Solitary osteolytic skull metastasis as the only recurrence of advanced gastric cancer: a case report and literature review.

Bone metastases from gastric cancer are very rare, and skull metastases develop in only 11.2% among patients who develop bone metastases from gastric cancer. We report a case of solitary osteolytic skull metastasis as the only recurrence of advanced gastric cancer. A 67-year-old man was referred to us with a two-month history of headache and progressive scalp swelling in the left parietal region. A right hemiparesis developed a week before admission. Thirteen months previously, he had undergone radical total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Pathological analysis indicated well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia (stage IIIA: pT3N2M0). Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a large skull metastasis in the left parietal region (approximately 65 × 54 mm). An extensive search did not reveal any other tumors. Gross total tumor resection was performed, and the biopsy revealed an adenocarcinoma, suggesting metastasis of the gastric cancer.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Incidental, Symptomatic Unruptured, and Ruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to investigate clinical characteristics and outcome after gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) in patients with incidental, symptomatic unruptured, or ruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). METHODS: A total of 491 patients with brain AVMs treated with GKS from June 2002 to September 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were classified into the incidental (n = 105), symptomatic unruptured (n = 216), or ruptured AVM (n = 170) groups. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis of incidental, symptomatic unruptured, and ruptured AVMs was 40.3, 36.7, and 27.6 years, respectively. The mean nidus volume was 3.9, 5.7, and 2.4 cm3, respectively. Deep venous drainage was identified in 34, 54, and 76% patients, respectively. There were no significant differences in obliteration rates after GKS between the 3 groups (64.8, 61.1, and 65.9%, respectively) after a mean follow-up period of 60.5 months; however, patients with incidental AVM had a significantly lower post-GKS hemorrhage rate than patients with symptomatic unruptured or ruptured AVMs (annual hemorrhage rate of 1.07, 2.87, and 2.69%; p = 0.028 and p = 0.049, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant difference in clinical and anatomical characteristics between incidental, symptomatic unruptured, and ruptured AVMs. The obliteration rate after GKS is not significantly different between the 3 groups. Meanwhile, an older age at diagnosis and lower hemorrhage rate after GKS in incidental AVMs suggest that they have a more indolent natural course with a lower life-long risk of hemorrhage.

First Report of Ramularia coleosporii causing Leaf Spot on Perilla frutescens in Korea.

Perilla (Perilla frutescens var. japonica), a member of the family Labiatae, is an annual herbaceous plant native to Asia. Its fresh leaves are directly consumed and its seeds are used for cooking oil. In July 2018, leaf spots symptoms were observed in an experimental field at Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Gangwon province, Korea. Approximately 30% of the perilla plants growing in an area of about 0.1 ha were affected. Small, circular to oval, necrotic spots with yellow borders were scattered across upper leaves. Masses of white spores were observed on the leaf underside. Ten small pieces of tissue were removed from the lesion margins of the lesions, surface disinfected with NaOCl (1% v/v) for 30 s, and then rinsed three times with distilled water for 60 s. The tissue pieces were then placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C for 7 days. Five single spore isolates were obtained and cultured on PDA. The fungus was slow-growing and produced 30-50 mm diameter, whitish colonies on PDA when incubated at 25ºC for 15 days. Conidia (n= 50) ranged from 5.5 to 21.3 × 3.5 to 5.8 µm, were catenate, in simple or branched chains, ellipsoid-ovoid, fusiform, and old conidia sometimes had 1 to 3 conspicuous hila. Conidiophores (n= 10) were 21.3 to 125.8 × 1.3 to 3.6 µm in size, unbranched, straight or flexuous, and hyaline. The morphological characteristics of five isolates were similar. Morphological characteristics were consistent with those described for Ramularia coleosporii (Braun, 1998). Two representative isolates (PLS 001 & PLS003) were deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC48670 & KACC 48671). For molecular identification, a multi-locus sequence analysis was conducted. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the rDNA, partial actin (ACT) gene and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene were amplified using primer sets ITS1/4, ACT-512F/ACT-783R and gpd1/gpd2, respectively (Videira et al. 2016). Sequences obtained from each of the three loci for isolate PLS001 and PLS003 were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers MH974744, MW470869 (ITS); MW470867, MW470870 (ACT); and MW470868, MW470871 (GAPDH), respectively. Sequences for all three genes exhibited 100% identity with R. coleosporii, GenBank accession nos. GU214692 (ITS), KX287643 (ACT), and 288200 (GAPDH) for both isolates. A multi-locus phylogenetic tree, constructed by the neighbor-joining method with closely related reference sequences downloaded from the GenBank database and these two isolates demonstrated alignment with R. coleosporii. To confirm pathogenicity, 150 mL of a conidial suspension (2 × 105 spores per mL) was sprayed on five, 45 days old perilla plants. An additional five plants, to serve as controls, were sprayed with sterile water. All plants were placed in a humidity chamber (>90% relative humidity) at 25°C for 48 h after inoculation and then placed in a greenhouse at 22/28°C (night/day). After 15 days leaf spot symptoms, similar to the original symptoms, developed on the leaves of the inoculated plants, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice with similar results. A fungus was re-isolated from the leaf lesions on the inoculated plants which exhibited the same morphological characteristics as the original isolates, fulfilling Koch's postulates. R. coleosporii has been reported as a hyperparasite on the rust fungus Coleosporium plumeriae in India & Thailand and also as a pathogen infecting leaves of Campanula rapunculoides in Armenia, Clematis gouriana in Taiwan, Ipomoea batatas in Puerto Rico, and Perilla frutescens var. acuta in China (Baiswar et al. 2015; Farr and Rossman 2021). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of R. coleosporii causing leaf spot on P. frutescens var. japonica in Korea. This disease poses a threat to production and management strategies to minimize leaf spot should be developed.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for ARUBA-Eligible Patients with Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.

BACKGROUND: A randomized trial of unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (ARUBA) reported superior outcomes in conservative management compared to interventional treatment. There were numerous limitations to the study. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) for patients with brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) by comparing its outcomes to those of the ARUBA study. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed ARUBA-eligible patients treated with GKS from June 2002 to September 2017 and compared against those in the ARUBA study. AVM obliteration and hemorrhage rates, and clinical outcomes following GKS were also evaluated. RESULTS: The ARUBA-eligible cohort comprised 264 patients. The Spetzler-Martin grade was Grade I to II in 52.7% and III to IV in 47.3% of the patients. The mean AVM nidus volume, marginal dose, and follow-up period were 4.8 cm³, 20.8 Gy, and 55.5 months, respectively. AVM obliteration was achieved in 62.1%. The annual hemorrhage rate after GKS was 3.4%. A stroke or death occurred in 14.0%. The overall stroke or death rate of the ARUBA-eligible cohort was significantly lower than that of the interventional arm of the ARUBA study (P < 0.001) and did not significantly differ from that of the medical arm in the ARUBA study (P = 0.601). CONCLUSION: GKS was shown to achieve a favorable outcome with low procedure-related morbidity in majority of the ARUBA-eligible patients. The outcome after GKS in our patients was not inferior to that of medical care alone in the ARUBA study. It is suggested that GKS is rather superior to medical care considering the short follow-up duration of the ARUBA study.

Development of DNA markers for Slmlo1.1, a new mutant allele of the powdery mildew resistance gene SlMlo1 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Reductions in growth and quality due to powdery mildew (PM) disease cause significant economic losses in tomato production. Oidium neolycopersici was identified as the fungal species responsible for tomato PM disease in South Korea in the present study, based on morphological and internal transcribed spacer DNA sequence analyses of PM samples collected from two remote regions (Muju and Miryang). The genes involved in resistance to this pathogen in the tomato accession 'KNU-12' (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) were evaluated, and the inheritance of PM resistance in 'KNU-12' was found to be conferred via simple Mendelian inheritance of a mutant allele of the PM susceptibility locus Ol-2 (SlMlo1). Full-length cDNA analysis of this newly identified mutant allele (Slmlo1.1) showed that a 1-bp deletion in its coding region led to a frameshift mutation possibly resulting in SlMlo1 loss-of-function. An alternatively spliced transcript of Slmlo1.1 was observed in the cDNA sequences of 'KNU-12', but its direct influence on PM resistance is unclear. A derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) and a high-resolution melting (HRM) marker were developed based on the 1-bp deletion in Slmlo1.1, and could be used for efficient marker-assisted selection (MAS) using 'KNU-12' as the source for durable and broad-spectrum resistance to PM.

MGMT promoter methylation status as a prognostic factor for the outcome of gamma knife radiosurgery for recurrent glioblastoma.

We conducted this study to determine whether the methylation status of the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter was a prognostic marker for positive outcomes of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) for recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). We retrospectively examined 61 patients, who underwent GKS for local recurrent GBM between 2004 and 2015; in all patients, the methylation status of the MGMT promoter was identified via methylation-specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. All patients underwent surgical resection and were diagnosed histopathologically with GBM. Prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified in univariate and multivariate analyses. Twenty-five (41%) had a methylated MGMT promoter, and 36 (59%) had an unmethylated MGMT promoter. The median age at GKS was 58 years. The median tumor volume at GKS was 7.0 cm3, and the median marginal dose was 16 Gy. The median follow-up period after GKS was 7.5 months. The median PFS time after GKS was 8.9 months (95% CI 4.3-13.5 months) in the methylated and 4.6 months (95% CI 3.7-5.5 months) in the unmethylated group (P = 0.016). The median OS time after GKS was 14.0 months (95% CI 9.3-18.7 months) in the methylated group and 9.0 months (95% CI 6.5-11.5 months) in the unmethylated group (P = 0.026). Methylation of the MGMT promoter correlated with better PFS and OS after GKS for recurrent GBM. Prospective comparative studies are required to determine whether MGMT methylation directly affects the efficiency of GKS.

Development of a high-resolution melting marker for selecting Fusarium crown and root rot resistance in tomato.

Fusarium crown and root rot is a severe fungal disease of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL). In this study, the genomic location of the FORL-resistance locus was determined using a set of molecular markers on chromosome 9 and an F2 population derived from FORL-resistant inbred 'AV107-4' (Solanum lycopersicum) × susceptible 'L3708' (Solanum pimpinellifolium). Bioassay performed using Korean FORL strain KACC 40031 showed single dominant inheritance of FORL resistance in the F2 population. In all, 13 polymerase chain reaction-based markers encompassing approximately 3.6-72.0 Mb of chromosome 9 were developed based on the Tomato-EXPEN 2000 map and SolCAP Tomato single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis. These markers were genotyped on 345 F2 plants, and the FORL-resistance locus was found to be present on a pericentromeric region of suppressed chromosomal recombination in chromosome 9. The location of the FORL-resistance locus was further confirmed by testing these markers against diverse commercial tomato and stock cultivars resistant to FORL. A restriction fragment length polymorphism marker, PNU-D4, located at approximately 6.1 Mb of chromosome 9 showed the highest match with the resistance locus and was used for conducting high-resolution melting analysis for marker-assisted selection of FORL resistance.

Clinical outcome of neurofibromatosis type 2-related vestibular schwannoma: treatment strategies and challenges.

To discuss the appropriate treatment strategy for NF2-related vestibular schwannoma (VS) according to our experiences, we analyzed long-term clinical and radiological data focusing on NF2-related VS patients. Seventeen NF2-related VS patients were included. Based on their first management modality for VS, we classified these patients into the following four groups: microsurgery (MS), fractionated gamma knife radiosurgery (f-GKS), single session gamma knife radiosurgery (s-GKS), and conservative management (CM). Each patient was assessed for each separate ear. Changes of tumor volume and hearing status for 32 ears in 17 patients according to their first treatment modality were evaluated. The mean follow-up duration and tumor volume of the MS (4 ears, 4 patients), f-GKS (12 ears, 10 patients), s-GKS (8 ears, 7 patients), and CM (8 ears, 7 patients) groups were 3.9 years and 1.6 mL; 5.1 years and 11.1 mL; 8.4 years and 5.6 mL; and 6.1 years and 1.6 mL, respectively. Relatively lower local control rates were observed in the MS and the CM group (0 and 12.5 %, respectively). On the other hand, better local control rates for follow-up periods of 5.1 and 8.4 years were achieved in the f-GKS and the s-GKS groups (75 and 50 %, respectively). However, hearing preservation in all treatment modalities could not be achieved effectively. Long-term preservation of hearing in at least one serviceable ear as well as tumor control should be considered for each patient. Therefore, a proper treatment option should be selected at the appropriate time according to clinical characteristics of individual patients.

Prognostic implication of progression pattern after anti-VEGF bevacizumab treatment for recurrent malignant gliomas.

Malignant glioma treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) bevacizumab show progression patterns that vary with different mechanisms of resistance. We evaluated the clinico-radiological data of 71 patients with progressive malignant glioma treated with bevacizumab to determine the prognostic value of the differential outcome of each progression pattern. Progression patterns were categorized as three types based on the initial response to bevacizumab and serious changes of MR images i.e., non-enhancing infiltration, flare-up of contrast enhancement (CE) and primary non-responder progression. We analyzed the clinical outcome in each type of progression using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Analysis of progression patterns showed that incidence of non-enhancing infiltration progression (28.1 %) was less common than flare-up of CE or primary non-responder pattern. The time from initiation of bevacizumab to development of non-enhancing infiltration or flare-up of CE progression was longer than for progression in primary non-responders. There was no significant difference of overall survival, progression-free survival from start of bevacizumab therapy, survival after bevacizumab failure between non-enhancing infiltration and flare-up of CE patterns. However, in the non-enhancing infiltration pattern, early appearance of enhancement was observed after bevacizumab was discontinued, resulting in poor survival, as compared to flare-up of CE pattern (P = 0.01). Although the appearance of non-enhancing infiltration after bevacizumab does not imply a worse prognosis, discontinuation of therapy can aggravate the clinical course.

Effect of disinfecting harvesting knives with sodium hypochlorite on soft rot infection of Kimchi cabbage.

This study evaluated the effect of sterilizing harvesting knives with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) on soft rot in Kimchi cabbage. Knives were infected with Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc), sterilized with NaOCl (100, 200, and 300 mg/L), and used to cut Kimchi cabbage slices, which were incubated for 70 h in a 28 °C incubator. In Kimchi cabbage slices cut with a Pcc-inoculated knife without NaOCl sterilization, symptoms began to appear after 20 h, and approximately 60% of the cabbage slices were infected after 70 h of incubation. In contrast, in cabbage cut with a sterilized knife, soft rot symptoms were delayed, and they began to appear after 40 h of incubation in the 200 mg/L-treated. The expression levels of PG10, PG12-1, PG12-3, WRKY 33, MPK3, ACO1, and ACO2 were increased in infected plants, and NaOCl treatment decreased these expression levels. Transmission of soft rot can be minimized by disinfecting harvesting knives with 200 mg/L NaOCl.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brainstem Cavernous Malformations: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to achieve more conclusive evidence for the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brainstem cavernous malformations (BSCMs). METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science was performed and studies reporting the outcomes of SRS for BSCMs were included. The primary outcome was the pre-SRS and post-SRS hemorrhage rates; the pooled incidence rate ratio (IRR) with 95% confidence interval was chosen as effect size. Lesion control, symptom change, and radiation-related complications were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 576 patients across 14 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The post-SRS hemorrhage rate was significantly decreased compared with the pre-SRS rate (IRR, 0.123; P < 0.001), and the hemorrhage rate 2 years after SRS was significantly lower than that within 2 years after SRS (IRR, 0.317; P < 0.001). Ten among 14 studies have shown that the symptoms were improved or stationary after SRS. Lesion volume was reduced in 47.3% of the patients and was stationary in 49.4% on the last follow-up images. Symptomatic adverse radiation effects (AREs) developed in 7.3% and permanent AREs were observed in 2.2%. In subgroup analysis, studies having mean marginal dose of ≤13 Gy showed statistically significantly lower development of symptomatic AREs than those having mean marginal dose of >13Gy (2.0% vs. 10.8%; P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: SRS using a relatively low marginal dose can be a safe and effective treatment for BSCM. Further prospective studies are necessary to confirm the optimal radiation dose and efficacy of SRS for BSCMs.

Apparent Diffusion Coefficient as a Predictive Biomarker for Survival in Patients with Treatment-Naive Glioblastoma Using Quantitative Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Profiling.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether quantitative radiomic profiles extracted from multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) profiles can predict the clinical outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) before therapy. METHODS: MR images from 93 treatment-naive patients with newly diagnosed GBM were analyzed. Through tumor segmentation, we selected 36 radiomic features. Using the unsupervised clustering method, we classified our patients into 2 groups and investigated their overall survival (OS) using Kaplan-Meier analyses. RESULTS: Among the 36 radiomic features, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram parameters demonstrated a significant association with OS (P < 0.05). To validate this finding, unsupervised clustering analysis revealed 3 clusters with similar radiomic expression patterns. Clusters 1 and 2 showed a significant correlation with the radiomic features representing the tumor volume, and cluster 2 also showed a significant correlation with relative cerebral blood volume values. In contrast, cluster 3 showed an inverse relationship with cluster 2, mainly representing the radiomic features indicating the ADC and mean transit time. Although no statistically significant difference was found in OS between cluster 1 plus 2 and cluster 3, cluster 3 showed a trend toward longer OS compared with cluster 1 plus 2 (P = 0.067). After stratification by methylation status and radiomic feature clustering, patients with methylated O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and those included in cluster 3 had significantly longer OS (P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: ADC histogram parameters are feasible prognostic biomarkers to predict the survival of patients with treatment-naive GBM. Quantitative MR profiles can predict the clinical outcomes of patients with GBM before therapy.

Clinical outcomes of intracranial solitary fibrous tumor and hemangiopericytoma: analysis according to the 2016 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors.

OBJECTIVEThe authors conducted this retrospective study to investigate the clinical outcomes of intracranial solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) and hemangiopericytoma (HPC), defined according to the 2016 WHO classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors.METHODSHistopathologically proven intracranial SFT and HPC cases treated in the period from June 1996 to September 2014 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Two neuropathologists reviewed pathological slides and regraded the specimens according to the 2016 WHO classification. Factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were statistically evaluated with uni- and multivariate analyses.RESULTSThe records of 47 patients-10 with SFT, 33 with HPC, and 4 with anaplastic HPC-were reviewed. A malignant transition from conventional SFT to WHO grade III SFT/HPC was observed in 2 cases, and 13 HPC cases were assigned grade III SFT/HPC. Mean and median follow-ups were 114.6 and 94.7 months, respectively (range 7.1-366.7 months). Gross-total resection (GTR) was significantly associated with longer PFS and OS (p = 0.012 for both), and adjuvant radiation therapy versus no such therapy led to significantly longer PFS (p = 0.018). Extracranial metastases to the liver, bone, lung, spine, and kidney occurred in 10 patients (21.3%). Grade III SFT/HPC was strongly correlated with the development of extracranial metastases (p = 0.031).CONCLUSIONSThe 2016 WHO classification of CNS tumors reflected the different types of pathological malignant progression and clinical outcomes better than prior classifications. Gross-total resection should be the primary treatment goal in patients with SFT/HPC, regardless of the pathological grade, and radiation can be administered as adjuvant therapy for patients with SFT/HPC that shows an aggressive phenotype or that is not treated with GTR.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for residual or recurrent intracranial hemangiopericytomas.

Residual or recurrent hemangiopericytoma (HPC) has been treated with radiosurgery; however, its long-term outcome is not well known. This study is to investigate the long-term outcome of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) for residual or recurrent HPCs. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 18 patients who underwent gamma knife radiosurgery for residual or recurrent HPCs. Of the 18 patients, 10 patients had high-grade HPCs (27 tumors) and 8 had low-grade HPCs (13 tumors). Median overall survival (OS) after the first GKS was 134.7months and actuarial survival rate at 1, 5, and 10years was 85.6%, 85.6%, and 37.4%, respectively. At the last follow-up, local tumor control was achieved in 32 (80.0%) of the 40 GKS-treated tumors. New lesions developed out of initial GKS target in 8 patients (44.4%). They were also treated with additional GKS. The actuarial local control rate of 40 tumors at 1-, 3-, and 5-years was 89.3%, 60.9%, and 37.5%, respectively. The median local recurrence-free interval of 40 tumors after initial GKS for each lesion was 86.1months for low-grade and 40.5months for high-grade tumors (p=0.010). Extracranial metastases developed in 7 (38.9%) patients with high-grade pathology and became a cause of death in 3 patients. Intracranial tumor control can be achieved over the long term, though additional GKS is frequently necessary. Extracranial metastasis is common in HPC of high-grade pathology. Close surveillance and aggressive treatment is recommended not only for intracranial tumor but also for possible extracranial metastases.

A Comparative Study of Phenolic Antioxidant Activity and Flavonoid Biosynthesis-Related Gene Expression Between Summer and Winter Strawberry Cultivars.

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) possesses good antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds in strawberries, such as anthocyanins and ellagic acid, mainly act as antioxidants. This study aimed to compare the phenolic content and expression patterns of genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis between summer and winter strawberry cultivars affected by seasonal variation, degree of ripeness, and genotype. Antioxidant activity and the total content of phenols and flavonoids decreased with fruit ripening. Most notably, summer strawberry cultivars showed higher antioxidant activity than winter cultivars. The expression patterns of flavonoid biosynthetic genes tested were cultivar-dependent and were also affected by ripening. These results help us understand the nutritional and physiological characteristics of selected cultivars and provide a range of information for strawberry consumption.

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with Temozolomide Followed by Adjuvant Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Patients: A Retrospective Multicenter Observation Study in Korea.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and survival benefits of combined treatment with radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) in a Korean sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 750 Korean patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme, who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with TMZ (CCRT) and adjuvant TMZ from January 2006 until June 2011, were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: After the first operation, a gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection (STR), partial resection (PR), biopsy alone were achieved in 388 (51.7%), 159 (21.2%), 96 (12.8%), and 107 (14.3%) patients, respectively. The methylation status of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) was reviewed retrospectively in 217 patients. The median follow-up period was 16.3 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 17.5 months. The actuarial survival rates at the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 72.1%, 21.0%, and 9.0%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.1 months, and the actuarial PFS at 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS were 42.2%, 13.0%, and 7.8%, respectively. The patients who received GTR showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those who received STR, PR, or biopsy alone, regardless of the methylation status of the MGMT promoter. Patients with a methylated MGMT promoter also showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those with an unmethylated MGMT promoter. Patients who received more than six cycles of adjuvant TMZ had a longer OS and PFS than those who received six or fewer cycles. Hematologic toxicity of grade 3 or 4 was observed in 8.4% of patients during the CCRT period and in 10.2% during the adjuvant TMZ period. CONCLUSION: Patients treated with CCRT followed by adjuvant TMZ had more favorable survival rates and tolerable toxicity than those who did not undergo this treatment.

First Report of Web Blight of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-1-IB in Korea.

Herein, we report the first occurrence of web blight of rosemary caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-1-IB in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Korea, in August 2014. The leaf tissues of infected rosemary plants were blighted and white mycelial growth was seen on the stems. The fungus was isolated from diseased leaf tissue and cultured on potato dextrose agar for identification. The young hyphae had acute angular branching near the distal septum of the multinucleate cells and mature hyphal branches formed at an approximately 90° angle. This is morphologically identical to R. solani AG-1-IB, as per previous reports. rDNA-ITS sequences of the fungus were homologous to those of R. solani AG-1-IB isolates in the GenBank database with a similarity percentage of 99%, thereby confirming the identity of the causative agent of the disease. Pathogenicity of the fungus in rosemary plants was also confirmed by Koch's postulates.

Multisession Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Orbital Apex Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to analyze the outcome of multisession gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) in benign tumors located at the orbital apex. METHODS: Medical records of 23 patients who underwent multisession GKS for benign orbital apex tumors were reviewed retrospectively. Three patients were diagnosed by histology, and the other 20 patients were given the diagnoses on the basis of clinical and radiological findings. Diagnoses included cavernous hemangioma (8 cases), meningioma (8 cases), and schwannoma (7 cases). All patients were treated with 4 sessions of GKS with 12 hours of interval. Median marginal dose in each session was 5 Gy (range, 4.5-5.5 Gy) at the 50% isodose line (range, 50%-55%). RESULTS: Mean clinical and imaging follow-up duration after treatment were 52.1 and 34.2 months, respectively. Tumor control was achieved in 22 patients (95.7%). Significant tumor shrinkage was observed in 17 patients (73.9%), and mean tumor volume reduction rate was 53.9%. Visual function was improved in 16 patients (69.6%) and stable in 4 patients (17.4%). Deterioration of visual acuity was reported by 3 patients (13.0%). Clinical and radiological response to multisession GKS was most excellent in cavernous hemangiomas with tumor control in all patients, and the mean tumor volume reduction rate was 68.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Multisession GKS proved to be an effective and safe management strategy for benign orbital apex tumors. Response to treatment was different according to the pathology, and multisession GKS may be considered as the initial treatment of choice for specific pathology such as cavernous hemangioma.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Primary Glioblastoma Genome.

Tumor recurrence following treatment is the major cause of mortality for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. Thus, insights on the evolutionary process at recurrence are critical for improved patient care. Here, we describe our genomic analyses of the initial and recurrent tumor specimens from each of 38 GBM patients. A substantial divergence in the landscape of driver alterations was associated with distant appearance of a recurrent tumor from the initial tumor, suggesting that the genomic profile of the initial tumor can mislead targeted therapies for the distally recurred tumor. In addition, in contrast to IDH1-mutated gliomas, IDH1-wild-type primary GBMs rarely developed hypermutation following temozolomide (TMZ) treatment, indicating low risk for TMZ-induced hypermutation for these tumors under the standard regimen.

Biocontrol of fusarium crown and root rot and promotion of growth of tomato by paenibacillus strains isolated from soil.

In this study, bacterial strains were isolated from soils from 30 locations of Samcheok, Gangwon province. Of the isolated strains, seven showed potential plant growth promoting and antagonistic activities. Based on cultural and morphological characterization, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, these strains were identified as Paenibacillus species. All seven strains produced ammonia, cellulase, hydrocyanic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, protease, phosphatase, and siderophores. They also inhibited the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici in vitro. The seven Paenibacillus strains enhanced a range of growth parameters in tomato plants under greenhouse conditions, in comparison with non-inoculated control plants. Notably, treatment of tomato plants with one identified strain, P. polymyxa SC09-21, resulted in 80.0% suppression of fusarium crown and root rot under greenhouse conditions. The plant growth promoting and antifungal activity of P. polymyxa SC09-21 identified in this study highlight its potential suitability as a bioinoculant.