Engineered MSC-EVs loaded with BDNF-enhancing neuropeptides via a non-disruptive method enhance post-stroke neuroregeneration via intranasal delivery.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) show potential as neuroregenerative therapies. Incorporating bioactive compounds such as neuropeptides that enhance brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression may amplify their therapeutic potential. We developed a clinical-scale method for loading neuropeptides into MSC-EVs, while preserving their structural integrity and therapeutic functionality.

Role of estimated glucose disposal rate in predicting myosteatosis: Insights from abdominal CT analysis.

Background And Aims: Myosteatosis, or fat infiltration in skeletal muscle, impairs muscle quality and contributes to insulin resistance. The estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) has emerged as a noninvasive marker of insulin resistance in diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the association between eGDR and myosteatosis in the general population.

Whole genome sequencing reveals telomere associated genomic differences between healthy and unhealthy aging in a Korean population.

One of the major challenges in modern biogerontology is understanding the accumulation of molecular damage and the manifestation of phenotypic heterogeneity during aging. Notably, genomic instability caused by impaired DNA damage repair along with telomere attrition are primary drivers of aging. However, how these aging-related characteristics differ in individuals who age healthily without developing major age-associated diseases remains unclear.

Using capnography in children to prevent oxygen desaturation during procedural sedation: A randomised trial.

Background: Capnography is essential for ventilatory monitoring.

Objective: We evaluated the effects of capnography on the occurrence of oxygen desaturation in paediatric patients undergoing sedation outside the operating room.

Design: Age-stratified randomised controlled trial without blinding.

Effects of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles and dupilumab on the spleen and skin in a house dust mite-induced atopic dermatitis model.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized as a biphasic T-lymphocyte-mediated disease involving T-helper cells. Dupilumab is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits Th2-related cytokines and has recently been approved for patients with AD. However, the effects of dupilumab are relatively narrow in scope, primarily targeting cytokine-driven inflammatory pathways, with few reported systemic effects.

Dynamics of Oxygen Reserve Index and Arterial Oxygen Partial Pressure in Children: A Prospective Observational Study.

Aims: The Oxygen Reserve Index (ORI) is a novel, noninvasive parameter that reflects moderate hyperoxic states. However, its relationship with PaO in the pediatric population remains poorly understood. We investigated the ORI-PaO relationship during pediatric cardiac surgery and identified its influencing factors.

Ultrasonographic assessment of sugammadex-enhanced early recovery of diaphragmatic function in children: A randomised double-blind controlled trial.

Background: In adults, sugammadex promotes faster neuromuscular recovery compared with neostigmine; however, its impact on diaphragmatic recovery and atelectasis in children remains unelucidated.

Objectives: We compared the effects of sugammadex and neostigmine on restoration of diaphragmatic function and postoperative atelectasis in paediatric patients.

Design: A prospective randomised controlled study.

Association between intrarenal venous flow Doppler and postoperative acute kidney injury in children undergoing cardiac surgery: A retrospective cohort study.

The role of intrarenal Doppler parameters in predicting postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) has been increasingly emphasized, but remains underexplored in children undergoing cardiac surgery. This study aimed to investigate the association between intrarenal venous Doppler patterns and the occurrence of postoperative AKI in children after congenital cardiac surgery. This retrospective study included 338 pediatric patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery between June 2019 and December 2021.

Clinical Scale MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Enhance Poststroke Neuroplasticity in Rodents and Non-Human Primates.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability. The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) has shown considerable promise in rodent models of stroke. However, the therapeutic efficacy and safety of clinical-scale MSC-EVs for ischemic stroke are not well elucidated, especially in non-human primates.

An adjustment of fraction of inspired oxygen using the oxygen reserve index during one-lung ventilation in pediatric patients: a prospective, randomized controlled trial.

Background: One-lung ventilation (OLV) during thoracic surgery frequently requires approximately 100% oxygen, imposing the risk of hyperoxemia. This study aimed to assess whether oxygen reserve index (ORI)-guided fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) adjustment can reduce the incidence of hyperoxemia in children undergoing lung resection.

Methods: This prospective, randomized controlled trial enrolled children aged < 7 years scheduled for thoracoscopic lung resection.

Functional and Morphological Changes in the Olfactory Epithelium of Mouse Models with Upper Respiratory Inflammation and Olfactory Dysfunction.

Objectives: This study evaluated behavioral tests and histological findings of allergic rhinitis (AR), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and drug-induced anosmia murine models, comparing the results among groups.

Methods: This study established total six animal model groups: control, ovalbumin (OVA) induced AR, OVA/poly(I:C) induced neutrophilic dominant rhinitis, OVA/staphylococcus enterotoxin B induced CRS, two anosmia models induced by 3-methylindole (3-MI) intraperitoneal injection and chronic ZnSO4 intranasal administration (n=5 in each group). Olfactory function was evaluated using an open-field food-finding test and a T-maze test one week after establishing the models.

Comparison between upper body and full underbody forced-air warming blanket in pediatric patients undergoing cardiovascular interventions under general anesthesia: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Pediatric patients undergoing cardiovascular interventions outside the operating room are at high risk of perioperative hypothermia. We aimed to compare the effects of upper body and full underbody forced-air warming blankets on the time-weighted deviation of esophageal temperature outside the target range (36.5-37.

Structural Investigation of the Anti-CRISPR Protein AcrIE7.

The CRISPR-Cas system is an adaptive immune system in prokaryotes that provides protection against bacteriophages. As a countermeasure, bacteriophages have evolved various anti-CRISPR proteins that neutralize CRISPR-Cas immunity. Here, we report the structural and functional investigation of AcrIE7, which inhibits the type I-E CRISPR-Cas system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Comparison of combined intranasal dexmedetomidine and ketamine versus chloral hydrate for pediatric procedural sedation: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: We hypothesized that intranasal combination of dexmedetomidine (2 μg/kg) and ketamine (3 mg/kg) (IN DEXKET) improves the success rate of sedation in pediatric patients compared with chloral hydrate (CH; 50 mg/kg).

Methods: This prospective, two-center, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial involved 136 pediatric patients (aged < 7 years) requiring procedural sedation. The participants were randomized to receive CH or IN DEXKET via a mucosal atomizer device.

Targeting KEAP1-mediated IKKβ degradation strategy for colitis-associated colorectal carcinogenesis: The potential of xanthohumol.

In colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), the NF-κB pathway, especially IKKβ, drives inflammation and cancer progression. However, no IKKβ inhibitors have been approved due to compensatory mechanisms. The challenge is to develop an anti-tumor agent that effectively targets IKKβ while overcoming these compensatory pathways.

Preserved brain youthfulness: longitudinal evidence of slower brain aging in superagers.

Background: Superagers, older adults with exceptional cognitive abilities, show preserved brain structure compared to typical older adults. We investigated whether superagers have biologically younger brains based on their structural integrity.

Methods: A cohort of 153 older adults (aged 61-93) was recruited, with 63 classified as superagers based on superior episodic memory and 90 as typical older adults, of whom 64 were followed up after two years.

Structural variants of AcrIIC5 inhibit Cas9 via divergent binding interfaces.

CRISPR-Cas is a bacterial defense system that employs RNA-guided endonucleases to destroy invading foreign nucleic acids. Bacteriophages produce anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins to evade CRISPR-Cas defense during the infection. AcrIIC5, a type II-C Cas9 inhibitor, exhibits unusual variations in the local backbone fold between its orthologs.

Therapeutic Potential of Hongjam in A Diethylnitrosamine and Thioacetamide-induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mouse Model.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common and lethal type of primary liver cancer, frequently arising from chronic liver injury and inflammation. Despite treatment advancements, HCC prognosis remains poor, emphasizing the need for effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. This study investigates the hepatoprotective and anti-tumor effects of Hongjam, a steamed freeze-dried silkworm powder, in a diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and thioacetamide (TAA)-induced HCC mouse model.

Association of Lung Function With Visceral Adiposity and Skeletal Muscle Mass Considering Myosteatosis.

Background: Changes in body composition, including loss of muscle mass and obesity, adversely affect lung function.

Research Question: What is the relationship between lung function, visceral adiposity, and skeletal muscle mass, considering myosteatosis measured using CT scans in middle-aged Korean adults?

Study Design And Methods: We reviewed 15,827 participants (9,237 men and 6,590 women) with a mean (SD) age of 52.5 (8.

Elevated IL-17A-Secreting Regulatory T Cells in Sinonasal Tissues of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps.

During nasal polyp (NP) development, activated T cells differentiate into T helper (Th) 1, Th2, and Th17 cells. Additionally, regulatory T cells (Tregs) that have an immune suppressive function are involved in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with NP (CRSwNP). Tregs can act as effector cells that produce inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-17A.

Electroencephalography and Anesthetic Depth in Children Under 2 Years of Age: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Processed electroencephalogram (EEG) indices are widely used to monitor anesthetic depth. However, their reliability in children under 2 years of age remains questionable. During anesthesia maintenance in this age group, processed EEG indices frequently exhibit unexpectedly elevated values that exceed the intended target range.

Evaluating the Therapeutic Potential of Microneedle Patch Laser With Multiple Wavelengths in Allergic Rhinitis: Insights From an Allergic Rhinitis Mouse Model.

Objective: There is insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of treating allergic rhinitis with a patch laser affix to the skin as opposed to direct intranasal irradiation of the nasal mucosa. We aimed to evaluate the effect of the microneedle patch laser with multiple wavelengths in an allergic rhinitis (AR) mouse model and its underlying mechanism.

Methods: The microneedle patch laser was attached to the skin above the mouse's nasal cavity, transmitting light to the nasal mucosa.

Intraoperative transfontanelle ultrasonography for pediatric patients.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) plays a vital role in delivering cerebral oxygen, and the accurate assessment of CBF is crucial for the intraoperative management of critically ill infants. Although the direct measurement of CBF is challenging, CBF velocity (CBFV) can be assessed using transcranial Doppler. Recent advances in point-of-care ultrasound have introduced brain ultrasound as a feasible intraoperative option, in which transfontanelle ultrasonography (TFU) has been applied to measure the CBFV through the anterior fontanelle.