Erratum to: Genome Characteristics of Lactobacillus fermentum Strain JDFM216 for Application as Probiotic Bacteria.

This erratum is being published to correct the 1st author's name of above manuscript by Jang et al. that was published in Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (2017, 27: 1266-1271). The 1st author name(Sung Yong Jang) should appear as 'Sung Yong Chang'.

Genome Characteristics of Lactobacillus fermentum Strain JDFM216 for Application as Probiotic Bacteria.

Lactobacillus fermentum strain JDFM216, isolated from a Korean infant feces sample, possesses the ability to enhance the longevity and immune response of a Caenorhabditis elegans host. To explore the characteristics of strain JDFM216 at the genetic level, we performed whole-genome sequencing using the PacBio system. The circular draft genome has a total length of 2,076,427 bp and a total of 2,682 encoding sequences were identified. Five phylogenetically featured genes possibly related to the longevity and immune response of the host were identified in L. fermentum strain JDFM216. These genes encode UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase (E.C. 2.5.1.7), ErfK/YbiS/YcfS/YnhG family protein, site-specific recombinase XerD, homocysteine S-methyltransferase (E.C. 2.1.1.10), and aspartate-ammonia ligase (E.C. 6.3.1.1), which are involved in peptidoglycan synthesis and amino acid metabolism in the gut environment. Our findings on the genetic background of L. fermentum strain JDFM216 and its potential candidate genes for host longevity and immune response provide new insight for the application of this strain in the food industry as newly isolated functional probiotic.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of intravenously injected adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells in dogs with acute spinal cord injury.

INTRODUCTION: Mesenchymal stem cells can potentially be used in therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI). Methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) has been used as a scavenging agent in acute SCI treatment, but its use no longer recommended. This study aimed to identify ways to reduce the usage and risk of high doses of glucocorticoid steroids, and determine whether AD-MSCs could be used as an early alternative treatment modality for acute SCI. METHODS: Sixteen adult beagle dogs with SCI were assigned to four treatment groups: control, MPSS, AD-MSCs, and AD-MSCs + MPSS. Additionally, one dog was used to evaluate the distribution of AD-MSCs in the body after injection. AD-MSCs (1 × 10(7) cells) were injected intravenously once a day for 3 days beginning at 6 hours post-SCI. MPSS was also injected intravenously according to the standard protocol for acute SCI. A revised Tarlov scale was used to evaluate hindlimb functional recovery. The levels of markers for oxidative metabolism (3-nitrotyrosine, 4-hydroxynonenal, and protein carbonyl) and inflammation (cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) were also measured. RESULTS: At 7 days post-treatment, hindlimb movement had improved in the AD-MSCs and AD-MSCs + MPSS groups; however, subjects in the groups treated with MPSS exhibited gastrointestinal hemorrhages. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed fewer hemorrhages and lesser microglial infiltration in the AD-MSCs group. The green fluorescent protein-expressing AD-MSCs were clearly detected in the lung, spleen, and injured spinal cord; however, these cells were not detected in the liver and un-injured spinal cord. Levels of 3-nitrotyrosine were decreased in the MPSS and AD-MSCs + MPSS groups; 4-hydroxynenonal and cyclooxygenase-2 levels were decreased in all treatment groups; and interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator transcription 3 levels were decreased in the AD-MSCs and AD-MSCs + MPSS groups. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that early intravenous injection of AD-MSCs after acute SCI may prevent further damage through enhancement of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, without inducing adverse effects. Additionally, this treatment could also be used as an alternative intravenous treatment modality for acute SCI.

Changes in Visual Acuity after Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Removal: Good versus Poor Preoperative Visual Acuity.

PURPOSE: To investigate postoperative visual acuity changes following idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery as well as investigate the relationship between outcome and baseline visual acuity. METHODS: The medical records of 159 consecutive eyes were retrospectively reviewed for best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield macular thickness (CSMT), and the ellipsoid zone (EZ) signal of the photoreceptor layer at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: group A, with good vision of 20/50 or better, and group B, with poor visual acuity worse than 20/50. RESULTS: Seventy-nine eyes were included in group A and 80 eyes in group B. Mean baseline BCVA was 0.28 and 0.65 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), and the mean baseline CSMT was 423.7 and 505.6 µm in group A and group B, respectively. In group A, BCVA worsened to 0.39 logMAR at 1 month (p < 0.001) and gradually improved to 0.25 logMAR at 6 months, which was not different from baseline BCVA. In group B, BCVA and CSMT improved at 1, 3, and 6 months (p < 0.05). The EZ signal improved in group B (p = 0.003) but not in group A. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the improvement in BCVA of ≥ 2 lines was significant for preoperative BCVA (0.717, 95% confidence interval 0.638-0.797; p < 0.001). The cutoff value was 0.35 on the logMAR scale. CONCLUSION: After ERM surgery, patients with good vision maintained visual acuity after temporary worsening of vision, and patients with poor vision achieved significant BCVA improvement.

Effects of water vapor pretreatment time and reaction temperature on CO(2) capture characteristics of a sodium-based solid sorbent in a bubbling fluidized-bed reactor.

CO(2) capture from flue gas using a sodium-based solid sorbent was investigated in a bubbling fluidized-bed reactor. Carbonation and regeneration temperature on CO(2) removal was determined. The extent of the chemical reactivity after carbonation or regeneration was characterized via (13)C NMR. In addition, the physical properties of the sorbent such as pore size, pore volume, and surface area after carbonation or regeneration were measured by gas adsorption method (BET). With water vapor pretreatment, near complete CO(2) removal was initially achieved and maintained for about 1-2min at 50 degrees C with 2s gas residence time, while without proper water vapor pretreatment CO(2) removal abruptly decreased from the beginning. Carbonation was effective at the lower temperature over the 50-70 degrees C temperature range, while regeneration more effective at the higher temperature over the 135-300 degrees C temperature range. To maintain the initial 90% CO(2) removal, it would be necessary to keep the regeneration temperature higher than about 135 degrees C. The results obtained in this study can be used as basic data for designing and operating a large scale CO(2) capture process with two fluidized-bed reactors.

Malignant nonfunctioning endocrine tumors of the pancreas: predictive factors for survival after surgical treatment.

BACKGROUND: There are scant studies that have analyzed the prognostic factors for malignant nonfunctioning endocrine tumors of the pancreas. We identified the predictive factors associated with long-term survival after surgical resection for malignant nonfunctioning endocrine tumors. METHODS: Among the 25 patients seen at our hospital with a diagnosis of malignant nonfunctioning endocrine tumor, a review was performed on 22 of these patients who were surgically treated at our institution over the last 10 years. The following factors were evaluated for disease-specific mortality: age, gender, tumor location, tumor size, histological differentiation, status of the resection margin, and status of lymph node involvement. RESULTS: Tumor recurrence was noted in 9 cases (40.9%) among the 22 operated patients. Of the 9 recurrent cases, 7 patients (77.8%) had liver metastases. The median follow-up period was 24.8 (range: 3.7-121.4) months. The overall actuarial 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rates were 84.1%, 72.5%, and 52.8%, respectively. The factor shown to have a favorable independent prognostic significance was a negative resection margin (odds ratio = 19.44, 95% confidence interval = 1.22-310.54, P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Definitive surgical resection of the primary tumor was a predictor of long-term survival after surgical resection for malignant nonfunctioning endocrine tumor.