The interplay of cancer-associated fibroblasts and apoptotic cancer cells suppresses lung cancer cell growth through WISP-1-integrin ανβ3-STAT1 signaling pathway.

Background: Cell death within the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in controlling cancer by influencing the balance of tumor-specific immunity. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) significantly contribute to tumor progression through paracrine mechanisms. We found that reprogramming of CAFs by apoptotic cancer cells suppresses tumor volume and lung metastasis.

First Investigation of the Spring Dietary Composition of Siberian Musk Deer () Using Next-Generation Sequencing.

Understanding the dietary composition of the Siberian musk deer () is critical for informing conservation efforts, particularly given the species' vulnerable status in the Republic of Korea and its limited ecological data. Previous dietary studies have relied on conventional methods with limitations in taxonomic precision, hindering comprehensive insights into their feeding ecology. To address this gap, we used Next-Generation Sequencing to analyze 16 fecal samples collected in April from Gangwon Province, the habitat of .

Habitat Type-Based Assemblage and Distribution Prediction of Small Mammals and Chigger Mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) in Chuncheon City, Republic of Korea.

While urbanization leads to habitat loss for medium and large mammals, small mammals can survive in fragmented habitats. As they are known to be the primary hosts of chigger mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) that transmit scrub typhus, their habitat can be considered the primary distribution area for chigger mites. This study aims to examine the distribution of small mammals and chigger mites in four habitat types and analyzed species richness, mean intensity (MI), dominance, and infestation rate (IR).

Shifts in Soil Bacterial Community Composition of Jujube Orchard Influenced by Organic Fertilizer Amendment.

Organic fertilizer application in agricultural land is known to improve soil microbial processes, fertility, and yield. In particular, the changes in soil chemical composition due to multi-year application of organic fertilizers are thought to alter the microbial community. Here, the effects of organic fertilization with oil-cake amendments (OC) on soil bacterial diversity, community profile, and enzyme activity were evaluated and compared to those amended with chemical fertilizer (NPK).

Parasitic Characteristics of Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected from Water Deer () and Spatiotemporal Distribution Prediction within Host-Influenced Cultivated Areas.

Tick-borne diseases result from human-ixodid tick encounters, making it crucial to understand host-ixodid tick interactions and host-dependent distribution for epidemiology and prevention. This study examines water deer patterns and ixodid tick interactions in designated croplands of South Korea over two years, finding that the highest deer presence occurred in July and the lowest in May, during crop harvesting. Four tick species were identified, with being predominant (92.

Predicting peritoneal recurrence after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer: Validation of a prediction model (PERI-Gastric 1 and PERI-Gastric 2) on a Korean database.

Background: Peritoneal recurrence is a significant cause of treatment failure after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The prediction of metachronous peritoneal recurrence would have a significantly impact risk stratification and tailored treatment planning. This study aimed to externally validate the previously established PERI-Gastric 1 and 2 models to assess their generalizability in an independent population.

Somatic Mutational Analysis in Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Assessing Yield and Impact.

Introduction: We sought to determine the yield of somatic mutational analysis from endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biopsies of pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared with that of surgical resection and to assess the impact of these results on oncologic treatment.

Methods: We determined the yield of EUS sampling and surgical resection. We evaluated the potential impact of mutational analysis by identifying actionable mutations and its direct impact by reviewing actual treatment decisions.

Superior lymph node harvest by fluorescent lymphography during minimally invasive gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients with high body mass index.

Background: Fluorescent lymphography (FL) using indocyanine green (ICG) allows for the visualization of all draining lymph nodes (LNs), thereby increasing LN retrieval. However, no studies have assessed the efficacy of FL in high body mass index (BMI) gastric cancer patients, even as LN yield decreases with increasing BMI in gastrectomy. This study aimed to investigate the influence of FL on LN retrieval in high BMI gastric cancer patients.

Potential Tick Defense Associated with Skin and Hair Characteristics in Korean Water Deer ().

The Korean water deer (WD), a predominant wildlife species in South Korea, is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Despite belonging to the same family, Cervidae, WD show significantly fewer adult ixodid tick infestations compared to roe deer (RD). Ticks, which cannot fly, engage in questing behavior in natural environments to latch onto hosts.

Safety and feasibility of reduced-port robotic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a phase I/II clinical trial using the da Vinci Single Port(SP) robotic system.

Minimally invasive surgery reduces surgical trauma and the size and number of incisions. The da Vinci SP robotic surgical system was designed to overcome the technical demands of single-incision laparoscopic surgery. This study aimed to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of single-port (SP) robotic distal gastrectomy (SPRDG) for patients with gastric cancer using the da Vinci SP system (Intuitive Surgical Inc.

Identifying the best candidates for reduced port gastrectomy.

Background: Previous studies have focused on the non-inferiority of RPG compared with conventional port gastrectomy (CPG); however, we assumed that some candidates might derive more significant benefit from RPG over CPG.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological and perioperative parameters of 1442 patients with gastric cancer treated by gastrectomy between 2009 and 2022. The C-reactive protein level on postoperative day 3 (CRPD3) was used as a surrogate parameter for surgical trauma.

Fluorescence-guided Two-port Robotic Gastrectomy Versus Conventional Laparoscopic Gastrectomy: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To compare the number of retrieved lymph nodes between conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy (CLG) and robotic gastrectomy integrated with fluorescence guidance and a two-port system (integrated robotic gastrectomy, IRG).

Background: The benefits of robotic surgery over laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer have not yet been established. Using built-in features of robotic system, further benefit can be provided to the patients with effective lymphadenectomy and enhanced recovery.

Management of a gastric pouch staple-line leak and its adverse events with multimodal endoscopic techniques including endoscopic vacuum therapy.

Video 1Management of a gastric pouch staple-line leak and its adverse events with multimodal endoscopic techniques including endoscopic vacuum therapy.

Prognostic impact of fluorescent lymphography on gastric cancer.

Background: Fluorescent lymphography-guided lymphadenectomy (FL) for gastric cancer is gaining popularity. However, its impact on prognosis is not known. This study aimed to assess the prognostic impact of FL in gastric cancer patients.

Short-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness of laparoscopic gastrectomy with articulating instruments for gastric cancer compared with the robotic approach.

To overcome the limitations of laparoscopic surgery, robotic systems have been commonly used in the era of minimally invasive surgery despite their high cost. However, the articulation of instruments can be achieved without a robotic system at lower cost using articulating laparoscopic instruments (ALIs). Between May 2021 and May 2022, perioperative outcomes following laparoscopic gastrectomy using ALIs versus robotic gastrectomy were compared.

Chylous Ascites After Gastric Cancer Surgery: Risk Factors and Treatment Results.

Purpose: Although chylous ascites is a frequent complication of radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, proper diagnostic criteria and optimal treatment strategies have not been established. This study aimed to identify the clinical features of chylous ascites and evaluate the treatment outcomes.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who underwent radical gastrectomy between 2013 and 2019.

Changes in failure to rescue after gastrectomy at a large-volume center with a 16-year experience in Korea.

Failure to rescue (FTR), the mortality rate among patients with complications, is gaining attention as a hospital quality indicator. However, comprehensive investigation into FTR has rarely been conducted after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients. This study aimed to assess FTR after radical gastrectomy and investigate the associations between FTR and clinicopathologic factors, operative features, and complication types.

Patient-specific virtual three-dimensional surgical navigation for gastric cancer surgery: A prospective study for preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance.

Introduction: Abdominal computed tomography (CT) can accurately demonstrate organs and vascular structures around the stomach, and its potential role for image guidance is becoming increasingly established. However, solely using two-dimensional CT images to identify critical anatomical structures is undeniably challenging and not surgeon-friendly. To validate the feasibility of a patient-specific 3-D surgical navigation system for preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance during robotic gastric cancer surgery.

Fluorescent Lymphography-Guided Lymphadenectomy during Minimally Invasive Completion Total Gastrectomy for Remnant Gastric Cancer Patients.

No study has evaluated fluorescent lymphography for lymphadenectomy in remnant gastric cancer (RGC). This study aimed to assess the clinical application of fluorescent lymphography in minimally invasive completion total gastrectomy for RGC. Patients who had undergone minimally invasive completion total gastrectomy for RGC from 2013 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.

Reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts by apoptotic cancer cells inhibits lung metastasis via Notch1-WISP-1 signaling.

The interplay between apoptotic cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment modulates cancer progression and metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in promoting these events through paracrine communication. Here, we demonstrate that conditioned medium (CM) from lung CAFs exposed to apoptotic cancer cells suppresses TGF-β1-induced migration and invasion of cancer cells and CAFs.

Inhibition of STAT6 Activation by AS1517499 Inhibits Expression and Activity of PPARγ in Macrophages to Resolve Acute Inflammation in Mice.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) promotes an anti-inflammatory process by inducing the development of M2 macrophages. We investigated whether modulating STAT6 activity in macrophages using AS1517499, the specific STAT6 inhibitor, affects the restoration of homeostasis after an inflammatory insult by regulating PPARγ expression and activity. Administration of AS1517499 suppressed the enhanced STAT6 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation observed in peritoneal macrophages after zymosan injection.

Label-free proteomics approach reveals candidate proteins in rice (Oryza sativa L.) important for ACC deaminase producing bacteria-mediated tolerance against salt stress.

The omics-based studies are important for identifying characteristic proteins in plants to elucidate the mechanism of ACC deaminase producing bacteria-mediated salt tolerance. This study evaluates the changes in the proteome of rice inoculated with ACC deaminase producing bacteria under salt-stress conditions. Salt stress resulted in a significant decrease in photosynthetic pigments, whereas inoculation of Methylobacterium oryzae CBMB20 had significantly increased pigment contents under normal and salt-stress conditions.

Cardiac septal occluder for closure of persistent gastrogastric fistula.

Video 1Demonstration of deploying a cardiac septal occluder for closure of a gastro-gastric fistula and the review of the literature regarding its use in managing GI fistulas.