Prediction of final pathology depending on preoperative myometrial invasion and grade assessment in low-risk endometrial cancer patients: A Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group ancillary study.

OBJECTIVES: Fertility-sparing treatment (FST) might be considered an option for reproductive patients with low-risk endometrial cancer (EC). On the other hand, the matching rates between preoperative assessment and postoperative pathology in low-risk EC patients are not high enough. We aimed to predict the postoperative pathology depending on preoperative myometrial invasion (MI) and grade in low-risk EC patients to help extend the current criteria for FST. METHODS/MATERIALS: This ancillary study (KGOG 2015S) of Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group 2015, a prospective, multicenter study included patients with no MI or MI <1/2 on preoperative MRI and endometrioid adenocarcinoma and grade 1 or 2 on endometrial biopsy. Among the eligible patients, Groups 1-4 were defined with no MI and grade 1, no MI and grade 2, MI <1/2 and grade 1, and MI <1/2 and grade 2, respectively. New prediction models using machine learning were developed. RESULTS: Among 251 eligible patients, Groups 1-4 included 106, 41, 74, and 30 patients, respectively. The new prediction models showed superior prediction values to those from conventional analysis. In the new prediction models, the best NPV, sensitivity, and AUC of preoperative each group to predict postoperative each group were as follows: 87.2%, 71.6%, and 0.732 (Group 1); 97.6%, 78.6%, and 0.656 (Group 2); 71.3%, 78.6% and 0.588 (Group 3); 91.8%, 64.9%, and 0.676% (Group 4). CONCLUSIONS: In low-risk EC patients, the prediction of postoperative pathology was ineffective, but the new prediction models provided a better prediction.

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Coxiella burnetii in Cattle, Goats, and Horses in the Republic of Korea.

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular zoonotic bacterium with a global distribution. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of C. burnetii in different animals and to assess the potential role of these species as reservoirs of infection and transmission to humans. A total of 592 blood samples (105 beef cattle, 61 dairy cattle, 110 Korean native goats, 83 Boer goats, and 233 horses) were collected in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The C. burnetii DNA was detected from blood samples using the transposon-like repetitive region (IS1111) by PCR method. The results showed that 22.7% of the Korean-native goats, 16.4% of the dairy cattle, 15.2% of the beef cattle, 6.0% of the Boer goats, and 5.2% of the horses were positive for C. burnetii. Significant differences were found between the animal species. The univariable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of contracting C. burnetii was significantly high by 5.4-fold in Korean-native goats (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.60%-11.27%, p = 0.000), 3.6-fold in dairy cattle (95% CI: 1.48%-8.82%, p = 0.005), and 3.3-fold in beef cattle (95% CI: 1.51%-7.28%, p = 0.003) compared with horses. A phylogenetic tree based on the IS1111 gene revealed that our sequences had 92.2%-99.9% similarity and were clustered with those detected in humans, cattle, goats, dogs, rodents, and ticks. C. burnetii circulating in the ROK exhibits genetic variation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify C. burnetii DNA in a horse in the ROK. These results suggest that cattle, goats, and horses can be potential reservoirs for C. burnetii and play an important role in the transmission of infection. Further studies should assess the pathogenicity of C. burnetii circulating in the ROK.

Seroprevalence and Molecular Characterization of Coxiella burnetii in Cattle in the Republic of Korea.

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in cattle and how that prevalence is influenced by cattle breed and growth type. A total of 491 cattle [cattle breed: 216 dairy cattle and 275 beef cattle; growth type: indoor housed (n = 294) and grazing (n = 197)] were used. The presence of C. burnetii DNA and antibodies was detected from blood and serum samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The overall prevalence of C. burnetii was: 10.8% (95% CI: 8.0-13.5%) using PCR and 8.8% (95% CI: 6.3-11.3%) using ELISA. The prevalence of C. burnetii was significantly higher in beef cattle than in dairy cattle using both PCR (13.5% vs. 7.4%; P = 0.032) and ELISA (14.5% vs. 1.4%; P = 0.000), respectively. Comparison by growth type revealed that C. burnetii infection was significantly higher in grazing cattle than in housed cattle when using both PCR (24.9% vs. 1.4%; P = 0.000) and ELISA (21.3% vs. 0.3%; P = 0.000). Beef cattle were at a significantly higher risk of contracting C. burnetii compared with dairy cattle (odds ratio = 3.20, 95% CI: 1.80-5.67; P = 0.000). The risk of contracting C. burnetii in grazing cattle was increased by 32.57-fold (95% CI: 12.84-82.61; P = 0.000) compared with indoor housed cattle. The phylogenetic analysis based on the IS1111 gene revealed that our sequences grouped with human, tick, goat, and cattle isolates/strains found in several countries. C. burnetii sequences circulating in the Republic of Korea exhibit genetic variations. Thus, grazing is a high risk factor for the prevalence and transmission of C. burnetii.

Effect of natural extract eye drops in dry eye disease rats.

AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of natural extract eye drops containing bee venom, musk, and deer antlers in dry eye disease (DED) animal models. METHODS: Scopolamine-injected DED rats and lacrimal gland-excised rats were allocated into control, saline, and natural extract groups respectively and a normal group (lacrimal gland excision was not performed) in lacrimal gland-excised rats. After eye drop instillation 4 times a day for 5d, corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) scores, tear MUC5AC levels, and tear lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were measured. RESULTS: In scopolamine-injected rats, the natural extract-treated group had significantly lower CFS scores (1.7±0.5, 4.7±1.4, 3.8±1.9, P=0.006) and tear LDH levels (0.10±0.01, 0.19±0.01, 0.16±0.08 OD, P=0.014) but higher tear MUC5AC levels (12.9±3.7, 7.9±2.0, 9.7±3.6 ng/mL, P=0.041) compared with the control and saline-treated groups. There were no significant differences between the control and saline-treated groups. In lacrimal gland-excised rats, the natural extract-treated group also had lower CFS scores (4.3±1.2, 11.5±2.3, 9.0±1.9, P<0.001, P=0.001) and tear LDH levels (0.30±0.08, 0.48±0.12, 0.39±0.05 OD, P<0.05) but higher tear volume (4.3±0.9, 1.9±0.7, 2.8±1.1 mm, P=0.005, P=0.124) and tear MUC5AC levels (8.2±2.0, 2.9±1.2, 5.4±2.2 ng/mL, P<0.001, P=0.047) compared with the control and saline-treated groups. There were no significant differences in the CFS scores, tear MUC5AC level, and tear LDH level between the normal and natural extract-treated groups. CONCLUSION: The natural extract consisting of bee venom, musk, and deer antlers may have effectiveness in DED treatment by restoring the damaged ocular surface, increasing tear volume, and recovering the tear mucin layer in DED rats.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Properties of Glass Nanocomposite Sealants.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of heat treatments on the viscosities and electrical conductivities of glass sealants to be used in solid oxide fuel cells. Glass-based sealants, both with and without an alumina nanopowder added as a nanofiller, were heat treated at temperatures ranging from 750 degrees C to 770 degrees C for periods of up to 240 h. The effects of heat treatments on the viscosities, electrical conductivities and phase transformations of the sealants were investigated. The results showed that alumina nanopowder added to the glass increased both high-temperature electrical conductivities and the viscosities of the sintered glass nanocomposite sealants. However, lengthy heat treatments decreased the electrical conductivities of the glass nanocomposite sealants. This decrease in the conductivities of the heat-treated glass nanocomposites was attributed to the crystallization of glass phase, owing to the dissolution of the alumina nanofiller in the sealing glass.

Effect of alumina nanofiller on properties of heat-treated glass composite sealants.

Alkali/alkaline-earth borosilicate glass-alumina composites containing 10 vol% Al2O3 were prepared for use as solid oxide fuel cell sealants. The effect of heat treatment and Al2O3, addition on the viscosities and electrical conductivities was investigated to improve cyclic sealing performance. Upon a 48-h heat treatment, the viscosity of the glass-alumina composites at 750 degrees C was approximately four orders of magnitude higher than that of the base glass owing to the crystallization of the glass in the presence of Al2O3. Heat treatment increased the electrical conductivities of both the base glass and the glass-alumina composites. The electrical conductivities of glass-alumina composites in the range from 400 degrees C to 550 degrees C were three times higher than those of the base glass regardless of heat treatment. This increase in the conductivities and viscosities by heat treatment was attributed to the devitrification and structural densification of the sealing glass and the partial dissolution of the Al2O3 filler in alkali/alkaline-earth borosilicate sealing glass.