.011) and survival (adjusted P = 0.034) of these 101 patients.This signature may offer new insights into identifying new targets and therapies required to overcome the acquired resistance of gastric cancer to CF

High-efficiency tooth bleaching using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma with low concentration of hydrogen peroxide

Light-activated tooth bleaching with a high hydrogen peroxide (HP; H(2)O(2)) concentration has risks and the actual role of the light source is doubtful. The use of conventional light might result in an increase in the temperature and cause thermal damage to the health of the tooth tissue. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the efficacy of tooth bleaching using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NAPP) with 15% carbamide peroxide (CP; CH(6)N(2)O(3)) including 5.4% HP, as compared with conventional light sources. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty human teeth were randomly divided into four groups: Group I (CP+NAPP), Group II (CP+plasma arc lamp; PAC), Group III (CP+diode laser), and Group IV (CP alone). Color changes (ΔE ) of the tooth and tooth surface temperatures were measured. Data were evaluated by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc Tukey's tests. RESULTS: Group I showed the highest bleaching efficacy, with a ΔE value of 1.92-, 2.61 and 2.97-fold greater than those of Groups II, III and IV, respectively (P<0.05). The tooth surface temperature was maintained around 37ºC in Group I, but it reached 43ºC in Groups II and III. CONCLUSIONS: The NAPP has a greater capability for effective tooth bleaching than conventional light sources with a low concentration of HP without causing thermal damage. Tooth bleaching using NAPP can become a major technique for in-office bleaching in the near future

Association between Altered Blood Parameters and Gut Microbiota after Synbiotic Intake in Healthy, Elderly Korean Women

Synbiotics intake can alter the composition of intestinal microbes beneficially. We aimed to detect the changes in the intestinal microbiomes of 37 healthy elderly Korean women after the intake of a synbiotic drink. This was a longitudinal study controlled with a temporal series, including a control period of 3 weeks before intake, synbiotic intake for 3 weeks, and a washout period of 3 weeks. Fecal microbiota composition was analyzed by sequencing the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA. Physical fecal activity increased with improvement in fecal shape. Thirty intestinal bacterial taxa were observed to change only after the intake period. In particular, Ellagibacter appeared only after ingestion. In addition, the abundance of Terrisporobacter showed a positive correlation with C-reactive protein, triglyceride. Lachnospiraceae_uc, Eubacterium_g5, and Blautia had a positive correlation with creatinine, whereas PAC001100_g had a negative correlation with creatinine. Short-term (3 weeks) intake of symbiotic organisms changes the composition of the gut microbiota in healthy elderly Korean women

Biomarker Discovery of Acute Coronary Syndrome Using Proteomic Approach

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a condition in which the coronary artery supplying blood to the heart is infarcted via formation of a plaque and thrombus, resulting in abnormal blood supply and high mortality and morbidity. Therefore, the prompt and efficient diagnosis of ACS and the need for new ACS diagnostic biomarkers are important. In this study, we aimed to identify new ACS diagnostic biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity using a proteomic approach. A discovery set with samples from 20 patients with ACS and 20 healthy controls was analyzed using mass spectrometry. Among the proteins identified, those showing a significant difference between each group were selected. Functional analysis of these proteins was conducted to confirm their association with functions in the diseased state. To determine ACS diagnostic biomarkers, standard peptides of the selected protein candidates from the discovery set were quantified, and these protein candidates were validated in a validation set consisting of the sera of 50 patients with ACS and 50 healthy controls. We showed that hemopexin, leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein, and vitronectin levels were upregulated, whereas fibronectin level was downregulated, in patients with ACS. Thus, the use of these biomarkers may increase the accuracy of ACS diagnosis

Potential Biomarkers to Distinguish Type 1 Myocardial Infarction in Troponin-Elevated Diseases

Classifying myocardial infarction by subtype is crucial for appropriate patient management. Although troponin is currently the most commonly used biomarker, it is not a specific marker for myocardial infarction and cannot distinguish subtypes. Furthermore, previous studies have confirmed that proteins known as myocardial infarction markers could function to distinguish the type of myocardial infarction. Therefore, we identify a marker that can distinguish type 1 myocardial infarction from other diseases with elevated troponin. We used mass spectrometry to compare type 1 myocardial infarction with other conditions characterized by troponin elevation and identified new candidate markers for disease classification. We then verified these markers, along with those already known to be associated with cardiovascular disease and plaque rupture. We identified α-1 acid glycoprotein 2, corticosteroid-binding globulin, and serotransferrin as potential distinguishing markers. The presence of these markers and other parameters, such as chest pain, electrocardiogram, and troponin levels from the complementary diagnostic processes, could provide valuable information to specifically diagnose type 1 myocardial infarction