This study was conducted to investigate physiological characteristics of Trichoderma spp. isolated from Pleurotus spp. Damage tests of Pleurotus spp. and mycotoxins tests of Trichoderma spp. were also done. The optimal growth temperature of Trichoderma spp. was 27~30degrees C. Although, T. longibrachiatum was able to grow at 37degrees C and grew 30~40 times faster than Pleurotus. The colony colour on PDA medium of T. cf. virens was yellowish green, T. longibrachiatum was yellow, and T. harzianum was turning to bright green. In damage tests of Pleurotus by Trichoderma, T. cf. virens caused the most severe damage to Pleurotus. T. longibrachiatum and T. harzianum caused less damage on Pleurotus but were able to cause greater damage to P. eryngii. One of the mushroom cultivars, P. ostreatus 8 was the most resistant to all Trichoderma spp.. Chitinolytic mycotoxin released by Trichoderma spp. caused 52.7% damage to Pleurotus. Mycotoxins released by T. longibrachiatum caused the greatest damaged (78.6%) on P. eryngii.
Agaricales ; Fungi* ; Mycotoxins ; Ostreidae* ; Pleurotus* ; Trichoderma

No abstract available.
Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Venous Thrombosis

This study was carried out to identify the phylogenetic relationships among several caterpillar fungi by comparing the sequences of internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) and 5.8S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeat unit. The sequences of ITS1, ITS2, and the 5.8S rDNA from 10 strains of Cordyceps species, 12 strains of Paecilomyces, 3 strains of Beauveria, 2 strains of Metarhizium and 1 strains of Hirsutella were amplified, determined and compared with the previously known Cordyceps species. The sequences of 5.8S rDNA were more conserved in length and variation than those of ITS regions. Although the variable ITS sequences were often ambiguously aligned, the conserved sites could be found. In the phylogenetic tree, the species generally divided into three clusters, supported by their morphology and/or host ranges. The 5.8S rDNA and ITS1 sequences among 10 species of Cordyceps militaris were identical and only one base pair in ITS2 sequence was different. Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps ophioglossoides were also clearly different, although they belonged to the same cluster. The GenBank database search of species revealed sister taxa of an entomogenous fungus. Metarhizium was used as an outgroup in all taxa.
Base Pairing ; Beauveria ; Cordyceps ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; DNA, Ribosomal* ; Fungi* ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; Metarhizium ; Paecilomyces ; Phylogeny ; Siblings

PURPOSE: Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) requires heavy anticoagulation and uncomfortable post-procedural hemostasis. We compared patient satisfaction with and the safety of unilateral groin (UG) puncture-single trans-septal (ST) ablation with conventional bilateral groin (BG) puncture-double trans-septal (DT) ablation in paroxysmal AF patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 222 patients with paroxysmal AF (59.4±10.7 years old) who were randomized in a 2:1 manner into UG-ST ablation (n=148) and BG-DT ablation (n=74) groups. If circumferential pulmonary vein isolation could not be achieved after three attempts of touch-up ablation in the UG-ST group, the patient was crossed over to BG-DT by performing a left groin puncture. RESULTS: Ten patients in the UG-ST group (6.8%) required crossover to the BG-DT approach. There were no significant differences in procedure time (p=0.144) and major complications rate (p>0.999) between the UG-ST and BG-DT groups. Access site pain (p=0.014), back pain (p=0.023), and total pain (p=0.015) scores were significantly lower for the UG-ST than BG-DT group as assessed by the Visual Analog Scale. Over 20.2±8.7 months of follow up, there was no difference in AF recurrence free-survival rates between the two groups (Log rank, p=0.984). CONCLUSION: UG-ST AF ablation is feasible and safe, and was found to significantly reduce post-procedural hemostasis-related discomfort, compared to the conventional DT approach, in patients with paroxysmal AF.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Back Pain ; Catheter Ablation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Groin ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Patient Satisfaction ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Veins ; Punctures ; Recurrence ; Visual Analog Scale

In patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), the risk of stroke varies considerably according to individual clinical status. The CHA2DS2-VASc score is better than the CHADS2 score for identifying truly lower risk patients with AF. With the advent of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), the strategy for antithrombotic therapy has undergone significant changes due to its superior efficacy, safety and convenience compared with warfarin. Furthermore, new aspects of antithrombotic therapy and risk assessment of stroke have been revealed: the efficacy of stroke prevention with aspirin is weak, while the risk of major bleeding is not significantly different from that of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy, especially in the elderly. Reflecting these pivotal aspects, previous guidelines have been updated in recent years by overseas societies and associations. The Korean Heart Rhythm Society has summarized the new evidence and updated recommendations for stroke prevention of patients with nonvalvular AF. First of all, antithrombotic therapy must be considered carefully and incorporate the clinical characteristics and circumstances of each individual patient, especially with regards to balancing the benefits of stroke prevention with the risk of bleeding, recommending the CHA2DS2-VASc score rather than the CHADS2 score for assessing the risk of stroke, and employing the HAS-BLED score to validate bleeding risk. In patients with truly low risk (lone AF, CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0), no antithrombotic therapy is recommended, whereas OAC therapy, including warfarin (international normalized ratio 2-3) or NOACs, is recommended for patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score > or =2 unless contraindicated. In patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1, OAC therapy should be preferentially considered, but depending on bleeding risk or patient preferences, antiplatelet therapy or no therapy could be permitted.
Aged ; Anticoagulants ; Aspirin ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Heart* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Patient Preference ; Risk Assessment ; Stroke ; Warfarin

Background and Objectives: We investigated whether extra-pulmonary vein (PV) ablation targeting a high maximal slope of the action potential duration restitution curve (Smax) improves the rhythm outcome of persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) ablation. Methods: In this open-label, multi-center, randomized, and controlled trial, 178 PeAF patients were randomized with 1:1 ratio to computational modeling-guided virtual Smax ablation (V-Smax) or empirical ablation (E-ABL) groups. Smax maps were generated by computational modeling based on atrial substrate maps acquired during clinical procedures in sinus rhythm. Smax maps were generated during the clinical PV isolation (PVI). The V-Smax group underwent an additional extra-PV ablation after PVI targeting the virtual high Smax sites. Results: After a mean follow-up period of 12.3±5.2 months, the clinical recurrence rates (25.6% vs. 23.9% in the V-Smax and the E-ABL group, p=0.880) or recurrence appearing as atrial tachycardia (11.1% vs. 5.7%, p=0.169) did not differ between the 2 groups. The postablation cardioversion rate was higher in the V-Smax group than E-ABL group (14.4% vs. 5.7%, p=0.027). Among antiarrhythmic drug-free patients (n=129), the AF freedom rate was 78.7% in the V-Smax group and 80.9% in the E-ABL group (p=0.776). The total procedure time was longer in the V-Smax group (p=0.008), but no significant difference was found in the major complication rates (p=0.497) between the groups. Conclusions Unlike a dominant frequency ablation, the computational modeling-guided V-Smax ablation did not improve the rhythm outcome of the PeAF ablation and had a longer procedure time.

PURPOSE: Obtaining brain tissue is critical to definite diagnosis and to furthering understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. The present authors have maintained the National Neuropathology Reference and Diagnostic Laboratories for Dementia in South Korea since 2016. We have built a nationwide brain bank network and are collecting brain tissues from patients with neurodegenerative diseases. We are aiming to facilitate analyses of clinic-pathological and image-pathological correlations of neurodegenerative disease and to broaden understanding thereof. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited participants through two routes: from memory clinics and the community. As a baseline evaluation, clinical interviews, a neurological examination, laboratory tests, neuropsychological tests, and MRI were undertaken. Some patients also underwent amyloid PET. RESULTS: We recruited 105 participants, 70 from clinics and 35 from the community. Among them, 11 died and were autopsied. The clinical diagnoses of the autopsied patients included four with Alzheimer's disease (AD), two with subcortical vascular dementia, two with non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia, one with leukoencephalopathy, one with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and one with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Five patients underwent amyloid PET: two with AD, one with mixed dementia, one with FTD, and one with CJD. CONCLUSION: The clinical and neuropathological information to be obtained from this cohort in the future will provide a deeper understanding of the neuropathological mechanisms of cognitive impairment in Asia, especially Korea.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid ; Aphasia, Primary Progressive ; Asia ; Brain* ; Cognition Disorders ; Cohort Studies ; Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome ; Dementia ; Dementia, Vascular ; Diagnosis ; Frontotemporal Dementia ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leukoencephalopathies ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurologic Examination ; Neuropathology ; Neuropsychological Tests