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The results of the 4th National Ecological Survey reflect the latest status of the ecological environment in South Korea. In this study, we presented spatial data on the distribution of mammals collected through the 4th National Ecological Survey in the southwestern area of the Korean Peninsula, covering Jeollanam-do, Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeju island. The data consists of information on mammal individuals recorded at the site and information on characteristics of abiotic environment at the recorded points, including spatial units (administrative districts, digital map index, etc.) which are necessary for statistical analysis. The data have high policy and research values because it can elaborate on the descriptive characteristics of the distribution points and identify the relationship between individual abundance and habitat environment. However, when data is utilized in a regional scale, it should precede to consider the survey system, such as how to select the survey area.

The enhancement in dewaterability of waste activated sludge (WAS) by oxidative treatment using thermally- and alkali-activated persulfates (i.e., peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS)) was studied with two indices representing dewaterability change, i.e., centrifuged weight reduction (CWR) and standardized-capillary suction time (SCST). The tested conditions include 50 °C/PMS, 50 °C/PDS, 80 °C/PMS, and 80 °C/PDS as thermally-activated persulfate systems and NaOH/PMS, NaOH/PDS, KOH/PMS, and KOH/PDS as alkali-activated persulfate systems. The oxidation by activated persulfates caused the disintegration of bacterial cells and extracelluar polymeric substance (EPS) of WAS, affecting the sludge dewaterability. The highest dewaterability was found at the KOH/PDS treatment in CWR and at the 80 °C/PDS treatment in SCST. The EPSs were stratified as soluble, loosely-bound (LB) and tightly-bound (TB) fractions, and contents of protein and polysaccharide in each fraction were measured to characterize the EPS matrix before and after treatments. The statistical analysis of the relationship between EPS character and dewaterability indicated that the protein content in LB-EPS was the dominant negative factor for the dewaterability represented by SCST, whereas the polysaccharide content in soluble-EPS was identified as the dominant positive factor for the dewaterability by CWR.

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is considered a relatively safe procedure. However, the procedure and the materials used in EGD with conscious sedation can cause stress to the patient. Adverse events during EGD have been reported, represented by cardiopulmonary complications. To date, five cases have reported worldwide to be associated with gastrointestinal endoscopy. Stress cardiomyopathy (SCMP) is a reversible cardiomyopathy that typically occurs in postmenopausal women due to stress and may resolve within a few weeks. SCMP resembles acute myocardial infarction but differs in terms of treatment and prognosis. Here, we describe two cases of SCMP with shock during EGD with conscious sedation.

Background/Aims: The influence of the endoscopist on the polyp detection rate (PDR) is underappreciated in clinical practice. Moreover, flat lesions or lesions of the proximal colon are more difficult to detect. Here, we evaluated the differences in the PDR and the characteristics of detected polyps according to the experience of the colonoscopist. Methods: We collected data on 2,549 patients who underwent screening colonoscopy performed by three fellows. The PDR was calculated according to the percentage of patients who had at least one polyp (method A) and according to the percentage of detected lesions (method B). The primary outcome included the change in the PDR, and the secondary outcome included the change in the characteristics of the detected polyps with increasing experience of the colonoscopist. Results: No proportional correlation was found between the PDR and increasing experience in colonoscopy with method A; however, with method B, the PDR increased after 400 colonoscopies (p=0.0209). With method B, the detection rates of small polyps (

The standard treatment in the early stage of maxillary sinus cancer is surgical resection followed by postoperative radiation therapy. However, for locally advanced maxillary sinus cancer, a multimodality treatment approach is strongly recommended to improve the survival rate and quality of life of the patient. We determined the treatment outcomes of induction chemotherapy, concurrent chemoradiation therapy, and surgical resection for locally advanced maxillary sinus cancer. Forty-four patients with locally advanced maxillary sinus cancer, who had been treated between January 1990 and April 2008 at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. The objective response rates were 70%, 53%, and 57% in the intra-arterial induction chemotherapy, intravenous induction chemotherapy, and concurrent chemoradiation therapy groups, respectively. The orbital preservation rates were 83%, 100%, and 75% in the intra-arterial induction chemotherapy, intravenous induction chemotherapy, and surgical resection groups, respectively. In seven of nine patients in whom the orbit could be preserved after induction chemotherapy, the primary tumors were removed completely. However, although the orbits were preserved in three patients who underwent surgical resection as a primary treatment, all three cases were confirmed to be incomplete resections. We found that active induction chemotherapy for locally advanced cancer of the maxillary sinus increased the possibility of complete resection with orbital preservation as well as tumor down-staging.

Background: Transoral thyroid surgery represented by the da Vinci system is attracted attention and performed by several institutions. However, the current available da Vinci system still has some limitations to be improved for transoral thyroid surgery including high cost of equipment and expendables, larger diameter scope and instruments and no tactile sensation. It triggered us interest in more easily available robotic scope holder. Soloassist II (AktorMed GmbH, Barbing, Germany) is an active endoscope holder system which is controlled by a joystick. It has total six joints: three joints which are controlled by computer, one is controlled by manual and two act as a gimbal joint following the movement of the main body. Materials and Methods: We tried transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy using Soloassist II (AktorMed GmbH, Barbing, Germany) in December 2017 in our hospital. Results: We successfully performed four thyroid lobectomies in four patients with Soloassist II. We refined and described surgical procedures in each step using video clips. It provided an excellent vibration‑free stable surgical view which enabled fatigue‑free work, without shaking or tilting the horizon. The surgeon could perform transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery with only one assistant surgeon. Docking and preparation time for Soloassist was within 10 min in all four patients. The setup and dismantling could be performed parallel to the usual workflow. No complication was reported by any patient. Conclusions: The robotic scope holder (Soloassist II) seems to be safe and feasible equipment for performing transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery. Several possible advantages could be expected with this robotic scope holder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple approach is developed for preparing carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles (NPs) that has combined homogeneous deposition (HD) of Pt complex species through a gradual increase of pH realized by in situ hydrolysis of urea and uniform reduction by ethylene glycol (EG) in a polyol process, giving control over the size and dispersion of Pt NPs. The electrocatalysis ability of the Pt catalysts produced by HD-EG is shown by determining the electrochemical surface area and fuel-cell polarization performance.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine prognostic factors influencing outcomes of surgical treatment in patients with T4a hypopharyngeal cancer.Methods: The present study enrolled 93 patients diagnosed with T4a hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent primary surgery between January 2005 and December 2015 at six medical centers in Korea. Primary tumor sites included pyriform sinus in 71 patients, posterior pharyngeal wall in 14 patients, and postcricoid region in 8 patients. Seventy-two patients received postoperative radio(chemo)therapy.Results: Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were 38% and 45%, respectively. In univariate analysis, 5-year DFS was found to have significant and positive correlations with margin involvement (p < 0.001) and extracapsular spread (p = 0.025). Multivariate analysis confirmed that margin involvement (hazard ratio (HR): 2.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.49-5.30; p = 0.001) and extracapsular spread (HR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.08-3.99; p = 0.028) were significant factors associated with 5-year DFS. In univariate analysis, cervical lymph node metastasis (p = 0.048), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.041), extracapsular spread (p = 0.015), and esophageal invasion (p = 0.033) were significant factors associated with 5-year DSS. In multivariate analysis, extracapsular spread (HR: 2.98; 95% CI: 1.39-6.42; p = 0.005) and esophageal invasion (HR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.38-5.98; p = 0.005) remained significant factors associated with 5-year DSS.Conclusion: Margin involvement and extracapsular spread are factors influencing recurrence while extracapsular spread and esophageal invasion are factors affecting survival in patients with T4a hypopharyngeal cancer treated by primary surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a design of chipless RFID tag with dipole array structure that is fully printable using conductive ink. The proposed tags encode data based on spectral signature modulations. The reading range is considerably increased (2 m) while maintaining low transmission power (1 mW). Several prototype chipless RFID tags were fabricated and measured in the SHF and UHF bands. The proposed dipole array structure enhances the antenna gain of the passive tags and contributes to overcoming the low conductivity of conductive ink. In order to verify the utility of our proposal, the tags are manufactured on paper, using conductive ink, for the purpose of economic mass production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of PNI in HPSCC. Methods: The medical records of 105 patients who underwent surgery-based treatment for HPSCC were reviewed. Clinicopathologic parameters including disease-specific survival were correlated with PNI. Results: PNI was identified in 27 of the 105 (25.7%) cases of HPSCC. Correlation analysis demonstrated that PNI in HPSCC was significantly correlated with pN classification (10.3% in N0/N1 vs 34.8% in N2/N3, p=0.006). Patients with PNI had decreased 5-year disease-specific survival with borderline significance (p=0.065). In a sub-set of 31 patients who did not receive post-operative radiotherapy, PNI was determined to be a significant prognostic predictor (p=0.033). In multivariate analysis, extracapsular invasion was the only independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival (p=0.001). Conclusion: Perineural invasion (PNI) should be considered an independent predictor for cervical lymph node involvement. PNI status in primary hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) specimens should be considered in decisions concerning adjuvant radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation by persulfates at elevated temperatures (thermally activated persulfates) disintegrates bacterial cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) composing waste-activated sludge (WAS), facilitating the subsequent sludge dewatering. The WAS disintegration process by thermally activated persulfates exhibited different behaviors depending on the types of persulfates employed, that is, peroxymonosulfate (PMS) versus peroxydisulfate (PDS). The decomposition of PMS in WAS proceeded via a two-phase reaction, an instantaneous decomposition by the direct reaction with the WAS components followed by a gradual thermal decay. During the PMS treatment, the WAS filterability (measured by capillary suction time) increased in the initial stage but rapidly stagnated and even decreased as the reaction proceeded. In contrast, the decomposition of PDS exhibited pseudo first-order decay during the entire reaction, resulting in the greater and steadier increase in the WAS filterability compared to the case of PMS. The treatment by PMS produced a high portion of true colloidal solids (<1 μm) and eluted soluble and bound EPS, which is detrimental to the WAS filterability. However, the observations regarding the dissolved organic carbon, ammonium ions, and volatile suspended solids collectively indicated that the treatment by PMS more effectively disintegrated WAS compared to PDS, leading to higher weight (or volume) reduction by postcentrifugation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A binder-free and solvent-free pencil-trace electrode with intercalated clay particles (mainly SiO2) is prepared via a simple pencil-drawing process on grinded Cu substrate with rough surface and evaluated as an anode material for lithium-ion battery. The pencil-trace electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 672 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 after 100 cycles, which can be attributed to the unique multilayered graphene particles with lateral size of few micrometers and the formation of LixSi alloys generated by interaction between Li+ and an active Si produced in the electrochemical reduction of nano-SiO2 in the clay particles between the multilayered graphene particles. The multilayered graphene obtained by this process consists of 1 up to 20 and occasionally up to 50 sheets and thus can not only help accommodating the volume change and alleviating the structural strain during Li ion insertion and extraction but also allow rapid access of Li ions during charge-discharge cycling. Drawing with a pencil on grinded Cu substrate is not only very simple but also cost-effective and highly scalable, easily establishing graphitic circuitry through a solvent-free and binder-free approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cellular function and diversity are orchestrated by complex interactions of fundamental biomolecules including DNA, RNA and proteins. Technological advances in genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics have enabled massively parallel and unbiased measurements. Such high-throughput technologies have been extensively used to carry out broad, unbiased studies, particularly in the context of human diseases. Nevertheless, a unified analysis of the genome, epigenome, transcriptome and proteome of a single human cell type to obtain a coherent view of the complex interplay between various biomolecules has not yet been undertaken. Here, we report the first multi-omic analysis of human primary naïve CD4+ T cells isolated from a single individual. Results: Integrating multi-omics datasets allowed us to investigate genome-wide methylation and its effect on mRNA/protein expression patterns, extent of RNA editing under normal physiological conditions and allele specific expression in naïve CD4+ T cells. In addition, we carried out a multi-omic comparative analysis of naïve with primary resting memory CD4+ T cells to identify molecular changes underlying T cell differentiation. This analysis provided mechanistic insights into how several molecules involved in T cell receptor signaling are regulated at the DNA, RNA and protein levels. Phosphoproteomics revealed downstream signaling events that regulate these two cellular states. Availability of multi-omics data from an identical genetic background also allowed us to employ novel proteogenomics approaches to identify individual-specific variants and putative novel protein coding regions in the human genome. Conclusions: We utilized multiple high-throughput technologies to derive a comprehensive profile of two primary human cell types, naïve CD4+ T cells and memory CD4+ T cells, from a single donor. Through vertical as well as horizontal integration of whole genome sequencing, methylation arrays, RNA-Seq, miRNA-Seq, proteomics, and phosphoproteomics, we derived an integrated and comparative map of these two closely related immune cells and identified potential molecular effectors of immune cell differentiation following antigen encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome analysis revealed the existence of a putative transcriptional regulatory system governing CO metabolism in Thermococcus onnurineus NA1, a carboxydotrophic hydrogenogenic archaeon. The regulatory system is composed of CorQ with a 4-vinyl reductase domain and CorR with a DNA-binding domain of the LysR-type transcriptional regulator family in close proximity to the CO dehydrogenase (CODH) gene cluster. Homologous genes of the CorQR pair were also found in the genomes of Thermococcus species and "Candidatus Korarchaeum cryptofilum" OPF8. In-frame deletion of either corQ or corR caused a severe impairment in CO-dependent growth and H2 production. When corQ and corR deletion mutants were complemented by introducing the corQR genes under the control of a strong promoter, the mRNA and protein levels of the CODH gene were significantly increased in a ΔCorR strain complemented with integrated corQR (ΔCorR/corQR↑) compared with those in the wild-type strain. In addition, the ΔCorR/corQR↑ strain exhibited a much higher H2 production rate (5.8-fold) than the wild-type strain in a bioreactor culture. The H2 production rate (191.9 mmol liter-1 h-1) and the specific H2 production rate (249.6 mmol g-1 h-1) of this strain were extremely high compared with those of CO-dependent H2-producing prokaryotes reported so far. These results suggest that the corQR genes encode a positive regulatory protein pair for the expression of a CODH gene cluster. The study also illustrates that manipulation of the transcriptional regulatory system can improve biological H2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the synthesis of high quality monolayer graphene on the pre-treated copper (Cu) foil by chemical vapor deposition method. The pre-treatment process, which consists of pre-annealing in a hydrogen ambient, followed by diluted nitric acid etching of Cu foil, helps in removing impurities. These impurities include native copper oxide and rolling lines that act as a nucleation center for multilayer graphene. Raman mapping of our graphene grown on pre-treated Cu foil primarily consisted of ~98% a monolayer graphene with as compared to 75% for the graphene grown on untreated Cu foil. A high hydrogen flow rate during the pre-annealing process resulted in an increased I2D/IG ratio of graphene up to 3.55. Uniform monolayer graphene was obtained with a I2D/IG ratio and sheet resistance varying from 1.84 - 3.39 and 1110 - 1290 Ω/□, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. The etiology of pancreatic cancer is heterogeneous with a wide range of alterations that have already been reported at the level of the genome, transcriptome, and proteome. The past decade has witnessed a large number of experimental studies using high-throughput technology platforms to identify genes whose expression at the transcript or protein levels is altered in pancreatic cancer. Based on expression studies, a number of molecules have also been proposed as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of this deadly cancer. Currently, there are no repositories which provide an integrative view of multiple Omics data sets from published research on pancreatic cancer. Here, we describe the development of a web-based resource, Pancreatic Cancer Database (http://www.pancreaticcancerdatabase.org), as a unified platform for pancreatic cancer research. PCD contains manually curated information pertaining to quantitative alterations in miRNA, mRNA, and proteins obtained from small-scale as well as high-throughput studies of pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. We believe that PCD will serve as an integrative platform for scientific community involved in pancreatic cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of human genome sequencehas transformed biomedical researchover thepast decade.However, anequivalentmapfor the human proteome with direct measurements of proteins and peptides does not exist yet. Herewepresent a draft map of the human proteome using high-resolution Fourier-transform mass spectrometry. In-depth proteomic profiling of 30 histologically normal human samples, including 17 adult tissues, 7 fetal tissues and 6 purified primary haematopoietic cells, resulted in identification of proteins encoded by 17,294 genes accounting for approximately 84% of the total annotated protein-coding genes in humans. A unique and comprehensive strategy for proteogenomic analysis enabled us to discover a number of novel protein-coding regions, which includes translated pseudogenes, non-coding RNAs and upstream open reading frames. This large human proteome catalogue (available as an interactive web-based resource at http://www.humanproteomemap.org) will complement available human genome and transcriptomedata to accelerate biomedical research in health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graphene-based, multiband absorber operating in terahertz (THz) frequency range was demonstrated. Graphene film was transferred onto the top of a flexible polymer substrate backed with a gold reflector. The graphene acts as a resistive film that partially attenuates and reflects THz waves. The destructive interference between THz waves reflected from graphene and backside reflector gives rise to perfect absorbance at multiple frequencies. To enhance the absorbance on/off ratio (AR), the conductivity of graphene was varied using a chemical doping method. The resulting p-doped, graphene-based THz absorber exhibited absorbance at maxima and AR higher than 0.95 and 25 dB, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogenogenic CO oxidation (CO + H2O → CO2 + H2) has the potential for H2 production as a clean renewable fuel. Thermococcus onnurineus NA1, which grows on CO and produces H2, has a unique gene cluster encoding the carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) and the hydrogenase. The gene cluster was identified as essential for carboxydotrophic hydrogenogenic metabolism by gene disruption and transcriptional analysis. To develop a strain producing high levels of H2, the gene cluster was placed under the control of a strong promoter. The resulting mutant, MCO1, showed 30-fold-higher transcription of the mRNA encoding CODH, hydrogenase, and Na+/H+ antiporter and a 1.8-fold-higher specific activity for CO-dependent H2 production than did the wild-type strain. The H2 production potential of the MCO1 mutant in a bioreactor culture was 3.8-fold higher than that of the wild-type strain. The H2 production rate of the engineered strain was severalfold higher than those of any other COdependent H2-producing prokaryotes studied to date. The engineered strain also possessed high activity for the bioconversion of industrial waste gases created as a by-product during steel production. This work represents the first demonstration of H2 production from steel mill waste gas using a carboxydotrophic hydrogenogenic microbe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]