Distribution of Oganochlorine Pesticides and PCBs in Surface Sediments of Coastal Korea

Abstracts of 3rd UNU-ORI joint international workshop for marine environment海洋環境国際ワークショップ講演要

Status of PAH contamination in coastal Korea : Results of 1999 and 2000 Korean mussel watch program

Abstracts of 2nd UNU-ORI joint international workshop for marine environment第2回海洋環境国際ワークショップ講演要

Redak slučaj metastatskog spermatocitnog tumora kod psa bez sarkomatoznih i anaplastičnih promena

Spermatocytic tumor is a rare testicular tumor, which is originated from gonocytes. It is characterized by the histological feature of tripartite which is composed of large, medium, and lymphocyte-like small cells. It is well-known that spematocytic tumor is benign, thus a good prognosis is expected after simple resection. Metastatic spermatocytic tumor is extremely rare and usually accompanied by histological variants including sarcomatous changes and anaplastic variants. In this case, however, we report a canine metastatic spermatocytic tumor without prominent sarcomatous changes and anaplastic variants. The mass was composed of three kinds of cells including large, medium, and small cells with high pleomorphism. The neoplastic cells had an indistinct cytoplasmic border and mitotic figures were frequently observed. The primary spermatocytic tumor metastasized to the abdominal organs one month after the resection, and the dog died 13 months after the surgery. Thus, careful follow-up is recommended after surgical resection of canine spermatocytic tumor even though metastasis in spermatocytic tumors is rare.Spermatocitni tumor je redak tumor testisa, koji potiče od gonocita. Karakteriše ga histološki nalaz tri morfološka tipa ćelija, a sastoji se od velikih, srednjih i limfocitima sličnih malih ć elija. Dobro je poznato da je spermatocitni tumor benignog ponašanja pa se očekuje dobra prognoza nakon jednostavne resekcije. Metastatski spermatocitni tumor izuzetno je redak i obično je prać en histološkim varijacijama, uključujuć i sarkomatozne i anaplastične promene. U ovom slučaju, međutim, opisan je metastatski spermatocitni tumor bez izraženih sarkomatoznih promena i anaplastičnih varijanti. Masa se sastojala od tri vrste ć elija, uključujuć i velike, srednje i male ć elije sa visokim pleomorfi zmom. Neoplastične ć elije su imale nejasnu citoplazmatsku granicu i često su primeć ene mitotičke fi gure. Primarni spermatocitni tumor metastazirao je na trbušne organe mesec dana nakon resekcije, a pas je uginuo 13 meseci nakon operacije. Stoga se preporučuje pažljivo prać enje nakon hirurške resekcije spermatocitnog tumora mada su metastaze u spermatocitnim tumorima retke

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease diagnosed by two methods: a prospective cohort study

Background Microbiological criteria for diagnosing nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) include positive culture results from at least two separately expectorated sputum specimens or one bronchial washing or lavage. However, the clinical similarities and differences between patients diagnosed by these two methods remain unclear. We compared clinical features and prognoses of patients with NTM-PD diagnosed from both specimen types. Methods We analysed data from patients who participated in the Seoul National University Hospital NTM-PD cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01616745). Baseline demographics, symptoms, radiographic findings, disease progression, and treatment responses were summarized and compared between patients diagnosed from sputum specimens and patients diagnosed from bronchoscopic specimens. Results Three hundred forty-seven patients were included in the analyses. Of these, 279 (80.4%) were diagnosed from two separately expectorated sputum specimens, and 68 (19.6%) were diagnosed from bronchoscopic specimens. Patients diagnosed from sputum specimens had more frequent and severe cough, sputum, postnasal drip, and high St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire scores. However, the extent and severity of the radiographic lesions, disease progression, and treatment responses were similar for both groups. Further analysis based on the following three groups (sputum culture positive, sputum culture negative/bronchoscopy, and scanty sputum/bronchoscopy groups) suggested that the scanty sputum/bronchoscopy group appeared to have the worst prognosis in terms of both time to progression and time to culture conversion. Conclusions Although some symptoms and quality of life were worse in patients with NTM-PD diagnosed from sputum specimens, their prognoses were similar to those of patients diagnosed by bronchoscopic specimen. We recommend bronchoscopic sampling for patients in whom NTM-PD is suspected clinically or radiographically, especially those who have no or scanty sputum.This work was supported by grant from the Seoul National University College of Medicine Research Fund, year 2017 (800–20170102). The funder did not have any role in the stud

Impact of Visceral Adiposity Measured by Abdominal Computed Tomography on Pulmonary Function

Although an inverse relationship between abdominal adiposity and pulmonary function has been suggested, direct measurement of abdominal adipose tissue has rarely been attempted. Our object is to determine the impact of abdominal adiposity on pulmonary function by directly measuring abdominal adipose tissue with abdominal computed tomography (CT). In this cross-sectional study, we included never-smokers between the ages of 18 and 85 yr, who had undergone spirometry and abdominal adipose tissue analysis with CT scans during November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2009 as part of the comprehensive health examination. Among a total of 3,469 participants, 890 (25.7%) were male. The mean body mass index and waist circumference among males and females were 24.6 kg/m2 and 87.8 cm and 23.0 kg/m2 and 83.0 cm, respectively. Although total adipose tissue (TAT) of the abdomen in males (269.1 cm2) was similar to that in females (273.6 cm2), the ratio of visceral adipose tissue (VAT)/subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) was different; 0.99 in males and 0.50 in females. In males, TAT, SAT, and VAT were inversely associated with the absolute value of forced vital capacity (FVC), and TAT and VAT were inversely associated with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). However, in females, TAT and VAT, but not SAT, were inversely associated with absolute FVC and FEV1 values. In conclusion, the amount of abdominal adipose tissue directly measured using CT is inversely associated with lung function

Case report: Fatal neonatal sepsis associated with Escherichia fergusonii infection in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

A 25-day-old male common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) died suddenly while swimming at a dolphinarium. The gross examination revealed ulceration on the dorsal and pectoral fins and rostrum. Severe congestion, hemorrhage, and edema were observed in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes, lungs, and kidneys. Fibrinosuppurative arthritis of the atlantooccipital joint and extension of fibrin into the spinal canal caused compression of the spinal cord. Histopathological examination revealed tracheitis, fibrinosuppurative bronchopneumonia and enteritis. In the central nervous system, meningeal vessel congestion in the brain, and intraparenchymal hemorrhages with neurodegeneration were observed in the spinal cord. Based on the histopathological findings, representative samples, including lung, liver, mesenteric lymph node, blood obtained from the jugular vein, and fluid sample of the ascites, were inoculated on tryptic soy agar and blood agar for routine bacterial isolation. Each isolated bacterial colony was streaked aseptically onto tryptic soy agar and blood agar for pure culture. After then, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for further identification of pathogenic microorganisms. PCR identified Escherichia fergusonii, Shewanella haliotis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus schleiferi. E. fergusonii was considered the primary etiologic agent in this case since it was the only species identified in all representative samples. The cause of death in this animal was E. fergusonii sepsis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of neonatal sepsis associated with E. fergusonii infection in a dolphin, and suggests E. fergusonii as an opportunistic pathogen associated with sepsis in dolphins

Nogo-A regulates myogenesis via interacting with Filamin-C

Among the three isoforms encoded by Rtn4, Nogo-A has been intensely investigated as a central nervous system inhibitor. Although Nogo-A expression is increased in muscles of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, its role in muscle homeostasis and regeneration is not well elucidated. In this study, we discovered a significant increase in Nogo-A expression in various muscle-related pathological conditions. Nogo−/− mice displayed dystrophic muscle structure, dysregulated muscle regeneration following injury, and altered gene expression involving lipid storage and muscle cell differentiation. We hypothesized that increased Nogo-A levels might regulate muscle regeneration. Differentiating myoblasts exhibited Nogo-A upregulation and silencing Nogo-A abrogated myoblast differentiation. Nogo-A interacted with filamin-C, suggesting a role for Nogo-A in cytoskeletal arrangement during myogenesis. In conclusion, Nogo-A maintains muscle homeostasis and integrity, and pathologically altered Nogo-A expression mediates muscle regeneration, suggesting Nogo-A as a novel target for the treatment of myopathies in clinical settings. © 2021, The Author(s).1

Pulmonary function and chest computed tomography abnormalities 6-12 months after recovery from COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Some coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors experience prolonged and varying symptoms, a condition termed post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). However, the prevalence of chronic pulmonary sequelae of PACS during long-term follow-up remains unclear. Several studies have examined this issue and reported heterogeneous results. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using a random-effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence of the pulmonary sequelae of COVID-19, as demonstrated by pulmonary function testing (PFT) and chest computed tomography (CT) performed at least 6 months after initial infection. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 to identify related studies. We investigated whether the prevalence of pulmonary sequelae decreased over time and attempted to identify the factors associated with their development by performing multiple subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Results Of the 18,062 studies identified, 30 met our eligibility criteria. Among these studies, 25 and 22 had follow-up PFT and chest CT data, respectively. The follow-up durations were approximately 6 and 12 months in 18 and 12 studies, respectively. Impaired diffusion capacity was the most common abnormality on PFT (pooled prevalence 35%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 30-41%) with a prevalence of 39% (95% CI 34-45%) and 31% (95% CI 21-40%) in the 6-month and 12-month follow-up studies, respectively (P = 0.115). Restrictive pulmonary dysfunction evident as reduced forced vital capacity was less frequent (pooled prevalence 8%, 95% CI 6-11%); however, its prevalence was lower in the 12-month follow-up studies than in the 6-month follow-up studies (5% [95% CI 3-7%] vs. 13% [95% CI 8-19%], P = 0.006). On follow-up chest CT, the pooled prevalence of persistent ground-glass opacities and pulmonary fibrosis was 34% (95% CI 24-44%) and 32% (95% CI 23-40%), respectively, and the prevalence did not decrease over time. As every meta-analysis showed significant between-study heterogeneity, subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to identify potential effect modifiers; the severity of index infection was associated with the prevalence of impaired diffusion capacity and pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusions A substantial number of COVID-19 survivors displayed pulmonary sequelae as part of PACS. Except for restrictive pulmonary dysfunction, the prevalence of these sequelae did not decrease until 1 year after initial infection. Considering the association between the severity of acute COVID-19 and risk of pulmonary sequelae, patients who recover from severe COVID-19 require close respiratory follow-up. Systematic review registration number PROSPERO CRD42021234357N

Distribution of Oganochlorine Pesticides and PCBs in Surface Sediments of Coastal Korea

Abstracts of 3rd UNU-ORI joint international workshop for marine environment海洋環境国際ワークショップ講演要

Fluorination of SiOx as an effective strategy to enhance the cycling stability of lithium-ion batteries

Herein, fluorinate silicon monoxide (SiO-F) is prepared by heat treatment of SiO with ammonium bifluoride (NH4HF2) at low temperatures to improve the cycling stability of SiO. The fluorination of SiO is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The SiO-F exhibits higher initial discharge capacity, rate capability, and cycling stability than untreated SiO (pristine SiO). The superior electrochemical performances of the SiO-F are attributed to the formation of a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formed by the reaction between Li-ion and F-groups on the surface of SiO during the charge and discharge cycle