Revisiting the taxonomy of Korean Ischnochiton species (Polyplacophora, Ischnochitonidae) based on a combined analysis of morphological and molecular data.

Background: Chiton species belonging to the genus Ischnochiton J. E. Gray, 1847 are commonly found in intertidal rocky shores worldwide, with the exception of the northern Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Ischnochiton species are characterised by imbricate girdle scales that are uniform in size, rounded, sculpted with striae or occasionally smooth. However, their species-level taxonomy is complicated due to the high variation in their shell microstructures. Despite more than a hundred species reported worldwide, taxonomic studies of this group remain relatively unexplored in Korean waters, with only a few species recorded to date. New information: In this study, we compared the microstructural characteristics of tegmentum sculpture, girdle scales and radula amongst four Korean Ischnochiton species using high-resolution microscopic images and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Along with mtDNA cox1 sequence comparison, a comprehensive analysis of their morphology revealed that I.hayamii Owada, 2018 was identified for the first time in Korean waters. This species is morphologically distinguished by its small body size of adults, smooth lateral areas on valves and small perinotum scales sculptured with weak longitudinal ribs. Phylogenetic analysis of the mtDNA cox1 sequence provides distinct resolution at the species level, but interrelationships amongst Ischnochiton species remain unresolved. Results from the morphological and molecular analyses presented in this study offer valuable taxonomic information for accurate species identification amongst closely-related Ischnochiton species.

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps as a Biomarker in Refractory Non-Type 2 CRSwNP.

PURPOSE: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is classified into type 2 (T2) and non-T2 inflammation. T2 CRS presents as a severe form, CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), which often occurs with asthma as a comorbidity worldwide. Some cases of non-T2 CRS show nasal polyposis and refractoriness, mainly in Asian countries. However, its mechanism remains elusive. To investigate a biomarker for the refractoriness of non-T2 CRSwNP via RNA sequencing. METHODS: RNA sequencing by using nasal polyps (NPs) and ethmoidal mucosa (EM) from CRS subjects and uncinate tissues from controls was performed, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed (cutoffs: expression change > 2-fold, P < 0.01). Immunofluorescence staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed. RESULTS: We identified DEGs among T2-NP, non-T2-NP, T2-EM, non-T2-EM, and controls (NP vs. controls: 1,877 genes, EM vs. controls: 1,124 genes, T2-NP vs. controls: 1,790 genes, non-T2-NP vs. controls: 2,012 genes, T2-EM vs. controls: 740 genes, non-T2-EM vs. controls: 1,553 genes). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, systemic lupus erythematosus, and the phagosome were enriched in non-T2-NP vs. controls and non-T2-EM vs. controls. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed that NETs were elevated in non-T2-NP. Cytokine analysis demonstrated that NETs were significantly related to the refractoriness in non-T2-NPs. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated DEGs between T2 and non-T2 inflammation. These results suggest that NETs may contribute to the refractoriness in non-T2-NPs and have a promise as a therapeutic strategy for patients with refractory non-T2-NP.

Increasing the Beam Width and Intensity with Refraction Power Effect Using a Combination of Beam Mirrors and Concave Mirrors for Surgical-Fluorescence-Emission-Guided Cancer Monitoring Method.

The primary goal during cancer removal surgery is to completely excise the malignant tumor. Because the color of the tumor and surrounding tissues is very similar, it is difficult to observe with the naked eye, posing a risk of damaging surrounding blood vessels during the tumor removal process. Therefore, fluorescence emission is induced using a fluorescent contrast agent, and color classification is monitored through camera imaging. LEDs must be irradiated to generate the fluorescent emission electromotive force. However, the power and beam width of the LED are insufficient to generate this force effectively, so the beam width and intensity must be increased to irradiate the entire lesion. Additionally, there should be no shaded areas in the beam irradiation range. This paper proposes a method to enhance the beam width and intensity while eliminating shadow areas. A total reflection beam mirror was used to increase beam width and intensity. However, when the beam width increased, a shadow area appeared at the edge, limiting irradiation of the entire lesion. To compensate for this shadow area, a concave lens was combined with the beam mirror, resulting in an increase in beam width and intensity by more than 1.42 times and 18.6 times, respectively. Consequently, the beam width reached 111.8°, and the beam power was 13.6 mW. The proposed method is expected to be useful for observing tumors through the induction of fluorescence emission during cancer removal surgery or for pathological examination in the pathology department.

Optical Methods for Optimizing Fluorescence Imaging Field of View and Image Quality in Surgical Guidance Procedures.

Cancer surgery is aimed at complete tumor resection and accurate lymph node detection. However, numerous blood vessels are distributed within the tumor, and the colors of the tumor, blood vessels, and lymph nodes are similar, making observations with the naked eye difficult. Therefore, tumors, blood vessels, and lymph nodes can be monitored via color classification using an operating microscope to induce fluorescence emission. However, as the beam width of the LED required to induce fluorescence emission is narrow and the power loss of the beam is significant at a certain working distance, there are limitations to inducing fluorescence emission, and light reflection occurs in the observation image, obstructing the view of the observation area. Therefore, the removal of reflected light is essential to avoid missing the diagnosis of the lesion under observation. This paper proposes the use of a beam mirror and polarizing filter to increase the beam width and beam intensity. The refraction and reflection effects of the beam were utilized using the beam mirror, and the rotation angle of the polarizing filter was adjusted to remove light reflection. Consequently, the minimum beam power using the beam mirror was 10.9 mW, the beam width was doubled to 40.2°, and more than 98% of light reflection was removed at 90° and 270°. With light reflection effectively eliminated, clear observation of lesions is possible. This method is expected to be used effectively in surgical, procedural, and diagnostic departments.

Endotype and Phenotype Related Postoperative Effects of Bacterial Lysate in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) endotypes have demonstrated clinical value in guiding treatment decisions. Bacterial lysates are immunomodulators that have shown beneficial effects in various respiratory inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of postoperative bacterial lysate therapy on different CRS endotypes. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with CRS who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery were recruited. Bacterial lysates were administered postoperatively for 10 days per month for 3 months to the experimental group comprising patients with a history of frequent upper respiratory infections without adverse reactions. The remaining participants were allocated to the control group. The results of the postoperative 3-, 6-, and 12-month assessments, including the modified Lund-Kennedy (mLK) endoscopic and Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT) 22 scores, for the groups were compared. The tissue samples obtained from the participants were evaluated to detect the presence of relevant inflammatory mediators. RESULTS: Among the 92 participants, 47 started bacterial lysate therapy 2 weeks after the surgery. The tissue cytokine profiles and clinical parameters, such as the disease severity and blood eosinophil percentage, of the bacterial lysate and control groups were comparable before treatment. The mLK endoscopic and SNOT-22 scores did not differ after 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. The subgroup analysis revealed that the bacterial lysate group had significantly lower mLK endoscopic scores than the control group for CRS without nasal polyps, while there was a tendency toward significance for the interleukin (IL)-5 negative group after 6 months. CONCLUSION: Postoperative bacterial lysate therapy has some beneficial effects on the endoscopic findings of patients with CRS without nasal polyps or those who are negative for IL-5.

A machine-learning algorithm using claims data to identify patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is an underdiagnosed and undertreated ultra-rare disease. We utilized claims data from the Komodo Healthcare Map database to develop a machine-learning model to identify potential HoFH patients. We tokenized patients enrolled in MyRARE (patient support program for those prescribed evinacumab-dgnb in the United States) and linked them with their Komodo claims. A true positive HoFH cohort (n = 331) was formed by including patients from MyRARE and patients with prescriptions for evinacumab-dgnb or lomitapide. The negative cohort (n = 1423) comprised patients with or at risk for cardiovascular disease. We divided the cohort into an 80% training and 20% testing set. Overall, 10,616 candidate features were investigated; 87 were selected due to clinical relevance and importance on prediction performance. Different machine-learning algorithms were explored, with fast interpretable greedy-tree sums selected as the final machine-learning tool. This selection was based on its satisfactory performance and its easily interpretable nature. The model identified four useful features and yielded precision (positive predicted value) of 0.98, recall (sensitivity) of 0.88, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.98, and accuracy of 0.97. The model performed well in identifying HoFH patients in the testing set, providing a useful tool to facilitate HoFH screening and diagnosis via healthcare claims data.

A Bayesian adaptive biomarker stratified phase II randomized clinical trial design for radiotherapies with competing risk survival outcomes.

In recent decades, many phase II clinical trials have used survival outcomes as the primary endpoints. If radiotherapy is involved, the competing risk issue often arises because the time to disease progression can be censored by the time to normal tissue complications, and vice versa. Besides, many existing research has examined that patients receiving the same radiotherapy dose may yield distinct responses due to their heterogeneous radiation susceptibility statuses. Therefore, the "one-size-fits-all" strategy often fails, and it is more relevant to evaluate the subgroup-specific treatment effect with the subgroup defined by the radiation susceptibility status. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian adaptive biomarker stratified phase II trial design evaluating the subgroup-specific treatment effects of radiotherapy. We use the cause-specific hazard approach to model the competing risk survival outcomes. We propose restricting the candidate radiation doses based on each patient's radiation susceptibility status. Only the clinically feasible personalized dose will be considered, which enhances the benefit for the patients in the trial. In addition, we propose a stratified Bayesian adaptive randomization scheme such that more patients will be randomized to the dose reporting more favorable survival outcomes. Numerical studies and an illustrative trial example have shown that the proposed design performed well and outperformed the conventional design ignoring the competing risk issue.

The Role of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Diagnosing Asthmatic Type 2 Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

BACKGROUND: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is useful in the management of asthma and predicting the efficacy of standard corticosteroids and biologics. However, the diagnostic value of FeNO in asthmatic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We assessed FeNO levels in patients with CRSwNP and evaluated the diagnostic value of FeNO for screening type 2 CRSwNP (T2-CRSwNP) with asthma. METHODS: We enrolled 94 patients who were diagnosed with CRSwNP and underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery. FeNO levels, the blood eosinophil percentage, total IgE, spirometry tests (FEV1/FVC), Lund-Mackay CT score, and percentage of patients with comorbid asthma were compared among CRSwNP subgroups. Spearman rank correlation test was used to assess the degree of association between variables. ROC curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic capability to differentiate T2-CRSwNP based on clinical and histological classifications. RESULTS: FeNO levels and the blood eosinophil percentage were significantly higher in patients with T2-CRSwNP(h) based on histological data (P < .05). FeNO was correlated with the blood eosinophil percentage (r = 0.420, P < .001) and FEV1/FVC (r = -0.324, P = .001). A FeNO level of 27 ppb had a good ability to discriminate patients with asthmatic T2-CRSwNP(h) (AUC = 0.848; 95% CI = 0.7602-0.9361; sensitivity = 90.9%; specificity = 63.9%). The optimal cutoff values for FeNO and the blood eosinophil percentage for diagnosing asthmatic T2-CRSwNP(h) were 68 ppb and 5.6% (sensitivity = 95.5%; specificity = 86.1%; AUC = 0.931; 95% CI = 0.8832-0.9791). In the diagnosis of severe T2-CRSwNP(c) based on clinical data, a FeNO level of 36 ppb showed the highest AUC (0.816; 95% CI = 0.7173-0.914; sensitivity = 72.7%; specificity = 79.2%). CONCLUSION: FeNO is a useful marker for screening asthmatic T2-CRSwNP even prior to biopsy or asthma evaluation and may assist in selecting a proper treatment.

Effects of Neutrophil and Eosinophil Extracellular Trap Formation on Refractoriness in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the clinical implications of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation (NETosis) and eosinophil extracellular trap (EET) formation (EETosis) regarding refractoriness in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). METHODS: Nasal polyp specimens were obtained from 117 patients with CRSwNP who received endoscopic sinus surgery. Disease control status at postoperative 1 year was assessed. Refractory cases were defined as partly controlled or uncontrolled cases according to the EPOS 2020 guidelines. NETosis and EETosis were evaluated through immunofluorescence staining (citrullinated histone H3-human neutrophil elastase and citrullinated histone-galectin-10, respectively) followed by manual counting. The z-score of NET and EET counts was used to define the following four groups: low extracellular trap formation (ETosis), NETosis-predominant, EETosis-predominant, and high-ETosis. RESULTS: The refractory and non-refractory groups showed significant differences in the tissue eosinophil count (P = 0.005) and EET count (P = 0.029). The tissue neutrophil count and the NET/neutrophil ratio were significantly different between the refractory and non-refractory groups of patients with neutrophilic CRS (P = 0.045, 0.031, respectively). Refractoriness significantly differed among the low-ETosis (30.77%), NETosis-predominant (47.83%), EETosis-predominant (56.67%), and high-ETosis (83.33%) groups (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that tissue Eosinophilia and EETosis may play a prognostic role, primarily in CRSwNP and thattissue neutrophilia and NETosis can play as prognostic biomarkers in neutrophilic CRSwNP.

The Korean Hepatitis C Virus Care Cascade in a Tertiary Institution: Current Status and Changes in Testing, Link to Care, and Treatment.

Background/Aims: The care cascade for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is impeded by multiple barriers, including suboptimal anti-HCV testing, link to care, and diagnosis. We explored the changes in the care cascade of HCV for the past 20 years and its current status in a large cohort from a tertiary referral center. Methods: We analyzed 1,144,468 patients who had anti-HCV testing between January 2001 and June 2020. Metrics related to the care cascade of HCV infection and the long-term prognosis of patients were explored. Results: The seroprevalence of anti-HCV positivity was 1.8%, with a recent decreasing trend. In all, 69.9% of anti-HCV positive patients performed HCV RNA testing, with a 65.7% positivity. Patients who did not have HCV RNA testing were older and more likely to have a non-hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy, normal alanine aminotransferase level, and good liver function. Linkage times for HCV RNA testing from the anti-HCV positivity and for antiviral treatment from HCV diagnosis decreased, notably after 2015, when highly efficacious oral antiviral treatment was introduced to Korea. The average treatment uptake rate was 35.4%, which increased to 38.9% after 2015. Of the 5,302 patients analyzed for long-term prognosis, the annual incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma were 1.02 or 2.14 per 100 person-years in patients with or without a sustained virological response, respectively. Conclusions: The care cascade of HCV infection has been suboptimal for the past 20 years, despite the recent changes. More effort should be made to increase HCV RNA testing and treatment uptake.

Alleviation of Surgery-Induced Osteitis in Sinonasal Cavity by Dexamethasone-Loaded Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) Microparticles with Strong Calcium-Binding Affinity.

For the treatment of sinus surgery-induced osteitis in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), oral or intranasal administration of corticoids is generally used, although it has critical limitations and unavoidable side effects. To overcome these limitations, we designed dexamethasone (Dex)-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles with bone-specific binding affinity, which could release the encapsulated Dex in a sustained manner on the exposed bone after the surgical wound in the nasal cavity. In a previous report, we prepared poly(butyl methacrylate-co-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate) (PBMP) with both calcium-binding phosphomonoester groups and PLGA-binding butyl groups to introduce strong calcium-binding property to PLGA particles. In this study, after successful encapsulation of Dex in the PBMP-coated PLGA particles, we applied the Dex-PLGA/PBMP to the treatment of post-operative osteitis in the sinonasal cavity. The Dex-PLGA/PBMP showed more than 5-times higher binding affinity to the hydroxyapatite (HA) surface compared to the non-coated PLGA particles, without altering the morphology and encapsulation efficiency. After establishing the neo-osteogenesis mouse model by mechanical injury of the nasal mucosa, the activity of intranasally administered Dex-PLGA/PBMP was examined to inhibit the formation of undesirable new woven bone during the wound healing process. In addition, significantly lower osteocalcin activity was observed in the group treated with Dex-PLGA/PBMP, indicating decreased activation of osteoblasts. Overall, these results demonstrate that the PLGA/PBMP microparticle strategy has great potential for the treatment of CRS-related osteitis by localized corticoid delivery on the exposed bones with minimal side effects.

Optimal application of soft-palate webbing flap pharyngoplasty combined with nasal surgery for surgical treatment of primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: Excessive collapse of the soft palate and lateral pharyngeal wall narrowing are established causes of loud snoring and sleep apnea in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Therefore, delicate surgical techniques are needed to reshape the soft palate and create sufficient tension in the lateral pharyngeal wall. This study aimed to determine the therapeutic outcome and favorable indications of soft-palate webbing flap pharyngoplasty in subjects with OSA and primary snoring. METHODS: A total of 174 subjects who underwent soft-palate webbing flap pharyngoplasty combined with uvulopalatal flap and septoturbinoplasty from August 2015 to February 2020 were included in this study. Medical records, including pre- and postoperative sleep parameters, were retrospectively reviewed. The primary outcome measure was the degree of improvement in AHI after surgery. Other outcomes were differences in surgical response rates, subjective visual analog score (VAS) for snoring, sleep quality, and complications. RESULTS: Polysomnographic results showed that apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) scores were significantly reduced from 39.6 ± 6.1 to 22.9 ± 3.6 following soft-palate webbing flap pharyngoplasty in 59 subjects, and overall success and response rates of this technique were analyzed with 71%. We found that the successful outcomes were observed in 50% of mild (n = 12) and 56% of moderate (n = 16) subjects with OSA subjects due to lateral pharyngeal wall collapse. The success rate of soft-palate webbing flap pharyngoplasty was relatively higher in subjects with mild and moderate OSA than those with severe OSA. Additionally, the mean VAS snoring scale was 4.7 and subjects' primary snoring intensity significantly improved to 2.9 after soft-palate webbing flap pharyngoplasty. Subjective symptoms such as daytime sleepiness and sleep quality also showed improvement. Most complications were found to be minimal and improved by 1 month after the operation. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that soft-palate webbing flap pharyngoplasty is an effective treatment for OSA and primary snoring and may be a promising technique to reduce lateral pharyngeal wall collapse.

Detecting early-stage malignant melanoma using a calcium switch-enriched exosome subpopulation containing tumor markers as a sample.

An exosome species containing CD63 as a marker of melanoma was isolated from bulk exosome population and used as a sample for detecting malignant melanoma. A calcium binding protein (CBP) was produced and then used to raise monoclonal antibody. The antibody was sensitive to a conformational change of CBP caused by Ca2+ binding. Immuno-magnetic beads were prepared by immobilizing the conformation-sensitive binder and subsequent binding of CBP conjugated with the capture antibody specific to CD63. These immuno-beads were used to isolate CD63-positive exosome from a bulk exosome sample (normal or melanoma) based on the 'calcium switch-on/off' mechanism through magnetic separation. After recovery, the subpopulation sample was analyzed by immunoassays for cavelion1 (Cav1), CD81, and CD9 as sub-subpopulation markers. Normalized signals of Cav1 and/or CD81 over CD9 were higher in melanoma samples than in normal samples, depending on clinical stages (I, II, and IV) of patients. This was in contrast to assay results for the bulk exosome population that showed a completely mixed state of melanoma and normal samples. These results showed that an exosome subpopulation sample prepared using a 'Ca2+-dependent switch' technology might be useful for diagnosing malignant melanoma at an early stage to increase 5-year survival rates.

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) persistence and reasons for discontinuation in a predominantly male cohort with axial spondyloarthritis.

Although tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have favorably altered the treatment landscape for patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), there is limited data regarding TNFi persistence and reasons for discontinuation. This is an observational time-to-event study utilizing data collected for a prospective multiple-disease registry of US Veterans with axSpA treated with TNFi therapies and recruited over a 10 year period. Clinical, serological, and comorbid parameters were collected. Corporate Data Warehouse Pharmacy files provided courses of the 5 TNFi agents, and response to treatment was documented. Individual TNFi persistence was established utilizing univariate and multivariate Cox proportional models, and reasons for discontinuation were obtained by physician chart review. Two-hundred and fifty-five axSpA patients received 731 TNFi courses. A majority of patients (84.3%) had TNFi persistence at 12 months; 63.5% and 47.1% at 24 and 36 months, respectively. Compared to adalimumab, infliximab demonstrated greater persistence, certolizumab the least. Age, smoking status, BMI, comorbidity burden, inflammatory markers and HLA-B27 did not predict TNFi persistence or discontinuation. Stroke and peripheral arterial disease increased the probability of TNFi discontinuation. Secondary non-response (SNR) was the most common reason for discontinuation (46% of all courses); non-adherence (6%) and clinical remission (2%) were uncommon. Pain score at enrollment, myocardial infarction, African American race and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) predicted TNFi response. While initial persistence of TNFi treatment was high, a large proportion of the patients discontinued initial TNFi therapy by 3 years, primarily due to loss of efficacy. While further research identifying potential predictors of TNFi discontinuation in axSpA is warranted, access to alternate disease-modifying therapies is needed.

Endotype-related recurrence pattern of chronic rhinosinusitis in revision functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The recurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is influenced by various factors, potentially including the endotype based on the molecular pathophysiology of CRS. This study investigated differences in the recurrence pattern of CRS by endotype after primary FESS. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients who had undergone revision FESS for recurrent CRS. Based on their clinical diagnosis, the patients were divided into two endotype groups: recurrent eosinophilic CRS (rECRS) and recurrent non-eosinophilic CRS (rNECRS). We compared and analyzed preoperative computed tomography (CT) findings, including typical anatomical findings of recurred CRS such as lateralized middle turbinate and retained uncinate process, the sinus where recurrence took place, and previous surgical completeness of the sinuses, between the rECRS and rNECRS groups. RESULTS: In total, 142 patients were enrolled (48 rECRS, 94 rNECRS). No significant difference was found in the typical anatomic findings of recurrent CRS between the rECRS and rNECRS groups. The rates of the completeness of previous surgeries was significantly higher in rECRS than in rNECRS(P=.031). Despite the completeness of previous surgeries, the recurrence rate of frontal and ethmoidal sinuses was higher in the rECRS than rNECRS(P=.012, P<.001, respectively). In subgroup analysis according to the severity of ECRS, the number of involved sinuses and the rates of CRS recurrence and surgical completeness in frontal and anterior ethmoidal sinuses increased with ECRS severity. CONCLUSIONS: CT findings of revision FESS cases differed by CRS endotype. The rECRS group showed higher recurrence in the frontal and ethmoidal sinuses despite a higher surgical completeness rate. Incomplete surgery was more often found in the rNECRS group.

GCC2 as a New Early Diagnostic Biomarker for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

No specific markers have been identified to detect non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell-derived exosomes circulating in the blood. Here, we report a new biomarker that distinguishes between cancer and non-cancer cell-derived exosomes. Exosomes isolated from patient plasmas at various pathological stages of NSCLC, NSCLC cell lines, and human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells isolated using size exclusion chromatography were characterized. The GRIP and coiled-coil domain-containing 2 (GCC2) protein, involved in endosome-to-Golgi transport, was identified by proteomics analysis of NSCLC cell line-derived exosomes. GCC2 protein levels in the exosomes derived from early-stage NSCLC patients were higher than those from healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of exosomal GCC2 to be 90% and 75%, respectively. A high area under the curve, 0.844, confirmed that GCC2 levels could effectively distinguish between the exosomes. These results demonstrate GCC2 as a promising early diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Modeling Hypoxic Stress In Vitro Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells Derived Cardiomyocytes Matured by FGF4 and Ascorbic Acid Treatment.

Mature cardiomyocytes (CMs) obtained from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been required for more accurate in vitro modeling of adult-onset cardiac disease and drug discovery. Here, we found that FGF4 and ascorbic acid (AA) induce differentiation of BG01 human embryonic stem cell-cardiogenic mesoderm cells (hESC-CMCs) into mature and ventricular CMs. Co-treatment of BG01 hESC-CMCs with FGF4+AA synergistically induced differentiation into mature and ventricular CMs. FGF4+AA-treated BG01 hESC-CMs robustly released acute myocardial infarction (AMI) biomarkers (cTnI, CK-MB, and myoglobin) into culture medium in response to hypoxic injury. Hypoxia-responsive genes and potential cardiac biomarkers proved in the diagnosis and prognosis of coronary artery diseases were induced in FGF4+AA-treated BG01 hESC-CMs in response to hypoxia based on transcriptome analyses. This study demonstrates that it is feasible to model hypoxic stress in vitro using hESC-CMs matured by soluble factors.

Is Ossiculoplasty Necessary in Canal Wall Down Mastoidectomy? Comparison of Clinical Outcomes Between Type 0 Tympanoplasty and Ossiculoplasty.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the audiological and clinical outcomes of type 0 tympanoplasty (T0) performed using cartilage were comparable with those of ossiculoplasty in patients who underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy (CWDM). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included patients who had chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma and underwent CWDM with ossiculoplasty involving partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP), total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP), or T0. Anatomical success rates and hearing outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were included in this study; 29 of them underwent CWDM with T0, 27 underwent CWDM with PORP, while 16 underwent CWDM with TORP. The difference in mean improvement in the air-bone gap (ABG) between the groups was not significant. The differences in the rates of ABG closure to ≤10 dB HL (p=0.030) and ≤20 dB HL (p=0.029) were significant. There were significant differences in improvements in the ABG at 3 kHz among the PORP, TORP, and T0 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The audiological outcomes of CWDM with ossiculoplasty seemed to be better than those of CWDM with T0 with no significant difference in the incidence of complications following ossiculoplasty and T0.

Functional Voice and Swallowing Outcome Analysis After Thyroid Lobectomy: Transoral Endoscopic Vestibular Versus Open Approach.

BACKGROUND: The transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) is a scarless remote-access thyroidectomy technique. This study compared subjective and objective voice outcomes and swallowing outcomes of patients who underwent thyroid lobectomy using the TOETVA versus conventional open thyroidectomy (OT). METHODS: In addition to questionnaires, acoustic and aerodynamic analyses were performed to compare subjective and objective voice outcomes of the two groups. Swallowing outcome analyses were conducted using Swallowing Impairment Index-6 (SIS-6) scores. Assessments were performed preoperatively and 3 and 6 months after surgery. Propensity score matching was performed to compare the outcomes of the two groups. RESULTS: One hundred and two patients were included in this study (52 TOETVA and 50 OT). Excluding two patients who had vocal cord palsy and open conversion in the TOETVA group, 100 patients completed 3-month postoperative surveys. There were no significant differences between the groups in VAS, GRBAS, or VHI-10 scores at the preoperative and 3- and 6-month assessments. For both groups, there were no significant changes in acoustic or aerodynamic parameters during the 3-6-month postoperative period. The TOETVA group had lower SIS-6 scores at the postoperative 6-month assessment, but the SIS-6 scores after 12 months were similar between groups before and after propensity score matching. CONCLUSIONS: Following TOETVA lobectomy, there were no significant changes in voice outcomes 3 and 6 months after surgery, and the outcomes were comparable with those of OT. The TOETVA group also had swallowing outcomes that were comparable with the OT group.

Life-history features and oceanography drive phylogeographic patterns of the chiton Acanthochitona cf. rubrolineata (Lischke, 1873) in the northwestern Pacific.

Chitons are a group of marine mollusks (class Polyplacophora) characterized by having eight articulating shell plates on their dorsal body surface. They represent suitable materials for studying the spatiotemporal processes that underlie population differentiation and speciation in ocean environments. Here we performed population genetic analyses on the northwestern Pacific chiton Acanthochitona cf. rubrolineata (Lischke, 1873) using two mitochondrial gene fragments (COI and 16S) from 180 individuals sampled from 11 populations among the coastal waters of Korea, Japan, and China. The phylogenetic network uncovered a reticulated relationship with several sub-haplogroups for all A. cf. rubrolineata haplotypes. SAMOVA analyses suggested the best grouping occurred at three groups (ΦCT = 0.151, P < 0.0001), which geographically corresponds to hydrographic discontinuity among the coastal regions of Korea, Japan, and China. The assumed limited dispersal ability of A. cf. rubrolineata, coupled with northeasterly flowing, trifurcate warm currents, might have contributed to the genetic differentiation among the three groups. Meanwhile, a high level of within-group genetic homogeneity was detected, indicating extensive coastal currents might facilitate gene flow among the populations within each group. Bayesian skyline plots demonstrated significant population expansion after the Last Glacial Period (110-25 thousand years ago) for all studied populations except the Japan group. Together these results suggest that the present-day phylogeographic patterns of A. cf. rubrolineata are strongly affected by the interplay of historical and/or contemporary oceanography and species-specific life-history features.