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We present a catalog of stellar parameters (effective temperature T _eff , surface gravity $\mathrm{log}g$ , age, and metallicity [Fe/H]) and elemental-abundance ratios ([C/Fe], [Mg/Fe], and [ α /Fe]) for some five million stars (4.5 million dwarfs and 0.5 million giant stars) in the Milky Way, based on stellar colors from the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS) DR3 and Gaia EDR3. These estimates are obtained through the construction of a large spectroscopic training set with parameters and abundances adjusted to uniform scales, and trained with a kernel principal component analysis. Owing to the seven narrow/medium-band filters employed by J-PLUS, we obtain precisions in the abundance estimates that are as good as or better than those derived from medium-resolution spectroscopy for stars covering a wide range of the parameter space: 0.10–0.20 dex for [Fe/H] and [C/Fe], and 0.05 dex for [Mg/Fe] and [ α /Fe]. Moreover, systematic errors due to the influence of molecular carbon bands on previous photometric-metallicity estimates (which only included two narrow/medium-band blue filters) have now been removed, resulting in photometric-metallicity estimates down to [Fe/H] ∼ −4.0, with typical uncertainties of 0.40 dex and 0.25 dex for dwarfs and giants, respectively. This large photometric sample should prove useful for the exploration of the assembly and chemical-evolution history of our Galaxy.

Chemical anomalies in planet-hosting stars (PHSs) are studied in order to assess how the planetary nature and multiplicity affect the atmospheric chemical abundances of their host stars. We employ APOGEE DR17 to select thin-disk stars of the Milky Way, and crossmatch them with the Kepler Input Catalog to identify confirmed PHSs, which results in 227 PHSs with available chemical abundance ratios for six refractory elements. We also examine an ensemble of stars without planet signals, which are equivalent to the selected PHSs in terms of evolutionary stage and stellar parameters, to correct for Galactic chemical evolution effects, and derive the abundance gradient of refractory elements over the condensation temperature for the PHSs. Using the Galactic chemical evolution corrected abundances, we find that our PHSs do not show a significant difference in abundance slope from the stars without planets. However, when we examine the trends of the refractory elements of PHSs, based on the total number of their planets and their planet types, we find that the PHSs with giant planets are more depleted in refractory elements than those with rocky planets. Among the PHSs with rocky planets, the refractory depletion trends are potentially correlated with the terrestrial planets’ radii and multiplicity. In the cases of PHSs with giant planets, sub-Jovian PHSs demonstrate more depleted refractory trends than stars hosting Jovian-mass planets, raising questions on different planetary formation processes for Neptune-like and Jupiter-like planets.

Photometric stellar surveys now cover a large fraction of the sky, probe to fainter magnitudes than large-scale spectroscopic surveys, and are relatively free from the target selection biases often associated with such studies. Photometric-metallicity estimates that include narrow/medium-band filters can achieve comparable accuracy and precision to existing low-resolution spectroscopic surveys such as Sloan Digital Sky Survey/SEGUE and LAMOST. Here we report on an effort to identify likely members of the Galactic disk system among the very metal-poor (VMP; [Fe/H] ≤ −2) and extremely metal-poor (EMP; [Fe/H] ≤ −3) stars. Our analysis is based on an initial sample of ∼11.5 million stars with full space motions selected from the SkyMapper Southern Survey (SMSS) and Stellar Abundance and Galactic Evolution Survey (SAGES). After applying a number of quality cuts to obtain the best available metallicity and dynamical estimates, we analyze a total of ∼5.86 million stars in the combined SMSS/SAGES sample. We employ two techniques that, depending on the method, identify between 876 and 1476 VMP stars (6.9%−11.7% of all VMP stars) and between 40 and 59 EMP stars (12.4%−18.3% of all EMP stars) that appear to be members of the Galactic disk system on highly prograde orbits ( v _ϕ > 150 km s ^−1 ). The total number of candidate VMP/EMP disklike stars is 1496, the majority of which have low orbital eccentricities, ecc ≤ 0.4; many have ecc ≤ 0.2. The large fractions of VMP/EMP stars associated with the Milky Way disk system strongly suggest the presence of an early-forming “primordial” disk.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is the causal agent responsible for the bacterial canker disease of kiwifruit plants. Psa strains are divided into five different biovars based on genetic and biochemical characteristics. Among them, biovar 2 and 3 strains of Psa were isolated and have been causing widespread damages in Korea. One of the most effective ways to control Psa is to use an antibiotic such as streptomycin. However, Psa strains resistant to this antibiotic were isolated in Korea, and an earlier study revealed that the resistance in the biovar 2 is associated with strA-strB genes. This study aimed to determine the molecular resistance mechanism of Psa biovar 3 strains to streptomycin. Sequencing the rpsL gene encoding ribosomal protein S12 from three streptomycin-resistant strains screened in the laboratory revealed that a spontaneous mutation occurred either at codon 43 or 88. Meanwhile, in four streptomycin-resistant strains of Psa biovar 3 isolated from two kiwifruit orchards, a single nucleotide in codon 43 of the rpsL, which is AAA in streptomycin-sensitive strain, was substituted for AGA causing an amino acid change from lysine to arginine. The resistant mechanism in all biovar 3 strains obtained in Korea was identified as a mutation of the rpsL gene.

We present a chemical and dynamical analysis of the leading arm (LA) and trailing arm (TA) of the Sagittarius (Sgr) stream, as well as for the Sgr dwarf galaxy core (SC), using red giant branch, main-sequence, and RR Lyrae stars from large spectroscopic survey data. The different chemical properties among the LA, TA, and SC generally agree with recent studies and can be understood by a radial metallicity gradient established in the progenitor of the Sgr dwarf, followed by preferential stellar stripping from the outer part of the Sgr progenitor. One striking finding is a relatively larger fraction of low-eccentricity stars ( e < 0.4) in the LA than in the TA and SC. The TA and SC exhibit very similar distributions. Considering that a tidal tail stripped off from a dwarf galaxy maintains the orbital properties of its progenitor, we expect that the e -distribution of the LA should be similar to that of the TA and SC. Thus, the disparate behavior of the e -distribution of the LA is of particular interest. Following the analysis of Vasiliev et al., we attempt to explain the different e -distribution by introducing a time-dependent perturbation of the Milky Way by the Large Magellanic Cloud's (LMC) gravitational pull, resulting in substantial evolution of the angular momentum of the LA stars to produce the low- e stars. In addition, we confirm from RR Lyrae stars with high eccentricity ( e > 0.6) that the TA stars farther away from the SC are also affected by disturbances from the LMC.

Bacterial canker is a devastating disease of kiwifruit caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringe pv. actinidiae. Canker disease of kiwifruit in Korea has been controlled using streptomycin for more than two decades. Four streptomycin-resistant strains, belonging to biovar 2, which are found only in Korea, were collected between 2013 and 2014 from different orchards located in Jeju, Korea. The genetic background for streptomycin resistance among P. syringe pv. actinidiae strains were determined by examining the presence of strA-strB or aadA, which are genes frequently found in streptomycin-resistant bacteria, and a point mutation at codon 43 in the rpsL gene. All four streptomycin-resistant strains of P. syringe pv. actinidiae investigated in this study contained strA-strB as a resistant determinant. The presence of the aadA gene and a mutation in codon 43 of the rpsL gene was not identified.

Understanding the mechanisms driving PI3K isoform dependency in prostate cancer can help the design of future clinical trials. Here, the authors show that gain-of-function mutations in PIK3CA or PIK3CB can confer PI3K p110 isoform dependency and that the direct inhibition of AKT may be superior to PI3K inhibition in PTEN-deficient prostate cancers.

Background/Aims: Sorafenib is the first approved systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its clinical utility is limited, especially in Asian countries. Several reports have suggested the survival benefits of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for advanced HCC with main portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). This study aimed to compare the efficacy of sorafenib-based therapy with that of HAIC-based therapy for advanced HCC with main PVTT. Methods: Advanced HCC patients with main PVTT treated with sorafenib or HAIC between 2008 and 2016 at Korea University Medical Center were included. We evaluated overall survival (OS), time-to-progression (TTP), and the disease control rate (DCR). Results: Seventy-three patients were treated with sorafenib (n=35) or HAIC (n=38). Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between groups, except the presence of solid organ metastasis (46% vs 5.3%, p

Background Appropriate blood component transfusion might differ between intraoperative massive bleeding and traumatic massive bleeding in the emergency department because trauma patients initially bleed undiluted blood and replacement typically lags behind blood loss. We compared these two blood loss scenarios, intraoperative and traumatic, using a computer simulation. Methods We modified the multi-compartment dynamic model developed by Hirshberg and implemented it using STELLA 9.0. In this model, blood pressure changes as blood volume fluctuates as bleeding rate and transcapillary refill rate are controlled by blood pressure. Using this simulation, we compared the intraoperative bleeding scenario with the traumatic bleeding scenario. In both scenarios, patients started to bleed at a rate of 50 ml/min. In the intraoperative bleeding scenario, fluid was administered to maintain isovolemic status; however, in the traumatic bleeding scenario, no fluid was supplied for up to 30 min and no blood was supplied for up to 50 min. Each unit of packed red blood cells (PRBC) was given when the hematocrit decreased to 27%, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was transfused when plasma was diluted to 30%, and platelet concentrate (PC) was transfused when platelet count became 50,000/ml. Results In both scenarios, the appropriate ratio of PRBC:FFP was 1:0.47 before PC transfusion, and the ratio of PRBC:FFP:platelets was 1:0.35:0.39 after initiation of PC transfusion. Conclusion The ratio of transfused blood component did not differ between the intraoperative bleeding and traumatic bleeding scenarios.

Streptomycin resistant isolates of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, the causal agent of bacterial canker in kiwifruit, were found in Korea. A total of 734 isolates of P. syringae pv. actinidiae collected between 2008 and 2017 from bacterial canker infections in 111 kiwifruit orchards were assessed for streptomycin resistance. The survival of each isolate was screened against 100 μg/ml of streptomycin. Among 734 isolates, 38 streptomycin resistant P. syringae pv. actinidiae isolates originated from nine orchards were found. Streptomycin resistant isolates belonging to biovar 2 were found in several individual years, but ones belonging to biovar 3 were found in Korea only since 2016. Therefore, to use streptomycin for control of bacterial canker in kiwifruit orchards should be very careful, and it is necessary to check the streptomycin susceptibility of the pathogen before use in kiwifruit orchards.

We present precise photometric estimates of stellar parameters, including effective temperature, metallicity, luminosity classification, distance, and stellar age, for nearly 26 million stars using the methodology developed in the first paper of this series, based on the stellar colors from the Stellar Abundances and Galactic Evolution Survey (SAGES) Data Release 1 and Gaia Early Data Release 3. The optimal design of stellar-parameter sensitive uv filters by SAGES has enabled us to determine photometric-metallicity estimates down to −3.5, similar to our previous results with the SkyMapper Southern Survey (SMSS), yielding a large sample of over five million metal-poor ([Fe/H] ≤ −1.0) stars and nearly one million very metal-poor ([Fe/H] ≤ −2.0) stars. The typical precision is around 0.1 dex for both dwarf and giant stars with [Fe/H] > −1.0, and 0.15–0.25/0.3–0.4 dex for dwarf/giant stars with [Fe/H] < −1.0. Using the precise parallax measurements and stellar colors from Gaia, effective temperature, luminosity classification, distance, and stellar age are further derived for our sample stars. This huge data set in the Northern sky from SAGES, together with similar data in the Southern sky from SMSS, will greatly advance our understanding of the Milky Way, in particular its formation and evolution.

We continue our series of papers on phase-space distributions of stars in the Milky Way based on photometrically derived metallicities and Gaia astrometry, with a focus on the halo−disk interface in the local volume. To exploit various photometric databases, we develop a method of empirically calibrating synthetic stellar spectra based on a comparison with observations of stellar sequences and individual stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the SkyMapper Sky Survey, and the Pan-STARRS1 surveys, overcoming band-specific corrections employed in our previous work. In addition, photometric zero-point corrections are derived to provide an internally consistent photometric system with a spatially uniform metallicity zero-point. Using our phase-space diagrams, we find a remarkably narrow sequence in the rotational velocity ( v _ϕ ) versus metallicity ([Fe/H]) space for a sample of high proper-motion stars (>25 mas yr ^−1 ), which runs along Gaia Sausage/Enceladus (GSE) and the Splash substructures and is linked to the disk, spanning nearly 2 dex in [Fe/H]. Notably, a rapid increase of v _ϕ from a nearly zero net rotation to ∼180 km s ^−1 in a narrow metallicity interval (−0.6 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ −0.4) suggests that some of these stars emerged quickly on a short gas-depletion timescale. Through measurements of a scale height and length, we argue that these stars are distinct from those heated dynamically by mergers. This chain of high proper-motion stars provides additional support for recent discoveries suggesting that a starburst took place when the young Milky Way encountered the gas-rich GSE progenitor, which eventually led to the settling of metal-enriched gas onto the disk.

We present stellar parameters and abundances of 13 elements for 18 very metal-poor (VMP; [Fe/H] < –2.0) stars, selected as extremely metal-poor (EMP; [Fe/H] < –3.0) candidates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Large sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope survey. High-resolution spectroscopic observations were performed using GEMINI-N/GRACES. We find 10 EMP stars among our candidates, and we newly identify three carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars with [Ba/Fe] < 0. Although chemical abundances of our VMP/EMP stars generally follow the overall trend of other Galactic halo stars, there are a few exceptions. One Na-rich star ([Na/Fe] = +1.14) with low [Mg/Fe] suggests a possible chemical connection with second-generation stars in a globular cluster. The progenitor of an extremely Na-poor star ([Na/Fe] = –1.02) with high K- and Ni-abundance ratios may have undergone a distinct nucleosynthesis episode, associated with core-collapse supernovae (SNe) having a high explosion energy. We have also found a Mg-rich star ([Mg/Fe] = +0.73) with slightly enhanced Na and extremely low [Ba/Fe], indicating that its origin is not associated with neutron-capture events. On the other hand, the origin of the lowest Mg abundance ([Mg/Fe] = –0.61) star could be explained by accretion from a dwarf galaxy, or formation in a gas cloud largely polluted by SNe Ia. We have also explored the progenitor masses of our EMP stars by comparing their chemical-abundance patterns with those predicted by Population III SNe models, and find a mass range of 10–26 M _⊙ , suggesting that such stars were primarily responsible for the chemical enrichment of the early Milky Way.

We present a chemodynamical analysis of 11,562 metal-rich, high-eccentricity halo-like main-sequence stars, which have been referred to as the Splash or Splashed Disk, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope. When divided into two groups, a low-[ α /Fe] population (LAP) and a high-[ α /Fe] population (HAP), based on kinematics and chemistry, we find that they exhibit very distinct properties, indicative of different origins. From a detailed analysis of their orbital inclinations, we suggest that the HAP arises from a large fraction (∼90%) of heated disk stars and a small fraction (∼10%) of in situ stars from a starburst population, likely induced by interaction of the Milky Way with the Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE) or another early merger. The LAP comprises about half accreted stars from the GSE and half formed by the GSE-induced starburst. Our findings further imply that the Splash stars in our sample originated from at least three different mechanisms: accretion, disk heating, and a merger-induced starburst.

In this work, we study the phase-space and chemical properties of the Sagittarius (Sgr) stream, the tidal tails produced by the ongoing destruction of the Sgr dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, focusing on its very metal-poor (VMP; [Fe/H] < −2) content. We combine spectroscopic and astrometric information from SEGUE and Gaia EDR3, respectively, with data products from a new large-scale run of the StarHorse spectrophotometric code. Our selection criteria yield ∼1600 stream members, including >200 VMP stars. We find the leading arm ( b > 0°) of the Sgr stream to be more metal-poor, by ∼0.2 dex, than the trailing one ( b < 0°). With a subsample of turnoff and subgiant stars, we estimate this substructure’s stellar population to be ∼1 Gyr older than the thick disk’s. With the aid of an N -body model of the Sgr system, we verify that simulated particles stripped earlier (>2 Gyr ago) have present-day phase-space properties similar to lower metallicity stream stars. Conversely, those stripped more recently ( −1) members of the stream. Such correlation between kinematics and chemistry can be explained by the existence of a dynamically hotter, less centrally concentrated, and more metal-poor population in Sgr dSph prior to its disruption, implying that this galaxy was able to develop a metallicity gradient before its accretion. Finally, we identified several carbon-enhanced metal-poor ([C/Fe] > +0.7 and [Fe/H] ≤ −1.5) stars in the Sgr stream, which might be in tension with current observations of its remaining core where such objects are not found.

Scab disease caused by Venturia nashicola is of agroeconomic importance in cultivation of Asian pear. However, little is known about the degree of genetic diversity in the populations of this pathogen. In this study, we collected 55 isolates from pear scab lesions in 13 major cultivation areas in Korea and examined the diversity using sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, β-tubulin (TUB2), and translation elongation factor-1α (TEF-1α) genes as molecular markers. Despite a low level of overall sequence variation, we found three distinctive subgroups from phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, TUB2, and TEF-1α sequences. Among the three subgroups, subgroup 1 (60% of isolates collected) was predominant compared to subgroup 2 (23.6%) or subgroup 3 (16.4%) and was distributed throughout Korea. To understand the genetic diversity among the subgroups, RAPD analysis was performed. The isolates yielded highly diverse amplicon patterns and none of the defined subgroups within the dendrogram were supported by bootstrap values greater than 30%. Moreover, there is no significant correlation between the geographical distribution and the subgroups defined by molecular phylogeny. Our data suggest a low level of genetic diversification among the populations of V. nashicola in Korea.

We retrieved rotational temperatures from emission lines of the OH airglow (8-3) band in the sky spectra of the Sloan digital sky survey (SDSS) for the period 2000-2014, as part of the astronomical observation project conducted at the Apache Point observatory (32°N, 105°W). The SDSS temperatures show a typical seasonal variation of mesospheric temperature: low in summer and high in winter. We find that the temperatures respond to solar activity by as much as 1.2 K ±0.8 K per 100 solar flux units, which is consistent with other studies in mid-latitude regions. After the seasonal variation and solar response were subtracted, the SDSS temperature is fairly constant over the 15 year period, unlike cooling trends suggested by some studies. This temperature analysis using SDSS spectra is a unique contribution to the global monitoring of climate change because the SDSS project was established for astronomical purposes and is independent from climate studies. The SDSS temperatures are also compared with mesospheric temperatures measured by the microwave limb sounder (MLS) instrument on board the Aura satellite and the differences are discussed.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae is the causative agent of bacterial canker of kiwifruit. The population of this pathogen is differentiated into three biovars, biovar 1, 2 and 3, according to their molecular characteristics. In this work, we determined biovars of P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains isolated in Korea since 1997 and stored in Department of Biology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Korea. The biovars of P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains were determined by PCR using biovar specific primers developed previously. Of 682 strains investigated, 288 strains belonged to biovar 2, while 394 strains were biovar 3. There were no P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains belonging to biovar 1 among the strains isolated in Korea. Sudden outbreak and spreading of bacterial canker caused by biovar 3 strain suggest that this strain has character of rapid transmission.

The causal fungus of pear scab, Venturia nashicola, grows slowly and rarely produces conidia on artificial media in the laboratory, but it produced conidia on the Cheongah medium containing Cheongah powder. V. nashicola grew too slow to produce conidia until 15 days after cultivation but produced conidia with 4 × 10⁴ conidia/plate 30 days after cultivation on the Cheongah medium containing 1% Cheongah powder. V. nashicola showed a peak production of conidia with 4.5 × 10⁵ conidia/plate 60 days after cultivation on the carrot medium containing 2% carrot powder, one of the constituents of Cheongah powder. The carrot medium is considered to be the best medium to obtain conidia of V. nashicola in the laboratory until now. This is the first report on the development of a suitable medium for conidia production of V. nashicola, as far as we know.

A bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), is a causal agent of kiwifruit bacterial canker worldwide. Psa biovar 3 (Psa3) was first detected in 2011 at an orchard in Dodeok-myeon, Goheunggun, Jeonnam Province in Korea. In this study, we present the results of an epidemiological study regarding Psa3 occurrence on kiwifruit orchards in Korea for the period of 2013 to 2015. Since the first detection of Psa3 in 2011, there was no further case reported by 2013. However, Psa3 was rapidly spreading to 33 orchards in 2014; except for three orchards in Sacheonsi, Gyeongnam Province, most cases were reported in Jeju Island. Entering 2015, bacterial canker by Psa3 became a pandemic in Korea, spreading to 72 orchards in Jeju Island, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam Provinces. Our epidemiological study indicated that the first Psa3 incidence in 2011 might result from an introduction of Psa3 through imported seedlings from China in 2006. Apart from this, it was estimated that most Psa3 outbreaks from 2014 to 2015 were caused by pollens imported from New Zealand and China for artificial pollination. Most kiwifruit cultivars growing in Korea were infected with Psa3; yellow-fleshed cultivars (Yellow-king, Hort16A, Enza-gold, Zecy-gold, and Haegeum), red-fleshed cultivars (Hongyang and Enza-Red), green-fleshed cultivars (Hayward and Daeheung), and even a kiwiberry (Skinny-green). However, susceptibility to canker differed among cultivars; yellow- and red-fleshed cultivars showed much more severe symptoms compared to the green-fleshed cultivars of kiwifruit and a kiwiberry.

Genomic amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) is an established mechanism of antiandrogen resistance in prostate cancer. Here, we show that the magnitude of AR signaling output, independent of AR genomic alteration or expression level, also contributes to antiandrogen resistance, through upregulation of the coactivator GREB1. We demonstrate 100-fold heterogeneity in AR output within human prostate cancer cell lines and show that cells with high AR output have reduced sensitivity to enzalutamide. Through transcriptomic and shRNA knockdown studies, together with analysis of clinical datasets, we identify GREB1 as a gene responsible for high AR output. We show that GREB1 is an AR target gene that amplifies AR output by enhancing AR DNA binding and promoting EP300 recruitment. GREB1 knockdown in high AR output cells restores enzalutamide sensitivity in vivo. Thus, GREB1 is a candidate driver of enzalutamide resistance through a novel feed forward mechanism.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, the causal agent of canker in kiwifruit, can be divided into three biovars (biovars 1, 2, and 3). Strains belonging to biovar 1 produce phaseolotoxin and were isolated in Japan and Italy before 2008. Strains of biovar 2 produce coronatine instead of phaseolotoxin and have been isolated only in Korea. Strains belonging to biovar 3 produce neither phaseolotoxin nor coronatine and are responsible for the global outbreak of bacterial canker of kiwifruit in recent years. The biovar 3-specific primer set was developed in a previous work. In this study, two sets of PCR primers specific to strains of biovars 1 and 2, respectively, were developed based on random amplified polymorphic DNA analyses. Primers PsaJ-F and PsaJ-R produced a 481-bp region with genomic DNA of biovar 1 strains, whereas primers PsaK-F and PsaK-R amplified a 413-bp region present only in the genome of biovar 2 strains.

Postoperative visual loss (POVL) after non-ophthalmic surgery is rare, with a reported incidence ranging from 0.013 to 0.2%. Most perioperative visual loss is associated with spine operations and cardiac bypass procedures. The most common cause of POVL is ischemic optic neuropathy. However, there are no previous reports of postoperative visual loss after laparoscopic appendectomy. A 43-year-old female with no underlying disease underwent laparoscopic appendectomy; the operation was completed in one hour and her blood pressure was stable during the perioperative period. In the post-anesthetic care unit, the patient complained of nausea and headache, but she did not complain of any unusual visual symptoms. Approximately one hour after arriving at the ward, the patient complained of visual disturbance. Neurologic examination revealed left homonymous hemianopsia, and subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage were found in the occipital area on brain MRI.

The molecular features of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae strains isolated in Korea were compared with strains isolated in Japan and Italy. Sequencing of eight P. syringae pv. actinidiae and three P. syringae pv. theae strains revealed a total of 44 single nucleotide polymorphisms across 4,818 bp of the concatenated alignment of nine genes. A multiplex PCR assay was developed for the detection of P. syringae pv. actinidiae and for the specific detection of recent haplotype strains other than strains isolated since the 1980s in Korea. The primer pair, designated as TacF and TacR, specifically amplified a 545-bp fragment with the genomic DNA of new haplotype of P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains. A multiplex PCR conducted with the TacF/TacR primer pair and the universal primer pair for all P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains can be simultaneously applied for the detection of P. syringae pv. actinidiae and for the differentiation of new haplotype strains.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy, quality of life of patients with gynecologic cancer. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey design. We collected 130 patients with gynecologic cancer. They complete a self reported questionnaire including items related neuropathy and quality of life (FACT-GOG/Ntx subscale, FACT-G scale). RESULTS: The neuropathy score was 14.3+/-7.9. The quality of life score was 64.8+/-16.4. The neuropathy induced significant difference according to diabetic status, difficulties in performing household chores and willing to discontinuity of chemotherapy. And duration of cancer diagnosis, neuropathy, number of total chemo agent associated with quality of life. There was a negative correlation between number of total chemo agent and quality of life. Neuropathy independently affected quality of life. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy of patients with gynecologic cancer adversely affected women's quality of life and activities of daily living. To improve patient's quality of life, it is important that accurate assess and appropriately manage neuropathy in patients with gynecologic cancer.

Terlipressin is a vasopressin analogue that is widely used in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome or variceal bleeding. Because it acts mainly on splanchnic vessels, terlipressin has a lower incidence of severe ischemic complications than does vasopressin. However, it can still lead to serious complications such as myocardial infarction, skin necrosis, or bowel ischemia. Herein we report a case of severe ischemic bowel necrosis in a 46-year-old cirrhotic patient treated with terlipressin. Although the patient received bowel resection, death occurred due to ongoing hypotension and metabolic acidosis. Attention should be paid to patients complaining of abdominal pain during treatment with terlipressin.

The fungus Venturia nashicola is the causal agent of scab on Asian pears. For the rapid and reliable identification as well as sensitive detection of V. nashicola, a PCR-based technique was developed. DNA fingerprints of three closely related species, V. nashicola, V. pirina, and V. inaequalis, were obtained by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Two RAPD markers specific to V. nashicola were identified by PCR, after which two pairs of sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) primers were designed from the nucleotide sequences of the markers. The SCAR primer pairs, designated as D12F/D12R and E11F/E11R, amplified 535-bp and 525-bp DNA fragments, respectively, only from genomic DNA of V. nashicola. The specificity of the primer sets was tested on strains representing three species of Venturia and 20 fungal plant pathogens. The nested PCR primer pair specific to V. nashicola was developed based on the sequence of the species-specific 525-bp DNA fragment amplified by primer set E11F/E11R. The internal primer pair Na11F/Na11R amplified a 235-bp fragment from V. nashicola, but not from any other fungal species tested. The nested PCR assay was sensitive enough to detect the specific fragment in 50 fg of V. nashicola DNA.

Optimal spray time, interval and number of preventive fungicides against fruit rots of kiwifruit were investigated at the orchard which both green kiwifruit cultivar ‘Hayward’ and gold kiwifruit cultivar ‘Hort16A’ are cultivating side by side during 2009 and 2010 growing seasons in Jeju island, Korea. The highest control efficiency was obtained from benomyl WP and followed by thiophanate-methyl WP and carbendazim+diethofencarb WP. The control efficacies of the fungicides were much higher when applied onto the kiwifruit canopy after the flowering time than before the flowering time but thereafter their control efficiencies were decreased drastically according to delays of spray timing. With increasing spray numbers of the fungicides, the control efficacy increased. However, optimal spray time, interval and number of the preventive fungicides for the effective control of fruit rots of kiwifruit were determined as 4 time-spray schedule with 2-week-interval just after the flowering time on both ‘Hayward’ and ‘Hort16A’ cultivars.

Purpose. This study was performed to find which types of hepatic CYP isoforms are responsible for the metabolism of mirodenafil (a new erectogenic) and one of its metabolite, SK3541, using various hepatic CYP inducers and inhibitors in rats. Methods. Mirodenafil at a dose of 20 mg/kg was administered intravenously to control rats and rats pretreated with various CYP inducers and inhibitors. The disappearance of SK3541 was also measured in vitro hepatic microsomes of rats with and without CYP inducer and inhibitors. Results. Compared to controls, in rats pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene, orphenadrine, and dexamethasone (main inducers of CYP1A1/2, 2B1/2, and 3A1/2, respectively), the non-renal clearances (CLNRs) of mirodenafil were significantly faster (by 39.4%, 59.3%, and 63.9%, respectively). However, compared to controls, in rats pretreated with quinine and troleandomycin (main inhibitors of CYP2D subfamily and 3A1/2, respectively), the CLNRs of mirodenafil were significantly slower (by 36.1% and 33.2%, respectively). In rat hepatic microsomes spiked with furafylline, quinine, and troleandomycin (main inhibitors of CYP1A2, 2D subfamily, and 3A1/2, respectively), the intrinsic clearances (CLints) for the disappearance of SK3541 were significantly slower (by 18.4%, 35.3%, and 51.5%, respectively) than controls. Also in rat hepatic microsomes pretreated with orphenadrine (a main inducer of CYP2B1/2), the CLint for the disappearance of SK3541 was significantly faster (by 55.5%) than controls. Conclusions. The above data suggest that hepatic CYP1A1/2, 2B1/2, 2D subfamily, and 3A1/2 are involved in the metabolism of both mirodenafil and SK3541 in rats.

Background/Aims: Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV) and tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) have been recently approved in Korea as the initial antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, the real-world outcome data for these drugs remain limited. Therefore, we conducted a noninferiority analysis using real-world data to compare the clinical outcomes of the two nucleotide analogs in treatment-naïve patients with CHB. Methods: We retrospectively investigated a cohort of patients with CHB who received BSV or TAF as first-line antiviral agents. The endpoints were virological response (VR) and liver-related clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 537 patients, consisting of 202 and 335 patients administered BSV and TAF, respectively, were followed up for 42 months. No significant difference was observed between the VRs of the patients from the two groups. The rates of biochemical response, virologic breakthrough, and incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma did not differ between the groups. However, the hepatitis B e antigen seroclearance rate was higher and the renal function declined less in the BSV group. Multivariable analysis indicated older age, alcohol abuse, cirrhosis and ascites, and lower serum HBV DNA level to be independently associated with increased hepatocellular carcinoma risk. The 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis with 400 patients showed VR rates of 85.0% and 88.7% in the BSV and TAF group patients, respectively, at 2 years. The absolute value of the 95% confidence interval for the difference (–0.04 to 0.12) satisfied the a priori limit of a noninferiority of 0.15. Conclusions: BSV is noninferior to TAF in terms of VR, and their clinical outcomes are comparable to CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]