Morphological and Phylogenetic Characterization of sp. nov. and Belonging to Chaetothyriales Fungi in Korea.

The order Chaetothyriales encompasses black yeasts and related fungi known for their diverse morphologies, asexual reproduction, and habitat preferences. In this study, we isolated two fungal strains belonging to Chaetothyriales, designated KNUF-23-13A and KNUF-22-020, from a longhorn beetle () and soil sample, respectively, in Korea. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions and partial sequences of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA, β-tubulin (TUB2), and actin (ACT) genes revealed that the strains were grouped with strains of and , respectively.

A new species of the genus (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) from Korea with checklist and key to species of the genus.

Background: Parent, 1935 is a small genus consisting of three species only from the Afrotropical region.

New Information: During a survey of the long-legged flies from Korea, the authors discovered a new species, Detailed morphological characters and photographs of the new species, as well as a checklist and key to species of this genus, are provided herein. The two species described from Oriental China, Lin & Yang, 2022 and Yang & Gaimari, 2004, are transferred to Parent, 1935 () by similarity in external morphological characters.

sp. nov.: A Novel Species of the Family Cucurbitariaceae Isolated from a Stink Bug in Korea.

The fungal strain KNUF-22-18B, belonging to Cucurbitariaceae, was discovered from a stink bug () during the investigation of insect microbiota in Chungnam Province, South Korea. The colonies of the strain KNUF-22-18B were wooly floccose, white to brown in the center on oatmeal agar (OA), and the colonies were buff, margin even, and colorless, reverse white to yellowish toward the center on malt extract agar (MEA). The strain KNUF-22-18B produced pycnidia after 60 days of culturing on potato dextrose agar, but pycnidia were not observed on OA.

Insect fauna including unrecorded species in Ulleungdo, South Korea.

Background: Ulleungdo harbours a unique ecosystem owing to its isolation from the mainland alongside its maritime climate. The island, formed via volcanic activity, is the largest island in the East Sea of Korea and retains a primeval forest. The ecosystems are being destroyed owing to increasing human activity on the island.

Morphological and Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal a New Species of Genus Belonging to the Family Sporocadaceae in Korea.

The fungal strain belonging to the genus of the family Sporocadaceae was isolated from hairy long-horned toad beetle () during the screening of microfungi associated with insects from Gangwon Province, Korea. The strain KNUF-6L2F produced white, light brown to dirty black surface, and olivaceous green colonies with the higher growth, while the closest strain KUMCC 15-0520 were light brown to brown, and SAUCC 212201 light brown to brown toward center. The strain KNUF-6L2F produced shorter (5.

A new species of Fisher, 1921 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) from South Korea, with an updated checklist.

is described from South Korea. Fisher, 1921 is also a new generic record for South Korea. A key to the species and an updated checklist are provided.

Taxonomic and faunistic notes on the genus from Korea (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalinae, Harpalini).

Background: Morawitz, 1863 is a genus of the subtribe Harpalina, comprising more than 260 species worldwide. In Korea, nine species of the nominotypical subgenus are listed in the Korean catalogue (National Institute of Biological Resources 2019), while seven species of the nominotypical subgenus are listed to occur in Korea according to the Palaearctic catalogue (Kataev and Wrase 2017). Therefore, the checklist of the Korean species of the genus needs to be revised.

A new species of the genus Mik (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) from Korea.

Background: The genus Mik, 1879 has only been recorded in the Nearctic and Oriental regions and, to date, it contains four known species.

New Information: is described from Korea. This is the first record of this genus in the Palearctic Region.

First record of the soldier fly genus Latreille (Diptera, Stratiomyidae) from Korea, with designation of two new synonyms.

Background: The soldier fly subfamily Beridinae in the family Stratiomyidae contains approximately 280 known species, these being distributed across nearly all biogeographical regions with the exception of the polar regions. On the Korean Peninsula, the species diversity of this subfamily has been poorly examined to date, as is reflected in the National species list of Korea by the National Institute of Biological Resources.

New Information: In this paper, the soldier fly genus Latreille is reported for the first time from Korea, based on observations of the following three species: Meigen, 1820, Pleske, 1930 and Ôuchi, 1943.

Response-Guided Therapy With Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone, or Ciprofloxacin for Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis: A Randomized Trial: A Validation Study of 2021 AASLD Practice Guidance for SBP.

Introduction: For the treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin were used as first-line agents. However, considering the increasing rate of antibiotic resistance, it is unclear which of these drugs can be initially recommended. This study aimed to compare the current efficacy of the 3 antibiotics, namely cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin, for the treatment of SBP in patients with cirrhosis with ascites, when guided by therapeutic responses.

Influence of Genetically Modified Soybean Expressing Epidermal Growth Factor on Arthropod Biodiversity.

The field study was undertaken to examine the potential for adverse effects of transgenic soybean expressing bioactive human epidermal growth factor (with tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate, PPT) on the abundance and diversity of plant-dwelling arthropods by comparing with those of a non-GM parental cultivar, Gwangan soybean. Field surveys of soybean fields were carried out over two consecutive years, 2016 and 2017 at Ochang and Jeonju, Korea. The number of captured individuals associated with either of EGF and Gwangan soybean plants increased in 2017 compared with 2016 in both Ochang and Jeonju.

Taxonomic Revision of the Leafhopper Genus Macropsis Lewis from Korea (Homoptera: Cicadellidae).

Korean species of the genus Macropsis Lewis are revised taxonomically, primarily based on the abdominal apodemes, male genitalia, and 2nd valvulae of the female ovipositor. Previously only three species were erroneously recorded from Korea. Among them, Macropsis notata (Prohaska, 1923) was previously misidentified as Macropsis prasina (Boheman, 1852).

First record of the snail-killing fly genus Dichetophora Rondani (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) in Korea, with descriptions of two new species.

This paper provides the first report of the snail-killing fly genus Dichetophora Rondani, 1868 on the Korean peninsula with the discovery of two new species, D. koreana sp. nov.

A remarkable microleafhopper genus emKoreoneura/em gen. nov. and newly recorded genus of the tribe Dikraneurini from Korea (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae).

Koreoneura eunyeopae Hossain et J. Kwon gen. et sp.

The Insect database in Dokdo, Korea: An updated version in 2020.

Background: Dokdo, a group of islands near the East Coast of South Korea, comprises 89 small islands. These volcanic islands were created by an eruption that also led to the formation of the Ulleungdo Islands (located in the East Sea), which are approximately 87.525 km away from Dokdo.

Addition of liver stiffness enhances the predictive accuracy of the PAGE-B model for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The modified PAGE-B (mPAGE-B) and PAGE-B models reliably predict the risk of developing chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Aim(s): To investigate whether the addition of liver stiffness (LS) value, assessed using transient elastography, enhanced the predictive accuracies of these models METHODS: Patients with CHB who started anti-viral therapy (AVT) between 2007 and 2017 were enrolled. The training (Yonsei University Hospital) and validation (seven Korean referral institutes) cohorts contained 1211 and 973 patients, respectively.

Maintaining Antiviral Efficacy after Switching to Generic Entecavir 1 mg for Antiviral-resistant Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background/aims: Clinical equivalence of generic antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has not been demonstrated, particularly in cases with previous antiviral resistance. Entecavir 1 mg is prescribed frequently as a mono- or combination therapy in antiviral-resistant CHB patients. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of switching to generic entecavir 1 mg (Baracle) in CHB patients taking brand-name entecavir 1 mg (Baraclude) alone or in combination with other nucleotide analogs after the development of antiviral resistance.

Partial Virological Response after 2 Years of Entecavir Therapy Increases the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Cirrhosis.

Background/aims: : The clinical significance of partial virological response (PVR) in patients undergoing antiviral therapy is not well known. This study investigated whether PVR after 2 years of entecavir (ETV) therapy is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in cirrhotic patients.

Methods: A total of 472 naïve patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated cirrhosis who were treated with ETV for at least 2 years were retrospectively enrolled.

Tenofovir-based combination therapy or monotherapy for multidrug-resistant chronic hepatitis B: Long-term data from a multicenter cohort study.

The treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is challenging. Herein, we report a multicenter prospective cohort study for the evaluation of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-based therapy for MDR CHB in a real-life setting. The inclusion criteria comprised patients with resistance to more than two nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) classes and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level of ≥200 IU/mL.

Dynamics of liver stiffness-based risk prediction model during antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Objective: The liver stiffness-based risk prediction models predict hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. We investigated the influence of antiviral therapy (AVT) on liver stiffness-based risk prediction model in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: Patients with CHB who initiated AVT were retrospectively recruited from 13 referral Korean institutes.

Extremely low risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with chronic hepatitis B in immune-tolerant phase.

Background: Anti-viral therapy is not indicated for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the immune-tolerant phase.

Aims: To investigate the cumulative incidence of phase change and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and independent predictors for phase change in patients with CHB in immune-tolerant phase.

Methods: In total, 946 patients in immune-tolerant phase, defined as hepatitis B e antigen positivity, HBV-DNA >20 000 IU/mL and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤40 IU/L, between 1989 and 2017 were enrolled from eight institutes.

Predictive score for hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatitis B e antigen loss in patients treated with entecavir or tenofovir.

The risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatitis B e antigen seroclearance (ESC) remains unclear. We established and validated a new risk prediction model for HCC development after ESC in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving antiviral therapy (AVT). Between 2006 and 2016, 769 patients (training cohort) and 1,061 patients (validation cohort) with CHB who experienced ESC during AVT using entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) were recruited.

Comparison of Sorafenib versus Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy-Based Treatment for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis.

Background/aims: Sorafenib is the first approved systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its clinical utility is limited, especially in Asian countries. Several reports have suggested the survival benefits of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for advanced HCC with main portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT).