AIM To evaluate toxicity and treatment outcome of highdose radiotherapy(RT) for cervical esophageal cancer(CEC).METHODS We reviewed a total of 62 consecutive patients who received definitive RT for stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ cerv...AIM To evaluate toxicity and treatment outcome of highdose radiotherapy(RT) for cervical esophageal cancer(CEC).METHODS We reviewed a total of 62 consecutive patients who received definitive RT for stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ cervical esophageal cancer between 2001 and 2015. Patients who received < 45 Gy, treated for lesions below sternal notch, treated with palliative aim, treated with subsequent surgical resection, or diagnosed with synchronous hypopharyngeal cancer were excluded. Treatment failures were divided into local(occurring within the RT field), outfield-esophageal, and regional [occurring in regional lymph node(s)] failures. Factors predictive of esophageal stenosis requiring endoscopic dilation were analyzed.RESULTS Grade 1, 2, and 3 esophagitis occurred in 19(30.6%), 39(62.9%), and 4 patients(6.5%), respectively, without grade ≥ 4 toxicities. Sixteen patients(25.8%) developed post-RT stenosis, of which 7 cases(43.8%) were malignant. Four patients(6.5%) developed tracheoesophageal fistula(TEF), of which 3(75%) cases were malignant. Factors significantly correlated with post-RT stenosis were stage T3/4(P = 0.001), complete circumference involvement(P < 0.0001), stenosis at diagnosis(P = 0.024), and endoscopic complete response(P = 0.017) in univariate analysis, while complete circumference involvement was significant in multivariate analysis(P = 0.003). A higher dose(≥ 60 Gy) was not associated with occurrence of postRT stenosis or TEF. With a median follow-up of 24.3(range, 3.4-152) mo, the 2 y local control, outfield esophageal control, progression-free survival, and overall survival(OS) rates were 78.9%, 90.2%, 49.6%, and 57.3%, respectively. Factors significantly correlated with OS were complete circumference involvement(P = 0.023), stenosis at diagnosis(P < 0.0001), and occurrence of post-RT stenosis or TEF(P < 0.001) in univariate analysis, while stenosis at diagnosis(P = 0.004) and occurrence of post-RT stenosis or TEF(P = 0.023) were significant in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION Chemoradiation for CEC was well tolerated, and a higher dose was not associated with stenosis. Patients with complete circumferential involvement require close follow-up.展开更多
Bacillus species are aerobic,gram-positive,spore forming rods that are usually found in the soil,dust,streams,and other environmental sources.Except for Bacillus.anthracis(B.anthracis) ,most species display low virule...Bacillus species are aerobic,gram-positive,spore forming rods that are usually found in the soil,dust,streams,and other environmental sources.Except for Bacillus.anthracis(B.anthracis) ,most species display low virulence,and only rarely cause infections in hosts with weak or damaged immune systems.There are two case reports of B.cereus as a potentially serious bacterial pathogen causing a liver abscess in an immunologically competent patient.We herein report a case of liver abscess and sepsis caused by B.pantothenticus in an immunocompetent patient.Until now,no case of liver abscess due to B.pantothenticus has been reported.展开更多
BACKGROUND The cellular prion protein(PrPC),traditionally associated with neurodegenerative disorders,plays an important role in cancer progression and metastasis by inhibiting apoptosis.AIM To investigate the influen...BACKGROUND The cellular prion protein(PrPC),traditionally associated with neurodegenerative disorders,plays an important role in cancer progression and metastasis by inhibiting apoptosis.AIM To investigate the influence of PrPC expression in cholangiocarcinoma(CCA)on patient outcomes following surgical resection.METHODS Patients who underwent curative surgical resection for either intrahepatic or hilar CCA were enrolled in this retrospective study.Based on the immunohistochemical staining results of the surgical specimens,patients were categorized into two groups:The low PrPC group(negative or 1+)and the high PrPC group(2+or 3+).Survival analyses,including overall survival and recurrence-free survival,were conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS In total,seventy-six patients diagnosed with CCA(39 with intrahepatic and 37 with hilar CCA)underwent curative hepatectomy from January 2011 to November 2021.Among these patients,38(50%)demonstrated high PrPC expression,whereas the remaining 38(50%)showed low expression of PrPC.During a median follow-up period of 31.2 months(range:1 to 137 months),the high PrPC group had a significantly shorter median overall survival than the low PrPC group(40.4 months vs 137.9 months,respectively;P=0.041).Moreover,the high PrPC group had a significantly shorter median recurrence-free survival than the low PrPC group(13.3 months vs 23.8 months,respectively;P=0.026).CONCLUSION PrPC expression is significantly associated with early recurrence and decreased survival period in CCA patients following surgical resection.Thus,PrPC may be used as a prognostic factor in treatment planning.展开更多
To enable the computer-aided design of vertically stacked two-dimensional(2D)van der Waals(vdW)heterostructure devices,we here introduce a non-equilibrium first-principles simulation method based on the multi-space co...To enable the computer-aided design of vertically stacked two-dimensional(2D)van der Waals(vdW)heterostructure devices,we here introduce a non-equilibrium first-principles simulation method based on the multi-space constrained-search density functional formalism.Applying it to graphene/few-layer hBN/graphene field-effect transistors,we show that the negative differential resistance(NDR)characteristics can be produced not only from the gating-induced mismatch between two graphene Dirac cones in energy-momentum space but from the bias-dependent energetic shift of defect levels.Specifically,for a carbon atom substituted for a nitrogen atom(C_(N))within inner hBN layers,the increase of bias voltage is found to induce a self-consistent electron filling of in-gap C_(N)states,which in turn changes voltage drop profiles and produces symmetric NDR characteristics.With the CN placed on outer hBN layers,however,the pinning of C_(N)states to nearby graphene significantly modifies device characteristics,demonstrating the critical impact of atomic details for 2D vdW devices.展开更多
基金Supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)funded by the Ministry of Education,No.2017R1D1A1B03035047the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government,No.NRF-2017M2A2A4A03083634
文摘AIM To evaluate toxicity and treatment outcome of highdose radiotherapy(RT) for cervical esophageal cancer(CEC).METHODS We reviewed a total of 62 consecutive patients who received definitive RT for stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ cervical esophageal cancer between 2001 and 2015. Patients who received < 45 Gy, treated for lesions below sternal notch, treated with palliative aim, treated with subsequent surgical resection, or diagnosed with synchronous hypopharyngeal cancer were excluded. Treatment failures were divided into local(occurring within the RT field), outfield-esophageal, and regional [occurring in regional lymph node(s)] failures. Factors predictive of esophageal stenosis requiring endoscopic dilation were analyzed.RESULTS Grade 1, 2, and 3 esophagitis occurred in 19(30.6%), 39(62.9%), and 4 patients(6.5%), respectively, without grade ≥ 4 toxicities. Sixteen patients(25.8%) developed post-RT stenosis, of which 7 cases(43.8%) were malignant. Four patients(6.5%) developed tracheoesophageal fistula(TEF), of which 3(75%) cases were malignant. Factors significantly correlated with post-RT stenosis were stage T3/4(P = 0.001), complete circumference involvement(P < 0.0001), stenosis at diagnosis(P = 0.024), and endoscopic complete response(P = 0.017) in univariate analysis, while complete circumference involvement was significant in multivariate analysis(P = 0.003). A higher dose(≥ 60 Gy) was not associated with occurrence of postRT stenosis or TEF. With a median follow-up of 24.3(range, 3.4-152) mo, the 2 y local control, outfield esophageal control, progression-free survival, and overall survival(OS) rates were 78.9%, 90.2%, 49.6%, and 57.3%, respectively. Factors significantly correlated with OS were complete circumference involvement(P = 0.023), stenosis at diagnosis(P < 0.0001), and occurrence of post-RT stenosis or TEF(P < 0.001) in univariate analysis, while stenosis at diagnosis(P = 0.004) and occurrence of post-RT stenosis or TEF(P = 0.023) were significant in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION Chemoradiation for CEC was well tolerated, and a higher dose was not associated with stenosis. Patients with complete circumferential involvement require close follow-up.
文摘Bacillus species are aerobic,gram-positive,spore forming rods that are usually found in the soil,dust,streams,and other environmental sources.Except for Bacillus.anthracis(B.anthracis) ,most species display low virulence,and only rarely cause infections in hosts with weak or damaged immune systems.There are two case reports of B.cereus as a potentially serious bacterial pathogen causing a liver abscess in an immunologically competent patient.We herein report a case of liver abscess and sepsis caused by B.pantothenticus in an immunocompetent patient.Until now,no case of liver abscess due to B.pantothenticus has been reported.
基金Supported by National Research Foundation of Korea Grant Funded by the Korea Government,No.RS-2023-00213951.
文摘BACKGROUND The cellular prion protein(PrPC),traditionally associated with neurodegenerative disorders,plays an important role in cancer progression and metastasis by inhibiting apoptosis.AIM To investigate the influence of PrPC expression in cholangiocarcinoma(CCA)on patient outcomes following surgical resection.METHODS Patients who underwent curative surgical resection for either intrahepatic or hilar CCA were enrolled in this retrospective study.Based on the immunohistochemical staining results of the surgical specimens,patients were categorized into two groups:The low PrPC group(negative or 1+)and the high PrPC group(2+or 3+).Survival analyses,including overall survival and recurrence-free survival,were conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS In total,seventy-six patients diagnosed with CCA(39 with intrahepatic and 37 with hilar CCA)underwent curative hepatectomy from January 2011 to November 2021.Among these patients,38(50%)demonstrated high PrPC expression,whereas the remaining 38(50%)showed low expression of PrPC.During a median follow-up period of 31.2 months(range:1 to 137 months),the high PrPC group had a significantly shorter median overall survival than the low PrPC group(40.4 months vs 137.9 months,respectively;P=0.041).Moreover,the high PrPC group had a significantly shorter median recurrence-free survival than the low PrPC group(13.3 months vs 23.8 months,respectively;P=0.026).CONCLUSION PrPC expression is significantly associated with early recurrence and decreased survival period in CCA patients following surgical resection.Thus,PrPC may be used as a prognostic factor in treatment planning.
基金This work was supported by the Samsung Research Funding&Incubation Center of Samsung Electronics(No.SRFC-TA2003-01)Computational resources were provided by KISTI Supercomputing Center(KSC-2018-C2-0032).
文摘To enable the computer-aided design of vertically stacked two-dimensional(2D)van der Waals(vdW)heterostructure devices,we here introduce a non-equilibrium first-principles simulation method based on the multi-space constrained-search density functional formalism.Applying it to graphene/few-layer hBN/graphene field-effect transistors,we show that the negative differential resistance(NDR)characteristics can be produced not only from the gating-induced mismatch between two graphene Dirac cones in energy-momentum space but from the bias-dependent energetic shift of defect levels.Specifically,for a carbon atom substituted for a nitrogen atom(C_(N))within inner hBN layers,the increase of bias voltage is found to induce a self-consistent electron filling of in-gap C_(N)states,which in turn changes voltage drop profiles and produces symmetric NDR characteristics.With the CN placed on outer hBN layers,however,the pinning of C_(N)states to nearby graphene significantly modifies device characteristics,demonstrating the critical impact of atomic details for 2D vdW devices.
