Simultaneous Detection of Glutamate Dehydrogenase and Toxin A/B: Comparison of the C. DIFF QUIK CHEK COMPLETE and RIDASCREEN Assays.

Various commercial assays have recently been developed for detecting glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and/or toxin A/B to diagnose infection (CDI). We compared the performance of two assays for the simultaneous detection of GDH and toxin A/B, using 150 stool samples: C. DIFF QUIK CHEK COMPLETE (QCC; TechLab, Blacksburg, VA, USA) and RIDASCREEN GDH (RC-GDH) and Toxin A/B (RC-Toxin A/B; R-Biopharm, Darmstadt, Germany).

Comparative Evaluation Between the RealStar PCR Kit and the AmpliSens ()-FRT PCR Kit for Detecting in Non-HIV Immunocompromised Patients.

Background: Real-time PCR is more sensitive than microscopic examination for detecting . We compared the performance of two assays for detecting DNA: the RealStar PCR Kit 1.0 CE (Altona Diagnostics, Hamburg, Germany) and the AmpliSens ()-FRT PCR kit (InterLabService Ltd.

Tumor Growth Rate Does Not Predict Malignancy in Surgically Resected Thyroid Nodules Classified as Bethesda Category III with Architectural Atypia.

Background: It is unknown whether the growth of thyroid nodules with a Bethesda category III cytology (atypia of undetermined significance [AUS]) is predictive of malignancy, especially in cases with architectural atypia (AUS-A). This study evaluated whether tumor growth rates can help distinguish malignant from benign nodules in the AUS-A subcategory.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort study included 172 patients who underwent diagnostic thyroid surgery because of a nodule with a cytological diagnosis of AUS-A.

Neoadjuvant Crizotinib in Resectable Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with ALK Rearrangement.

Background: Locally advanced NSCLC is one of the most heterogeneous conditions, with multidimensional treatments involved. Neoadjuvant therapy had been commonly considered an optimal management strategy for patients with operable locally advanced. However, as targeted therapy has been widely applied in advanced NSCLC, neoadjuvant targeted therapy has remained poorly explored in locally advanced disease.

The Landscape of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (Shp2) and Cancer.

Role of Shp2: The dysregulation of cell signaling cascades associated with the cell differentiation and growth, due to the deletion, insertion or point mutation in specific amino acids which alters the intrinsic conformation of the protein, can ultimately lead to a fatal cancer disease. The protein tyrosine phosphatase has been recognized as a key regulator of extracellular stimuli such as cytokine receptor and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. In the last era, the PTPN11 gene (encode a Shp2 protein) and its association with acute myeloid, juvenile myelomonocytic, and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Noonan syndrome, and myelodysplastic have been recognized as the cause of such deadly disease due to the occurrence of germline mutations in the interface of PTP and SH2 domain.

Anti-Icing or Deicing: Icephobicities of Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Hierarchical Structures.

Superhydrophobic surfaces have gained tremendous attention for icephobic properties, including anti-icing and deicing. The former is about how much a surface can delay the ice formation, whereas the latter is about how easy the surface can let the ice go off after freezing. In this study, superhydrophobic surfaces with different surface roughnesses and wettabilities were tested for both anti-icing and deicing purposes to investigate their correlation in association with the different surface properties.

A Relook at the T Stage of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma with a Focus on Gross Extrathyroidal Extension.

Background: The recently published eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system has emphasized the importance of gross extrathyroidal extension (gETE) while classifying the tumor (T) stage in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). However, the clinical impact of gETE invading only the strap muscles or the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) remains unclear due to scarce and conflicting data.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out in patients with DTC who underwent thyroid surgery from 1996 to 2005.

The factors associated with Vitamin D deficiency in community dwelling elderly in Korea.

Background/objectives: Recent studies showed vitamin D deficiency is linked to chronic diseases in addition to skeletal metabolism which could threaten the elderly. We analyzed health conditions and socio-demographic factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in community dwelling people aged 65 years and older.

Subjects/method: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2010 to 2012 were obtained.

Drug susceptibility patterns of Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium massiliense isolated from respiratory specimens.

In this study, we aimed to retrospectively investigate and compare the drug susceptibility patterns of two major Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC) species; M. abscessus and M. massiliense.

Sublethal effects of imidacloprid on the performance of the bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi.

The bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), is a major insect pest of cereal crops in many countries. Imidacloprid has been widely used for controlling piercing-sucking insect pests worldwide, but its sublethal effects on R.

Intradermal immunization with botulinum neurotoxin serotype E DNA vaccine induces humoral and cellular immunity and protects against lethal toxin challenge.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by the spore-forming, gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum are the most toxic substances known and cause botulism, flaccid paralysis, or death. Owing to their high lethality, BoNTs are classified as category A agents by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Currently, there are no vaccines available to protect against BoNTs, so the rapid development of a safe and effective vaccine is important.

Nogo-B receptor increases the resistance to tamoxifen in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells.

Backgrounds: Tamoxifen is typically used to treat patients with estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-positive breast cancer. However, 30% of these patients gain acquired resistance to tamoxifen during or after tamoxifen treatment. As a Ras modulator, Nogo-B receptor (NgBR) is required for tumorigenesis through the signaling crosstalk with epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR)-mediated pathways.

Prophylactic air-extraction strategy after thoracoscopic wedge resection.

Background: Since the conception of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols, tubeless strategies have become popular. Herein, we introduce a previously unreported alternative air-extraction strategy for patients who have undergone thoracoscopic wedge resection and explore its feasibility and safety.

Methods: Between January 2015 and June 2017, 264 consecutive patients underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection with different drainage strategies.

The trimeric Hef-associated nuclease HAN is a 3'→5' exonuclease and is probably involved in DNA repair.

Nucleases play important roles in nucleic acid metabolism. Some archaea encode a conserved protein known as Hef-associated nuclease (HAN). In addition to its C-terminal DHH nuclease domain, HAN also has three N-terminal domains, including a DnaJ-Zinc-finger, ribosomal protein S1-like, and oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding fold.

A Glutamatergic Spine Model to Enable Multi-Scale Modeling of Nonlinear Calcium Dynamics.

In synapses, calcium is required for modulating synaptic transmission, plasticity, synaptogenesis, and synaptic pruning. The regulation of calcium dynamics within neurons involves cellular mechanisms such as synaptically activated channels and pumps, calcium buffers, and calcium sequestrating organelles. Many experimental studies tend to focus on only one or a small number of these mechanisms, as technical limitations make it difficult to observe all features at once.

Aberrant Neural Activation Underlying Idiom Comprehension in Korean Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication impairments and repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. Impaired pragmatic language comprehension is a universal feature in individuals with ASD. However, the underlying neural basis of pragmatic language is poorly understood.

Model-Based Analysis of Electrode Placement and Pulse Amplitude for Hippocampal Stimulation.

Objective: The ideal form of a neural-interfacing device is highly dependent upon the anatomy of the region with which it is meant to interface. Multiple-electrode arrays provide a system that can be adapted to various neural geometries. Computational models of stimulating systems have proven useful for evaluating electrode placement and stimulation protocols, but have yet to be adequately adapted to the unique features of the hippocampus.

ASIC Implementation of a Nonlinear Dynamical Model for Hippocampal Prosthesis.

A hippocampal prosthesis is a very large scale integration (VLSI) biochip that needs to be implanted in the biological brain to solve a cognitive dysfunction. In this letter, we propose a novel low-complexity, small-area, and low-power programmable hippocampal neural network application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for a hippocampal prosthesis. It is based on the nonlinear dynamical model of the hippocampus: namely multi-input, multi-output (MIMO)-generalized Laguerre-Volterra model (GLVM).

Do aggressive variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma have worse clinical outcome than classic papillary thyroid carcinoma?

Objective: Evidence for unfavorable outcomes of each type of aggressive variant papillary thyroid carcinoma (AV-PTC) is not clear because most previous studies are focused on tall cell variant (TCV) and did not control for other major confounding factors contributing to clinical outcomes.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: This study included 763 patients with classical PTC (cPTC) and 144 with AV-PTC, including TCV, columnar cell variant (CCV) and hobnail variants.

Intrinsically disordered protein-specific force field CHARMM36IDPSFF.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are closely related to various human diseases. Because IDPs lack certain tertiary structure, it is difficult to use X-ray and NMR methods to measure their structures. Therefore, molecular dynamics simulation is a useful tool to study the conformer distribution of IDPs.

Thyroid Incidentalomas Detected on F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography with Computed Tomography: Malignant Risk Stratification and Management Plan.

Objective: The aims of this study were to stratify the risk of malignancy in thyroid incidentalomas detected on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) using ultrasound features according to guidelines for thyroid nodules and to develop a subsequent management plan.

Methods: From a historical cohort of 96,942 consecutive patients who underwent F-FDG PET/CT between October 2008 and September 2015, 1342 patients with 1364 nodules underwent ultrasound evaluation for focal uptake in thyroid gland, with a final diagnosis made for 877 patients with 907 nodules, which were included in this study. Ultrasound images were retrospectively reviewed, and they were stratified according to the American Thyroid Association and Korean Thyroid Image Reporting and Data System guidelines.

Web-based thyroid imaging reporting and data system: Malignancy risk of atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance thyroid nodules calculated by a combination of ultrasonography features and biopsy results.

Background: The purpose of this study was to construct a web-based predictive model using ultrasound characteristics and subcategorized biopsy results for thyroid nodules of atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) to stratify the risk of malignancy.

Methods: Data included 672 thyroid nodules from 656 patients from a historical cohort. We analyzed ultrasound images of thyroid nodules and biopsy results according to nuclear atypia and architectural atypia.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the orange swift, .

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of orange swift, , was recovered through Illumina sequencing data. This complete mitochondrial genome of is 15,040 bp in length and has a base composition of A (41.0%), T (41.

Al-Coated Conductive Fiber Filters for High-Efficiency Electrostatic Filtration: Effects of Electrical and Fiber Structural Properties.

Through the direct decomposition of an Al precursor ink AlH{O(CH)}, we fabricated an Al-coated conductive fiber filter for the efficient electrostatic removal of airborne particles (>99%) with a low pressure drop (~several Pascals). The effects of the electrical and structural properties of the filters were investigated in terms of collection efficiency, pressure drop, and particle deposition behavior. The collection efficiency did not show a significant correlation with the extent of electrical conductivity, as the filter is electrostatically charged by the metallic Al layers forming electrical networks throughout the fibers.