A Prospective Cohort Study of Bioavailable 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels as a Marker of Vitamin D Status in Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease.

Research on vitamin D in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary disease (PD) is limited. We aimed to compare the vitamin D parameters of patients with NTM-PD to those of a healthy control group, and to assess the possible predictive markers for a clinical response. We prospectively enrolled 53 patients with NTM-PD between January 2014 and December 2016.

Risk for pneumonia requiring hospitalization or emergency room visit according to delivery device for inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta-agonist in patients with chronic airway diseases as real-world evidence.

A fixed-dose combination of inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta agonist (ICS/LABA) may increase the risk of pneumonia in patients with chronic airway diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Although lung deposition of ICS/LABA is dependent on the inhaler device and inhalation technique, there have been few studies comparing the risk for pneumonia according to the type of device used to deliver ICS/LABA in real-world practice. A retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Health Insurance Database of the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.

Activation of Periodate by Freezing for the Degradation of Aqueous Organic Pollutants.

A new strategy (i.e., freezing) for the activation of IO for the degradation of aqueous organic pollutants was developed and investigated.

Accelerated redox reaction between chromate and phenolic pollutants during freezing.

The redox reaction between 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and chromate (Cr(VI)) (i.e., the simultaneous oxidation of 4-CP by Cr(VI) and reduction of Cr(VI) by 4-CP) in ice (i.

Association between GWAS-identified lung adenocarcinoma susceptibility loci and EGFR mutations in never-smoking Asian women, and comparison with findings from Western populations.

To evaluate associations by EGFR mutation status for lung adenocarcinoma risk among never-smoking Asian women, we conducted a meta-analysis of 11 loci previously identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genotyping in an additional 10,780 never-smoking cases and 10,938 never-smoking controls from Asia confirmed associations with eight known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Two new signals were observed at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10-8), namely, rs7216064 (17q24.

Production of Molecular Iodine and Tri-iodide in the Frozen Solution of Iodide: Implication for Polar Atmosphere.

The chemistry of reactive halogens in the polar atmosphere plays important roles in ozone and mercury depletion events, oxidizing capacity, and dimethylsulfide oxidation to form cloud-condensation nuclei. Among halogen species, the sources and emission mechanisms of inorganic iodine compounds in the polar boundary layer remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the production of tri-iodide (I3(-)) via iodide oxidation, which is negligible in aqueous solution, is significantly accelerated in frozen solution, both in the presence and the absence of solar irradiation.

Analysis of Heritability and Shared Heritability Based on Genome-Wide Association Studies for Thirteen Cancer Types.

Background: Studies of related individuals have consistently demonstrated notable familial aggregation of cancer. We aim to estimate the heritability and genetic correlation attributable to the additive effects of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for cancer at 13 anatomical sites.

Methods: Between 2007 and 2014, the US National Cancer Institute has generated data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 49 492 cancer case patients and 34 131 control patients.

Enhanced Removal of Hexavalent Chromium in the Presence of H2O2 in Frozen Aqueous Solutions.

The reductive transformation of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by H2O2 in ice was compared with that in water. The reduction of Cr(VI) was significant at -20 °C (ice), whereas the reduction efficiency was very low at 25 °C (water). This enhanced reduction of Cr(VI) in ice was observed over a wide range of H2O2 concentration (20-1000 μM), pH (3-11), and freezing temperature (-10 to -30 °C).

Comparison of clinical characteristics between patients with ALK-positive and EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: The discovery of the chromosomal fusion product of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) with echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) (EML4-ALK) has changed the treatment paradigm of lung cancer. In this study, we analysed the clinical characteristics, including bronchoscopic findings, of patients with EML4-ALK-positive adenocarcinoma and compared them with those of EGFR mutation-positive patients.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the clinical characteristics and bronchoscopic findings of patients with ALK fusion-positive lung cancers were compared to patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers.

Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level: an independent risk factor for tuberculosis?

Background & Aims: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB). Low serum vitamin D levels may also be associated with poor nutritional status in TB patients. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the association between low serum vitamin D level and TB, regardless of other nutritional factors.

The clinical significance of CA-125 in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) is usually elevated in ovarian cancer. However, there are several reports that serum CA-125 is elevated in tuberculosis. This study investigated the clinical significance of serum CA-125 measurements in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Genetic blockade of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor via recombinant adenovirus in lung cancer can be enhanced by the histone deacetylase inhibitor, vorinostat.

Background: Many approaches have been suggested as anti-tumor therapy for targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R), such as monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitor. We introduced recombinant adenoviruses expressing antisense, dominant negative or short hairpin RNA to IGF-1R. Moreover, we demonstrated that histone deacetylase inhibitor (vorinostat) can increase the transduction efficiency of adenoviruses by increasing CAR-induced transduction and by enhancing the transcription of the adenoviral transgene.

Enhanced dissolution of manganese oxide in ice compared to aqueous phase under illuminated and dark conditions.

Manganese is one of the common elements in the Earth's crust and an essential micronutrient for all living things. The reductive dissolution of particulate manganese oxide is a dominant process to enhance mobility and bioavailability of manganese for the use of living organisms. In this work, we investigated the reductive dissolution of manganese oxides trapped in ice (at -20 °C) under dark and light irradiation (visible: λ > 400 nm and UV: λ > 300 nm) in comparison with their counterparts in aqueous solution (at 25 °C).

Clinicopathologic implication of ALK rearrangement in surgically resected lung cancer: a proposal of diagnostic algorithm for ALK-rearranged adenocarcinoma.

Background: To characterize the clinicopathologic features of ALK-rearranged lung cancer, and suggest a molecular test protocol for lung adenocarcinoma in the small biopsy specimen.

Methods: In 735 NSCLC surgical specimens, clinicopathologic features, ALK protein over-expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and ALK rearrangement by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) as well as EGFR and KRAS mutation studies were analyzed.

Results: Of the 735 NSCLC cases, 28 (3.

Combination therapy of conditionally replicating adenovirus and histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Combination therapy of adenoviral gene therapy and a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor is important due to the enhancing effect of HDAC inhibitors on adenoviral transduction and transcription. However, contradictory results have been reported on the effect of combination of CRAd (conditionally replicating adenovirus) and HDAC inhibitors. This study was designed to investigate the interaction of CRAd and HDAC inhibitors and determine the ideal way to combine the two agents.

Identification of compound heterozygous mutation in a Korean patient with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a genetic disorder that primarily affects the lungs and liver. While AAT deficiency is one of the most common genetic disorders in the Caucasian population, it is extremely rare in Asians. Here, we report the case of a 36-year-old Korean woman with AAT deficiency who visited the emergency department of our hospital for the treatment of progressive dyspnea that had begun 10 years ago.

Influence of deglaciation on microbial communities in marine sediments off the coast of Svalbard, Arctic Circle.

Increases in global temperatures have been shown to enhance glacier melting in the Arctic region. Here, we have evaluated the effects of meltwater runoff on the microbial communities of coastal marine sediment located along a transect of Temelfjorden, in Svalbard. As close to the glacier front, the sediment properties were clearly influenced by deglaciation.

A multicentre surveillance study on the characteristics, bacterial aetiologies and in vitro antibiotic susceptibilities in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.

Background And Objective: Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem and the prevalence is high in many Asian countries.

Methods: A prospective observational study of the prevalence of bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibilities in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) was conducted in Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong from August 2006 to April 2008. The diagnosis of AECB was based on increased cough and worsening of two of following: dyspnoea, increased sputum volume or purulence.

Photoreductive dissolution of iron oxides trapped in ice and its environmental implications.

The availability of iron has been thought to be a main limiting factor for the productivity of phytoplankton and related with the uptake of atmospheric CO(2) and algal blooms in fresh and sea waters. In this work, the formation of bioavailable iron (Fe(II)(aq)) from the dissolution of iron oxide particles was investigated in the ice phase under both UV and visible light irradiation. The photoreductive dissolution of iron oxides proceeded slowly in aqueous solution (pH 3.