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For applications of microorganisms as probiotics in the food industry, safety evaluation has increasingly become important to ensure the health of consumers. Although people have been using various lactic acid bacteria for different purposes, some studies have reported that certain lactic acid bacteria exhibit properties of virulence and produce toxic compounds. Thus, it is necessary to examine the characteristics associated with lactic acid bacteria that are safe for use as probiotics. This research aimed to assess the safety of Lactococcus lactis IDCC 2301 isolated from homemade cheese using in vitro and in vivo assays, including antibiotic resistance, hemolytic activity, toxin production, infectivity, and metabolic activity in immune‐compromised animal species. The results demonstrated that the strain was susceptible to nine antibiotics suggested by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Whole‐genome analysis revealed that L. lactis IDCC 2301 neither has toxigenic genes nor harbors antibiotic resistance. Moreover, L. lactis IDCC 2301 showed neither hemolytic nor β‐glucuronidase activity. Furthermore, none of the D‐lactate and biogenic amines were produced by L. lactis IDCC 2301. Finally, it was demonstrated that there was no toxicity and mortality using single‐dose oral toxicity tests in rats. These results indicate that L. lactis IDCC 2301 can be safely used as probiotics for human consumption., Safety assessment of Lactococcus lactis IDCC 2301 isolated from homemade cheese was performed. It was proven that L. lactis IDCC 2301 can be safely used as probiotics for human consumption through in vitro and in vivo experiments about safety.

Air embolism is a rare, fatal complication of computed tomography (CT)‐guided transthoracic needle biopsy (TTNB) of the lung. Here, we report a patient who developed an air embolism after CT‐guided TTNB, which led to ST‐elevation myocardial infarction and acute cerebral ischemia. The patient recovered completely without critical sequelae and was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma harboring activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. The patient responded to subsequent treatment with gefitinib. Key points Signficant findings of the study Air embolism is a rare, fatal complication of CT‐guided transthoracic lung biopsy. Only a few cases have been previously reported where myocardial and cerebral infarction occurred after TTNB, demonstrated not only on CT scan, but also electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram. What this study adds Detection of driver gene mutation is crucial for planning lung cancer treatment. Despite the need for tissue biopsy, air embolism propagation to vital organs could result in severe end‐organ damage and multidisciplinary approaches are needed to improve initial outcomes., Systemic air embolism developed after CT‐guided TTNB, leading to ST‐elevation, myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke. The patient recovered completely without sequelae and was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma harboring activating EGFR mutation. Treatment with gefitinib showed a response.

BACKGROUND In cases of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) failure, re-biopsy may be useful to understand resistance mechanisms and guide further treatment decisions. However, performing re-biopsy is challenging because of several hurdles. We assessed the feasibility of re-biopsy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in real-world clinical practice. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and pathologic data of advanced NSCLC patients who experienced disease progression after previous treatment with EGFR-TKIs at a single tertiary hospital in Korea between January 2014 and December 2016. Re-biopsy specimens included small biopsy, surgical tissue, or liquid-based cytology. EGFR mutation was tested using peptide nucleic acid-mediated clamping PCR. RESULTS Of the 230 NSCLC patients that experienced progression after EGFR-TKI therapy, 105 (45.7%) underwent re-biopsy. Re-biopsy was successfully performed in 94 (89.5%) patients, and 11 patients were diagnosed with no malignancy. The complication rate was 8.6%, including seven cases of pneumothorax. EGFR mutation testing was performed on 75 patients using re-biopsy specimens. Of the 57 patients who had sensitizing mutations at diagnosis, T790M mutations were found in 19 (33.3%), while 38 (66.7%) had no T790M mutation. Multivariate analysis showed that the re-biopsy group was younger (P = 0.002) and exhibited a previous response to EGFR-TKIs (P

Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma (PSP) is a rare benign neoplasm that predominantly affects middle‐aged Asian women. PSP is often asymptomatic and demonstrates a solitary pulmonary nodule on radiologic examination. We report a case of PSP initially misdiagnosed as lung cancer because of strong 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake revealed by 18F‐FDG positron emission tomography‐computed tomography scan. After surgery, pathology revealed that the tumor cells were immunopositive for epithelial membrane antigen and thyroid transcription factor‐1. The patient has been followed up without complication or recurrence.

Trichloro modified polyester polyols were synthesized by two-step condensation reactions. An intermediate compound was synthesized by the esterification of trichloroacetic acid with trimethylolpropane in the first step. In the next step, polycondensation of the intermediate, 1,4-butanediol and trimethylolpropane with adipic acid was carried out. Two-component flame-retardant polyurethane coatings were prepared by blending these modified polyester polyols and polyisocyanate. The physical properties of these new coatings were comparable to non-flame-retardant coatings. They showed a drying time of 3-4 h and a pot life time of 10-13 h, which could belong to the flame-retardant coatings with long pot life times. Coating with 20 wt % trichloroacetic acid showed a self-extinguishing property in the vertical burning test.