Risk of Anorectal Cancer Associated with Benign Anal Inflammatory Diseases: A Retrospective Matched Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the relationship between benign anal inflammatory diseases and anorectal cancer and assess its risk factors. METHODS: A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted that included data from 2002 to 2013. The National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort data from 2002 to 2013 was used for the study. Of a total study population of 143,884 individuals, 28,110 individuals with anal fissures were assigned to the case group, while 115,774 individuals without anal fissures were assigned to the control group based on the 1:4 propensity score matching age, sex, and year (case: diagnosed year, control: health service received year). RESULTS: The risk of anorectal cancer was higher in the case group (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.51-2.53) compared to the control group. After grouping anorectal cancers into anal cancer and rectal cancer, the risk remained higher in the case group (anal cancer HR: 2.79, 95% CI: 1.48-5.27; rectal cancer HR: 1.82, 95% CI; 1.37-2.42). The case group was further categorized into patients with fissures and patients with fistulas; patients with fissures showed a higher risk of developing anorectal cancer than patients with fistulas (HR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.53-2.73 vs. HR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.13-2.66). Study participants in their 30s and 40s had a 4.19- and 7.39-times higher risk of anorectal cancer compared to those in the higher age groups (0.64-1.84), while patients who did not have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) had a higher risk of developing anorectal cancer (HR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.56-2.80). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Patients with anal fistulas or fissures have an increased risk of being diagnosed with anorectal cancer, especially at a young age and even without IBD.

Development of a Machine-Learning Model of Short-Term Prognostic Prediction for Spinal Stenosis Surgery in Korean Patients.

BACKGROUND: In this study, based on machine-learning technology, we aim to develop a predictive model of the short-term prognosis of Korean patients who received spinal stenosis surgery. METHODS: Using the data obtained from 112 patients with spinal stenosis admitted at N hospital from February to November, 2019, a predictive analysis was conducted for the pain index, reoperation, and surgery time. RESULTS: Results show that the predicted area under the curve was 0.803, 0.887, and 0.896 for the pain index, reoperation, and surgery time, respectively, thereby indicating the accuracy of the model. CONCLUSION: This study verified that the individual characteristics of the patient and treatment characteristics during surgery enable a prediction of the patient prognosis and validate the accuracy of the approach. Further studies should be conducted to extend the scope of this research by incorporating a larger and more accurate dataset.

Physiological Importance of Pectin Modifying Genes During Rice Pollen Development.

Although cell wall dynamics, particularly modification of homogalacturonan (HGA, a major component of pectin) during pollen tube growth, have been extensively studied in dicot plants, little is known about how modification of the pollen tube cell wall regulates growth in monocot plants. In this study, we assessed the role of HGA modification during elongation of the rice pollen tube by adding a pectin methylesterase (PME) enzyme or a PME-inhibiting catechin extract (Polyphenon 60) to in vitro germination medium. Both treatments led to a severe decrease in the pollen germination rate and elongation. Furthermore, using monoclonal antibodies toward methyl-esterified and de-esterified HGA epitopes, it was found that exogenous treatment of PME and Polyphenon 60 resulted in the disruption of the distribution patterns of low- and high-methylesterified pectins upon pollen germination and during pollen tube elongation. Eleven PMEs and 13 PME inhibitors (PMEIs) were identified by publicly available transcriptome datasets and their specific expression was validated by qRT-PCR. Enzyme activity assays and subcellular localization using a heterologous expression system in tobacco leaves demonstrated that some of the pollen-specific PMEs and PMEIs possessed distinct enzymatic activities and targeted either the cell wall or other compartments. Taken together, our findings are the first line of evidence showing the essentiality of HGA methyl-esterification status during the germination and elongation of pollen tubes in rice, which is primarily governed by the fine-tuning of PME and PMEI activities.

Structural and Mechanistic Insights into Caffeine Degradation by the Bacterial N-Demethylase Complex.

Caffeine, found in many foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, is the most used chemical compound for mental alertness. It is originally a natural product of plants and exists widely in environmental soil. Some bacteria, such as Pseudomonas putida CBB5, utilize caffeine as a sole carbon and nitrogen source by degrading it through sequential N-demethylation catalyzed by five enzymes (NdmA, NdmB, NdmC, NdmD, and NdmE). The environmentally friendly enzymatic reaction products, methylxanthines, are high-value biochemicals that are used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. However, the structures and biochemical properties of bacterial N-demethylases remain largely unknown. Here, we report the structures of NdmA and NdmB, the initial N1- and N3-specific demethylases, respectively. Reverse-oriented substrate bindings were observed in the substrate-complexed structures, offering methyl position specificity for proper N-demethylation. For efficient sequential degradation of caffeine, these enzymes form a unique heterocomplex with 3:3 stoichiometry, which was confirmed by enzymatic assays, fluorescent labeling, and small-angle x-ray scattering. The binary structure of NdmA with the ferredoxin domain of NdmD, which is the first structural information for the plant-type ferredoxin domain in a complex state, was also determined to better understand electron transport during N-demethylation. These findings broaden our understanding of the caffeine degradation mechanism by bacterial enzymes and will enable their use for industrial applications.

Community structures and genomic features of undesirable white colony-forming yeasts on fermented vegetables.

White colony-forming yeasts (WCFYs) often appear in fermented foods, depending on the storage method. Despite the ongoing research on fermented foods, the community and genome features of WCFYs have not been well studied. In this study, the community structures of WCFYs on fermented vegetables (kimchi) prepared with various raw materials were investigated using deep sequencing. Only eight operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected, indicating that the community structure of WCFYs on kimchi is very simple. The five most abundant OTUs represented Pichia kluyveri, Yarrowia lipolytica, Candida sake, Hanseniaspora uvarum, and Kazachstania servazzii. Using a culture-dependent method, 41 strains representing the five major OTUs were isolated from the surface of the food samples. Whole genomes of the five major yeast strains were sequenced and annotated. The total genome length for the strains ranged from 8.97 Mbp to 21.32 Mbp. This is the first study to report genome sequences of the two yeasts Pichia kluyveri and Candida sake. Genome analysis indicated that each yeast strain had core metabolic pathways such as oxidative phosphorylation; purine metabolism; glycolysis/gluconeogenesis; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; citrate cycle; but strain specific pathways were also found. In addition, no toxin or antimicrobial resistance genes were identified. Our study provides genome information for five WCFY strains that may highlight their potential beneficial or harmful metabolic effects in fermented vegetables.

Beneficial Effect of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy in Patients with Breast Cancer-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) induces emotional relaxation in cancer patients and is a treatment known to improve psychological stability. The objective of this research was to evaluate the treatment effects of MBAT for breast cancer patients. METHODS: Overall, 24 breast cancer patients were selected as subjects of the study. Two groups, the MBAT group and control group with 12 patients each, were randomly assigned. The patients in the MBAT group were given 12 sessions of treatments. To measure depression and anxiety, low scales of the personality assessment inventory (PAI) was used. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTCQLQ-C30). The treatment results were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: The results showed that depression and anxiety decreased significantly and health-related quality of life improved significantly in the MBAT group. In the control group, however, there was no significant change. CONCLUSIONS: MBAT can be seen as an effective treatment method that improves breast cancer patients׳ psychological stability and quality of life. Evaluation of treatment effects using program development and large-scale research for future clinical application is needed.

Synthesis and characterization of magnetically active carbon nanofiber/iron oxide composites with hierarchical pore structures.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solution containing the iron oxide precursor iron (III) acetylacetonate (AAI) was electrospun and thermally treated to produce electrically conducting, magnetic carbon nanofiber mats with hierarchical pore structures. The morphology and material properties of the resulting multifunctional nanofiber mats including the surface area and the electric and magnetic properties were examined using various characterization techniques. Scanning electron microscopy images show that uniform fibers were produced with a fiber diameter of ∼600 nm, and this uniform fiber morphology is maintained after graphitization with a fiber diameter of ∼330 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman studies reveal that both graphite and Fe(3)O(4) crystals are formed after thermal treatment, and graphitization can be enhanced by the presence of iron. A combination of XRD and transmission electron microscopy experiments reveals the formation of pores with graphitic nanoparticles in the walls as well as the formation of magnetite nanoparticles distributed throughout the fibers. Physisorption experiments show that the multifunctional fiber mats exhibit a high surface area (200-400 m(2) g(-1)) and their pore size is dependent on the amount of iron added and graphitization conditions. Finally, we have demonstrated that the fibers are electrically conducting as well as magnetically active.