Chronic low water intake is associated with altered exercise-induced oxidative stress and immune cell responses: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Hydration status plays a critical role in modulating oxidative stress during exercise, which can influence physical performance and recovery. While the acute effects of hydration on exercise-induced oxidative stress are well-documented, the long-term impact of chronic water intake remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic low water intake and exercise-induced oxidative stress, as well as changes in the phenotypic composition of peripheral immune cells.

CD99-mediated immunological synapse formation potentiates CAR-T cell function.

Despite the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells in selected hematological malignancies, further improvement on CAR-T designs is still desirable. We hypothesize that modifying the CAR structure to enhance immunological synapse (IS) stabilization and CAR target-binding may be a feasible strategy. Here we show that the membrane protein, CD99, is critical for IS formation in T cells by mediating actin-microtubule interaction.

Clinical characteristics of peripheral exudative hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy easily misdiagnosed at initial presentation in Korean patients.

Few studies have comprehensively examined the clinical features of peripheral exudative hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy (PEHCR) due to its low prevalence. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with PEHCR at a single center in Korea. We conducted a retrospective review of patient records from November 2005 to December 2020.

Exposure to antibiotics during pregnancy or early infancy and the risk of autoimmune disease in children: A nationwide cohort study in Korea.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that prenatal or early-life exposure to antibiotics may contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases in children. However, previous studies investigating this association have yielded conflicting and inconclusive results, partly due to challenges related to confounding by indication and underlying genetic or familial factors.

Methods And Findings: A nationwide cohort study was conducted using mother-child linked claims database of Korea's National Health Insurance Service between 2008 and 2021.

Oxygen therapy-related risk factors for aggressive retinopathy of prematurity in low-risk preterm neonates.

Background: Aggressive retinopathy of prematurity (A-ROP) poses a significant risk for visual impairment in preterm neonates, including those considered at low risk for ROP. Nonetheless, factors influencing A-ROP occurrence in low-risk preterm neonates remain underexplored. We aimed to identify oxygen therapy-related factors associated with A-ROP in this population.

The role of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in infection-induced oral burning sensation: Evidenced from mouse and zebrafish models.

Background/purpose: Burning sensation in the oral cavity impairs quality of life, with infection identified as a potential cause due to its inflammatory effects. This study examines the role of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channel in mediating -induced burning sensations using clinical data, mouse models, and zebrafish embryos.

Materials And Methods: Tongue pain intensity in 173 patients was assessed using the Numerical rating scale (NRS, 0-10) before and after nystatin treatment.

Molecularly targeted photoacoustic endoscopy with fiber-scanning side-view probe for in vivo staging of early mucosal tumors.

Accurate in vivo staging of early gastrointestinal (GI) cancers is critical for selecting between local and systemic therapy. We present a molecularly targeted photoacoustic endoscopy (PAE) system that combines a compact, fiber-scanning side-view probe with a HER2-targeted near-infrared (NIR) contrast agent (KSP∗-IRDye800) to assess mucosal and submucosal tumor invasion in vivo. The 4.

Optic disc pit maculopathy-like retinoschisis without a clinically visible optic disc pit.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the structural and clinical characteristics of optic disc pit maculopathy-like retinoschisis without a clinically visible optic disc pit and discuss possible pathogenesis and treatment.

Methods: This retrospective observational case series reviewed 20 eyes in 19 patients diagnosed with peripapillary retinoschisis (PPRS) without a visible optic disc pit. Patients were divided into three groups according to management method: observation, intraocular pressure (IOP) control, and vitrectomy.

Age-Related Scattered Hypofluorescent Spots as an Adverse Prognostic Factor for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

Purpose: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) demonstrates significant prognostic variability, and the impact of age-related scattered hypofluorescent spots observed in late-phase indocyanine green angiography (ASHS-LIA) on the prognosis of PCV remains under-researched. This study aims to investigate the association between ASHS-LIA in PCV and prognosis using the AdaBoost machine learning model.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Conserved brain-wide emergence of emotional response from sensory experience in humans and mice.

Emotional responses to sensory experience are central to the human condition in health and disease. We hypothesized that principles governing the emergence of emotion from sensation might be discoverable through their conservation across the mammalian lineage. We therefore designed a cross-species neural activity screen, applicable to humans and mice, combining precise affective behavioral measurements, clinical medication administration, and brain-wide intracranial electrophysiology.

Enhancing embryonic and full-term development during mouse cloning through post-activation treatment with JNJ-7706621.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is widely researched for animal cloning. However, SCNT embryos frequently exhibit reduced developmental potential compared to those generated through natural reproduction. This study aimed to improve SCNT mouse embryo development by assessing the effects of JNJ-7706621 (JNJ, a specific inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 and aurora kinases) as a post-activation treatment, replacing cytochalasin B (CB).

Clinical and pathological spectrum of disease severity among patients with acute liver failure (ALF) undergoing deceased donor liver transplantation.

Listing and transplanting patients with acute liver failure (ALF) is challenging, requiring rapid assessment of the likelihood of recovery. The availability of a large number of ALF liver explants, along with their clinical data, afforded an opportunity to retrospectively evaluate liver transplantation (LT) decision-making. We hypothesized that, with the benefit of hindsight, a small number of patients might have recovered without LT.

The Joint Effects of Exposure to Ambient Long-term Air Pollution and Short-term Heat on Epigenetic Aging in the Health and Retirement Study.

Prior research has examined associations of exposure to air pollution and heat with epigenetic alterations separately; however, these 2 exposures commonly used to measure climate change typically co-occur. We examine joint effects of exposure to elevated PM2.5 and heat on DNA methylation.

Association of Early Life Risk Factors and APOE ε4 with Incident Dementia: Evidence from 14 Years of Data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.

Background: Early life is a critical period for brain development, laying the foundation for cognitive reserve. However, it remains unclear how various aspects of early life relate to dementia risk, and how they may interact with genetic predisposition.

Methods: This study leverages data on nationally representative older adults in the United States from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2020; N=8,676; ages ≥ 60 at baseline, 55% female).

Determinants of Limiting Life-Sustaining Treatment in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Multicenter Study in Korean Intensive Care Units.

Background: Understanding of the life-sustaining treatment (LST) decisions in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients remains limited. This study aimed to identify factors influencing LST decisions, and compare clinical outcomes between patients with, and without, LST.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 1,081 COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) across Korea from January 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021.

IGF-1 promotes trophectoderm cell proliferation of porcine embryos by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) influences various aspects of embryogenesis, including embryonic development. This study investigated the effects of IGF-1 on early embryonic development in pig embryos, focusing on its interaction with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, a key regulator of cell adhesion and proliferation.

Methods: Porcine embryos were used for experiments with chemical treatments to study blastocyst development and underlying mechanism.

NEK2 supports porcine embryonic development by modulating the AKT signaling pathway.

Aims: Serine/threonine kinase NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2) plays a crucial role in regulating the cell cycle and DNA damage response. This study explored the mechanisms by which NEK2 inhibition affects porcine embryonic development.

Materials And Methods: To explore the role of NEK2 in porcine embryonic development, we used the NEK2 inhibitor JH295 and the AKT activator SC79.

Sufficient Magnesium Intake Reduces Retinal Vein Occlusion Risk: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Analysis.

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a major cause of vision loss globally. Although magnesium (Mg) is crucial for vascular health, its association with RVO risk is unknown. Thus, we aimed to further examine this association.

Maternal identity measurement based on the experiences of mothers with infants: a methodological study.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a tool to measure maternal identity in mothers caring for infants.

Methods: This methodological study involved two stages: tool development and evaluation. A preliminary 35-item tool was created and refined to 22 items and administered to 300 mothers with infants.

Gut microbiota links vitamin C supplementation to enhanced mental vitality in healthy young adults with suboptimal vitamin C status: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The intricate relationship between nutrition, gut microbiome, and mental health has gained increasing attention. We aimed to determine how vitamin C supplementation improves mental vitality through the gut microbiome and associated neurological and immunological changes. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to analyze gut microbiota profiles of participants from our previous trial, in which healthy young adults (20-39 years) with inadequate serum vitamin C levels (< 50 μM) received 500 mg vitamin C or a placebo twice daily for 4 weeks (vitamin C, n = 21; placebo, n = 19).

SMC2 and Condensin II Subunits Are Essential for the Development of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Zebrafish.

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) play a pivotal role in blood cell production, maintaining the health and homeostasis of individuals. Dysregulation of HSPC function can lead to blood-related diseases, including cancer. Despite its importance, our understanding of the genes and pathways underlying HSPC development and the associated pathological mechanisms remains limited.

Ambient outdoor heat and accelerated epigenetic aging among older adults in the US.

Extreme heat is well-documented to adversely affect health and mortality, but its link to biological aging-a precursor of the morbidity and mortality process-remains unclear. This study examines the association between ambient outdoor heat and epigenetic aging in a nationally representative sample of US adults aged 56+ ( = 3686). The number of heat days in neighborhoods is calculated using the heat index, covering time windows from the day of blood collection to 6 years prior.

Coexisting Macular Hole and Uveal Melanoma: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Purpose: To report five cases of macular hole (MH) coexisting with uveal melanoma (UM) and review the literature.

Methods: Seventeen patients (5 new and 12 from previous reports) with coexisting MH and UM were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether the MH was diagnosed before or after tumor treatment.

Automated and code-free development of a risk calculator using ChatGPT-4 for predicting diabetic retinopathy and macular edema without retinal imaging.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and macular edema (DME) are critical causes of vision loss in patients with diabetes. In many communities, access to ophthalmologists and retinal imaging equipment is limited, making screening for diabetic retinal complications difficult in primary health care centers. We investigated whether ChatGPT-4, an advanced large-language-model chatbot, can develop risk calculators for DR and DME using health check-up tabular data without the need for retinal imaging or coding experience.

Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface.

Transparent organic light-emitting diode (TrOLED) displays represent cutting-edge technology posed to significantly enhance user experience. This study addresses two pivotal challenges in TrOLED development. Firstly, we focus on the innovation of transparent cathodes, a fundamental component in TrOLEDs, by introducing a ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode.