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In 2019 September, a sudden flare of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser was observed toward the high-mass young stellar object (HMYSO) G24.33+0.14. This may represent the fourth detection of a transient mass accretion event in an HMYSO after S255IR NIRS3, NGC 6334I-MM1, and G358.93−0.03-MM1. G24.33+0.14 is unique among these sources as it clearly shows a repeating flare with an 8 yr interval. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we observed the millimeter continuum and molecular lines toward G24.33+0.14 in the pre-flare phase in 2016 August (ALMA Cycle 3) and the mid-flare phase in 2019 September (ALMA Cycle 6). We identified three continuum sources in G24.33+0.14, and the brightest source, C1, which is closely associated with the 6.7 GHz maser emission, shows only a marginal increase in flux density with a flux ratio (Cycle 6$/$Cycle 3) of 1.16 ± 0.01, considering an additional absolute flux calibration uncertainty of $10\%$. We identified 26 transitions from 13 molecular species other than methanol, and they exhibit similar levels of flux differences with an average flux ratio of 1.12 ± 0.15. In contrast, eight methanol lines observed in Cycle 6 are brighter than those in Cycle 3 with an average flux ratio of 1.23 ± 0.13, and the higher excitation lines tend to show a larger flux increase. If this systematic increasing trend is real, it would suggest radiative heating close to the central HMYSO due to an accretion event which could expand the size of the emission region and/or change the excitation conditions. Given the low brightness temperatures and small flux changes, most of the methanol emission is likely to be predominantly thermal, except for the 229.759 GHz (8−1–70 E) line known as a class I methanol maser. The flux change in the millimeter continuum of G24.33+0.14 is smaller than in S255IR NIRS3 and NGC 6334I-MM1 but is comparable with that in G358.93−0.03-MM1, suggesting different amounts of accreted mass in these events.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection management has recently become more successful. While the life expectancy of HIV-infected patients increased, the prevalence of non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining cancers, such as gastric cancer, also increased. Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastric cancer, the most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in South Korea, which has the highest incidence of chronic gastric mucosa inflammation. Here, the seroprevalence and risk factors of H. pylori infection in Korean HIV-infected patients were evaluated.Three hundred HIV-infected patients attending the Outpatient Department of Pusan National University Hospital were prospectively enrolled from October 2018 to February 2019. Socio-demographic information was evaluated using questionnaires, and the serological status of H. pylori infection was analyzed for anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies.The overall seropositivity of H. pylori was 32.7%, and 254 patients (84.7%) were male. The risk factors significantly associated with H. pylori seropositivity were: age of 40-49 years (odds ratio [OR] = 5.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-19.17), age of 50-59 years (OR = 3.93; 95% CI 1.05-14.73), CD4 cell counts of 350-500/μL (OR = 4.23; 95% CI 1.53-11.65), CD4 cell counts ≥500/μL (OR = 2.78; 95% CI 1.15-6.72), and a weekly average alcohol consumption of at least one alcoholic beverage (OR = 1.78; 95% CI 1.05-2.99).The seroprevalence of H. pylori is significantly associated with alcohol consumption, high CD4 cell count, and the age group of 40-59 years.

Accurate estimation of groundwater recharge in Jeju Island, which relies on groundwater for most of its water use, is very important for water resource management and planning. However, Jeju watershed is a volcanic island with high permeability, ephemeral streams and mountain areas, so it is difficult to estimate the hydrological components using existing hydrological models. To overcome these limitations, SWAT-K (Soil and Water Assessment Tool-Korea), which can simulate ephemeral stream and threshold runoff, was used to estimate hydrological components (such as precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, and groundwater recharge) of Jeju watershed (~1,828 km2). The overall procedure of SWAT-K modeling (model setup, calibration and validation) was performed from 1991 to 2020. The simulated and observed daily streamflows were compared and showed a good agreement. In particular, a reasonable estimation of groundwater recharge was confirmed through the comparison of simulated groundwater recharge and the observed groundwater level. Finally, the spatio-temporal groudwater recharge characteristics were analyzed using the SWAT-K results.Acknowledgement : Research for this paper was carried out under the KICT Research Program (project no.20220275-001, Development of coastal groundwater management solution) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC) program for rural caregivers.A total of 160 caregivers participated in the program. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify latent caregiving outcomes. Paired samples t-tests were conducted to investigate changes in caregiving outcomes before and after the program. To examine geographical differences in the caregiving outcomes, independent samples t-tests were performed. Qualitative responses of the participants were also analyzed.Self-care and positive coping strategies were identified as latent caregiving outcomes. When comparing these two outcome scores before and after the program, the scores significantly improved. The changes in the caregiving outcomes of rural caregivers were greater than those of sub/urban caregivers. Although rural and sub/urban caregivers qualitatively reported similar themes, there were geographical differences in the percentages of caregivers reporting each theme.The PTC program was effective in improving self-care and positive coping strategies, but the effect of the program was more pronounced in rural areas. Our findings suggest that interventions focusing on self-care and positive coping strategies may beneficially impact rural caregivers.The PTC program appears promising to improve self-care strategies and enhance self-efficacy of rural caregivers.

Purpose: Currently, there are no molecular biomarkers for the early detection of breast cancer. This study focused on identifying surface proteins found on circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) for detecting early-stage breast cancer.Experimental Design: Circulating EVs, isolated from the plasma of 10 patients with breast cancer (stages I and II) and 5 healthy controls, were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. Developmental endothelial locus-1 protein (Del-1) was selected as a candidate biomarker. Two different ELISAs were used to measure Del-1 in plasma samples from healthy controls (n = 81), patients with breast cancer (n = 269), breast cancer patients after surgical resection (n = 50), patients with benign breast tumors (n = 64), and patients with noncancerous diseases (n = 98) in two cohorts.Results: Plasma Del-1 levels were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in patients with breast cancer than in all controls and returned to almost normal after tumor removal. The diagnostic accuracy of Del-1 was AUC, 0.961 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.924–0.983], sensitivity of 94.70%, and specificity of 86.36% in test cohort and 0.968 (0.933–0.988), 92.31%, and 86.62% in validation cohort for early-stage breast cancer by one type of ELISA. Furthermore, Del-1 maintained diagnostic accuracy for patients with early-stage breast cancer using the other type of ELISA [0.946 (0.905–0.972), 90.90%, and 77.14% in the test cohort; 0.943 (0.900–0.971), 89.23%, and 80.99% in the validation cohort].Conclusions: Del-1 on circulating EVs is a promising marker to improve identification of patients with early-stage breast cancer and distinguish breast cancer from benign breast tumors and noncancerous diseases. Clin Cancer Res; 22(7); 1757–66. ©2015 AACR.

List of proteins identified EVs derived from the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. For each protein, they show IPI accession number, protein description, Mascot score, and protein mass.

Supplemental Figure 1. Study design, including sample collection, discovery, test and validation. Supplemental Figure 2. Characterization of EVs isolated from human plasma and MDA-MB-231 cells. Supplemental Figure 3. Optimization of ELISA. Linearity of ELISA Method 1 (A) and ELISA Method 2 (B) for the quantification of Del-1 on EV in plasma. Supplemental Figure 4. CA 15-3 levels in plasma from patients with BC in test set. The black horizontal lines are means, and error bars are SEs. Healthy controls (HC). Supplemental Figure 5. The relationships among the number of circulating EVs, tumor sizes, and Del-1 or CD63 levels, in patients with breast cancer. Supplemental Figure 6. Correlation between Del-1 levels and the status of four types of receptors associated with BC in the test cohort. Supplemental Figure 7. Del-1 levels in plasma in the validation cohort using two types of ELISA.

List of proteins quantified between control and breast cancer. For each protein, they show IPI accession number, protein description, ratio from each patient, ,average and common protein in MDA-MB-231.

Starless cores represent the initial stage of evolution toward (proto)star formation, and a subset of them, known as prestellar cores, with high density (∼ 106 cm−3 or higher) and being centrally concentrated are expected to be embryos of (proto)stars. Determining the density profile of prestellar cores therefore provides an important opportunity to gauge the initial conditions of star formation. In this work, we perform rigorous modeling to estimate the density profiles of three nearly spherical prestellar cores among a sample of five highly dense cores detected by our recent observations. We employed multiscale observational data of the (sub)millimeter dust continuum emission, including those obtained by SCUBA-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope with a resolution of ∼ 5600 au and by multiple Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations with a resolution as high as ∼ 480 au. We are able to consistently reproduce the observed multiscale dust continuum images of the cores with a simple prescribed density profile, which bears an inner region of flat density and an r −2 profile toward the outer region. By utilizing the peak density and the size of the inner flat region as a proxy for the dynamical stage of the cores, we find that the three modeled cores are most likely unstable and prone to collapse. The sizes of the inner flat regions, as compact as ∼ 500 au, signify them as being the highly evolved prestellar cores rarely found to date.

Liver X receptor (LXR) is a critical regulator of cholesterol homeostasis that inhibits T cell receptor (TCR)-induced proliferation by altering intracellular sterol metabolism. However, the mechanisms by which LXR regulates helper T cell subset differentiation remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that LXR is a crucial negative regulator of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells in vivo. Both mixed bone marrow chimera and antigen-specific T cell adoptive cotransfer studies show a specific increase in Tfh cells among LXRβ-deficient CD4 + T cell population in response to immunization and lymphocytic choriomeningitis mammarenavirus (LCMV) infection. Mechanistically, LXRβ-deficient Tfh cells express augmented levels of T cell factor 1 (TCF-1) but comparable levels of Bcl6, CXCR5, and PD-1 in comparison with those of LXRβ-sufficient Tfh cells. Loss of LXRβ confers inactivation of GSK3β induced by either AKT/Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation or Wnt/β-catenin pathway, leading to elevated TCF-1 expression in CD4 + T cells. Conversely, ligation of LXR represses TCF-1 expression and Tfh cell differentiation in both murine and human CD4 + T cells. LXR agonist significantly diminishes Tfh cells and the levels of antigen-specific IgG upon immunization. These findings unveil a cell-intrinsic regulatory function of LXR in Tfh cell differentiation via the GSK3β-TCF1 pathway, which may serve as a promising target for pharmacological intervention in Tfh-mediated diseases.

Jeong Eun Lee,1 Jinyoung Oh,1 Jun Nyung Lee,2 Hyun-Su Ri,3 Chang Sub Lee,3 Jinseok Yeo1 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, Korea; 2Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, Korea; 3Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, KoreaCorrespondence: Jinseok Yeo, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Kyungpook National University School of medicine, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, Korea, Tel +82-53-200-2644, Fax +82-53-200-2027, Email painfree@gmail.comBackground: Opioid use after surgery is a potential contributor to the opioid epidemic. An adequate pain control method after surgery while minimizing opioid exposure is needed. This study aimed to compare the effect of non-opioid multimodal analgesia (NOMA) protocol with opioid-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for pain relief after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).Methods: This prospective randomized, open, non-inferiority trial included 80 patients scheduled for RARP. The NOMA group received pregabalin, paracetamol, bilateral quadratus lumborum block, and pudendal nerve block. PCA group received PCA. Pain scores, postoperative nausea and vomiting, opioid requirements, and quality of recovery were recorded 48 hours after surgery.Results: We found no significant differences in pain scores. The mean difference in pain score during rest at 24 h was 0.5 (95% CI − 0.5 to 2.0). This result demonstrated the non-inferiority of NOMA protocol to PCA at our non-inferiority margin (− 1). In addition, 23 patients in the NOMA group did not receive any opioid agonist for 48 h after surgery. Recovery of bowel function was also faster in the NOMA group than in the PCA group (25.0 hours vs 33.4 hours, p = 0.01).Limitations: We did not evaluate whether our NOMA protocol could decrease the incidence of new continuous opioid use after surgery.Conclusion: NOMA protocol successfully controlled postoperative pain and was non-inferior to morphine-based PCA regarding patient-reported pain intensity. It also promoted recovery of bowel function and decreased postoperative nausea and vomiting.Keywords: multimodal analgesia, opioid sparing, postoperative pain, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

Mid-infrared (mid-IR) variability in young stellar objects (YSOs) is driven by several physical mechanisms, which produce a variety of amplitudes and light curve shapes. One of these mechanisms, variable disk accretion is predicted by models of episodic accretion to drive secular variability, including in the mid-IR. Because the largest accretion bursts are rare, adding new objects to the YSO eruptive variable class aids our understanding of the episodic accretion phenomenon and its possible impact on stellar and planetary formation. A previous analysis of 6.5 yr of NeoWISE light curves (3-5 $μ$m) of ~7000 nearby YSOs found an increase in the fraction of variability and variability amplitude for objects at younger stages of evolution. To help interpret these light curves, we have obtained low- and high-resolution near-IR spectra of 78 objects from this sample of YSOs. In this work, we present the analysis of nine nearby YSOs (d$, 17 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS on 14 March 2023

Investigating the physical and chemical structures of massive star-forming regions is critical for understanding the formation and the early evolution of massive stars. We performed a detailed line survey toward six dense cores named as MM1, MM4, MM6, MM7, MM8, and MM11 in G9.62+0.19 star-forming region resolved in ALMA band 3 observations. Toward these cores, about 172 transitions have been identified and attributed to 16 species including organic Oxygen-, Nitrogen-, Sulfur-bearing molecules and their isotopologues. Four dense cores MM7, MM8, MM4, and MM11 are line rich sources. Modeling of these spectral lines reveals the rotational temperature in a range of 72$-$115~K, 100$-$163~K, 102$-$204~K, and 84$-$123~K for the MM7, MM8, MM4, and MM11, respectively. The molecular column densities are 1.6 $\times$ 10$^{15}$ $-$ 9.2 $\times$ 10$^{17}$~cm$^{-2}$ toward the four cores. The cores MM8 and MM4 show chemical difference between Oxygen- and Nitrogen-bearing species, i.e., MM4 is rich in oxygen-bearing molecules while nitrogen-bearing molecules especially vibrationally excited HC$_{3}$N lines are mainly observed in MM8. The distinct initial temperature at accretion phase may lead to this N/O differentiation. Through analyzing column densities and spatial distributions of O-bearing Complex Organic Molecules (COMs), we found that C$_{2}$H$_{5}$OH and CH$_{3}$OCH$_{3}$ might have a common precursor, CH$_{3}$OH. CH$_{3}$OCHO and CH$_{3}$OCH$_{3}$ are likely chemically linked. In addition, the observed variation in HC$_{3}$N and HC$_{5}$N emission may indicate that their different formation mechanism at hot and cold regions., Comment: 40 pages, 23 figures

Morning glory syndrome (MGS) is a rare congenital optic disc anomaly with a characteristic fundal finding with severe visual impairment. It may occur in association with various systemic manifestations, even though most of the reported cases were isolated. A 6-year-old male visited the nephrology clinic with a history of microscopic hematuria and at the age of 12 years, he was diagnosed thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy by kidney biopsy. After the following years, the patient had progressive deterioration of visual acuity, and diagnosed as MGS. Whole Exome Sequencing of this patient and his mother revealed heterozygous COL4A4 mutations [c.81_86del (p.Ile29_Leu30del)]. It is more reasonable to consider MGS seen in this patient as a coincidental finding of autosomal dominant Alport syndrome. To our knowledge, this case represents the first case report of autosomal dominant Alport syndrome associated with MGS.

Background Studies on the application of targeted therapies for patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who harbor rare genetic mutations are ongoing. In the present study, we investigated the real‐world data of NSCLC patients who harbor rare mutations. Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients with advanced or metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC aged >20 years with confirmed rare mutations (BRAF, ROS1, MET, RET, HER2, FGFR, and NTRK) from January 2015 to September 2020 at nine tertiary hospitals. In addition, we validated the lung cancer PCR panel kit in patients with confirmed mutations by NGS. Results Among 118 patients included, 88 received platinum‐based chemotherapy as first‐line chemotherapy. The progression‐free survival of patients with BRAF, ERBB2, MET, RET, and ROS1 mutations was 10.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–20.5), 5.3 months (95% CI: 3.0–7.5), 7.2 months (95% CI: 3.6–10.9), 11.4 months (95% CI: 9.2–13.6), and 10.0 months (95% CI: 3.7–16.4) respectively (p = 0.041). The median overall survival (OS) was not reached in patients with ROS1 mutations; however, in BRAF, ERBB2, MET, and RET mutant patients, median OS was 14.1 months (95% CI: 10.1–14.1), 34.5 months (95% CI: 13.2–36.9), 22.7 months (95% CI: 1.7–24.0), and 29.8 months (95% CI: 28.9–61.3), respectively (p = 0.006). Of the 27 tissue samples, 26 (96.3%) showed the same PCR panel kit result with NGS. Conclusions First‐line platinum‐based chemotherapy showed durable benefit in patients with advanced or metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC harboring rare genetic mutation other than EGFR or ALK., This study shows real‐world data of NSCLC patients with rare genetic mutations, and the majority of patients were treated primarily with platinum‐based chemotherapy. First‐line platinum‐based chemotherapy showed durable benefit in patients with advanced or metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC harboring rare genetic mutations other than EGFR or ALK.

BACKGROUND Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a safe and minimally invasive diagnostic tool for mediastinal and hilum evaluation. However, infectious complications may occur after EBUS-TBNA. Among these, mediastinitis and pericarditis are rare. CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old woman was referred to our hospital due to paratracheal lymph node enlargement on chest computed tomography (CT). EBUS-TBNA was performed on the lymph node lesions, and prophylactic oral antibiotics were administered. Seven days after EBUS-TBNA, the patient visited the emergency room with a high fever and chest pain. Laboratory test results revealed leukocytosis with a left shift and elevated C-reactive protein level (25.7 mg/dL). Chest CT revealed the formation of a mediastinal abscess in the right paratracheal lymph node and pericardial and bilateral pleural effusions. The patient received intravenous antibiotic treatment, cardiac drainage through pericardiocentesis, and surgical management. The patient recovered favorably and was discharged 31 d after the operation. CONCLUSION Mediastinitis and pericarditis after EBUS-TBNA are rare but should be considered even after the use of prophylactic antibiotics.

Hereditary spherocytosis is the most common hereditary red blood cell membrane disorder. It results from a deficiency in certain proteins that are part of the red blood cell membrane cytoskeleton. We report a case of adrenal myelolipoma in a 23-year-old patient with hereditary spherocytosis. She was diagnosed with hereditary spherocytosis at 7 months of age. As she grew older, hemoglobin level was low, so splenectomy was recommended, but continuous follow up was not possible due to the circumstances of the patient, so the splenectomy was delayed. Adrenal myelolipoma was discovered incidentally at the age of 23 with abdominal pain and cholecystitis with gallstones at the time. Myelolipoma is a benign tumor of the mesenchymal origin; its etiology remains unclear. Myelolipoma is composed of adipose and hematopoietic tissues and mainly arises from adrenal tissues. The mass is often detected during routine radiologic examinations because myelolipoma is usually asymptomatic and not generally associated with hematologic diseases. The prevalence of myelolipoma appears to be increasing due to the increased use of imaging modalities. The association of myelolipoma with hereditary spherocytosis has rarely been reported in the literature. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of adrenal myelolipoma associated with hereditary spherocytosis in the Korean population.

High arsenic (As) concentration in groundwater is a major source of As contamination in crops, increasing toxicity, and risk of severe human health problems. This study aims to determine the As-responsive Really Interesting New Gene (RING) E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase gene, OsAIR4, involved in As tolerance mechanisms in rice via the Ub/26S proteasome system. We showed that OsAIR4 had two splicing variants of OsAIR4.1 and OsAIR4.2, and their expression patterns were highly induced in response to As stress in root tissues. An in vitro ubiquitination assay showed that both OsAIR4.1 and OsAIR4.2 possess E3 ligase activity. We found that both OsAIR4 proteins were localized in the cytoplasm of rice protoplasts. Heterogeneous overexpression of OsAIR4.1 and OsAIR4.2 in Arabidopsis showed As tolerance in seed germination, root growth, and whole plant growth compared with control plants under As stress conditions. This study suggests that OsAIR4 may be involved in the plant response to As stress and acts as a positive regulator of stress tolerance.

Background Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM) is an important emerging nosocomial pathogen. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological charateristics of SM bacteremia at a tertiary care hospital in Korea over 7 years. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at a 1150-bed tertiary care hospital in Busan, South Korea. Data were collected between January, 2013 and November, 2019. Results A total of 79 bacteremia patients (median age: 61 years; 62% males) were reviewed; 38 (48.1%) were in 2013-2016 and 41 (51.9%) were in 2017-2019. The overall SM bacteremia-related 30-days mortality was 31.6%. Susceptibility to levofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) and minocycline were 87.3%, 92.4% and 100%, respectively. The most common clinical syndrome was central line-associated bloodstream infection (n=37, 46.8%). The others were intra-abdominal infection (n=18, 22.8%), skin and soft tissue infection (n=5, 6.3%) and pneumonia (n=5, 6.3%). In 50.6%, SM was the only pathogen of bacteremia, whereas in 49.4%, more than one causative organisms were isolated. Acinetobacter baumanii (in 8 cases) was the most frequent co-isolated pathogen, followed by Enterococcus faecium (in 6 cases), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (in 5 cases), Staphylococcus epidermidis (in 5 cases), Enterococcus gallinarum (in 3 cases) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (in 3 cases). Age (OR, 6.60; 95% Cl, 1.59-27.41; P = 0.009), inappropriate antimicrobial treatment (OR, 3.47; 95% Cl, 1.14-10.56; P = 0.029), and levofloxacin-resistant strains (OR, 7.86; 95% Cl, 1.20-51.41; P = 0.031) were independent risk factors for SM bacteremia-related 30-days mortality in multivariate analysis. Conclusion SM bacteremia has a high early mortality rate. In our study, old age, inappropriate antimicrobial treatment and levofloxacin-resistant strains were significant independent risk factors for early mortality in SM bacteremia patients. Early diagnosis and immediate use of appropriate antibiotics are recommended to improve mortality of SM bacteremia. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Gaia19fct is one of the Gaia-alerted eruptive young stars that has undergone several brightening events. We conducted monitoring observations using multi-filter optical and near-infrared photometry, as well as near-infrared spectroscopy, to understand the physical properties of Gaia19fct and investigate whether it fits into the historically defined two classes. We present the analyses of light curves, color variations, spectral lines, and CO modeling. The light curves show at least five brightening events since 2015, and the multi-filter color evolutions are mostly gray. The gray evolution indicates that bursts are triggered by mechanisms other than extinction. Our near-infrared spectra exhibit both absorption and emission lines and show time-variability throughout our observations. We found lower rotational velocity and lower temperature from the near-infrared atomic absorption lines than from the optical lines, suggesting that Gaia19fct has a Keplerian rotating disk. The CO overtone features show a superposition of absorption and emission components, which is unlike other young stellar objects. We modeled the CO lines, and the result suggests that the emission and absorption components are formed in different regions. We found that although Gaia19fct exhibits characteristics of both types of eruptive young stars, FU Orionis-type objects (FUors) and EX Lupi-type objects (EXors), it shows more similarity with EXors in general., 29 pages, 14 figures, 7 tables, Accepted for publication in ApJ

Purpose Although increased plasma growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) levels have been reported in patients with various cancers, the predictive role of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in advanced cancers remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate GDF15 levels as a predictive marker in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and analyze their association with immune cell populations. Methods This study included 87 patients with advanced NSCLC receiving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors between March 2018 and May 2020. Blood samples were obtained immediately before and months after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor administration. Results The objective response rate (ORR) was significantly higher in the low GDF15 than in the high GDF15 group (39.2% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.013). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in the low GDF15 than in the high GDF15 group (13.2 [95% CI 7.6–18.9] vs. 7.2 [95% CI 4.8–9.6] months, P = 0.048). Moreover, plasma GDF15 levels negatively correlated with PD-1+/CD8+ T cells (r = − 0.399, P = 0.003) and positively with PD-1+/Treg cells (r = 0.507, P +Treg/CD4+ T cells (r = 0.439, P P = 0.026). The median PFS was significantly longer in the decreased GDF15 group (14.8 [95% CI 10.4–19.2] vs. 5.9 [95% CI 2.8–9.0] months, P = 0.002). Plasma GDF15 levels were associated with PD-1+CD8+ T cells and PD-1+ Treg cells. Conclusion Plasma GDF15 could be a potential biomarker for predicting the efficacy and survival benefit of immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC.

Objective: The growth rate of pigs is related to differentiation and proliferation of muscle cells, which are regulated by growth factors and expression of growth-related genes. Thus, the objective of this study was to establish optimal culture conditions for Jeju black pig (JBP) muscle cells and determine the relationship of various factors involved in muscle growth with the proliferation of JBP muscle cells. Methods: Muscles were taken from the femur skeletal muscle of JBP embryos. After isolation of the muscle cells, cells were cultured in a 6-well plate under four different culture conditions to optimize culture conditions for JBP muscle cells. To analyze proliferation rate of JBP muscle cells, these muscle cells were seeded into 6-well plates at a density of 1.5×105 cells per well and cultured for 3 days. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were applied to verify the myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD) expression and growth-related gene expression in JBP muscle cells, respectively. Results: We established a muscle cell line from JBP embryos and optimized its culture conditions. These muscle cells were positive for MyoD, but not for paired box 7. The proliferation rate of these muscle cells was significantly higher in a culture medium containing bFGF and epidermal growth factor + basic fibroblast growth factor (EGF+bFGF) than that without a growth factor or containing EGF alone. Treatment with EGF and bFGF significantly induced the expression of MyoD protein, an important transcription factor in muscle cells. Moreover, we checked the changes of expression of growth-related genes in JBP muscle cells by presence or absence of growth factors. Expression level of collagen type XXI alpha 1 gene was changed only when EGF and bFGF were added together to culture media for JBP muscle cells. Conclusion: Concurrent use of EGF and bFGF increased the expression of MyoD protein, thus regulating the proliferation of JBP muscle cells and the expression of growth-related genes.

Objective To develop and validate a scale to assess people’s attitudes and perspectives toward persons with disabilities.Methods The three-stage development of the scale included a preliminary version drafted from the literature review and a nominal group process. Thereafter, the draft was examined further and revised through two rounds of Delphi survey by 16 disability experts. Lastly, the psychometric properties of the scale were assessed through an online survey of 1,359 employees at three university hospitals.Results A 32-item scale, defined after two Delphi surveys, was refined into 14 items with four subcategories: community integration, discomfort, charitability, and sense of burdening. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.839 and domain reliability from 0.638 to 0.845. Recent education on disabilities yielded more positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Meaningful acquaintances with disabilities yielded more positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities.Conclusion This newly developed scale that measures attitudes toward persons with disability is reliable and valid. A future use of the scale could be to measure attitudinal improvements toward persons with disabilities after awareness education.

Background Dexmedetomidine is known to protect against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) in various organs; however, the mechanisms of dexmedetomidine in the liver remain unclear. We investigated whether dexmedetomidine preconditioning leads to hepatic protection and whether nitric oxide was associated with this protective mechanism by employing N-nitro- l -arginine methyl ester ( l -NAME), a nitrous oxide synthase inhibitor. Methods Experiment 1 included 24 rats in 4 groups: sham, IR, 30 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine, and 50 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine. Experiment 2 included 36 rats in 6 groups: IR, 50 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine, 10 mg/kg of l -NAME, 10 mg/kg of l -NAME + 50 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine, 30 of mg/kg l -NAME, and 30 mg/kg of l -NAME + 50 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine. All drugs were administered intraperitoneally. The levels of serum transaminases, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-κB, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase were measured 6 hours after hepatic surgery. Results Dexmedetomidine demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in serum transaminase levels. The 50-μg/kg dexmedetomidine group showed a significant decrease in malondialdehyde levels (P = .002), increase in superoxide dismutase levels (P = .002), and a significantly lower level of phosphorylated tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-κB, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (P = .002, respectively) compared with the IR injury group. These protective effects of dexmedetomidine were partially reversed by pretreatment with l -NAME (P l -NAME). Conclusion In hepatic IR injury, dexmedetomidine might protect the liver via antioxidative and anti-inflammatory responses, and nitric oxide production could play a role in these protective mechanisms.