Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Hypofractionated Chemoradiotherapy in Elderly Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.

: The application of long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCRT) in elderly patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) can be challenging due to increased risks of complications associated with comorbidities and reduced functional status. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant hypofractionated chemoradiotherapy (HCRT) in elderly patients with mid-to-low LARC. : We performed a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with LARC from January 2013 to December 2020 and included those aged 70 years or older.

Monitoring of organochlorine pesticides using pine needle, pine bark, and soil samples across South Korea: Source apportionment and implications for atmospheric transport.

Pine needle, pine bark, and soil samples were collected from various regions in South Korea, considering the suitability of vegetation samples as passive samplers. A total of 27 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were analyzed using a gas chromatograph/high-resolution mass spectrometer (GC/HRMS). The total concentrations of OCPs ranged between 650 and 3652 pg/g dw in soil, 215 and 1384 pg/g ww in pine needles, and 456 and 1723 pg/g ww in pine bark.

Transcriptomic landscapes of STING-mediated DNA-sensing reveal cellular response heterogeneity.

Transfection of plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding target genes is a routine tool in gene function studies and therapeutic applications. However, nucleic acid-sensing-mediated innate immune responses influence multiple intracellular signaling pathways. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a crucial adapter protein for DNA sensors in mammalian cells.

Development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program: a nationwide project to improve surgical quality and patient safety.

Purpose: Improvements in surgical quality and patient safety are critical components of the healthcare system. Despite excellent cancer survival rates in Korea, there is a lack of standardized postoperative complication management systems. To address this gap, the Korean Surgical Society initiated the development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program.

B7H6 is the predominant activating ligand driving natural killer cell-mediated killing in patients with liquid tumours: evidence from clinical, in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies.

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells are a subset of innate lymphoid cells that are inherently capable of recognizing and killing infected or tumour cells. This has positioned NK cells as a promising live drug for tumour immunotherapy, but limited success suggests incomplete knowledge of their killing mechanism. NK cell-mediated killing involves a complex decision-making process based on integrating activating and inhibitory signals from various ligand-receptor repertoires.

JMJD4 promotes tumor progression via inhibition of the PDCD5-TP53 pathway.

Programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) regulates cell death and suppresses tumor progression. Since the stability and nuclear translocation of PDCD5 are regulated by TP53-dependent cell death stimuli, knowledge of the regulatory mechanism of PDCD5 function is required to better understand the TP53-signaling pathway. We identified Jumonji domain-containing protein 4 (JMJD4) to be a PDCD5-interacting protein using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Impact of Early Oral Feeding on Postoperative Outcomes after Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of early oral feeding (EOF), a key component of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols, on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery.

Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed databases to include randomized clinical trials comparing EOF that started on postoperative day 1 and conventional oral feeding that commenced after first flatus. Two authors independently screened the retrieved records and extracted data.

Intravenous versus oral iron supplementation for iron deficiency anemia in patients with rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Numerous studies have been conducted to manage anemia in surgical patients through iron supplementation as an alternative to blood transfusion. However, patients with locally advanced rectal cancer have often been excluded from these studies, due to their standard treatment involving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. This study aims to evaluate the impact of intravenous versus oral iron supplementation on iron deficiency anemia in patients with rectal cancer receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

Improvement of succinate production from methane by combining rational engineering and laboratory evolution in Methylomonas sp. DH-1.

Recently, methane has been considered a next-generation carbon feedstock due to its abundance and it is main component of shale gas and biogas. Methylomonas sp. DH-1 has been evaluated as a promising industrial bio-catalyst candidate.

Isolation of Heavy Metal-Tolerant and Anti-Phytopathogenic Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria from Soils.

In this study, multifunctional soil bacteria, which can promote plant development, resist heavy metals, exhibit anti-phytopathogenic action against plant diseaes, and produce extracellular enzymes, were isolated to improve the effectiveness of phytoremediation techniques. In order to isolate multifunctional soil bacteria, a variety of soil samples with diverse characteristics were used as sources for isolation. To look into the diversity and structural traits of the bacterial communities, we conducted amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on five types of soils and predicted functional genes using Tax4Fun2.

Innovative approach for environmental pollution assessment using seabird eggs: mercury in black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris) eggs from the Korean islands (2012-2021).

Since black-tailed gulls derive energy for egg production around their habitat, analyzing concentration of chemicals in the eggs reveals the local environmental pollution. This is, however, complex due to the diversity of seabird diets across multiple ecosystems. This study determined the influence of food source and trophic position (TP) on the mercury concentration ([Hg]) in eggs and subsequently mitigated these influences by adjusting through [Hg]-TP relationship, thereby enabling spatial and temporal comparisons among individuals.

The Korean Organ Transplant Registry (KOTRY): Third Official Adult Heart Transplant Report.

Background And Objectives: The Korean Organ Transplant Registry (KOTRY) provided data for this third official report on adult heart transplantation (HT), including information from 709 recipients.

Methods: Data from HTs performed at seven major centers in Korea between March 2014 and December 2020 were analyzed, focusing on immunosuppression, acute rejection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), post-transplant survival, and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) usage.

Results: The median ages of the recipients and donors were 56.

Context-Dependent and Locus-Specific Role of H3K36 Methylation in Transcriptional Regulation.

H3K36 methylation is a critical histone modification involved in transcription regulation. It involves the mono (H3K36me1), di (H3K36me2), and/or tri-methylation (H3K36me3) of lysine 36 on histone H3 by methyltransferases. In yeast, Set2 catalyzes all three methylation states.

Quantitative analysis of selected alkaloids of Mitragyna speciosa using H quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Mitragyna speciosa is a perennial plant native to Asia, well known for its psychoactive properties. Its major alkaloid mitragynine is known to have sedative and euphoric effects. Hence, the plant has been a subject of abuse, leading to addiction, necessitating efficient analytical methods to detect its psychoactive constituents.

Comparative analysis of organ preservation attempt and radical surgery in clinical T2N0 mid to low rectal cancer.

Purpose: Debate persists regarding the feasibility of adopting an organ-preserving strategy as the treatment modality for clinical T2N0 rectal cancer. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of attempting organ-preserving strategies versus radical surgery in patients with clinical T2N0 mid to low rectal cancer.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with clinical T2N0 rectal cancer, with lesions located within 8 cm from the anal verge as determined by pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging between January 2010 and December 2020 were included.

Development of an eye-tracking system based on a deep learning model to assess executive function in patients with mental illnesses.

Patients with mental illnesses, particularly psychosis and obsessive‒compulsive disorder (OCD), frequently exhibit deficits in executive function and visuospatial memory. Traditional assessments, such as the Rey‒Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT), performed in clinical settings require time and effort. This study aimed to develop a deep learning model using the RCFT and based on eye tracking to detect impaired executive function during visuospatial memory encoding in patients with mental illnesses.

Insights into trophic interactions: DNA metabarcoding reveals species composition in black-tailed gull fecal samples in coastal environments of South Korea.

This study explored the algae, zooplankton, macroinvertebrate, fish, and parasitic single-celled organism communities in Larus crassirostris (black-tailed gull) fecal samples from Baengnyeongdo, Hongdo, and Ulleungdo in South Korea. The fecal samples can identify key species consumed by black-tailed gull, providing insights into their, trophic interactions, and habitat dependencies. Using DNA metabarcoding, we identified algae, zooplankton, macroinvertebrate, fish, and intestinal and single-celled parasite species in the fecal samples.

Clinical features and outcomes of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome after heart transplantation: a case series.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare neurological disease that may be associated with hypertension, autoregulatory failure, and the use of calcineurin inhibitors following heart transplantation (HT). In this article, we present a case series of PRES, discussing its potential causes and management strategies. Among the 126 HT recipients at our hospital, four were diagnosed with PRES.

Enhancement of the germination and growth of Panicum miliaceum and Brassica juncea in Cd- and Zn-contaminated soil inoculated with heavy-metal-tolerant Leifsonia sp. ZP3.

The addition of plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to heavy-metal-contaminated soils can significantly improve plant growth and productivity. This study isolated heavy-metal-tolerant bacteria with growth-promoting traits and investigated their inoculation effects on the germination rates and growth of millet (Panicum miliaceum) and mustard (Brassica juncea) in Cd- and Zn-contaminated soil. Leifsonia sp.